Evaluation of digital health technology literacy among community pharmacists in Serbia

Community pharmacists' roles are expanding beyond traditional tasks to include digital health interventions. Despite the growing integration of digital health technologies, gaps remain in understanding pharmacists' digital health technology literacy (DHTL). Adequate DHTL is essential for supporting patients and ensuring the effective implementation of digital tools in pharmacy practice.

To assess general digital literacy (gDL) and identify specific levels of DHTL among community pharmacists.

A version of the DHTL Assessment Questionnaire (DHTL-AQ), specifically validated for use by community pharmacists, was distributed via online and paper-based formats. In addition to the DHTL-AQ, the questionnaire also included supplementary items assessing gDL. The sample size was calculated on the basis of the targeted pharmacist population. The data were analysed via SPSS. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine cut-off scores, whereas chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess group differences and associations.

A total of 368 valid responses were collected. Among the respondents, 15.2% had low, 68.8% had medium, and 16.0% had high gDL. On the basis of these findings, DHTL cut-off scores were defined as low (35.9%), medium (19.6%), and high (44.5%). Significant differences in DHTL levels were associated with years of working experience. While 41.3% did not use social media professionally, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Viber were the most commonly used platforms among pharmacists.

This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of DHTL among Serbian community pharmacists, revealing high gDL but highlighting the need for targeted DHTL training. Future research should focus on expanding the sample size and addressing specific DHTL gaps. The approach used in this study offers a practical framework for assessing DHTL that can be applied internationally to inform the development of relevant, tailored training programs and support the expansion of pharmacist-led services in an increasingly digital health environment.