Source Of Medicine Information Research Articles

An Evaluation of Consumers' Perceptions Regarding “Modern Medicines” in Penang, Malaysia

The objective of this study was to evaluate consumers’ perceptions regarding “modern medicines” in Penang, Malaysia. To conduct this exploratory study, qualitative techniques were used. Consumers more than 19 years of age and could speak English, who had visited a pharmacy in the last 30 days, were included from the four major areas of Penang. Eighteen interviews were conducted until the point of saturation. The interviews were audio-taped and then transcribed verbatim for thematic content analysis. Many consumers correctly identified the major characteristics and properties of modern medicines; however, others raised doubts regarding the safety, quality and efficacy of “modern medicines”. There were many misconceptions such as “all modern medicines can cause dependence”, traditional medicines are completely “free of side-effects” and “Western medicines cure while Chinese medicines don’t”. Color was also considered a strong determinant of the safety and characteristics of a medicine. Regarding consumers’ “medicine information seeking behavior”, many consumers would seek information from doctors and pharmacists; however, there were others, who would look for books, or get it from the internet and friends. Of concern many consumers emphasized that while “self-searching for drug information” they would only look for side-effects. Misconceptions regarding medicine-taking behavior, medicine use and compliance were also identified. Though several consumers complied with the medicine-taking instructions, many reported that they would stop taking medicines, once they feel better. Though many consumers correctly identified the characteristics of “modern medicines”, misconceptions regarding "medicine information sources and “medicine-taking behavior” were rampant. The situation demands corrective actions including community-oriented educational campaigns to improve “medicine use” in the society.

Need of medicines information OPD in tertiary health care settings: A cross sectional study

Background: Population burden, illiteracy, availability of few doctors for larger group of population all these leads to many unanswered questions left in a patient’s mind. Incomplete information results into noncompliance, therapeutic failure, and adverse drug reactions (ADR). It is very important to establish a system which will provide noncommercial, independent, unbiased source of medicine information. Medicines Info OPD is a concept and step towards safe and appropriate use of medicines. Objective: (1) To assess the present status of knowledge about the medicines in the patients and its correlation with education. (2) To assess the medicine information dispensing modalities, their use and sufficiency from the patients view point. (3) To assess the overall need for Medicines Information OPD in present scenario. Materials and Methods: A pre-validated questionnaire based study was conducted amongst 500 patients of tertiary health care hospital. The questionnaire consisted of specific questions regarding understanding of prescription, knowledge about adverse drug reaction, view about self-medication and opinion regarding the need of Medicines Info OPD. Results: Significantly large proportion of patients opined that doctors do not have sufficient time in current Indian healthcare to explain the prescription and they are not aware of adverse drug reactions, expiry date or use the package inserts etc. Conclusion: Clinically relevant, up to date, user specific, independent, objective and unbiased Medicines Info OPD is essential for appropriate drug use and can help in a big way to common public to address many problems faced by them.

Combining wavelets transform and Hu moments with self-organizing maps for medical image categorization

Images are fundamental sources of information in modern medicine. The images stored in a database and divided in categories are an important step for image retrieval. For an automatic categorization process, detailed analysis is done regarding image representation and generalization method. The baseline method for this process, in the medical image context, is using thumbnails and K-nearest neighbor (KNN), which is easily implemented and has had satisfactory results in literature. This work addresses an alternative method for automatic categorization, which jointly uses discrete wavelet transform with Hu's moments for image representation and self-organizing maps (SOM) neural networks combined with the KNN classifier (SOM-KNN), for medical image categorization. Furthermore, extensive experiments are conducted, to define the best wavelet family and to select the best coefficients set, to consider the remaining wavelet coefficients set (not selected as the best ones) through their Hu's moments, and to carry out a contrastive study with other successful approaches for categorization. The categorization result from a database with 10,000 images in 116 categories yielded 81.8% of correct rate, which is much better than the 67.9% obtained by the baseline method; and the time consumed in classification processing with SOM-KNN is 100 times shorter than KNN.

