Awareness and Perception Towards Implementation of Dispensing Separation in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Dispensing separation (DS) is a critical policy change that will reduce medical costs, improve population health and increase the quality of healthcare in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the awareness and perception of the public regarding the DS methods. METHODS: This cross-sectional study uses a pre-validated, self-administered questionnaire, which has been administered to 200 residents in Jitra, Kedah, Malaysia. Descriptive and inferential statistics have been used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Females formed 64.0% of the participants, with Malay being the dominant ethnic group (n = 167, 83.5%); 77.5% of the participants reported they were aware of the role of pharmacists in the healthcare system. However, 35.0% of the participants reported having never heard the term ‘dispensing separation’ in any mainstream media in Malaysia, whereas 73.5% of the participants reported that a pharmacist was more reliable than a physician in providing medicines once the diagnosis had been made and 77.5% of them acknowledged that pharmacists were experts in the field of medication. There was a significant association between the participant’s awareness and the agreement on perceptions toward the implementation of the DS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Awareness of the implementation of DS among residents in Jitra is still low. However, there is strong evidence of public support and the benefits of DS in Malaysia.