Social Prescribing Competence among Community Pharmacists and Pharmacy Students in Norway.
Riyaan Mahamud GabeyreMisbah HusseinSiedra SalihSalia AmirParisa GazeraniPublished in: Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) (2024)
Background and aim: Social prescribing, which links patients to non-clinical services and involves general physicians, has been gaining traction. Community pharmacists, who are integral to primary healthcare, have untapped potential in social prescribing. This study explores social prescribing competence among Norwegian community pharmacists and pharmacy students. Method: A cross-sectional study utilizing an anonymous online questionnaire to collect quantitative data was conducted. Inspired by the limited relevant literature, the questionnaire was constructed, pilot-tested, and distributed in a one-week window within a Facebook group for Norwegian pharmacists. The questionnaire comprised 23 questions categorized into demographic details and competence assessment, covering general knowledge, attitude, and barriers/facilitators related to social prescribing. Statistical analyses were employed to determine the competence of the participants. Results: The online questionnaire collected data from 96 participants, primarily females (79.2%), aged 25-34 (40.6%), who were identified as community pharmacists (49.0%). Most (91.7%) worked in community pharmacies, with 31.3% having over 10 years of experience. Despite positive client relationships (93.8%), statistical analysis revealed no significant associations between competence and variables such as work experience, education, or gender. The custom scoring system yielded an average competence score of 1.98 on a 5-point scale, with attitudes and perceptions of participants scoring 3.82. Overall competence was calculated at 3.4, indicating a moderate level. Conclusions: The findings of this study reveal that the participants had limited knowledge regarding social prescribing, emphasizing the need for education. However, the participants showed strong enthusiasm for competence development. This groundwork paves the way for future investigations centered on pilot-testing strategies to boost social prescribing knowledge and engagement among Norwegian community pharmacists and pharmacy students.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- primary care
- mental health
- general practice
- health information
- social media
- cross sectional
- adverse drug
- emergency department
- patient reported
- clinical trial
- single cell
- newly diagnosed
- psychometric properties
- electronic health record
- randomized controlled trial
- physical activity
- big data
- high intensity
- ejection fraction
- climate change
- gene expression
- risk assessment
- prognostic factors
- high resolution
- risk factors