Knowledge of pharmacy students about autism spectrum disorder in Brazil

Pharmacy students' and pharmacists' limited knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can have negative impacts on health care for these individuals. In Brazil, no studies have assessed ASD knowledge among Pharmacy students. This study aims to assess the ASD knowledge among Pharmacy students in Brazil. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with Pharmacy students in Brazil from September 2021 to August 2022. Participants answered online questions about sociodemographic data, contact with people with ASD, and the Brazilian validated version of the Autism Stigma Knowledge - Questionnaire (ASK-Q Brazil), a 49-item questionnaire that assesses ASD knowledge and stigma. Descriptive statistics and the T test were used. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (Opinion No. 4,464,411). Of the 397 students who participated, most demonstrated adequate knowledge and did not endorse ASD stigma: etiology (99.0%), diagnosis/symptoms (97.0%), treatment (98.7%), and lack of stigma endorsement (100.0%). Those who had a family member with ASD had the highest correct answers in the treatment (p = 0.001; d = 0.45) and diagnosis/symptoms (p = 0.015; d = 0.24) domains. This study showed that almost all students have adequate knowledge about ASD and do not endorse stigma. The results can contribute to the definition of strategies to improve the qualification of future pharmaceutical professionals.