Medicine information sources used by nurses at the point of care

Medicine information sources used by nurses at the point of care

Tyler’s Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals

Contents Preface Chapter 1. Basic Principles Definitions Differences Between Herbs and Other Drugs Herbal Quality Paraherbalism Homeopathy Rational Herbalism General Guidelines in the Use of Herbal Medicines Herbal Dosage Forms Herbal Medicine Information Sources Chapter 2. The Herbal Regulatory Dilemma A Regulatory Tower of Babel Drug Regulation 1906-1962 Implementing Safety and Efficacy Regulations FDA's Herbal Regulatory Initiative Reaction to FDA's Herb Regulations The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act The Proposal for Reform Chapter 3. Contents and Use of Subsequent Chapters Chapter 4. Digestive System Problems Nausea and Vomiting (Motion Sickness) Appetite Loss Constipation Diarrhea Indigestion--Dyspepsia Hepatotoxicity (Liver Damage) Peptic Ulcers Chapter 5. Kidney, Urinary Tract, and Prostate Problems Infections and Kidney Stones Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (Prostrate Enlargement) Chapter 6. Respiratory Tract Problems Bronchial Asthma Colds and Flu Sore Throat Chapter 7. Cardiovascular System Problems Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Arteriosclerosis Peripheral Vascular Disease Venous Disorders Chapter 8. Nervous System Disorders Anxiety and Sleep Disorders Depression Pain (General) Headache Toothache Sexual Impotence Chapter 9. Endocrine and Metabolic Problems Hormones in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders Gynecological Disorders Hyperthyroidism Diabetes Mellitus Chapter 10. Arthritic and Musculoskeletal Disorders Arthritis Muscle Pain Gout Chapter 11. Problems of the Skin, Mucous Membranes, and Gingiva Dermatitis Contact Dermatitis Burns, Wounds, and Infections Lesions and Infections of the Oral Cavity and Throat Chapter 12. Performance and Immune Deficiencies Performance and Endurance Enhancers Cancer Communicable Diseases and Infections Index

Is the Internet replacing health professionals? A population survey on sources of medicines information among people with mental disorders

People with mental disorders often report unmet medicine information needs and may search for information on medicines from sources including the Internet, telephone services, books and other written materials. This study aimed to identify and describe the sources of medicines information used by people with and without mental disorders. A cross sectional postal survey was mailed to a nationally representative sample (n = 5,000) of Finns aged 15-64 years in spring 2005. Completed responses were received from 3,287 people (response rate 66%), of whom 2,348 reported using one or more sources of medicines information during the past 12 months. Of those who reported one or more sources of medicines information, 10% (n = 228) reported being diagnosed with or treated for a mental disorder. The main outcome measures were the sources of medicines information used by people who did and did not report being diagnosed with or treated for a mental disorder. Among respondents with and without a mental disorder, physicians (83 vs. 59%), pharmacists (56 vs. 49%) and patient information leaflets (53 vs. 43%) were the most common sources of medicines information. After adjusting for age, gender, level of education, working status and number of chronic diseases, respondents with mental disorders were more likely to use patient information leaflets (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.06-1.98) and the Internet (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.02-2.64) as sources of medicines information than respondents without mental disorders. The results indicate that physicians and pharmacists are the most common sources of medicines information among people both with and without mental disorders. However, patient information leaflets and the Internet were more commonly used by people with mental disorders. There may be an opportunity for clinicians to better exploit these sources of medicines information when developing medicines information services for people with mental disorders.

Analgesic users' sources of medicine information

Abstract Objective To identify the sources of medicine information used by Finnish analgesic users. Method A questionnaire on health behaviour was sent to a random sample (n = 5000) of 15–64-year-old Finnish adults in 2005. The respondents were asked to list the sources of medicine information (both self-medication and prescription medicines) used by them. Only those respondents who had used only analgesics during the week prior to the study were included. Key findings The response rate was 66%, and 15% of those (n = 502) had used only analgesics during the previous week. Doctors (35%), patient information leaflets (PILs) (33%), and pharmacists (33%) were the most common sources of medicine information. Other sources were nurses (9%), relatives and friends (7%), advertisements (4%), internet (4%), radio and TV (3%), newspapers and books (3%) and health food stores (1%). Almost half of the respondents (49%) had not received medicine information from health professionals. Women reported PILs, pharmacists, newspapers and books as sources of medicine information more often than men. The differences were statistically significant. Conclusions Analgesic-only users seem not to receive much medicine information from health professionals, which may be a risk especially with self-medication. Women seem to have more sources of medicine information than men.

