The effectiveness of a mobile application in enhancing community pharmacists' knowledge of natural herbs and drug interactions

Copy igh © 2025 Zanjan Uni e si y o Medical Sciences. Published by Zanjan Uni e si y o Medical Sciences. This wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons A ibu ion-NonComme cial 4.0 In e na ional license (h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by- nc/4.0/). Noncomme cial uses o he wo k a e pe mi ed, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed. The e ec i eness o a mobile applica ion in enhancing communi y pha macis s’ knowledge o na u al he bs and d ug in e ac ions Kama Alku di1* , Mayssoon Dashash2, Chadi Kha ib3 1Medical Educa ion Mas e P og am Meded, Sy ian Vi ual Uni e si y SVU, Damascus, Sy ia. & Facul y o Pha macy, Aleppo Uni e si y, Aleppo, Sy ia 2Depa men o Pedia ic Den is y, Facul y o Den is y, Damascus Uni e si y, Damascus, Sy ia. & Di ec o o he Medical Educa ion P og am Meded, Sy ian Vi ual Uni e si y SVU, Damascus, Sy ia 3Depa men o Pha macognosy, Facul y o Pha macy, Mana a Uni e si y, La akia, Sy ia. & Facul y o Pha macy, Damascus Uni e si y, Damascus, Sy ia A icle in o Abs ac In oduc ion Be o e he widesp ead use o mode n medicine, na u al he bs we e commonly used o ea a ious diseases h oughou his o y. The ea lies eco ds o using na u al he bs o medicinal pu poses can be aced back app oxima ely 5,000 yea s in his o ical ex s om India, G eece, China, Sy ia, and Egyp . This highligh s he ich legacy o adi ional he bal he apy ac oss ancien ci iliza ions [1]. Recen s udies ha e shown a g owing global in e es in na u al he bs, wi h a ound 70-80% o he wo ld popula ion u ning o adi ional he bal medicines o hei p ima y heal hca e needs [2, 3]. Many people belie e in he e ec i eness o na u al he bs in ea ing a wide ange o diseases, compa ing hem o chemical medicines. The popula i y o adi ional he bal emedies can be a ibu ed o hei widesp ead use among pa ien s and hei accessibili y. Mos people iew na u al A icle his o y: Recei ed 14 Sep. 2024 Accep ed 3 Jun. 2025 Published 13 Jul. 2025 Alku di e al. J Med Edu De . 2025; 18(2): 96-104 Jou nal o Medical Educa ion De elopmen Backg ound & Objec i e: The use o na u al he bs is s eadily inc easing wo ldwide. This inc ease has led o a g owing numbe o indi iduals seeking ad ice and guidance om communi y pha macis s on na u al he bs. Un o una ely, communi y pha macis s o en lack su icien knowledge conce ning he uses, side e ec s, and d ug in e ac ions o hese na u al he bs. This s udy aims o de elop and e alua e he quali y and e ec i eness o a mobile applica ion ha ocuses on common na u al he bs and hei in e ac ions wi h medica ions, enhancing he knowledge o Sy ian communi y pha macis s. Ma e ials & Me hods: The sma phone applica ion (He bal Guide) was c ea ed and ins alled on he pa icipan s' phones. A quasi-expe imen al s udy wi h a p e es -pos es design was conduc ed in ol ing wen y- h ee pa icipan s. They comple ed bo h es s o e alua e he applica ion's impac on enhancing he knowledge o Sy ian communi y pha macis s. S a is ical analysis in ol ed using he pai ed- - es o compa e p e- es and pos - es esul s, while C onbach's Alpha was employed o measu e he in e nal consis ency o he e alua ion ques ionnai e s a emen s. Resul s: Nine y-six pha macis s pa icipa ed in his s udy, wi h only wen y- h ee comple ing bo h he p e- es and pos - es and mee ing he c i e ia. The applica ion signi ican ly imp o ed he knowledge o Sy ian communi y pha macis s ega ding common na u al he bs and hei in e ac ions wi h medica ions. The mean and s anda d de ia ion o he pa icipan s' esul s be o e using he applica ion was 17.56 ± 1.22, compa ed o 22.04 ± 1.47 a e using he applica ion. The e was a signi ican di e ence in a e age sco es be o e and a e using he applica ion (p < 0.01). The e we e no s a is ically signi ican di e ences be ween he a e age g ades o pa icipan s and hei gende (p > 0.05) o hei yea s o expe ience (p > 0.05). Mos pa icipan s ound he applica ion easy o use, e ec i e, and cha ac e ized by high-quali y con en and design. Conclusion: The in oduc ion o he new mobile applica ion, "He bal Guide," esul