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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 ]
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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
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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.
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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.
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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 .
Appendixes
Appendix 1
h ps://d i e.google.com/ ile/d/1GaGWqVUMq4g61ha
O_C UdeE53 5GzBBM/ iew?usp=sha e_link
Appendix 2
h ps://d i e.google.com/ ile/d/1QOiPzjbKHkchWN_Qi
2XhNSW4OwwUaNg7/ iew?usp=sha e_link
Appendix 3
h ps://d i e.google.com/ ile/d/1dWzRPpo_1SD58ZIJc
yOu3AjLqRWk-iIM/ iew?usp=sha e_link
Supplemen a y ma e ial
De eloping company: h ps://gul dimension.com/
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