Cinemeducation for Teaching Medication Safety: A Pre–Post Assessment and Student Reflections in Pakistan

Objective: To assess the improvement in the understanding of third year medical students about medication safety after a brief cinemeducation session. Methodology: We conducted a single group pre and posttest educational intervention study at the Liaquat National Medical College in Karachi from July to September 2025. A total of 52 third-year undergraduate medical students participated in this study. The educational intervention consisted of a two-hour teaching session. The session included assigned pre readings, a short introductory lecture, several video clips demonstrating medication errors, group discussions, reflective writing based on the Gibbs reflection cycle. Multiple-choice questions were used before and after the course to assess students' knowledge. Post session feedback was obtained and reflections were thematically analyzed. Paired t-test was used to compare participants' overall knowledge scores before and after the test. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. We analyzed the feedback data using descriptive statistical methods. Results: A total of 52 students participated in the study and completed pre and posttests. The mean knowledge score improved from 9.6 ± 1.6 to 10.2 ± 1.7. This modest but significant improvement had a mean difference of 0.60 ± 2.1 (p = 0.025). The group of 22 students provided feedback. The majority of students said that multiple-choice questions helped them learn better (95.4%), the multimedia section was useful (90.9%), and the course helped them identify and avoid medication errors (95.5%). After analyzing the students' reflection, five main themes were identified: recognizing drug safety errors, feelings about adverse events, the personal and systemic factors at play, methods to prevent problems, and how students planned to apply what they had learned to their future work. Conclusion: Cinemeducation was effective in strengthening students’ understanding and attitudes related to medication safety. While knowledge gains were modest, the approach encouraged reflection, emotional engagement, and practical insight. This suggested the value of this tool as an engaging method for teaching patient safety and other longitudinal themes within the medical curriculum