{
  "abstract": "Community pharmacy-based point-of-care testing can expand access to health screening and chronic disease monitoring, yet evidence on its routine implementation and quality in the United Arab Emirates remains limited. This study assessed service adoption, operational practices, and perceived quality challenges to identify priorities for safe integration into primary care. A cross-sectional survey of 501 licensed community pharmacists was conducted using convenience sampling, primarily through in-person visits to community pharmacies, supplemented by electronic dissemination through online platforms and professional networks. The questionnaire examined testing uptake, service types, workflow, data management, training, and implementation challenges. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with providing testing. Overall, 46.5% of respondents provided at least one point-of-care testing service, and 30.5% of these providers reported always performing testing activities. Male pharmacists had higher odds of providing testing than female pharmacists (adjusted odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.16). Compared with pharmacists with 1-5 years of experience, those with 6-12 months, 6-10 years, and more than 10 years had lower odds of providing testing. Blood pressure, cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin testing were the most common services. Only 41.2% of providers integrated results into electronic patient records; 30.9% had received no formal training, and 59.6% of trained providers described their instruction as minimal. The most frequently reported quality problems were insufficient patient information (90.6%), improper sample collection (90.1%), and equipment malfunction (89.7%). By linking service uptake with workflow and quality risks, this study provides baseline evidence that point-of-care testing is established in many community pharmacies but lacks consistent supporting infrastructure. Standardized competency programs, operating procedures, and interoperable records are needed to improve reliability, support safe expansion, and strengthen the contribution of community pharmacies to accessible primary care.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.",
    "Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.",
    "College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.",
    "Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.",
    "Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Marsa, Malta.",
    "Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.",
    "Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.",
    "Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.",
    "Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Anan S Jarab"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Walid Al-Qerem"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Ahmad Z Al Meslamani"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Rahma Elsherif"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Hamza Jarab"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Omar Jrab"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Nada A Alsaleh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Salahdein Aburuz"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Yazid N Al Hamarneh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Judith Eberhardt"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0aqym37dnvgkn.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fmed.2026.1970393",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13713646",
  "id": "0aqym37dnvgkn",
  "issns": [
    "2296-858X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952954",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3004|Pharmacy and Medical Practices"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221796779",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13713646?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13713646",
  "pmid": "42952954",
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0aqym37dnvgkn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:41Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42952954",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952954"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:24:09Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13713646",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1970393"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:3004|Pharmacy and Medical Practices",
      "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Point-of-care testing in UAE community pharmacies: adoption, operational practices, and quality challenges.",
  "title_text": "Point-of-care testing in UAE community pharmacies: adoption, operational practices, and quality challenges.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:21:17Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0aqym37dnvgkn",
  "venue": "Frontiers in medicine",
  "versions": []
}