Drug Information Sources Research Articles

Characteristics, Perspectives, and Experiences of Cyproheptadine Users at Community Pharmacies in the Context to Prescription Medication Misuse

Some people abuse the antihistamine medication cyproheptadine in an attempt to reach their desired shape, weight, and appearance. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of cyproheptadine misusers as well as their behaviors, perceptions, experiences, and sources of information regarding using this medication. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Sebha City among customers of community pharmacies. Each customer who has taken cyproheptadine was invited to participate in this research. The data was collected from April 2022 until September 2022. Almost all of the participants (n=99, 96.1%) reported they purchased cyproheptadine from community pharmacies and obtained the drug without a prescription n=79 (76.7%). Over half of the respondents (n=53, 51.5%) use this drug for increasing appetite, compared to (n=25,24.3%) and (n=19, 18.4%) respondents who said they used it to improve their shape and lose weight, respectively. Most participants indicated they were unaware of other uses of a drug (n=72, 69.9%) or its side effects (n=61, 59.2%). Furthermore, twenty participants (19.4%) denied receiving information concerning the precautions and contraindications of using cyproheptadine. The highest rate of source of drug information reported by participants was “friends or family member” (n=34, 33%) followed by pharmacists (n=29, 28.2%). Community pharmacies must employ qualified pharmacists on staff to give customers trustworthy information regarding prescription pharmaceuticals such as cyproheptadine.

Evaluation of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice of Veterinary Professionals and Senior Animal Health Students in Central Gondar Zone, Gondar, Ethiopia: Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Perspectives.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a worldwide challenge to the well-being of animals and humans. The emergence of AMR is largely attributed to the improper utilization and overuse of antimicrobials. In order to combat this issue and promote responsible antimicrobial use (AMU), it is imperative for veterinary professionals and graduating students to possess extensive knowledge, maintain positive attitudes, and adhere to good practices regarding AMU and AMR. To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAPs) of veterinary professionals and senior animal health students' towards veterinary AMU and AMR. A cross-sectional study design was conducted on purposefully selected 200 participants (60 of them were veterinary professionals from the districts and towns, and the remaining 140 were senior animal health university students). A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data, and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. The study revealed that, overall, study participants' KAP were not satisfactory. From veterinary professionals, about 56.7% of respondents scored average knowledge, whereas 66.7% and 61.66% of them had negative attitudes and poor practices, respectively, on AMU and AMR. The study found that 56% of the participants' think the previous knowledge they acquired regarding AMU and AMR was not sufficient, and the internet was used as a source of drug information by the majority of participants. The majority (72%) of them were not taking special training on AMU and AMR. Regarding senior animal health students, this study indicated that 52% and 69.2% of the respondents had poor knowledge and a negative attitude, respectively, towards AMU and AMR. Overall, veterinary professionals in the central Gondar zone have average knowledge, a negative attitude and poor practices. Poor knowledge and a negative attitude were also observed among senior animal health students towards AMU and AMR. Therefore, to fill the observed gaps, activities that enhance the skills of veterinary professionals and students should be implemented. Ingreted measures with animicrobial stewardship program and Nationwide studies are highly suggested to evaluate the overall status of veterinary professionals towards AMU and AMR.

