PERCEPTIONS, PRACTICES AND BARRIERS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPANDED COMMUNITY PHARMACY SERVICES IN A SOUTHERN NIGERIAN STATE
UFUOMA SHALOM AHWINAHWI1*, OGHENEOVO CLEMENT AGHOJA1, ONYINYECHI NICOLE ONUIGBO1
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta State University, Abraka-Nigeria.
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 18(1): 540-548 ; 2026
ABSTRACT
A paradigm shift in pharmacy practice include the provision of Expanded Community Pharmacy services which extend beyond the traditional dispensing. Community pharmacies indisputably offer a wide range of care and constitute an integral part of the healthcare system in Nigeria by offering some of these services. This study was aimed at providing insights into the perceptions, extent and barriers to the provision of ECPS by community pharmacists in Delta State, Nigeria. It was cross sectional with the aid of a self-administered questionnaire in two towns each from the three senatorial districts of the state. One hundred and ninety six community Pharmacists were included in the study, 107(54.6%) were males and 133(67.8%) were between ages 31 and 60, 113 (57.7%) ‘strongly agreed’ and 72(36.7%) “agreed’ to having good knowledge of ECPS and 148 (75.5%) ‘strongly agreed’ that ECPS can improve patient outcomes. Provision of patient education and counseling elicited 150 (76.5%) and 39(19.9%) responses of being “very involved” and “involved” which was closely followed by Point-of-care monitoring,151(77%) and 29(19.9%) “very involved “and “involved” respectively whereas smoking cessation program had 11((5.6%) and 26(13.3%) respondents being very involved and involved . Lack of remuneration for ECPS was the highest rated most likely (27, 13.8%) barrier to the provision of ECPS, others were lack of patients’ knowledge of benefits (24, 2.2%), lack of pharmacist-client interaction (22, 11.2%) and more advanced training required (22, 11.2%). Harnessing the benefits of ECPS in Nigeria would require that Pharmacy stakeholders work out modalities to enlighten the public on the availability of such services, and an appropriate channel for remuneration of pharmacists who provide these services be created.
Keywords:Community Pharmacies, Expanded Pharmacy Services, Perceptions, Practices, Nigeria
Email of correspondence: ushaloma@yahoo.com;
https://doi.org/10.59493/ajopred/2026.1.15 ISSN: 0794-800X (print); 1596-2431 (online)