Title

Relationship between performance barriers and pharmacist competency towards the implementation of an expanded public health pharmacy role.

Authors

Amuthaganesh Mathialagan, Perdana University-Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Preesha Nagalinggam, University Utara of Malaysia
Saravanabavan Mathialagan, University Utara of Malaysia
Brian P. Kirby, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

13-1-2015

Keywords

Competency, Performance Barriers, Pharmaceutical Public Health, Pharmacy Practice

Comments

This article is also available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijpp.12170/epdf

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between performance barriers and competency, and implementation of an expanded public health role for community pharmacists.

METHODS: A validated questionnaire was utilised for this study whereby three variables of the study (performance barriers, competency and public health role) were measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Three hundred questionnaires were distributed to target respondents of registered community pharmacies in five states (Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak and Penang) in Malaysia. The data were analysed utilising the principles of structural equation modelling.

KEY FINDINGS: There were 191 completed and usable responses received, which represented a 66.7% response rate. This study showed perceived competency had a direct relationship with delivering a general public health role. A perceived lack of competency was shown to be a barrier to fulfilling a public health role. However, other factors, such as design of premises, IT infrastructure and pay, were not viewed as barriers to carrying out a public health role.

CONCLUSION: Perceived competency is an obstacle for community pharmacists to undertake a public health role in Malaysia. Adequate training programmes in pharmaceutical public health have to be put in place to address this concern and this should therefore be a priority.

Disciplines

Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Citation

Mathialagan A, Nagalinggam P, Mathialagan S, Kirby BP. Relationship between performance barriers and pharmacist competency towards the implementation of an expanded public health pharmacy role. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 2015. [Epub ahead of print] in press.

PubMed ID

25582973

Link to this item at

http://epubs.rcsi.ie/spharmart/15/

DOI Link

10.1111/ijpp.12170

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.