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Breast cancer health promotion in Qatar: a survey of community pharmacists’ interests and needs

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International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 06 July 2016

Abstract

Objectives Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in Qatar. Despite the sustained efforts to increase breast cancer public awareness via campaigns and public screening programmes, breast cancer screening rate remains low. The involvement of community pharmacists in the communication and distribution of breast cancer screening information should have a significant positive impact. The objectives of this study were to determine the degree of community pharmacists’ involvement in breast cancer health promotion activities in Qatar, to explore their attitudes towards the involvement in breast cancer health promotion, to assess their breast cancer knowledge, to gauge their interest in receiving breast cancer continuous education and to list their perceived barriers for including breast cancer health promotion activities into their daily practice. Setting Community pharmacies in Qatar. Method The study objectives were addressed in a cross-sectional survey of all community pharmacists in Qatar. Main outcome measures The extent of community pharmacists’ involvement in breast cancer health promotion activities, the community pharmacists’ interest and comfort in providing breast cancer health promotion, their breast cancer knowledge, their interest in receiving breast cancer continuous education, their attitudes and beliefs towards breast cancer health promotion and their perceived barriers for integrating breast cancer heath promotion activities into their daily practice. Results Over a 12-week period, we collected 195 surveys (60% response rate). Eighty-eight percent indicated that they never invited healthcare professionals to provide breast cancer education in the pharmacy, 78% said that they never distributed breast cancer educational materials, and 58% reported that they never counseled patients about breast cancer. Nevertheless, more than 60% were highly interested in being engaged in breast cancer health promotion activities. In addition, 87% believed that discussing breast cancer awareness with female patients in the pharmacy was beneficial to patients. Yet pharmacists perceived many barriers for integrating breast cancer health promotion into their daily practice including lack of educational materials (79%) and lack of public recognition (61%). Moreover, their breast cancer knowledge mean score was 63% with 77% expressing a high interest in receiving breast cancer continuous education. Conclusion Despite their low involvement in breast cancer health promotion, the majority of pharmacists were interested in educating patients about breast cancer. However, low breast cancer knowledge and other barriers can prevent actualizing this role. Further work should focus on providing these pharmacists with breast cancer continuous education and overcoming all stated barriers.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the pharmacists who completed and returned the questionnaire. They would also wish to thank Dr. Ahmad Nadir Kheir for revising this manuscript.

Funding

This publication was made possible by a grant from the Qatar National Research Fund under its Undergraduate Research Experience Program.

Conflicts of interest

The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to declare. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Qatar National Research Fund.

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Correspondence to Maguy Saffouh El Hajj.

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An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11096-016-0341-2.

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El Hajj, M.S., Hamid, Y. Breast cancer health promotion in Qatar: a survey of community pharmacists’ interests and needs. Int J Clin Pharm 35, 376–385 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-010-9449-y

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