Self-medication practices among university students at a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Self-medication is a concern at the global level. It comes with complications and different health issues. This study measures the prevalence, influential factors, and reasons behind self-medication. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. The prevalence and influential factors were measured between September and November 2023. Statistical analysis was performed using RStudio (R version 4.3.1). We used frequencies and percentages to present categorical variables. Using a convenient sampling technique. Factors associated with using self-medication and the differences between students of the medical college and their non-medical counterparts were assessed using Pearson's Chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test. Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05. We initially received 410 responses on the online platform. However, we excluded seven responses from those who disagreed to participate and 12 from participants outside Riyadh. The majority of the participants were female (67.5%). Three hundred nineteen (319) participants indicated that they had ever used self-medications, accounting for a prevalence of 81.6%. Regarding the reasons for self-medication, the most frequently cited factors were 'previous experience' (66.5%) and 'time-saving' (50.2%). Additionally, the primary source of drug information utilized for self-medication practices was predominantly from 'relatives/friends' (62.4%) and 'pharmacologists' (48.0%). Medications were primarily used for headache (76.8%), fever (48.6%), and pain (47.3%). The most commonly used classes of drugs used for self-medication were painkillers (84.0%), vitamins (42.0%), and eye drops (32.9%). The results showed that the prevalence of self-medication is high in the surveyed population. There has been an association between monthly income and the prevalence of self-medication. As pharmacists are the second most common source of drug information, it is essential to increase responsibility and avoid marketing and personal benefiting behavior as they are considered a reliable source of information in the population. Healthcare organizers can utilize our study to educate people about the adverse effects of self-medication.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of medication use among pregnant women in Riyadh City: a cross-sectional study.

Medication use during pregnancy is limited by the scarcity of safety data for many drugs. The use of certain drugs during pregnancy can be teratogenic. Overestimating teratogenic medication risk could have serious consequences from drug non-adherence. Assessing and understanding the knowledge, attitude, and practice of medication use among pregnant women is crucial to optimizing the health of pregnant women and their fetuses. An observational cross-sectional study used convenience and snowball sampling with a self-administered online questionnaire in 562 pregnant women from Riyadh City. The questionnaire used was adapted from previously published surveys. The survey included sections on sociodemographic background, awareness of medication risks, medication use during pregnancy, sources of drug information, and statements from the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), both general and pregnancy-specific. Medication use during pregnancy was reported by 44.7%. The primary source for medication information for the majority was the physician. Over 58% indicated inadequate or inconsistent information about medication from physicians. Additionally, 65.7% confirmed not receiving sufficient or inconsistent information from pharmacists during medication dispensing. The responses to the questionnaire reveal a commendable level of knowledge and positive attitude and practice. However, variations could be found in these responses. Overall, no evident relationships were observed between predictors and responses, except in specific statements that indicated a positive association between beliefs and higher levels of education and youth. The results suggest a positive knowledge, attitude, and practice level. However, there was hesitancy and a restrictive attitude towards medication during pregnancy. The study identified inadequate education provided by healthcare professionals, thus presenting an area for improvement to enhance the safety and efficacy of medication use during pregnancy.

Persepsi Mahasiswa Pendidikan Profesi Apoteker terhadap Peran Tenaga Kesehatan

Pharmacist Professional Education students are one of the health workers who will collaborate with other health workers. The perception and understanding of the role of each health professional influences health-professional collaboration. Interprofessional Education is one strategy to provide learning and experience for students so that they can collaborate early on and understand the roles of other health workers in an effort to collaborate effectively when practicing later. This study aimed to identify students' perceptions of health workers' role in their profession and other health professions. This research is descriptive and observational with a cross-sectional design. The research subjects were active Pharmacist Professional Study Program FMIPA ULM Batch X students, with 40 respondents. The instrument in this study was a questionnaire distributed online via Google Forms. The research data were subsequently descriptively analysed, tabulated, and presented as a percentage. The results showed that 40 respondents, 80% women, 80% of respondents did not have work experience, and 60% of respondents had family members who worked as health workers. Respondents' perceptions of the role of health workers showed that 97.5% (39) of respondents had the perception that pharmacists had a role as a source of drug information. The perception that doctors, nurses, and pharmacists share the same role in monitoring the response of patients receiving intravenous therapy and making dose adjustments was 75% (30), attending regular community health council meetings was 77.5% (31), and documenting professional activities in patients' medical records was 72.5% (29). Pharmacist education students have different perceptions of the role of health workers and believe that there is a collaboration between health workers in certain activities.

