Use of Internet as Health Information Resource by Community Pharmacists in Nigeria
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Date
2018
Authors
Anasi, S.N
Lawal, F.O
Paul-Ozieh, A
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Emerald Insight
Abstract
Purpose – The internet has become one of the most commonly used sources for medical and health
information. Research that explored the extent to which Nigerian community pharmacists use internet
resources for patient care is limited. This study aims to examine the extent to which community pharmacists
use the internet for professional practice.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a questionnaire which was completed by
115 community pharmacists using convenience sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics
were used for data analysis.
Findings – The results revealed that community pharmacists use a variety of online resources, although
only about 25 per cent or less use each of the online resources. The critical challenges that hinder their use of
the internet were inadequate power supply, lack of funds to procure personal internet facilities, among others.
There is significant relative contribution of demographic variables (gender, age, educational qualification and
number of years in professional practice) on frequency of internet use among community pharmacists.
Practical implications – The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos Chapter,
should organize continuing professional education for their members to expose them to online resources and
emerging trends in professional practice. The community pharmacist should also address the problem of
inadequate communication with patients by stepping up communication with the patients about their drug
therapy not only through the conventional media but also through internet facilities such as email, WhatsApp
and so on.
Originality/value – This study examined the extent to which community pharmacists use the internet for
professional activities. This study also empirically investigated the significant relative contribution of
demographic variables (gender, age, educational qualification and number of years in professional practice)
on the frequency of internet use among community pharmacists.
Description
Staff Publications
Keywords
Internet use , Nigeria , Demographic variables , Community pharmacists , Health information resource , Internet resources , Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Other social sciences::Library and information science
Citation
Anasi, S.N, Lawal, F.O and Paul-Ozieh, A (2018). Use of Internet as Health Information Resource by Community Pharmacists in Nigeria.