Articles

Differences in glycemic control between the treatment arms in cardiovascular outcome trials of type 2 diabetes medications do not explain cardiovascular benefits

Hyperglycemia is an undisputed epidemiological risk factor for microvascular complications in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, integral in their causal pathways. Importantly, interventions that reduce the hype...

Authors: Darren K. McGuire, Silvio E. Inzucchi, Odd Erik Johansen, Julio Rosenstock, Jyothis T. George and Nikolaus Marx

Towards improving community pharmacy-based mental health services in Nigeria

In Nigeria, there is a prevalence of aversive life circumstances that frequently assail the mental health and well-being of the citizens, mitigating the impact of which necessitates the institution of psychoth...

Authors: Adeboye Olakunle Bamgboye, Ibrahim Adebayo Hassan, Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi, Rachael Oluwatoyosi Farayola and Theogene Uwizeyimana

Linking market authorizations of medicines with disease burden in South Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is going through an epidemiological transition, including an impressive increase in non-communicable diseases. The introduction of medicines has not kept pace with the needs in developing co...

Authors: K. Narsai, H. G. M. Leufkens and A. K. Mantel-Teeuwisse

CoViD vaccines and thrombotic events: EMA issued warning to patients and healthcare professionals

Authors: Hamid A. Merchant

Evaluation of drug prescription pattern using World Health Organization prescribing indicators in public health facilities found in Ethiopia: systematic reviews and meta-analysis

Drug use evaluation is a structured, methodological, and criteria-based drug assessment system that helps to evaluate the actual trend of drug use in a particular setting. If drug prescription practices are in...

Authors: Bereket Bahiru Tefera, Melese Getachew and Bekalu Kebede

Price and reimbursement of advanced therapeutic medicinal products in Europe: are assessment and appraisal diverging from expert recommendations?

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) represent an important cornerstone for innovation in healthcare. However, uncertainty on the value, the high average cost per patient and their one-shot nature has r...

Authors: Virginia Ronco, Myriam Dilecce, Elena Lanati, Pier Luigi Canonico and Claudio Jommi

Establishment of the African Medicines Agency: progress, challenges and regulatory readiness

Insufficient access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable medical products in Africa has posed a significant challenge to public health for decades. In part, this is attributed to weak or absent policie...

Authors: Bakani Mark Ncube, Admire Dube and Kim Ward

Legislation and current developments in adverse drug reaction reporting in Mongolia: how far are we?

Monitoring adverse drug reactions is a vital issue to ensure drug safety and to protect the general public from medication-related harmful effects. In order to properly monitor drug safety, a regulatory system...

Authors: Zuzaan Zulzaga, Erdenetuya Myagmarsuren, Herman J. Woerdenbag and Eugene P. van Puijenbroek

Geographical accessibility of medicines: a systematic literature review of pharmacy mapping

Measuring access to medicines has often been limited to assessing availability and affordability, while little is known regarding other dimensions of access including geographical accessibility. Our study aims...

Authors: Cindrel Tharumia Jagadeesan and Veronika J. Wirtz

History taking and response to an adult diarrheal case among community drug retail outlets in Gondar town, north-west Ethiopia: a simulated-client survey

Self-care is one of the growing tasks of community pharmacy professionals. They are highly engaged in consultations in response to specific drug request (product-based presentation) or symptoms clients describ...

Authors: Dawit Wondimsigegn, Berhanemeskel Woldegerima and Asefa Adimasu Taddese

Strengthening multisectoral coordination on antimicrobial resistance: a landscape analysis of efforts in 11 countries

Increasingly, there has been recognition that siloed approaches focusing mainly on human health are ineffective for global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) containment efforts. The inherent complexities of AMR c...

