Purchase Of Medicines Research Articles

“They Steal it from the Sultan’s Pharmacy.” Pharmaceuticals and Medicines in Early Modern Transylvania

This article examines the trade in drugs and chemicals in early modern Transylvania through various primary sources. In the first section I discuss how the correspondence of Transylvanian envoys at the Ottoman court with the Transylvanian elites suggest that certain healing products were in high demand in Transylvania. In contrast to these purchases of medicines and drugs on command, the sixteenth–seventeenth‑century rate lists, customs tarriffs, and the customs registers of Cluj and Sibiu reveal the dynamics of the trade in chemicals and drugs from Vienna or the Ottoman Empire. In the seventeenth century, the imports of these goods became more diversified.

The Influence of Health Consciousness and E-Service Quality on Traditional Medicine Purchasing Decisions (Case Study of CV Dari Teman Sejati)

The Influence of Health Consciousness and E-Service Quality on Traditional Medicine Purchasing Decisions (Case Study of CV Dari Teman Sejati)

Analysis of drug provision for patients with broncho-obstructive diseases in the Russian Federation

Introduction. The article presents data from an analysis of drug provision for patients with bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, both in inpatient conditions and at the stage of outpatient treatment. The object of the study was the provision of medications to patients with broncho-obstructive diseases in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The purpose of our study was to study drug provision for patients with broncho-obstructive diseases. Why the following research methods were used: purchases of medicines in federal districts and some constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2019–2022 were analyzed, the amount of funds per patient diagnosed with bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was calculated. Separately, we analyzed the purchases of short- and long-acting bronchodilators, as well as mono- and combination drugs and monoclonal antibody drugs for the treatment of patients with bronchial asthma. Data on drug purchases were analyzed using the website zakupki.gov.ru; information on the number of patients in federal districts and constituent entities of the Russian Federation was taken from statistical materials of the Russian Ministry of Health. Results. We found a multiple difference between federal districts in the amount of funds per patient in both 2019 and 2022, and differentiation between federal districts also turned out to be the case when analyzing preferential drug coverage. The dynamics of the amounts of funds spent by entities on the purchase of drugs for the treatment of patients in outpatient settings turned out to be multidirectional: some entities not only did not increase these amounts in 2012 compared to 2019, but, on the contrary, decreased them. At the same time, the difference between the subjects of the same federal district reaches tenfold values. Conclusion. Patients with broncho-obstructive diseases living in different federal districts of the country have different drug coverage both in outpatient and inpatient treatment settings. To improve the drug supply for these patients, it is necessary to introduce a unified methodology for calculating the planned need for drugs and oblige the subjects to provide patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with drugs at the expense of the budgets of the subjects.

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Consumer behaviour and Preference: Modern or Traditional Medicines?

Backgorund: The COVID-19 pandemic also affects people's behavior (consumers) in Indonesia. To avoid COVID-19, people often consume natural or herbal medicine in addition to chemical medicines. Objective: To analyze the consumers behavior and preference in purchasing modern and traditional medicines during pre and mid pandemic of Covid-19 in East Kalimantan province. Methods: 540 East Kalimantan residents participated in a cross-sectional online survey from December 2021 to February 2022. The survey instrument included demographic information, 4 items on purchasing modern and traditional medicine pre and mid Covid-19. Results: Purchase of traditional medicine prior to the Covid-19 pandemic was 43.7% and mid the covid-19 was 51.5%. Purchase of modern medicine prior to the Covid-19 pandemic was 59.6% and mid the covid-19 was 72.2%. The wilcoxon test for the purchase of traditional and modern medicines before and during covid is <0.001. Conclusion: Consumers in East Kalimantan experienced changes in behavior before the COVID-19 pandemic compared to mid-COVID-19; the highest change was in purchasing modern medicines, and this change in behavior was statistically significant.

Application of the Association Method Using FP-Growth Algorithm to Find Pattern Of Medicine Purchasing Transactions at Pharmacy

This research was conducted with the aim of finding patterns of medicine sales transactions at the Family Pharmacy so that it can be used as a reference for providing medicine stock so that service to consumers can be improved. This study uses the association method by implementing the FP-Growth algorithm. Through the association method, patterns of medicine purchases will be found in the form of medicine that are purchased together. Then, this study wants to test the FP-Growth algorithm in finding patterns of medicine purchases. The data used is data for the second half of 2021. This dataset consists of 20,266 transactions and 1,166 attributes in the form of medicine. The results of the study by setting different minimum support and minimum confidence values, 7 association rules are obtained with a minimum support value of 10% and a minimum confidence of 90% and the accuracy value of each rule formed is 2,683. The level of association rules formed is strong because it shows more than 1. After knowing the association rules that are formed, these rules will be used as a reference in providing medicine stocks and medicine recommendations.