Consumer use of the internet for medicines information

Abstract Objective To explore consumer opinion of the internet as a source of medicines information, the reasons consumers use this information, and the impact of this information on their use of medicines. Method Focus groups (n=6) were conducted in metropolitan Sydney, Australia during March to May 2003 with consumers (n=46) who had used the internet for medicines information. Key findings Although participants expressed some concerns about the quality of internet-based medicines information (IBMI), the convenience of access to this information outweighed these reservations. Attitudes were thus positive overall. Participants used IBMI when preparing for doctors' visits, for second opinions and additional information, for information on current issues, when deciding whether to use a medicine, for comparative information on brands and generics, and when written information was not supplied by health professionals. Most participants felt empowered by the information they found and used it to play a more active role in decision making about their therapy. Conclusion This study describes various issues associated with consumer use of IBMI and highlights the possible role of pharmacists to support their patients' efforts to access and interpret medicines information.

Attitude and opinion towards essential medicine formulary

Objective:The Delhi State Drug Policy was adopted in 1994 following which the first Essential Medicines List (EML) was developed in 1996. The Delhi State Essential Medicines Formulary was brought out in 1997. A need was felt to revise the formulary to match with the EML as the EML is renewed every 2 years.Materials and Methods:A survey was undertaken to elicit the opinions of the doctors practicing in the state on the usefulness of the formulary before revising and printing the updated version. The survey covered dispensaries, 10–20 bedded hospitals, 100-bedded hospitals and two tertiary care hospitals. Discussions were focused on questionnaires on attitudes toward adopting Essential Medicines Formulary using a 10-point scale.Results:Of the 200 doctors approached, only 90 doctors completed the questionnaire. Sixty-nine respondents (76.6%) had received the copy of the formulary. Most practitioners welcomed the formulary and were satisfied with the coverage and selection of the medicines. Most respondents (76.9%) agreed that a well-developed formulary would improve the quality of the public health care system, although they had reservations about the authority, relevance and effect on professional autonomy.Conclusion:About 74% of the respondents used the formulary in clinical practice as a source of medicine information, which makes its regular revision necessary.

Quality of Pharmaceutical Advertisements in Medical Journals: A Systematic Review

BackgroundJournal advertising is one of the main sources of medicines information to doctors. Despite the availability of regulations and controls of drug promotion worldwide, information on medicines provided in journal advertising has been criticized in several studies for being of poor quality. However, no attempt has been made to systematically summarise this body of research. We designed this systematic review to assess all studies that have examined the quality of pharmaceutical advertisements for prescription products in medical and pharmacy journals.Methods and FindingsStudies were identified via searching electronic databases, web library, search engine and reviewing citations (1950 – February 2006). Only articles published in English and examined the quality of information included in pharmaceutical advertisements for prescription products in medical or pharmacy journals were included. For each eligible article, a researcher independently extracted the data on the study methodology and outcomes. The data were then reviewed by a second researcher. Any disagreements were resolved by consensus. The data were analysed descriptively. The final analysis included 24 articles. The studies reviewed advertisements from 26 countries. The number of journals surveyed in each study ranged from four to 24 journals. Several outcome measures were examined including references and claims provided in advertisements, availability of product information, adherence to codes or guidelines and presentation of risk results. The majority of studies employed a convenience-sampling method. Brand name, generic name and indications were usually provided. Journal articles were commonly cited to support pharmaceutical claims. Less than 67% of the claims were supported by a systematic review, a meta-analysis or a randomised control trial. Studies that assessed misleading claims had at least one advertisement with a misleading claim. Two studies found that less than 28% of claims were unambiguous clinical claims. Most advertisements with quantitative information provided risk results as relative risk reduction. Studies were conducted in 26 countries only and then the generalizability of the results is limited.ConclusionsEvidence from this review indicates that low quality of journal advertising is a global issue. As information provided in journal advertising has the potential to change doctors' prescribing behaviour, ongoing efforts to increase education about drug promotion are crucial. The results from our review suggest the need for a global pro-active and effective regulatory system to ensure that information provided in medical journal advertising is supporting the quality use of medicines.

