The Role of Community Pharmacists in the Control of Non-Communicable Diseases: A National Survey From the United Arab Emirates

Pharmacists play an important role in the prevention and management of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). This study examines the knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP), and determinants of NCD control practices of Community Pharmacists (CPs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A stratified random sampling frame was used to conduct a national survey among CPs in the UAE (year 2023). Through face-to-face interviews, a KAP questionnaire was administered to CPs. The latter was based on the International Pharmaceutical Federation framework and addressed the role of pharmacists in NCDs' prevention, screening, referral, and pharmaceutical management. Out of the 452 pharmacists approached, 355 agreed to participate. Most CPs correctly answered knowledge questions related to risk factors for diabetes (80.3%) compared to cardiovascular disease prevention (21.4%) and diabetes treatment guidelines (19.2%). Participants had an overall positive attitude towards their roles in reducing NCDs burden (83.0%) and counseling on self-care (89.3%). For NCD-related practices, the most frequently reported was counseling on NCDs prevention (66.8%) and the least reported was screening patients for asthma (21.7%). Only 49.3% of CPs performed a thorough prescription check and 47.9% advised on potential side effects. The regression analyses showed that CPs knowledge, training on NCDs, access to NCDs scientific sources, and female gender are significant determinants of NCDs' better practices. CPs in the UAE had positive beliefs about their roles in NCDs control. However, there were significant gaps in their NCDs knowledge and practices. Addressing these gaps requires concerted regulatory, educational, and professional efforts across the healthcare system.