“Is there a need for social pharmacy courses in Libya?” Findings from a cross-sectional survey among pharmacy practitioners

ObjectivesThis study was conducted to investigate pharmacy practitioners' perceptions towards the need for social pharmacy education in the existing pharmacy curricula in Libya.MethodsA cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. Using a questionnaire developed following an extensive literature review, a survey was undertaken in Libya from June to September 2010. The respondents' were pharmacists who had graduated from pharmacy school and worked at Libyan community pharmacies, government drug stores, drug companies, and hospital pharmacies.ResultsA total of 600 questionnaires were distributed. A total of 497 respondents (82.8%) completed the questionnaire. The majority of respondents' (60.6%) reported that they were not taught courses related to social pharmacy in their institutions. Only 39.4% indicated that the social pharmacy related courses such as “communication skills, health psychology, and health promotion” were taught in their respective institutions under various alternative headings.ConclusionsThe results obtained from the present study revealed that social pharmacy subjects are not fully thought out and given priority in the Libyan pharmacy curricula. To overcome the challenges of adopting social pharmacy as a field of importance in pharmacy education and practice in Libya, a more proactive and collaborative approach is required, involving all stakeholders and engaging pharmacy practitioners.