Evaluation of community pharmacists’ knowledge and real-world practices in drug interaction management: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) remain a significant but often overlooked threat to patient safety. While Pharmacists are expected to play a critical role in identifying and preventing DDIs, real-world practice may not reflect this responsibility. This study aimed to assess the gap between community Pharmacists' DDI knowledge and their actual dispensing practices in Western Saudi Arabia. Methods: < 0.05). Results: < 0.001). However, simulated visits revealed a substantial practice gap: only 15% of Pharmacists identified the DDI in real-time, and approximately 75% took no corrective action. Most encounters lasted less than one minute, and over 80% of interacting medications were dispensed without inquiry or reference checking. Conclusion: Despite adequate theoretical knowledge, community Pharmacists demonstrated limited real-world application of DDI management. This knowledge-practice gap poses a patient safety concern and underscores the need for system-level interventions, including decision-support tools, workflow optimization, and strengthened prescriber-Pharmacist communication.