Alhanouf Khalid Alsharif

Background: Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and one of the largest mass gatherings. The pilgrims with different medical problems may come for hajj with their own medications. Many variables make it difficult to handle and store the medications properly. It may cause degradation of drugs especially the temperature-sensitive medications. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the attitude knowledge and practices of Hajj pilgrims regarding medication storage and handling for ensuring the quality, safety, and effectiveness of medications and avoid major risk to one’s health and safety. Objective: to evaluate the knowledge practices and attitude of Hajj pilgrims regarding medications storage and handling during the Hajj season. Methods: The study used cross-sectional design .A survey conducted with electronic questionnaire for data collection by using face to face interview technique. 305 Hajj pilgrims from different nationalities were selected using convenient sampling method. The study was conducted in 2024 among hajj pilgrims. Results: 55.1% of the participants have diabetic mellitus and among them 41.1% used anti-diabetic injectable and 68.1% reported having additional chronic conditions. Knowledge levels indicated that 69.2% of participants had high knowledge scores. Knowledge levels were significantly associated with age, nationality, diabetes status, and use of anti-diabetic injectable. Attitudes toward medication storage practices showed that 80.3% demonstrated positive attitudes. Attitude showed no statistically significant associations with any of the examined variables. Regarding practice levels 52.8% of participants classified as having good practice. Better storage practices were significantly associated with nationality, educational level, and diabetes status. Conclusion: Targeted public education and awareness programs on medication handling among pilgrims are recommended, as medication handling and storage is a sensitive issue and of great importance in daily life.