Assessment of Awareness and Knowledge of Food-Drug Interactions Among Healthcare Professionals and Patients in India

Background

Food-Drug Interactions (FDIs) can lead to significant changes in drug efficacy and safety and may result in therapeutic failure. Inadequate knowledge and awareness of FDIs among Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) and patients can further increase the risk of such interactions. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of FDIs among patients and HCPs and to identify the demographic and professional factors associated with their knowledge levels.

Materials and Methods

A six-month cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital. Awareness and knowledge of food-drug interactions were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Statistically results were determined using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests and logistic regression models.

Results

The study included total of 1,011 participants. Among patients, 47.0% had moderate knowledge, while 32.3% had poor, and 20.7% had good knowledge. Clinical pharmacists scored highest among HCPs, followed by physicians, while interns and nurses scored lower in terms of knowledge. Knowledge score results were significantly associated with professional category and educational levels among HCPs (p<0.05).

Conclusion

The study reveals an existing knowledge gap with respect to FDI among these patients as well as among certain HCP groups. It may be possible to improve patient safety by means of education.