Anne ve çocuk sağlığı hizmetlerinde topluluk eczacılarının bilgi, tutumu ve uygulaması

Objective: Maternal and child health is in disputable public health matter potentially affecting the quality of life of both current and future generations as mothers and their children account for more than two-thirds of the world's population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of community pharmacist in relation to maternal and child health services, since appropriate use and management of medications in pregnancy is an essential component of parental care and pregnant women health. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional research conducted within the community pharmacies of Istanbul. The target population for this study consisted of all licensed pharmacists. A minimum sample size of 385 participants were required during their shift either written or using online. A questionnaire was validated consisting of 41 items. Main outcome measure involved pharmacist's knowledge, attitude, and practice in maternal and child health services. A written consent form was acquired, and study design received approved by an ethical committee. Statistical analysis was carried using SPSS. Results: Among the 750 community pharmacy professionals who were approached randomly, a total of 430 individuals expressed their willingness to participate in the study by completing the questionnaire. Ultimately, 408 of these participants successfully fulfilled the entire questionnaire. Among the participants, 343 individuals (84.1%) identified as female, whereas 65 individuals (15.9%) were identified as male. About 80.5% of the respondents had good knowledge regarding contraceptive method. The majority of the respondents had a positive attitude (n = 241; 59.16%) and good practice (n = 197; 48.32%). The Psychometric properties of the developed tool show good reliability, Cronbach's alpha values were 0.871 for attitude and 0.823 for practice. KD test ranged 0.41 for contraceptive and sexual health, 0.48 for maternal and antenatal, 0.38 for neonatal and child care and 0.45 for infant growth assessment. The intraclass correlation coefficients were ranged from 0.833/ 0.801 for both Attitude and practice scales at baseline and after 8 days. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicate that community pharmacists exhibited favorable attitudes and practices. However, it was observed that their level of knowledge pertaining to maternal and child health was inadequate. This underscores the persistent need to enhance the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community with regards to maternal and child health. Keywords: Maternal health, Child health, Pharmacist, Competency, Practice, Türkiye.