Background:- The HIV and AIDS epidemic is a major catastrophe that affects millions of people worldwide. Antiretroviral medication combinations have revolutionised HIV treatment since 1996, transforming the virus from a death sentence to a manageable condition. In order to obtain full therapeutic benefits it is vitally important that patients adhere to their prescribed medication. Being informed about the disease and medication contributes to patient adherence and management. Pharmacists are considered to be the most accessible health professional and can help HIV -infected patients deal with barriers to medication access, manage adverse effects and medication interactions, and adhere to medication regimens by appropriate counselling. The public sector is defined as that part of an economy that is controlled by the state. At the study site, which is a public sector facility, the roll out of antiretroviral medication started in 2006. At the time all patients were counselled by trained counsellors, before seeing a doctor. At the pharmacy the medication was collected with no intense counselling by a pharmacist as the patients would have visited the trained counsellors first. Subsequently it was found that there were many queries regarding HIV and AIDS. It was then decided in October 2007, that the pharmacist support the counselling done by the counsellors in that they should reinforce what was said by the counsellors, together with giving detailed information to patients on their health and medication. This study was therefore undertaken to measure pharmacists' role in the management and adherence of HIV infected patients at this institutional facility. Method: The study was undertaken at a public sector health facility using anonymous structured questionnaires and was divided into 3 phases: Pre-Intervention, Intervention and Post-Intervention phases. After obtaining patient consent the questionnaires were administered during the 1st phase. A month later all patients visiting the pharmacy were counselled intensely on various aspects of HIV and the antiretroviral medication. Thereafter patients who took part in phase 1 were asked to participate in the 2nd phase. After obtaining their consent again, the same questionnaire was administered to them. Quantitative variables were compared between pre and post intervention using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed ranks tests. Categorical variables were compared using McNemar's chi square test (Binary) or McNemar-Bowker test for ordinal variables. Results: A response rate of 87.5% was obtained with the majority of the patients being female. Almost 70% of the participants were in the age-range of 21-40 years old. The majority of the participants did not have post school education. Most of the participants (95.4%) did not know that HIV is a virus that causes AIDS in the pre intervention phase, but this decreased to 93.7% in the post intervention phase. The participants knowledge of people who have sexually transmitted diseases are least at risk of getting HIV, healthy food will cure HIV and smoking and drinking alcohol will weaken the HIV virus, increased significantly from the pre-intervention phase to the post intervention phase. Knowledge on the modes of transmission either increased or remained unchanged. Overall the mean knowledge score on the disease itself had increased significantly (SD 6.6%) [p<0.01] after the pharmacists' intervention (pre-intervention was 82.1 %, post-intervention was 86.3%). In both phases, over 40% of all patients stored their medication in the cupboard. The majority of the patients took their medication either with or without food at both phases of the study. After the intervention, the frequency of taking medication with a fatty meal or any time they remember was decreased to 0. A significant improvement was noted in the overall knowledge score with regards to medication taking and storage (p<0.05). Conclusion: Pharmacist intervention had a positive impact on HIV infected patients' HIV and AIDS knowledge on the disease and on the antiretroviral medication use and storage. / Thesis (M.Pharm.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Chiropractic)-Dept. of Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2008. ix, 106 leaves / Pharmacists are seen as a trustworthy source of advice and information to many people. Their accessibility, approachability and availability enable them numerous opportunities to offer health education and advice in an informal environment. Patient use of and demand for complementary and alternative practitioners including chiropractors, continues to increase, however there have been no studies to determine the extent of the pharmacists knowledge and perceptions/attitudes towards these alternative practitioners. Thus the purpose of this study was to determine the current perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of selected South African pharmacists with respect to the chiropractic profession. This will provide a basis for future studies, as well as a knowledge base to facilitate greater understanding and co-operation between pharmacists and chiropractors.

