Table 2.
Sources of information used by dispensers working at community pharmacies in the three cities
| Indicator | Description | Islamabad | Peshawar | Lahore | Composite | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | % | F | % | F | % | F | % | ||
| Source of information regarding medicines | Books | 118 | 100 | 53 | 44.2 | 67 | 50.4 | 238 | 64.2 |
| Internet | 3 | 2.3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2.3 | 6 | 1.6 | |
| Medical representative | 38 | 32 | 41 | 34.2 | 41 | 30.8 | 120 | 32.3 | |
| Drug company literature | 47 | 40 | 30 | 25 | 43 | 32.3 | 120 | 32.3 | |
| Distributors | 16 | 14.4 | 3 | 2.5 | 8 | 6 | 27 | 7.3 | |
| Senior staff | 31 | 26.4 | 45 | 37.5 | 30 | 22.6 | 106 | 28.6 | |
| Neighbouring chemist | 16 | 12.8 | 23 | 19.2 | 9 | 6.8 | 48 | 12.9 | |
| Product information inserts | 47 | 39.3 | 17 | 14.2 | 17 | 12.8 | 81 | 21.8 | |
| Others | 3 | 4 | 25 | 20.8 | 13 | 9.8 | 41 | 11.11 | |
| Frequency of information regarding medicines used | Daily | 33 | 27.2 | 23 | 19.2 | 19 | 14.3 | 75 | 20.2 |
| Twice a week | 5 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.2 | 9 | 6.8 | 19 | 5.1 | |
| Once a week | 17 | 13.6 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 7.5 | 33 | 8.9 | |
| Monthly | 11 | 9.6 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 39 | 10.5 | |
| Others | 52 | 44.8 | 74 | 61.7 | 79 | 59.4 | 205 | 55.3 | |
| Kind of information consulted from medicines information sources | Alternatives | 53 | 44.8 | 38 | 31.7 | 32 | 24.1 | 123 | 33.2 |
| Dosing regimen | 15 | 12.8 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 12.8 | 56 | 15.1 | |
| Prices | 9 | 8 | 26 | 21.7 | 9 | 6.8 | 44 | 11.9 | |
| Uses | 35 | 30.4 | 23 | 19.2 | 27 | 20.3 | 85 | 22.9 | |
| Others | 33 | 26.4 | 45 | 37.5 | 36 | 27.1 | 114 | 30.7 | |