An increase in the number of residents in nursing homes has become a significant concern due to the rise in medication demand and subsequently medication-related issues, especially in frail elderly. Community pharmacists are the closest healthcare professionals available that can contribute to this population to allow optimal utilization of the prescribed drugs and to prevent drug-related problems. The present study aimed to investigate the awareness of community pharmacists on issues regarding frail elderly and to determine their willingness in collaborative care of frail elderly in nursing homes and the services they are willing to offer. This was a cross-sectional study utilising a set of questionnaire that was delivered to practicing community pharmacists in Peninsular Malaysia from June 2018 until December 2018. Majority of the participants agreed to the fact that aging is the primary cause of frailty (n=98, 88.3%), and that chronic disease is also a cause of frailty (n=96, 86.5%). Most of the community pharmacists were also keen to participate in the collaborative care of frail elderly, and were willing to provide their pharmacy service to the frail elderly. There was a positive correlation between the awareness of community pharmacists on issues regarding frail elderly and their willingness on collaborative care of frail elderly in nursing homes (r=0.374, n=111, p=0.01). Majority of the pharmacists were aware of the issues regarding the frail elderly, and were willing to participate in the collaborative care of frail elderly in nursing home.
Peningkatan jumlah warga tua dikaitkan dengan penambahan masalah dalam penjagaan kesihatan. Dengan kerumitan penyakit yang berkaitan dengan usia, sistem pengurusan ubat yang baik adalah penting untuk mencegah kesilapan ubat. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk membangunkan soal selidik untuk menilai pengetahuan, sikap dan amalan (KAP) penjaga terhadap pengurusan ubat di rumah jagaan kejururawatan (RACFs). Satu kajian keratan rentas telah dijalankan dan melibatkan penjaga dari 90 RACF di seluruh Malaysia. Soal selidik yang dibangunkan berdasarkan tinjauan literatur dan pendapat pakar ini mengandungi 41 item yang dibahagikan kepada tiga domain. Dalam kajian ini, kadar respons adalah 71% dengan 128 soal selidik yang dikembalikan. Skor median yang diperolehi untuk pengetahuan, sikap dan amalan masing-masing adalah 77.27, 70.83 dan 68.66. Majoriti penjaga (71.9%) disifatkan mengetahui asas pengurusan ubat, bagaimanapun, hampir separuh daripada mereka (48.4%) tidak pernah menerima sebarang latihan mengenainya. Lebih separuh daripada penjaga mempunyai tahap pengetahuan yang baik (69.5%, n = 89), separuh lagi (57.8%, n = 74) mempunyai sikap yang baik dan kurang daripada separuh mempunyai amalan yang baik (46.9%) terhadap pengurusan ubat. Tahap pendidikan, kelayakan khusus dan pengalaman latihan pengurusan ubat adalah faktor yang dikaitkan dengan hasil skor yang baik (p