Falah Maysa M, Daar Eman, Zahra Daniel, Dillon Michael James
Peninsula Medical School, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
School of Science, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
BMJ Glob Health. 2025 May 24;10(5):e018189. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018189.
This study aimed to assess the awareness, experiences and perspectives on substandard and falsified (SF) medicines among the general public and healthcare professionals in Jordan. SF medicines pose a global public health concern, yet data on their prevalence and associated risks in Jordan remain limited.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and June 2023 using a convergent mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected through structured surveys administered to 209 members of the public and 136 healthcare professionals (pharmacists and clinicians) recruited via convenience sampling across Jordan's 12 governorates. Surveys were conducted in English and Arabic. Qualitative data from open-ended responses were analysed thematically.
SF medicine awareness was low, with only 24% of the public and 35% of healthcare professionals reporting familiarity with the issue. Of those aware, only 8% (n=17) of the public and 25% (n=34) of healthcare professionals correctly identified SF medicines. Experiences with SF medicines were reported by 17% (n=36) of the public and 26% (n=35) of healthcare professionals, with some respondents describing adverse effects, including severe complications requiring medical intervention. Despite this, 81% of the public and all healthcare professionals who had encountered SF medicines did not report them, citing a lack of awareness of reporting mechanisms. Economic factors and misconceptions about generics were identified as contributing factors to the circulation and use of SF medicines.
Awareness of SF medicines in Jordan is critically low among both the public and healthcare professionals. The absence of formal reporting systems and economic constraints exacerbates the issue, increasing the risk of exposure to SF medicines. Urgent interventions, including nationwide education campaigns, the establishment of structured reporting mechanisms and policies addressing financial barriers, are essential to mitigating the impact of SF medicines on public health.
本研究旨在评估约旦普通公众和医疗保健专业人员对不合格和伪造药品（SF药品）的认知、经历及看法。SF药品引发了全球公共卫生问题，但约旦关于其流行情况和相关风险的数据仍然有限。
2023年1月至6月采用聚合混合方法开展了一项横断面研究。通过对约旦12个省采用便利抽样招募的209名普通公众和136名医疗保健专业人员（药剂师和临床医生）进行结构化调查来收集定量数据。调查以英语和阿拉伯语进行。对开放式回答的定性数据进行了主题分析。
对SF药品的认知度较低，只有24%的公众和35%的医疗保健专业人员表示熟悉该问题。在知晓的人群中，只有8%（n = 17）的公众和25%（n = 34）的医疗保健专业人员正确识别了SF药品。17%（n = 36）的公众和26%（n = 35）的医疗保健专业人员报告有使用SF药品的经历，一些受访者描述了不良反应，包括需要医疗干预的严重并发症。尽管如此，81%的公众和所有遇到过SF药品的医疗保健专业人员都没有报告，理由是缺乏对报告机制的认识。经济因素和对仿制药的误解被确定为SF药品流通和使用的促成因素。
约旦公众和医疗保健专业人员对SF药品的认知度极低。缺乏正式报告系统和经济限制加剧了这一问题，增加了接触SF药品的风险。包括开展全国性教育运动、建立结构化报告机制以及解决经济障碍的政策等紧急干预措施对于减轻SF药品对公众健康的影响至关重要。
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