title: Evaluation of knowledge of Health care professionals on warfarin interactions with drug and herb medicinal in Central Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate health care professionals' knowledge on warfarin interactions with drugs and herbs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire was developed to assess health care professionals' knowledge on warfarin interactions with drug and herb. Respondents were asked to classify 15 drugs that may effect on warfarin action as "enhance", "inhibit ", "no effect". The study sample involved health care professionals (physicians, pharmacists and nurses) from king Salman hospital, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 92.2% of health care professionals identified warfarin interactions with aspirin, 4.4% for warfarin and fluoxetine. Warfarin and cardiac agents (atenolol) was correctly identified by 11.1% of respondents. In warfarin -herb interactions section, the majority of respondents (66.7%) identified the interaction between green tea and warfarin. Approximately one-third of respondents (n=33) correctly classified warfarin interactions with cardamom. No significant difference was found between the health care professionals (p=0.49) for warfarin-drug interactions knowledge score and p= 0.52 for warfarin- herb interactions knowledge score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that health care professionals' knowledge of warfarin- drug-herb interactions was inadequate. Therefore, health care professionals should receive more education programs about drug-drug/herb interactions to provide appropriate patient counseling and optimal therapeutic outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Mohamed N. Al-Arifi, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Al-Arifi
authors.affiliation: Syed Wajid, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wajid
authors.affiliation: Nawaf K. Al-Manie, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Nawaf K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Al-Manie
authors.affiliation: Faisal M. Al-Saker, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Faisal M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Al-Saker
authors.affiliation: Salmeen D. Babelgaith, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Salmeen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Babelgaith
authors.affiliation: Yousif A. Asiri, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Yousif A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Asiri
authors.affiliation: Ibrahim Sales, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sales
keywords: Drug interaction knowledge; Health care professionals; Saudi Arabia; Warfarin–drug interaction