Hospital Pharmacy: Comprehensive management of medical devices during SARS-CoV-2

Medical devices have become essential to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, being crucial for health professionals and patients in particular, and the population in general.It is important to be aware of the laws that regulate the management, distribution, and control of medical devices. Article 82 of the Spanish Law 29/2006 on Guarantees and Rational Use of Medicines and Medical Devices establishes that it is the responsibility of Hospital Pharmacy Services “to participate and coordinate management of purchase of medicines and medical devices in the hospital to ensure an efficient acquisition and rational use of medical devices”. For this reason, working groups of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy and other scientific societies have issued technical guidelines and consensus statements to provide technical support and updated information on the use of masks, individual protection equipments and other medical devices.In addition, the shortage of medical devices caused by the high demand has resulted in the uncontrolled production and distribution of medical devices. This phenomenon, added to the fraudulent selling of medical devices, highlights the need for a closer surveillance of the market to guarantee the efficacy and safety of available medical devices.A rational use of medical devices is necessary to ensure the availability and safety of these products, which requires the involvement of different stakeholders, including hospital pharmacists. Thus, it is essential that hospital pharmacists receive specific training in technical aspects concerning the possession and use of medical devices. This will help guarantee an effective and safe use of medical products. The acquisition and use of medical devices requires a keen understanding of the technical and legal aspects concerning these products, which makes hospital pharmacists essential for the integral management of medical devices.

Improving analgesia provision for sheep: An analysis of farm medicine records and attitudes towards pain relief on sheep farms in Northern Ireland.

Management of pain is critical to improve the welfare of farmed livestock and meet consumer expectations. There is limited published information about the use of analgesic drugs in the sheep sector. A mixed-method approach was followed. The range of analgesic drugs used on 52 Northern Irish sheep farms was determined through analysis of medicine purchase records. Through interview and discussion groups, with both farmer and veterinarian participants, attitudes towards the use and adoption of such medicines were explored. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was widespread and highly variable. One-third of farmers in the sample did not purchase any NSAID. Meloxicam was the most commonly purchased NSAID by mass (72%) and standardised dose (73%). During interviews and discussions, farmers outlined the benefits they saw in using NSAIDs and how veterinarians influenced their uptake of these medicines. Use of corticosteroid was evidenced on 50% of the farms that supplied medicine records for analysis. Veterinarians can influence farmers to adopt NSAIDs for the provision of analgesia in their sheep and farmers observed the benefits they delivered. However, many farmers are still to be reached with this message, perhaps due to being largely self-sufficient and rarely engaging with veterinarians. Veterinarians have the opportunity to challenge farmers about the provision of analgesia, especially when farmers seek antibiotics for painful conditions such as lameness. Currently, the lack of an authorised product in the UK, with associated treatment guidance and industry promotion, may limit veterinarians' confidence in prescribing drugs for pain control in sheep.

Trends of Private Drugs' Sales and Costs Incurred by Patients on Anti-tuberculosis Drugs in Selected Districts of Jharkhand (2022): Results From Sub-national TB-Free Certification.

The government of India is committed to eliminating tuberculosis (TB) by 2025 under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme which provides free investigations and treatment as well as incentives for nutritional support during their treatment course. Many TB patients prefer to seek treatment from the private sector which sometimes leads to financial constraints for the patients. Our study aims to find the burden of TB patients in the private sector and the expenses borne by them for their treatment. Sales data of rifampicin-containing formulationdrug consumption in the private sector of six districts of Jharkhand was collected from Clearing and Forwarding agencies. Based on the drug sales data, the total incurring costs of the drugs, total number of patients, and cost per patient seeking treatment from the private sector were calculated for the year 2015-2021. ANOVA and the post hoc test (Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD)) were applied for analysis. There was a marked difference amongst all the districts in relation to all the variables namely total costs, cost per patient, and total private patients seeking treatment from the private sector which was statistically significant (p < 0.001). East Singhbhum had the highest out-of-pocket expense and private patients as compared to all six districts. Lohardaga showed the sharpest decline in total private patients from 2015 to 2021. The average cost borne by private patients in 2015 was INR 1821 (95% CI 1086 - 2556) which decreased to INR 1033 (95% CI 507 - 1559) in 2021. From the study, it was concluded that the purchase of medicines for TB treatment from the private sectoris one of the essential elements in out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) borne by TB patients. Hence, newer initiatives should be explored to foresee the future OOPE borne by the patients and decrease OOPE-induced poverty.

