Evaluating satisfaction of Tabriz pharmacists from scientific quality of Iranian drug brochures in 2018

Abstract

Introduction: Drug brochures in drug packaging can be used as a valuable source of drug information for patients and the medical team. Reading the brochures can be useful and relatively complete information such as side effects, contraindications, warnings and etc. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction of pharmacists in Tabriz with the quality of Iranian drug brochures in 2018. Methods: The present study is a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 170 pharmacists working in pharmacies in Tabriz who answered a questionnaire approved for reliability and validity and containing questions about the scientific quality of Iranian and foreign drug brochures. Study data were presented as mean, percentage and frequency and analyzed by SPSS ver.22. Results: 42.4% of the respondents were very satisfied with the size of the brochure, line size and font type of the Iranian brochures and 72.3% of the foreign brochures (more than 75%) which were statistically significant. Regarding the amount and method of drug use in brochures, the level of satisfaction with foreign brochures was higher than Iranian brochures (P = 0.017). Satisfaction with the expression of side effects, contraindications, how to adjust the dose of the drug In the underlying diseases and the necessary warnings for children and the elderly in the brochures of Iranian medicines were significantly less than foreign medicines (P <0.001). About 73.3% of the respondents agreed to design separate brochures for medical staff and patients. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed the dissatisfaction of pharmacists with the existence of sufficient and up-to-date information in the brochures of domestic drugs for the prescription and safe use of drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to make fundamental changes in the structure of brochures and monitor it by relevant organizations.