The focus of the study was to examine the extent to which pharmacies in Indiana are currently selling cigarettes and alcohol, the current opinions of pharmacists, to compare findings with the previous 1996 Indiana study and to determine pharmacists' familiarity with available public health resources. A survey questionnaire was designed based on previous studies. It was reviewed by a jury of experts and subsequently administered to the randomly selected pharmacies in Indiana. Of those pharmacies that were included in the study, 74.4% were returned. Collected data were analyzed and compared to findings from 1996 using descriptivestatistical methods.Findings revealed that fewer pharmacies sold cigarettes in 2001 (58.1%) than in 1996 (63.7%). Alcohol sales continued at 206 (43.7%) of pharmacies currently selling alcoholic beverages, which is relatively the same level as in 1996, 202 (41.9%) of pharmacies. There is an increasing trend in pharmacists that believe pharmacies should be selling neither cigarettes (+7.2%) nor alcohol (+4.7). Most pharmacists' (64%) agree that they play asignificant role in health promotion/disease prevention to the public, yet only 42.6% involve themselves with publichealth promotion activities. The capability of pharmacists to refer people to outside resources for educational needsis limited. Over three-fourths of pharmacists are either completely unfamiliar with or have no opinion about thethree most well-funded public health programs in the state of Indiana. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

The environment in which hospital pharmacists currently function demands more of them than did any previous period. Employees in pharmacy companies have to cope with the demands that arise from fulfilling various roles, as well as with increased pressures such as managed health care and primary health care. Tracking and addressing their effectiveness in coping with new demands and stimulating their growth in areas that could possibly impact on the standard of pharmacy services are therefore of great importance. The first step in the enhancement of the work-related well-being of hospital pharmacists is the successful diagnosis of occupational stress, burnout and work engagement. However, in order to measure these constructs, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments, and at the same time take biographical differences into account. The objectives of this study were to validate the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Pharmacist Stress Inventory (PSI) for hospital pharmacists in South Africa, to assess the effect of biographical factors on the levels of burnout, engagement and occupational stress, and to investigate the role of job stress and coping strategies in the work-related well-being (burnout and work engagement) of hospital pharmacists in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population consisted of an accidental sample (N = 187) of South African hospital pharmacists in both public and private hospital facilities on a national basis. The MBI-HSS, UWES, PSI, the Coping Orientation for Problem Experienced (COPE) as well as a biographical questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data Confirmatory factor analysis by means of structural equation modelling of the MBI-HSS, confirmed a three-factor model of burnout, consisting of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment. The scales showed acceptable reliabilities. The results indicated that 35% of the hospital pharmacists showed high levels of emotional exhaustion, while 25% showed high levels of depersonalisation. Biographical factors such as age, years in pharmacy practice, home language, average number of hours worked per week, as well as the level of job satisfaction were related to the burnout levels of hospital pharmacists. Exploratory factor analysis of the UWES resulted in two factors, namely Vigour/dedication and Absorption. These factors showed acceptable Cronbach alpha coefficients. In the same sample (but in a different analysis where the two factors were used separately), it was indicated that compared to a South African norm, 38,5% and 48,9% of the hospital pharmacists showed low levels of vigour and dedication respectively. Position, home language, and the educational level were related to work engagement of hospital pharmacists. The PSI was developed as a measuring instrument for the purposes of this study. Three internally consistent factors, namely Job Demands, Pharmacy-Specific Stressors and Lack of Resources were extracted. The level of severity of the various stressors was calculated and the unavailability of medicine proved to be the most severe stressor. Other severe stressors included frequent interruptions, co-workers not doing their jobs, workload and insufficient salaries. Finally it was investigated whether job stress and coping strategies could predict the work related well-being of hospital pharmacists in South Africa. The results showed that job stress (as a result of job demands and lack of job resources), as well as three coping strategies (approach coping, avoidance coping and turning to religion) predicted burnout and work engagement of South African hospital pharmacists. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Magister Pharmaceuticae - Mpharm / Community pharmacies are popular suppliers of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) and pharmacists encounter requests from consumers for information on them. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which community pharmacists, and final year pharmacy students at the University of the Western Cape, can meet their professional obligations to advise on CAMs.

