Assessment of Student Pharmacists' Baseline Knowledge and Confidence Levels Regarding CBD products

Abstract

Specific Aims: To assess pharmacy students’ knowledge and confidence on CBD products and to explore what demographic factors might influence it. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to first, second, and third year student pharmacists. It consisted of a knowledge assessment, confidence assessment, and a demographics portion. The knowledge assessment evaluated understanding of the legal, pharmacological, and pharmacotherapeutics of CBD-use. The confidence assessment asked respondents to evaluate their own confidence in knowledge and ability to provide information on CBD therapeutics. The demographics portion included items to explore students’ pharmacy cohort, opinions on adding CBD therapeutics into the curriculum, and past experiences with CBD from work/volunteering, prior learning, or personal. Results: There were a total of 68 completed responses (18% response rate) . The questionnaire showed 64.7% of respondents were unknowledgeable regarding CBD products, and 98.5% of respondents were unconfident in their knowledge and ability to discuss CBD products. Respondents who had learning experiences from previous schooling scored significantly higher on both the knowledge assessment (p= 0.016) and had a higher confidence score (p= 0.022) than respondents with no previous learning experiences. Respondents who partook in self-research had a significantly higher median confidence score than respondents with no prior learning experiences (p=0.002). The overwhelming majority of respondents (94.1%) answered that CBD therapeutics should be taught in the PharmD curriculum. Conclusions: The majority of students are unconfident and unknowledgeable regarding CBD products. Learning experiences from school were associated with higher knowledge and confidence scores.