THE ROLE OF PHARMACISTS IN ENHANCING RATIONAL DRUG USE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ACROSS HEALTHCARE SETTINGS
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Keywords
Rational drug use, Pharmacist role, Prescription review, Patient counseling, Pharmacovigilance, Healthcare systems
Abstract
Rational drug use (RDU) is fundamental to effective healthcare, but irrational practices such as polypharmacy, overuse of antibiotics, and poor patient counseling remain widespread. Pharmacists, as medication experts, are strategically positioned to promote safe, effective, and cost-efficient drug use. This cross-sectional study evaluated the role of pharmacists in enhancing RDU across hospitals, community pharmacies, and primary healthcare centers, while also identifying barriers to their involvement. A total of 250 participants, including pharmacists, physicians, and patients, were recruited through stratified random sampling. Data were assembled by structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observational checklists, and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that pharmacists demonstrated the highest awareness of RDU principles (92.0%), compared to physicians (68.0%) and patients (40.0%). Key pharmacist-led activities included prescription review (70.0%), patient counseling (82.0%), drug information provision (60.0%), and pharmacovigilance reporting (42.0%). Hospital pharmacists were significantly more involved in prescription review and pharmacovigilance, while community pharmacists focused on patient counseling. Logistic regression indicated that pharmacists with more than 5 years of experience were twice as likely to engage in prescription review (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2–3.9, p = 0.01). Barriers to optimal involvement included a lack of inter-professional collaboration, heavy workload, and limited access to updated clinical guidelines. This study emphasizes the vital function of pharmacists in promoting rational drug use and highlights the need for supportive policies, professional training, and collaborative healthcare models. Empowering pharmacists could significantly improve medication safety, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance overall patient outcomes.
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Dr Bhupendra Pawar
Assistant Professor, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College, New Delhi
Dr Fatima Rani
Junior Resident, King George's Medical University
Anindya Sarkar
Assistant Professor, Radiotherapy Department of Radiotherapy, Murshidabad Medical College Hospital, West Bengal, India
Ganesh H
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Sankaralingam Bhuvaneshwari College of Pharmacy, 3/77-C, Anaikuttam Road, Anaikuttam-626130 Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu
Johny Lakra
Research Scholar Maharishi Markandeshwar Deemed to be University, Mullana-Ambala