Perspective of biopharmaceutics knowledge and practice of pharmacy personnel toward the effect of medication route and medical procedure on nullifying fasting

BACKGROUND: In Ramadan, most of the dosing schedules for the patients are changed, and to ensure patient compliance to medications and to healthy life among patients, appropriate guidelines and educations are needed. This can be achieved by pharmacy personnel in all clinical settings who are recognized as biopharmaceutical experts and integral educators of medications. AIMS: This study aimed to identify the perspective knowledge of pharmacy personnel about effect of medication route and medical procedure on nullifying fasting in Ramadan and to determine the predictors of this knowledge. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan during March-April 2022. An internet-based self-administrated questionnaire on knowledge, and views was distributed using social media groups to the pharmacy personnel among different geographical areas in Jordan. A descriptive and univariate analysis were performed. Binary logistic regression was conducted to determine the predictors of knowledge including all variables with p < 0.20 on univariate analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1003 responses to the study questionnaire were collected and included in the analysis. The most common source that pharmacy personnel used to get information on medication intake and medical procedures during fasting in Ramadan was Fatwa (57.8%) followed by Islamic materials “books and brochures” (47.1%). The majority of respondents were knowledgeable about the effect of administration route of medication and medical procedures on nullifying fasting in Ramadan (greater than70%). The univariate analysis showed that more than half of respondents (56.1%) were considered knowledgeable, and the binary logistic regression analysis identified that both professional degree type and confidence of respondents to modify the patient's medication schedule as predictors for knowledge (OR = 1.791, 95% CI = 1.035–3.098, p = 0.037), (OR = 1.375, 95% CI = 1.04–1.817, p = 0.025), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Most of pharmacy personnel in Jordan are knowledgeable in biopharmaceutics principles and practice toward effect of medication route and medical procedure on nullifying fasting, and the identified predictors for this knowledge, can provide an opportunity to improve safe and effective use of medications and medical procedures during the holy month of Ramadan.