Hospital pharmacists' awareness, knowledge, perception and use of government policy and guidelines on pain management in Nigeria

Background: Pain is a major problem accompanying many diseases and could have a profound impact on quality of life. The Federal Government of Nigeria developed pain management guidelines in 2018 to provide informed guidance to healthcare practitioners in line with global best practices. However, awareness, knowledge and perception of these guidelines among pharmacists have not been adequately explored.

Objective: To evaluate hospital pharmacists' awareness, knowledge, perception and use of government policy and guidelines on pain management.

Method: This study employed Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to collect information from hospital pharmacists conveniently selected from six tertiary hospitals across four geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Results: A total of 39-pharmacists participated in the FGDs, with females constituted the majority (26;66.7%). All (39; 100.0%) were aware of the pain management guidelines and reported to have undergone training on pain management. All the participants (39; 100.0%) knew the drugs highlighted in the guidelines, as well as the WHO pain management ladder. They also perceived an improvement in the management of pain in their respective hospitals post-training by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH). Non-availability or erratic supply of the needed narcotics was cited by all the participants as a major hindrance to effective pain management.

Conclusion: The participants were aware of the guidelines for pain management and showed adequate understanding of the guidelines and the WHO-analgesic ladder. They however cited erratic supply of needed narcotics as the topmost barrier to effective pain management in their practice settings. Thus, a need for appropriate mechanisms of funding and procurement to ensure sustained availability of the commonly prescribed narcotic medicines.