Community Pharmacists' Attitude and Practice in Providing Personal Care Products Services: A Comparison between Southern and Eastern Regions of Saudi Arabia

Background: Cosmetics and Personal care products are substances used to improve human appearance. Community pharmacists play essential roles in dispensing and counseling. Objective: The study aimed to compare the attitudes and practices of community pharmacists in the Southern and Eastern regions of Saudi Arabia regarding personal care products services. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2019 and March 2020. Community pharmacists from the Southern and Eastern regions of Saudi Arabia responded to an online survey. Results: Two hundred and two community pharmacists from the Southern and one hundred and six from the Eastern regions have completed the questionnaire. Most of the respondents in both areas were males (96% & 99%, respectively). Most of them were aged between 23 and 35 years old (91% & 83%, respectively). The number of non-Saudi pharmacists was slightly higher in the Eastern region (97%) is compared with the Southern part (91%). The responses of pharmacists from the two areas were comparable. More than (40%) of participating pharmacists in both regions have six to ten years of experience. More than (98%) communicate directly with customers. More than half of pharmacists serve approximately one hundred customers daily (51.89 in eastern and 57.92 in southern). Pharmacists from Eastern regions spend more time counseling than their counterparts. They were more likely to agree that their customers were willing to listen to counseling about their products. However, a higher proportion of them reported workload as a barrier for counseling (34.9% versus 23.76%). Most pharmacists from both regions strongly agree that they must keep developing their communication skills with customers/patients. Conclusion: Community pharmacists in both Eastern and Southern regions have comparable good practices about personal care products. It is essential to continue the development of both educational and communication methods.