M. Tech. / Complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) have become increasingly widespread in countries throughout the world in recent years. Alternative medications, including homoeopathic, are now commonly available for purchase from pharmacies, health shops and even supermarkets in South Africa. Due to this, pharmacists particularly, as the point of first contact for members of the public, have an increased responsibility towards their patients to have a certain working knowledge of these products. However, pharmacists receive little training of this nature during their formal education. Their consequent lack of understanding about homoeopathy may be detrimental to the optimal health management of patients by pharmacists, as well as to the growth of the homoeopathic and alternative medicine industries in South Africa (Montagne, 1997). The aim of this research was to establish the perceptions of homoeopathy among professional pharmacists and qualified pharmacists' assistants in the Greater Johannesburg area. The information gained is intended to provide valuable baseline information about how homoeopathy is viewed by these professionals and to provide a framework for further research in other geographic areas of South Africa. This information may also be helpful in the development of future homoeopathic education programmes for the pharmaceutical industry. A sample group of 50 pharmacists and pharmacists' assistants working in retail pharmacies in the Greater Johannesburg area were randomly invited to complete a written survey regarding their personal and professional perceptions of homoeopathy. Twenty seven fully qualified pharmacists and 23 pharmacists' assistants completed the survey between the 25 October 2007 and the 16 January 2008. The results indicated that in some respects there are differences of opinion between pharmacists and pharmacy assistants with regard to issues surrounding homoeopathy, as well as between people who have been qualified for different lengths of time. The results however, reflect a general trend toward acceptance and interest in homoeopathy in the pharmacy profession. There was little statistical difference between the answers given by male and female participants, or participants from different racial groups.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:6714 |
| Date | 31 March 2010 |
| Creators | Mann, Taryn |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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