Proposing the optimum Myanmar Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) guidelines for local retail pharmacies

Abstract

The present study was aimed to develop optimum Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) guidelines for local retail pharmacies by inclusion of multiple-stakeholders in designing the implementation cycle and then propose these optimum guidelines to policy-makers to support the process of policy implementation. Therefore, a cross-sectional descriptive study using quantitative and qualitative methods was employed to investigate the situations of current pharmacy services and find out the contents for implementation of GPP guidelines in Myanmar context through participation of stakeholders. The pharmacy business is significantly increased number in recent decade to respond customers’ demands and they are found to be shared values among customers, patients and their partners like pharmaceutical companies. However, from the professional point of view, their pharmacy practices are acceptable for pharmaceutical services and far acceptable for pharmaceutical care. Regarding the GPP principles and its scope, the vast majority of stakeholders have neither heard nor familiar with the terms and it was found to be beyond their interest and knowledge. Therefore, this study found that the GPP implementation might be a bit challenge in practical ways with diverse understanding on principles of GPP and limited abilities of pharmacy staffs to follow it. Moreover, it was realized that pharmacies are barely profit business rather than a channel for care giving. As a result, stakeholders’ collaboration is fragmented and disconnected in new regulations of pharmacy practice. The government should bring all multiple-stakeholders together before seeding the principles of GPP and evaluate the process with a system thinking lens and promote dynamic networks of diverse stakeholders. Therefore, this study finds out the pragmatic agenda for policy to implement GPP guidelines for retail pharmacies in Myanmar. 7 main strategies composing 33 strategic plans are proposed to approach the seeding of GPP principles and implementing the GPP guidelines. They are; 1. Education and training on understanding the meanings of GPP and risks of safety, 2. Management for Human Resource, 3. Effective communication and collaboration to implement GPP standards, 4. Persuasion, support and encouragement to follow GPP standards, 5. Governance and regulations, 6. Sustainable processes for GPP implementation and 7. Changing Mindsets.

The present study was aimed to develop optimum Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) guidelines for local retail pharmacies by inclusion of multiple-stakeholders in designing the implementation cycle and then propose these optimum guidelines to policy-makers to support the process of policy implementation. Therefore, a cross-sectional descriptive study using quantitative and qualitative methods was employed to investigate the situations of current pharmacy services and find out the contents for implementation of GPP guidelines in Myanmar context through participation of stakeholders. The pharmacy business is significantly increased number in recent decade to respond customers’ demands and they are found to be shared values among customers, patients and their partners like pharmaceutical companies. However, from the professional point of view, their pharmacy practices are acceptable for pharmaceutical services and far acceptable for pharmaceutical care. Regarding the GPP principles and its scope, the vast majority of stakeholders have neither heard nor familiar with the terms and it was found to be beyond their interest and knowledge. Therefore, this study found that the GPP implementation might be a bit challenge in practical ways with diverse understanding on principles of GPP and limited abilities of pharmacy staffs to follow it. Moreover, it was realized that pharmacies are barely profit business rather than a channel for care giving. As a result, stakeholders’ collaboration is fragmented and disconnected in new regulations of pharmacy practice. The government should bring all multiple-stakeholders together before seeding the principles of GPP and evaluate the process with a system thinking lens and promote dynamic networks of diverse stakeholders. Therefore, this study finds out the pragmatic agenda for policy to implement GPP guidelines for retail pharmacies in Myanmar. 7 main strategies composing 33 strategic plans are proposed to approach the seeding of GPP principles and implementing the GPP guidelines. They are; 1. Education and training on understanding the meanings of GPP and risks of safety, 2. Management for Human Resource, 3. Effective communication and collaboration to implement GPP standards, 4. Persuasion, support and encouragement to follow GPP standards, 5. Governance and regulations, 6. Sustainable processes for GPP implementation and 7. Changing Mindsets.