Comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Mood Disorder in a South African Sample of Substance Use Disorder Patients.

The brain reward circuitry is thought to underlie the co-occurrence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorder (SUD) and to possibly impact mood disorders. This study aimed to establish if any difference existed in the severity of depression symptomology between SUD comorbidity with and without ADHD. : A multi-centre, cross-sectional comparison study design drew study participants from substance use treatment facilities within South Africa.

Drug utilisation research and medicine access in Mozambique: An overview.

Access to medicine is fundamental to the provision of equitable health systems. However, availability of affordable quality-assured medicines continues to be poor, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Targeted efforts associated with transparency and accountability around medicine utilisation are required in LMICs to address this problem.

A Systematic Review of Immunization Administration Training for African Pharmacists and Student Pharmacists.

Objectives: Recent calls to action have encouraged African pharmacists to become trained to administer immunizations with the goals of developing a strong pharmacy vaccination workforce, addressing a shortage of vaccinators, and improving vaccination access. However limited availability of training programs for pharmacists and student pharmacists to learn to administer immunizations may restrict the ability of African pharmacists and student pharmacists to meet these goals. This work sought to systematically identify literature published regarding immunization administration training for pharmacists and student pharmacists in Africa.

Primary care drug therapy pharmacists in South Africa: Practice settings and conditions treated.

Background: Primary Care Drug Therapy (PCDT) is a supplementary training course for South African pharmacists. The qualification affords pharmacists an expanded scope of practice to treat specific primary health care conditions.

Objective: To describe the practice settings and conditions being treated by PCDT pharmacists in South Africa, with specific focus on differences between services delivered in urban versus rural areas.

Effect of Past Pharmacotherapy for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder on Substance Use Disorder.

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a considerable public health problem. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently occurs in patients with SUD. Several studies demonstrated that ADHD constitutes a significant risk factor for the development of SUDs and suggest that childhood ADHD pharmacotherapy might help prevent development of SUD.

Differences in alcohol and cannabis use amongst substance use disorder patients with and without comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) continue to be a public health problem. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is seen as a risk factor for SUD. Prevalence of alcohol and cannabis use amongst adults with SUD and comorbid ADHD impacts both disorders cognitively and behaviourally.

Social Media and COVID-19-Perceptions and Public Deceptions of Ivermectin, Colchicine and Hydroxychloroquine: Lessons for Future Pandemics.

The capacity for social media to influence the utilization of re-purposed medicines to manage COVID-19, despite limited availability of safety and efficacy data, is a cause for concern within health care systems. This study sought to ascertain links between social media reports and utilization for three re-purposed medicines: hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), ivermectin and colchicine. A combined retrospective analysis of social media posts for these three re-purposed medicines was undertaken, along with utilization and clinical trials data, in South Africa, between January 2020 and June 2021.

Improving health-related quality of life instrument translation into South African languages.

Background: Most health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments have been created in English, which can influence their reliability and validity in non-English speaking populations. This study assessed the translation methodology of HRQoL instruments that have been used and translated into South African languages and which could be applied in cost-utility analyses (CUAs).

Methods: A 2019 systematic review was updated with searches conducted in Medline, the Web of ScienceTM (WoSTM) Core Collection and the South African SciELO collection via the WoSTM Platform.

Adverse effects of bedaquiline in patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Background: The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines recommend that, because of the resistance patterns of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) and its unique mechanism of action, bedaquiline be included in the regimen. Although the results of clinical trials have shown bedaquiline to be beneficial, it also carries the risk of adverse effects, some potentially life-threatening. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of adverse effects caused by bedaquiline in patients diagnosed with XDR-TB.

[International Consensus Statement for the Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Adolescents with Concurrent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Substance Use Disorder].

International Consensus Statement for the Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Adolescents with Concurrent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Substance Use Disorder Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for substance misuse and substance use disorder (SUD) in adolescence and (early) adulthood. ADHD and SUD also frequently co-occur in treatment-seeking adolescents, which complicates diagnosis and treatment and is associated with poor treatment outcomes. Research on the effect of treatment of childhood ADHD on the prevention of adolescent SUD is inconclusive, and studies on the diagnosis and treatment of adolescents with ADHD and SUD are scarce.

OUTCOMES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN TWO PUBLIC-SECTOR PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES IN THE EASTERN CAPE USING EFAVIRENZ-CONTAINING REGIMENS.

Background: People with mental disorders are more vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. A part of first-line treatment for HIV, efavirenz, is routinely avoided in patients with mental illness due to the risk of potential aggravation of the mental illness. This study aimed to determine the outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS who were mental healthcare users admitted to two public-sector psychiatric facilities and who were prescribed an efavirenz-containing regimen.

Spectrum of Bacterial Colonization in Patients Hospitalized for Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

This study investigated the bacterial colonization in patients admitted for treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis in a specialized TB hospital. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacterial isolates ( = 62) from nasal, groin, and rectal swabs [patient cohort ( = 37)] were determined by the VITEK-MS system. Resistance gene analysis was by PCR and DNA sequencing.

