Evaluation and implementation of behavioral and educational tools that improves the patients' intentional and unintentional non-adherence to cardiovascular medications in family medicine clinics.

Objective: There are limited number of studies describing the reasons and interventions of non-adherence to cardiovascular medications in United Arab Emirates (UAE). We aimed to implement and evaluate the behavioral and educational tools that indicate the reasons of non-adherence in patients with cardiovascular diseases and improve patient's adherence to their cardiovascular medications.

Methods: In this prospective interventional study, we recruited patients (n = 300) with cardiovascular diseases from three family medicine clinics in Al Ain, UAE in 2010.

Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice: testing the feasibility of an educational intervention among physicians in five European countries.

Background: Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice is common in Southern Europe. Recent findings from a research project funded by the European Commission (FP7), the "OTC SOCIOMED", conducted in seven European countries, indicate that physicians in countries in the Mediterranean Europe region prescribe medicines to a higher degree in comparison to physicians in other participating European countries. In light of these findings, a feasibility study has been designed to explore the acceptance of a pilot educational intervention targeting physicians in general practice in various settings in the Mediterranean Europe region.

A comparative study between prescribed and over-the-counter antibiotics.

Objective: To examine the influence of pharmacists` demographic characteristics on dispensing antibiotics purchased with and without a prescription in the community pharmacies.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 24 randomly-selected community pharmacies located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates between March and September 2009. Data were collected through a closed-structured questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 17.

Self-medication with antibiotics by the community of Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates.

Background: Self-medication with antibiotics may increase the risk of inappropriate use and the selection of resistant bacteria. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics in Abu Dhabi.

Methodology: A validated, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data.