Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from a developing country
Abstract Background Drug use during pregnancy can cause unfavorable fetal and maternal outcomes. Information sharing is essential for pharmacists’ role within intricate, modern healthcare systems. Community pharmacists (CPs) have demonstrated unsatisfactory knowledge across various pharmacological d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06393-3 |
| _version_ | 1797258917742379008 |
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| author | Amer A. Koni Hamzah Qashoa Abeer Abo Musa Maen Masri Walaa Hazem Sari Taha Aiman Daifallah Samah W. Al-Jabi Amani S Abushanab Sa’ed H. Zyoud |
| author_facet | Amer A. Koni Hamzah Qashoa Abeer Abo Musa Maen Masri Walaa Hazem Sari Taha Aiman Daifallah Samah W. Al-Jabi Amani S Abushanab Sa’ed H. Zyoud |
| author_sort | Amer A. Koni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Drug use during pregnancy can cause unfavorable fetal and maternal outcomes. Information sharing is essential for pharmacists’ role within intricate, modern healthcare systems. Community pharmacists (CPs) have demonstrated unsatisfactory knowledge across various pharmacological domains in most developing countries. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and practices of CPs regarding medications and herb safety during pregnancy. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a developing country using a self-administered questionnaire. A sample of CPs working in the northern governorates of the West Bank was selected by convenience sampling. The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, practices and knowledge. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze the data. Results A total of 207 questionnaires were completed. Most respondents had only a bachelor’s degree (89.9%) but did not participate in continuous professional development (CPD) (71.0%). Almost one-third of the CP workload involved dispensing drugs to pregnant women. The majority of the participants reported that they inquire about pregnancy status (59.9%), refer to scientific sources (82.6%), and contact a prescribing physician (51.2%) in cases of uncertainty. A higher knowledge score was associated with receiving a master’s degree and CPD programs. Most CPs identified folic acid, paracetamol and amoxicillin as safe, while tetracycline, isotretinoin, enalapril, pseudoephedrine and ibuprofen were among the drugs mostly reported as unsafe. Castor oil, Senna, St. John’s wort and ginseng were the most frequently reported herbs as unsafe. Conclusions Despite the gaps in knowledge about herb pharmacology, CPs demonstrated acceptable knowledge and practice regarding drug safety during pregnancy. CPD is recommended for addressing gaps in knowledge and practice. Future research evaluating knowledge and practice may benefit from developing a specific, accurate, validated instrument. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:01:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-11b43c310c014a1b86b2900736ec61d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2393 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:01:09Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| spelling | doaj.art-11b43c310c014a1b86b2900736ec61d02024-03-17T12:41:37ZengBMCBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth1471-23932024-03-0124111010.1186/s12884-024-06393-3Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from a developing countryAmer A. Koni0Hamzah Qashoa1Abeer Abo Musa2Maen Masri3Walaa Hazem4Sari Taha5Aiman Daifallah6Samah W. Al-Jabi7Amani S Abushanab8Sa’ed H. Zyoud9Department of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityDepartment of Clinical and Community Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National UniversityAbstract Background Drug use during pregnancy can cause unfavorable fetal and maternal outcomes. Information sharing is essential for pharmacists’ role within intricate, modern healthcare systems. Community pharmacists (CPs) have demonstrated unsatisfactory knowledge across various pharmacological domains in most developing countries. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and practices of CPs regarding medications and herb safety during pregnancy. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a developing country using a self-administered questionnaire. A sample of CPs working in the northern governorates of the West Bank was selected by convenience sampling. The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, practices and knowledge. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze the data. Results A total of 207 questionnaires were completed. Most respondents had only a bachelor’s degree (89.9%) but did not participate in continuous professional development (CPD) (71.0%). Almost one-third of the CP workload involved dispensing drugs to pregnant women. The majority of the participants reported that they inquire about pregnancy status (59.9%), refer to scientific sources (82.6%), and contact a prescribing physician (51.2%) in cases of uncertainty. A higher knowledge score was associated with receiving a master’s degree and CPD programs. Most CPs identified folic acid, paracetamol and amoxicillin as safe, while tetracycline, isotretinoin, enalapril, pseudoephedrine and ibuprofen were among the drugs mostly reported as unsafe. Castor oil, Senna, St. John’s wort and ginseng were the most frequently reported herbs as unsafe. Conclusions Despite the gaps in knowledge about herb pharmacology, CPs demonstrated acceptable knowledge and practice regarding drug safety during pregnancy. CPD is recommended for addressing gaps in knowledge and practice. Future research evaluating knowledge and practice may benefit from developing a specific, accurate, validated instrument.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06393-3PregnancyCommunity pharmacistsDrug useKnowledgePractice |
| spellingShingle | Amer A. Koni Hamzah Qashoa Abeer Abo Musa Maen Masri Walaa Hazem Sari Taha Aiman Daifallah Samah W. Al-Jabi Amani S Abushanab Sa’ed H. Zyoud Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from a developing country BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Pregnancy Community pharmacists Drug use Knowledge Practice |
| title | Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from a developing country |
| title_full | Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from a developing country |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from a developing country |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from a developing country |
| title_short | Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study from a developing country |
| title_sort | knowledge and practice of community pharmacists regarding the safety of drugs during pregnancy a cross sectional study from a developing country |
| topic | Pregnancy Community pharmacists Drug use Knowledge Practice |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-024-06393-3 |
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