1. Electronic Cigarettes: The Perceptions of Pharmacists and Physicians
- Author
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Phillip D. Lunney, Jamie L. McConaha, Alana M. Grabigel, and Dominick DiLucente
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,genetic structures ,Health professionals ,business.industry ,media_common.quotation_subject ,010102 general mathematics ,Information Dissemination ,01 natural sciences ,Popularity ,03 medical and health sciences ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,0302 clinical medicine ,Feeling ,Perception ,Family medicine ,medicine ,Smoking status ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Product (category theory) ,0101 mathematics ,business ,Inclusion (education) ,media_common - Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate pharmacists’ and physicians’ perception and knowledge of e-cigarettes, including comfort level in counselling patients on these products. The study also assessed if, and to what extent, patient e-cigarette usage is collected as a marker of tobacco use status.Methods: Surveys were distributed to community pharmacists and family practice physicians for 3 months, and responses were analysed utilising descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: The majority of respondents reported not feeling fully confident on counselling patients about e-cigarettes, and responses revealed gaps in knowledge in both groups. Mixed results were obtained on the inclusion of e-cigarettes in assessment of patient smoking status.Conclusions: Pharmacists and physicians would benefit from further information on e-cigarettes. Due to the increasing popularity, healthcare professionals will be called upon to serve as, care providers and informational resources to patients who use these products. This survey provided a consensus that further steps should be taken to increase product training and information dissemination.
- Published
- 2017
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