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Assessment of Clinical Pharmacy Service in Ethiopian Public Hospitals: a Post

Deployment Survey

Conference Paper · September 2015

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Zelalem Tilahun Mekonen Arebu Bilal

Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa University
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Bisrat Hailemeskel Ephrem Engidawork

Howard University Addis Ababa University
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“Assessment of Clinical Pharmacy Service in Ethiopian Public
Hospitals: a Post Deployment Survey”

Conference Presentation
at
ETHIOPIAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION, 35th ANNUAL
CONFERENCE & 40th YEAR ANNIVERSARY
AFRICAN UNION CONFERENCE HALL, AUGUST 1, 2015
Arebu Issa Msc1, Zelalem Tilahun Msc 1, Belete Ayalneh Msc2, Gebremedhin Be’edemariam
Msc1, Bisrat Hailemeskel PhD3, Ephrem Engidawork PhD2

Abstract

Background: Clinical pharmacy service has evolved steadily over the past few decades and is
now contributing to the ‘patient care journey’ at all stages. The service improves the safety and
effectiveness of medicines and makes a significant contribution to the avoidance of medication
errors. The service is at the early stage in Ethiopia and started when about 400 patient oriented
pharmacy graduates came out from the public universities in July 2013.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the status of clinical pharmacy service provided
by selected Ethiopian public hospitals following deployment of the new pharmacy graduates.

Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted in seven regions and one-city administration
of the country in September 2014. A total of 51 hospitals were included in the study based on
accessibility and the number of new graduates deployed. Structured self-administered
questionnaires as well as a semi-structured key informant interview and focus group discussion
 were used for data collection. A total of 160 pharmacy graduates, and 45 hospital pharmacy
directors participated in the study.

Results: Almost 94% of the new graduates were found to be involved in clinical pharmacy
service and 47% of them rated their service as poor. The overall satisfaction of the graduates was
close to 36%. The graduates forwarded several suggestions to improve the clinical pharmacy
education and mentioned courses to be added and deleted from the curriculum. Thirteen hospitals
were found to discontinue and two hospitals not even initiated the service largely due to shortage
of pharmacists and lack of management support. About 44% of the surveyed hospitals
documented the clinical pharmacy service. All respondents participated in the survey-identified
lack of awareness, lack of collaboration, lack of management support, readiness of the graduates
to deliver the service, and shortage of pharmacists as the major stumbling block to deliver
clinical pharmacy service.

Conclusion: Clinical pharmacy service initiated in most of the surveyed hospitals and a large
proportion of the graduates were involved in the service. Although there is a great enthusiasm to
promote clinical pharmacy service in the surveyed hospitals, efforts made to institutionalize the
service is minimal. Readiness of the graduates was not adequate to implement the service to the
satisfaction of others and themselves. Thus, concerted efforts need to be exerted to promote the
service through organizing awareness forums as well as revisiting the curriculum.
Key words: Clinical pharmacists, Clinical pharmacy service, Job satisfaction, perception, Public
hospitals

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