Study design and participants
This study was conducted from the 12th of April to the 22th of April 2020 over 10 days during the COVID-19 outbreak and public quarantine in most of the MENA countries. A descriptive cross-sectional study design (an online survey) was used to address the study objectives. The research team developed an online survey (based on the current information regarding the COVID-19) in order to meet the study objectives which included assessing MENA region pharmacists’:
a) readiness to combat any epidemic/pandemic with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing their clinical awareness, and b) views on the role of the pharmacy educators/educational institutes/pharmaceutical associations in preparing future pharmacists to deal with epidemics/pandemics and the COVID-19 specifically.
Any licensed pharmacist or enrolled pharmacy student in the MENA countries (community or hospital pharmacist, academic, industry based pharmacist, etc.) was deemed eligible for participation in the study. No risk was posed to the participants’ and their participation was voluntary. The research team considered completing the survey as informed consent by pharmacists for participating in this study. Ethics approval was obtained from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Jordan.