Healthcare Optimization, Medication Management and Preparedness in Retail Pharmacy Industry during the Covid-19 Pandemic in India

Abstract

BODY: Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a health crisis, which has almost impacted every industry, causing steep inroads into the global economy, and the pharmaceutical industry is no exception. Retail pharmacists are the most approachable and immediate healthcare aid to the general public. Pharmacists can implement guidance and best practices in response to the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic to ensure patient and staff safety and the approaches pharmacy teams across the country. Social distancing and lockdown measures taken by the Indian government have been greatly affected by the retail pharmacy industry, leading to disruption in the supply chain of medicines and other precautionary equipment. Medication management, necessary safety equipment, and preparedness for handling drug shortages are the focus points for the retail pharmacy industry in these times of the pandemic. As the retail pharmacy comes under essential services and is operating continuously during the lockdown period, there is a need to highlight and gauge the preparedness and preventive measures undertaken by pharmacists in India during this medical emergency.

AIM: This research aims to analyze the retail pharmacy administration in India towards essential medication, to check adherence to key preventative measures and activities performed in inpatient counseling for self-management and safe dispensing of medicines in COVID-19 & lockdown period and the barriers faced/concerns towards these measures.

METHODOLOGY: This study is based on methods of quantitative analysis from retail pharmacies in India. The survey questionnaire was drafted on Google forms and sent to various retail pharmacy outlets. The data pertains to various medications’ storage and consumption pattern, concerns over day-to-day activities in the pharmacy, and preventive measures implemented by pharmacists towards COVID-19 preparedness.

RESULT: 167 pharmacists addressed the questionnaire across various regions of the country by different types of pharmacy: community pharmacy (66.5%), retail pharmacy section in a private (14.4%) and public hospital (11.4%), and clinical pharmacy (7.8%). The statements developed for the study are closely related, and a good Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.881 was achieved. One-way ANOVA testing determined that out of 12 statements on the preparedness of pharmacy, nine statements showed a significant difference concerning the types of pharmacy implementing the preventive measures.

Imprint

Gagan Rajendra Mandavkar, Hirak Dasgupta. Healthcare Optimization, Medication Management and Preparedness in Retail Pharmacy Industry during the Covid-19 Pandemic in India. Cardiometry; Issue 19; August 2021; p.68-77; DOI: 10.18137/cardiometry.2021.19.6877; Available from: https://www.cardiometry.net/issues/no19-august-2021/healthcare-optimization