Article Text
Abstract
Background Violence against women and girls has gained international recognition as a public health concern, with profound negative impact on personal and community health.
Domestic violence expirienced 47% females older than 15 year during lifetime in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From 96% women physically injured just 20% were looking for physician’s help, according to the mentioned survey.
Health staff has an important role in the intersectorial chain of prevention and as part of the solution. Many international documents recommend and request health professionals engagement in intimate partner violence in different medical settings. Pharmacist as health care providers are videly awailable but usually not recognized as part of the violence solution. Even less is known about their attitudes and opinion related to the violence topics.
Objective This study assessed the perception of domestic violence topic among pharmacist on internal-ship in public health education.
Method This is cross sectional study conducted by short questionnaire and group discussion among 200 participants during 10 months period in Federal Public Health Institute Sarajevo.
Results and discussion This are the first research in B and H, among internationaly scare professional literature that is aimed at pharmacists and thir perception of family violence Participants were mostly female, under 30 years, with the prevalence of less than a 1 year of professional career, but with several months expirience from the community pharmacy. Near 70% expressed profesisonal importance of the topic for their practice. Participants have had more private than professional expirience about the violence issues. Participants just partly knew about obligation to reprot violence, mostly were refering to the social service, NGO’s shelter services and less to the police.
Conclusion Results indicated that there is unsuffitient previous undergraduate education about violence, but linked to pharmacists practice. There is interest and willingness to participate in additional and continuing education about the domestic violence among majority of participants.