Compliance with Pharmaceutical Care Standards Among Community Pharmacists in Enugu State: A Practice Audit

Pharmaceutical care, defined as the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patient's quality of life, represents the contemporary standard of pharmacy practice. In Enugu State, South East Nigeria, community pharmacists are a primary point of contact for healthcare services, yet formal audits of pharmaceutical care practice compliance are infrequent. This study conducted a practice audit of pharmaceutical care standards among community pharmacists registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in Enugu State. A structured audit tool aligned with PCN pharmaceutical care guidelines assessed patient counselling practices, medication therapy management services, pharmacist-patient interaction quality, documentation of interventions, and referral practices. Forty-three community pharmacists across Enugu metropolis, Nsukka, and Agbani participated. Overall pharmaceutical care compliance was 55%. Patient counselling on dosing and side effects was performed consistently by 70% of pharmacists, but medication reconciliation and therapeutic review were performed by only 25% and 18% respectively. Documentation of pharmaceutical care interventions was absent in 72% of participating pharmacies. Pharmacists with postgraduate training showed significantly higher compliance rates. The study recommends mandatory pharmaceutical care documentation training, peer mentoring programmes, and structured CPD modules focused on pharmaceutical care quality improvement for community pharmacists in Enugu State. Keywords: pharmaceutical care, community pharmacists, practice audit, Enugu State, medication counselling.