A multicenter survey on the use of personal protective equipment among hospital pharmacists

Abstract

Standard and transmission-based precautions are basic infection prevention practices. As with other healthcare professionals, pharmacists also have to practice hand hygiene and properly use personal protective equipment (PPE). To investigate the level of knowledge on PPE and practical competence among pharmacists, we conducted a questionnaire survey involving hospital pharmacists regarding their cooperation with infection prevention measures, and subsequently held workshops including practical instruction on wearing and removing PPE. Responses were obtained from 57 subjects of 9 institutions. The questionnaire results showed that 78.9, 77.2, and 56.1% of the subjects "did not know" the process of wearing PPE, removing it, and regarding its disposal and separation methods, respectively. The results also showed that 53.8% of the subjects "did not know" the sign used in their hospitals for patients for whom transmission-based precautions are necessary, and approximately 50% of them did not wear PPE when providing medication instructions to such patients, suggesting that hospital pharmacists do not have sufficient knowledge and skills to correctly use PPE. The results of a survey conducted after the workshops showed that 84.3, 86.3, and 90.2% of the subjects correctly answered about the process of wearing PPE, removing it, and regarding its disposal and separation methods, respectively. Their level of understanding was significantly higher in subjects who participated in workshops involving practical instructions on wearing and removing PPE than those who participated in lecture-based workshops. Hospital ward pharmacists must fully understand the need for transmission-based precautions, and learn how to wear and remove PPE properly and dispose of it in training before they start to use it.