Pharmacists' knowledge of allopurinol-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome and its predictors: a study from Sudan.

Authors

Ahmed Hassan Ali Hassan, Yousif B Hamadalneel, Ali Awadallah Saeed, Ahmed Murtada Rashad Ahmed, Mohamed Mubarak AbdAlrahman Khalifa, Safaa Badi, Maha Yahia Suliman

Published in

The International journal of pharmacy practice. Aug 26, 2026. Epub Aug 26, 2026.

Abstract

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a rare, life-threatening reaction often linked to allopurinol. Pharmacists are key in its prevention, but data on their knowledge in Sudan are limited. This study evaluated pharmacists' knowledge of allopurinol-induced SJS and its predictors.
This cross-sectional analytical study used a validated questionnaire and convenience sampling. The study was conducted among community pharmacists across Sudan between November and December 2023.
A total of 385 pharmacists participated; 197 (51.2%) were male, and 188 (48.8%) were aged 20-25 years. The overall median knowledge score was 60% (IQR: 52-68%), with 310 (80.5%) demonstrating good knowledge. Awareness of the allopurinol-SJS association was reported by 246 (63.9%), but only 183 (47.5%) identified it as life-threatening. Misconceptions were common, as 228 (59.2%) believed the risk to be dose dependent. Female pharmacists (162/188, 86.2%) were more than twice as likely to have good knowledge (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.20-3.54; P = .009), whereas pharmacists having postgraduate degrees (59/61, 96.7%) were more than ten times as likely (AOR = 10.32, 95% CI: 2.17-49.01; P = .003). No significant associations were found with age, experience, or location.
Although most pharmacists displayed good overall knowledge, substantial gaps remain in recognizing the severity, causative factors, and genetic risks of allopurinol-induced SJS. Targeted education, pharmacovigilance training, and the integration of pharmacogenetics into pharmacy curricula are essential to improve early detection, patient counselling, and safe prescribing in Sudan.

PMID:
42644428
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 26 Aug 2026.

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