Community Pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers who can help pregnant women with their medications use there are still gaps in knowledge where educational interventions are needed.

Purpose Dietary supplements (DSs) are popular in many countries, and their use among individuals is increasing worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and use of DSs among pharmacy students in King Saud University College of Pharmacy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods This study used a cross-sectional design targeting male senior pharmacy students in their fourth and fifth years of Bachelor and Doctor of Pharmacy courses. The data were collected between August and October 2019 using paper-based questionnaires. Results A total of 46.8% of the students used DSs. Of all students surveyed, 19% used branded supplements whereas 9.7% used generic or local supplements and 12.3% used both generic and branded supplements. Furthermore, 8.2% students suffered from side effects, including 5.6% who suffered from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and 2.6% who suffered from headache, confusion, and disorientation. Approximately 24.6% of students used fiber DSs whereas 19% and 16.4% used DSs for protein and glucosamine/omega 3 fatty acids, respectively. Conclusion The study findings indicated that the prevalence of DS use is increasing. However, approximately half of the respondents encourage the use of DSs only with a doctor’s recommendation. Educating about the safe use of DSs is warranted.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the knowledge and practices concerning unused and expired medicine among pharmacy and nursing students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study design was used. The study used a validated paper-based, self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, Version 24. The response rate was 70.4% (n = 352). The results indicated that 57.4% of pharmacy students and 53.4% of nursing students check the expiry date of medicine before procuring, and 37.6% of pharmacy students and 52.5% of nursing students keep unused medicine until it expires. With regard to disposal, 78.9% of pharmacy students and 80.5% of nursing students reported discarding expired medicine in household garbage or flushing it down a sink or toilet. Only a small percentage returns leftover medicine to a medical store. There was a statistically significant difference between pharmacy and nursing students in regard to checking the expiry date of medicine before procuring (p = 0.01), and keeping unused medicine until it expires (p = 0.03). The study concluded that the majority of respondents dispose of medicine unsafely. The findings suggest that creating awareness regarding proper medicine disposal procedures among university health care students in Saudi Arabia is needed.

Objectives: Increasing national influenza vaccination rates continues to be a challenge for Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the Saudi public perceptions toward seasonal influenza vaccination and their association with the rate of vaccination. Methods: Individuals aged 15 years and older were surveyed about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward the seasonal influenza vaccine using a previously developed and validated 19-item online questionnaire. The impact of the participants’ perceptions toward the seasonal influenza vaccine on their past influenza vaccination history was assessed using multiple linear regressions. Results: The rate of regular vaccination among the 790 surveyed participants was 12.65%, and those who were aged <24 years had the highest rate (57%). The vast majority of the participants with chronic diseases (>90%) reported irregular vaccination histories against seasonal influenza. Participants who believed that the influenza vaccine is safe (β = 3.27; 95% CI: 2.067 to 5.171; p <0.001), efficacious (β = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.834 to 4.498; p <0.001), should be given during a specific time in the year (β = 1.821; 95% CI: 1.188 to 2.789; p = 0.0059), and were aware of their need to get vaccinated against the seasonal influenza (β = 2.781; 95% CI: 1.254 to 6.188; p = 0.0119) were more likely to have received the vaccine. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the rate of seasonal influenza vaccination is low among the Saudi population, which necessitates the launching of public awareness campaigns about the importance of the seasonal influenza vaccine.

Background and objectiveIn the healthcare context, healthcare personnel are available to help patients according to their requirements. However, having sufficient knowledge of many elements of diseases before graduation may have a good impact on clinical practices later in one's career. As a result, the purpose of this study was to assess the clinical knowledge and perceptions of healthcare students in Saudi Arabia about thyroid cancer (TC).MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in King Saud University from August 2021 to November 2021, using a validated self-reporting online survey. The data collection was carried out among senior healthcare students, including pharmacy, nursing, and medical students of both genders, who were Arabic speakers. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 for Windows (SPSS).ResultsThere were 141 healthcare students who responded, with 46.8% (n = 66) being pharmacy students, 28.4% (n = 40) being nursing students, and 24.8% (n = 35) being medical students. Male participants made up the majority of them (52.5%). Lump or swelling in the neck was described as the most common early indicator of TC by 54.6% (n = 77), followed by difficulty in swallowing by 34.04% (n = 48), and pain in the neck by 24.8% (n = 35). Female participants accounted for 44.7% (n = 63) of those with thyroid dysfunction, according to the study. About 55.3% of the participants (n = 78), reported that they had sufficient knowledge about TC. The knowledge score differed significantly by gender; female participants (60.3%) (n = 47) were more knowledgeable than male participants (30.7%) (n = 31) (p = 0.049).ConclusionThis study depicts that half of the healthcare students thatwere knowledgeable about TC had positive perceptions about the causes of diseases. Furthermore, we also recommend arranging awareness programs for the students by the university officials to overcome the knowledge gap.