Using a pharmacist-led educational tool to teach elementary and middle-school students in Lebanon about microbes, antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance: A pilot study

Abstract

Background: Teaching school students about antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can shape their future behaviour to become antibiotic guardians. This study aims to assess the impact of a pharmacist-led educational tool in boosting knowledge of these topics at elementary and middle school educational stages. Methods: A prospective web-based cross-sectional pre-post study was conducted in Lebanese private schools from April 2020 to December 2021. Results: The results showed that the pharmacist-led intervention increased the general knowledge (p = 0.01) and understanding of microbes (junior versus senior, p = 0.003 versus p = 0.004). In middle school, the spread of infection (p < 0.001) and the AMR concept (p = 0.001) significantly changed post-test, while antibiotics use and AMR concept remained unchanged in elementary students. Conclusion: The successful learning impact of the educational tool designed and led by pharmacists shows their importance as antibiotic experts in influencing early pedagogic learning about antibiotics and AMR starting at the middle-school stage.