Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of University of Ibadan Pharmacy Students on Veterinary Pharmacy Practice
Keywords:
Veterinary Pharmacy, Knowledge, Attitude, Perception, Pharmacy StudentsAbstract
Background: Pharmacists have acknowledged roles as medicine experts facilitating human healthcare, such expertise is also essential in pharmaceutical treatments of animals. In view of current realities with the COVID-19 pandemic, the interplay between human and animal health cannot be overemphasized. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude, and perception of study participants on veterinary pharmacy practice.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among fifinal year students of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan. Asemi-structured questionnaire was utilized for data collection. Total sampling method was used to recruit participants who gave their informed consent. Data was summarized with descriptive statistics.
Results: The response rate was 93.5% (86/92). Sixty (69.8%) study participants agreed that health and medical treatment of animals and humans are closely linked. Out of the 86 participants, 26 (30.2%) disagreed that animals can suffffer from diabetes mellitus, while 16 (18.6%) were undecided. Study participants rated themselves poorly on their knowledge on veterinary courses. For instance, 33 (38.4%) and 43 (50.0%) rated themselves as “very poor” in their counseling and compounding, respectively. Atotal of 45 (52.4%) participants were willing to learn more about veterinary practice in difffferent areas, 6 (7%) compounding of veterinary drugs, 19 (22.1%) pharmacology of veterinary medicines, 11(12.8%) counselling and 9(10.5%) dispensing of veterinary drugs. The others 41(47.6%) signifified they had no interest in learning more about any of the aforementioned areas. Most (56; 65.1%) of the study participants strongly agreed in their perception that veterinary medications should be dispensed by pharmacists and 59 (68.6%) strongly agreed in their perception that collaborations between veterinarians and pharmacists would be benefificial. As much as 46 (53.3%) agreed and 27 (31.4%) strongly agreed that they would consider a special training to perform their roles as veterinary pharmacists.
Conclusions: The knowledge of the participants on veterinary pharmacy practice was good. Study participants displayed good attitude and perception on veterinary pharmacy practice.
References
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2017). https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/productsafety-information/veterinary-medication-errors
Ogaji I, Odumosu P, Ngwuluka C and Onoja V(2010). Availability of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals and The Role of Pharmacists in
Health-Care Delivery Services to Animal Patients in Plateau State. The Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Science 9(1); 66– 72.
Hoelzer K, Wong N, Thomas J, Talkington K, Jungman E and Coukell A (2017). Antimicrobial drug use in food-producing animals and associated human health risks: what, and how strong, is the evidence? BMC Veterinary Research 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-1131-3
Rahman MT, Sobur MA, Islam MS, Levy S, Hossain J, El Zowalaty ME, Rahman T, and Ashour HM (2020). Zoonotic Diseases: Etiology, Impact, and Control. Microorganisms 8(9):1405. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8091405
Bidaisee S and Macpherson C (2014). Zoonoses and One Health: Areview of the literature. Journal o f Parasitology Research 87; 43 - 45 https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/874345
McDowell A, Beard R, Brightmore A, Lu LW, McKay A, Mistry M, Owen K, Swan E and Young J (2017). Veterinary Pharmaceutics: An Opportunity for Interprofessional Education in New Zealand? MDPI Pharmaceutics 9, 25 https://doi/10.3390/pharmaceutics9030025
Frankel G, Kusno A, Louizos C (2016). Five things every community pharmacist should know when dispensing for 4-legged patients. Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal 149(2):99-106. https://doi.org/10.1177/1715163516628543
O'Driscoll NH, Juwah C, Labovitiadi O and Lamb AJ (2014). Veterinary pharmacy within the UK: Review of current practice and education. Pharmacy Education 14(1); 26-30.
One-health Wonders (2009). Available at: http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/may09/090515w.asp Accessed July 23, 2021.
Epstein B, Jones M, Hamede R, Hendricks S, McCallum H, Murchison EP, Schönfield B, Wiench C, Hohenlohe P and Storfer A (2016). Rapid evolutionary responses to a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils. National Communications 7; 12684–12690 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12684.
Creagan ET, Bauer BA, Thomley BS, Borg JM (2015). Animal-assisted therapy at Mayo Clinic: the time is now. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 21: 101 - 104 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2015.03.002
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