ed in an enhancemen o knowledge among Sy ian communi y pha macis s ega ding common na u al he bs and hei in e ac ions wi h medica ions, as e idenced by posi i e eedback om he s udy pa icipan s. Keywo ds: mobile applica ion, na u al common he bs, medical educa ion, communi y pha macis s, d ug in e ac ions *Co esponding au ho : Kama Alku di, Medical Educa ion Mas e P og am Meded, Sy ian Vi ual Uni e si y SVU, Damascus, Sy ia. & Facul y o Pha macy, Aleppo Uni e si y, Aleppo, Sy ia. Email:0533665281kama @gmail.com O iginal A icle How o ci e his a icle: Alku di K, Dashash M, Kha ib Ch. The e ec i eness o a mobile applica ion in enhancing communi y pha macis s’ knowledge o na u al he bs and d ug in e ac ions. J Med Edu De . 2025; 18(2): 96-104. [ DOI: 10.61882/edcj.18.2.96 ] [ Downloaded om edujou nal.zums.ac.i on 2025-10-03 ] 1 / 9 Alku di e al . : In eg a ed echnology in o medical educa ion Jou nal o Medical Educa ion De elopmen ¦ Volume 18 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ 2025 97 he bs as sa e al e na i es o chemical medicines due o hei na u al o igins [4]. Howe e , some use hese na u al he bs as supplemen s wi hou consul ing heal hca e p o essionals [5], which can pose isks, including in e ac ions wi h pha maceu ical p epa a ions [6]. Addi ionally, i is impo an o no e ha he Food and D ug Adminis a ion (FDA) does no classi y na u al he bs and he bal p epa a ions as d ugs. Unde he Educa ion and Heal h Ac o Die a y Supplemen s o 1994, die a y supplemen s like i amins, mine als, he bs, o plan s (excluding obacco) a e conside ed dis inc om ood and a e in ended o human consump ion only. As a esul , he sa e y and e icacy o na u al he bs and he bal p epa a ions emain unclea . Communi y pha macis s play a c ucial ole as heal hca e p o ide s and in deli e ing op-quali y pha maceu ical ca e se ices [7]. They a e in ol ed in a ious a eas, such as ensu ing pa ien s adhe e o hei p esc ibed medica ions, o e ing counselling, educa ing pa ien s on he uses o na u al he bs, and in o ming hem abou possible in e ac ions [8]. Resea ch in ol ing se e al s udies [9, 10, 11] indica ed ha ce ain communi y pha macis s lack su icien in o ma ion ega ding he side e ec s, p ecau ions, and in e ac ions o he bal p oduc s. They equi e eliable esou ces and knowledge o p o ide e idence-based ad ice o hei cus ome s [12]. Sy ia is dis inc i e o he ichness o i s ege a ion and i s species di e si y; he u ban and u al popula ions s ill ely on adi ional he bal emedies o he ea men o a ious diseases [13, 14]. Addi ionally, he use o common he bs o ea men has become mo e widesp ead due o hei a o dabili y, accessibili y, and cos -e ec i eness. Unlike physician consul a ions, which may in ol e cos s and long wai ing imes, Sy ian communi y pha macis s ypically o e ee and immedia e ad ice. Consequen ly, Sy ian pha macis s a e inc easingly ielding inqui ies abou na u al he bs. The pha macy cu icula in Sy ian uni e si ies include pha macognosy and phy ochemis y cou ses, which a e augh in dep h s a ing om he hi d academic yea . These cou ses aim o p o ide g adua ed pha macis s wi h essen ial compe encies ela ed o he o igin, ac i e ing edien s, and physiological e ec s o medical plan s a he han ocusing solely on hei side e ec s and in e ac ions wi h medica ions. Fu he mo e, many Sy ian communi y pha macis s ha e been in e nally displaced o eloca ed due o he Sy ian c isis. This has in e up ed hei access o con inuous educa ion p og ams, esul ing in a knowledge gap among communi y pha macis s. Se e al s udies conduc ed in Sy ia ac oss a ious medical ields ha e p o ided e idence ha in eg a ing in o ma ion echnology in o medical educa ion can esul in g ea e educa ional oppo uni ies o medical s uden s and heal hca e p o essionals. The in eg a ion o knowledge acili a es acquisi ion, imp o es decision- making, enhances psychomo o skills, and p omo es he de elopmen o new ideas and concep s [15-18]. Addi ionally, in o ma ion echnology can be conside ed an e ec i e adjunc ool ha can o e high-quali y medical educa ion in con lic zones [19]. Fu he mo e, online medical educa ion can yield posi i e ou comes e en in esou ce-limi ed communi