Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use by patients: Impact of modular educational training on pharmacists' questioning, counselling and risk assessments

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-related morbidity and mortality can be reduced through medication counselling and risk reduction. Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of short online modular NSAID training on the type and quality of questions asked, risk factors assessed, and counselling offered by community pharmacists to NSAID users. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-guided survey conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria, among 87 pharmacists evaluated the frequency of counselling, NSAID risk factor assessment and barriers to risk assessment. Additionally, a before-and-after RCT was used to evaluate the impact of short online modular NSAID training for the intervention group (IG) on the type and quality of the questions asked, counselling provided, and risk assessed by the pharmacists. Eight standardised patients, aged 25-43 years, four at pre- and postintervention, presented four standardised scenarios at community pharmacies [IG, n = 22, control group (CG, n = 30)] to assess these outcomes. The quality of each outcome (questions asked, counselling offered and risk assessed) was classified as poor (0-<= 20%), fair (>20-<= 40%), moderate (>40 - <= 60%), or optimal (>60-100%). The data are presented with descriptive statistics. Results: The community pharmacists reported counselling patients on NSAID precautions (80-86%) and dosages (51-69%). Gastrointestinal bleeding risk was assessed by 61-89% of the pharmacists, and time constraints (39-42%) and patient impatience (47-75%) were some barriers to risk assessment. Online modular educational intervention significantly improved the types and quality of questions asked by pharmacists (CG: poor to fair, 16%-21%; IG: poor to moderate, 14%-45%), NSAID risk factors assessed (CG: poor to poor, 10%-9%; IG: poor to fair, 11%-27%) and counselling offered (CG: poor to poor, 6%-7%; IG: poor to fair, 6%-22%). Conclusions: Short online modular educational training on NSAIDs improved the types and quality of the questions asked, NSAID risk factors assessed, and counselling provided by community pharmacists to patients during consultations.