Factors influencing provision of quality retail pharmaceutical care in Mombasa city: a case of Mombasa central business

Abstract

The study of pharmaceutical care can be influenced by a number of factors including demand and supply of pharmacists, pharmacist- patient care training, remuneration of pharmacy staff, the use of technology in patient record management and lastly financial resources. Other factors rather than the independent variables may influence the provision of quality pharmaceutical care to some extent and they include customer knowledge and government regulations. It is in this case that we sought to get more details about these factors. We conducted a study based on primary data and research instruments were employed which include Questionnaire for staff, Questionnaire for clients and Questionnaire for chief pharmacists. The questionnaires were administered by the researcher and his assistant. Permission to carry out this study in the identified and selected retail pharmacies was obtained from chief pharmacists of the respective pharmacies and a formal consent sought. Thereafter, the research assistant visited the sampled pharmacies. Questionnaires were distributed accordingly and the respondents encouraged answering questions truthfully as their anonymity was to be assured to elicit a representative data on the real situation on the ground. This study shed some light on some of the factors influencing the provision of quality pharmaceutical clare' which pharmacists have worked to develop over a decade ago. It has illuminated an issue that is of significance public health concern and that needs to be addressed thus providing policy makers with critical objective information necessary to alter and modify existing regulation in the pharmaceutical industry., It will also help maximize the contribution of the pharmacists in reducing and combating the drug-related morbidity and mortality to improve outcomes and decrease health care costs, since drug related morbidity and mortality is costly both from human resource and financial perspective.