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.

Pharmacovigilance Practices by Healthcare Providers in Oncology: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Investigating pharmacovigilance (PV) practices among oncology healthcare providers (HCPs) is crucial for patient safety in oncology settings. This study aimed to assess the awareness, attitudes, and practices towards PV and identify barriers to effective adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting for HCPs working in oncology-related settings. Employing a cross-sectional survey design, we collected data from 65 HCPs, focusing on their experiences with ADR reporting, education on ADR management, and familiarity with PV protocols.

Evaluation of factors affecting pharmacists and pharmacy technicians' satisfaction towards practicing CE activities in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Continuing education (CE) is an essential requirement for pharmacy professionals to stay abreast with the evolving knowledge and skills of the practice and meet the regulatory mandate. The purpose of this research is to assess factors affecting the satisfaction of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians towards CE practices in Saudi Arabia.

Material And Methods: A self-administered survey instrument was developed following an extensive literature search.

Current situation and barriers to women's leadership in health care education in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The aims of the current study were to explore the true representation of female academic staff who have advanced to leadership positions in Saudi health academic institutions and to determine the possible barriers to women's advancement to leadership positions in academia.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between August 2022 and August 2023 using an adapted self-reported online questionnaire via Google form. Data was analyzed descriptively and comparatively by presenting frequencies with percentages besides means with standard deviations across various background categories and comparing them using student test.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diabetes Self-Management in Saudi Arabia.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare worldwide, potentially impacting disease management. The objective of this study was to assess the self-management behaviors of Saudi patients with diabetes during and after the COVID pandemic period using the Arabic version of the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ). A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had at least one ambulatory clinic visit in each of the specified time frames (Pre-COVID-19: 1 January 2019-21 March 2020; COVID-19 Time frame: 22 March 2020 to 30 April 2021) utilizing the DSMQ questionnaire, with an additional three questions specifically related to their diabetes care during the COVID pandemic.

Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.

Background: Viral epidemics or pandemics of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) pose a global threat. Examples are influenza (H1N1) caused by the H1N1pdm09 virus in 2009, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. Antiviral drugs and vaccines may be insufficient to prevent their spread.

Potentially Inappropriate Medications among Elderly with Frailty in a Tertiary Care Academic Medical Centre in Saudi Arabia.

This study aims to assess the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and to analyze the relationship between the PIMs and frailty among inpatient older adults aged 65 and above in Saudi Arabia. A retrospective cross-sectional study design was utilized during the period between April 2021 and April 2022 of all patients aged 65 years and above admitted in a public tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. Data on the number of medications and the use of PIMs were assessed using Beers’ criteria while the frailty status was assessed using the “FRAIL Scale”.

Association Between Obesity and COVID-19 Disease Severity in Saudi Population.

Background: The persistent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has placed a significant burden on the scientific and medical professions. The study examined the association between body mass index (BMI), stratified by category, and severe form of COVID-19, and to explore the influence of demographic characteristics and other known risk factors.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis based on COVID-19 data from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health.

Crossword puzzle as a learning tool to enhance learning about anticoagulant therapeutics.

Background: Educational games make the learning process more enjoyable, fun, and create a competitive classroom environment that can positively affect learning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmacy students' perceptions of crossword puzzles (CWPs) as a learning tool in the pharmacotherapy cardiovascular module focusing on anticoagulants' therapeutics and assessing if students' preference of learning style influenced their perception.

Methods: Clues for the puzzle were developed, validated, and piloted by course faculty.

What Has Changed in the Behaviors of the Public After the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross-Sectional Study From the Saudi Community Perspective.

Background: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and represents a major public health threat that aggressively promotes increased morbidity and mortality. Changes in public behavior were more common during the pandemic to protect against the infection. Suboptimal behavioral practices for a specific disease would increase the susceptibility of the public to infection.

Use of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to assess intern performance in an advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) Ambulatory Care rotation.

Purpose: Intern assessment during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) are generally based upon each individual preceptor's perceptions without an objective measurement of intern understanding and performance. Therefore, we sought to determine whether a pre- and post-OSCE could be used to confirm that interns achieved the goals and objectives of the Ambulatory Care rotation. The aims of this study were to determine whether a pre-rotation OSCE can help pharmacy interns self-assess their clinical strengths and weaknesses and assess whether their knowledge and skills improved after completing a post-rotation OSCE.

