UNDERSTANDING HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS' PERSPECTIVES ON PHARMACEUTICAL CARE SERVICES AT ADAMA HOSPITAL MEDICAL COLLEGE

Background: The practice of pharmaceutical care (PC) is relatively new compared to traditional pharmacy roles. Ten to thirty percent of all acute hospital admissions are thought to be caused by drug-related problems, and 50–70% of these are considered preventable. PC is a patient-centered and outcome-oriented pharmacy practice with the goal of optimizing health-related quality of life and achieving positive outcomes within realistic economic expenditures. However, in Ethiopia, PC remains largely theoretical in many healthcare settings. Objective: To assess the attitude and knowledge of healthcare professionals towards pharmaceutical care services in Adama Hospital Medical College. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted using a proportional study design. Data were entered, coded, and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Linear regression and correlation analyses were performed, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 130 participants were included, with a response rate of 90.3%. Seventy-one (54.6%) of the respondents were male. Almost half of the participants (53.1%) demonstrated good knowledge of PC. Type of profession (p = 0.03, CI [-0.305, -0.015], AOR = -0.191) was significantly associated with knowledge, while years of experience were not (p = 0.305). Both type of profession (p = 0.002, CI [-0.35, -0.084], AOR = -0.271) and years of experience (p = 0.028, CI [0.023, 0.401], AOR = 0.187) were significantly associated with respondents’ attitudes toward PC. A strong positive correlation was observed between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.728). Conclusion: Despite pharmaceutical care being newly introduced in Ethiopian hospitals, healthcare professionals showed appreciable knowledge of PC services. Attitude towards PC improved with increased work experience, and a strong correlation between knowledge and attitude was observed, highlighting the importance of both factors in implementing effective PC services.