Introdução. A profissão farmacêutica está em uma fase de transição na qual se tenta resgatar ao farmacêutico o papel de responsável pela farmacoterapia. Nesse sentido, a dispensação de medicamentos e a realização da Atenção Farmacêutica emergem como ferramentas eficazes para viabilizar o sucesso do tratamento medicamentoso. Entretanto, para que os resultados sejam favoráveis à saúde do usuário de medicamentos, é fundamental que o profissional possua o conhecimento necessário para a realização dos serviços farmacêuticos citados e demonstre condutas adequadas frente aos mesmos. Além disso, o tempo despendido pelos farmacêuticos com atividades não relacionadas à profissão e os interesses comerciais sobre a venda dos medicamentos podem limitar a realização adequada desses serviços. Objetivo. Avaliar o conhecimento dos farmacêuticos para a prática da dispensação de medicamentos e da Atenção Farmacêutica em drogarias, verificando suas condutas para executá-las. Casuística e Métodos. Durante o desenvolvimento deste estudo descritivo, todas as drogarias de quatro municípios brasileiros foram visitadas entre outubro e dezembro de 2012 e os farmacêuticos que atuavam nesses estabelecimentos foram convidados a responder um questionário estruturado e validado contendo 47 perguntas relacionadas aos profissionais e às drogarias onde trabalhavam. Os dados coletados foram tabulados em duplicata por dois pesquisadores independentes, sendo posteriormente analisados. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto. Resultados e Discussão. Durante a coleta de dados foram visitadas 486 drogarias e apenas 112 farmacêuticos aceitaram participar do estudo. A maioria deles era do gênero feminino (72,3%), tinha entre 20 e 30 anos de idade (48,2%), havia se formado em instituições privadas (72,8%) e trabalhava na mesma drogaria entre um e cinco anos (49,1%). Mais da metade dos participantes ocupava a função de responsável técnico (55,4%), sendo que 38,7% deles trabalhavam mais que 44h/semana e 40,3% recebiam menos que o piso salarial como remuneração. Com relação à dispensação de medicamentos, 78,6% dos farmacêuticos não apresentaram conhecimento satisfatório para realizar esse serviço, o que revela possíveis lacunas na formação e na educação continuada dos profissionais. Inversamente ao que ocorre em países mais desenvolvidos, verificou-se que as atividades gerenciais são realizadas com frequência pelos profissionais, restando um curto período de tempo para a dispensação. Fatores como o comissionamento sobre a venda de medicamentos e a comercialização de produtos alheios a saúde representam obstáculos para que as drogarias sejam compreendidas como estabelecimentos de saúde. Os participantes demonstraram não possuir conhecimento satisfatório também com relação a Atenção Farmacêutica, havendo participantes que delegam a funcionários leigos em Farmácia a responsabilidade pela execução desse serviço. Setenta e nove farmacêuticos alegaram realizar a Atenção Farmacêutica, mas apenas quatro parecem desempenhar as atividades relacionadas a essa prática conforme determina a legislação sanitária. Conclusão. Os farmacêuticos não possuem conhecimento suficiente para realizar a dispensação de medicamentos e a Atenção Farmacêutica em drogarias, além de apresentarem condutas inadequadas à promoção do uso racional de medicamentos durante a dispensação. / Introduction. The pharmacy profession is in a transition phase in which it tries to rescue the role of pharmacists as professionals responsible for the pharmacotherapy. In this way, dispensing of drugs and Pharmaceutical Care practice emerge as effective tools to enable the success of drug treatment. However, it is essential that the professional acquire the necessary knowledge and demonstrate adequate behavior to perform the pharmaceutical services mentioned above in order to provide results that improve the health of patients. Furthermore, the time spent by pharmacists with activities not related to the profession and the commercial interests on the sale of drugs may limit the proper performance of those services. Objective. To evaluate the knowledge of pharmacists to the practice of dispensing of drugs and Pharmaceutical Care in pharmacies, verifying their behavior to accomplish these services. Patients and Methods. During the development of this descriptive study, all pharmacies of four Brazilian municipalities were visited between October and December 2012. The pharmacists who worked in these establishments were invited to answer a structured and validated questionnaire containing 47 questions related to the professionals and the pharmacies where they worked. The collected data were tabulated in duplicate by two independent researchers for later analysis. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto. Results and Discussion. During data collection, 486 pharmacies were visited but only 112 pharmacists agreed to participate on the study. Most of them were female (72.3%), from 20 to 30 years old (48.2%), graduated in private institutions (72.8%) and worked in the same pharmacy between one and five years (49.1%). More than half of the participants were pharmacist supervisors (55.4%), while 38.7% of them worked more than 44h/week and 40.3% earned less than the minimum salary recommended. Considering the dispensing of drugs, 78.6% of the pharmacists did not present enough knowledge to perform this service, which reveals possible gaps in training and continuous education of this professionals. In contrast to what occurs in more developed countries, the management activities are performed frequently by this professionals remaining a short period of time to perform dispensing of drugs. Factors such as the commissioning of drug sales and marketing of products unrelated to health represent obstacles to make the pharmacies recognized as health establishment. The participants demonstrated a lack of satisfactory knowledge even in relation to Pharmaceutical Care, since they delegate the responsibility of this service to lay employees. Seventy-nine pharmacists claimed to perform pharmaceutical care, but only four appear to perform activities related to this practice according to what is stated by the sanitary legislation. Conclusion. The pharmacists lack sufficient knowledge to perform dispensing of drugs and pharmaceutical care in pharmacies, moreover they present some inadequate behavior to promote the rational use of drugs.