Overview of self-medication pharmaceutical preparations by the public

Introduction: self-medication is an effort made by an individual to obtain medication and use it without diagnosis, prescription, supervision, or consultation with a doctor to treat certain minor illnesses. Self-medication is self-medication without a doctor's prescription. In disease treatment, risks such as misdiagnosis, use of excessive drug doses, and long-term use can cause adverse effects on patients. Objective: to determine the description of the public's use of self-medicated pharmaceutical preparations. Methods: This type of research uses a descriptive method, namely research that includes surveys with data collection in the form of questionnaires with a total of 81 respondents. The sampling method uses Non-Probability Sampling with Purposive Sampling techniques using an open-ended questionnaire format in collecting data and recording reports. Result: results of research data collection that the description of the use of pharmaceutical preparations by self-medication in the Bung Permai Housing Community is that 81 respondents (100.00%) carry out self-medication, the source of drug information is from print and electronic media, namely 36 respondents (44.45%), the place of purchase of medicine was at the pharmacy/clinic, namely 43 respondents (53.02%), the disease suffered was fever, 23 respondents (28.40%), and the pharmaceutical preparation used was paracetamol, 27 respondents (33.33%). Conclusion: the description of self-help's use of pharmaceutical preparations in the Permai Community Housing is mostly self-medication. Therefore, there is a need for better education and supervision of using pharmaceutical preparations independently to increase understanding and safety in self-medication. It is hoped that in the future, there will be research on public knowledge and behavior regarding self-medication of pharmaceutical preparations so that changes in respondents' knowledge and behavior can be seen after being given good and correct information.

A clinical-pharmaceutical medication reconciliation with patient interview for a medication review to identify drug-related problems in elective patients during hospital admission.

Background and aim: Drug-related problems (DRPs), e.g.drug-drug interactions (DDI), can lead to adversedrug reactions (ADRs) and thus complications during hospitalization. For this reason, such DRP, DDI and ADR should be identified and characterized as early as possible during hospital admission. We aimed to perform a clinical-pharmaceutical medication reconciliation in which patient-related information was collected and compared to drug-related information in a medication review. Investigations: During a 24-week-period, we consecutively invited patients electively admitted to Urology, Otolaryngology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, General and Visceral Surgery, and Oncology Departments of a 300-bed hospital. A clinical pharmacist performed a patient interview asking for medication, ADR, and adherence. The medication reconciliation considered packages for a brown-bag analysis, medication lists, and data from the clinical information-system (CIS). In a medication review, we matched patient-related information to drug-related information from the drug label, guidelines, drug-databases and websites to identify DRPs. Results: In the study, 356 patients (median age: 58 years) taking 1,712 drugs participated. Of all patients, 7.3% reported ADR and 10.7% missing adherence. 5.3% brought packages that enabled a brown-bag analysis and 21.1% a medication list. In 76.7% of patients, information from CIS was incomplete or not up-to-date. Among the most frequently identified DRPs were "Medication without diagnosis" (31.2%) and "Inappropriate timing of administration" (11.5%). The proportion of patients affected by severe DDI ranged from 0.8%-16.6%, depending on the drug information source. Conclusions: Incomplete patient data, frequently identified DRPs and inconsistent drug-based information make pharmaceutical involvement in medication reconciliation on admission a necessity.

Evaluating ChatGPT's efficacy in assessing the safety of non-prescription medications and supplements in patients with kidney disease.

