Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-07-01Epub Date: 2022-08-06DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2692
Lobna Gharaibeh, Mariam Ahmad Alameri, Obada A Sibai, Shirin Alfreahat, Fadi Saeed, Murtadha Al Badran, Ahmed Al-Qaisi
{"title":"Practices, knowledge, and attitudes of community pharmacists towards dispensing drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross sectional study from Jordan.","authors":"Lobna Gharaibeh, Mariam Ahmad Alameri, Obada A Sibai, Shirin Alfreahat, Fadi Saeed, Murtadha Al Badran, Ahmed Al-Qaisi","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2692","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2692","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pharmacists have an important role in providing correct information, education, and counseling to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic and other health crisis. In order to perform their duties in a correct manner, they must receive adequate and evidence-based information from official resources.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The objectives of the study were to examine the practices of community pharmacists towards dispensing drugs during the COVI-19 pandemic and assess their knowledge concerning the safety and efficacy of these drugs in managing the COVID-19 infection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a web-based cross-sectional study conducted through the distribution of the questionnaire via the social media through a google form. The drugs examined were azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine, dexamethasone, and certain antiviral drugs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 485 community pharmacists responded to the questionnaire. Pharmacists dispensed these medications based on the physician's orders, 420 (86.6%), according to the pharmacist´s recommendations 327 (67.4%), or upon patient´s request 278 (57.3%). Azithromycin was the most dispensed drug and two thirds of the pharmacists dispensed drugs more than 10 times. Community pharmacists did not possess adequate knowledge concerning the effectiveness and safety of the drugs in the management of COVID-19 infection. In the multivariate linear regression analysis; education, type of university, and the average number of daily customers were statistically significant, p values: 0.004, 0.002, and 0.016, respectively. Pharmacists did not have a positive attitude towards dispensing drugs based on their own recommendations. More than half of the pharmacists agreed that they thought it was a correct decision to give these drugs based on their own judgment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Community pharmacists should not receive information from non-official sources. Strict regulations and implementation of disciplinary actions against pharmacists that dispense prescription only drugs based on their medical judgment are necessary to stop this illegal behavior. A proactive role demonstrated by the pharmacists and based on scientific facts will reduce misconceptions and hazardous behavior of self-medication using prescription only drugs based on rumors and fictitious news.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2692"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/f7/96/pharmpract-20-2692.PMC9851824.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10645277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-07-01Epub Date: 2022-08-18DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2698
Nadia Al Mazrouei, Ahmad Z Al Meslamani, Rand Alajeel, Ghaid Alghadban, Neda Ansari, Maisoun Al Kaabi, Adel Sadeq, Rana Ibrahim, Osama Mohamed Ibrahim
{"title":"The patterns of herbal medicine use in the United Arab Emirates; A national study.","authors":"Nadia Al Mazrouei, Ahmad Z Al Meslamani, Rand Alajeel, Ghaid Alghadban, Neda Ansari, Maisoun Al Kaabi, Adel Sadeq, Rana Ibrahim, Osama Mohamed Ibrahim","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2698","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2698","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine the pattern, nature, and attitude towards herbal medicines usage in the UAE.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional national questionnaire was distributed over five weeks in 7 emirates of UAE: The questioner was constructed using an online platform and delivered randomly to 448 adults in the UAE. The data collection technique adopted for this study was a convenient sampling. SPSS version 24 was used for statistical analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among participants, 98.7% used herbal medicines (HMs), and respondents who aged between 18 and 24 years were more likely to use HMs. Participant were mainly female (70.3%), with fair health status (55%), and participant with chronic disease were significantly less likely to use HM (10.9%). The majority of herbal medicine users believed herbal medicine were harmless, because they were derivatives of natural products. The findings of this study reported that many participants use HMs to enhance immunity (26.8%), and for relaxation (23.5%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despites the risk of adverse-effects, many participants in this study are regular users for HMs and have perception that 89 may cure or prevent COVID-19. Therefore, awareness-raising campaigns that target HM users are essential to mitigate any unwanted consequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2698"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/a3/24/pharmpract-20-2698.PMC9851812.