KNOWLEDGE, Attitude, Barriers, And Willingness Of The Community Pharmacists Towards Immunization In Zamboanga City: An Explanatory Sequential APPROACH

Abstract

Immunization is a cornerstone of disease prevention, and community pharmacists, as highly accessible healthcare professionals, are vital in bridging healthcare access gaps. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, barriers, and willingness of community pharmacists in Zamboanga City towards immunization, using a sequential explanatory research design. A total of 147 respondents participated in the survey, and eight participated in the focus group discussion. Community pharmacists in Zamboanga City with at least six months of experience working in the community setting were selected using quota sampling for the quantitative phase, while those with perceptions of the variables as either very low or very high were selected for the qualitative phase. Adapted survey questionnaires were used for the quantitative strand, while self-structured interview questions based on the quantitative phase items that require further explanation and have undergone validation were used for the qualitative strand. Results indicated that pharmacists possess foundational knowledge. Their attitude towards immunization was notably high. However, significant barriers, including the cost and time commitment associated with specialized immunization training, were identified. Moreover, their level of willingness is also described as high. Inferential analysis showed that attitude is significantly related to the willingness of the community pharmacists towards immunization, increasing programs that are directed to increasing the level of attitude is hereby recommended. Essential themes, including overview, professional competence, patient care, funding constraints, and increased workload, emerged from the FGD participants' testimonies, further enriching the findings of the quantitative phase.