Dentists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antithrombotic drugs: pre-post test study

Area of Science:

• Dental Pharmacology
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Managing patients on antithrombotic medications in dentistry is critical for preventing bleeding and thrombosis.
• Dentists require updated knowledge and practices for safe patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of clinical pharmacist-led training on dentists' understanding of antithrombotic drugs.
• To evaluate changes in dentists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning antithrombotic therapy.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post test design was employed in dental health centers.
• A 49-item questionnaire assessed dentists' knowledge and attitudes before and after a 45-minute training session.
• 238 dentists participated in the study.

Main Results:

• Dentists' baseline knowledge of antithrombotic drugs was low (13.2%), significantly increasing to 91.7% post-training.
• Post-training, 89.3% of dentists correctly understood aspirin management for dental procedures, up from 13.2%.
• Understanding of warfarin management improved significantly, with correct responses rising from 13.2% to 55.6%.

Conclusions:

• Clinical pharmacist training demonstrably enhances dentists' knowledge and attitudes towards antithrombotic medications.
• Improved understanding can lead to safer dental management of patients on antithrombotic therapy.