Background: All drugs have adverse effects that ranges from mild to severe. It is necessary for health care providers to determine and understand the level of knowledge of patients toward the safety and use of medication for effective consultation and direction. Thereby, this study aimed to assess the awareness of patients toward the safety and usage of the drugs.
Methodology: This study was conducted among patients who used medications during the period from August to November, via online survey. The survey investigated the demographics of the patients, their medication patterns, and their awareness regarding the safety and use of the medications.
Results: A total of 228 patients were enrolled in this study, including 29.4% males and 55.7% individuals who were less than 40 years old. The overall awareness was low (60.5%). There was significant association between the level of awareness, changing the healthcare facility (p = 0.008), and acceptance of advice without prescription of medication (p = 0.016).
Conclusion: There was low awareness of patients about the safety and use of the medications. Increasing the awareness of the patients regarding the safety and use of drugs is necessary.
Key words: Patients, knowledge, safety, use, drugs
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