Challenges Facing Libyan Pharmacists During the Drug Dispensing Process

Pharmacists are supposed to deliver services, like counseling, dispensing, and managing patients care plans. During daily routine they face problems that can hinder their job, e.g., work overload stress, or unorganized drug shelves, and unclear written prescription, which may lead to errors during drug dispensing. These errors are traumatic for the pharmacist and patient; therefore, it is crucial to reduce them and any circumstances that leads to them. In this study, we aimed to study some of the problems that face Libyan pharmacists in their daily routine and prevent them from performing their main roles as community pharmacists. An online cross-sectional survey of pharmacists in Libya was conducted over a period of four months. This online questionnaire was built using the “Google forms” application and was distributed to participants using social network groups of pharmacists. 182 pharmacists responded to this questionnaire. Almost (45%)of the respondents found it difficult to educate patients on their medicines and any related health issues. Meanwhile, the bulk majority (82%) stated that the major problem that faced them was getting a prescription written with very bad handwriting. About (59.4%) of the responding pharmacists stated that they did not have enough time to educate patients about their medications during drug dispensing. In conclusion, this study reveals some of the main challenges that face pharmacists during their daily work. Generally, it shows that it is necessary to make pharmacists aware of social and environmental factors that may complicate their work. This can be done by educating practicing pharmacists about “good pharmacy practices” through workshops and continuous learning programs. Additionally, regulating authorities should also play a role in establishing policies and laws that regulate the design of retail pharmacies.