Authors: Mohan P. Joshi, Tamara Hafner, Gloria Twesigye, Antoine Ndiaye, Reuben Kiggundu, Negussu Mekonnen, Ndinda Kusu, Safoura Berthé, Edgar Peter Lusaya, Alphonse Acho, Robert Tuala Tuala, Ayasha Siddiqua, Henri Kaboré, Soukeyna Sadiya Aidara and Javier Guzman

Perceived barriers and facilitators to uptake of non-traditional roles by pharmacists in Saudi Arabia and implications for COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: a qualitative study using Theoretical Domain Framework

The COVID-19 pandemic has further strengthened the need for pharmacists to uptake non-traditional roles. Pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia is emerging in recent years with greater policy emphasis on pharmacist...

Authors: Eeman Mohammed, Saval Khanal, Zahraa Jalal, Ejaz Cheema, Mohammed H. Abutaleb and Vibhu Paudyal

Geospatial analysis of distribution of community pharmacies and other health care facilities providing minor ailments services in Malaysia

Minor ailments are defined as common, self-limiting, or uncomplicated conditions that may be diagnosed and managed without a medical intervention. Previous studies reported that pharmacists were able to help p...

Authors: Mei Mei Tew, Ernieda Hatah, Faiz Arif, Muhammad Aqiff Abdul Wahid, Mohd Makmor-Bakry and Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulad

National assessment of pharmaceutical workforce and education using the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s global development goals: a case study of Qatar

The sustainable development goals were launched by the United Nations in 2015. Its fifth goal was describing the achievement of universal health coverage by 2030. This goal reaffirms the importance of investin...

Authors: Banan Abdulrzaq Mukhalalati, Meram Mohamed Mahmoud Elsayed Ibrahim, Majdoleen Omar Al Alawneh, Ahmed Awaisu, Ian Bates and Lina Bader

National Health Insurance Fund’s relationship to retail drug outlets: a Tanzania case study

Achieving universal health coverage will require robust private sector engagement; however, as many low- and middle-income countries launch prepayment schemes to achieve universal health coverage, few are cove...

Authors: Martha Embrey, Romuald Mbwasi, Elizabeth Shekalaghe, Jafary Liana, Suleiman Kimatta, Gasto Ignace, Angel Dillip and Tamara Hafner

Inventory management performance for family planning, maternal and child health medicines in public health facilities of West Wollega zone, Ethiopia

Inventory management is the heart of the supply system in improving availability of medicines, reducing the cost, and improving patient care quality. However, in the government facilities’ supply system, inven...

Authors: Oliyad Kebede and Gizachew Tilahun

Treatment of Clostridium difficile infection in community teaching hospital: a retrospective study

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is responsible for 15–25% cases of health-care-associated diarrhea. The CDI treatment algorithm used at our hospital is adapted from the Infectious Diseases Society of Americ...

Authors: Ali Elbeddini and Rachel Gerochi

Universal health coverage and COVID-19: recent developments and implications

Universal health coverage (UHC) is meant to access the key health services including disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and health promotion. UHC varies according to demographics, epidemiology, an...

Authors: Rabia Hussain and Sara Arif

Article 4: Impact assessment of supervision performance assessment and recognition strategy (SPARS) to improve supply chain management in health facilities in Uganda: a national pre and post study

To strengthen medicines management capacity, including supply chain management, at public sector health facilities in Uganda, the Ministry of Health introduced a multipronged supervision, performance assessmen...

Authors: Denis Okidi Ladwar, Moses Nixon Sembatya, Nancy Miriam Amony, Morries Seru, Dennis Ross-Degnan, Laura Garabedian and Birna Trap

High blood pressure readings on in-store machines: a qualitative study of the perspective of pharmacy staff

Emergency department (ED) visits for high blood pressure are on the rise. Yet the majority of these patients are discharged home after their ED evaluation, particularly those who present following an elevated ...

Authors: Ivona Mostarac and Clare L. Atzema

Addressing the medicines access challenge through balance, evidence, collaboration and transparency: key take-away lessons of the 4th PPRI Conference

The 4th PPRI Conference, held in Vienna in October 2019, addressed issues related to equitable and affordable access to medicines. A multi-stakeholder audience from around the globe discussed solutions and bes...

