ABSTRACT

Qualitative Analysis of Roles and Behaviour of Pharmacists Regarding The Use of Telepharmacy During COVID-19 Pandemic

Anisa Dwi Sasanti, Laksmi Maharani, Nia Kurnia Sholihat, Tunggul Adi Purwonugroho, Ika Mustikaningtias, Dewi Latifatul Ilma

Background : COVID-19 causing changes in healthcare system. The efforts to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 are keep distance and avoiding the crowd. On health services, telemidicine is able to provide fast access and the greater comfort. This research aimed to explore roles and behaviour of pharmacists in the use of telepharmacy as well as the factors that influence the application of telepharmacy during COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods : The research was conducted using non-experimental method based on phenomenological qualitative through in depth interview. Informants are taken until the data was saturated and 5 informants were obtained. Interview was conducted either in person directly or online. The data validity carried out through a credibility test by member checking, transferability test by detail description, dependability test and confirmability test by supervisor audit. The results of the interviews were then analyzed descriptively using inductive thinking process.

Results and Conclusions : The role of pharmacists in telepharmacy during COVID-19 pandemic was provide professional telepharmacy through self-improvement, while the behavior pharmacists were to use telepharmacy to give clinical pharmacy services and using various telepharmacy media. The supporting factors of the application of telepharmacy during COVID-19 pandemic were the cooperation of colleagues and patient’s family, regulations regarding restrictions on face-to-face service, and the COVID-19 pandemic; while the inhibiting factors were the technology used by patients, patient’s financial barrier, patients have not received telepharmacy, lack of human resources, limited time, and government has not issued detailed regulations regarding telepharmacy.

Keywords : Telemedicine, Telepharmacy, Pharmacist, COVID-19