ІНСТИТУТ ОБУМОВЛЕНИХ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ТРАНСФЕРТІВ: У ПОШУКАХ ПІДВИЩЕННЯ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ СОЦІАЛЬНОГО ЗАХИСТУ В УКРАЇНІ

Розглянуто інститут обумовлених соціальних трансфертів, інституціалізація якого сприятиме підвищенню ефективності соціальної політики України і покращенню якості людського капіталу. Обґрунтовано важливість їх застосування в соціальній політиці України. Визначено позитивні й дискусійні аспекти даного інструменту в межах соціального захисту населення. Сформовано пропозиції стосовно розвитку інклюзивної функції соціального захисту, що сприятиме збільшенню можливостей соціалізації у різних сферах життя, нагромадженню людського капіталу і підвищенню соціальної мобільності шляхом розвитку інституту обумовлених соціальних трансфертів, під якими розуміється грошова допомога, яка надається як засіб боротьби з бідністю, вирівнювання доходів і підвищення ступеня соціальної інклюзії домогосподарств з обов’язковими умовами її використання. Визначено умови витрачання допомоги, які доцільно впровадити в соціальному захисті в Україні для посилення інклюзивної функції, серед яких освіта, культура, спорт, інвестиції у людський капітал дітей, вплив на склад споживання продуктів харчування, медичне обслуговування, придбання ліків, стимулювання споживання товарів і послуг вітчизняного виробництва, участь у активних програмах зайнятості, суспільно-корисній діяльності. Запропоновано впроваджувати таку вимогу для отримання соціальної допомоги працездатними членами суспільства як участь у програмах зайнятості державних органів зайнятості населення. Визначено, що інституціалізація соціального захисту населення працездатного віку має відбуватись у бік посилення сенситивності зв’язку між соціальними внесками, доступом до соціальних благ і соціальним захистом, оскільки людина в такому випадку відчуватиме себе членом суспільства, розраховуючи на захист з боку держави і маючи зацікавленість працювати в умовах формальної зайнятості.

Overall drug treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients from national registries – a real-world study from Finland

BackgroundCurrently, two disease-modifying antifibrotic drugs are indicated for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The objective of this study was to analyse antifibrotic and overall prescription medication use of IPF patients in the real world.MethodsData was collected from the FinnishIPF registry and the Registry of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (SII). Purchases of all prescription medicines were assessed. The frequency, the initiation interval, the duration, and the breaks of the antifibrotic treatments were defined. The association between the prescription of antifibrotic therapy and different patient-related clinical parameters was studied. Accordingly, the relationships between the delay in starting therapy and patient-related variables were analysed.ResultsOf the 263 IPF patients, 132 (50.2%) had started antifibrotic treatment during the study period 2011–2018. The mean interval from the diagnosis to the first purchase was 367 (SD 429) days. The antifibrotic drug was switched in 14% of patients. Discontinuation of therapy occurred most commonly during the first year of the treatment. The one-year persistence was 77.1% for pirfenidone and 78.9% for nintedanib. A tendency of treating patients under 75 years was noticed. Low forced vital capacity predicted earlier initiation of medication.ConclusionsThe initiation of antifibrotics after diagnosis was slow, probably due to reimbursement limitations. Younger age at diagnosis affected treatment initiation although it is unknown which patients benefit most from these medications. The reasons for discontinuation of the antifibrotic therapy during the first year should be a focus in clinical work and further studies.

Analysis of the Application of Transaction Data with Association Techniques using the Apriori Algorithm in Pharmacy

