Awareness and knowledge of autism among pharmacists

doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2011.11.002

Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy

Volume 8, Issue 5, September–October 2012, Pages 464-471

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2011.11.002 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

In the past few decades, the prevalence of autism has increased tremendously in the United States. The prevalence of autism is now higher than the combined prevalence of juvenile diabetes, pediatric cancer, and pediatric AIDS. As health care professionals with a high visibility in a community, pharmacists are likely to encounter more and more families having a child affected by this disorder.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacists’ awareness and knowledge of autism. The study aimed to assess pharmacists’ familiarity with autism symptoms, treatment medications, and community resources devoted to this disorder. Further, pharmacists’ knowledge of common myths associated with autism, etiology, prognosis, and treatment were assessed.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional design, an online survey of pharmacists registered in the state of Mississippi (MS) was conducted, using the Qualtrics software program. Descriptive analysis of study items was conducted.

Results

A total of 147 usable responses (5.8%) were received. The results indicated gaps in pharmacists’ awareness and knowledge of autism. Approximately, 23% of pharmacists did not know that autism is a developmental disorder, and 32% did not believe that genetics has a major role in autism etiology. More than 18% believed that vaccines can cause autism. Most (>90%) felt that they could benefit from autism continuing education (CE).

Conclusion

Policy makers and autism agencies should consider providing educational interventions or CE programs to increase pharmacists’ awareness and knowledge of autism.

Introduction

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability that is typically associated with limitations in social interaction, communication, and behavioral development.¹ Because of increasing prevalence, autism is widely considered to be an emerging public health concern.² Recent studies have found the prevalence of autism to be ∼1% among children in the United States.³ Autism is more prevalent than juvenile diabetes, pediatric cancer, and pediatric AIDS combined.⁴ Autism occurs because of an interaction of genetic and environmental factors,⁵ and is 3-4 times more prevalent among males than females.⁶ Currently, there is no cure for autism⁷; however, there are pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment options available to alleviate the symptoms associated with this disorder.

Pharmacotherapy is becoming an increasingly important treatment component in autism, especially about managing behavioral problems such as aggressiveness, anxiety, hyperactivity, and tantrums. Although only 2 drugs, risperidone and aripiprazole are indicated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manage behavioral symptoms associated with autism, studies have found a generally high use of prescription medications in this population.8, 9, 10, 11 In 1 study, the use of psychotropic or nonpsychotropic drugs among individuals 10-48 years of age with autism was found to be as high as 81%.⁹ In another study, Mandell et al⁸ found 56% of children with autism enrolled in Medicaid program to have 1 or more prescription for psychotropic drugs. Commonly used psychotropic drug classes among individuals with autism include antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, and anxiolytics.⁸

Given the recent trends in increasing autism prevalence and the high use of medications in this population, it is reasonable to suggest that pharmacists are likely to encounter more and more families of individuals with this disorder. Being a key player in the health care arena, pharmacists could play an important role in the care of individuals with autism and their caregivers by familiarizing themselves with autism-related resources in their community and guiding families to relevant professional resources. A thorough review of the literature did not reveal any previous study that has assessed awareness and knowledge of autism among pharmacists. The purpose of this study was to determine pharmacists’ awareness and knowledge of core symptoms, etiology, and treatment of autism.

Section snippets

Study design and sample

A cross-sectional survey design was used for this study. The target population of interest consisted of registered pharmacists in the state of Mississippi (MS). A mailing list (e-mail addresses) of 2543 registered pharmacists in MS was obtained from the state Board of Pharmacy. An online questionnaire was administered to these pharmacists using the Qualtrics software program (Qualtrics Inc., Provo, UT). The questionnaire was deployed on June 1, 2011 and was available through July 7, 2011. To

Results

Of the 2543 pharmacists that were targeted through e-mail, 2 were returned because of wrong e-mail address. A total of 152 pharmacists participated in the online survey; however, 5 of them had more than 15% missing data, and were removed from study analyses. The demographic- and practice-related characteristics of the final sample are listed in Table 1. When comparing the demographic- and practice-related characteristics of the early responders (those who responded to the first e-mail seeking

