Assessment of Community Pharmacist Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Medication Safety Among Pregnant Women in Sana’a (Yemen)

Kadi H. O,Jalal H. Abdullah,Abdullah S. Saadallah

Abstract:
Pregnancy is a crucial period for women, with 90% using prescription or over-the-counter medications. Pregnant women face significant health concerns, including renal, diabetes, depression, thyroid, cardiovascular, and asthma conditions. Healthcare providers must understand the potential risks of medication use during pregnancy and provide appropriate therapy. Pharmacists are essential for safe medication administration, advising expectant mothers on the risks of traditional and over-the-counter medications. The aim of the study is to assess the community pharmacist’s knowledge, attitude and Practice towards medication safety during pregnancy in Sana’a city (Yemen).
A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using self-administered questionnaire for pharmacists in Sana’a from October 2022 to February 2023. A total of 337 community Pharmacists (CPs) were enrolled in the study. Majority of the pharmacists are males (314; 93.2%), possess bachelor in pharmacy (201; 59.6%) and Most pharmacists (187; 55.5%) have less than 5 years of experience. Among 337 CPs, only 102 (29.1%) had high knowledge, 308 (91.4%) had positive attitude and 214 (63.5%) have safe practice towards medication safety during pregnancy. Community pharmacists have low knowledge about using safe medications while pregnant and have a good attitude. Still, there is a large knowledge gap between community pharmacists’ practices and knowledge regarding safe medication use in expectant pregnant women.