Community pharmacists in Qassim reported strong basic GLP-1 and SGLT-2 knowledge but weak applied therapeutic decision-making and persistent counseling barriers.
Evidence
This cross-sectional questionnaire survey included 211 licensed community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia's Qassim region and assessed knowledge scores, case-scenario answers, counseling practices, and perceived barriers.
Caveat
The regional self-report survey and case scenarios may not reflect actual dispensing behavior or pharmacists elsewhere in Saudi Arabia.
Simplified
PURPOSE: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors represent major advancements in the management of type 2 diabetes. However, many patients remain suboptimally managed with these therapies. This underutilization highlights the need for practical implementation strategies in real-world settings. Community pharmacists can play a crucial role in integrating these therapies into diabetes care. This study aimed to evaluate community pharmacists' knowledge, counseling practices, perceived barriers, and clinical decision-making regarding these therapies.
METHODS: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among licensed community pharmacists in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia.
RESULTS: A total of 211 community pharmacists participated in this study. Of these, 83.4% were male and 16.6% were female. The participants' perceived levels of knowledge of the pharmacology and basic concepts of and were high, with mean scores (± SD) of 13.41 ± 2.43 and 13.36 ± 2.59, respectively, out of a maximum of 16. However, knowledge related to clinical therapeutics and evidence-based decision-making was low, with only 24.2%, 23.7%, and 32.2% of the participants correctly answering the three patient-based case scenarios. Many participants counseled and discussed these therapies in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the participants reported several barriers, including high medication costs (67.3%), concerns about side effects (33.2%), challenges with patient adherence (28.4%), and limited time to engage in discussions with patients (22.7%). Notably, 88.2% of the participants indicated that continuing professional development in diabetes therapy is required.
CONCLUSION: Many participants had substantial gaps in their applied knowledge of clinical therapeutics and persistent barriers to clinical engagement remained. Targeted educational strategies and system-level support are crucial for enhancing the role of community pharmacists in managing type 2 diabetes.
Key numbers
13.41±2.43
Knowledge Score of
Mean score out of a maximum of 16.
24.2%
Correct Responses in Clinical Cases
Percentage of pharmacists who answered a case scenario correctly.
67.3%
Reported Barriers of High Cost
Percentage of pharmacists citing cost as a barrier.
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