Unveiling pharmacy students' attitudes, preparedness and barriers in embracing pharmaceutical care: Insights from a UAE healthcare institution
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2025.251.19Keywords:
Attitude, Perception, Pharmaceutical care, United Arab EmiratesAbstract
Background: Pharmaceutical care (PC) has long been integrated into pharmacy education globally, yet its application in developing nations presents a varied landscape. This study aims to evaluate the attitudes, perceptions, preparedness, and challenges pharmacy students face concerning providing PC.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Fatima College of Health Sciences (FCHS) fourth—and final-year pharmacy students. Descriptive and inferential data analyses were performed using SPSS version 29.
Results: Responses were received from 41 students (response rate 73%). Most students (78%) agreed that PC is valuable. Communication skills are reported to be the most prepared competency area. The most common barriers to PC provision included a lack of workplace for counselling in the pharmacy (46.4%), a poor image of the pharmacist’s role in society (46.4%), and time constraints (41.4%).
Conclusion: The findings revealed that pharmacy students had a positive attitude towards PC and a range of preparedness across competencies. To better prepare future pharmacists to provide effective PC services, it is essential to provide more active learning experiences to equip students with the skills and confidence to excel as future clinical care providers.
References
Al-Arifi, M. N. (2009). Pharmacy students’ attitudes toward pharmaceutical care in Riyadh region Saudi Arabia. Pharmacy World & Science, 31(6), 677–681. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-009-9331-y
Ahmed, N. J, Al-Shdefat, R. I., Yusuf, R. F., Ain, M. R., & Rabba, A. K. (2017). The attitudes and perceptions of pharmacy students toward applying pharmaceutical care after graduation in Alkharj city. Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences, 6(10), 1–4. https://fada.birzeit.edu/bitstream/20.500.11889/6751/1/beps.pdf
Allemann, S. S., van Mil, J. W. F., Botermann, L., Berger, K., Griese, N., & Hersberger, K. E. (2014). Pharmaceutical care: the PCNE definition 2013. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 36(3), 544–555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-014-9933-x
Awaisu, A., Maram Katoue, Dalal Al-Taweel, Basha, R., Alaa El-Gargawi, & Kheir, N. (2018). Self-reported attitudes and perceived preparedness to provide pharmaceutical care among final year pharmacy students in Qatar and Kuwait. Pharmacy Education, 18, 284–291. https://pharmacyeducation.fip.org/pharmacyeducation/article/view/619
Bacha, R. A. M., & El-Gergawi, A. T. (2016). Self-assessed attitude, perception, preparedness and perceived barriers to provide pharmaceutical care in practice among final year pharmacy students: A comparative study between Qatar and Kuwait. Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings, 2016(1). https://doi.org/10.5339/qfarc.2016.hbsp3074
Baral, S. R., Parajuli, D. R., Shrestha, S., Acharya, S. R., Dahal, P., Poudel, P., Ghimire, S., Palaian, S., & Shrestha, N. (2019). Undergraduate pharmacy students’ attitudes and perceived barriers toward provision of pharmaceutical care: A multi-institutional study in Nepal. Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice, 8, 47–59. https://doi.org/10.2147/iprp.s203240
Berenguer, B., La Casa, C., de la Matta, M. J., & Martín-Calero, M. J. (2004). Pharmaceutical care: Past, present and future. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 10(31), 3931–3946. https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612043382521
Bond, R., & Cone, C. (2012). Improving student confidence in skill performance in a pharmaceutical care lab setting. Pharmacy Education, 12(1), 20‒24. https://pharmacyeducation.fip.org/pharmacyeducation/article/view/289
Boyd, M., Solanki, V., Anderson, C., Sonnex, K., & Brydges, S. (2017). Pharmacy leadership and management module: An evaluation of the student experience and its perceived usefulness for future employment. Monash Pharmacy Education Symposium 2017, Italy, Pharmacy Education, 17. https://pharmacyeducation.fip.org/pharmacyeducation/article/view/590/445
Chisholm, M. A., & Wade, W. E. (1999). Factors influencing students’ attitudes toward pharmaceutical care. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 56(22), 2330–2335. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/56.22.2330
Dalton, K., & Byrne, S. (2017). Role of the pharmacist in reducing healthcare costs: Current insights. Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice, 6(6), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.2147/iprp.s108047
Dornblaser, E. K. (2017). A needs assessment of pharmacokinetic skills performed on advanced pharmacy practice experiences by student pharmacists. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 9(1), 95–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2016.08.042
El Hajj, M., Hammad, A., & Afifi, H. (2014). Pharmacy students’ attitudes toward pharmaceutical care in Qatar. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management, 2014(10), 121—129. https://doi.org/10.2147/tcrm.s56982
Frederick, K. D., Desselle, S. P., Gatwood, J. D., & Hohmeier, K. C. (2021). The intersection of pharmacy leadership and management with clinical skills: Education plays a key role. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 13(3), 198–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2020.10.003
