Long-term impact of a community pharmacist-led theme day on medication knowledge for primary school students: a questionnaire survey

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Abstract
Background: The autonomy of children in medication use has increased globally, with many children using medicines without parental awareness. Children‘s knowledge about medication, however, is often inadequate. With education on medication limited in elementary schools in many countries, including in Denmark, community pharmacists may play a crucial role in enhancing medication knowledge among children. In the national Danish project School Medicines Theme Day (SMT intervention), community pharmacists, in cooperation with teachers, spent a full day teaching primary school students (4th to 6th grade) about safe medication use through hands-on activities. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate primary school students’ long-term knowledge about medication and handling of medication before and 1–2 months after the SMT intervention. We hypothesized that increased knowledge would lead to safer and more appropriate medication handling by the students. Methods: A survey (comprising 12 items) was distributed to the 81 primary school classes participating in the SMT intervention between 2023 and 2024, with a pre-intervention (Survey 1) and a post-intervention survey (Survey 2). Data analysis was conducted at class level by the use of a nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test to evaluate changes in students’ responses, with a significance level set at 5%. Results: The response rates were 100% for Survey 1 (1,394 students) and 88% for Survey 2 (949 students). Significant improvements in students’ knowledge about medication and its handling were observed for 9 out of 12 items, indicating a lasting effect of the SMT intervention. No significant change was noted for the 2 items related to scientific concepts in the Danish curriculum. Conclusion: The SMT intervention led by community pharmacists significantly improved primary school students’ knowledge about medication months after the intervention. A broader implementation of such activities could enhance long-term medication literacy and safe handling practices among students.