Cluster-based classification using self-organising maps for medical image databases

Images are a fundamental source of information in medicine. They can support doctors and students in diagnostic decisions besides providing research and didactic material. The images stored in a database and divided in categories are an important step for data mining and content-based image retrieval (CBIR). This work addresses a methodology which joins the use of discrete wavelet transforms to characterise images and self-organising maps (SOM) neural networks to cluster based classification of medical images. This data mining methodology can be used in categorisation and in computer-aided diagnostic decision.

Access and use of medicines information sources by physicians in public hospitals in Uganda: a cross-sectional survey.

Rational and cost-effective prescription of medicines requires up-to-date and readily accessible medicines information. There are several studies on availability and access to medicines information sources, but have been conducted only in high-income countries. To assess medicines information sources accessed by physicians in public hospitals in Uganda, and physicians' opinion on establishment of a medicines information centre in the country. A cross-sectional survey including 369 physicians from six district, six regional and two university hospitals. Data was collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Response rate was 91%. This included 31, 136 and 168 physicians from the district, regional and university hospitals, respectively. In the district hospitals the source of medicines information reported to be most available was colleagues (100%), while in the regional and university hospitals it was literature from pharmaceutical companies (98%) and hard copy of research publications (99%) respectively. The most frequently used source in the district and regional hospitals was National Standard Treatment Guideline (90% and 73% respectively), and colleagues in university hospitals (89%). Accessibility problems with reported available sources were commonest with research publications in medical journals, both hard copy and through the internet, MIMS, pharmacists and pharmacologists. Need for a medicines information centre was indicated by 80% of the respondents. Majority of the physicians in public hospitals in Uganda have limited access to unbiased drug information. Therefore, there is need to assess the feasibility of establishing a drug information centre, and then assess its use during a trial period.

The DARTS tool for assessing online medicines information

The use of the Internet as a source of medicines information is increasing. However, the quality of online information is highly variable. Equipping Internet users to distinguish good quality information is the aim of a new five-item quality assessment tool (DARTS) that was developed by the Working Group on Information to Patients under the Pharmaceutical Forum established by the European Commission. The objective of this study was to investigate how people with depression assess the quality of online medicines information and to study their opinions about the DARTS tool in assisting in this process. Focus group discussions with Internet users were conducted in metropolitan Helsinki, Finland. Six focus group discussions (67-109 min duration) were conducted with people with depression (n = 29). The DARTS tool was used as a stimulus after open discussion in relation to the evaluation of the quality of Internet-based medicines information. The focus groups were digitally audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were thematically content analysed by two researchers. Focus group participants were generally critical of the information they retrieved. However, few participants systematically applied quality assessment criteria when retrieving online information. No participants had knowledge or experience of any quality assessment tools. The DARTS tool was perceived as being concise and easy to use and understand. Many participants indicated it would allay some of their concerns related to information quality and act as a reminder. While several participants felt the tool should not be any more extensive, some of them believed it should include a more in-depth explanation to accompany each of the quality criteria. The DARTS tool may act as a prompt for people with depression to assess the quality of online information they obtain. The five DARTS criteria may form the basis of a systematic approach to quality assessment and the tool may also act as a reminder of quality issues in general. Further studies are needed to assess the actual value of the DARTS tool as well as its value in relation to other quality assessment instruments.

