Texas pharmacists report low kratom knowledge that improves after continuing education

Why it matters

Pharmacists are often asked to help patients understand substance risks, yet this exploratory study found limited confidence discussing kratom before targeted education.

The big picture

The study examined perceived knowledge rather than clinical competence and included pharmacists attending a continuing-education presentation. Its findings highlight a practical training gap as kratom and concentrated derivatives enter consumer markets.

Key findings

• 99 participants completed the pre-education survey and 63 completed the post-education survey.
• 81.8% said they were never asked about kratom in practice.
• Pre-education median scores were 1 to 2 out of 5 across knowledge and counseling items.
• Perceived knowledge and self-efficacy improved across all five items after the one-hour presentation (all p<0.0001).
• Post-education median scores were 4 across all five items.

What they say

The authors reported that Texas pharmacists’ perceived knowledge was low but improved significantly after education, and that patients may rarely discuss use of these substances with healthcare providers.

Bottom line

**Targeted continuing education substantially improved pharmacists’ perceived ability to discuss kratom, although the study did not test long-term clinical outcomes.**