Roles of community pharmacists in providing smoking cessation services: a national survey in Thailand
1 1 | Chiang Mai University, Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, Thailand |
Publication date: 2018-03-01
Tob. Induc. Dis. 2018;16(Suppl 1):A517
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Background:
Thai community pharmacists play a vital role in helping smokers to quit smoking. This study aimed to examine the roles of community pharmacists across Thailand regarding smoking cessation services according to the 5 A's approach: ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange.
Methods:
This is a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire via post, to collect information from the participants across Thailand. The participants were community pharmacists who provided smoking cessation services in their community pharmacies. Main outcomes were 5 A's activities provided by the community pharmacists. The participants were asked about their performing 5 A's in smoking cessation services in which they were asked to rate their frequency of 5 A's practices in one of 4 categories: all the time, often, rarely, and never. Descriptive statistics were carried out for data analysis using STATA software.
Results:
Of 152 respondents who completed and returned the questionnaire, 61% were women, 76% had an assistant pharmacist; 49% had been working as pharmacists of less than 10 years; 61% were members of the Thai Pharmacy Network for Tobacco Control. Ninety-five percent claimed that they asked their patients/customers about tobacco use status however only 38% asked all the time. About 97% advised to quit smoking but 30% advising all the time. About 93% assessed willingness to quit with 28% assessing all the time. Unfortunately, only 39% and 9% assisted smokers to quit and arranged for follow-up after providing the services all the time, respectively.
Conclusions:
The study showed that more than 90% of community pharmacists did follow 5 A's for their practices in smoking cessation; however, they did not practice 5 A's all the time. Roles of community pharmacists in smoking cessation should be promoted and supported to encourage them to fully service all the time to help smokers to quit.
Thai community pharmacists play a vital role in helping smokers to quit smoking. This study aimed to examine the roles of community pharmacists across Thailand regarding smoking cessation services according to the 5 A's approach: ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange.
Methods:
This is a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire via post, to collect information from the participants across Thailand. The participants were community pharmacists who provided smoking cessation services in their community pharmacies. Main outcomes were 5 A's activities provided by the community pharmacists. The participants were asked about their performing 5 A's in smoking cessation services in which they were asked to rate their frequency of 5 A's practices in one of 4 categories: all the time, often, rarely, and never. Descriptive statistics were carried out for data analysis using STATA software.
Results:
Of 152 respondents who completed and returned the questionnaire, 61% were women, 76% had an assistant pharmacist; 49% had been working as pharmacists of less than 10 years; 61% were members of the Thai Pharmacy Network for Tobacco Control. Ninety-five percent claimed that they asked their patients/customers about tobacco use status however only 38% asked all the time. About 97% advised to quit smoking but 30% advising all the time. About 93% assessed willingness to quit with 28% assessing all the time. Unfortunately, only 39% and 9% assisted smokers to quit and arranged for follow-up after providing the services all the time, respectively.
Conclusions:
The study showed that more than 90% of community pharmacists did follow 5 A's for their practices in smoking cessation; however, they did not practice 5 A's all the time. Roles of community pharmacists in smoking cessation should be promoted and supported to encourage them to fully service all the time to help smokers to quit.
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