Sources of medicine information in Finland

Objectives To identify differences in reported sources of medicine information between age groups and genders in one European country (Finland). Methods A questionnaire on health behaviour was sent by mail to a random sample of 5000 Finns aged 15–64 years in the spring of 2005. The respondents ( n = 3287) were asked to report the sources from which they had received information about their medicines (both prescription medicines and self-medication) used over the past year (12 months). Number of respondents who had used medicines during the past year and reported at least one source of medicine information was 2348. Results Women used PILs, newspapers, magazines, books, Health Food Stores ( p < 0.001) and advertisements ( p < 0.01) more than men as their medicine information sources. The oldest (50–64-year-olds) men and women reported doctors as sources of medicine information more commonly ( p < 0.001) and the Internet less commonly ( p < 0.001) than respondents in other age groups. The 15–29-year-old women received more information from PILs, nurses, relatives and friends ( p < 0.001) and from radio and television ( p < 0.05) than women in other age groups. The 15–29-year-old men found more information from relatives, friends, radio and television ( p < 0.001) than men in other age groups. Conclusions There are differences in the reported sources of medicine information between genders and age groups. Older persons seem mostly to use health professionals as their source, while younger persons seem to prefer the Internet or other sources which they can use by themselves. Women seem to be more active than men in searching for medicine information and, like younger persons, on their own initiative.

Sources of medicine information and their reliability evaluated by medicine users

To study the medicine users' sources of medicine information and the perceived reliability of these sources in different age groups. A computer-aided telephone interview (CATI) to Finnish consumers (n = 1,004). Those respondents (n = 714) who reported using any prescription or self-medication medicines more than once a month were included in the study. The respondents were interviewed about their use of sources of medicine information during the previous 6 months. The reliability of sources in different age groups was estimated using a 4-point scale: very reliable, somewhat reliable, somewhat unreliable and very unreliable. The respondents also had the option of being unable to make an appraisal. A proportion of respondents reporting using the source, number of mentioned sources and their reliability evaluated by respondents. About half of the respondents in each age group mentioned two to four sources. The most common sources of information were Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) (74%), doctors (68%) and pharmacists (60%). Next came television (40%), newspapers and magazines (40%), drug advertisements (32%), nurses (28%), drug information leaflets (27%), relatives and friends (24%), medicine guides and books (22%) and the Internet (20%). There was a significant difference between age groups in reporting the Internet as a source of medicine information (15-34-year-old respondents reported the greatest Internet use). The three most reliable sources in every age group were reported to be PILs, doctors and pharmacists. Nurses, drug regulatory authorities, drug information leaflets and medicine guides and books were considered next most reliable. Relatives and friends, television, newspapers and magazines were considered the least reliable. The respondents were most uncertain about the reliability of the Internet, patient organisations and telephone services. There was a significant difference between age groups in evaluating the reliability of telephone services (15-34-year-olds found them more reliable). Medicine users reported receiving medicine information from many sources. The most commonly used sources were perceived as the most reliable, but their reliability did not seem to depend on age. The counsellors should take into account that patients have many sources of medicine information, with varying validity.

Ascertaining consumer perspectives of medication information sources using a modified repertory grid technique

To establish the range of medicine information sources used by consumers and their perception of the reliability of these, using the repertory grid technique. Consumers visiting three community pharmacies in Brisbane, Australia, were interviewed using the repertory grid technique. During the interview, consumers were asked to name up to three medicine information sources that they used for a supermarket medicine, an over-the-counter medicine and a prescription medicine. They were then presented with their named information sources in groups of three and asked to discriminate between these in terms of their perceived reliability of the information source. The descriptors used by the consumer to discriminate between the information sources are known as constructs and these were recorded. The consumer was then asked to rate each of their information sources against each generated construct. The range of information sources generated was determined along with the perceived reliability of these from the calculated median score of each information source when rated on each generated construct. A total of 110 consumers were interviewed and identified 648 information sources that they would use. The most frequent information sources cited by the 110 consumers were their doctor (83%), written information (90%) and the pharmacist (78%). There were a total of 299 constructs generated by 88 of the consumers and these were themed into 16 discrete categories. The most common generated constructs themes were "good knowledge" (15%), "training" (14%) and "trustworthiness" (13%). The consumer perception of their information sources were that the doctor and pharmacist have good knowledge (median score 1) and are trained (median score 1) and were perceived to be trustworthy (median score 3 and 2, respectively). The repertory grid technique was successful in identifying the information sources consumers accessed to find out about their medicines and in identifying the perception of these sources in terms of their reliability. The repertory grid technique offers a novel method for future research into consumer preferences for different treatment options.