The role of the community pharmacist has changed over the past two decades. The traditional specialist roles of pharmacists, such as compounding and preparation of medications, are now infrequent activities and the profession has moved to a more patient-centred focus. Furthermore, pharmaceutical care has been developed and adopted as a practice philosophy to add value and bring care for patients back into the profession. However, there is still much debate in academic and policy literature concerning the reluctance of community pharmacists to adopt and implement pharmaceutical care in practice environments. Empirical evidence has suggested that the professional identity of pharmacists is both ambiguous and multifaceted. However, the practice of pharmaceutical care has been demonstrated to increase organisational identity of pharmacists, as well as their job satisfaction. In addition, pharmacists in a clinical role have been shown to have higher levels of job satisfaction than their counterparts in nonclinical roles. This study has identified, described and analysed the self-perceived professional identities of community pharmacists within a South African context. Furthermore, it sought to determine their current levels of job satisfaction. The relationships between professional identity, job satisfaction and role were analysed in an attempt to understand the influence of professional identity on job satisfaction and behaviour of pharmacists. This study made use of a mixed method of inquiry, online questionnaire, administered to a large sample, which allowed the researcher to take a broad view of the research foci at a specific moment in time. This study found the existence of six professional identities amongst South African Community Pharmacists; namely the practitioner, the jaded pharmacist, the social carer, the professional, the medicine supplier and the entrepreneur. South African community pharmacists were, generally, satisfied with their jobs, professed to practice pharmaceutical care and adopted it as a practice philosophy. South African Community pharmacists were, in general, committed to their profession. Correlation between a pharmacist’s professional identity and their job title, job satisfaction and their commitment were found to be statistically significant. A pharmacist’s level of job satisfaction was statistically correlated to their practice of pharmaceutical care. No statistically significant relationship was found to exist between a pharmacist’s identity and their work load or tasks performed. Characterising South African community pharmacists’ identities is of great significance in an effort to better understand the forces that drive our profession of pharmacy. In doing so, have found that identity affects many elements of work life such as job satisfaction, professional commitment and the practice of patient care.

Introdução. A profissão farmacêutica está em uma fase de transição na qual se tenta resgatar ao farmacêutico o papel de responsável pela farmacoterapia. Nesse sentido, a dispensação de medicamentos e a realização da Atenção Farmacêutica emergem como ferramentas eficazes para viabilizar o sucesso do tratamento medicamentoso. Entretanto, para que os resultados sejam favoráveis à saúde do usuário de medicamentos, é fundamental que o profissional possua o conhecimento necessário para a realização dos serviços farmacêuticos citados e demonstre condutas adequadas frente aos mesmos. Além disso, o tempo despendido pelos farmacêuticos com atividades não relacionadas à profissão e os interesses comerciais sobre a venda dos medicamentos podem limitar a realização adequada desses serviços. Objetivo. Avaliar o conhecimento dos farmacêuticos para a prática da dispensação de medicamentos e da Atenção Farmacêutica em drogarias, verificando suas condutas para executá-las. Casuística e Métodos. Durante o desenvolvimento deste estudo descritivo, todas as drogarias de quatro municípios brasileiros foram visitadas entre outubro e dezembro de 2012 e os farmacêuticos que atuavam nesses estabelecimentos foram convidados a responder um questionário estruturado e validado contendo 47 perguntas relacionadas aos profissionais e às drogarias onde trabalhavam. Os dados coletados foram tabulados em duplicata por dois pesquisadores independentes, sendo posteriormente analisados. