Table 1.
Characteristics of the pharmacies and dispensers who participated in the questionnaire survey
| Characteristic | Category | Frequency n (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of pharmacy | Retail | 60 (59.4) |
| Wholesale (distributor) | 22 (21.8) | |
| Dual (wholesale/retail) | 19 (18.8) | |
| Number of years pharmacy has been in operation | ≤ 1 year | 7 (7.0) |
| 2–3 years | 24 (24.0) | |
| 4–5 years | 14 (14.0) | |
| > 5 years | 55 (55.0) | |
| Sex of dispenser | Male | 45 (44.6) |
| Female | 56 (55.4) | |
| Religious background of dispenser | Christian | 82 (81.2) |
| Muslim | 18 (17.8) | |
| Hindu | 1 (1.0) | |
| Marital status of dispenser | Single | 64 (63.4) |
| Married | 37 (36.6) | |
| Dispenser’s qualifications | Pharmacist or intern pharmacist | 8 (7.9) |
| Pharmacy technician | 17 (16.8) | |
| Nurse or midwife | 67 (66.3) | |
| Other1 | 9 (8.9) | |
| Dispenser’s highest education level | Secondary school | 2 (2.0) |
| Post-secondary school certificate | 44 (44.9) | |
| Diploma (associate degree) | 40 (40.8) | |
| Degree (Bachelors, Masters or doctorate) | 12 (12.2) | |
| Dispenser’s working experience at current work station | ≤ 1 year | 48.5 |
| 2–3 years | 27.7 | |
| 4–5 years | 13.8 | |
| > 5 years | 10 | |
| Dispenser’s working experience since first qualification | ≤ 1 year | 16 (16.7) |
| 2–3 years | 33 (34.4) | |
| 4–5 years | 18 (18.8) | |
| > 5 years | 29 (30.2) | |
| Pharmacist is present in the pharmacy premises on the day of data collection | Yes | 32 (32.0) |
| No | 69 (68.0) |
1Others include one Bachelor of Commerce graduate, one nursing assistant and 7 clinical officers (physician assistants)