To read this content please select one of the options below:

Internet literacy skills of community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria

Stella Ngozi Anasi (Library Department, University of Lagos, Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria)
Folasade Olufunke Lawal (Pharmacy Department, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Lagos, Nigeria)
Abiola Paul-Ozieh (Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Lagos, Nigeria)

Information and Learning Sciences

ISSN: 2398-5348

Article publication date: 8 April 2019

Issue publication date: 15 May 2019

125

Abstract

Purpose

Community pharmacists need good retrieval skills and competencies for effective use of online information resources for professional practice. This study aims to ascertain the internet literacy skills of community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey research design was adopted for the study. Convenience sampling technique was used in selecting community pharmacists. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection, whereas descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.

Findings

The study revealed that community pharmacists possess requisite internet literacy skills for effective use of online health information resources. There is a positive relationship between informational and operational internet literacy skills [r = 0.820, p(0.000) < 0.05], informational and strategic internet literacy skills [r = 0.838, p(0.000) < 0.05] and operational and strategic internet literacy skills [r = 0.810, p(0.000) < 0.05]. There is a statistically significant gender difference in the level of skillfulness in internet use based on self-reported skills. There is a significant relative contribution of demographic variables (gender, age, educational qualification and number of years in professional practice) to the level of skillfulness in internet use among community pharmacists.

Practical implications

To improve the use of online internet resources, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, should conduct training needs assessment regularly to offer the right levels of internet use skills. They must be proactive and incorporate training on computer and internet skills into their annual conferences and zonal meetings. They should also prepare and give internet use manuals to their members to read and understand how to use the internet more effectively. Community pharmacists, especially the female pharmacists, should also take advantage of free online training sessions called webinars to improve their internet literacy skills to cope with rapid changes in the e-environment, as well as to boost the quality of health-care services delivery. Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria, the agency responsible for regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy, should include an internet literacy skills module in the Mandatory Professional Continuing Education Programme.

Originality/value

The study investigated the internet literacy skills of community pharmacists in Lagos State and identified the gender gap in level of skillfulness. This study also explored the relationship between level of skillfulness and internet use, as well as the relationship between community pharmacists’ informational, operational and strategic internet literacy skills.

Keywords

Citation

Anasi, S.N., Lawal, F.O. and Paul-Ozieh, A. (2019), "Internet literacy skills of community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria", Information and Learning Sciences, Vol. 120 No. 3/4, pp. 242-252. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-08-2018-0082

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles