title: General public knowledge, preferred dosage forms, and beliefs toward medicines in western Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure general public knowledge, source of knowledge, preferred dosage forms, and beliefs toward medicines.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study design using convenience-sampling technique was used. A pre-validated questionnaire was designed and distributed to the general public through face-to-face interviews. All data were analyzed, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. The study took place in the Clinical Pharmacy Department, Taif University, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between August 2012 and February 2013 RESULTS: Nine hundred participants successfully responded to this study. Males represented two-thirds of the respondents (66.8%). In addition, 52% of respondents were of high education level. Modern (74.2%) and alternative medicines (88.7%) were understood by most respondents. Tablets (69.6%) and capsules (37.6%) represented the highest preferred dosage forms. In addition, physicians (66.6%) and pharmacists (46.2%) were the main sources of information regarding medicines. In terms of beliefs, respondents showed wrong beliefs in many statements used in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to improve public knowledge and beliefs toward medicines as well as utilizing public preferred dosage forms. In addition, pharmacists should play a major role in these programs since they are experts on medicines and play a more active role in patient education and counseling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, PO Box 888, Taif 21974, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail: dr_mahmoud77@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mahmoud S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alhaddad
authors.forename: Qasem M
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.forename: Sami M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alshakhsheer
authors.forename: Salman B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Alosaimi
authors.forename: Ahmed R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Althmali
authors.forename: Solaiman A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alahmari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D004304:Dosage Forms; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004304:Dosage Forms