Comparative assessment of medication knowledge among ambulatory patients: A cross-sectional study in Nigeria

Patient knowledge on medication is considered a critical aspect of medication self-management by the patient. Medication education and counseling is an important component of pharmaceutical care services. This study was aimed at evaluating the impact of medication education and counseling services offered to ambulatory patients receiving care in a typical Nigerian healthcare setting on the patients' knowledge of their medication. A cross sectional prospective study conducted at the outpatient pharmacy unit of University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The patient population was divided into two arms: those who were yet to receive medication education/counseling – Arm 1, and those who had received medication education/counseling from the clinical pharmacist – Arm 2. A patient medication knowledge assessment questionnaire was used to assess patients' knowledge of their prescribed medication. Data obtained were analyzed using the IBM SPSS computer package version 25.0. Three hundred and ninety-one outpatients (196 in Arm-1 and 195 in Arm-2) participated in the study. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean medication knowledge score between patients in Arm-1 and those in Arm-2. Patients in Arm-2 had a statistically significant higher mean medication knowledge score than those in Arm-1 (5.228 versus 3.191; t = 10.152; P = 0.000). Outpatients who received medication education and counseling from clinical pharmacists had better knowledge of their prescribed medications than those who were yet to receive this pharmaceutical intervention.