This study investigated the efficacy of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in assessing drug safety for patients with kidney diseases, comparing their performance to Micromedex, a well-established drug information source. Despite the perception of non-prescription medications and supplements as safe, risks exist, especially for those with kidney issues. The study's goal was to evaluate ChatGPT's versions for their potential in clinical decision-making regarding kidney disease patients. The research involved analyzing 124 common non-prescription medications and supplements using ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 with queries about their safety for people with kidney disease. The AI responses were categorized as "generally safe," "potentially harmful," or "unknown toxicity." Simultaneously, these medications and supplements were assessed in Micromedex using similar categories, allowing for a comparison of the concordance between the two resources. Micromedex identified 85 (68.5%) medications as generally safe, 35 (28.2%) as potentially harmful, and 4 (3.2%) of unknown toxicity. ChatGPT-3.5 identified 89 (71.8%) as generally safe, 11 (8.9%) as potentially harmful, and 24 (19.3%) of unknown toxicity. GPT-4 identified 82 (66.1%) as generally safe, 29 (23.4%) as potentially harmful, and 13 (10.5%) of unknown toxicity. The overall agreement between Micromedex and ChatGPT-3.5 was 64.5% and ChatGPT-4 demonstrated a higher agreement at 81.4%. Notably, ChatGPT-3.5's suboptimal performance was primarily influenced by a lower concordance rate among supplements, standing at 60.3%. This discrepancy could be attributed to the limited data on supplements within ChatGPT-3.5, with supplements constituting 80% of medications identified as unknown. ChatGPT's capabilities in evaluating the safety of non-prescription drugs and supplements for kidney disease patients are modest compared to established drug information resources. Neither ChatGPT-3.5 nor ChatGPT-4 can be currently recommended as reliable drug information sources for this demographic. The results highlight the need for further improvements in the model's accuracy and reliability in the medical domain.

Utilizing ChatGPT in Telepharmacy.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot that has demonstrated capabilities in numerous fields, including medical and healthcare sciences. This study evaluates the potential for ChatGPT application in telepharmacy, the delivering of pharmaceutical care via means of telecommunications, through assessing its interactions, adherence to instructions, and ability to role-play as a pharmacist while handling a series of life-like scenario questions. Two versions (ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0, OpenAI) were assessed using two independent trials each. ChatGPT was instructed to act as a pharmacist and answer patient inquiries, followed by a set of 20 assessment questions. Then, ChatGPT was instructed to stop its act, provide feedback and list its sources for drug information. The responses to the assessment questions were evaluated in terms of accuracy, precision and clarity using a 4-point Likert-like scale. ChatGPT demonstrated the ability to follow detailed instructions, role-play as a pharmacist, and appropriately handle all questions. ChatGPT was able to understand case details, recognize generic and brand drug names, identify drug side effects, interactions, prescription requirements and precautions, and provide proper point-by-point instructions regarding administration, dosing, storage and disposal. The overall means of pooled scores were 3.425 (0.712) and 3.7 (0.61) for ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.0, respectively. The rank distribution of scores was not significantly different (P>0.05). None of the answers could be considered directly harmful or labeled as entirely or mostly incorrect, and most point deductions were due to other factors such as indecisiveness, adding immaterial information, missing certain considerations, or partial unclarity. The answers were similar in length across trials and appropriately concise. ChatGPT 4.0 showed superior performance, higher consistency, better character adherence and the ability to report various reliable information sources. However, it only allowed an input of 40 questions every three hours and provided inaccurate feedback regarding the number of assessed patients, compared to 3.5 which allowed unlimited input but was unable to provide feedback. Integrating ChatGPT in telepharmacy holds promising potential; however, a number of drawbacks are to be overcome in order to function effectively.

Knowledge, attitude and practices related to drug prescription among postgraduate medical students: A cross sectional study