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto. Resultados e Discussão. Durante a coleta de dados foram visitadas 486 drogarias e apenas 112 farmacêuticos aceitaram participar do estudo. A maioria deles era do gênero feminino (72,3%), tinha entre 20 e 30 anos de idade (48,2%), havia se formado em instituições privadas (72,8%) e trabalhava na mesma drogaria entre um e cinco anos (49,1%). Mais da metade dos participantes ocupava a função de responsável técnico (55,4%), sendo que 38,7% deles trabalhavam mais que 44h/semana e 40,3% recebiam menos que o piso salarial como remuneração. Com relação à dispensação de medicamentos, 78,6% dos farmacêuticos não apresentaram conhecimento satisfatório para realizar esse serviço, o que revela possíveis lacunas na formação e na educação continuada dos profissionais. Inversamente ao que ocorre em países mais desenvolvidos, verificou-se que as atividades gerenciais são realizadas com frequência pelos profissionais, restando um curto período de tempo para a dispensação. Fatores como o comissionamento sobre a venda de medicamentos e a comercialização de produtos alheios a saúde representam obstáculos para que as drogarias sejam compreendidas como estabelecimentos de saúde. Os participantes demonstraram não possuir conhecimento satisfatório também com relação a Atenção Farmacêutica, havendo participantes que delegam a funcionários leigos em Farmácia a responsabilidade pela execução desse serviço. Setenta e nove farmacêuticos alegaram realizar a Atenção Farmacêutica, mas apenas quatro parecem desempenhar as atividades relacionadas a essa prática conforme determina a legislação sanitária. Conclusão. Os farmacêuticos não possuem conhecimento suficiente para realizar a dispensação de medicamentos e a Atenção Farmacêutica em drogarias, além de apresentarem condutas inadequadas à promoção do uso racional de medicamentos durante a dispensação. / Introduction. The pharmacy profession is in a transition phase in which it tries to rescue the role of pharmacists as professionals responsible for the pharmacotherapy. In this way, dispensing of drugs and Pharmaceutical Care practice emerge as effective tools to enable the success of drug treatment. However, it is essential that the professional acquire the necessary knowledge and demonstrate adequate behavior to perform the pharmaceutical services mentioned above in order to provide results that improve the health of patients. Furthermore, the time spent by pharmacists with activities not related to the profession and the commercial interests on the sale of drugs may limit the proper performance of those services. Objective. To evaluate the knowledge of pharmacists to the practice of dispensing of drugs and Pharmaceutical Care in pharmacies, verifying their behavior to accomplish these services. Patients and Methods. During the development of this descriptive study, all pharmacies of four Brazilian municipalities were visited between October and December 2012. The pharmacists who worked in these establishments were invited to answer a structured and validated questionnaire containing 47 questions related to the professionals and the pharmacies where they worked. The collected data were tabulated in duplicate by two independent researchers for later analysis. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto. Results and Discussion. During data collection, 486 pharmacies were visited but only 112 pharmacists agreed to participate on the study. Most of them were female (72.3%), from 20 to 30 years old (48.2%), graduated in private institutions (72.8%) and worked in the same pharmacy between one and five years (49.1%). More than half of the participants were pharmacist supervisors (55.4%), while 38.7% of them worked more than 44h/week and 40.3% earned less than the minimum salary recommended. Considering the dispensing of drugs, 78.6% of the pharmacists did not present enough knowledge to perform this service, which reveals possible gaps in training and continuous education of this professionals. In contrast to what occurs in more developed countries, the management activities are performed frequently by this professionals remaining a short period of time to perform dispensing of drugs. Factors such as the commissioning of drug sales and marketing of products unrelated to health represent obstacles to make the pharmacies recognized as health establishment. The participants demonstrated a lack of satisfactory knowledge even in relation to Pharmaceutical Care, since they delegate the responsibility of this service to lay employees. Seventy-nine pharmacists claimed to perform pharmaceutical care, but only four appear to perform activities related to this practice according to what is stated by the sanitary legislation. Conclusion. The pharmacists lack sufficient knowledge to perform dispensing of drugs and pharmaceutical care in pharmacies, moreover they present some inadequate behavior to promote the rational use of drugs.

