Knowledge of Quality Use of Medicine Among Rural Communities Involved in KPT Prihatin Komuniti Sejahtera (KRIS) Health Clinic: A Pilot Study

• Main Authors: Khairul Azhar Nasaruddin, Prynecca @Farhana Jubily, Hanies Yuhana Othman, Norlida Che Yaacob, Fredie Robinson
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Malaysian Pharmacists Society 2024
• Subjects: RA960-1000.5 Medical centers. Hospitals. Dispensaries. Clinics Including ambulance service, nursing homes, hospices; RM138 Drug prescribing
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40782/1/ABSTRACT.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40782/2/FULL%20TEXT.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40782/; https://doi.org/10.52494/maljpharmv10104

Background: Quality use of medicines (QUM) entails the appropriate utilization of medications, ensuring their safety and effectiveness. Objective: This study aims to investigate the knowledge of quality use of medicines in rural communities of Sabah, Malaysia, and explore its relationship with socio-demographic factors. Method: During the KPT Prihatin Komuniti Sejahtera (KRIS) health clinic in Sabah, a total of 130 participants completed the NSUM (National Survey on Use of Medicine) 2012 questionnaire. Participants receive 1 point for each correct answer, and their total scores will be adjusted using the number right scoring method to correct for guessing. Results: The result shows that the mean score for QUM knowledge among the participants was 68.67% (moderate level). The univariate analysis shows significant differences in knowledge scores when it comes to location, education levels and monthly household income (p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, the overall model lacks statistical significance, as evidenced by an F-value of 1.88 with a p-value of 0.06. However, there was a significant association between education level with knowledge scores (p < 0.05), with one unit corresponding to an increase of 0.703 units in knowledge scores and a standardized coefficient of 0.243. This supports the idea that education level is a factor that can play an important role in predicting knowledge of QUM among this population. Additionally, the disposal of expired or damaged medicines was the aspect where the fewest participants demonstrated accurate knowledge (61.38%). Conclusion: The information gathered from this study can be used to inform future efforts to effectively improve the rural population’s quality use of medicines. Further studies utilizing a more extensive and heterogeneous sample would be valuable to corroborate and extend these findings.