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10645278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Critical appraisal of simulated patient methodology to assess the practice of community pharmacist in the Middle East and North Africa region: A systematic review.","authors":"Fatima Boura, Moawia Al-Tabakha, Nageeb Hassan, Mohamad Darwich","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2701","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2701","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The use of simulated patient (SP) methodology in pharmacy practice settings has increased recently. However, its applications can vary significantly within a region, hence affecting the quality of the SP methodology.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The purpose of this systematic review is to critically assess the use of the SP methodology for assessing the practice of community pharmacists (CP) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search was conducted using EMBASE, MEDLINE, ProQuest, and SCOPUS to identify articles published from 2011 to 2022. The selection of relevant studies for inclusion in the systematic review was based on the pre-determined inclusion criteria. The Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Electronic search yielded 478 publications. A total of 45 studies were reviewed. The studies were conducted in 12 countries of the MENA region. The sample size between the reviewed articles ranged from 20 to 1000 (median= 129). A greater number of the included studies measured the adequacy of skill (pre-dispensing and/or post-dispensing) 38 (84.4%). The vast majority of the studies reported unsatisfactory results regarding the competencies of CP. The number of the SP ranged from 1 to 37 (median= 2). Most of the studies recruited only one SP per pharmacy 35 (77.8%). The most common data collection method was written data collection form 42 (93.3%). Few studies only had a detection system for SP visits 11 (24.4%), and only six studies incorporated performance feedback (13.3%). More than two-thirds of the studies provided a training session for SP 37 (82.2%). There was variation in the symptoms and drugs used in the SP scenarios in the studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Although the results demonstrate the growth in the use of the SP method in MENA region countries, studies showed high variability in the level of reporting the study methodology. Consequently, we argue the need for standardized reporting of these studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2701"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/c0/46/pharmpract-20-2701.PMC9851829.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10645280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-07-01Epub Date: 2022-09-01DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2705
Asim Ahmed Elnour, Sara Babkir, Al-Kubaissi Khalid A
{"title":"The predictors of postoperative delirium at surgical units in Sudan: A multicenter, cross-sectional, prospective study.","authors":"Asim Ahmed Elnour, Sara Babkir, Al-Kubaissi Khalid A","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2705","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2705","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Knowledge of potential and amenable risk factors involved in the development of postoperative delirium (POD) is imperative for successful prevention and subsequent management.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The current study objective was to delineate the risk factors associated with the occurrence of POD among patients undergoing surgical procedures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This multi-center (6 hospitals), cross-sectional prospective hospital-based study recruited 415 subjects aged ≥50 years who were scheduled to undergo different types of surgery. Delirium Observational Screening Scale used for the diagnosis of POD. Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire used for assessing the nutritional and the hydration status of patients. Pre and postoperative risk factors analyzed by univariate (chi square) and then multivariate analyses and the incidence rate of POD, was reported.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The main outcome measure was the development of POD. Out of the 385, only 43 subjects (11.2%) developed POD. High American Society of Anesthesiologists score (OR: 10.76, 95% CI: 1.379-83.99, P =0.023), duration of surgery (OR: 5.426, 95% CI: [2.249-13.092]; P =0.0001), were the strongest independent risk factors for the development of POD. Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living score (OR: 3.227, 95% CI: [1.177-8.844], P =0.023), and age ≥ 70 years (OR: 1.174, 95% CI: [1.015-1.359]; P =0.027) were additional strongest independent risk factors for the development of POD.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Based on analysis or study, we found High American Society of Anesthesiologist sore, Katz-ADL, duration of surgery, and advanced age were predictors of POD. Our findings suggest preventive measures initiated in subjects identified at risk of developing POD. These results support the healthcare providers in the early prevention, diagnosis, and timely management of POD.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2705"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/4d/ad/pharmpract-20-2705.PMC9851826.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10651166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-07-01Epub Date: 2022-06-22DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2682
Adel Sadeq, Mohamed A Baraka, Amar Hamrouni, Asim Ahmed Elnour
