Analysis of awareness of pharmacists and students of pharmacy faculties about antibiotic-associated diarrhea and methods of its prevention

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is a common complication of antibiotic therapy that requires timely prevention and high-quality pharmaceutical care to prevent dysbiotic disorders, digestive disorders, and pseudomembranous colitis. Aim. To determine the level of awareness of practicing pharmacists and senior students of pharmacy faculties about antibiotic-associated diarrhea, methods of its prevention, and the main approaches to providing proper pharmaceutical care. Materials and methods. The study was based on the results of an online survey conducted between November 1 and 29, 2024, among pharmacists and senior students, and it aimed to determine the average level of knowledge about the etiopathogenesis, prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and identify topics that were most difficult to understand or require additional training. The methods used included sociological surveys, comparative analysis, graphical analysis, and analytical and generalizing analysis. Results and discussion. A total of 80 respondents participated in the survey. Of them, 50 % worked as pharmacists; 12.5 % were not employed in a pharmacy at the time of the study; and 37.5 % worked as pharmacy assistants or intern pharmacists. At the same time, 37.5 % of respondents had less than a year of experience, 25 % already worked from one and five years, 25 % worked for more than five years, and 12.5 % had no experience; the latter group consisted of students from the Pharmacy Faculty. The analysis of the respondents’ self-assessment of their knowledge indicates a lack of awareness of the mechanisms of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, modern approaches to its prevention and the rational choice of accompanying agents, particularly probiotics, prebiotics and enterosorbents. The respondents mainly emphasized the importance of studying the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, in particular among students of the Pharmacy Faculty. Conclusions. It has been determined that antibiotic-associated diarrhea is a relevant issue for pharmaceutical professionals since patients regularly visit pharmacies with related queries. A survey of pharmaceutical workers of various skill levels and work experience has shown that most respondents are aware of the importance of this issue and the need to improve their knowledge of its treatment and prevention. The results obtained confirm the importance of expanding and deepening the study of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in pharmacy faculty education programs, in order to improve the quality of pharmaceutical care for patients.