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Perception of pharmacist about medication adherence among patients in Erbil city

Shayan Othman Abdulkareem
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Abubakir M. Saleh
Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Shayan Othman Abdulkareem, Abubakir M. Saleh (Author)

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Abstract

Background and objective: Medication adherence stands as a vital public health concern, especially for managing diseases that need prolonged treatment. Pharmacists' functions are crucial as essential healthcare providers who reach patients directly to deliver education and counseling services for improving adherence. The research evaluated pharmacists' views about patient medication adherence in Erbil City through assessments of their knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research design included 350 licensed pharmacists who worked in public and private pharmacies throughout Erbil City. The research used a structured self-administered questionnaire based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) model to gather data. The researcher used SPSS version 29 to perform a statistical analysis of the data, with P ≤0.05 as the significance level.

Results: The survey revealed that 91.7% of pharmacists understood adherence concepts, yet 43.1% chose 80% as the proper adherence threshold. The survey revealed that 94.0% of pharmacists recognized their essential function in adherence promotion, yet only 26.3% stated they counsel patients in every instance. The survey showed that 72.9% of participants considered adherence very important, yet 44.6% rated patient adherence as average and 34.0% rated it as poor. Knowledge levels demonstrated significant relationships with gender, ethnicity, and education status (P <0.05), and practice levels showed a significant relationship with attitude (P = 0.004). The analysis revealed no meaningful relationships between patient demographic characteristics and their scores on attitude or practice.

Conclusion: The pharmacists of Erbil show strong knowledge and favorable perspectives about medication adherence, yet they face challenges in actual practice and knowledge comprehension. We must establish specific interventions and professional training programs to enhance adherence-related practices.

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How to Cite
Othman Abdulkareem, S., & M. Saleh, A. . (2026). Perception of pharmacist about medication adherence among patients in Erbil city. Zanco Journal of Medical Sciences (ZJMS), 30(2), 357–371. https://doi.org/10.15218/zjms.2026.025

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