Patient Initiation of Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies (CAM) Following Cancer Diagnosis

Complementary and alternative medicine use is prevalent in both healthy and oncologic populations. However, few data exist to quantify complementary and alternative medicine initiation specifically after cancer diagnosis. This study evaluated patients' complementary and alternative medicine usage patterns, reasons, and general perceptions after cancer diagnosis and during or after conventional cancer therapy. An Internet- and clinic-based piloted questionnaire was distributed from July 2004 through September 2004. In total, 604 responses were analyzed (64% Internet, 36% oncology clinics). Patients were predominantly white females; almost half held college or graduate degrees. Respondents reported past or present history of >or=1 conventional treatment(s), primarily chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Initiation of >or=1 complementary and alternative medicine after diagnosis was reported by 54% of those surveyed. Complementary and alternative medicine users were more likely than non-users to have a history of chemotherapy (P=0.003) and enrollment in clinical trials (P=0.007). Complementary and alternative medicine use was greater in females (P=0.004) and patients with higher education levels (P<0.001), but not in whites compared to non-whites (P=0.34). The most commonly cited reason for complementary and alternative medicine use after diagnosis was "general overall health." Less than one-third of patients cited their healthcare providers as primary sources of complementary and alternative medicine information. The vast majority of users (86%) expressed satisfaction with complementary and alternative medicine as a cost-effective approach. About one-half of adult cancer patients initiate complementary and alternative medicine therapy after diagnosis and during or after conventional oncologic treatments. Healthcare providers should be aware of patients' reasons for complementary and alternative medicine use, both for symptom management and quality-of-life. Healthcare providers should also be familiar with patients' complementary and alternative medicine information sources and should supplement these sources with discussions of pertinent safety profiles and potential interactions with standard therapies.

Información de medicamentos de prescripción: encuesta a la población general española

To assess Spanish general population opinion on prescription medicine information which they currently access or would like to. Design. Cross-sectional descriptive study through telephone interviews. Setting. Spanish general population. February-March 2003. A total of 1069 subjects from 16 to 90 years old were interviewed. Main measures. Questionnaire developed after reviewing legislation and literature, and validated by an expert panel in medical information. A total of 87.7% of subjects usually obtain medicines upon medical prescription. The most important prescription medicine information sources are drug information leaflet (75.9%; 95% CI, 73.3-78.5), physicians (54.9%; 95% CI, 51.8-58.0), pharmacists (17.4%; 95% CI, 15.1-19.7 and nurses (6.7%; 95% CI, 5.2-8.2). Less than 3% of subjects obtain prescription medicine information through Internet. A total of 52.9% (95% CI, 49.9-55.8) of subjects feel they are inadequately informed about prescription medicine and would like to have more access to it through sources different than health care staff. A total of 45.6% (95% CI, 42.6-48.6) of subjects would find convenient to receive information from pharmaceutical companies. This information should be qualified and supervised by health authorities. Brief written materials provided by physicians or pharmacists, would be the most appropriate way for patients to obtain prescription medicine information from pharmaceutical companies. Spanish general population feel they have poor information on prescription medicine and would like to get access to qualified information from different sources, including the one provided by the pharmaceutical industry.

Travel Medicine OnlineInternational sources of travel medicine information on the Internet for travellers

Travel Medicine OnlineInternational sources of travel medicine information on the Internet for travellers

Travel Medicine Online: International sources of travel medicine information on the Internet for travellers

Access to global information through the Internet is the domain of travellers as much as travel health practitioners. It is important in travel medicine practice for travel health practitioners to be aware of some of the sites that travellers may visit for travel health information or possibly even referred to for further information. It is important that travel health practitioners can guide travellers as to the most reliable sites and what information may be useful. Travellers will be attracted to major national Internet sites on travel health, but also possibly to popular travel industry sites. Access to search engines on the Internet also makes searching for travel health information much easier for travellers.