Assessment of Pharmaceutical Care Services in Government Hospitals in Benue State, North Central Nigeria

Pharmaceutical care encompasses a patient-centered approach to drug therapy management aimed at achieving defined therapeutic outcomes. In many Nigerian public hospitals, the implementation of structured pharmaceutical care remains limited. This study assessed the availability, quality, and patient awareness of pharmaceutical care services in government hospitals in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, involving 10 government hospitals, 40 pharmacists, and 200 patients selected through purposive and systematic sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observational checklists, and patient exit surveys. Findings revealed that medication therapy management services were available in only four of the ten hospitals studied. Patient counseling was inconsistently provided, with most interactions lasting fewer than two minutes. Drug information services were largely non-functional due to inadequate resources and staffing shortages. Patient awareness of the pharmacist's role in disease management was extremely low, with the majority viewing pharmacists primarily as dispensers. Challenges identified included understaffing, heavy prescription loads, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of institutional commitment to pharmaceutical care implementation. The study underscores the need for hospital management policies that formally integrate pharmaceutical care into patient care pathways, with adequate pharmacist staffing ratios. Continuing education and mentorship programs for hospital pharmacists in Benue State are recommended to elevate standards of practice. Keywords: pharmaceutical care, government hospitals, Benue State, hospital pharmacy, patient counseling