Background and aims: Community pharmacists are key
providers of healthcare services for patients with chronic
diseases including women with epilepsy. This study was
conducted to assess pharmacist’s knowledge of women’s
issues in epilepsy in the West Bank of the occupied
Palestinian territories.
Methods: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional
observational design. The study participants were
community pharmacists of both genders. A total of 500
community pharmacists were approached in person in their
places of work and invited to take part in the study. After
collecting their sociodemographic and practice details, the
participants responded to a validated and reliable 12-item
KOWIE-II knowledge questionnaire of women’s issues in
epilepsy.
Results: The questionnaire was completed by 408
pharmacists, giving a response rate of 81.6%. On the
12-item questionnaire, the median correct score was only
53.8% with an IQR of 30.8. Pharmacists who interacted
with ≥10 patients with epilepsy per month were 1.61 (95%
CI of 1.04-2.49) more likely to score ≥60% in the test than
those who interacted with <10 patients with epilepsy per
month. Nearly 91% of the pharmacists answered correctly
the question on the role of folic acid in reducing teratogenesis
and only 46% answered correctly the question on exposure
to valproic acid and the risk of giving birth to a child with
autism.
Conclusion: Although pharmacists could be knowledgeable
and in key position to provide essential information to
patients with chronic diseases, in this study pharmacists
were fairly knowledgeable of issues pertaining to women’s
general health issues.

Conference Title

The 6th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology

Conference Country

France

Conference Date

May 22, 2020 - May 24, 2020

Conference Sponsor

European Academy of Neurology

Additional Info

Conference Website