Pharmaceutical services and pharmacy economies in Sivas before and after the Covid-19 pandemic: An ethical analysis

Abstract

The research was conducted to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pharmacy services and pharmacy economies in Sivas community pharmacies. This study employs a descriptive and quantitative research design. Questionnaire and informed consent forms were distributed to participants online. Only volunteers who provided informed consent were included in the study. During the pandemic, the workload of community pharmacists increased, and pharmacists could not receive support from any governmental institution to protect themselves against the ongoing disease. They also had to deal with economic difficulties due to decreased pharmacy revenues, expiration dates, and stock losses. Moreover, due to their assignment in vaccine and mask distribution, the risk of transmission in pharmacies has increased significantly.In addition, the unfair accusations which made against pharmacists due to the rise in mask prices and the disclosure of their names have created other problems for pharmacists.It has been observed that pharmacies applied for bank loans to provide business financing, or pharmacists had to sell their savings and add itto the their pharmacies’ capital.There were no institutions to support pharmacists within this economical struggle period.It has been determined that uncontrolled drug sales on the internet (agricultural and veterinary drugs) and non-pharmacysales of food products had disrupted the incomebalance of pharmacists and these factors resulted pharmacies to have difficulty in paying. During the pandemic, all health professionals, including pharmacists, worked with great devotion, but these sacrifices could not be seen or acknowledged by many. The COVID 19 pandemic has brought financial trouble to community pharmacists, who are more likely to be small business owners. In addition to the fact that community pharmacists were caught unprepared for the pandemic, it was found that all the problems detected were an opportunity to learn from the current situation. Our findings are intended to guide preparing a “national emergency action plan” for possible out-of-control situations (such as earthquakes, fires, floods, pandemics etc.).