Upscaling the pharmacy profession: Knowledge and willingness of the Lebanese pharmacists to practice the administration of dermal fillers

BACKGROUND: The rapid global development of the pharmacy profession has led pharmacists to enter the cosmetic industry by administering injectable dermal fillers (DFs) to those in need. However, there is no clear indication that the Lebanese pharmacists are familiar with these procedures or are willing to do so. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the Lebanese community pharmacists' knowledge about DFs and their willingness to administer them. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 461 randomly selected pharmacists who agreed to participate in the study after a phone call. A scoring system for the knowledge about DFs was employed. RESULTS: Only 31.4 % of participants reported formal education as the source of knowledge about DFs, and 3.7 % of them reported practicing them on patients. The mean score of knowledge was 5.9 ± 2.5 (out of 14). High level of knowledge was observed in only 25 % of the participants, where females, older and experienced pharmacists, and those working in Beirut region were more significantly knowledgeable. Around 67 % of participants were willing to be trained in this field to expand their field of practice and improve their income. CONCLUSIONS: Lebanese community pharmacists are not yet ready for this new dimension in the career. Legislative procedures, training, licensing, and developed pharmacy curriculum must precede the practice of DFs by pharmacists in Lebanon.