The development of information technology influences the rapid growth in the amount of data collected and stored in large t. Dimas Pharmacy, located at Jl. Segara Kec. Nipah Panjang is one of the public health services that sells various medicines, medical devices, and so on. This study is expected to provide positive benefits for owners of Dimas Nipah Panjang Pharmacy in Providing information about the pattern of medicine purchases made by consumers and Facilitating pharmacy owners to know the available medicine supplies in the warehouse so as not to experience emptiness when needed. Problem Formulation, Literature Study, Data Collection, Calculation and Analysis of Associations with Priori Algorithms, Results Evaluation and Analysis and Report Making. Based on the results of interviews and observations that have been made, the authors obtain data from the Dimas Pharmacy sales transaction. Data held ± 1000 sales transaction data for the period of May and June. But the author only entered 216 sales transactions in May and 141 sales transactions in June. After knowing the method of data selection, the authors conducted data selection by taking 6 items of significant data specifications in certain contexts, namely Anti Serotonin / Allergy, Antacid / Ulcer, Antibiotics, Antipyretics, Inflammation, Hypertension Each of these items had different brands. From these results it can be explained that the sales transaction of the Dimas Pharmacy in May and June generates or generates relationships between shopping product items. With the calculation of the Apriori Association Algorithm, a Market Basket Analysis relationship was found between Medicinal Pronicy and Dexa items. With the Rule "IF Buy Pronicy, THEN Buy Dexa". The rule is generated from the highest support and confident values of the overall support and confident items. The highest support value is 0.15 and the highest confident value is 0.5 ".

The impact of COVID-19 prevention and control policy adjustment on anxiety, depression and coping behavior in China: a cross-sectional online survey, 21–28 December, 2022

BackgroundFollowing external situation reports, individuals perceive risks, experience different emotional reactions, and further change their behaviors. Therefor people’s psychology will also be affected by adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy, but it remains unknown what kind of coping behaviors will be produced due to psychology. This study defines coping behavior as “medical behavior and irrational consumption behavior after the adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy in China”, assesses the prevalence of negative emotions in the Chinese population after policy adjustments, and explores how negative emotions affect people’s coping behaviors, conducts baseline research, provides references and suggestions for policy formulation.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted during 21–28 December 2022, included sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 infection and irrational purchase behavior, psychological assessment, and opinion polling. Depression and anxiety status are assessed by PHQ-9 and GAD-7. The relationship between anxiety, depression and coping behavior was analyzed by Pearson χ2 test, Fisher’s exact test and logistic regression.ResultsA total of 3995 infected participants were included in this study, of which 2363(59.1%) and 1194(29.9%) had depression and anxiety. There was a significant difference in clinical treatment and irrational purchase behavior between different level of depression and anxiety. Depression was a risk factor for self- medication (OR = 1.254), seeking professional treatment (OR = 1.215), using online services of medical institutions (OR = 1.320), large-scale purchases of medicines (OR = 1.154) and masks (OR = 1.096). Anxiety was a risk factor for seeking professional treatment (OR = 1.285) and large-scale purchases of masks (OR = 1.168).ConclusionAfter the adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control policy, patient risk perception can increase depression and anxiety. We found that associated with depression, COVID-19 patients are more likely to have medical behaviors such as self- medication, seeking professional treatment, using online services of medical institutions, and storage behaviors of medicines and masks; and anxiety associated with the coping behavior of patients to seek professional treatment and store masks in large quantities. We should improve people’s mental health, and on the other hand, we should give people effective psychological education during the epidemic. Therefore, we should set up psychological outpatient clinics in community health institutions, expanding mental health screening and guidance; relying on the psychological outpatient clinic, establish groups of people with depression or anxiety to carry out COVID-19 health education and peer education, to reduce adverse drug reactions, avoid panic seeking professional treatment and irrational purchase behavior, and protect public mental health.Trial registrationThis study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Capital Medical University (2023SY086), and informed consent was obtained from the study subjects before the investigation.

A Systematic Research of The Internet Hospital in China: Breakthroughs and Challenges in the Development of Internet Hospital under the Influence of COVID-19

In the age of advanced digital technology, the traditional medical industry is gradually expanding its Inter-net medical business. Internet hospitals are gradually coming to the public. Internet Healthcare refers to a new type of medical and health service industry that uses the Internet and information technology to collaborate with traditional healthcare. Its main functions include remote diagnosis, online e-prescription, online medicine purchase, home delivery of medicines, medical condition tracking, patient electronic medical record formation management and disease management, etc. Because the Internet hospital is still in the initial stage of development, many functions are not available, and many relevant regulations are not detailed enough. However, the covid-19 outbreak has to some extent driven the sudden progress of Internet hospitals. This article analyzes the progress and breakthroughs made by Internet hospitals during the outbreak and the development prospects of Internet hospitals in the post-pandemic era in a macroscopic manner through known data and reports. In addition, this article analyzes the problems that Internet hospitals may encounter, and more importantly, this article will suggest corresponding solutions. Ultimately, this article concludes that Internet hospitals have good prospects for development, which will not be possible without technological breakthroughs, government policy support, user perceptions, and Internet hospitals innovation.