ies, p o ided ha he educa ional ma e ials a e ailo ed o he needs, language, and cul u e o he heal hca e p o ide s. Addi ionally, de eloping and e alua ing he scien i ic con en by local medical educa o s who a e amilia wi h hese ac o s can lead o imp o ing he e ec i eness and use ulness o online medical educa ion [20]. In his ega d, sma phone applica ions ha e a posi i e impac on enhancing knowledge and skills among heal hca e p o essionals ac oss a ious heal h opics and con ex s. Mobile applica ions a e e ec i e adjunc ools in medical educa ion due o hei low cos and high e sa ili y [21, 22]. In his con ex , educa ional mobile applica ions on pha maceu ical opics would be c ucial o pha macis s, p o iding hem wi h su icien in o ma ion and assis ing hem in b idging he knowledge gap. Howe e , he li e a u e emains limi ed ega ding he e ec i eness o sma phone educa ional applica ions in enhancing he knowledge o communi y pha macis s in Sy ia. The e o e, his s udy aimed o de elop and e alua e he impac o a mobile applica ion designed o enhance he knowledge o Sy ian communi y pha macis s ega ding na u al he bs and hei in e ac ions wi h medica ions. This assessmen was conduc ed h ough p e- and pos - in e en ion es s, as well as a ques ionnai e o e alua e he applica ion's quali y, e iciency, and ease o use. Ma e ials & Me hods Design and se ing(s) This s udy employed a quasi-expe imen al design wi h a p e- es and pos - es conduc ed on a andomized g oup o Sy ian communi y pha macis s en olled in he Sy ian Pha macis s' Associa ion in Sy ian ci ies in Decembe 2022. Pa icipan s and sampling The sample size consis ed o 96 communi y pha macis s om a ious loca ions in Sy ia, selec ed using a con enience sampling me hod. Eligible pa icipan s we e pha macis s wo king in communi y pha macies in Sy ia who me he inclusion c i e ia o pa icipa ion in his s udy. The sample size was calcula ed using Fo mula A, wi h a 95% con idence le el and an 80% s a is ical powe . The mean and s anda d de ia ion pa ame e s we e also de e mined. 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐀: 𝑛 = 𝑍2𝑝(1−𝑝) 𝑑2 To ec ui a la ge sample, pha macis s we e in o med abou he de eloped applica ion and i s unique ea u es, as well as he s udy's pu pose and p ocedu e h ough ad e isemen on social media pla o ms wi h signi ican pha macis membe ship. Addi ionally, o u he inc ease he sample size, ex a communi y pha macis s [ DOI: 10.61882/edcj.18.2.96 ] [ Downloaded om edujou nal.zums.ac.i on 2025-10-03 ] 2 / 9 Alku di e al . : In eg a ed echnology in o medical educa ion 98 Jou nal o Medical Educa ion De elopmen ¦ Volume 18 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ 2025 we e con ac ed a hei pha macies in di e en Sy ian ci ies. The esponses om Pha macis s who exp essed in e es in he applica ion, accep ed pa icipa ion in he s udy, and me he inclusion c i e ia we e analyzed by he main esea che o con i m hei eligibili y. The inclusion c i e ia equi ed pha macis s o be licensed in he Sy ian A ab Republic, employed in communi y pha macies, hold a leas a bachelo 's deg ee o a highe quali ica ion, and be willing o olun a ily pa icipa e in his s udy. The exclusion c i e ia included pha macy pe sonnel wo king in o he sec o s, such as hospi als, indus y, and academia (Figu e 1). The s udy in ol ed 23 eligible pha macis s (16 emale, se en male). In o ma ion collec ed om he pa icipa ing pha macis s includes age, gende , yea s o expe ience, and he uni e si y om which hey g adua ed. The pe sonal in o ma ion was compiled and sen o he p og am coo dina o , who hen p o ided an elec onic link o download he applica ion, along wi h an ins uc ional ideo explaining egis a ion s eps and how o use he applica ion. Figu e 1. CONSORT diag am o pa icipan s eligible, d opped ou , numbe s ollowed up and included in analysis Tools/Ins umen s The s udy comp ised wo phases: he ini ial phase in ol ed he c ea ion and de elopmen o he applica ion. In con as , he subsequen phase ocused on e alua ing he applica ion's e ec i eness in enhancing pha macis s' knowledge o common he bal emedies and hei in e ac ions wi h medica ions. Addi ionally, he s udy in ol ed e alua