Knowledge, Attitude and Opinion of Drug Misuse and Abuse by Pharmacy Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jordan

Purpose: To assess the knowledge, attitude and opinion of final-year undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy students regarding inappropriate drug use in a university campus, Amman, Jordan.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a self-completed validated anonymous questionnaire that consisted of two parts was adopted. The first part of the questionnaire pertained to respondents’ demographic details, education level and any experience they might have had with drug misuse or abuse. The second part described students’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the identification, prevention and management of drug misuse and abuse.
Results: A total number of 198 pharmacy students filled the questionnaire (N = 131 undergraduate, and N =67 postgraduate students). A majority of the students strongly agreed/agreed that all pharmacy staff must be trained on recognizing drug abusers (92.0 %), informed of the kinds of drugs abused in the local area of the pharmacy (93.4 %) and trained on methods of dealing with drug abusers (92.6 %).
Conclusion: There is a need to implement a well-structured training on the identification, prevention and management of prescription and OTC drug misuse and abuse in undergraduate pharmacy curricula in Jordan. Modules should be updated regularly and tailored to meet the needs of pharmacy practice.