ANALYSIS OF KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF PHARMACEUTICAL STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GENERAL SOEDIRMAN ABOUT ANTIBIOTICS, ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE, AND ANTIBIOTIC STEWARDSHIP

Suci Sarifah Muwahidah, Tunggul Adi Purwonugroho^*, Laksmi Maharani, Dewi Latifatul Ilma, Hening Pratiwi

Background: The knowledge of pharmacy students regarding antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and antibiotic stewardship plays an important role in their future career as pharmacists to optimally contribute to the prevention of antibiotic resistance and appropriate use of antibiotics. Purpose: This study aims to determine the level of knowledge of pharmacy students and differences in knowledge levels based on gender, year of study, and their enrollment status of pharmacotherapy courses of infectious disease.

Methods: This study was an observational study with a cross-sectional method. Data collection was carried out using an online questionnaire via google form to undergraduate students in the first, second, third, and fourth years of Pharmacy at Jenderal Sudirman University. Univariate analysis was performed and bivariate analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis or Mann-Whitney was conducted accordingly.

Results: The results from 305 respondents showed that 66.6% of students had good a knowledge of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and antibiotic stewardship. Students who belong to older year had a significant higher score than their younger counterpart (p <0.001). Furthermore, students who had enrolled the course had a significant higher score than they   who had not taken the course (p <0.001). Additionally, there was no knowledge difference between male and female students. (p >0.05).

Conclusion: Overall, undergraduate pharmacy students had a good knowledge about antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and antibiotic stewardship. There were a significant difference between the year of study and the enrollement status of the pharmacotherapy course of  infectious diseases with the level of knowledge.

Keywords: knowledge, pharmacy students, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, antibiotic stewardship