ing he quali y o he applica ion's con en , design, and usabili y. The i s phase o his s udy ook place be o e he in e en ion, du ing which he scien i ic con en o he applica ion was de eloped by he p ima y esea che . This de elopmen d ew on he Physicians' Desk Re e ence (PDR) - Fou h Edi ion o Medicinal He bs, as well as ele an in e na ional a icles and publica ions a ailable on PubMed. The selec ion o common na u al he bs included in he applica ion was based on hei popula i y and demand in pha macies in he Sy ian A ab Republic. The con en was e ined h ough ocused discussions wi h supe ising p o esso s who ac ed as a bi a o s o de e mine he sessional con en o be included in he applica ion. The scien i ic con en was alida ed by MD, a acul y membe and an expe in medical educa ion, and CK, a acul y membe a he Sy ian Pha macy College and an expe in pha macognosy and phy ochemis y. They ensu ed he con en was aligned wi h c i ical in o ma ion om he Sy ian pha macy cu icula and hei p ac ical expe iences. (addi ional de ails can be ound in Appendix 1). A e ecei ing he app o al, he sma phone applica ion "He bal Guide" was speci ically [ DOI: 10.61882/edcj.18.2.96 ] [ Downloaded om edujou nal.zums.ac.i on 2025-10-03 ] 3 / 9 Alku di e al . : In eg a ed echnology in o medical educa ion Jou nal o Medical Educa ion De elopmen ¦ Volume 18 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ 2025 99 de eloped o sma phones ope a ing on he And oid o iOS sys ems. The design, p og amming, and es ing phases las ed app oxima ely wo mon hs, du ing which he de elopmen eam p o ided he esea che wi h a ial e sion o he applica ion on a weekly basis o ensu e ha he e we e no echnical o scien i ic e o s. The p e-and pos - es s we e designed in A abic o assess he knowledge le el o pa icipan s and pha macis s be o e engaging wi h he applica ion and o de e mine whe he i had imp o ed a e use. The p e- es was designed in alignmen wi h he pu pose o which he applica ion was de eloped. Addi ionally, he es consis ed o a se ies o ques ions co e ing he uses o commonly ound na u al he bs, po en ial con aindica ions, side e ec s, and in e ac ions wi h d ugs o assess he pa icipan s' knowledge be o e engaging wi h he applica ion. The assessmen con ained wen y- i e ques ions. Fi een ques ions we e in a mul iple-choice o ma , and en ques ions ollowed a ue o alse empla e (Appendix 2). The p e- es was adminis e ed immedia ely a e egis a ion o he applica ion and be o e he con en was displayed. Upon comple ion o he p e- es ques ions, pa icipan s we e asked o submi hei esponses ia e- mail o he esea che . Subsequen ly, he second phase o his esea ch in ol ed implemen ing he in e en ion. In his phase, he applica ion's con en ea u es a collec ion o amilia na u al he bs. Each he b was accompanied by an illus a i e image, i s scien i ic name in A abic and English, and a sea ch ool a he op o he sc een. Each he b is p esen ed on a sepa a e sc een, including in o ma ion such as he scien i ic name, medicinal pa , he apeu ic p ope ies, con aindica ions, side e ec s, p ominen d ug in e ac ions, and e e ences. The applica ion was used o h ee weeks, du ing which he esea che ac i ely encou aged and eminded pa icipan s o use i h ough a Wha sApp g oup. The esea che p o ided guidance on comple ing he pos - es . The applica ion ea u ed an e alua ion icon nex o each he b; when clicked, i di ec ed use s o he pos - es , which eplica ed he ques ions om he p e- es . This pos - es was adminis a ed immedia ely a e wen y- one days o using he applica ion, and pa icipan s submi ed hei esponses ia e-mail o he esea che . The maximum possible sco e o each es was wen y- i e. Addi ionally, a eedback ques ionnai e was included in he pos - es o e alua e he con en quali y, design e ec i eness, and use - iendliness o he applica ion. This ques ionnai e was s uc u ed in h ee sec ions, each con aining en s a emen s a ed on a i e- poin Like scale, whe e one indica ed "s ongly disag ee," wo ep esen ed "disag ee," 3 was "unsu e," 4 s ood o "ag ee" and i e deno ed "s ongly ag ee" (Appendix3). To assess in e nal consis ency, C onbach's alpha coe icien was applied o he ques ionnai e i