METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among community pharmacists in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Convenience sampling was done, and descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed.
RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-six pharmacists participated. The most rendered EPS were nutritional supplements, hypertension management, and diabetic management, while chronic kidney disease management, smoking cessation, and mental health services were the least rendered. Pharmacists were willing to provide medication waste management and vaccination as VAS but were less inclined towards therapeutic drug monitoring and sterile compounding. Barriers included limited access to medical records of patients, lack of designated counselling areas, and concerns about remuneration. High sales pressure and busy workloads were additional barriers to providing VAS. Continuous professional development (CPD) positively influenced pharmacists' engagement in EPS and VAS.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights service provision trends and areas for improvement. Addressing identified barriers, such as enhancing access to patient records and establishing designated counselling areas, can improve service delivery. Remuneration models and workload management strategies should be considered to alleviate barriers related to sales pressure and time constraints. Promoting CPD opportunities is crucial for enhancing pharmacist engagement and optimizing EPS and VAS.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The case-control study was conducted among 116 cases identified through passive surveillance systems over three years.The control subjects were 232 living in the same village for more than six months without any history of ST infection were selected by matching to the age (within 5-years) and identified through active surveillance. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v. 25.0 for Windows (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).
RESULTS: The mean age of confirmed persons was 58.1(SD=10.15) years, while control subjects were 56.14 (11.57).There is no significant difference in gender, age, education, and occupations between case and control. Farmers had the most significant number of cases among occupational groups. The three factors that were significantly associated with an increased odds of having ST infection are bundling or moving waste straw (OR: 1.94, 95%CI; 0.99,381), morning exercise in the park or field (OR: 4.74 95%CI; 1.19, 18.95), and working as labourer in the vegetable field (OR:1.02, 95%CI:1.02,3.19).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested establishing a prevention and control strategy for these groups to lower ST development risk.