AIM: The study was carried out as descriptive to determine the knowledge and practices about the subject emergency contraception of the pharmacists and their helpers in the pharmacies in central Manisa.
METHOD: The universe of the research was formed by the 113 pharmacies registered to Manisa chamber of pharmacists in the year 2008 and all the pharmacies were included in the study. 47 pharmacists and 88 helpers agreed to join the study. The research which was planned to be descriptive March-to-June 2008. A questionnaire was produced by researchers and filled in during face-to face interviews with the pharmacists and their helpers.
RESULTS: The pharmacists and their helpers stated that combined pills (46.8% and 44.5%) and condoms (41.5% and 42.7%) the most requested family planning methods their pharmacy. It was determined that 48.9% of the pharmacists, 33% of the pharmacists helpers gave information to customers about their use of family planning methods, 38.3% of the pharmacists, 23.9 % of the pharmacists helpers gave information what to do in case of failure to use/ where to apply to. 91.5% of the pharmacists, 95.5% of the pharmacists helpers stated that they had emergency contraception (EC) purpose pills in their pharmacies. It was determined that 61.7% of the pharmacists, 28.4% of the pharmacists helpers had the knowledge about EC, 61.7% of the pharmacists, 52.3% of the pharmacists helpers could consider the EC methods true, 68.1% of the pharmacists, 70.5% of the pharmacists helpers gave the correct answers to the question of when the EC purpose pills would be used. 68.1% of the pharmacists, 45.5% of the pharmacists helpers stated that EC methods might have adverse effects, 14.9% of the pharmacists, 25% of the pharmacists helpers stated that EC methods were protect agains to STD or not information about it, 12.8% of the pharmacists, 9.1% of the pharmacists helpers stated that these pills might be effective after the pregnancy occurred. It was determined that 53.2% of the pharmacists, 48.9% of the pharmacists helpers got information about EC before.
CONCLUSION: It was found out that the pharmacists and their helpers did not make enough counseling about the use of family planning methods, the knowledge level of the pharmacists and their helpers about emergency contraception was quite low, and they had some misinformation. It was also concluded that the pre-graduation education given to the pharmacists shout be upgraded with respect to adulth education principles so that they can act as EC consultants and wide-scale in-service aducation programmes which would also pharmacists helpers, should be organized and participationin these programmes should be further ancouraged.
Key words: Pharmacist, pharmacist’s helper, emergency contraception, knowledge, practice Article Language: Turkish English
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