Kho, Boon Phiaw
(2018)
Professional Services Offered By
Community Pharmacists And
Challenges In Managing Community
Pharmacies: Views From Community
Pharmacy Practitioners In The State
Of Sarawak.
Masters thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Abstract
The focus of community pharmacies worldwide is gradually shifting towards
service-based. Unfortunately, various management challenges delay this progression,
especially in developing countries like Malaysia. Dimension of challenges faced in
the management of community pharmacies is poorly articulated in the literature. The
aims of this study were to explore the current status of professional pharmacy
services provision and management challenges faced by community pharmacists in
Sarawak, Malaysia. A mixed-methods design comprising qualitative (Phase 1) and
quantitative (Phase 2) components was used. In Phase 1, semi-structured interviews
were carried out with community pharmacists practising in Sarawak. Purposive and
snowball sampling techniques were employed to ensure a diverse group of
informants, with data saturation achieved after 20 interview sessions. Interviews
were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, with the resultant data analysed using
thematic analysis. Eleven major themes were identified. Professional pharmacy
service provision was influenced by both respondents’ intrinsic motivations and
business considerations. Intra-organisational constraints faced include lack of time,
personnel and physical space, whereas cultural issues, uncommitted customers, stock
availability and price issues were the extra-organisational barriers. Market demand
influenced respondents’ plans for further service expansion.
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