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OPINIONS ABOUT COMMUNITY PHARMACY-BASED HEALTH SCREENINGS FROM PATIENTS’ LIVING IN RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA), POZNAN (POLAND) AND CHICAGO (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

MAGDALENA WASZYK-NOWACZYK 1*, WERONIKA GUZENDA 1, SAIF ALKATHIRI 2, ANNA RATKA 3

1Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacy Practice Division, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 6 Grunwaldzka Street, 60-780 Poznan, Poland
2 Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Makkah road. Al Sulimaniyah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
3 Wegmans School of Pharmacy, St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618, United States of America

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The aim of the study was to collect, evaluate and compare opinions about health screening services in community pharmacies from participants located in Riyadh, Poznan, and Chicago. The cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was carried out between March 2016 and March 2017. Total of 557 respondents participated in this study, including 102 from Riyadh, 265 from Poznan, and 190 from Chicago. The study showed that patients were very interested in participating in community pharmacy-based health screening services. The vast majority of respondents in Riyadh, Poznan, and Chicago (67.6%, 66.8%, and 58.0%, respectively), was willing to participate in such health screenings (p < 0.05). More than half of participants from Riyadh could pay about 10-19 PLN/SAR (2.4 - 4.9 USD). Most Poznanians declared that they would be willing to pay about 20-29 PLN/SAR (5.0 - 7.4 USD) for such a service. Respondents in Chicago were willing to pay above 100 PLN (25.3 USD). The vast majority of Saudi participants indicated that a community pharmacy should finance cost for screening (78.6%), Polish respondents chose the government as the source of funding (84.9%). Whereas, the American participants chose the government and the insurance company (44.6% and 41.0%, respectively). Among all respondents, more than half expressed opinion for the government as the funding source for community pharmacy-based health screenings (58.1%; p < 0.05). For decades, in many countries, community pharmacies and devoted pharmacists offer to patients’ health care services that help to identify and alleviate health problems, provide expert counselling and advice based on patient-specific health conditions, and often collaborate with a physician or other members of the healthcare. Implementing a new service to a community pharmacy should contribute to improved outcomes in patient’s health and quality of life.