2022 Volume 17 Pages 35-48
We conducted a web-based survey of pharmacists in hospital and community pharmacies in the Kingdom of Thailand to clarify issues related to non-communicable disease medication in elderly patients. The survey asked about the respondents’ background and drug sales for non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, the survey asked pharmacists about their ability to recognize drug-related issues in elderly patients with chronic conditions, the types of medication support provided at the pharmacy, and whether polypharmacy measures were implemented. We performed chi-square tests to compare the responses of hospital and community pharmacists. In total, 209 pharmacists responded. In the Kingdom of Thailand, drugs for non-communicable diseases requiring a doctor’s diagnosis and pharmacist guidance in other countries were sold without a prescription at more than half of the community pharmacies, such as glibenclamide, glipizide, metformin, simvastatin, amlodipine, enalapril, hydralazine, amiloride hydrochloride/hydrochlorothiazide, metoprolol, propranolol, and atenolol. Community pharmacists were less aware of drug treatment issues for elderly patients with non-communicable diseases than hospital pharmacists (p<0.001). Hospital pharmacists also provided more medication support than community pharmacists (p<0.001). These results emphasize the importance of sharing information between hospital and community pharmacies regarding drug treatment for elderly patients with non-communicable diseases.
