What barriers may pharmacists face in implementing directly observed therapy against tuberculosis? institutions: an integrative review

Abstract

This work aims to identify the various barriers that pharmacists may encounter when using the Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) program as a tool in the fight against tuberculosis. The study used an integrative review method and compared findings with an official government document. It was found that the pharmacist plays a crucial role in reducing the number of tuberculosis cases and related health problems. Ten potential barriers were identified, including social, political, environmental, and economic factors such as 1) The stigmas and prejudices of the cycle of social coexistence; 2) The economic inequality of the user; 3) The lack of cultural clarification about the pathology; 4) The fear and negative feelings of the patients themselves; 5) Adverse drug effects; 6) Bacterial resistance in pharmacotherapy; 7) The long treatment time; 8) The irresponsibility of the multidisciplinary team to the patient; 9) Public health policy and; 10) The increase in cases of abandonment of therapy. Ultimately, the study suggests that DOT may be an effective strategy for pharmacists to combat tuberculosis.