Misuse and Abuse of Drugs: a Cross-Sectional Survey Among Pharmacy Professionals in Saudi Arabia

Prescription and non-prescription medication misuse or abuse is a global problem that has a negative impact on all human life aspects, including health, social, economic, and security status. According to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime reports, over 5% of adult people used drugs at least once in the year 2015, and 29.5 million of them were suffered from the consequences of inappropriate use of drugs. Information on the knowledge and perception among pharmacists regarding the misuse and abuse medications in Saudi Arabia are limited, and therefore, a study was conducted among pharmacy staff to assess their knowledge and awareness on drug misuse and abuse. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Pharmacy professionals with more than three months of experience were included in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain the participant’s responses. A Chi-square test was used to evaluate the association of sociodemographic factors with the participant's responses. Ninety pharmacy professionals were responded. Overall, 69 (76.7%) participants agreed that misuse and abuse are two different terms. In addition, the study showed different responses for patients who suspected to be medication abusers. In conclusion, this study provides an initial picture of pharmacy staffs’ knowledge and opinion regarding the misuse and abuse of medicines in Saudi Arabia. Participants’ reactions toward such behaviors were different and not consistent. Therefore, there should be a clear policy to define the role of the pharmacy staff toward the misuse and abuse of medication in Saudi Arabia