JOURNAL OF ASIAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF PHARMACY - Volume 13 Issue 1, January - December 2024

Pages: 20-28

Date of Publication: 07-Nov-2024

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What should be done to improve the efficiency in dispensing-related tasks

Author: Kayoko Takeda Mamiya, Tetsumi Irie, Hajime Hashiba, Kiyoshi Takahashi

Category: Pharmacy

Abstract:

Objective: To determine areas in which pharmacists believe efficiency should be improved in dispensing-related tasks and understand the needs in health care settings. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted among pharmacists in Japan to identify dispensing-related tasks that could be improved to increase pharmacists’ work efficiency. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for analysis. Results: Overall, 549 responses were analysed. Respondents included 301 (54.8%) community pharmacy pharmacists, 36 (6.6%) drugstore pharmacists, and 212 (38.6%) hospital pharmacists; 423 (77.0%) pharmacists had been working for more than 10 years. The results showed that 90.9% of pharmacists recognised the need to improve efficiency in dispensing-related tasks and to focus on interpersonal tasks. Regarding tasks that should be made more efficient, pharmaceutical inventory management, dispensing of one-dose packages, and counting dispensing were suggested by 66.8%, 46.3%, and 42.4% of respondents, respectively. If they could streamline their business, improving patient medication guidance and follow-up as well as investigating new drugs and diseases were reported by 40.8% and 38.8% of pharmacists, respectively. Conclusions: This survey research has identified dispensing-related tasks that need to be improved in terms of efficiency to meet the social needs of pharmacists.

Keywords: questionnaire surveys, pharmacists, efficiency of dispensing-related tasks, interpersonal services

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.62100/jaasp.2024.13104