Pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward preventing congenital disabilities: a cross sectional study in Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Congenital impairments, arising from a range of genetic, environmental, dietary, and teratogenic factors, are a significant public health concern. Pharmacists play a key role in preventing these conditions by ensuring pharmaceutical safety and providing maternal health education. However, there is limited research on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pharmacists in Saudi Arabia regarding the causes of congenital impairments.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess pharmacists' awareness, perceptions, and practices related to these factors and identify key demographic influences on their knowledge and engagement.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among licensed pharmacists based in Saudi Arabia, including those working in clinical, academic, hospital, and community settings. A standardized and validated questionnaire comprising 30 items divided across knowledge, attitude, and practice domains was used to assess pharmacists' perspectives. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression to identify the key demographic factors associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practice scores.

Results: The study included a total of 424 pharmacists, the majority of whom held a master's degree (60.4%), were male (73.6%), and were aged between 25 and 34 years old (41.5%). Hospital pharmacists achieved significantly higher knowledge (4.39 ± 1.48, P < 0.001), attitude (29.20 ± 5.49, P = 0.000), and practice (33.16 ± 6.84, P < 0.001) scores than community pharmacists. The knowledge gaps identified concerned the impact of environmental contaminants (28.5%) and maternal obesity (30.9%) on fetal development. However, pharmacists showed strong positive attitudes toward preventive measures, with 49.1% supporting increased training and 52.8% endorsing genetic screening as essential interventions.

Conclusion: The study highlights significant gaps in pharmacists' understanding and practice concerning congenital impairments, particularly regarding lifestyle and environmental risk factors. Despite strong support for pharmacist training, participation in public health campaigns and patient counseling on teratogenic risks remains limited. To enhance congenital disability prevention efforts in Saudi Arabia, these findings emphasize the need for improved pharmacist knowledge, structured training programs, and more extensive integration of pharmacists within maternal healthcare teams.