Development, implementation and evaluation of a medication safety programme for schoolchildren in Qatar

The objectives of this study were to assess the needs of schoolchildren relating to medication safety and to develop and implement a health promotion programme in Qatar. Semi-structured interviews were completed with teachers, nurses and school administrators at 2 primary schools in Doha. Two main themes were identified from these interviews, namely medication basics and medication safety. Subsequently, a 25-minute health promotion programme was developed and delivered to 11 groups of schoolchildren aged 6–10 years. The student groups contained both expatriate and local Qatari students. The programme was evaluated based on perceptions of site representatives, investigators and peer reviewers using a standardized evaluation form. All the evaluators agreed that the programme was beneficial and should be recommended to other schools in Qatar. This study can serve as a prototype for future programmes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and elsewhere.