Introdução. A profissão farmacêutica está em uma fase de transição na qual se tenta resgatar ao farmacêutico o papel de responsável pela farmacoterapia. Nesse sentido, a dispensação de medicamentos e a realização da Atenção Farmacêutica emergem como ferramentas eficazes para viabilizar o sucesso do tratamento medicamentoso. Entretanto, para que os resultados sejam favoráveis à saúde do usuário de medicamentos, é fundamental que o profissional possua o conhecimento necessário para a realização dos serviços farmacêuticos citados e demonstre condutas adequadas frente aos mesmos. Além disso, o tempo despendido pelos farmacêuticos com atividades não relacionadas à profissão e os interesses comerciais sobre a venda dos medicamentos podem limitar a realização adequada desses serviços. Objetivo. Avaliar o conhecimento dos farmacêuticos para a prática da dispensação de medicamentos e da Atenção Farmacêutica em drogarias, verificando suas condutas para executá-las. Casuística e Métodos. Durante o desenvolvimento deste estudo descritivo, todas as drogarias de quatro municípios brasileiros foram visitadas entre outubro e dezembro de 2012 e os farmacêuticos que atuavam nesses estabelecimentos foram convidados a responder um questionário estruturado e validado contendo 47 perguntas relacionadas aos profissionais e às drogarias onde trabalhavam. Os dados coletados foram tabulados em duplicata por dois pesquisadores independentes, sendo posteriormente analisados. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto. Resultados e Discussão. Durante a coleta de dados foram visitadas 486 drogarias e apenas 112 farmacêuticos aceitaram participar do estudo. A maioria deles era do gênero feminino (72,3%), tinha entre 20 e 30 anos de idade (48,2%), havia se formado em instituições privadas (72,8%) e trabalhava na mesma drogaria entre um e cinco anos (49,1%). Mais da metade dos participantes ocupava a função de responsável técnico (55,4%), sendo que 38,7% deles trabalhavam mais que 44h/semana e 40,3% recebiam menos que o piso salarial como remuneração. Com relação à dispensação de medicamentos, 78,6% dos farmacêuticos não apresentaram conhecimento satisfatório para realizar esse serviço, o que revela possíveis lacunas na formação e na educação continuada dos profissionais. Inversamente ao que ocorre em países mais desenvolvidos, verificou-se que as atividades gerenciais são realizadas com frequência pelos profissionais, restando um curto período de tempo para a dispensação. Fatores como o comissionamento sobre a venda de medicamentos e a comercialização de produtos alheios a saúde representam obstáculos para que as drogarias sejam compreendidas como estabelecimentos de saúde. Os participantes demonstraram não possuir conhecimento satisfatório também com relação a Atenção Farmacêutica, havendo participantes que delegam a funcionários leigos em Farmácia a responsabilidade pela execução desse serviço. Setenta e nove farmacêuticos alegaram realizar a Atenção Farmacêutica, mas apenas quatro parecem desempenhar as atividades relacionadas a essa prática conforme determina a legislação sanitária. Conclusão. Os farmacêuticos não possuem conhecimento suficiente para realizar a dispensação de medicamentos e a Atenção Farmacêutica em drogarias, além de apresentarem condutas inadequadas à promoção do uso racional de medicamentos durante a dispensação. / Introduction. The pharmacy profession is in a transition phase in which it tries to rescue the role of pharmacists as professionals responsible for the pharmacotherapy. In this way, dispensing of drugs and Pharmaceutical Care practice emerge as effective tools to enable the success of drug treatment. However, it is essential that the professional acquire the necessary knowledge and demonstrate adequate behavior to perform the pharmaceutical services mentioned above in order to provide results that improve the health of patients. Furthermore, the time spent by pharmacists with activities not related to the profession and the commercial interests on the sale of drugs may limit the proper performance of those services. Objective. To evaluate the knowledge of pharmacists to the practice of dispensing of drugs and Pharmaceutical Care in pharmacies, verifying their behavior to accomplish these services. Patients and Methods. During the development of this descriptive study, all pharmacies of four Brazilian municipalities were visited between October and December 2012. The pharmacists who worked in these establishments were invited to answer a structured and validated questionnaire containing 47 questions related to the professionals and the pharmacies where they worked. The collected data were tabulated in duplicate by two independent researchers for later analysis. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto. Results and Discussion. During data collection, 486 pharmacies were visited but only 112 pharmacists agreed to participate on the study. Most of them were female (72.3%), from 20 to 30 years old (48.2%), graduated in private institutions (72.8%) and worked in the same pharmacy between one and five years (49.1%). More than half of the participants were pharmacist supervisors (55.4%), while 38.7% of them worked more than 44h/week and 40.3% earned less than the minimum salary recommended. Considering the dispensing of drugs, 78.6% of the pharmacists did not present enough knowledge to perform this service, which reveals possible gaps in training and continuous education of this professionals. In contrast to what occurs in more developed countries, the management activities are performed frequently by this professionals remaining a short period of time to perform dispensing of drugs. Factors such as the commissioning of drug sales and marketing of products unrelated to health represent obstacles to make the pharmacies recognized as health establishment. The participants demonstrated a lack of satisfactory knowledge even in relation to Pharmaceutical Care, since they delegate the responsibility of this service to lay employees. Seventy-nine pharmacists claimed to perform pharmaceutical care, but only four appear to perform activities related to this practice according to what is stated by the sanitary legislation. Conclusion. The pharmacists lack sufficient knowledge to perform dispensing of drugs and pharmaceutical care in pharmacies, moreover they present some inadequate behavior to promote the rational use of drugs.