The Role of Written Education in Advancing Medication Storage Knowledge: Insights from a Malaysian Public Survey
Abstract
Medicines for the treatment of acute and chronic diseases are often stored at home, which may lead to improper storage of medicines and various detrimental effects due to potency reduction. This study aimed to investigate baseline knowledge and the effect of education on the proper storage of medications among the public. Method: A cross-sectional study among 929 Malaysian adults was conducted. It employed both online and face-to-face survey distribution methods. Participants, aged 18 years and above, were recruited from diverse public settings including malls, train stations, and through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook. Data collection involved a questionnaire covering demographic details, current medication storage practices, and knowledge assessment on proper storage methods. An intervention utilizing Ministry of Health guidelines on medication storage was conducted with 255 respondents. Results: The mean number of times a respondent visited a clinic/hospital was 3.4 ± 3.9 times a year, with 3.5 ± 4.5 medicines prescribed per year. Medicines that were usually stored at home were those used for fever (n=813, 87.5%), cream/ointments (n=711, 76.5%), as well as cough (n=625, 67.3%) and pain medications (n=597, 64.3%). Average baseline knowledge scores on medication storage were 7.57 ± 2.012 (maximum score=12, a higher score indicated better knowledge). A written education material was then introduced to 255 respondents. The post-education (n=255) knowledge score significantly increased to an average of 10.67 ± 0.949 (maximum score=12, a higher score indicated better knowledge) (t-test=0.328, p<0.001). Conclusion: Written educational materials were found to be beneficial in improving medication storage knowledge. Pharmacists should actively use written education materials during their practice to improve knowledge of medication storage among the public.