Reasons that lead people to buy prescription medicines on the internet: a systematic review.

Aim: This systematic review explores the factors that could influence consumer's decision of purchasing prescription medicines using the Internet. Methods: Relevant databases were searched to retrieve studies published from 2012 to 2021. The studies selected for inclusion were those focused on the consumer's perspective and the purchase of prescription medicines. A narrative synthesis was employed. The Capability Opportunity Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) were employed as conceptual lenses that guided the analysis. Results: Seventeen studies were included. These studies have adopted various methodologies: qualitative method (n = 4), quantitative method (n = 12), and mixed methods (n = 1). The studies were based in Europe (n = 8), North America (n = 3), Middle East (n = 4), and 2 studies were conducted in several countries (multinational). The analysis of these studies revealed 7 themes that represent the reasons that lead people to buy prescription medicines via the Internet. These themes were the consumers' beliefs about the outcomes of the purchase (perceived benefits and risks of the purchase), consumer's emotions that could influence the purchasing decision, the factors that increase or decrease consumer's level of behavioural control over the purchase (facilitators and barriers of the purchase), consumers knowledge about the purchase, the trusting beliefs that lead consumers to trust the online sellers of medicines, the social influencing factors, and the external environmental factors that could encourage the purchase. Discussion: This study provides a comprehensive review of the breadth of reasons that drive people to buy prescription medicines via the Internet. Identifying those reasons could provide the basis for regulators to design evidence-based awareness campaigns to minimise the purchase of prescription medicines via the Internet. Furthermore, future research directions have been provided in this review to build upon the existing knowledge and address the research gaps in this area.

Poor regulation, desperation, and misinformation, a countrywide analysis of self-medication and prescription patterns in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the early phase of the pandemic led to an unprecedented global health crisis. Various factors have influenced self-medication practices among the general population and unsubstantiated prescribing practices among healthcare professionals. ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe trends in the purchase and sale of medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–2022) in Ecuador, by comparing them with pre-pandemic periods. MethodsIn this study, a cross-sectional design was employed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of 28 pharmacological groups, categorized according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC). Utilizing an integrated drug consumption database, the study examined physician prescribing data, medicine usage, and spending levels in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis involved computing absolute differences in monthly resolution, calculating excessive expenditure in comparison to previous yearly averages, and using Defined Daily Dose (DDD) methodology for internationally comparable results. Furthermore, a correlation analysis was performed to investigate potential associations between prescribed and consumed medicines and the number of new cases and deaths. ResultsIn Ecuador, the average yearly expenditure among these groups prior to the pandemic (2017–2019) amounted to $150,646,206 USD, whereas during 2020 and 2021, the same groups represented a total expenditure of $228,327,210, reflecting a significant increase. The excess expenditure during this period reached 51.4%, equivalent to $77,681,004 USD. Notably, 13% of this expenditure consisted of Over the Counter (OTC) Medicines. The study also identified a remarkable surge in sales of ivermectin, which increased by 2,057%, and hydroxychloroquine, which increased by 171%, as measured by DDD. ConclusionsThis study highlights the substantial consumption of medicines by the population in Ecuador during the pandemic. It is concerning that many medications were sold without proven therapeutic indications, indicating that misinformation and desperation may have led to improper prescribing by physicians and patients resorting to ineffective drugs. Moreover, since the sale of these therapeutic drugs requires a prescription, poor regulation, and a lack of control within pharmacies likely contributed to such practices.

Comparative analysis of modern digital services for the purchase of medicines

Currently, the online pharmacy market is represented by a number of large pharmaceutical players, including apteka.ru, eapteka.ru, and ozon.ru. Given the high density of the market, as well as the fact that medicines are commodities, it becomes obvious that the pharmacy brand needs to increase its competitiveness. Today, such factors are essential for the client of online pharmacies as: the ability to choose the best price offer, the availability of a large range of products, convenient search and comparison of drugs in various categories, as well as the possibility of delivery and customer pickup. Modern services for the search and purchase of medicines have a variety of capabilities that allow making the Internet service convenient for use, as well as to increase the competitive advantages of the pharmacy brand. Thus, the modern online pharmacy consumer is guided by a service (brand) that will satisfy his or her needs, including the use of cartographic services for a comfortable search.

