EVALUATION OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF USING NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES AMONG PHARMACY STUDENTS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Introduction. Recently using nanotechnology in the medical and pharmaceutical fields has attracted much attention. This technology could help convert a large surface area of a drug particle to a small size and volume ratio, which permits the innovation of new products in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Several nanotechnology-based therapeutic formulations have been found in the pharma market for disease treatment including cancer, CNS, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases. The current study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of using nanotechnology among medical professionals, especially Saudi pharmacy students. Methodology. An online questionnaire was distributed as an observational cross-sectional study to assess the knowledge and awareness of using nanotechnology among pharmacy students. The study targeted 568 pharmacy students. Result. The study findings show that 80.5% of the respondents have good knowledge of basic information in addition, about 90.3% of respondents show interest in learning more about nanotechnology and its various applications. Our findings found that about 72.8% of the students think that nanotechnology is not effectively used in the medical field. Conclusion. According to the results of the study, most of the students showed good knowledge of basic information. However, they need more information about nanotechnology in the field. Therefore, we recommend further education programs to enhance the knowledge and awareness regarding nanotechnology among Saudi pharmacy students.