Impact of an Educational Workshop on Improving Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge About Helicobacter pylori Infection

Aim: There is limited awareness about H. pylori in the community, and if improved, better disease control will be produced. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge among undergraduate pharmacy students regarding H. pylori diagnosis and management before and after delivering an educational pharmacy intervention. Methods: This intervention study was initiated in May 2020, where 72 pharmacy students attended a workshop about H. pylori management and diagnosis. Students’ knowledge about H. pylori infection was determined before and after the workshop. The intervention group attended a focused lecture about H. pylori combined with a case diagnosis and management simulation session. The control group self-reviewed a pamphlet related to the topic containing general information about H. pylori. Results: Among the participants (n= 72), 58 (80.6%) had not attended a similar workshop previously. The intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in their median knowledge score, rising from 9.0 (IQR: 8.0–11.0) pre-workshop to 11.0 (IQR: 10.0–12.0) post-workshop (P-value = 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed no significant change, maintaining a median score of 9.0 (IQR: 8.0–11.0) (P-value = 0.324). Additionally, while both groups had similar baseline knowledge scores, the intervention group achieved a significantly higher score after the workshop (P-value = 0.006). Conclusion: The educational intervention resulted in a significant improvement in pharmacy students' knowledge about H. pylori. These findings underscore the importance of targeted educational activities in enhancing student preparedness for managing H. pylori cases in clinical practice.