{"title":"Retrospective cohort study on risk factors for developing ischemic stroke.","authors":"Adel Sadeq, Mohamed A Baraka, Amar Hamrouni, Asim Ahmed Elnour","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2682","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2682","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There is a paucity of studies describing the risk factors for developing ischemic stroke in our region.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective of the current study was to delineate the potential risk factors for the development of ischemic stroke.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We have conducted a retrospective cohort hospitalbased study that has enrolled 231 subjects. The subjects have had presented to the emergency department in a tertiary hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Subjects were diagnosed with ischemic stroke within 24 hours of presentation.</p><p><strong>Outcome measure: </strong>The main outcome measure was the development of ischemic stroke during an indexed hospital visit.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age was 47.5 ±3.2 with a higher preponderance of males over females (60.9%) and 48.1% were ≥ 65 years. The final logistic regression model for the development of ischemic stroke contains seven variables. In descending order, the seven predictive risk factors for the development of ischemic stroke were: hypertension (OR 6.1, CI 2.4-9.5; P = 0.029), coronary artery disease (OR 4.2, 3.7-9.1; P = 0.038), low physical activity (OR 4.2, CI 2.1-9.1; P = 0.035), history of previous stroke (OR 4.1, 1.4-3.4; P = 0.033), atrial fibrillation (OR 3.2, CI 2.6-8.2; P = 0.017), family history of stroke (OR 3.1, 1.3-6.9; P = 0.042) and diabetes mellitus (OR 2.7, CI 1.25-6.1; P = 0.035). The specificity of the model was 58.1%; the sensitivity was 86.1%, and the overall accuracy was 75.7%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>It is prudent to control modifiable risk factors for the development of strokes such as hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, and low physical activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2682"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/47/58/pharmpract-20-2682.PMC9851832.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10645285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-07-01Epub Date: 2022-09-14DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2722
Asim Ahmed Elnour, Islam Mohammed Ahmed, Al-Kubaissi Khalid, Mohamed Elmustafa
{"title":"Validation and comparison between two warfarin dosing clinical algorithms and warfarin fixed dosing in specialized heart center: cross-sectional study.","authors":"Asim Ahmed Elnour, Islam Mohammed Ahmed, Al-Kubaissi Khalid, Mohamed Elmustafa","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2722","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2722","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Warfarin is well known as a narrow therapeutic index that has prodigious variability in response which challenges dosing adjustment for the maintenance of therapeutic international normalized ratio. However, an appreciated population not on new oral anticoagulants may still need to be stabilized with warfarin dosing.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The current study's main objective was to validate and compare two models of warfarin clinical algorithm models namely the Gage and the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium (IWPC) with warfarin 5 mg fixed standard dosing strategy in a sample of Sudanese subjects.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We have conducted a cross-sectional study recruited from the out-patient clinic at a tertiary specialized heart center. We included subjects with unchanged warfarin dose (stabilized), and with therapeutic international normalized ratio. The predicted doses of warfarin in the two models were calculated by three different methods (accuracy, clinical practicality, and the clinical safety of the clinical algorithms).</p><p><strong>Main outcome measure: </strong>The primary outcomes were the measurements of the clinical (accuracy, practicality, and safety) in each of the two clinical algorithms models compared to warfarin 5 mg fixed standard dose strategy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We have enrolled 71 Sudanese subjects with mean age (51.7 ± 14 years), of which (49, 69.0%) were females. There was no significant difference between the warfarin 5 mg fixed standard dose strategy and the predicted doses of the two clinical algorithm models (MAE 1.44, 1.45, and 1.49 mg/day [P =0.4]) respectively. In the clinical practicality, all of the three models had a high percent of subjects (95.0%, 51.9%, and 66.7%) in the ideal dose range in middle dose group (3-7 mg/ day) for warfarin 5 mg fixed standard dosing strategy, Gage, and IWPC clinical algorithm models respectively. However, a small percent of subjects was exhibited in the warfarin low dose group ≤ 3 mg/day (0.0%, 15.0%, and 10.0%) and warfarin high dose group ≥ 7 mg/day (0.0%, 33.3%, and 33.3%) for warfarin 5 mg fixed standard dosing strategy, Gage, and IWPC clinical algorithms respectively. In terms of clinical safety, the percent of subjects with severely over-prediction were 28.2%, 22.5%, and 22.5% for warfarin 5 mg fixed standard dosing, Gage, and IWPC, respectively. While the percent of severely under-prediction was 12.7%, 7.0%, and 5.6% for the warfarin 5 mg fixed standard dosing, Gage, and IWPC, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The Gage and IWPC clinical algorithm models were accurate, more clinically practical, and clinically safe than warfarin 5 mg standard dosing in the study population. The cardiologist can use either models (Gage and IWPC) to stratify subjects for accurate, practical, and clinically safe warfarin dosing..</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2722"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/ca/ea/pharmpract-20-2722.PMC9851814.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10651169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-07-01Epub Date: 2022-09-14DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2679
