Impact of an Educational Intervention on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Community Pharmacists Regarding Medication Safety During Pregnancy: A Pre-Post Interventional Study
Authors: Akhil Martin, Ajumol Biju, Shruti Naik, Raghavendra Shivaram Hegde
Indian Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Vol. 20, Issue 1, pp. 45-49, (2027)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Medication use in pregnancy demands a careful balance between maternal therapeutic needs and fetal safety. Community pharmacists, being the most accessible point of contact for the public, are pivotal in counselling pregnant women on safe medication use. This study assessed the baseline Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of community pharmacists regarding medication safety during pregnancy, delivered a structured educational intervention, and evaluated the change in KAP thereafter. Materials and Methods: A single-group pre-post interventional study was conducted over six months among 70 registered community pharmacists in the urban area of Bagalkote. Baseline KAP was captured using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire of six knowledge, six attitude and six practice items. A multimodal intervention (presentation, video and leaflet) was delivered, and KAP was reassessed two months later. Scores were summed (range 6-12 per domain) and analysed using the paired t-test, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Participants were predominantly male (91.4%), aged 20-29 years (41.4%) and held a diploma in pharmacy (57.1%). Good knowledge rose from 50.0% to 97.1%, positive attitude from 75.7% to 98.6%, and safe practice from 28.6% to 97.1% after the intervention. Mean domain scores improved significantly: knowledge 8.57±0.99 to 10.65±0.92, attitude 9.01±0.86 to 10.11±0.79, and practice 7.81±1.07 to 10.14±0.95 (all p<0.001). Conclusion: Community pharmacists exhibited substantial baseline deficits in medication-safety competencies during pregnancy. A brief, structured educational intervention produced statistically significant gains across all three domains, supporting the integration of continuing pharmacy education into community practice.
Keywords: Attitude, Community Pharmacist, Educational Intervention, Knowledge, Medication Safety, Pregnancy
