Knowledge, attitude, and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among pharmacy and nursing students in Oman

Abstract

Problems: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and self-use of CAM among the pharmacy and nursing students at a university in Oman. Experimental approach: A cross-sectional survey of 183 students was conducted among all pharmacy and nursing students. A pre-validated questionnaire was used to collect data and descriptive analysis was performed to present the results. Findings: The study observed that most CAM modality used was prayer/spiritual healing for both groups, while most herbal medicine used by students was ginger and honey for relief from flu symptoms. The major source of information for pharmacy students was family/relatives and nursing students. More than half pharmacy students had good knowledge about CAM use. Lack of knowledge about CAM was the biggest barrier for nursing students. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that the answers of students were not scientific and not evidence-based. Although sample had a positive attitude towards importance of CAM knowledge and its utility in their profession, better education about CAM should be implemented in their curriculum to sharpen their critical thinking.