Diagnosis of the availability and use of drug information sources in drugstores and pharmacies in southern Brazil

Abstract

This research has aimed to estimate the use of drug information sources by pharmacists in drugstores and pharmacies in southern Brazil. It consisted of sending a questionnaire through regular mail, contacting the pharmacist via phone and visiting the drugstores. Four hundred and eight (68.6%) of the 595 enrolled establishments answered the questionnaire. The information at pharmacies and drugstores is searched mainly to orient the patient. At drugstores the professionals have an average of 2.3 books, whereas at pharmacies they rely on 6.1. In a pharmacy, the chance to find more than five books is 27 times higher than in a drugstore. The more often available books are pharmaceutical specialties compendiums. There is access to Internet in 87.5% of pharmacies and 59% of drugstores. The National Agency of Health Surveillance webpage is the most accessed website, and the call centers of Pharmaceutical Companies are the most searched information service. Lack of time is the main alleged difficulty for searching information. The pharmacists working in the studied establishments miss appropriate drug information sources. Taking into consideration how important information is in the pharmaceutical practice, there is a need to emphasize this subject through an educative process, during undergraduate studies and continued education.