823 Pharmacy KIDS – pharmacy students’ knowledge identifying and managing minor ailments in children

Abstract

<h3>Background</h3> Minor ailments are self-limiting conditions typically managed without medical intervention. Children are particularly susceptible due to their reduced immunity. Community pharmacists are highly accessible healthcare professionals thus often the first contact for advice/management. Pharmacy students must therefore be adequately prepared to identify and manage minor ailments. Use of health literacy supports- tools that aid communication of health advice to patients/carers can assist with this. Low health literacy may result in inappropriate management of conditions/choice of healthcare services. Exposure to health literacy supports and managing patients of all ages at undergraduate level facilitates training of competent future healthcare professionals. <h3>Objectives</h3> Design and pilot a questionnaire capturing the views of undergraduate pharmacy students at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) on managing minor ailments in children. Determine pharmacy students’ knowledge on best management of common childhood minor ailments. Identify pharmacy students’ understanding of the use, and most appropriate, health literacy supports to aid communication with those of low health literacy. Explore pharmacy students’ opinions on the importance of learning about paediatric patients at undergraduate level and their confidence in dealing with minor ailments. Collate suggestions regarding improvement of paediatric education for undergraduate pharmacy students. <h3>Methods</h3> Ethical approval was obtained from LJMU Research Ethics Committee (PBS/2020–21/05). A questionnaire from a previous study in our team was adapted and prepared for online distribution using Microsoft Forms. The questionnaire captured: demographics, knowledge of common childhood conditions (colic, common cold, constipation, croup, fever, nappy rash and teething), health literacy supports, and undergraduate paediatric education. Final year LJMU pharmacy students (N=96) were recruited via email. Open and closed questions were used, including a 5 point Likert scale. Free text responses were also collected. Descriptive statistics using Microsoft excel determined quantitative conclusions e.g. frequencies and percentages, and qualitative responses explored via thematic analysis. <h3>Results</h3> The response rate was 25% (N=24). Students ranked treatment options on a 5-point Likert scale (strongly agree-strongly disagree). Overall they demonstrated reasonable knowledge with some cases providing a stronger management consensus than others, neutral responses were considered as potential areas where further education is required. A range of appropriate management options were selected including: non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions and referral for worsening conditions. Health literacy supports were considered as useful communication tools (83%), with digital supports preferred. All acknowledged the importance of paediatric minor ailment teaching and there was a desire for increased child-health education at undergraduate level to ensure preparedness for practice. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The study provides insight into pharmacy students’ views of paediatric minor ailment management and undergraduate teaching. Participants demonstrated reasonable knowledge of minor ailments in children. The ability to recognise professional limitations and refer worsening conditions is promising. Community pharmacists in particular must determine symptom severity and signpost to further health services where necessary. Confident and competent consulting is a necessary skill for providing effective healthcare. Future studies will include questionnaire distribution to other Schools of Pharmacy thus further informing pharmacy student educators of areas for improvement, and development of an in-house paediatric training pack as requested by participants, to improve paediatric pharmacy education at LJMU.