Knowledge and Practice Regarding Self-Medication of Analgesic Drugs of the Students of Nursing Institute, Naogaon

This was a cross-sectional type of descriptive study that was carried out with a view to assessing knowledge and practice regarding self-medication of analgesic drugs of the students of the Nursing Institute, Naogaon. The sample size was 175 which were selected purposively. The mean age was 19.34±0.95 years. Here, 56.0% knew self-medication practice is a bad habit for a nursing student, 92.0% of respondents said that pain-relieving drugs are dangerous without anti-acid drugs, 60.0% told that self-medication practice is completely unethical, most 85.7% told that purchase of medicine needs a prescription, 67.43% respondents took medicine without doctor`s advice. This study provides some important information which might help the concerned people to take appropriate measures and might be the basis for further in-depth study on this issue.’’

Cost-effectiveness evaluation of routine histoplasmosis screening among people living with advanced HIV disease in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Histoplasma antigen can be detected in people with advanced HIV disease (AHD), allowing for early and accurate diagnosis of histoplasmosis. The aim of this analysis was to assess the cost-effectiveness of routine histoplasmosis screening using antigen detection, among people with AHD. We developed a decision analytic model to evaluate Histoplasma antigen screening among people with AHD. The model estimated the costs, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of routine screening for Histoplasma antigen compared to the current practice of no routine Histoplasma antigen screening. The model includes stratification by symptoms of histoplasmosis, severity of presentation, and estimates of 30-day mortality. Data sources were taken from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Strategic Fund databases on public purchases of medicines, and published literature on treatment outcomes. Outcome measures are life years saved (LYS), costs (US dollars), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Routine Histoplasma antigen screening avoids an estimated 17% of deaths in persons with advanced HIV disease, and is cost-effective compared to no histoplasmosis screening, with an ICER of $26/LYS. In sensitivity analysis assuming treatment for histoplasmosis with liposomal amphotericin, Histoplasma antigen screening remains cost-effective with an ICER of $607/LYS. Histoplasma antigen screening among people with AHD is a cost-effective strategy and could potentially avert 17% of AIDS-related deaths. Prospective evaluation of histoplasmosis screening is warranted to determine effectiveness and treatment outcomes with this strategy.

Care-seeking practices for non-communicable chronic conditions in a low-income neighborhood in Southern India.

Given that access to healthcare is less challenging in urban India, evidence shows that affordable government healthcare services are underutilized by the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. There are emerging studies on healthcare seeking behavior in the context of short-term morbidities and communicable diseases that attempted to understand this gap of underutilization of government healthcare services, but similar studies are rare in the context of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and associated chronic conditions. Given the urban health system is ill- prepared and ill-equipped to deliver NCD services, it is important to understand how the vulnerable and disadvantaged groups seek healthcare for chronic conditions. This article investigates the care-seeking practices of these individuals living in a low-income neighborhood and care-seeking pathways for chronic conditions. The study is conducted at Kadugondanahalli-a low-income neighborhood with the presence of a recognized slum, in Bengaluru city. A total of twenty in-depth interviews are conducted with individuals diagnosed with non-communicable chronic conditions. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling method. The data is collected between January 2020 to June 2021. The study participants practice a wide range of care-seeking practices based on the management of comorbidity and multimorbidity, recognizing the symptoms and severity, experiences of family members, belief, and purchase and consumption of medicines. These practices clearly highlighted not only the nuances of non-adherence to the long-term treatment and medications, but it also strongly influences the care-seeking behavior, which in turn make the care-seeking continuum very complex. The care-seeking continuum attempted each of the components (i.e. the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and control) of NCD care cascade but participants often failed to do screening on time, delayed diagnosis, and did not meet the treatment goals, leading to their conditions becoming further uncontrolled due to the care-seeking practices they practice. These practices delayed not only the diagnosis but also the completion of each component of the care cascade. This study emphasizes strengthening of the health system in addressing the individual and community level practices, that significantly affect the entire care-seeking continuum, in the sustained monitoring and adherence to the treatment of chronic conditions.

Statutory regulation of the sale of medicines as a factor in the introduction of distance sales

The development of technology and widespread digitalization have affected all spheres of society, including the usual daily activities, in which modern people are increasingly using smart assistants (portable devices, online services, etc.) [1, 2]. Over the past decade, such technologies have become more accessible and familiar to most people, which is reflected in the growth of offers from online sellers of various goods and services. A number of researchers note that city dwellers are more loyal to the transition from traditional stores to purchases via online service providers [3, 4]. However, until recently, there has been a general concern in society regarding the transition to online transactions for certain types of goods and services (telemedicine technologies, the purchase of medicines through digital services, etc.)