Authors: Sabine Vogler, Nina Zimmermann, Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar, Reinhard Busse, Jaime Espin, Aukje K. Mantel-Teeuwisse, Dimitra Panteli, Fatima Suleman and Veronika J. Wirtz

The risk-value trade-off: price and brand information impact consumers’ intentions to purchase OTC drugs

European countries face fiscal pressure regarding the long-term sustainability of their healthcare system due to increasing levels of public health expenditures and mounting demographic pressures. The promotio...

Authors: Lisa Aufegger, Celine Yanar, Ara Darzi and Colin Bicknell

Drug supply shortage in Nigeria during COVID-19: efforts and challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in massive disruptions in global supply chains. Nigeria is particularly vulnerable with respect to pharmaceuticals since there is reduced local production and about 70% of th...

Authors: Edward Faiva, Hashim Talib Hashim, Mustafa Ahmed Ramadhan, Shingin Kovona Musa, John Bchara, Yahya Dheyaa Tuama, Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi, Mustafa Hayder Kadhim, Mohammad Yasir Essar, Shoaib Ahmad and Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III

Making the investment case for national regulatory authorities

Well-functioning national regulatory authorities (NRAs) ensure access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable medical products. However, the benefits of their work are often unseen and difficult to...

Authors: Gloria Twesigye, Tamara Hafner and Javier Guzman

Drug supply situation in Rwanda during COVID-19: issues, efforts and challenges

COVID-19 is a threat to health systems around the world and Rwanda is not an exception. The impact of the pandemic is far-reaching and access to health commodities is not spared. Proper drug supply is critical...

Authors: Theogene Uwizeyimana, Hashim Talib Hashim, Jean Damascene Kabakambira, Jean Claude Mujyarugamba, Jackson Dushime, Blaise Ntacyabukura, Remy Ndayizeye, Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi and Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III

Avoiding a Med-Wreck: a structured medication reconciliation framework and standardized auditing tool utilized to optimize patient safety and reallocate hospital resources

The incidence of preventable adverse drug events (ADE) is approximately one medication error per patient per hospital-day. A quality medication reconciliation (MedRec) process is a crucial intervention used to...

Authors: Ali Elbeddini, Sarah Almasalkhi, Thulasika Prabaharan, Cindy Tran, Mohamed Gazarin and Ahmed Elshahawi

Patterns of infections and antimicrobial drugs’ prescribing among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study

Antimicrobial agents are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in pregnancy due to the increased susceptibility to infections during pregnancy. Antimicrobials can contribute to different maternal complicati...

Authors: Mohamed A. Baraka, Lina Hussain AlLehaibi, Hind Nasser AlSuwaidan, Duaa Alsulaiman, Md. Ashraful Islam, Badriyah Shadid Alotaibi, Amany Alboghdadly, Ali H. Homoud, Fuad H. Al-Ghamdi, Mastour S. Al Ghamdi and Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar

A simulated patient study to evaluate community pharmacist assessment, management and advice giving to patients with asthma

Research has shown that there is an increase in the global prevalence of asthma. Pharmacists are well positioned to screen and refer patients for better management of asthma. This study aimed to evaluate commu...

Authors: Sanah Hasan, Lujain Al Oum and Nageeb AbdulGalil Hassan

New missions of a hospital pharmaceutical technology unit during the COVID-19 pandemic

The pharmaceutical technology unit of the Geneva University Hospitals played a significant role in the fight against COVID-19 through four different missions: (1) providing enough hydroalcoholic solution at th...

Authors: Alexandra Garnier, Ludivine Falaschi, Pascal Bonnabry and Lucie Bouchoud

Ten recommendations to improve pharmacy practice in low and middle-income countries (LMICs)

Medicines are important health interventions and their appropriate use could improve health outcomes. Throughout the globe, pharmacists play a very important role to improve the use of medicines. Though high-i...

