Confidence and perceptions toward deprescribing among PharmD students in Saudi Arabian Universities

Abstract

Background: Deprescribing is an essential patient safety process that remains underrepresented in pharmacy curricula. While many students may hold favorable perceptions toward deprescribing, their confidence in applying it in practice is often limited. In Saudi Arabia, there is limited data on the perceptions and confidence of PharmD students regarding deprescribing. Objective: To evaluate the confidence, perception, and educational exposure toward deprescribing among Saudi PharmD students across all professional years. Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was distributed using a convenience sampling approach. The instrument included demographic variables and two validated Likert scales measuring deprescribing confidence (5 items) and perception (8 items). Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate predictors of confidence and willingness to participate in deprescribing training. Results: A total of 253 PharmD students completed the questionnaire. While 70% were familiar with the concept of deprescribing, confidence remained moderate overall (mean: 3.26 ± 1.05), despite high perception scores (3.92 ± 1.05). Confidence increased significantly from P3 to P4 (2.62 vs. 3.73; p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that confidence was the sole independent predictor of workshop enrollment (AOR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.44–0.98; p = 0.04), even after adjusting for course exposure and perception. Conclusion: Although Saudi PharmD students have a positive perception of deprescribing, their confidence and intention to implement it in practice are lacking. A common trend observed in international research is that deprescribing is neither introduced early enough nor discussed frequently enough in pharmacy school curricula. National educational leaders are urged to integrate deprescribing competencies into core curricular frameworks, particularly within geriatrics and interprofessional learning, to align students’ perceptions with their practical application.