Khalil, R., Mansour, A. E., Fadda, W. A., Almisnid, K., Aldamegh, M., Al-Nafeesah, A., Alkhalifah, A., & Al-Wutayd, O. (2020). The sudden transition to synchronized online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A qualitative study exploring medical students’ perspectives. BMC Medical Education, 20(1). https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-020-02208-z
Kharaba, Z., Moutraji, S. A., Al Khawaldeh, R. A., Alfoteih, Y., & Al Meslamani, A. Z. (2022a). What has changed in the pharmaceutical care after COVID-19: Pharmacists’ perspective. Pharmacy Practice, 20(2), 01–08. https://doi.org/10.18549/pharmpract.2022.2.2656
Kharaba, Z. J., Farhat, J., Mahboub, B. S., Buabeid, M. A., Alfoteih, Y., Al-Worafi, Y., Jaber, A., & AlAhmad, M. A. (2022b). Current views of community and hospital pharmacists on pharmaceutical care services in the United Arab Emirates: A mixed methodological study. F1000Research, 11, 694–694. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.110102.2
Katoue, M. G., Awad, A. I., Schwinghammer, T. L., & Kombian, S. B. (2014). Pharmaceutical care education in Kuwait: pharmacy students’ perspectives. Pharmacy Practice (Internet), 12(3). https://doi.org/10.4321/s1886-36552014000300002
Lundberg, K. M. (2008). Promoting self-confidence in clinical nursing students. Nurse Educator, 33(2), 86–89. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nne.0000299512.78270.d0
Mai, C. W., Chong, D. W. K., Wong, P. S., Hasan, S. S., & Ahmed, S. I. (2012). Perceived impact of clinical placements on students’ preparedness to provide patient-centred care in Malaysia. Repository.lincoln.ac.uk. https://repository.lincoln.ac.uk/articles/conference_contribution/Perceived_impact_of_clinical_placements_on_students_preparedness_to_provide_patient-centred_care_in_Malaysia/25178675
Martin, B. C., & Chisholm, M. A. (1999). Cross-validation of an instrument measuring students attitudes toward pharmaceutical care. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 63(1), 46–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0002-9459(24)01708-x
Martinez Sanchez, A. de las M., & del Sol, A. B. (2016). Assessment of attitudes of Cuban University pharmacy students toward pharmaceutical care. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, 50(4), 504–511. https://doi.org/10.5530/ijper.50.4.1
Nusair, M., Hamza Alhamad, Tareq Mukattash, Raghad Al-sheyyab, & Sayer Alazzam. (2021). Pharmacy students’ attitudes to provide rational pharmaceutical care: A multi-institutional study in Jordan. Jordan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 14(1). https://archives.ju.edu.jo/index.php/jjps/article/view/106386
Plewka, B., Waszyk-Nowaczyk, M., Cerbin, M., & Tomasz Osmałek. (2023). The role of active learning methods in teaching pharmaceutical care – Scoping review. Heliyon, 9(2), e13227–e13227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13227
Ried, L., Brazeau, G., Kimberlin, C., Meldrum, M., & McKenzie, M. (2002). Students’ perceptions of their preparation to provide pharmaceutical care. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 66(4), 347–356.
Scott, D. M., Friesner, D. L., & Miller, D. R. (2010). Pharmacy students’ perceptions of their preparedness to provide pharmaceutical care. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.5688/aj740108
Shawaqfeh, M. S., Al Bekairy, A. M., Al-Azayzih, A., Alkatheri, A. A., Qandil, A. M., Obaidat, A. A., Al Harbi, S., & Muflih, S. M. (2020). Pharmacy students perceptions of their distance online learning experience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 7, 238212052096303. https://doi.org/10.1177/2382120520963039
Stewart, D. W., Brown, S. D., Clavier, C. W., & Wyatt, J. (2011). Active-learning processes used in US pharmacy education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 75(4). https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe75468
Swieczkowski, D., Merks, P., Jaguszewski, M., & Siluk, D. (2017). Pharmaceutical care in opinion of Polish medical and pharmaceutical students: An exploration study. Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica, 74(3), 1021–1030. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29513973/
Tawfiq, A. M., Alomar, M. J., Hassan, N., & Palaian, S. (2021). Nationwide survey on attitudes and perceived barriers toward provision of pharmaceutical care among final year undergraduate pharmacy students in the United Arab Emirates. PLOS ONE, 16(2), e0246934. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246934
Tsega, B., Srikanth, A., Ranjan, B., Shewamene, Z., & Melaku, T. (2015). Impact of clerkship attachments on students’ attitude toward pharmaceutical care in Ethiopia. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 2015(6), 385—391. https://doi.org/10.2147/amep.s80802
Udeogaranya, P. O., Ukwe, C. V., & Ekwunife, O. I. (2009). Assessment of attitudes of University of Nigeria pharmacy students toward pharmaceutical care. Pharmacy Practice, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.4321/s1886-36552009000300003
WHO Consultative Group on the Role of the Pharmacist in the Health Care System (3rd: 1997: Vancouver, Canada) & World Health Organization. Division of Drug Management and Policies. (1997). The role of the pharmacist in the health care system: Preparing the future pharmacist: curricular development: report of a third WHO Consultative Group on the Role of the Pharmacist, Vancouver, Canada, 27-29 August 1997. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/63817
