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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCThe Libyan journal of medicine

Pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes regarding GLP-1 receptor agonist adverse effects in obesity management: a cross-sectional study.

  • Alaa A Khojah1
  • Malaz J Gazzaz2
  • Mohammed M Aldurdunji2
  • Ahmad E Safiraldeen3
  • Ibrahim R Al-Qurashi3
  • Mohammad A Alhazmi3
  • Ashraf N Abdalla4
  • Roaya S Alqurashi4
  • Saad M Wali4
4 affiliations
  1. 1Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
  2. 2Pharmaceutical practices Department, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
  3. 3College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
  4. 4Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
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Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are important therapeutic options for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite their increasing use, safety concerns remain, and pharmacy students' knowledge of their adverse effects is unclear. This study evaluated pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes regarding GLP-1 RA adverse effects in obesity management. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) students (1st-7th year) at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia, between November and December 2025. A newly developed questionnaire, reviewed by two experts and pilot-tested among 10 students, assessed 17 knowledge and five attitude items covering indications, mechanisms, adverse effects, and clinical scenarios. Of 1,118 eligible students, 296 completed the survey (response rate: 26.5%). Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analyses were performed using RStudio (version 2024.9.1.394). Among participants (63.9% male), the mean knowledge score was 7.6 ± 4.0/17. Most agreed that adverse effects significantly impact clinical use (59.4%) and supported further education on less common side effects (61.1%). Nausea was the most frequently recognized adverse effect (59.1%), whereas thyroid C-cell tumors observed in rodent studies (25.0%) and diabetic retinopathy complications (36.5%) were less commonly identified. Only 37.2% correctly recognized that hypoglycemia is uncommon with GLP-1 RA monotherapy. Higher knowledge scores were significantly associated with greater confidence in knowledge (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06-1.17; p < 0.001) and stronger endorsement of further education on less common side effects (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06-1.18; p < 0.001), whereas gender and academic year were not significant predictors of any attitude item. Pharmacy students demonstrated limited knowledge but generally positive attitudes regarding GLP-1 RA safety. These findings highlight the need to strengthen pharmacovigilance and evidence-based medication safety education within pharmacy curricula to improve clinical preparedness and patient counseling.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{khojah2026pharmacy,
  title = {{Pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes regarding GLP-1 receptor agonist adverse effects in obesity management: a cross-sectional study.}},
  author = {Alaa A Khojah and Malaz J Gazzaz and Mohammed M Aldurdunji and Ahmad E Safiraldeen and Ibrahim R Al-Qurashi and Mohammad A Alhazmi and Ashraf N Abdalla and Roaya S Alqurashi and Saad M Wali},
  journal = {The Libyan journal of medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1080/19932820.2026.2749899},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42886550},
  note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes regarding GLP-1 receptor agonist adverse effects in obesity management: a cross-sectional study.
AU  - Alaa A Khojah
AU  - Malaz J Gazzaz
AU  - Mohammed M Aldurdunji
AU  - Ahmad E Safiraldeen
AU  - Ibrahim R Al-Qurashi
AU  - Mohammad A Alhazmi
AU  - Ashraf N Abdalla
AU  - Roaya S Alqurashi
AU  - Saad M Wali
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
JO  - The Libyan journal of medicine
DO  - 10.1080/19932820.2026.2749899
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42886550
AB  - Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are important therapeutic options for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite their increasing use, safety concerns remain, and pharmacy students' knowledge of their adverse effects is unclear. This study evaluated pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes regarding GLP-1 RA adverse effects in obesity management. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) students (1st-7th year) at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia, between November and December 2025. A newly developed questionnaire, reviewed by two experts and pilot-tested among 10 students, assessed 17 knowledge and five attitude items covering indications, mechanisms, adverse effects, and clinical scenarios. Of 1,118 eligible students, 296 completed the survey (response rate: 26.5%). Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analyses were performed using RStudio (version 2024.9.1.394). Among participants (63.9% male), the mean knowledge score was 7.6 ± 4.0/17. Most agreed that adverse effects significantly impact clinical use (59.4%) and supported further education on less common side effects (61.1%). Nausea was the most frequently recognized adverse effect (59.1%), whereas thyroid C-cell tumors observed in rodent studies (25.0%) and diabetic retinopathy complications (36.5%) were less commonly identified. Only 37.2% correctly recognized that hypoglycemia is uncommon with GLP-1 RA monotherapy. Higher knowledge scores were significantly associated with greater confidence in knowledge (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06-1.17; p < 0.001) and stronger endorsement of further education on less common side effects (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06-1.18; p < 0.001), whereas gender and academic year were not significant predictors of any attitude item. Pharmacy students demonstrated limited knowledge but generally positive attitudes regarding GLP-1 RA safety. These findings highlight the need to strengthen pharmacovigilance and evidence-based medication safety education within pharmacy curricula to improve clinical preparedness and patient counseling.
SN  - 1993-2820
SN  - 1819-6357
ER  -