The Particularities of Pharmaceutical Care in Improving Public Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. The Impact of the Authorities’ Decisions on Pharmaceutical Care
2.1. General Recommendations of the Authorities
2.2. Emergency Use Authorization
2.3. Regulations Regarding Drugs Prescriptions
2.4. Regulations of Working Hours
2.5. Legislative Regulations for Preventing Shortages or Drug Price Increases
- (i)
- the substitution of drugs with similar ones or dose adjustments were allowed for pharmacists from different countries (e.g., Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, UK, etc.);
- (ii)
- in Denmark, health authorities demanded pharmacies to report the stock of critical medicine daily;
- (iii)
- (iv)
- limiting the drugs dispensed from the pharmacy was another legislative measure to prevent shortages. In Australia, the number of medical specialists that could initiate the treatment with hydroxychloroquine was restricted, or the quantity released off-label was of maximum one box/month/patient or one prescription/month/patient [14]. The Estonian Health Ministry limited the quantity of paracetamol to 2 boxes/patient [42]. The Saudi-Arabian Health Ministry limited the quantity of dietary supplements that boost the immune system to only one pack per customer to prevent the emergence of a black market for such items [45];
- (v)
- in Rwanda, the Ministry of Trade and Industry applied fines to pharmaceutical companies for increasing drug prices. In order to reduce price speculation and drug shortages, the authorities sent pharmacies a list of drugs in high demand, including their prices [43]. On the other hand, the healthcare insurance company from Croatia allowed pharmacies to dispense drugs with higher prices than the regulated ones, the difference being supported by health insurance. Also, these measures were enforced to solve drug shortages and limit the return of patients in pharmacies [35].
2.6. Oxygen Therapy
2.7. Drive-Thru Pharmacy
2.8. “Mask 19” Code
2.9. Financial Aspects Regarding the Pharmaceutical Services
3. The Involvement of the Professional Associations
- (i)
- PGEU elaborated some recommendations in order to protect the pharmacists and the patients, to ensure the optimal stocks, to identify and to report the suspected COVID-19 cases by pharmacists, to produce the hand disinfectants, to advise and inform the patients regarding different pathologies or treatment including COVID-19 ones, to deliver drugs at patients’ home. [64]. These recommendations were sent to pharmacists by means of the national professional organizations.
- (ii)
- The Croatian Pharmacy Chamber made specific recommendations for the pharmacists regarding safety measures, restrictions concerning the dispensation of specific drugs or PPE [23].
- (iii)
- In Serbia, the FIP guidelines were translated in the Serbian language by the Centre for Pharmacy and Biochemical Practice Development—University of Belgrade and the Pharmaceutical Chamber of Serbia [23].
- (iv)
- The official journal of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society from the UK (Pharmaceutical Journal) presented a material elaborated for pharmacies by CDC in order to help them manage the cold and flu during the COVID-19 pandemic [65].
- (v)
- The pharmacists’ association from Spain (Consejo General de Colegios Farmacéuticos) offered people correct information about COVID-19 vaccines, fought fake news and misinformation [66].
- (vi)
- The French Society for Oncological Pharmacy elaborated some recommendations in order to improve the pharmaceutical care for cancer patients during the pandemic. In addition to the general rules, during the pandemic, this guide contained some specific rules, such as (a) the pharmacy staff moves to other departments only when needed and the monitoring and the information will be collected remotely by using the telephone, online, by means of electronic files, etc., (b) the cytostatic production units have to be bio-cleaned under controlled atmosphere, (c) the gloves should be frequently changed; (d) injectable forms should be replaced with oral forms, if possible, (e) relocation of students in practice to the sections with deficient staff, (f) pharmacists have to monitor the stocks of glucocorticoids, anti-inflammatories or kinase inhibitors (drugs used experimentally in COVID-19), etc. [67].
- (vii)
- The American Society of Hospital Pharmacists gave patients 60-day free access to its own database with COVID-19 pathology and treatment [13].
