Impact of adherence on the cost-effectiveness of apixaban and rivaroxaban in stroke prevention among patients with atrial fibrillation in the United States.

Objective: Despite the beneficial effects of DOACs, suboptimal adherence is widely documented, and real-world adherence is lower than in clinical trials. The objective of this study is to compare the cost-effectiveness of apixaban versus rivaroxaban for stroke prevention by incorporating real-world adherence from the US payer's perspective.

Methods: We developed a Markov model with three health states to evaluate the total costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) at a willingness to pay threshold of $100,000.

Group-based trajectory modeling to identify adherence patterns for direct oral anticoagulants in Medicare beneficiaries with atrial fibrillation: a real-world study on medication adherence.

Background: Suboptimal adherence to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients remains currently a major concern due to the increased risk of cardiac and thromboembolic events.

Aim: To identify longitudinal distinct trajectories of DOAC adherence and sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with each trajectory.

Method: Patients with AF who were prescribed with DOAC from July 2016-December 2017 were identified among patients enrolled in the Medicare Advantage Plan.

Immunomodulator adherence in multiple myeloma patients with lower socioeconomic status: a retrospective study.

Objective: Poor adherence to oral chemotherapy adversely impacts clinical outcomes and escalates overall healthcare costs. Despite barriers to medication adherence, a significant gap remains in assessing adherence to oral chemotherapy among multiple myeloma (MM) patients with lower socioeconomic status. Hence, our study aims to evaluate immunomodulator adherence in MM patients at a county hospital, primarily serving underrepresented and indigent individuals with low socioeconomic status across the greater Houston area.

Predictors of adherence to direct oral anticoagulants after cardiovascular or bleeding events in Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are recommended for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) given their improved safety profile. Suboptimal adherence to DOACs remains a significant concern among individuals with AF. However, the extent of adherence to DOACs following a cardiovascular or bleeding event has not been fully evaluated.

Integrated curriculum in the United States pharmacy programs.

Introduction: In the last decade, significant changes in pharmaceutical sciences have influenced the delivery of pharmacy education in Pharmacy programs. Integrated curriculum is one such method considered. We aimed to describe the perceived level of integrated curriculum among PharmD programs in the US.

Regional Variation in Opioid-Related Emergency Medical Services Transfers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted public infrastructure and healthcare utilization. However, regional variation in opioid-related harm secondary to COVID-19 remains poorly understood. This study aimed to measure the regional variation in the association between stay-at-home orders (SAHOs) and nonfatal opioid-related emergency medical services (EMS) transfers in the United States.

Trajectories of adherence to ACEI/ARB medications following a motivational interviewing intervention among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Texas.

Objectives: To assess the impact of student telephone motivational interviewing intervention on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-receptor blockers (ACEI/ARBs) adherence trajectories and identify predictors of each trajectory.

Methods: The intervention group included continuously enrolled Medicare Advantage Plan patients non-adherent to ACEI/ARBs vs the control group (1:2 ratio). The intervention was tailored by pre-intervention trajectories and included an initial and five follow-up calls.

Systematic Review of Polyherbal Combinations Used in Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifactorial disease, whose main stay of prevention and management is life-style modification which is difficult to attain. Combination of herbs have proven more efficacious in multi-targeted diseases, as compared to individual herbs owing to the "effect enhancing and side-effect neutralizing" properties of herbs, which forms the basis of polyherbal therapies This led us to review literature on the efficacy of herbal combinations in MetS. Electronic search of literature was conducted by using Cinnahl, Pubmed central, Cochrane and Web of Science, whereas, Google scholar was used as secondary search tool.

Production, purification and physicochemical characterization of D-xylose/glucose isomerase from strain BL21.

Cell lysate of strain BL21 showed significant D-glucose isomerase activity. The rate of glucose conversion was increased up to 40% when cells were induced with 1% D-xylose. BL21 xylose isomerase (ECXI-BL21) was purified to homogeneity, up to 1.

A quantitative insight of the interactions of prescribers with pharmaceutical organization's representatives in clinical settings of Karachi.

The study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the prescribers' approach of interaction with medical representatives for drug promotion. An explanatory, cross-sectional design was used to evaluate prescribers' interactions with the medical sales representatives (MSRs) through an anonymous, self-filled questionnaire from June to December 2017. Data presented as means±SEM or as percentages and statistically analyzed by one way ANOVA, using significance level of 0.

MORPHOLOGICAL PATTERN AND FREQUENCY OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TUMOURS IN CHILDREN.

Background: Recent studies, including a comprehensive study by National Cancer Institute, have shown that a significant increase in the incidence of childhood brain tumours makes them the most common paediatric tumour. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of central nervous system tumours in paediatric age group (0-12 years), and to segregate various morphologic types according to WHO classification.

Methods: The study included consecutive cases of central nervous system tumours diagnosed in children in the histopathology department at Federal Government Polyclinic, PGMI, Islamabad, during a period of 4.

Cloning, purification, and characterization of xylose isomerase from Thermotoga naphthophila RKU-10.

A 1.3 kb xyl-A gene encoding xylose isomerase from a hyperthermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga naphthophila RKU-10 (TnapXI) was cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli to produce the enzyme in mesophilic conditions that work at high temperature. The enzyme was concentrated by lyophilization and purified by heat treatment, fractional precipitation, and UNOsphere Q anion-exchange column chromatography to homogeneity level.

Kinetics of improved 1,4-alpha-D-glucan glucohydrolase biosynthesis from a newly isolated Aspergillus oryzae IIB-6 and parameter significance analysis by 2-factorial design.

Sixteen different mould cultures viz. Aspergillus, Alternaria, Arthroderma, Trichoderma, Fusarium, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Chochliobolus were isolated from the soil samples of Qatar by serial dilution method. The preliminary screening of isolates was done by selecting initial colonies showing relatively bigger zones of starch hydrolysis on nutrient agar plates.

Pseudomazzia macrolabiata n.gen.,n.sp. (Nematoda: Spiruridae: Mazziinae) from the fish Pomadasys olivaceus of Karachi coast.

A nematode Pseudomazzia macrolabiata of a new genus and a new species is described here from the intestine of the fish Pomadasys olivaceus of Karachi coast. The new genus is characterized by having an enlarged head region with three large prominent lips protruding externally from the head, a prominent buccal cavity and with a proboscis. The esophagus is not clearly divided into muscular and glandular parts and the intestine is simple.

Rhabdochona kharani sp. n. (Nematoda: Rhabdochonidae) from the fish Labeo gedrosicus Zugmayer, 1912 from Garruk, District Kharan, Balochistan, Pakistan.

A new nematode species, Rhabdochona kharani sp. nov., has been isolated from the intestine, stomach and swim bladder of the fish Labeo gedrosicus Zugmayer, 1912 (Fam.

Geographical distribution of cutaneous leishmaniasis and sand flies in Pakistan.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is found in all the four provinces of Pakistan; these are NWFP, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab. In Balochistan the areas from where the patients came are Uthal, Quetta and Ormara. The highest number of patients came from Quetta and least from Ormara.