Hospital Pharmacy - April 2020 - 112

823733
research-article2019

HPXXXX10.1177/0018578718823733Hospital PharmacyChamoun et al

Original Article

Current Trends in Hospital Pharmacy
Practice in Lebanon

Hospital Pharmacy
2020, Vol. 55(2) 112-118
© The Author(s) 2019
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https://doi.org/10.1177/0018578718823733
DOI: 10.1177/0018578718823733
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Nibal Chamoun1, Ulfat Usta2, Lamis R. Karaoui1 ,
Pascale Salameh3,4,5, Souheil Hallit5,6, Patricia Shuhaiber7,
Anna-Maria Henaine3,8, Youssef Akiki3,8 , Rony M. Zeenny2, and
Katia Iskandar5,9
Abstract
Objectives: For decades, the role of hospital pharmacists has been instrumental in elevating pharmacy practice worldwide.
Recently, the Hospital Pharmacy Section of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the European Association of
Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP), and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) updated their statements
about the future role and responsibilities of the pharmacy executive in hospitals and health systems. A series of surveys
were conducted around the globe to better understand the current state of hospital pharmacy practice. The purpose
of these surveys was to identify challenges in hospital pharmacy practice and to develop improvement strategies. The
objective of this national survey is to evaluate hospital pharmacy practice in Lebanon. Methods: A cross-sectional
observational study was performed among pharmacists working in hospital settings in Lebanon, from January through
June 2016. Based on a literature review, a questionnaire to elicit Lebanese hospital pharmacists' practice was developed.
Results: The results showed a nonsignificant difference between university teaching and nonuniversity teaching hospitals
in the processes of drug procurement, preparation, dispensing, and drug administration. However, statistically significant
differences were observed between university teaching and nonuniversity teaching hospitals with respect to having clinical
pharmacists (P < .001) and highly qualified personnel (P < .005). Pharmacy services in teaching hospitals seemed to be
more advanced cooperating with affiliated medical schools. Furthermore, teaching hospitals were more likely to have
pharmacists providing information about the safety of the medications used (P = .029). Although not statistically significant,
there was a higher trend toward having a designated champion for medication safety (P = .052). Conclusion: The
results of our survey showed that teaching hospitals were more compliant with the International Statements of Hospital
Pharmacy Practice compared with nonteaching hospitals. There is room for improvement especially if the application of
the accreditation standards for safe hospital pharmacy practice becomes mandatory for all hospitals, which is expected to
standardize pharmacy practice and secure both medication and patient safety.
Keywords
teaching hospitals, nonteaching hospitals, pharmacy practice, medications, patient safety, Lebanon

Introduction
Lebanon is a small middle-income country with an estimated 6 million inhabitants located in the Middle East. In
2012, the World Health Organization statistics report confirmed that the number of hospital beds in Lebanon equaled
3.5 per 1000 inhabitants. In 2014, the total health care
expenditure accounted for 6.4% of the national gross
domestic products.1 The Ministry of Public Health contracted a total of 163 hospitals2 and employed 339 hospital
pharmacists (out of 10 000 pharmacists who were registered at the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists and licensed to
practice). For decades, the role of hospital pharmacists has
been instrumental in elevating pharmacy practice worldwide.3 In 2015, the Hospital Pharmacy Section of the

1

School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
Pharmacy Department, American University of Beirut Medical Center,
Beirut, Lebanon
3
Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
4
Faculty of Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
5
INSPECT-LB: Institut National de Sante Publique, Epidemiologie Clinique
et Toxicologie, Beirut, Lebanon
6
Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
(USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
7
Pharmacy Department, Mount Lebanon Hospital, Hazmieh, Lebanon
8
Faculty of Business, Balamand University, Koura, Lebanon
9
INSERM, Equipe 5, EQUITY, Toulouse, France
2

Corresponding Author:
Souheil Hallit, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit
University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon.
Email: Souheilhallit@hotmail.com
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