Knowledge and Practice of Community Pharmacists on Amlodipine Use in Karary Locality: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

 

Background:Amlodipine  is  one  of  the  most  commonly  prescribed  medications  for  treating hypertension.  Community  pharmacists  play  a  crucial  role  in  ensuring  patients  adhere  to  their treatment  regimens  and  in  counseling  them  regarding  the  appropriate  dosage  and  expected  side effects   of   Amlodipine.   This   study   investigated   the   knowledge   and   practices   of   community pharmacists  concerning  Amlodipine’s  indications,  dosage,  side  effects,  combinations,  and  drug interactions in the Karary locality. Methods:A  descriptive  cross-sectional  study  was  conducted.  Data  were  collected  through  a questionnaire  from  a  convenient  sample  of  163  pharmacists  working  in  community  pharmacies  in the  Karary  locality.  The  collected  data  were  analyzed  using  the  Statistical  Package  for  the  Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics  were represented using frequencies and  percentages, and Fisher’s Exact Test was applied to determine the association between independent and dependent variables.Results:The  study  involved  163  community  pharmacists,  of  whom  72.4%  were  female.  The  age distribution showed that 47.9% were between 20-25 years, and 38.7% were 26-30 years. The vast majority (85.3%) held a bachelor’s degree. Most (79.8%) had 1-5 years of practice experience, and more  than  half  (58.9%)  worked  7-10  hours  per  day.  The  study  found  that  55.2%  had  good knowledge  of  Amlodipine,  while  44.8%  had  poor  knowledge.  Statistically,  there  was  no  significant association  between  knowledge  and  demographic  data.  In  terms  of  practice,  54%  exhibited  good practices, while 46% were poor. The only significant association identified was between the use of handbooks or software programs and practice. Approximately 42.3% of participants used leaflets as a source of information to check Amlodipine side effects, compared to 28.8% who used books and 27.6% who referred to formularies and guidelines.Conclusion:The  study  revealed  that  over  half  of  community  pharmacists  demonstrated  good knowledge   and   practice   scores   concerning  Amlodipine’s  indications,  dosage,  side  effects, combinations, and drug interactions. Despite this, notable gaps in practice were identified, indicating a  potential  need  for  targeted  training  programs,  and  highlight  the  importance  of  enhancing educational   efforts   to   improve   pharmacists’   competence   in   managing   Amlodipine   therapy effectively

 KEYWORDS: Amlodipine; community pharmacists; knowledge; practice.

2024- Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

doi: 10.9734/jpri/2024/v36i117613.