Knowledge and practice of primary healthcare physicians for management of acne vulgaris in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Myths, misconceptions and attitudinal trends among patients with acne

Background

Despite acne being a common dermatological problem, there is a paucity of literature addressing the knowledge, attitude and practice about it.

Aims/Objectives

To find out what patients know about acne, its cause and treatment, as well as myths, misconceptions and attitude towards it.

Methods

A cross-sectional, descriptive questionnaire-based study on acne patients at Maharana Bhupal Hospital, RNT Medical College, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.

Results

Most (84.8%) patients belonged to the age group of 16-25 years. The majority (63.9%) presented 12 months after the onset of acne. More than half had average knowledge, a positive attitude and good practices, related significantly to gender and education.

Limitations

A standardized questionnaire suitable for all dialects and regional languages would have yielded more uniform results.

Conclusion

Study revealed that acne patients still need to acquire accurate, adequate and easily accessible information to seek timely and appropriate treatment, and alleviate their psychological suffering.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists toward the management of acne vulgaris in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Acne vulgaris (AV) is a common dermatological disease affecting almost 85% of teenagers. Patients with AV usually present at community pharmacies during the early stages of their disease.

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward AV management in West Bank in Palestine.

METHODS

This study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. The questionnaire included four sections: 1) demographic, 2) knowledge, 3) attitude and practice items related causes, and 4) treatment options and counseling during management of patients with AV. A convenience sampling method was implemented in this study. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used to compare different issues as appropriate. P < 0.05 were considered significant.

RESULT

A total of 270 community pharmacists were interviewed, and more than half (54.1%) were males. The study revealed that community pharmacists had an inadequate level of knowledge on management of AV; only 7.7% had high levels of knowledge. Pharmacists have positive attitude regarding AV management, but inadequate knowledge was reflected on their treatment practices; only 10% of participants independently dealt with AV without referral. Pharmacists with a low level of knowledge showed five times more referrals than those with a high level of knowledge (OR: 5.3; P < 0.001), and those with a bachelor degree showed three times more referrals than postgraduates (OR: 3.3; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

There is a demand to update dermatological knowledge of community pharmacists and encourage them to attend structured training programs about the management of AV.