Assessment of Beliefs, Behaviors, and Opinions About Blood Donation in Telangana, India-A Cross Sectional Community-Based Study.

Blood is an essential body fluid primarily required for regulating the body's systems and maintaining homeostasis. In developed and developing countries, concern about the demand and supply for blood is increasing. The current study aims to assess the beliefs, behaviors, and opinions of the public toward blood donation.

Assessment of Dietary Folate Intake and Pill Burden among Saudi Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis.

The aim of this study was to assess the adequacy of dietary folate intake and perceptions of pill burden among Saudi patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). This was a cross-sectional study of adults (>18 years) on MHD (>3 months) attending the dialysis unit at King Saud University Medical City. Patient demographics, dietary folic acid intake, and perceptions of pill burden were collected.

Student-Led discharge counseling program for High-Risk medications in a teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia: A pilot study.

Discharge counseling by pharmacists reduces adverse medication events, emergency department visits, and readmissions. Studies indicate that pharmacy students in advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) can deliver effective medication-related activities. An open label randomized controlled trial was conducted in adults discharged on warfarin, insulin, or both.

Interrupted versus uninterrupted anticoagulation therapy for catheter ablation in adults with arrhythmias.

Background: The management of anticoagulation therapy around the time of catheter ablation (CA) procedure for adults with arrhythmia is critical and yet is variable in clinical practice. The ideal approach for safe and effective perioperative management should balance the risk of bleeding during uninterrupted anticoagulation while minimising the risk of thromboembolic events with interrupted therapy.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and harms of interrupted versus uninterrupted anticoagulation therapy for catheter ablation (CA) in adults with arrhythmias.

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.

Cardiotoxicity and Cardiac Monitoring Among Anthracycline-Treated Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Cardiotoxicity is a common complication associated with anthracyclines. Little is known regarding the rate of anthracyclines-related acute and chronic cardiotoxicity and adherence to cardiac monitoring recommendations among cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: A single-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2015 to 2018 on patients with cancer, 18 years of age and older, on anthracyclines without a history of cardiovascular diseases.

Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.

Background: Viral epidemics or pandemics of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) pose a global threat. Examples are influenza (H1N1) caused by the H1N1pdm09 virus in 2009, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. Antiviral drugs and vaccines may be insufficient to prevent their spread.

Adapting evidence-based clinical practice guidelines at university teaching hospitals: A model for the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Rationale, Aims, And Objectives: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are significant tools for evidence-based health care quality improvement. The CPG program at King Saud University was launched as a quality improvement program to fulfil the international accreditation standards. This program was a collaboration between the Research Chair for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation and the Quality Management Department.

Utilization and adherence to guideline-recommended lipid-lowering therapy at an academic medical center.

Background: Clinical guidelines for managing blood cholesterol were updated in November 2013.

Objective: To evaluate the adherence to the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline recommendations for statin therapy in the treatment of elevated blood cholesterol in high-risk patients.

Design: A single-center, retrospective, observational study.

Documentation of various approaches and outcomes in patients on warfarin undergoing dental procedures: a review article.

Appropriate management of patients with mechanical prosthetic valves on warfarin during dental procedures is crucial. If the patients continue warfarin, they might develop bleeding, while interruption of therapy can cause thromboembolic events. Bridging therapy (mostly heparin) is used in some patients, while others stop medications.

A systematic review of recent clinical practice guidelines on the diagnosis, assessment and management of hypertension.

Background: Despite the availability of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), optimal hypertension control is not achieved in many parts of the world; one of the challenges is the volume of guidelines on this topic and their variable quality. To systematically review the quality, methodology, and consistency of recommendations of recently-developed national CPGs on the diagnosis, assessment and the management of hypertension.

Methodology/principal Findings: MEDLINE, EMBASE, guidelines' websites and Google were searched for CPGs written in English on the general management of hypertension in any clinical setting published between January 2006 and September 2011.

Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.

Background: Viral epidemics or pandemics of acute respiratory infections like influenza or severe acute respiratory syndrome pose a global threat. Antiviral drugs and vaccinations may be insufficient to prevent their spread.

Objectives: To review the effectiveness of physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.