Discussion

From being a rare disorder just a few decades ago, autism has emerged as an increasingly important public health issue in the United States. For a complex disorder such as autism, parents are more likely to rely on health care professionals to gain further insights into its treatment. Given their ease of accessibility when compared with other health care professionals, pharmacists are in position to provide medical information support to parents of children with autism. To the best knowledge of

Conclusion

Autism is a growing public health issue, and places a significant burden on individuals with the disorder, parents, and society. As one of the few health care professionals that are easily accessible within a community, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to alleviate the burden of autism. The present study highlights gaps in pharmacists’ awareness and knowledge of autism. Despite abundant epidemiological evidence indicating a lack of relationship between vaccines and autism, close to 1 in 5

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Drs Kathryn Drager and Julie A. Strunk for sharing their respective survey instruments and giving us the permission to use them for our study. In addition, they thank the MS Board of Pharmacy for their assistance with this study.

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La formación en trastornos del espectro autista (TEA) por parte de los pediatras es esencial para su diagnóstico precoz. Sin embargo, son escasos los estudios que han cuantificado este conocimiento, por lo que el objetivo principal es determinar el nivel formativo sobre TEA entre pediatras de atención hospitalaria en diferentes comunidades e identificar aspectos a mejorar.
Un total de 157 pediatras de atención hospitalaria de 3 comunidades autónomas completó el cuestionario online sobre TEA, estructurado en 3 partes (sociodemográfico, nivel formativo y opinión). Los datos fueron analizados con SPSS (versión 15).
La media ± desviación estándar de puntuaciones en el cuestionario fue 20,34 ± 2,43 (puntuación máxima posible: 23). Un 65% puntúa en todos los dominios igual o superior a la media. Los conceptos menos conocidos son: patrones restringidos de conducta, concepto general TEA y comorbilidades posibles. No hay diferencias estadísticamente significativas en cuanto a las puntuaciones entre diferentes grupos de pediatras según variables sociodemográficas. Un 64% de los pediatras opina que su conocimiento sobre TEA es limitado. Destaca un desconocimiento importante sobre la disponibilidad de recursos, presente en todas las comunidades estudiadas.
Existe un adecuado nivel general de conocimientos sobre TEA entre los pediatras, pero un deficiente conocimiento en la parte práctica del manejo de estos pacientes y en la coordinación entre los diferentes equipos que participan en el cuidado de estos. Los esfuerzos deberían centrarse en lograr una buena comunicación entre estos equipos y en mantener actualizados los conocimientos sobre TEA a todos los niveles.
Training in autistic spectrum disorders is crucial in order to achieve an early diagnosis. However, the number of papers describing this training is limited. This study describes this level of knowledge among paediatricians from tertiary care hospitals in different regions of Spain and detects areas that need improvement.
A total of one hundred and fifty-seven (157) paediatricians working in tertiary healthcare hospitals located in three different regions in Spain consented to complete an online questionnaire divided in three sections (socio-demographic, knowledge about childhood autism, and opinion). Data were analysed using SPSS version 15.
The total mean score of participating paediatricians in the questionnaire was 20.34 (± 2.43 SD) out of a total possible score of 23. Approximately two-thirds (65%) of paediatricians scored more or equal to the mean score. The knowledge gap was found to be higher with symptoms of repetitive behaviour patterns, concept of autism, and comorbidity, with no statistical significance. There were no differences in paediatrician scores within different socio-demographic groups. Just under two-thirds (64%) of paediatricians subscribed to the opinion that their own knowledge about autism is limited, and there is a significant lack of knowledge about facilities in every region.
There is a sufficient level of knowledge about autism among paediatricians in tertiary healthcare, although a lack of awareness about the management of these patients, with poor coordination between the different specialists that are involved in their treatment. Efforts should focus on achieving a better coordination between these specialists, and update the knowledge gaps identified.
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Citation Excerpt :
A patient is considerably more likely to get vaccinated when educated and prompted by his or her pharmacist compared to those unprompted.8 However, pharmacists report a need to gain more knowledge and understanding on diseases to provide better consultations to patients and their families.9 Appreciation of the knowledge, perceptions and apprehensions of students entering health care professional training, who are effectively laypeople, can help provide insight into how to improve and guide immunization training from the start of professional education.
The primary aim of this study was to explore changes in knowledge level, perceived importance and apprehension of immunizations by first year pharmacy students pre- vs. post-immunization education and training.
