Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, pharmacotherapy counseling, and patient education about Down syndrome among community pharmacists: a cross-sectional study

Background – Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common causes of intellectual disability and is associated with multiple clinical challenges. The role of pharmacists in the care of individuals with DS is essential and cannot be overlooked, given the specific clinical characteristics that may affect the pharmacotherapy of this condition. Objective – This study aimed to assess community pharmacists’ knowledge and attitudes toward individuals with DS, as well as their provision of patient education and counseling in Türkiye. Methods – A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire among community pharmacists in Türkiye. Results – A total of 497 community pharmacists participated in the study, of whom 77.7% had no prior DS training. Approximately 45.5% of participants demonstrated awareness of medications used in the pharmacotherapy of DS, and 39.6% were aware of potential adverse drug effects associated with medications used in individuals with DS. The mean scores were 5.4 ± 1.4 for general knowledge of DS, 5.7 ± 2.3 for DS treatment knowledge, and 5.1 ± 1.2 for attitudes toward DS. A statistically significant association was found between the knowledge of DS clinical characteristics (KDSC) and female gender (p = 0.01), higher educational level (p = 0.009), and prior DS training (p = 0.002). Conclusion – Turkish community pharmacists demonstrated a good level of knowledge and positive attitudes toward DS. However, gaps were identified in pharmacotherapy knowledge, as well as in patient education and counseling related to this condition.