Levels of Prescription Drug Abuse and Associated Factors Among Community Pharmacy Staff in the Ledzokuku Municipality, Accra, Ghana.

Abstract

Background: Prescription drug abuse, defined as the misuse of legally prescribed medications, is a growing concern among healthcare professionals, particularly community pharmacy staff as it poses significant risks to patient safety and professional ethics. Despite its global prevalence, limited research has been conducted on the levels and contributing factors of prescription drug abuse among community pharmacy staff in Ghana. Objective: This study aimed to determine the level and risk factors of prescription drug abuse among community pharmacy staff in the Ledzokuku Municipality in Accra, Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted using structured questionnaires administered by trained research assistants to 423 respondents. Prescription drug abuse was assessed using the Prescription Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-28). Participants were categorised into three levels based on their total DAST-28 scores: low abuse (0–3), moderate abuse (4–10), and high abuse (11–28). Descriptive statistics were used to summarise demographic characteristics, while cross-tabulation and one-way ANOVA were used to examine patterns and compare means across different groups. Ordinal logistic regression was applied to identify predictors of drug abuse. A 95% confidence level was used, and a p-value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Findings: The study found that 54% of participants reported low levels of drug abuse, 34% moderate, and 12% high abuse. Antimicrobials (41.1%) and opioids (40.0%) were the most commonly abused drugs. Medical Counter Assistants exhibited the highest abuse levels (18% high, 42% moderate), while Community Pharmacists had lower but notable levels (8% high, 29% moderate).