The Faculty of Pharmacy discussed the Master’s Degree thesis, Assessment of Iraqi physicians’ adherence to medical guidelines in the treatment of different diseases ” by Ibrahim Yawer Anwer Oruj and his supervisor, Dr. Mohamed Y. Jamal in the Clinical Pharmacy Department. In healthcare settings, specialists from different fields may follow the most well-known, reliable, and easy-to-understand medical guidelines. The goals of this study were to determine Iraqi physicians’ adherence to treatment guidelines, specify which guidelines are used for each disease, identify barriers to adhering to the guidelines, and assess the level of awareness of guidelines among permanent residents, residents, and clinical pharmacists.Method: This was a qualitative study that included face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with specialist physicians, permanents, rotating physicians, and clinical pharmacists from different disciplines. The interviews were conducted between December 2021 and May 2022 in Kirkuk Province, Iraq. The qualitative data generated through interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis.Result: The study recruited 48 specialists (27 male and 21 female) from seven medical specialties at two large government hospitals. Most physicians (38 /48) revealed that healthcare settings implement treatment guidelines in more than half of cases. The American guideline was the most used among the participating physicians. European and British guidelines and textbooks were also used by some specialties. Unfortunately, most (43 out of 48) physicians were unaware of Iraqi treatment guidelines. Most seniors often followed the same guidelines for one branch, with little variation in approach based on their experience and flexibility. Almost all participating physicians believed that shortages in treatment (46/48) and investigational or /lab materials (45/48) and low patient adherence (44/48) were major barriers to implementing the guideline(s). Six out of seven specialties experienced shortages of the essential medications recommended by the guidelines. Conclusion: Most physicians followed well-known international guidelines. Each specialty follows different guidelines relying on the disease. Medication shortage in public hospitals were the main barrier to implementing treatment guidelines. Enhancing physician awareness of the Iraqi guidelines should be encouraged. Finally, securing essential medicines in public hospitals is pivotal to effectively adopting evidence-based guidelines.
