Knowledge and Attitude towards Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus among Pharmacists in Japan

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude towards cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) among pharmacists in Japan. METHODS: Questionnaires were disseminated to 788 pharmacists employed by the Tsuruha Holdings Inc. A total of 617 pharmacists responded, generating a response rate of 78.3%. RESULT: Of the 362 females and 255 males, vaccination rates were 14.4% and 0.8%, respectively. In terms of cervical cytology, 35.1% of females received it once every two years, and 26.2% received it irregularly. As for HPV testing, 12.2% of females received it once every two years, and 16.6% received it irregularly. The rate of “school curriculum” as an information source was significantly higher among younger pharmacists; while “internet”, “media”, “training seminar for pharmacist”, “advertisement in medical institution”, “internal manual”, and “others” were significantly higher among older pharmacists. The proportion of pharmacists with knowledge on general questions, except for those about HPV testing, was significantly higher among females than males. The vaccination rates of younger pharmacists were significantly higher than those of older pharmacists. The screening rates of cervical cytology were significantly higher among older than younger pharmacists, and also among those with at least 10 years of experience than those with less. There were no differences in the screening rates of HPV testing according to age or pharmacist experience. CONCLUSION: The proportion of pharmacists with knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV significantly varied depending on sex, age, and experience as a pharmacist. This study suggested that spreading the knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV might be effective for increasing the rates of cervical cancer screening.