An assessment of the knowledge, perception, and willingness to use telepharmacy services among the general public in Riyadh

Abstract

The studies concerning Saudis’ perceptions and awareness of telepharmacy, as well as their readiness to use this service, are critical for policymakers to devise measures to increase the acceptability of telepharmacy. The present study aimed to assess their knowledge, perceptions, and willingness to use telepharmacy services in Riyadh. The present study was a cross-sectional survey conducted between March 2024 and June 2024. The data were obtained from the public via an online questionnaire built with Google Forms. The survey was filled out by 405 participants. Most of them were males (66.17%), and the ages of 56.78% of them were between 18 and 25 years. More than half of the participants had a bachelor’s degree (66.17%). More than half of the respondents said that they had heard about telepharmacy (61.73%), but 80.74% of them hadn’t used telepharmacy services before. Most of the respondents (78.52%) said that they like using telepharmacy services wherever possible, and 81.98% of them agreed that telepharmacy improves medication adherence. The findings of this study demonstrated a fair knowledge, positive perception, and high willingness to use telepharmacy among the general population in Riyadh. Interventions to increase knowledge of telepharmacy in Riyadh need to target less educated people.