Penaere T Osahon
,
Abeyi C Chukwuezi,
For correspondence:- Penaere Osahon Email: penaere.osahon@uniben.edu Tel: +2348058075449
Published: 27 December 2018
Citation: Osahon PT, Chukwuezi AC, HIV patients’ expectations and satisfaction with the pharmaceutical care in Central Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. J Sci Pract Pharm 2018; 5(1):189-190 doi: 10.47227/jsppharm.v5i1.01
© 2018 The author(s).
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Purpose: To determine the level of HIV patients’ expectation and satisfaction toward the pharmaceutical care rendered by the pharmacists. Methods: A prospective study done in out-patients Anti-retroviral drug (ARD) unit Central Hospital, Benin. A validated questionnaire was administered to 400 HIV positive patients during their medication refill. Data collected were entered into Microsoft excel and reloaded into SPSS version 22 and analyzed to obtain descriptive statistics. Ethical considerations were observed. Results: Majority of the respondents were females (62.3%). A significant number of the respondents were under the age range 18-50 years (78.8%). The respondents had overall mean CD4 count 808cells/µl and approximately all the respondents were on first line HAART i.e. Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Efavirenz (45.2%) and Zidovudine/Lamivudine/Nevirapine (42.1%). The respondents had overall mean satisfaction 4.10 and overall mean expectation 4.33from the pharmaceutical care. Conclusion: Respondents were highly satisfied and strongly expected pharmaceutical care. There is need full support of the hospital management for continuous effective practice of pharmaceutical care.
Introduction
Pharmacists have played valuable roles in the prevention, support, care and management of patients living with HIV/AIDS through pharmaceutical care (PC) practice.
Aim/Objectives
The aim of this study was to determine the level of HIV patients’ expectation of the pharmaceutical care rendered by the pharmacists at the Central Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria and their satisfaction afterwards. The specific objectives were to evaluate the impact of pharmaceutical care on patients’ CD4 cell count; assess patients’ expectation and satisfaction at the Pharmacy Department during clinic visits.
Methods
The study was conducted in the out-patients Anti-retroviral drug (ARD) unit of the Pharmacy Department, Central Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. A validated structured questionnaire was administered to 400 HIV patients at the medication refill visit in the ARD unit of the hospital. The questionnaire composed of two parts, part 1 assessed the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. Part 2 was further divided into three sections; section 1 assessed the clinical variables while section 2 and 3 assessed the patients’ satisfaction and expectations respectively using 5-points likert scale. The data collected were entered into Microsoft excel and reloaded into SPSS version 22 and analyzed to obtain descriptive statistics. Ethical considerations were observed.
Results
Majority of the respondents were females (62.3%). A significant number of the respondents were under the age range 18-50 years (78.8%). The respondents had overall mean CD4 count 808 cells/µl and approximately all the respondents were on first line Highly Acting Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) particularly Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Efavirenz (45.2%) and Zidovudine/Lamivudine/Nevirapine (42.1%). The respondents had overall mean satisfaction 4.10 and overall mean expectation 4.33 from the pharmaceutical care provided in the study site.
Discussion
This study reported a higher percentage of females similar to a study conducted on people living with HIV/AIDS in Port Harcourt Nigeria [1] and report on prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria [2]. A mean CD4 count of 808 cells/µl after HAART intervention was obtained in this study, this finding is supported by studies done by; Erah and Kubeyinje [3] and Nwaozuzu et al [4]. Patients were on at least three antiretroviral combination which was in agreement with the Federal Ministry of Health’s National AIDS/STDs Control Programme. The high overall satisfaction reported by the patients toward the pharmaceutical care is comparable to the findings from other studies [5-7]. The reported overall expectation of the respondents suggest that pharmacists involve the patients in decision making during the provision of PC. Approximately all the patients expected the pharmacy department to ensure adequate supply of their medications and adequate counseling/education to encourage them.
Conclusion
HIV patients had high expectations and were satisfied with the level of PC from the pharmacists at the Central Hospital, Benin. There is need for full support of the hospital management for continuous effective practice of pharmaceutical care.
References
References