Pharmacology, being both the basic and applied science of drugs, forms the backbone of rational therapeutics. With an emphasis on learning the facts of medications, traditional pharmacology teaching is mostly teacher-centred. The erroneous prescribing that can result from inadequate understanding can cost a great deal of money and lives. The aim of the present study was to assess doctors' prescription knowledge, attitudes, and practices.The information was gathered from postgraduate students (residents) using questionnaires about their undergraduate training in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, prescribing practices, frequently used drug information sources, and any perceived shortcomings in their undergraduate clinical pharmacology teaching. There was a calculation of descriptive statistics and a chi-square test.Among the 149 responses, 86 (57.71%) of them were male and 63 (42.28%) were female. Only 33 (22.1%) participants knew the components of a prescription, and 135 (90.6%) participants were aware that prescription writing was taught in their undergraduate course. Around 41 (27.5%) participants were aware of the concept of P drugs. Among them, 89 (59.73%) residents had good knowledge of prescriptions. Only 35 (23.5%) strongly agreed, and 113 (75.8%) agreed that undergraduate pharmacology training taught them to prescribe safely. About 83 (55.7%) participants disagreed, 33 (22.1%) strongly disagreed, and only 10 (6.7%) agreed that undergraduate pharmacology teaching should be improved. According to the patient's needs, 146 (98%) participants were prescribed additional vitamins and irons. Around 52 (34.9%) participants reported having difficulty prescribing during their internship rotation. Among them, 77 (51.67%) residents had good practice of prescription.A majority of postgraduate students believed that additional training should be provided on writing rational prescriptions to make them more confident in their prescribing practices.

Pharmaceutical Drug Promotion and Rational Drug Use: Assessment of Healthcare Workers Perspective.

Pharmaceutical drug promotion has the potential to improve rational drug use by creating awareness among healthcare workers and patients as well as increasing access to life-saving medicines. This study aimed to determine whether pharmaceutical drug promotion can improve rational drug use among healthcare workers. Semi-structured questionnaires were filled by selected dispensers and prescribers in central Uganda. Forms of pharmaceutical drug promotion, sources of drug information, and views on the influence of drug promotion on rational drug use were investigated. Associations amongst selected variables were tested at bivariate and multivariate levels. Of the 383 participants enrolled in the study, 49.6% were dispensers. More dispensers (49.0%, 92/188) favored 1 on 1 discussion whereas prescribers (32.0%, 61/191) preferred continuous medical education. Most dispensers (85.6%, 161/188) and prescribers (68.6%, 131/191) reported that drug promotion influences their choice of drug use, with most (dispensers: 85.1%, 160/188 vs prescribers: 72.3%, 1/191) admittedly relying on drug promotion as their primary source of drug information. Pharmaceutical drug promotion influences prescription and dispensing practices among health workers, and it should be strictly regulated to ensure accurate and essential information for health workers while prioritizing rational use of medicines.

Tertiary drug information sources for treatment and prevention of COVID-19.

To evaluate tertiary drug information databases in terms of scope, consistency of content, and completeness of COVID-19 drug information. Five electronic drug information databases: Clinical Pharmacology, Lexi-Drugs, AHFS DI (American Hospital Formulary Service Drug Information), eFacts and Comparisons, and Micromedex In-Depth Answers, were evaluated in this cross-sectional evaluation study, with data gathered from October 2021 through February 2022. Two study investigators independently extracted data (parallel extraction) from each resource. Descriptive statistics were primarily used to evaluate scope (i.e., whether the resource addresses use of the medication for treatment or prevention of COVID-19) and completeness of content (i.e., whether full information is provided related to the use of the medication for treatment or prevention of COVID-19) based on a 10-point scale. To analyze consistency among resources for scope, the Fleiss multi-rater kappa was used. To analyze consistency among resources for type of recommendation (i.e., in favor, insufficient evidence, against), a two-way mixed effects intraclass coefficient was calculated. A total of 46 drug monographs, including 3 vaccination monographs, were evaluated. Use of the agents for treatment of COVID-19 was most frequently addressed in Lexi-Drugs (73.9%), followed by eFacts and Comparisons (71.7%), and Micromedex (54.3%). The highest overall median completeness score was held by AHFS DI followed by Micromedex, and Clinical Pharmacology. There was moderate consistency in terms of scope (kappa 0.490, 95% CI 0.399-0.581, p<0.001) and recommendations (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.518, 95% CI 0.385-0.651, p<0.001). Scope and completeness results varied by resource, with moderate consistency of content among resources.

