Impact of a community pharmacy-based medication therapy management program on clinical and humanistic outcomes in patients with uncontrolled diabetes: a randomised controlled trial.

This study was aimed to evaluate the impact of community pharmacy (CP)-based medication therapy management (MTM) program on clinical and humanistic outcomes in patients with uncontrolled diabetes. An open label, parallel-group randomised controlled trial was undertaken at a community pharmacy in Riyadh city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Patients with a diagnosis of uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c of ≥ 8%) meeting the eligibility criteria were randomised to receive either the MTM programme provided by pharmacists or standard care.

Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of Patient Satisfaction with Pharmacist Services Questionnaire (PSPSQ) 2.0 into the Arabic language among people with diabetes.

Background: Understanding patient satisfaction is key to advancing pharmacy services and improving health outcomes. There is a lack of a translated and psychometrically validated tool in the Arabic language to measure patient satisfaction with pharmacy services.

Objective: To translate the English version of the PSPSQ 2.

Gender Bias in Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review.

Cardiovascular disease (CVDs) has been perceived as a 'man's disease', and this impacted women's referral to CVD diagnosis and treatment. This study systematically reviewed the evidence regarding gender bias in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of CVDs. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.

Evaluation of Current Community Pharmacist Practice in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study from Patients' Perspective (PART I).

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the current practice of community pharmacists from patients' and pharmacists' perspectives in Saudi Arabia. This paper presents the patients' perspective.

Methods: A self-administered cross-sectional survey was developed to collect responses from patients in Saudi Arabia from February to April 2021.

Integration of pharmacist independent prescribers into general practice: a mixed-methods study of pharmacists' and patients' views.

Background: Since 2015, the National Health Service (NHS) has funded pharmacists to work in general practice (GP practice) to ease workload pressures. This requires pharmacists to work in new roles and be integrated effectively in GPs. Independent prescribing is a key part of the GP pharmacist role, but little is known about pharmacists' integration into GP practice as well as patients' perceptions and experiences of the care provided by GP pharmacists.

Disparities in Prevalence and Barriers to Hypertension Control: A Systematic Review.

Controlling hypertension (HTN) remains a challenge, as it is affected by various factors in different settings. This study aimed to describe the disparities in the prevalence and barriers to hypertension control across countries of various income categories. Three scholarly databases-ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar-were systematically examined using predefined search terms to identify potentially relevant studies.

Efficacy and safety of delafloxacin, ceftaroline, ceftobiprole, and tigecycline for the empiric treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: This review aimed to conduct an indirect comparison using a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the efficacy and safety of delafloxacin versus other single antibiotic regimens for the empiric treatment of Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections.

Method: A systematic search with no start date restrictions was conducted. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the quality of included RCTs.

Evaluation of Current Community Pharmacist Practice in Saudi Arabia-A Cross-Sectional Study from Pharmacists' Perspective (Part II).

This study aimed to evaluate the current practice of community pharmacists from patients' and pharmacists' perspectives in Saudi Arabia. This paper presents the pharmacist's perspective. A cross-sectional self-administered online survey was designed to collect responses from community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia from February to April 2021.

Development and evaluation of clinical reasoning using 'think aloud' approach in pharmacy undergraduates - A mixed-methods study.

Introduction: Given the widespread use of clinical reasoning (CR) in the healthcare practice, it is essential to inculcate the CR practice in undergraduate pharmacy education which can not only facilitate their clinical education and clinical rotations but can also help them become better clinical pharmacists. There is very limited CR employed in the pharmacy curriculum and practice in the Middle East countries. This study aimed to develop and evaluate CR practice in pharmacy undergraduates in one college of pharmacy in Saudi Arabia.

Associations between Socio-Demographic Factors and Hypertension Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Findings from Malaysia.

The perspectives of hypertensive patients on the state of hypertension control during the ongoing pandemic restrictions have not been extensively studied in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of socio-demographic factors, health literacy, and adherence on the overall hypertension management in a group of Malaysian hypertensive patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous, online cross-sectional study was conducted over three months that involved a group of Malaysian adults with hypertension.

Causes, Nature and Toxicology of Fentanyl-Analogues Associated Fatalities: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series.

Objective: Mortalities due to fentanyl derivatives are on the rise with novel fentanyl analogues and still emerging on the global illicit drug market. They are highly potent and very fatal in low doses, yet there has been a lack of systematic research surrounding this subject. This review aims to assess the causes, nature, and toxicology of fatalities associated with fentanyl analogues.

Evaluation of a community pharmacy-based medication therapy management programme: A study protocol of a pilot randomized controlled trial with an embedded qualitative study.

Objectives: The main objectives are: to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a community-pharmacy based medication therapy management programme; to explore patients' experiences and views towards medication therapy management service delivered by community pharmacists.

Research Design And Methods: A mixed-methods research design consisting of a pilot randomized controlled trial embedded with qualitative study will be used in this study. The study consists of two phases: a 6-month follow-up pilot randomized control trial (quantitative approach) to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a community pharmacy-based medication therapy management programme.

Cancer Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review of Patient's and Caregiver's Experiences.

Purpose: Cancer patients have faced intersecting crises during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review aimed to examine patients' and caregivers' experiences of accessing cancer services during the pandemic and its perceived impact on their psychological wellbeing.

