+44 330 818 7254Background: Healthcare providers' pandemic preparedness contributes to the management of the disease as well as the mitigation of future threats like disease spread and fatality rates. In this COVID-19 pandemic, the role of community pharmacists is becoming increasingly recognized. Pharmacists are important partners with public health agencies. The purpose of the study was to investigate community pharmacists' (CPs) COVID-19 emergency preparedness.
Methods: Cluster sampling was used in a cross-sectional study of community pharmacists, followed by convenient sampling. The WHO preparedness checklist and references from previous literature were used to create a self-administered questionnaire. The socio-demographic characteristics of the participants were the subject of descriptive analysis. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0 was used to enter all of the collected data into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.
Results: The majority of CPs had no more than five years of practice experience, and they were well-versed in the disease's requirements for their communities. When needed, the participants knew where to find these resources. They were capable of recognizing the disease's symptoms. The majority of participants felt confident in their ability to educate patients and perform their responsibilities during these trying times. The participants' perceived response was strongly correlated with their level of preparedness.
Conclusion: Malaysian community pharmacists believe they are capable of responding to any unprecedented circumstance, like the COVID-19 pandemic, and are sufficiently prepared for its management. Community pharmacists were aware of the COVID-19 difficulties that their communities face.
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