Authors: Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar

Exploring healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitude, and practices towards pharmacovigilance: a cross-sectional survey

Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a method of monitoring the safety of drugs and is the basic strategy for the post-marketing surveillance of the suspected drugs. Despite its importance...

Authors: Rabia Hussain, Mohamed Azmi Hassali, Furqan Hashmi and Tayyaba Akram

General practitioner practice-based pharmacist input to medicines optimisation in the UK: pragmatic, multicenter, randomised, controlled trial

Changing demographics across the UK has led to general practitioners (GPs) managing increasing numbers of older patients with multi-morbidity and resultant polypharmacy. Through government led initiatives with...

Authors: Nadia Farhanah Syafhan, Sayer Al Azzam, Steven D. Williams, Wendy Wilson, Jayne Brady, Peter Lawrence, Mark McCrudden, Mustafa Ahmed, Michael G. Scott, Glenda Fleming, Anita Hogg, Claire Scullin, Robert Horne, Harblas Ahir and James C. McElnay

Repurposing existing drugs for new uses: a cohort study of the frequency of FDA-granted new indication exclusivities since 1997

Drug repurposing (i.e., finding novel uses for existing drugs) is essential for maximizing medicines’ therapeutic utility, but obtaining regulatory approval for new indications is costly. Policymakers have the...

Authors: Babak Sahragardjoonegani, Reed F. Beall, Aaron S. Kesselheim and Aidan Hollis

Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute bronchiolitis in Colombia: a predictive model

Acute bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization in the pediatric population. The inappropriate prescription of antibiotics in acute bronchiolitis is associated with bacterial resistance, higher cos...

Authors: Jefferson Antonio Buendía and John Edwin Feliciano-Alfonso

Medicines dispensing practice during the era of COVID-19 pandemic: a commentary

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is putting a huge strain on healthcare systems and is a turning point for the beginning of a global health crisis of an unprecedented condition. As such, the prov...

Authors: Gemmechu Hasen, Rashed Edris, Gadisa Chala, Yesuneh Tefera, Hawi Hussen, Tamirat Tekassa and Sultan Suleman

Pharmacy response to COVID-19: lessons learnt from Canada

When the first wave of COVID-19 hit in March 2020, health care professionals across Canada were challenged to quickly and efficiently adapt to change their work practices in these unprecedented times. Pharmacy...

Authors: Ali Elbeddini, Amy Botross, Rachel Gerochi, Mohamed Gazarin and Ahmed Elshahawi

Towards a symbiotic relationship between big data, artificial intelligence, and hospital pharmacy

The digitalization of health and medicine and the growing availability of electronic health records (EHRs) has encouraged healthcare professionals and clinical researchers to adopt cutting-edge methodologies i...

Authors: Carlos Del Rio-Bermudez, Ignacio H. Medrano, Laura Yebes and Jose Luis Poveda

Prescription and dispensing guidelines in Lebanon: initiative of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon

In Lebanon, difficulties in accessing medications are due to two main barriers, mainly: high cost and the lack of medication safety, related to poor-quality (irrational) prescription and use. The objective of ...

Authors: Aline Hajj, Hala Sacre, Souheil Hallit, Rony M. Zeenny, Georges Sili and Pascale Salameh

Pharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic: experience from a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pakistan

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading across the world. Pharmacy services play a vital role in public health in preventing and containing the COVID-19 pandemic. All over the world, especia...

Authors: Kashif Hussain, Gul Ambreen, Mehreen Muzammil, Syed Shamim Raza and Umer Ali

Using cost-effectiveness analysis to support policy change: varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation in Jordan

Smoking cessation pharmacotherapies (SCPs) have been established as cost-effective for the treatment of tobacco use disorder across a variety of settings. In Jordan, a resource-constrained country where smokin...

