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Volume 7 Issue 7 (July, 2019)

Original Articles

Oral Health Knowledge among Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia
Eqbal Qaddour

Introduction: As the most accessible health care practitioner, pharmacists do provide some health advices regarding general and oral health problems. In addition to the increased number of OTC products treating oral diseases, pharmacists’ knowledge about oral problems might be limited. Aim: To evaluate the knowledge of pharmacists with regard to some oral problems, their causes and ways of prevention. Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey was distributed to pharmacists in different sectors in Saudi Arabia. Data was analyzed using SPSS 25. Normality of data was tested by kolmogrv-Smirnov and Shapiro Wilk’s tests. Data was analyzed using nonparametric tests (Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis) considering CI of 95% (p-value ≤0.05). Correlation between general knowledge and demographic characteristic was assessed by Spearman’s test. Results: The mean score for overall oral health knowledge 11.88±3.74, basic knowledge of oral health, knowledge of dental plaque and gum disease, and knowledge of dental caries were 4.48 ± 1.74, 3 ± 1.3, 4.4 ± 1.55, respectively.Non-Saudi pharmacists aging 40-49, with an experience of ˃20 years working in chain pharmacies show significantly higher mean higher mean basic knowledge. With regard to knowledge in dental plaque and gum disease, non-Saudi pharmacists with an experience of 16-20 years have a significant higher mean ranks. A significantly higher mean ranks are shown in non-Saudis pharmacists with a Ph.D. qualification and an experience of 16-20 years working in chain pharmacies regarding knowledge in dental caries. Spearman’s correlation revealed a significant positive correlation with age (r=0.178 p=0.003), nationality (r=0.251 p=0.000), educational level (r=0.192 p=0.001), and experience (r=0.258 p=0.000) of the study participants. However, a significant negative correlation was found with the type of pharmacy and the overall oral health knowledge (r=-0.120 p=0.044). Conclusion: pharmacists need to improve their knowledge regarding oral health knowledge.
Key words: Pharmacist, knowledge, oral health, Saudi Arabia

Received: 12 April, 2019                            Revised:  24 June 2019                             Accepted: 25 June 2019

Corresponding author: Dr. Eqbal Qaddour, Department of Pharmacy,  Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh , Saudi Arabia
                                                                                 
This article may be cited as: Qaddour E. Oral Health Knowledge among Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. J Adv Med Dent Scie Res 2019;7(7): 62-68.

 
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