Knowledge and attitude of pharmacy students towards HIV treatment and prophylaxis in Davao City, Philippines

Pharmacy students significantly contribute to HIV management as future registered pharmacists. To contribute meaningfully, pharmacy students must be knowledgeable and have positive attitudes towards HIV treatment and prophylaxis. The aim is to investigate the levels of knowledge and attitude of undergraduate pharmacy students towards HIV treatment and education to identify key areas of improvement. Methods: The study used a quantitative research design with a structured survey based on published studies. Undergraduate pharmacy students from various schools in Davao City were invited to participate and provide informed consent. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used after obtaining data. Results: Pharmacy students in Davao City were found to have high overall knowledge (mean = 64.29%) and a high overall attitude (mean = 3.88). Knowledge about HIV treatment and prophylaxis did not correlate with the respondents' attitudes towards it. Furthermore, it was found that there is a significant difference in knowledge and attitude based on year level and school (< 0.000). Conclusion: The knowledge and attitude of undergraduate pharmacy students toward HIV treatment and prevention were high, indicating favourable results. However, improvements and training must continue to enhance their knowledge and attitude and reduce misconceptions and stigma. Collaboration with key stakeholders is essential to ensure the implementation of intervention programmes.