EFFECT OF PHARMACEUTICAL CARE TRAINING ON KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF PHARMACISTS IN MAHARASHTRA

The objective of the study was to assess the effect of Pharmaceutical care training on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Pharmacists from various settings. In this prospective interventional study, a validated Knowledge, Attitude and Practice questionnaire was administered, before and after an educational training to the pharmacists belonging to hospital, community and corporate settings of Pune district of Maharashtra. The Post-training impact on knowledge, attitude and practices was assessed by administering the same questionnaire after 3 months to the same set of pharmacists. The results were analyzed using paired 't' test and simple descriptive analysis. A total of 446 pharmacists were enrolled in the study. In the post-educational intervention, the overall Knowledge scores of participants were found to have significantly increased from 177.40 +/- 59.62 to 325.8 +/- 76.11; a mean score with value of p=0.0089, a significant improvement in Attitude from 302.40 +/- 82.80 to 409.80 +/- 22.90; a mean score with value of p =0.0234 and improvement in Practice component was from 149.20 +/- 53.03 to 225.40 +/- 47.49; a mean score with p value of p =0.0436. The study concluded that post educational-intervention significantly improved Knowledge and Attitude compared to Pharmaceutical care practices of the pharmacists from all settings, and the dispensing of medicines is still the dominant service in community Pharmacy. Robust Continuing Education modules can be used for career-long learning and professional development of Pharmacists to improve their Practices towards Pharmaceutical care.