Theses (Master in Pharmacy Practice)

Introduction Accurate patient identification is foundational to patient safety, yet there are many organisational and human obstacles to good patient identification practices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of awareness, practice, and attitude of healthcare providers (HCPs) with regard to patient identification and to determine the perceived barriers at a tertiary care hospital. Methods This quantitative, cross-sectional study implemented a questionnaire to survey 804 HCPs, including doctors, nursing staff, allied health professionals, and clinical support staff at a private hospital in Malaysia. Patient identification practices, including awareness and attitude, were assessed via self-reported 4-point Likert scale ratings and multiple-choice questions. Perceived barriers were examined using descriptive statistics and the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) to classify system-level shortcomings. Results Overall, HCPs demonstrated good awareness, positive attitudes, and satisfactory compliance with patient identification practices. However, gaps were identified, particularly in the standardization of patient identifiers. The study found that higher qualifications, longer work experience, and greater job role weightage for patient identification were positively associated with better awareness, attitude, and practice compliance. The top consensus barriers were patients’ physical communication barriers (n=431, 53.7%), language barriers (n=407, 50.6%), and fear of annoying patients (n=379, 47.0%). Moreover, clinical support staff were identified as a vulnerable subgroup with lower self-confidence in their knowledge, suggesting systemic failures in Unsafe Supervision and Preconditions for Unsafe Acts. Conclusion Although the HCPs demonstrated generally good awareness, practice, and attitude, systemic limitations remain as a vulnerability. Recommended next steps include implementing non-verbal verification technologies, encouraging patient and carer engagement to reduce social pressure, and providing role-specific, targeted training for clinical support staff. These interventions will strengthen the foundation for accurate patient identification and enhance safety at the organisational level. Keywords: Patient, Identification, Hospital, Patient Safety, Healthcare, Practices.

Sustainability in healthcare has gained increasing attention globally, yet limited research has explored its application within community pharmacy practice, particularly in the Malaysian context. Community pharmacies play a dual role as healthcare providers and small-to-medium business entities, positioning them uniquely to contribute to sustainability initiatives. This study aimed to explore community pharmacists’ perceptions of sustainability, guided by the three dimensions of sustainability - environmental, social, and economic. A qualitative design was employed using semi-structured interviews with practising community pharmacists across Malaysia. Recruitment considered diversity in years of experience, position, seniority, practice setting, and ethnicity. Interviews were transcribed, verified by participants, and analysed thematically through an iterative process involving two coders to enhance rigour and credibility. A total of 15 community pharmacists (6 men and 9 women) initially consented to take part in the study. Two participants did not attend the scheduled interviews, resulting in a final sample of 13 participants. Findings indicated that environmental sustainability practices such as medicine disposal programmes and plastic reduction initiatives were recognised but inconsistently implemented, with barriers including customer attitudes, workload, and lack of enforcement. Social sustainability was reflected in pharmacists’ emphasis on equitable access to care, patient trust, and professional reputation, although challenges such as workforce stress and limited engagement in wider health equity initiatives were noted. Economic sustainability was strongly linked to business viability, service diversification, and reputation as drivers for long-term resilience. The study highlights uneven adoption of sustainability practices, with stronger visibility in areas supported by public awareness and regulatory measures, such as plastic reduction, compared to less enforced domains like medicine disposal and energy conservation. These findings underscore the need for integrated policies, professional guidance, and educational support to embed sustainability more consistently in community pharmacy practice. This research contributes context-specific insights into how Malaysian community pharmacists conceptualise and enact sustainability, offering implications for policy development, professional training, and future research.