Survey of hospital pharmacists’ knowledge regarding acetaminophen dosing, toxicity, product recognition and counselling practices

Objective This research aims to assess the knowledge of pharmacists regarding acetaminophen dosing, risks, products containing acetaminophen and counselling practices. Methods Descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in two private tertiary care facilities (Northwest General Hospital & Research Centre and Rehman Medical Institute Pvt limited) during the month of April 2015 in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. These healthcare facilities were chosen based on the view that pharmacists in these institutions were conducting their professional duties of dispensing and patient counselling. Pharmacists (n = 82) working in these two hospitals were asked to participate in a survey. A questionnaire derived from published literature, containing 16 items regarding the acetaminophen was designed to evaluate their knowledge on acetaminophen. Questions were formatted as multiple choices, yes/no, true/false, unsure and short answer. Key findings Of 82 pharmacists, 68 completed and returned the questionnaire with a response rate of 82.9%. Only 70.6% of the respondents identified the maximum daily dose of acetaminophen. Almost 85.2% of the pharmacists correctly identified hepatotoxicity as the primary toxicity associated with acetaminophen. 89.6% of the pharmacists correctly identified the potential risk factors for acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. About 95.5% respondents correctly identified Tramapar (Efroze Chemical Industries Pakistan Limited, Karachi- 74900, Pakistan) as containing acetaminophen. Only 47% of pharmacists reported that they provide specific instructions and precautions when dispensing acetaminophen. Conclusion Our study revealed deficiencies in pharmacist knowledge regarding acetaminophen recognition, dosing recommendations and potential for toxicity. The findings emphasize the need for an increasing pharmacist awareness of unintentional acetaminophen toxicity and acetaminophen-related problems by acquiring sufficient knowledge regarding drug-induced diseases and patient counselling regarding drug use.