Authors: Saba Madae’en, Nour Obeidat and Mohammad Adeinat

Evaluation of the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-associated coagulopathy

Most of the current “literature” surrounding the presence of thrombosis in COVID-19 disease and appropriate prophylaxis/treatment modalities is certainly retrospective at best, and anecdotal at worst. But in t...

Authors: Ali Elbeddini, Rachel Gerochi and Ahmed Elshahawi

Prescription opioid dispensing in Canada: an update on recent developments to 2018

Canada has been home to comparatively extreme developments in prescription opioid (PO) availability and related harms (e.g. morbidity, mortality) post-2000. Following persistent pan-Canadian increases in PO us...

Authors: Wayne Jones, Lenka Vojtila, Paul Kurdyak and Benedikt Fischer

Needs assessment and impact of COVID-19 on pharmacy professionals in 31 commonwealth countries

The declaration of COVID-19 a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020 marked the beginning of a global health crisis of an unprecedented nature and scale. The approach taken by countries acr...

Authors: Diane Ashiru-Oredope, Amy Hai Yan Chan, Omotayo Olaoye, Victoria Rutter and Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar

Prevention, Detection and Response to incidences of substandard and falsified medical products in the Member States of the Southern African Development Community

Medical products are an integral and pivotal part of health care delivery. They need to be available, affordable and quality-assured. The SADC region is prone to threats arising from the availability and use o...

Authors: Stanislav Kniazkov, Sakhile Dube-Mwedzi and Jean-Baptiste Nikiema

Public spending on orphan medicines: a review of the literature

Little is known about how much public payers spend on orphan medicines. This study aimed at identifying information on orphan medicine expenditure incurred by public payers that was published in literature glo...

Authors: Margit Gombocz and Sabine Vogler

Identifying dispensing errors in pharmacies in a medical science school in Trinidad and Tobago

A dispensing error can be defined as an inconsistency between the drug prescribed and drug dispensed to a patient. These errors can lead to ineffective and sometimes unwanted pharmaceutical outcomes. Dispensin...

Authors: Sandeep Maharaj, Adrian Brahim, Horry Brown, Danielle Budraj, Vatalie Caesar, Anyse Calder, Deisha Carr, Dion Castillo, Kevin Cedeno and Manthan D. Janodia

How do I keep myself safe? Patient perspectives on including reason for use information on prescriptions and medication labels: a qualitative thematic analysis

Medications are crucial for maintaining patient wellness and improving health in modern medicine, but their use comes with risks. Helping patients to understand why they are taking medications is important for...

Authors: Colin Whaley, Ashley Bancsi, Joanne Man-Wai Ho, Catherine M. Burns and Kelly Grindrod

An antibiotic stewardship program in a surgical ICU of a resource-limited country: financial impact with improved clinical outcomes

Antibiotic resistance (ABX-R) is alarming in lower/middle-income countries (LMICs). Nonadherence to antibiotic guidelines and inappropriate prescribing are significant contributing factors to ABX-R. This study...

Authors: Kashif Hussain, Muhammad Faisal Khan, Gul Ambreen, Syed Shamim Raza, Seema Irfan, Kiren Habib and Hasnain Zafar

A rapid assessment of the National Regulatory Systems for medical products in the Southern African Development Community

Access to quality-assured, safe and efficacious medical products is fundamental for Universal Health Coverage and attaining Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure Healthy Lives and Well-being for All. To guara...

Authors: S. Dube-Mwedzi, S. Kniazkov, J. B. Nikiema, O. M. J. Kasilo, A. Fortin, P. Tumusiime, G. N. Mahlangu and M. Ndomondo-Sigonda

Generic versus brand-name over-the-counter analgesics: knowledge and attitudes among Swedish pharmacy customers

Due to a liberalisation reform in 2009, the availability of over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics has increased significantly in the Swedish market over the past decade. With the increasing number of generic produ...

Authors: Helle Håkonsen, Maria Wängberg, Dina Alani and Tove Hedenrud