Amat Aljabar Faisal Abbas¹ , Ali Mohammed Abd Alridha²

Abstract

Purpose: To assess pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) among cancer patients. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a control group was conducted from May to September 2025. Forty-four pharmacists from two oncology wards, including Babylon Oncology Centre and Al Imam al-Sadeq Hospital in Babylon governorate, Iraq, were selected. The 44 participants were divided equally into 2 groups: intervention group and control group. A validated questionnaire was used to assess KAP regarding drug interactions in oncology wards before and 4 weeks after intervention. Only intervention group received the educational intervention, which included a scientific lecture, booklets, and brochures. While control group didn’t receive any intervention. Results: The pre-intervention KAP scores were 54.16, 66.47, and 69.77 % for knowledge, attitudes, and practices, respectively, in intervention group. Post-intervention scores of KAP of intervention group were 84.28, 90.11, and 80.07 %, respectively, which show a significant increase in all KAP domains (p < 0.05) in intervention group. No significant change (p > 0.05) was observed in control group across pre post study phase (40.909 ± 27.053 vs 44.691 ± 23.611), (62.727 ± 10.261 vs 62.95 ± 9.214), and (67.575 ± 14.913 vs 66.515 ± 13.322) for KAP, respectively, but significant change was found when compared with intervention group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: There is suboptimal KAP regarding drug interactions among the pharmacists assessed, and educational intervention significantly enhanced their KAP regarding drug interactions in oncology settings. Structured educational programs on PDDIs, especially in oncology settings, aim to ensure cancer patients' safety and minimize unwanted drug-related issues, which is therefore advocated.