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Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
https://ppj.org.ly/article/doi/10.5281/zenodo.22301591

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Original article Pharmacy practice

Mandatory inclusion of clinical indications in prescriptions in the UAE: Pharmacists’ perspectives on medication safety and implementation barriers

Abduelmula R. Abduelkarem, Mohamed M. Hassanein, Amar M. Hamrouni, Mariyam N. Khan, Amira A. Abdulkarim

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Abstract

To assess pharmacists' views on the compulsory incorporation of clinical indications in prescription orders in the UAE and to pinpoint significant obstacles and enablers for implementation. A cross-sectional study investigated the experiences of pharmacists with prescription orders that needed clinical indications while also examining their perceptions of mandatory requirements and their assessment of existing obstacles. The research team selected pharmacists who worked at community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, and ambulatory care settings that served as accessible locations throughout the three major Emirates, which included Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. A structured survey prepared for the purpose of this study was distributed to a total of 260 pharmacists throughout the study period. The survey covered pharmacists' experiences with clinical indications on prescriptions, their perceived benefits, barriers to implementation, and their overall stance on mandatory inclusion. The research indicated that only 41.12% of the prescriptions studied had a clinical diagnosis or medical reason for their prescription. Mandatory inclusion received support from 57.7% of pharmacists, but obstacles arose from software restrictions (52.0%), insurance-related issues (55.8%), absence of complete medical diagnoses for specific drugs (64.3%), and possible privacy risks (57.7%). Further investigation indicated that different practice environments produced different levels of support, which hospital pharmacists demonstrated through their higher support rates because they used integrated electronic health record systems. The results demonstrate that structured policies and technological solutions should help pharmacists make their clinical decisions. The implementation process needs to overcome existing obstacles that currently stand in its way.

Keywords

Clinical indications, indication-based prescribing, pharmacists’ perspective, prescription practice

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Submitted date:
06/08/2026

Reviewed date:
08/20/2026

Accepted date:
08/28/2026

Publication date:
08/27/2026

6a90a26aa9539530b05dcec6 medjpps Articles
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Mediterr J Pharm Pharm Sci

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