Pengaruh Edukasi Kesehatan terhadap Peningkatan Pengetahuan Masyarakat tentang Penggunaan Obat yang Rasional

Abstract

Rational medicine use is an important component of ensuring medication safety, effectiveness, and therapeutic success. Limited community knowledge regarding drug selection, dosage, administration, storage, and medication safety may increase the risk of inappropriate medicine use. This study aimed to analyze the effect of health education on improving community knowledge of rational medicine use. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design using a one-group pre-test and post-test model was employed. Respondents completed a knowledge assessment before the intervention, received structured health education concerning the principles of rational medicine use, and subsequently completed a post-test. The data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses to identify changes in knowledge before and after the educational intervention. The findings demonstrated an improvement in community knowledge following the health education intervention compared with the pre-intervention condition. The educational intervention improved participants’ understanding of appropriate, safe, and responsible medicine use. Therefore, health education can serve as a promotive strategy to strengthen community medication literacy and support the implementation of rational medicine use in everyday life. These findings highlight the importance of continuous and structured education involving health professionals to strengthen public understanding and promote safer medicine-use practices.