Knowledge, Attitude, and COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake Among Drug Dispensers in Community Pharmacies: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2). Drug dispensers are at risk of contracting COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and COVID-19 vaccination uptake among drug dispensers in community pharmacies.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among drug dispensers in community pharmacies in Dar es Salaam from January to June 2022. Participants in the study were pharmacists, pharmaceutical technicians, pharmaceutical assistants, and Accredited Drugs Dispensing Outlets (ADDO) dispensers. The calculated minimum sample size was 360. A stratified sampling technique was used to obtain the number of pharmacies and drug dispensers required for each district. Data was collected using a self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. To determine the predictors of COVID-19 vaccination status by the drug dispensers, multivariable binary logistic regression was performed.

Results: A total of 375 participants were included. More than half (57.0%) of participants had good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines, while 203 (54.1%) of respondents had a positive attitude. About 111 (29.6%) of respondents had received the COVID-19 vaccine. Drug dispensers aged 50 years and above and pharmacists were more likely to have received the COVID-19 vaccine (AOR 58.82; 95% CI, 7.407 to 500.0; P<.001) and (AOR 5.025; 95% CI, 2.062 to 12.346, P=.005), respectively.

Conclusion: Drug dispensers in community pharmacies possessed a good level of knowledge regarding COVID-19 vaccination; however, gaps in attitude and vaccine uptake persisted. Strengthening educational campaigns through professional associations, utilizing digital platforms for information dissemination, and integrating vaccine promotion into continuing professional development programs can enhance their role in public health response efforts.