Self-medication practice among medical students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The rise in trends of self-medication, particularly among medical students without being aware of its consequences, especially during the COVID pandemic, has raised a major concern. Self-medication may lead to unintended consequences, such as adverse events, unnecessary expenses, delay in attending professional evaluation, masking of symptoms, and drug interactions. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence, practice, and pattern of self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic among medical students. Materials and Methods: In October 2022, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted using a validated, pretested questionnaire. Information regarding the demographic details, symptoms that led to self-medication, various drugs used, source of drug information, drug used/drug groups used, and reasons for self-medication during COVID-19 were all described in terms of frequency and percentage. Results: In the present study, 80% of the students practiced self-medication. Fever and headache were the most common symptoms for which self-medication was taken. Paracetamol and azithromycin were the most common drugs used for self-medication. Forty-four percent of the students used medical formulas from the previous consultation as the source of drug information, and 16% from the Internet. About 85% of students obtained the drug from a pharmacy. Thirty-two percent of the students self-medicated because they had symptoms of COVID-19 and 29% as a preventive measure. Conclusion: Self-medication was widely practiced by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to educate medical students through various measures about the rational use of self-medication.

Assessment of the knowledge and practice of pediatric pharmacy among hospital pharmacists in Delta State, Nigeria

The importance of pediatric pharmacy practice cannot be overemphasized in a country with high morbidity in children. This study assessed the knowledge and practice of pediatric pharmacy among hospital pharmacists, Delta State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study of hospital pharmacists from 10 randomly selected hospitals was done with the aid of a self-administered questionnaire. Fifty- two of the 90 (57.8%) questionnaires were analyzed, 41 (78.8%) respondents had pediatric units in their facilities and 6 (11.5%) had undertaken specialized courses in pediatric pharmacy. The overall knowledge score of pediatric pharmacy among the respondents was 48%. Forty-seven (90.4%) knew children handle medicines differently from adults, 45 (86.5%) knew young and older children respond to medicines differently. Forty-three (82.7%) respondents provided incorrect responses on oral absorption of rifampicin and phenobarbitone and 39(75.0%) for penicillins; 49(94.2%) lacked knowledge as to whether weight is the most accurate method of dosage calculation. Nineteen (36.5%) had dispensed unlicensed medicines, 47 (90.4%) had engaged in extemporaneous preparation, 41 (78.9%) had access to pediatric-tailored drug information sources and at least 38 (73.1%) could advice on measurement of small volumes of oral dosage formulation. Overall knowledge of the respondents was below average score but practice was nonetheless encouraging.

A Cross-Sectional Study to Investigate the Prevalence of Self-Medication of Non-Opioid Analgesics Among Medical Students at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.

Self-medication (SM) using non-opioid analgesics (NOA) is contentious and increasingly recognized as a major public health concern with severe consequences, including masking of malignant and fatal diseases, risk of misdiagnosis, problems relating to over- and under-dosing, drug interactions, incorrect dosage, and choice of therapy. Herein, we aim to determine the prevalence of SM with NOA among pharmacy and medical students at Unaizah College, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study using a validated self-administered questionnaire was conducted on 709 pharmacy and medicine students belonging to an age group of 21-24 years from Unaizah Colleges. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 21. Of 709 participants, 635 responded to the questionnaire. Our results showed a prevalence percentage of 89.6% using self-medicated NOA for pain management. The most common factor leading to SM in NOA was the mild nature of the illness (50.6%), and headache/migraine (66.8%) was the dominant health problem. Paracetamol (acetaminophen, 73.7%) was the most commonly used analgesic, followed by ibuprofen (16.5%). The most common and reliable sources of drug information were pharmacists (51.5%). We observed a high rate of SM for NOA among undergraduate students. We believe that the adverse consequences of SM could be controlled through educational, regulatory, and administrative strategies by providing appropriate awareness sessions, and the role of pharmacists should be highlighted in preventing SM from NOA.

