Information safety in Ukraine’s pharmaceutical environment: analysis and classification of information objects based on expert consensus
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14739/2409-2932.2026.1.340454Keywords:
information security, pharmacy information systems, pharmaceutical information, expert consensus, pharmaceutical safety, digital health, digital pharmaceutical environment, organizational environmentAbstract
Aim. This study aims to develop and substantiate a classification of information objects within Ukraine’s information safety pharmaceutical environment (ISPE) based on their attribution to external or internal environments and level of accessibility (restricted or open). The classification leverages expert consensus, assessed using the Jaccard similarity coefficient, to enhance the content of the Pharmaceutical Safety Concept.
Materials and methods. The study involved a survey of 228 pharmaceutical professionals, including academic staff from higher education institutions specializing in pharmacy. Conducted online from February to October 2024, the survey adhered to the ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration. Respondents classified 16 information types (I1–I16) by environment and accessibility. The Jaccard similarity coefficient was employed to evaluate consensus, with calculations performed in R using the Vegan package. Methods included survey administration, statistical analysis, clustering, and comparative analysis.
Results. Regulatory documents, information on educational institutions, executive authorities, international organizations, and professional associations were predominantly classified as external environment with open access (43–53 % of responses). Information concerning pharmaceutical companies, as well as personal data of professionals and patients, was categorized as internal environment with restricted access, while data on medicinal products spanned both environments. Consensus among respondents did not exceed 50 % for most information types, indicating significant variability in interpretations.
Conclusions. The low consensus in classifying ISPE objects, particularly personal data, underscores the need for clear methodological guidelines to ensure information security. The consistent attribution of regulatory documents to the external environment confirms their public nature. Exceptions, such as personal data of patients and information on educational institutions, highlight their dual role, necessitating strengthened data protection protocols to enhance trust in the healthcare system and improve the efficiency of pharmaceutical practice.
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