ems. The i s sec ion sco ed 0.81, he second sec ion 0.69, and he hi d sec ion 0.78. Values ange om 0 o 1, wi h an accep able h eshold in social s udies being 0.60. These esul s indica e ha he ques ionnai e is eliable, alid, and hones . Con en and ace alidi y we e checked and examined by he supe iso , MD, who is an expe in he medical educa ion ield. Addi ionally, he mean and s anda d de ia ion we e used o analyze he dis ibu ion o esponses o each i em, p o iding insigh s in o pa icipan s' sa is ac ion. Da a collec ion me hods Be o e hei pa icipa ion, in o med consen was ob ained om all pa icipan s. The consen o m, w i en in A abic, p o ided a clea desc ip ion o he s udy objec i es and p ocedu es. Pa icipan s we e assu ed ha hei pe sonal in o ma ion would be secu ely s o ed and solely used in his s udy. A basic ins uc ional ideo was p epa ed and dis ibu ed o 96 pa icipan s, explaining egis a ion s eps and how o use he applica ion as he i s s ep o his s udy. A o al o 23 pa icipan s who me he inclusion c i e ia ag eed o ake pa in he s udy. Da a analysis Only he esul s om pa icipan s who comple ed all s udy p ocedu es we e included. Da a om he p e-and pos - es s we e o ganized in Excel 2019. A one- ailed pai ed - es was pe o med o assess di e ences be ween he p e-and pos - es esul s wi h a signi icance le el se a p < 0.05. Desc ip i e s a is ics, including mean and SD, we e u ilized o analyze he s udy ou comes. A i e- poin Like scale was implemen ed as a ques ionnai e o assess he quali y, e iciency, and ease o use o he applica ion. The mean and S anda d De ia ion o each s a emen we e collec ed on a scale o 1 o 5. C onbach's Alpha was employed o measu e he in e nal consis ency o he ques ionnai e. Resul s A o al o 96 Sy ian communi y pha macis s pa icipa ed in he s udy, comp ising 22 men and 47 women. The pa icipan s' ages anged be ween wen y- wo and i y yea s, wi h hei yea s o expe ience spanning om one o hi y yea s. The majo i y o pa icipan s, o aling 72, g adua ed om public uni e si ies, while 24 g adua ed om p i a e uni e si ies. A o al o wen y- h ee pa icipan s (16 emales, ep esen ing 69.6%, and se en males, ep esen ing 30.4%) me he c i e ia and we e in i ed o olun a ily pa icipa e in his s udy. The esul s showed a signi ican imp o emen in pa icipan s' knowledge ollowing he use o he He bal Guide applica ion. The a e age sco e in he p e- es s was 17.5, which signi ican ly inc eased o an a e age o 22.04 in he pos - es s, indica ing a s a is ically signi ican imp o emen (p = 0.002). Fu he mo e, he s anda d de ia ion in p e- es sco es was lowe han ha o he pos - es sco es. De ailed esul s can be ound in (Table 1). Twen y- h ee pa icipan s comple ed he e alua ion ques ionnai e. The majo i y o hem desc ibed using he applica ion in a posi i e manne . They mos ly ag eed wi h he posi i e s a emen s ha gauged he applica ion's [ DOI: 10.61882/edcj.18.2.96 ] [ Downloaded om edujou nal.zums.ac.i on 2025-10-03 ] 4 / 9 Alku di e al . : In eg a ed echnology in o medical educa ion 100 Jou nal o Medical Educa ion De elopmen ¦ Volume 18 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ 2025 quali y, e iciency, and ease o use. O e all sa is ac ion wi h bo h he applica ion's con en and design was high. All pa icipan s ag eed on se en ou o en s a emen s ela ed o he con en , wi h one pa icipan sugges ing a eminde ea u e o pha macis s who may o e look ce ain in o ma ion. O e 85% o he pa icipan s ag eed wi h he s a emen s. Some pa icipan s el ha he scien i ic con en could be p esen ed in a mo e o ganized and clea manne o exp essed a desi e o mo e no el in o ma ion a he han a summa y o exis ing knowledge. Rega ding he design e alua ion, all pa icipan s ag eed wi h six s a emen s, wi h mos also ag eeing wi h he emaining ones. Howe e , he e we e di e ing opinions on ce ain aspec s, like po en ial addi ions o he applica ion. E e yone ound he He bal Guide applica ion simple and use - iendly. Many p aised i s simplici y, belie ing i o be accessible o all. Pa icipan s unanimously acknowledged he applica ion's po en ial o imp o e pha maceu ical se ices and ecommended i o hei pee s. They also ecognized i s p ac icali y o daily p