Public Perception of Pharmacists in Poland

Maja Andrzejewska, Urszula Religioni, Paweł Piątkiewicz, Agnieszka Barańska, Jolanta Herda, Aleksandra Czerw, Jerzy Krysiński and Piotr Merks
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Maja Andrzejewska: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-089 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Urszula Religioni: School of Public Health, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education of Warsaw, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland
Paweł Piątkiewicz: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
Agnieszka Barańska: Department of Medical Informatics and Statistics with E-Learning Lab, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
Jolanta Herda: Department of Public Health, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
Aleksandra Czerw: Department of Health Economics and Medical Law, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
Jerzy Krysiński: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-089 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Piotr Merks: Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, 01-815 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Background. Pharmacists constitute one of the largest groups of medical professionals and play a significant role in public health. Pharmaceutical care in community pharmacies is one of the key elements that impact the clinical outcomes of patients. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the public perception of pharmacists in Poland, as well as the knowledge of and willingness of Polish people to use pharmaceutical care services. Methods. This study was carried out in 2017 on 1435 people. The research tool was an anonymous online questionnaire. Results. Of the participants, 61% considered pharmacists to have a position of public trust, and 25% trusted pharmacists to a lesser extent than representatives of other medical professions. The participants stated that pharmacists were kind (74%) and helpful (69%). For 52% of the participants, pharmacists were fully competent to provide information on medications. Twenty-eight percent of the participants ask pharmacists for advice related to medicinal products. Poles’ knowledge on pharmaceutical care was low (44% of the respondents knew this notion). Sixty-six percent of the participants were willing to use pharmaceutical consultations (43% free of charge, and 23% for a nominal fee). Conclusions. Although the overall perception of patients towards pharmacists was positive in Poland, it is essential to educate patients on the possibilities of using pharmaceutical services, and to promote the role of pharmacists in healthcare systems.

Keywords: pharmacist; pharmaceutical care; patient; Poland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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