Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Community Pharmacists Toward Pharmaceutical Care Documentation in Warri, Delta State, South South Nigeria

Documentation of pharmaceutical care activities is essential for continuity of care, legal protection of pharmacists, and evaluation of pharmacy service outcomes. However, systematic pharmaceutical care documentation in community pharmacies in Nigeria remains largely absent. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists regarding pharmaceutical care documentation in Warri, Delta State, South South Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 70 community pharmacists selected through census sampling of all registered community pharmacies in Warri. The questionnaire assessed familiarity with documentation standards, current documentation behaviors, attitudes toward documentation, and barriers experienced. Findings revealed that only 48 percent of respondents could correctly describe the components of a pharmaceutical care record. Documentation of patient counseling was done routinely by only 27 percent, and medication therapy management documentation was practically absent from all surveyed pharmacies. Despite acknowledging the importance of documentation, 61 percent rated their current practices as inadequate. Barriers included time constraints, absence of documentation templates, and lack of electronic pharmacy management systems. Attitude scores were generally positive, suggesting openness to improvement given adequate support. The study recommends provision of structured documentation templates, training workshops, and subsidized access to electronic pharmacy management systems for community pharmacists in Warri. Professional pharmacy associations should lead advocacy for documentation standardization across Delta State. Keywords: pharmaceutical care documentation, community pharmacists, Warri, Delta State, pharmacy practice