ac ice. Mo e han 90% o pa icipan s el ha he applica ion adequa ely mee s i s in ended pu pose. Some pa icipan s, pa icula ly hose wi h ex ensi e expe ience, no ed a eas o imp o emen , such as ca e ing o less expe ienced pha macis s, inco po a ing mo e commonly used he bs, and p o iding in o ma ion on he bal mix u es. De ails o he analysis can be ound in Table 2. The in e nal consis ency o he ques ionnai e s a emen s was e alua ed using C onbach's alpha coe icien , wi h sco es o 0.81 o he i s sec ion, 0.69 o he second sec ion, and 0.78 o he hi d sec ion. Table 1. Compa ison o pa icipan s’ sco es be o e and a e he in e en ion Resul s o pa icipan s n Mean ± SD Minimum Maximum Be o e he in e en ion 23 17.56 ± 1.22 15 20 A e he in e en ion 23 22.04 ± 1.47 20 24 P-Value 0.002 No e: A pai ed - es was used o compa e pa icipan s’ sco es be o e and a e he in e en ion. Abb e ia ions: n, numbe o pa icipan s; SD, s anda d de ia ion; p, p obabili y- alue. Table 2. Pa icipan s’ esponses o s a emen s assessing he applica ion’s con en , design, e iciency, and ease o use S a emen s Ag eemen Mean SD Applica ion's con en 1. The con en is ele an o he applica ion's de elopmen objec i es. 100% 4.17 0.38 2. The con en is scien i ically accu a e and up- o-da e. 100% 4.13 0.34 3. The con en akes in o accoun pha macis s’ p io knowledge. 100% 4.26 0.44 4. The con en is o ganized in a clea and logical manne . 91.31% 4.06 0.54 5. The language and e minology used a e unde s andable and amilia . 100% 4.21 0.42 6. The con en connec s new in o ma ion o exis ing knowledge. 91.3% 4 0.60 7. Pha macis s can independen ly access he in o ma ion. 100% 4.26 0.44 8. The con en is s uc u ed o acili a e knowledge acquisi ion. 86.9% 3.91 0.62 9. The con en is comp ehensi e and di ec ly ele an o commonly used na u al he bs. 100% 4.30 0.47 10. The con en is co ec and based on app o ed scien i ic e e ences. 100% 4.27 0.44 Applica ion's design 11. Na iga ion be ween he main and sub-pages is easy and in ui i e. 100% 4.17 0.38 12. The main and sub-pages a e isually appealing and consis en . 100% 4.26 0.44 13. The applica ion’s design acili a es con en sea ch and access. 91.3% 4 0.60 14. The applica ion allows he de elope o upda e and add new he bs. 86.9% 3.86 0.45 15. The in o ma ion is p esen ed in a way ha suppo s quick access. 100% 4.26 0.44 16. The applica ion includes ins uc ions o help use s access con en . 100% 4.21 0.42 17. The con en is p esen ed in a way ha conside s p io knowledge. 95.6% 3.95 0.59 18. The con en is clea , easy o ead, and dis inguishes be ween headings and subheadings. 100% 4.17 0.38 19. The applica ion a oids o e sized images o con en . 86.9% 3.91 0.62 20. The colo s and backg ound used in he applica ion a e calm and sui able. 100% 4.26 0.44 Applica ion's e e iciency and ease o use 21. Na iga ion wi hin he applica ion is smoo h and use - iendly. 100% 4.17 0.38 22. The in e ace design is appealing and consis en h oughou . 100% 4.26 0.44 23. The s uc u e acili a es easy sea ch and access o he con en . 91.3% 4 0.60 24. The app suppo s upda es and addi ions by he de elope . 86.9% 3.86 0.45 25. In o ma ion is displayed in a o ma ha aids use na iga ion. 100% 4.26 0.44 26. The applica ion p o ides clea guidance o con en access. 100% 4.21 0.42 27. The p esen a ion o con en e lec s use s’ exis ing knowledge. 95.6% 3.95 0.59 28. The ex is easy o ead and s uc u ed wi h clea headings. 100% 4.17 0.38 29. The app a oids la ge-sized isuals o unnecessa y in o ma ion. 86.9% 3.91 0.62 30. Backg ound and colo schemes a e calming and app op ia e. 100% 4.26 0.44 No e: Desc ip i e s a is ics we e used o assess pa icipan s’ ag eemen wi h each s a emen ega ding he applica ion’s quali y, con en , and usabili y. Abb e ia ions: SD, s anda d de ia ion; %, pe cen age. [ DOI: 10.61882/edcj.18.2.96 ] [ Downloaded om edujou nal.zums.ac.i on 2025-10-03 ] 5 / 9 Alku di e al . : In eg a ed echnology in o medical educa ion Jou nal o Medical Educa ion De elopmen ¦ Volume 18 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ 2025 101 Discussion The g owing use o common na u al he bs highligh s he necessi y o communi y pha macis s o possess knowledge