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Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists about medication use during pregnancy in Erbil city.

Saya Ameer
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Samir Mahmood Othman
Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Saya Ameer, Mahmood (Author)

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Abstract

Background and objective: Community pharmacists, as the most accessible healthcare providers, have an important role in ensuring the safe use of medications during this period; that’s why they must have optimal knowledge. This study aims to assess the knowledge and practice of community pharmacists in Erbil City regarding safe medication use and their relationship with sociodemographic characteristics of the community pharmacists.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among community pharmacists who work in Erbil City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. A total of 350 community pharmacists were selected by convenience sampling method for interviews using a structured questionnaire on medication safety during pregnancy. SPSS version 26 was used for data entry and analysis. A P-value of ≤0.05 is regarded as statistically significant.

Results: Out of the total participants (n=350), more than half (51.4%) were between the ages of 26 and 30 years, and 58.6% and 52.3% were female and single, respectively. About 91% of participants held a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, and 63.7% had less than 5 years of experience. The study found that 49.7% of respondents had good knowledge and 51.7% had safe practices. Age and marital status were significantly associated with knowledge (P-value: 0.009 and 0.005, respectively), and gender was significantly associated with practice level, P = 0.002.

Conclusion: Although approximately half of the pharmacists had good knowledge and safe practice in handling pregnancy medications, the remaining half of them lacked essential skills that may influence the quality of the care received by patients. Therefore, we need special educational interventions to fill in gaps and ensure safer maternal health outcomes.

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How to Cite
Ameer, S., & Mahmood Othman, S. (2026). Knowledge and practice of community pharmacists about medication use during pregnancy in Erbil city. Zanco Journal of Medical Sciences (ZJMS), 30(2), 317–332. https://doi.org/10.15218/zjms.2026.022

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