Exploring the training of pharmacists oriented to the demands for clinical pharmacy services: from the perspective of physicians

BackgroundTo evaluate physicians’ perceptions, experiences and expectations of clinical pharmacists in China from the perspective of physicians’ demands, to improve the training of pharmacists.MethodsA cross-sectional survey involving physicians (except for primary physicians) was conducted from July to August 2019 in China. Using a field questionnaire, this study gathered data on descriptive information about the respondents and their perceptions, experiences and expectations of clinical pharmacists. Data were analysed descriptively using frequencies, percentages and mean. Several subgroup analyses using Chi-square tests were conducted to identify physicians’ demands for clinical pharmacists in China.ResultsA total of 1376 physicians from secondary and tertiary hospitals in China (response rate = 92%) participated. The majority of the respondents were comfortable with clinical pharmacists providing education to patients (59.09%) and detecting and preventing prescription errors (60.17%), but they appeared uncomfortable when asked about clinical pharmacists suggesting the use of prescription medications to patients (15.71%). Most respondents agreed that clinical pharmacists are a reliable source of general drug information (81.84%) instead of clinical drug information (79.58%). The majority of the respondents expected clinical pharmacists to be knowledgeable drug therapy experts (95.56%) and to educate their patients about the safe and appropriate use of medications (95.56%).ConclusionPhysicians’ perceptions and experiences were positively associated with the frequency of their interaction with clinical pharmacists. They had high expectations of clinical pharmacists as knowledgeable drug therapy experts. Corresponding policies and measures are needed to improve the education and training system of clinical pharmacists in China.

Drug information sources in professional work—a questionnaire study on physicians’ usage and preferences (the drug information study)

PurposeThis study aimed to explore physicians’ use of drug information in professional work, with special focus on those working in primary care, and also in relation to personal characteristics of physicians.MethodsA web-based questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to physicians in five regions in Sweden. The questions concerned drug-related queries at issue when searching for information, sources used, and factors of importance for the choice of source, as well as responder characteristics.ResultsA total of 3254 (85%) out of 3814 responding physicians stated that they searched for drug information every week. For physicians working in primary health care, the corresponding number was 585 (96%). The most common drug-related issues searched for by 76% of physicians every week concerned pharmacotherapeutic aspects (e.g., dosing), followed by adverse drug reactions (63%). For 3349 (88%) physicians, credibility was the most important factor for the choice of sources of drug information, followed by easy access online (n = 3127, 82%). Further analyses among physicians in primary care showed that some personal characteristics, like seniority, sex, and country of education, as well as research experience, were associated with usage and preferences of drug information sources.ConclusionsThis study confirms that physicians often use drug information sources in professional work, in particular those who work in primary health care. Credibility and easy access are key factors for usage. Among physicians in primary care, personal factors influenced the choice of drug information sources.

Drug Information Sources for Patients with Chronic Conditions in the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia.

Appropriate drug information is vital for the correct use of drugs in pharmaceutical practice. Providing patients with educational advice on prescribed medication and on proper medication administration has become an essential part of the pharmaceutical care process. The objectives of this study were to identify patients' knowledge of prescribed medications, their desire for more information, and the sources of medication information in a population from Qassim, Saudi Arabia, using a cross-sectional descriptive study. Our target population consisted of adult patients with chronic illnesses receiving drugs at outpatient pharmacies. Nineteen pharmacies were selected based on convenience. After collecting their prescriptions, patients were asked to take part in the study by interviewers as they were leaving the pharmacies. The questionnaire used was pretested on 18 patients and then modified accordingly. questions investigated participants' knowledge of drug information, their wish for more information, and their sources of drug information, other than clinicians. Descriptive analysis was used to describe patients' physical details. The effect of sex, education, diagnosis, number of drugs, and age on knowledge of the purpose of drugs and the need for additional information were tested using Chi-square test. A total of 270 patients were interviewed, of whom 29.7% reported not knowing the purpose of at least one of their medications, and only reading a portion of the PILs. Of the patients sampled, 56.7% said they read the side effects section of the PIL, 43.3% reported reading the uses, while 27% read the contraindications. The drug -interactions section was the least read, with only 18.9% reporting reading it. A total of 57% of the patients reported that they needed more information about their medications. Highly educated patients reported using the PIL, social media, family and friends, TV, and newspapers as sources of drug information at significantly higher rates than patients with lower levels of education. Healthcare professionals should assess patient comprehension and the need for additional drug information, especially among patients with low levels of education. Additionally, healthcare professionals should consider other information sources used by their patients.

