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Abstract

Prescription and non-prescription medication misuse is a significant global health issue around the world. This study aims to understand the prevalence of medication misuse among females in Saudi Arabia and to investigate the impact of different information resources in improving the safe use of medication. This observational cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-reported questionnaire between August and September 2021. It was carried out as a multicentre study in Riyadh city. Inclusion criteria: Female with age range between 16 and 60 years old. Data were collected using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software and analyzed with Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20. A total of 659 responses were collected. 406 participants’ responses were included. The mean of good knowledge of medication use was 56.76%. The mean percentage for good knowledge was 51% (more than one resource), 50% (Pharmacist), 49% (Internet), and 48% for both (physician) and (Family/friends). There was no statistically significant difference between the information resources and good knowledge (p-value =0.984). The mean attitude score was 29.6, which shows a good attitude to medication safety use. Participants showed a good knowledge of acetaminophen (88.7 %), followed by Isotretinoin (71.2%), vitamins (67.5%), ibuprofen (60.6 %), and Antibiotics (59.8%). The study showed a good attitude toward medication safety use among females in Riyadh-Saudi Arabia with a lack of knowledge for medication use among females in Saudi Arabia. There is a need to enhance patient education programs in the healthcare system and community‎.

Keywords: Prevalence, Medication misuse, Female, Knowledge, Attitude

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