Evaluation of a community‐based training to promote responsible self‐medication in East Java, Indonesia

Objective To explore pharmacist/pharmacy staff trainers’ perspectives on conducting community‐based training to promote responsible self‐medication, and to evaluate knowledge gained among community representatives participating in the training. Methods Training was conducted in four districts/cities in East Java, Indonesia in 2016. A pre‐test/post‐test study was used to evaluate the knowledge of 129 community representatives (participants) before/after the training; pre‐test and post‐test scores as well as absolute gain were determined. Four focus group discussions with 20 pharmacist/pharmacy staff (trainers) were conducted after the training, and the data were thematically analysed. Key findings Overall mean test scores for community representatives significantly improved from 14.11 to 15.70 after the training ( P  < 0.001). The average total absolute gain was 1.85 (95% CI 1.29 to 2.39). To reach local communities, trainers suggested improvements to the content and structure of the module, training aids, trainer competency, approach and time allocation. Conclusions Community‐based training provides a potential strategy to improve community knowledge of medications. Findings from this study should inform strategies for a broader uptake amongst local communities in Indonesia.