An-Najah Staff

The purpose of this study was to determine the sources and needs of drug information for community pharmacies in Palestine. A fifteen item questionnaire was distributed to community pharmacies. Out of approximately one hundred fifty community pharmacies who received the questionnaire through An-Najah university pharmacy trainee students, one hundred eighteen community pharmacies filled in and returned the questionnaire to the researchers. The questionnaire included background information and questions regarding sources of drug information available to pharmacists and the most commonly drug-related questions encountered by community pharmacies. Approximately ninety per cent of community pharmacists have Martindale or British Pharmacopoeia as a reference textbook but less than one per cent have other important primary sources of information like periodicals or continuing education courses. Computer set-up and Internet services are available for some community pharmacies. Community pharmacists were most often asked questions about drug price, over-the-counter drug selection, pediatric drug dosage and drug use in pregnancy and lactation. The conclusion is that, few drug information sources are available for community pharmacies in Palestine and this inadequacy in drug information constrains the community pharmacists in Palestine from providing patients with appropriate drug education and hinders them from playing an important role in health services as a drug information provider.