Khalid A Al-Kubaisi, Mohammed M Hassanein, Abduelmula R Abduelkarem
{"title":"Prevalence and associated risk factors of self-medication with over-the-counter medicines among university students in the United Arab Emirates.","authors":"Khalid A Al-Kubaisi, Mohammed M Hassanein, Abduelmula R Abduelkarem","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2679","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2679","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Proper self-medication with Over the Counter (OTC) medicines can benefit both the patient and the healthcare sector. Although OTC medications are considered relatively safe, their improper use can lead to serious health risks and implications. This study investigates the self-medication practices with OTC medicines among medical and non-medical students at different universities in the United Arab Emirates.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was carried out over six months (January-June 2021). The desired confidence level was set at 95%, and the precision level was 0.03. A three-step cluster sample method was employed. A self-administered questionnaire that assessed predisposing, enabling and need factors associated with the use of OTC medicines was developed based on Andersen's behavioural model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 2355 students completed the study questionnaire. The mean age was 20.94, and 76.3% were female. More than half of the participating students (57.5%) reported using OTC medicines during the past 90 days of conducting the study. A good proportion (67.8%) reported performing a high level of self-care. Student's perceived health (p<0.0001), educational background (p=0.003), use of left-over drugs (p=0.002), relies on informal sources for drug information (p=0.0001) and reading drugs information leaflets (p<0.0001) were all significantly associated with whether students sought medical advice or not.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Many university students were observed that they never sought pharmacist advice when taking OTC medications. The likelihood of consulting a pharmacist when using an OTC medication was lower among medical students than non-medical students and among those who do not read the drug information leaflets. The proactive role that a pharmacist can play can have paramount importance in promoting the proper and safe use of OTC drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2679"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/2e/63/pharmpract-20-2679.PMC9851822.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10650710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-07-01Epub Date: 2022-08-12DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2699
Rita Issa, Zelal Jaber Kharaba, Vanessa Azzi, Sahar Obeid, Toni Sawma, Amira S A Said, Mohammad M Al Ahmad, Yassen Alfoteih, Diana Malaeb, Souheil Hallit
{"title":"Menstrual symptoms variation among Lebanese women before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Rita Issa, Zelal Jaber Kharaba, Vanessa Azzi, Sahar Obeid, Toni Sawma, Amira S A Said, Mohammad M Al Ahmad, Yassen Alfoteih, Diana Malaeb, Souheil Hallit","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2699","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2699","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Pandemic diseases and the confinement measures due to COVID-19 infection have introduced acute and persistent psychosocial stressors for different individuals with a greater influence on females manifested through changes in the menstrual cycle. The objective of this study was to assess Lebanese female of reproductive age about their menstrual cycle, their mental health, and their lifestyle, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Beirut blast, and the economic crises.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional online study conducted between October and December 2021, enrolled 398 Lebanese women using the snowball technique. The Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ) was used to assess menstrual symptoms. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess factors associated with the variation in MSQ scores after vs before the pandemic.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our results showed that a significantly higher number of days of menses, number of pads per day and total MSQ score were significantly found after the pandemic compared to before it. More distress (Beta=0.68), more post-traumatic stress disorder due to COVID-19 (Beta=0.19), a higher number of waterpipes smoked per week (Beta=1.20) and being infected by COVID-19 compared to not (Beta=3.98) were significantly associated with an increase in the MSQ score after the pandemic compared to before it.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our main findings indicate that females had irregular menstrual cycles, unpredictable bleeding pattern, and intense symptoms severity post COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, stress post COVID-19 and Beirut blast tended to be associated with increased menstrual symptoms. Thus, vulnerable women should be identified and offered appropriate care, information, and awareness regarding their menstrual period during a pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2699"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/f0/3c/pharmpract-20-2699.PMC9851823.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10651162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-07-01Epub Date: 2022-08-23DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2693