Patients And Methods: A protocol-led (CRD42020214906) systematic review was conducted by searching six databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE and CINAHL for articles published in English-language between 1/2020 and 12/2020.

Cancer-Associated Thrombosis: A Clinical Scoping Review of the Risk Assessment Models Across Solid Tumours and Haematological Malignancies.

Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) is a leading cause of death in cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy. The latest guidelines emphasize stratifying the patients in terms of CAT risks periodically. Multiple risk assessment models (RAMs) were developed to classify patients and guide thromboprophylaxis to high-risk patients.

Evaluating the role and integration of general practice pharmacists in England: a cross-sectional study.

Background Since 2015, NHS England has facilitated the recruitment of pharmacists in general practice (GP) to reduce workload of general practitioners. The role of pharmacists is therefore expected to become more clinical and patient oriented. However, little is known about the current roles performed and the integration of GP pharmacists.

The intraperitoneal ondansetron for postoperative pain management following laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A proof-of-concept, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains a major challenge. Ondansetron blocks sodium channels and may have local anesthetic properties.

Aims: To investigate the effect of intraperitoneal administration of ondansetron for postoperative pain management as an adjuvant to intravenous acetaminophen in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Impact of community-pharmacist-led medication review programmes on patient outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: The role of pharmacists has evolved over the past few decades from being product-oriented to being service-oriented. Community-pharmacist-led medication review programmes have been commissioned in different countries under different names. The services provided by general pharmacists can have a positive impact on patient health, but the impact of the services offered by community pharmacists is relatively unknown.

Perceived barriers and facilitators to uptake of non-traditional roles by pharmacists in Saudi Arabia and implications for COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: a qualitative study using Theoretical Domain Framework.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has further strengthened the need for pharmacists to uptake non-traditional roles. Pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia is emerging in recent years with greater policy emphasis on pharmacists taking new clinical roles. This study aimed to explore the experiences, perceptions and barriers of Saudi pharmacists about their uptake of non-traditional roles using Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

Causes, Nature and Toxicology of Fentanyl-Associated Deaths: A Systematic Review of Deaths Reported in Peer-Reviewed Literature.

Purpose: Fentanyl poisoning has been widely reported, yet there is a lack of systematic evaluation of the nature and toxicology of associated deaths in the published literature. This article aims to systematically review the nature, causes, routes of administration and toxicology of fentanyl-associated deaths using case studies and case series in peer-reviewed published literature.

Methods: Four electronic databases including Embase, Medline (via Ovid), Scopus and Google Scholar were searched from inception until October 2019 to identify the studies reporting fentanyl related deaths.

Renal Outcomes Associated with the Use of Non-Insulin Antidiabetic Pharmacotherapy: A Review of Current Evidence and Recommendations.

Background: This study aims to discuss, summarize and compare the renal outcomes associated with non-insulin antidiabetic (AD) pharmacotherapy prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: A systematic search using predefined search terms in three scholarly databases, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and PubMed, was conducted. Original research articles published in the English language between 2012 and 2020 that reported renal outcomes associated with the use of non-insulin AD pharmacotherapy were eligible for inclusion.

Impact of Medication Regimen Simplification on Medication Adherence and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Long-Term Medical Conditions.

Background: This study aims to identify interventions used to reduce medication regimen complexity and to assess their impact on medication adherence and clinical outcomes.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using pre-defined search terms in three scientific databases, including ScienceDirect, ProQuest and MEDLINE. Original research articles published in English between 2009 and 2020 that assessed the impact of medication regimen simplification on medication adherence in patients with long-term medical conditions were eligible for inclusion.

Impact of Pharmacist-Led Interventions on Medication Adherence and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia: A Scoping Review of Published Literature.

Background: The aim of this study was to provide a scoping review of the impact of pharmacist-led interventions on medication adherence and clinical outcomes in patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted using pre-defined search terms in three scientific databases, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. A multi-stage screening process that considered relevancy, publication year (2009-2019), English language, and article type (original research) was followed.

Caring for patients with diabetes during COVID-19 pandemic: Important considerations for pharmacists.

The current pandemic of the COVID-19 infection, coupled with the increased global burden of diabetes, has imposed significant challenges to the healthcare providers in providing effective and sustained care to patients with diabetes during the ongoing pandemic. It is, therefore, important for healthcare providers to understand and follow the recommended changes in the delivery of care, lifestyle modifications, and pharmacotherapy to ensure optimal care to the patients during and post-pandemic era. This commentary aims to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on diabetes care and the important considerations for pharmacists during this pandemic.

Exploring the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of cervical and ovarian cancer from the patients' perspective: a content analysis of the online discussion forums.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of ovarian and cervical cancer by analysing patients' views posted in online discussion forums.

Method: UK-centred online discussion forums were used to identify discussion threads on ovarian and cervical cancer between 2008 and 2017. The study was approved by the University of Bournemouth ethics committee.

Adverse drug reactions associated with chemotherapeutic agents used in breast cancer: Analysis of patients' online forums.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide. The benefits of chemotherapy vary depending on the treatment regimen used and the characteristic of the tumour. However, adverse drug reactions associated with chemotherapeutic agents can cause dose delays or reductions; thereby, affecting the treatment outcomes.