First year pharmacy students at the University of California San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (UC San Diego SSPPS) completed a pre- and post-immunization training course questionnaire. Knowledge base and perceived importance level of immunizations including hepatitis B, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), varicella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), meningococcal and human papilloma virus (HPV) were assessed. In addition, apprehension of needle administration and fears regarding safety and efficacy were evaluated.
Of 120 students, 85 (71%) completed pre- and post-course questionnaires for this study. Mean knowledge test scores increased from 56% pre-course to 83% post-course. Pre-course, 73% of participants considered immunizations as very important in preventing future disease outbreaks. Post-course, this percentage climbed to 94%. Prior to taking the course, 52% of students were apprehensive about administering injections; however, after completing the course this percentage declined to 33%. The majority of students who had been fearful prior to the course retained their fears of receiving needle injections. The proportion of students believing immunizations should be a personal choice, not mandatory, did not significantly change from pre-course (49%) to post-course (44%).
The UC San Diego SSPPS immunization course increased student knowledge of immunization facts and the perceived importance of immunizations. However, a substantial portion of students retained apprehension about administering and receiving needle injections and the proportion believing immunizations should be a personal choice, almost half, did not change appreciably.
Autism familiarity and knowledge among pharmacy students
2014, Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning
Citation Excerpt :
The survey questionnaire used for the current study was based on the survey used for our earlier work18 with community pharmacists. Further details on original survey construction are included in the earlier study report.18 Modifications were made to gather data appropriate for this study.
Autism is a growing public health burden as its prevalence and medical costs continue to rise, making knowledge of, and familiarity with, autism among current and future healthcare professionals crucial. While studies have examined autism familiarity and knowledge among other healthcare professionals including medical students, such studies are yet to be conducted among pharmacy students. The purpose of this study was to assess the familiarity and knowledge of autism among pharmacy students.
A cross-sectional, descriptive design was employed with a self-administered, paper-based survey distributed to professional pharmacy students in a southeastern university school of pharmacy. The survey was designed to assess students’ familiarity with and knowledge of autism, their educational background on autism, and their demographic characteristics.
Completed surveys were received from 196 (60.1%) pharmacy students. Students reported themselves to be less than somewhat familiar with autism (2.48 ± 0.76). Fourth-year professional students reported the highest familiarity with autism. Most students reported not having received autism instruction in their curricula but agreed that autism should be covered in their curricula.
Given pharmacy students’ lack of familiarity with autism and willingness to learn about autism in pharmacy school, pharmacy educators are encouraged to include autism in their curricula.
Meeting the mental health needs of autistic college students: a survey of university and college counseling center clinicians
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A cross-sectional study of community pharmacists' self-reported disease knowledge and competence in the treatment of childhood autism spectrum disorder
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View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Research BriefAwareness and knowledge of autism among pharmacists

Abstract

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Section snippets

Study design and sample

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Disabil Health J

Lancet

Lancet

Res Autism Spectr Disord

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States, 2006

MMWR Surveill Summ

The CHARGE study: an epidemiologic investigation of genetic and environmental factors contributing to autism

Environ Health Perspect

Evaluation and management of the child with speech delay

Am Fam Physician

Psychopharmacology in autism

Psychosom Med

Psychotropic medication use among Medicaid-enrolled children with autism spectrum disorders

Pediatrics

A longitudinal investigation of psychotropic and non-psychotropic medication use among adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders

J Autism Dev Disord

Treatment planning for patients with autism spectrum disorders

J Clin Psychiatry

State variation in psychotropic medication use by foster care children with autism spectrum disorder

Pediatrics

School nurses’ knowledge of autism spectrum disorders

J Sch Nurs

Training and knowledge in autism among speech-language pathologists: a survey

Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch

Retraction–Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children

Lancet

Research Brief
Awareness and knowledge of autism among pharmacists