Background: Medication use during
pregnancy is common.
Pharmacists have an important
role in improving medication use during
pregnancy . There is a lack of empirical evidence on
pharmacists '
knowledge and practice characteristics towards medication use in
pregnancy .
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the
knowledge and practice characteristics of
pharmacists in
Qatar about medicines use in
pregnancy .
Methods: A cross-sectional,
questionnaire -based study was conducted over a period of 6 months in 2010.
Questionnaires were distributed to 400 of 800 licensed
pharmacists employed in
Qatar [in
government and private sectors]. Data were collected on demographics and practice characteristics of the
pharmacists ; their
knowledge and
perception about medication use in
pregnancy ; their confidence in dealing with
pregnant women and
physicians ; and their source of the
drug information.
Results: Of the 400
questionnaires distributed, 207 were returned [52% response rate]. Most
pharmacists [71%] had not participated in any
educational activities on medication use in
pregnancy . About 50% reported that < 10% of their
workload involved dispensing medications to
pregnant women . A lack of available
resources and unknown
pregnancy status were the main concerns about dispensing medication to
pregnant women . The majority of the
respondents had average
knowledge about medication use in
pregnancy . There was a significant
association between
knowledge , and
continuing education and years of experience [P < 0.05].
Conclusions: Pharmacists in
Qatar had an average level of
knowledge about medications use in
pregnancy . Continuous educational programmes are needed for
pharmacists in
Qatar to enhance their
knowledge and practice of
medicine use during
pregnancy