30DEC

Libyan International Conference for Health Sciences

The First Libyan International Conference for Health Sciences (2024): Open University, Tripoli, Libya
Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
https://ppj.org.ly/article/doi/10.5281/zenodo.13254724

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Short communication

Assessment of current community pharmacist labeling practice: a simulated client approaches

Nesren A. Jaaida, Emtinan M. Alameer, Asma A. Allafee

Downloads: 0
Views: 277

Abstract

The labeling of medications includes the provision of information and instructions as well as a unique identity for the medical product. It is one of the most important sources of information for patients. Good labeling practice is critical to ensuring patients' safe and effective use of products. Misreading the label, insufficient data on the label, inappropriate labeling font, writing style, and placement on the dosage form can all have disastrous consequences. The objective of this study was to assess medication labeling practices among community pharmacists in Libya. A simulated client method (SCM) was used, and the study was carried out in the City of Zawia, where 146 local pharmacies were visited over three months for the investigation (January to March 2023). These visits were made at random, without the pharmacist's knowledge. The findings revealed that all dispensed drugs were not labeled, and none of the practicing pharmacists in any of the pharmacies visited displayed any drug label, printed or handwritten. The majority of pharmacists did not address or explain significant information to the patient in an effective manner, which led to inappropriate and harmful consumption of medications. The absence of dispensed drug labels reduces the patient's knowledge of the necessary information about the medicine, resulting in a treatment deficit or unsuccessful therapy. Thus, more effort should be made by health authorities to instruct pharmacists to use and work according to international labeling standards or to establish local labeling specifications.

Keywords

Community pharmacist, dispensed medication label, Libya

References

  1. Malik M, Hussain A, Amin T (2018) Medication labeling practices at in-patient hospital pharmacies: the present dilemma in Pakistan. Drug Design Development and Therapy. 2 (1): 1-7. doi: 10.15406/mojddt.2018.02.00022
  2. Sherif FM (2008) An evaluation of the prescribing patterns of drugs in Libya. Jamahiriya Medical Journal. 8: 203-206. doi: Nil.
  3. Boonstra E, Lindbaek M, Ngome E, Tshukudu K, Fugelli P (2003) Labelling and patient knowledge of dispensed drugs as quality indicators in primary care in Botswana. Quality & Safety in Health Care. 12 (3): 168-175. doi: 10.1136/qhc.12.3.168
  4. Ansel HC, Allen LV, Popovich NG (2006) Ansel’s pharmaceutical dosage forms and drug delivery dystem, 8th Ed. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. 70 (3): 71. PMCID: PMC1636965.
  5. Mufarrihah M, Hidayah YN, Sulistyarini A, Yuda A (2023) Pharmacists’ perception about design and content of medicine labels on prescription services in community pharmacies. Pharmacy Education. 23 (4): 300-303. doi: 10.46542/pe.2023.234.300303
  6. Remington JP (2020) Remington: the science and practice of pharmacy. 23rd Ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Academic press. ISBN: 978-0128200070.
  7. Fang H, Harris SC, Liu Z, Zhou G, Zhang G, Xu J, Rosario L, Howard P, Tong W (2016) FDA drug labeling: rich resources to facilitate precision medicine, drug safety, and regulatory science. Drug Discovery Today. 21 (10): 1566-1570. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2016.06.006
  8. Merry AF, Shipp DH, Lowinger JS (2011) The contribution of labelling to safe medication administration in anaesthetic practice. Best Practice and Research. Clinical Anaesthesiology. 25 (2): 145-159. doi: 10.1016/j.bpa. 2011.02.009
  9. Samaranayake NR, Bandara, WG, Manchanayake CM (2018) A narrative review on do’s and don’ts in prescription label writing–lessons for pharmacists. Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice. 07: 53-66. doi: 10.2147/IPRP.S163968
  10. Benkhaial A, Ibzaew I, Elkezza S, Ahmed H, Abdulkader Y (2022) Common errors in writing of prescriptions in Benghazi. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2 (3): 07-11. doi: 10.5281/ zenodo.7115118
  11. Janani TSJ, Senadheera SG, Samaranayake NR (2022) Is best practice followed in the labelling of medicines; evidence from a pharmacy practice setting. Research Square. 01-10. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1699935/v1
  12. Alkhani S, Ahmed Y, Bin-Sabbar N, Almogirah H, Alturki A, Albanyan H, Vaida AJ (2013) Current practices for labeling medications in hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal. 21 (4): 345-349. doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2012.12.002
  13. Li Q, Deleger L, Lingren T, Zhai H, Kaiser M, Stoutenborough L, Jegga AG, Cohen KB, Solti I (2013) Mining FDA drug labels for medical conditions. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. 13 (53): 1-11. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-13-53
  14. Midaksa B, Gashe F, Anshebo MM, Yarlagadda R (2015) Labeling and patient knowledge of dispensed drugs as patient care indicators in Adulala health center outpatient pharmacy, Adulala, Ethiopia. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science. 5 (9): 045-051. doi: 10.7324/JAPS.2015.50909
  15. Chotai A (2018) Labels for prescription medicines. Australian Prescriber. 41 (4): 101. doi: 10.18773/austprescr. 2018.037
  16. Tonsaker T, Bartlett G, Trpkov C (2014) Health information on the Internet: gold mine or minefield? Canadian Family Physician. 60 (5): 407-408. PMID: 24828994; PMCID: PMC4020634.
  17. Allen MP, Johnson RE, McClave EZ, Alvarado-Little W (2020) Language, Interpretation, and Translation: A Clarification and Reference Checklist in Service of Health Literacy and Cultural Respect. NAM Perspectives. 18: 2020: 10.31478/202002c. doi: 10.31478/202002c
  18. Blinder D, Rotenberg L, Peleg M, Taicher S (2001) Patient compliance to instructions after oral surgical procedures. International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 30 (3): 216-219. doi: 10.1054/ijom.2000. 0045
  19. Jimmy B, Jose J (2011) Patient medication adherence: measures in daily practice. Oman Medical Journal. 26 (3): 155-159. doi: 10.5001/omj.2011.38
  20. Lopez MJ, Patel P (2024) Drug Labeling. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID: 32491675.
  21. Makki M, Hassali MA, Awaisu A, Hashmi F (2019) The prevalence of unused medications in homes. Pharmacy. 7 (2): 61. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy7020061
  22. Lee J, Ladoni M, Richardson J, Sundar RP, Bix L (2019) Investigating the efficacy of an interactive warning for use in labeling strategies used by us pharmacies. Pharmacy Practice (Granada). 17 (2): 1463. doi: 10.18549/ PharmPract.2019.2.1463
  23. Janković SM, Maksimović, MR, Vusanović A, Kostić IR, Kovacević ZN, Mitrić M (2001) Service quality in public and private pharmacies in the city of Kragujevac, fr Yugoslavia. Croatian Medical Journal. 42 (1): 88-91. PMID: 11172664.
  24. Neoh CF, Hassali MA, Shafie AA, Awaisu A, Tambyappa J (2009) Compliance towards dispensed medication labelling standards: a cross-sectional study in the state of Penang, Malaysia. Current Drug Safety. 4 (3): 199-203. doi: 10.2174/157488609789006921

Submitted date:
06/23/2024

Reviewed date:
07/26/2024

Accepted date:
08/04/2024

Publication date:
08/07/2024

66b35ddea953957a2c77ca9f medjpps Articles
Links & Downloads

Mediterr J Pharm Pharm Sci

Share this page
Page Sections