Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Community Pharmacists in Sudan: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Competence and Pharmaceutical Care
Bashir A. Yousef
*
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
Kannan O. Ahmed
Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Oman and Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The position of the community pharmacists (CPs) in the control and management of communicable and non-communicable conditions is central. However, this largely depends on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the CPs. The purpose of this comprehensive review was to assess the KAP of Sudanese CPs in various disease conditions, such as respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, central nervous system and renal system disorders, and tropical infections. In addition, the review sought to assess the knowledge and competencies of the CPs in safe medication practice and pharmaceutical care. A narrative literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. The search strategy employed relevant keywords and Boolean operators, without date restrictions, and was limited to English-language articles. The results indicated that the knowledge and attitude of the Sudanese CPs were moderate to good. However, the practice was lacking in various areas. The gaps in the practice of the CPs were evident in the rational use of drugs, patient counseling, decision-making skills, and device skills in the management of various conditions. The simulated patient studies consistently showed the presence of the ‘know-do gap’ in the practice of the CPs. Despite these challenges, pharmacist-led interventions in chronic disease management demonstrate substantial improvements in clinical outcomes when pharmacists are actively integrated into patient-centered care models. Overall, this review underscores the urgent need for targeted continuing professional development, strengthened regulatory frameworks, and enhanced integration of pharmacists into multidisciplinary healthcare teams to optimize pharmaceutical care and improve patient outcomes.
Keywords: Community pharmacists, knowledge, attitude, practice, pharmaceutical care, Sudan