Abdulaziz Said Al Badi, Amna Al Hashar, Intisar Al Riyami, Mohammed Al Za'abi
{"title":"A snapshot on the usage pattern of gabapentinoids in Oman.","authors":"Abdulaziz Said Al Badi, Amna Al Hashar, Intisar Al Riyami, Mohammed Al Za'abi","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2693","DOIUrl":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.3.2693","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Since their introduction as adjunct anticonvulsants, the use of gabapentinoids (gabapentin and pregabalin) has increased substantially worldwide to include a wide range of clinical conditions. Various reports have demonstrated that they possess addiction liability and can produce effects similar to traditional recreational drugs, such as significant euphoric effects, enhanced sociability, and relaxation. However, there is limited information on the use of these agents in the Middle East.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Here, we describe the usage pattern of gabapentinoids at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, a tertiary care medical institution in Oman.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Adult patients (≥18 years) who were prescribed gabapentinoids for six months (March-August 2019) were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Indications and dosing regimens were reviewed according to the Food and Drug Administration labeling. Controlled and restricted drugs were reviewed using Oman National Formulary. Institutional ethical approval was obtained before conducting the study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We analyzed 291 prescriptions. The mean (standard deviation, SD) age was 60.5 years (SD = 13.0) with the age group of ≥60 years being the most common (190, 65.3%). Most of patients were females (178, 61.2%). The majority of prescriptions were for outpatients (85.8%). Drugs were prescribed as refill and follow-up in 116 (40.0%) and 97 (33.4%) of prescriptions, respectively. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (50, 79.4%) was the most labeled indication for both. Off-label use was 128 (51.8%) and 31 (70.5%) for pregabalin and gabapentin, respectively, with lower back pain as being the most common indication for both drugs. A total of 54 (19.0%) patients were using at least one of the psychotropic drugs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate that gabapentinoids are frequently prescribed for off-label use. Awareness programs and the establishment of policy for the use of these drugs are required to ensure their rational use and prevent misuse and/or abuse.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 3","pages":"2693"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/67/18/pharmpract-20-2693.PMC9851813.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10645281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pharmacy Practice-GranadaPub Date : 2022-04-01Epub Date: 2022-05-19DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.2.2673
Razan I Nassar, Bandana Saini, Nathir M Obeidat, Iman A Basheti
{"title":"Development and validation of the Adherence to Asthma Medication Questionnaire (AAMQ).","authors":"Razan I Nassar, Bandana Saini, Nathir M Obeidat, Iman A Basheti","doi":"10.18549/PharmPract.2022.2.2673","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18549/PharmPract.2022.2.2673","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adherence to medication is the cornerstone to achieve the best treatment outcome. Pharmacists are healthcare professionals found in a pivotal position to assess asthmatic patients' adherence to medication. A brief, reliable, and valid measure of patients adherence to mediations is useful to enable the pharmacists to deliver that vital service.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To develop a reliable and valid adherence assessment tool for asthmatic patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Adherence to Asthma Medication Questionnaire (AAMQ-13) was developed based on an extensive literature review, followed by applying the Delphi technique, and then it was pilot-tested by 55 patients. The final AAMQ-13 was completed by 213 patients. Psychometric evaluation was assessed including reliability, criterion validity, and construct validity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The AAMQ-13 is a feasible 13-item questionnaire, as it can be completed within an average of two minutes. It has high reliability (Cronbach's alpha= 0.87). Criterion-concurrent validity was established by comparing the AAMQ-13 to the Test of the Adherence to Inhaler (TAI) and the pharmacy refill records. Criterion-convergent validity was established by comparing the AAMQ-13 to the Asthma Control Test (ACT) questionnaire and the Positive Health Behaviors Scale (PHBS). Construct validity was established through AAMQ-13 factor analysis which revealed two factors explaining 51.76% of the total variance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The AAMQ-13 is a reliable and valid questionnaire with several desirable characteristics as it has high reliability, good criterion validity, and strong construct validity. The AAMQ-13 is a suitable questionnaire that can identify non-adherent patients and reveal the reasons behind their non-adherence : Asthma; Adherence to medication; Compliance; Questionnaire; Self-report; Scale; Survey.</p>","PeriodicalId":51762,"journal":{"name":"Pharmacy Practice-Granada","volume":"20 2","pages":"2673"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/65/ff/pharmpract-20-2673.PMC9296092.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40596075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}