- (viii)
- In Australia, authorities, together with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and PSA, allowed the substitution of drugs with similar ones or dose adjustments by pharmacists when a prescribed drug was unavailable. Also, PSA supported the pharmacists in educating the population to encourage rational drug purchasing (even by drafting posters) [14].
- (ix)
- In Lebanon, the Order of Pharmacists elaborated some minimal guidance for community pharmacists [29].
4. Responsibilities of the Owners and Management of Pharmacies
5. COVID-19 Influences on Pharmacists’ Health Status
6. Pharmaceutical Care in Community Pharmacies
6.1. Production of the Antiseptic Agents
6.2. Patient’ Triage, Information and Counseling
6.3. Online Purchasing and Home Drug Delivery
6.4. COVID-19 Testing
6.5. Vaccine Administration
6.6. Combating the Toxic “Infodemic”
7. Specific Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy Services
7.1. Clinical Pharmacists’ Roles
7.2. Collaboration with the Medical Team
7.3. Remote Patient Interaction
7.4. Creative Solutions in Hospitals
7.5. Limiting Drug Shortages
8. Limitations of the Study
9. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Pharmacists’ Role | Pharmaceutical Services |
---|---|
| Adequate management of drugs, dietary supplements, PPE or sanitizers supplying |
Stock management efficiency | |
Limitation of the released quantity of the most requested products | |
New tasks for pharmacists: delivery of medical oxygen, renewal of prescriptions for chronic diseases, drugs substitution for chronic treatment (including hypnotics, anxiolitics, narcotics or opioid drugs) etc. | |
Offering of therapeutic alternatives | |
Manufacturing of antiseptic agents in order to avoid shortages | |
On-line services (e.g., electronic prescriptions) | |
Home-delivery | |
Drive-thru services | |
| COVID-19 patients’ triage (including the differentiation from flu and cold) |
Detecting specific severe symptoms of COVID-19 | |
Counselling regarding hygienic rules and the importance of isolation and lock-down | |
Medication review | |
Counselling patients reffering to infection control and treatment (e.g., disease, symptoms, medication, ADRs etc.) | |
Reducing self-medication | |
Providing written information | |
Preventing and combating the COVID-19 related stigma, scares, stress etc. | |
| Elaborating the COVID-19 specific documents, therapeutic plans, recommendations or guides |
Colaboration with medical team (e.g., new drugs, initiating of a new treatment, patient follow-up, clinical studies, antimicrobial stewardship etc.) | |
Medication review and reconciliation | |
ADRs, interactions or drug pharmacokinetic monitoring | |
Staff training regarding PPE usage, reporting of ADRs, manipulation of biological samples or residual materials from patients | |
| Providing information regarding hygiene rules, importance of look-down or isolation |
Counselling for reducing self-medication or unjustified buying of health products | |
Elaboration of educational materials: written (e.g., flyers, posters, brochures etc.) and audio-video materials broadcasted on TV, radio or social-media | |
Counselling in order to avoid COVID-19 related stress, scare or stima | |
Organization and participation to workshops on COVID-19 topics | |
| Combating the misinformation or unverifiable information |
Logistic and clinical support to obtain drugs for off-label use in COVID-19 disease | |
COVID-19 testing | |
Vaccine administration (including COVID-19 vaccines) | |
Involvement in “Mask-19” project | |
Providing free PPEs equipment through Government projects |
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Ghibu, S.; Juncan, A.M.; Rus, L.L.; Frum, A.; Dobrea, C.M.; Chiş, A.A.; Gligor, F.G.; Morgovan, C. The Particularities of Pharmaceutical Care in Improving Public Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 9776. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189776
Ghibu S, Juncan AM, Rus LL, Frum A, Dobrea CM, Chiş AA, Gligor FG, Morgovan C. The Particularities of Pharmaceutical Care in Improving Public Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(18):9776. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189776
Chicago/Turabian StyleGhibu, Steliana, Anca Maria Juncan, Luca Liviu Rus, Adina Frum, Carmen Maximiliana Dobrea, Adriana Aurelia Chiş, Felicia Gabriela Gligor, and Claudiu Morgovan. 2021. "The Particularities of Pharmaceutical Care in Improving Public Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 18: 9776. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189776