abou hese he bs. They should also be equipped o o e e ec i e guidance on hei uses and po en ial isks. Addi ionally, he ole o pha macis s has e ol ed om me ely dispensing medica ions o p o iding ad anced se ices [23]. This shi equi es hem o main ain p o essionalism, s ay upda ed on he la es echnologies and in o ma ion, and deli e high- quali y pha maceu ical se ices. Mobile echnologies ha e a signi ican impac on he deli e y o heal hca e se ices, enhancing he quali y o heal h se ices [24]. Mobile applica ions se e as e ec i e ools o enhancing knowledge and a e aluable aids in educa ion, cha ac e ized by hei di e se na u e, low de elopmen cos , ease o upda es, and lexible lea ning ea u es [22]. U iliza ion o mobile applica ions in medical educa ion p esen s se e al oppo uni ies ha acili a e heal hca e p o essionals in hei educa ional endea o s. Fu he mo e, hey can be ega ded as a eliable and e ec i e solu ion in c ises wi h limi ed esou ces and uns able en i onmen s, such as in Sy ia [19, 20]. As s a ed ea lie , he applica ion was c ea ed o p o ide Sy ian communi y pha macis s wi h a p ope app oach o expanding hei knowledge o common na u al he bs and hei po en ial d ug in e ac ions and o se e as a e e ence ool when necessa y. Analysis o he s udy esul s e ealed ha he applica ion e ec i ely imp o ed pa icipan s' knowledge o common na u al he bs and hei in e ac ions wi h medica ions. The e was a signi ican di e ence in he esul s o he pa icipan s be o e and a e using he mobile applica ion, wi h a s a is ically signi ican p < 0.05. These indings align wi h he s udies o Mikhael and colleagues [25] and Payda and colleagues [26], who also ound a posi i e impac o sma phone applica ions on enhancing communi y pha macis s' knowledge, imp o ing pha maceu ical se ices, and enhancing hei managemen o common mino diseases. Addi ional s udies ha e also discussed he e ec i eness o sma phone applica ions in enhancing he knowledge o heal h p o essionals. Alsha i and colleagues [27] indica ed ha sma phone apps a e accessible and e ec i e educa ional ools o b idging he knowledge gap o MR adiog aphe s and suppo ing hem in ecognizing and cha ac e izing MR image quali y e o s. This esul also ag ees wi h Smania [28], who add essed he posi i e impac o mobile lea ning applica ions on enhancing he knowledge and con idence o nu se p ac i ione s ega ding BReas CAnce gene 1 (BCRA) mu a ion, a isk ac o o de eloping ce ain ypes o cance in women. Simila indings we e no ed by Ponce and colleagues [29]. Resea che s ound ha ana omic sma phone applica ions a e e ec i e in imp o ing he knowledge and pe o mance o pa icipan s. The p e- es esul s o his s udy indica ed ha pa icipan s s uggled wi h ques ions p ima ily ocused on d ug in e ac ions, ad e se e ec s, and p ecau ions ela ed o na u al he bs, sugges ing a lack o knowledge in his a ea. Simila indings we e obse ed in s udies conduc ed in Lebanon and Pales ine [31, 32], whe e communi y pha macis s demons a ed knowledge o na u al he b uses. S ill, hei unde s anding o side e ec s and d ug in e ac ions was limi ed. This unde sco es he impo ance o enhancing pha macis s ' knowledge conce ning he side e ec s and in e ac ions o common na u al he bs. Fu he mo e, he e is a g ea e need o eliable sou ces o in o ma ion on common na u al he bs and he inclusion o pha macy aining p og ams in his domain; his was simila ly epo ed by Ca and colleagues and Abahussain and colleagues [30, 31]. In con as , pa icipan s excelled a answe ing ques ions ela ed o he medicinal pa s, p ope ies, and uses o he bs. This p o iciency can be a ibu ed o ecen g adua es' amilia i y wi h his in o ma ion om hei ea lie yea s o s udy. Addi ionally, expe ienced pha macis s likely acqui ed his knowledge h ough con inuous educa ion p og ams and semina s on common na u al he bs p o ided by he Sy ian Pha macis s' Associa ion. The s udy also explo ed he ela ionship be ween gende and he mean scaled sco es be o e and a e using he applica ion bu ound no signi ican s a is ical di e ence (p- alue = 0.34). Simila ly, compa ing pa icipan s ' yea s o expe ience (< 10 o > 10 yea s) did no esul in inc eased mean scaled sco es (p > 0.05). Ne