Evaluating Monkeypox Knowledge Among Jordanian Pharmacists and Pharmacy Students: Bridging the Knowledge Gap

Abstract Introduction The World Health Organization has declared Monkeypox a global public health emergency. The involvement of healthcare providers, such as pharmacists, plays a crucial role in disease control. Evaluating pharmacists' knowledge and their skills in diagnosing and managing monkeypox is crucial for developing effective response plans to control the disease. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess monkeypox knowledge among Jordanian pharmacists and pharmacy students, and their ability to diagnose and manage monkeypox cases. An extensive literature review was conducted to develop the first draft of the survey, which was subsequently assessed for face and content validity. The survey comprised three main sections addressing various topics of interest. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science. Results A total of 586 participants completed the survey, with a mean age of 24.94 years. The primary information source about monkeypox was published researches. The total knowledge scores (TK-score) ranged from − 5 to 17, with a mean of 6.37 while the symptoms knowledge scores (SK-score) ranged from − 5 to 9, with a mean of 2.71. A statistically significant difference in TK-score was observed between males and females (p-value = 0.025). The majority of the participants were not confident in their ability to diagnose (82.9%), or manage (79.9%) monkeypox cases. Approximately half of the participants believed that having COVID-19 increases the risk of experiencing serious symptoms from monkeypox. According to nearly half of participants, monkeypox is the potential next epidemic after COVID-19. Conclusion Study participants demonstrated higher knowledge concerning monkeypox virus symptoms, in contrast to their understanding of virus transmission modes and prevention. The findings revealed low levels of confidence among participants in diagnosing and managing monkeypox.