Availability, utilization, and factors associated with professional pharmacy services in community pharmacies in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Community pharmacists are increasingly expected to provide patient-centered clinical and public health services beyond traditional medication dispensing. However, the availability and utilization of these services in Saudi community pharmacies remain insufficiently characterized.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and April 2026 among licensed pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Saudi Arabia. A structured online questionnaire assessed the availability and utilization of 26 professional pharmacy services, perceived barriers to service provision, and overall satisfaction. Service availability and utilization scores were calculated, and factors associated with high service utilization were examined using Spearman correlation and multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 188 respondents participated. Core pharmacy services, including prescription dispensing (97.9%) and medication counselling (97.3%), were widely available. In contrast, extended services such as vaccination, health screening, pharmacovigilance, electronic health record access, and private consultation rooms were considerably less available. Higher prescription volume was the strongest independent predictor of high service utilization. The most frequently reported barriers were unclear regulations (55%), workload and time constraints (53%), and administrative burden associated with the Wasfaty system (51%). Overall, 42.0% of respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the current scope of pharmacy services.

CONCLUSION

Community pharmacists in selected regions of Saudi Arabia reported high availability of core pharmaceutical services, while clinical, preventive, and advanced services were less consistently available. Addressing regulatory, operational, and infrastructure-related barriers and strengthening integration with primary healthcare may enhance the contribution of community pharmacists to healthcare delivery and support broader healthcare transformation goals.