e heless, he indings indica ed ha pa icipan s we e sa is ied wi h he scien i ic con en , design, and use - iendliness o he applica ion, demons a ing a clea p e e ence o he mobile applica ion. This ag eed wi h he esul s o se e al s udies [32, 33, 34], which epo ed ha pha macis s exhibi a keen in e es in le e aging in o ma ion echnology wi hin hei daily p ac ices and p e e elec onic applica ions o e adi ional pape e e ences due o hei quick access o in o ma ion, ease o use, and egula upda es. Howe e , upon u he analysis o each sec ion, i was obse ed ha he design sec ion ecei ed he lowes a ing o 4.1 ou o 5. Fu he mo e, he o ganiza ion o he applica ion con en in he ini ial sec ion o he e alua ion ques ionnai e ecei ed he leas sa is ac ion. This may be explained by he ac ha he esea che hea ily elies on he PDR e e ence o he p epa a ion o he con en , which se es as a p ima y esou ce o pha macognosy and pha macognosy chemis y cou ses in mos Sy ian pha macy schools. This eliance migh ha e led pa icipan s o belie e ha he applica ion did no o e new in o ma ion. Mo eo e , he abili y o upda e he applica ion and include new he bs ecei ed he lowes sa is ac ion, likely because he esea che ailed o in o m pa icipan s abou his ea u e. [ DOI: 10.61882/edcj.18.2.96 ] [ Downloaded om edujou nal.zums.ac.i on 2025-10-03 ] 6 / 9 Alku di e al . : In eg a ed echnology in o medical educa ion 102 Jou nal o Medical Educa ion De elopmen ¦ Volume 18 ¦ Issue 2 ¦ 2025 Addi ionally, he p ocess o accessing he con en , which in ol ed se e al s eps, ecei ed he lowes a ing. Pa icipan s may ha e aced di icul ies logging in and accessing he applica ion's con en , pa icula ly since i equi ed he ins alla ion o ce ain p og ams. The esea che did no cla i y his de ail, as he login p ocess using email and he p e- es we e in ended solely o esea ch pu poses. I should be emphasized ha pa icipan s in his s udy we e limi ed o hose in e es ed in enhancing hei knowledge o common na u al he bs and hei in e ac ions wi h d ugs. Fu u e s udies should conside a la ge sample size o con i m hese indings. Addi ionally, i is wo h no ing ha his s udy has o he limi a ions, including he limi ed ime ame wi hin which i was conduc ed. The esul s o knowledge abou common na u al he bs and hei d ug in e ac ion ep esen sho - e m knowledge gain a he han long- e m e en ion. The e o e, u u e wo k should conside long- e m e en ion. Addi ionally, he selec ed he bs we e he mos popula in Sy ia, and i is possible ha some pa icipan s we e mo e knowledgeable abou o he he bs. Conclusion The indings o he p esen s udy demons a ed ha he He bal Guide applica ion signi ican ly imp o ed communi y pha macis s' knowledge ega ding common na u al he bs and hei po en ial d ug in e ac ions. They ecei ed i well. Addi ionally, na u al he bs should be inco po a ed in o he applica ion o enhance i s e ec i eness. E hical conside a ions E hical app o al was ob ained om he E hical Resea ch Commi ee o he Sy ian Vi ual Uni e si y (SVU), unde Numbe 4015 0, da ed Augus 2, 2022. A i icial in elligence u iliza ion o a icle w i ing No. Acknowledgmen The au ho s would like o hank all pha macis s who pa icipa ed in his s udy and e e yone who p o ided sugges ions ha helped imp o e i . Con lic o in e es s a emen The au ho s decla e ha hey ha e no known compe ing inancial in e es s o pe sonal ela ionships ha could ha e appea ed o in luence he wo k epo ed in his manusc ip . Au ho con ibu ions KA is he p incipal esea che who collec ed pa icipan s' g oups and da a, p epa ed he scien i ic con en o he mobile applica ion, and analyzed he esul s. Bo h MD and CK supe ised he s udy and e ised he scien i ic con en o he mobile. Bo h KA and MD pa icipa ed in choosing he idea o his s udy, as well as w i ing and e ising he manusc ip be o e submission. All au ho s ead and app o ed he inal manusc ip . Funding This s udy is pa o a hesis o ob ain mas e deg ee in medical educa ion and is suppo ed by he Sy ian Vi ual Uni e si y. Da a a ailabili y s a emen The da a ha suppo he indings o his s udy a e a ailable om he co esponding au ho , K. Alku di, upon easonable eques . 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