Pharmacists are the first responders for COVID-19 patients (6). In light of the rising COVID-19 infection rate in Baghdad, it was assumed that all pharmacy personnel must rigorously adhere to preventive measures. The purpose of this observational study was to investigate the services offered by community pharmacists in Baghdad, Iraq, a city with a high incidence of COVID-19 infection. In this study, we investigated the knowledge, attitude, practices, and preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic of a randomly selected sample of private pharmacists in Baghdad. The pharmacists were questioned between March 20 and May 15, 2020, which was between two weeks and two months after the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a worldwide pandemic (14).
One of the primary professional tasks of all pharmacists is to provide medication information (15). Pharmacists should be aware of the guidelines about masks, for example, when they assume their advisory role on the use of medicinal goods (6). In this study, most respondents had adequate awareness of COVID-19 transmission mechanisms, preventive measures, and the medicines utilized. This is consistent with the findings of several studies on pharmacists in various countries (Turkey, Vietnam, and Pakistan), which found that they had an appropriate understanding of COVID-19 (16–18).
The WHO reported in mid-February 2020 that the COVID-19 epidemic had been followed by an “infodemic,” which is characterized as an abundance of information that is particularly susceptible to lies and disinformation (19). As a result, healthcare professionals should carefully assess COVID-19 information sources and seek information from reliable sources (20,21). Most pharmacists in our survey reported utilizing reliable materials from government websites, such as the WHO, the MOH, and other media/websites. Some pharmacists used TV and the CDC website as sources of knowledge. Research in the US and the UK found that television viewing in March and April 2020 far surpassed previous years, with public service media viewed as a dependable source of information on the COVID-19 situation (22,23). In addition, 4.3% of the pharmacists acknowledged utilizing social media (Facebook) for COVID-19 information. This is a dangerous practice, as hundreds of prominent Facebook sites have written, republished, and spread fake information about the coronavirus, including conspiracy theories and counterfeit treatments (24).
Concerning Iraqi pharmacists’ attitudes toward COVID-19. As the COVID-19 epidemic spread around the world, it made many healthcare workers afraid and tired (25). The respondents indicated tiredness and fear of becoming infected as a result of their occupational exposure. On the other hand, the respondents reported that their stress had little effect on their professional obligations.
Our findings showed that acetaminophen and other over-the-counter (OTC) supplements, such as zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D3, were the medicines most prescribed by private pharmacists for COVID-19 treatment. Because corticosteroids are recommended to be prescribed by pharmacists at the lowest possible ratio, this finding is consistent with what was reported in studies in Saudi Arabia (26) and China (27).
Medical devices and personal protective equipment should be appropriately provided in pharmacies, since they are utilized daily to offer proper protection for healthcare workers and patients as required (28). Most of the pharmacists polled indicated favorable practices with COVID-19 infection safety and protection measures. However, they stated that masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers were in low supply or were being delivered late. As the number of afflicted nations and sick people grew, the globe faced worldwide scarcity, causing supply disruptions and delays (29). Due to the probable shortages, the CDC and non-governmental groups proposed a number of ways to maximize the supply and usage of these equipment items and devices (30). The WHO and the CDC created preparation tools and checklists to help healthcare workers and facilities respond to COVID-19 (31,32). The international Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) published recommendations for health system pharmacy departments and pharmacy personnel to improve pharmacy department planning and increase pharmacist participation in the battle against COVID-19 at both the institutional and community levels (6,33). These suggestions largely focused on the pharmacist’s role in maintaining enough medication and supply stocks, determining suitable staffing requirements, and providing adequate professional education and training. In this research, approximately two-thirds of the pharmacists took actions in their pharmacies to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic or to work gradually on their preparations. However, some pharmacists among those polled stated that they had taken no action. The identification of a pharmacy staff member to manage education and training on COVID-19 had the lowest level of readiness. The unpreparedness of certain pharmacies might be ascribed to the country’s financial problems, which made it more difficult for Iraqi pharmacies to manage (34,35). Another possible explanation is that the Iraqi MOH’s local COVID-19 health strategic readiness and response plan did not contain comprehensive measurements or preparedness strategies for the pharmacy sector. For example, it emphasized the necessity of ensuring healthcare service continuity by keeping enough supplies of medicines and medical devices on hand (36). As the number of sick people continued to rise every day, this necessitated the healthcare system’s ongoing preparedness.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and preparedness regarding COVID-19 in Iraq. One potential drawback is the limited sample size. Also, there is a risk of information bias, as some pharmacists may have misunderstood some questions. Further research is advised to address these flaws. However, there is no reason to believe that this will affect the primary findings.