Knowledge and Practice of Community Pharmacy Professionals on Medication Safety during Pregnancy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Community pharmacists, the most  ccessible healthcare professionals and  experts in medicine should have relevant and updated  knowledge and skills regarding dispensing medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and  practice of community pharmacy professionals regarding medication safety during pregnancy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional  study using a semistructured questionnaire was conducted among 117 community pharmacy professionals working in community  pharmacies and drug stores in the Lideta sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The lists of medicines were prepared based on the US FDA drug  risk category (A, B, C, D, and X) during pregnancy, and then revised and validated by an expert pharmacist working in the community  pharmacy and a senior clinical pharmacist practicing in a university teaching hospital. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. All participants provided verbal informed consent prior to participating in the study. Most of the respondents [80 (68.4%), 90 (77.8%), and 90  (77.8%)] knew that amoxicillin was safe in all three trimesters. Only approximately one-third of the pharmacy professionals believed that  budesonide inhalers were safe during all pregnancy periods. Regarding knowledge of the safety of over-the-counter drugs, 77.8% and  59.8% identified acetaminophen and ibuprofen as safe and unsafe, respectively, during the third trimester. Approximately 78.6% of the  respondents were asked about the pregnancy status of women of reproductive age and advised pregnant women about over-the- counter drugs (65.8%) and herbal medicines (23.9%) that should not be taken during pregnancy. The overall knowledge score on  medication safety during pregnancy was 59.8%, and 51.3% of community pharmacists followed safe practices while dispensing medicines  to pregnant women. Approximately 80.3% of the respondents updated their knowledge regarding the safety of medications during  pregnancy. The overall knowledge of medication safety during pregnancy by community pharmacy professionals is suboptimal, and  there are gaps and variations in the knowledge and practice of medication safety during pregnancy, which mandates in-service training  programmes to provide better dispensing quality services for pregnant women based on correct and evidence-based information.