Knowledge, attitude and practices related to drug prescription among medical officers and postgraduate residents in B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences

Background: Pharmacology, being both basic and applied science, forms the backbone of rational therapeutics. Traditional teaching of pharmacology is teacher centered with emphasis on learning the facts on drugs. Inadequate knowledge may cause irrational prescribing which leads to huge loss of lives and money. Objective was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices among doctors regarding prescription. Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was used among medical officers and postgraduate residents to collect the data regarding their undergraduate training in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, prescribing habits, commonly consulted drug information sources and any perceived deficiencies in their undergraduate clinical pharmacology teaching. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: Out of 116 respondents, 69 were males and mean age was 28.8±2.3 years. Ninety-eight (84.5%) participants were aware about teaching of prescription writing in their undergraduate course and 101 (87.1%) participants knew the parts of prescription. One hundred (86.2%) participants considered safety as the most important aspects of prescribing a drug. One hundred and four (89.7%) participants thought that undergraduate pharmacology training taught them to prescribe safely. One hundred and eleven (95.7%) thought that the undergraduate pharmacology teaching should be improved. Out of 116 participants, 84 (72.4%) had encountered problems while prescribing during their internship. Sixty-eight (58.6%) participants used internet as a source of information about safety, efficacy and cost of drugs for prescription. Ninety-five (81.9%) participants prescribed supplemental vitamins and irons according to patient need. Conclusions: Majority of participants felt that they do have good knowledge in prescribing medicines and the training on prescription writing should be reinforced.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Rational Use of Medicine among Interns and Resident Doctors in Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital of Western City of Gujarat: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: According to the definition of Rational Use of Medicine (RUM), patients must receive pharmaceuticals that are “suitable to their clinical needs, in doses that fit their own specific requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community”. By prescribing the proper medications in the proper dosages, doctors can influence the health and well-being of their patients. Aim: To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of interns and resident doctors towards RUM in tertiary care center, Jamnagar, Gujarat. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted in August 2022 in Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital, Jamnagar, Gujarat. Total 149 first year postgraduate students (residents doctors) from different specialties and 205 intern students of a tertiary care teaching hospital were included in the study. A questionnaire was administered, which included the questions regarding socio-demographic profile, use of Essential Medicines (EM), RUM, concept of Personal drugs (P-drug) and source of drug information. Data were statistically analysed using Chi-square test. Results: Mean age of Resident Doctors was 24.55±1.74 years while of interns was 22.86±1.27 years. Eighteen (12.08%) residents and 9 (4.39%) interns knew what the phrase RUM meant. At their place of employment, the National Model Essential Drug List was accessible to 12 (5.6%) interns and 16 (10.73%) residents. Out of total, 190 (92.68%) interns and 143 (95.97%) residents were able to identify the components of the prescription slip accurately. The word P-drug was known to roughly 74 (36.09%) interns and 34 (22.81%) residents, of which 45 (21.95%) interns and 27 (18.12%) residents were aware of the Safety, Tolerability, Efficacy, Price (STEP) criteria for P-drug selection. Conclusion: Majority of the responders seem to be aware of the concept of EM and RUM, while the word P-drug seems to be quite unknown to the responders. However, majority of responders prescribed EM which are old drugs. Since, the awareness of RUM among interns and residents was found to be inadequate it has critical importance to hold educational activities with the cooperation of physicians, health organisations, universities to avoid negative consequences of irrational drug use.