Prevalence and characteristics of South African treatment-seeking patients with substance use disorder and co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) constitutes a significant risk factor for the development of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Individuals with both conditions use more substances, and the pattern of substance use seems to differ between individuals with and without ADHD.

Research Aim And Objectives: To establish the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in adult South African treatment-seeking patients with SUD, and the pattern of substance use and presence of previous ADHD diagnoses and pharmacotherapy.

Fit for the future? Status of health-related quality of life research in South Africa.

Objective: To provide insights into the attributes of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) research within the context of economic evaluations for a potential national health technology assessment process in South Africa, and make evidence generation recommendations.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in January 2019 using Medline, the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and the South African SciELO collection via the WoS Platform, and in the Cochrane Library. No time restrictions were applied.

International Consensus Statement for the Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Adolescents with Concurrent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Substance Use Disorder.

Background: Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for substance misuse and substance use disorder (SUD) in adolescence and (early) adulthood. ADHD and SUD also frequently co-occur in treatment-seeking adolescents, which complicates diagnosis and treatment and is associated with poor treatment outcomes. Research on the effect of treatment of childhood ADHD on the prevention of adolescent SUD is inconclusive, and studies on the diagnosis and treatment of adolescents with ADHD and SUD are scarce.

Challenges facing drug utilization research in the Latin American region.

Purpose: The International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) in collaboration with the Latin America Drug Utilization Research Group (LatAm DURG), the Medicines Utilization Research in Africa (MURIA) group, and the Uppsala Monitoring Center, is leading an initiative to understand challenges to drug utilization research (DUR) in the Latin American (LatAm) and African regions with the goal of communicating results and proposing solutions to these challenges in four scientific publications. The purpose of this first manuscript is to identify the main challenges associated with DUR in the LatAm region.

Methods: Drug utilization (DU) researchers in the LatAm region voluntarily participated in multiple discussions, contributed with local data and reviewed successive drafts and the final manuscript.

Translation of the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale into an African Language: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is commonly perceived as a cultural construct due to its disproportionate global representation, however limited data is available from Africa. Standardisation of screening tools in epidemiological studies is essential for global prevalence comparison, but tools such as the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) have not been translated into African languages.

Objective: To assess the translation process followed in attempting to adapt the ASRS into an indigenous African language widely spoken within South Africa for cross-cultural research.

Utilization of over-the-counter analgesics in two private medical insurance schemes in South Africa.

Introduction: In South Africa there is an easy access to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and expenditure is high. Certain OTC products are available to the public in general stores, while others may only be available at pharmacies. It is also common for OTC medicines to be prescribed by a doctor for treatment of minor illnesses.

Consumption of methylphenidate and atomoxetine in the private healthcare sector in South Africa: a longitudinal study.

Background Globally Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been in the spotlight. Despite some controversies, treatment of ADHD remains the cornerstone of patient care. Objective To describe the consumption of methylphenidate and atomoxetine in the private healthcare sector in South Africa over a four-year period (2013-2016).

A pilot study: Use of the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale in a South African patient population.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which typically presents in childhood. This diagnosis may often be overlooked in adulthood, particularly in psychiatric populations. The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) is an internationally used and reliable screener; however, studies investigating its use in African populations are limited.

Haematological adverse effects associated with linezolid in patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis: an exploratory study.

Objectives: Identify the incidence of haematological adverse effects associated with linezolid.

Methods: Medical records of 27 hospitalised patients in South Africa with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and prescribed linezolid therapy were retrospectively reviewed.

Key Findings: Approximately a quarter (n = 7) of patients experienced haematological adverse effects.

The South African Guidelines for Pharmacoeconomic Submissions' Evidence Requirements Compared with Other African Countries and The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in England.

: The South African Guidelines for Pharmacoeconomic Submissions (SAGPS) were compared with other African pharmacoeconomic guidelines and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence Methods Guide (NICE MG) to make recommendations for evidence generation and further development thereof.: The European Network for HTA Core Model (version 3.0) (the Model) provided the comparative framework, using three criteria: completely, partly, or not completely requiring the same/similar information.

Reported needs of information resources, research tools, connectivity and infrastructure among African Pharmacological Scientists to improve future patient care and health.

Introduction: The potentials of Africa for growth and economic transformation through science remains challenging because of existing gaps in knowledge and infrastructure. The Africa Pharmacological Science Gateway project and the Medicines Utilization Research in Africa Group seek to meet the research needs of African pharmacologists. This study aimed at identifying priority needs that might be met by access to information and tools through e-infrastructure.

Expectations in the workplace: a qualitative study among Australian and South African academic pharmacists.

Objectives: The education of future pharmacists is the responsibility of a relatively small sector of the pharmacy workforce, and pharmacy academics (faculty) are essential for the continued viability of our profession; many also contribute to research within the profession. However, little is known about the 'work' of employees in this sector of pharmacy. The aim of this study was to investigate expectations associated with the working environment of academic pharmacists.

Pharmacy students' opinions and experiences working on board the Transnet-Phelophepa Health Care Trains.

Objectives: The Transnet-Phelophepa Health Care Trains provide primary healthcare services to patients in under-resourced rural communities across South Africa. Selected final-year pharmacy students work on the trains for 1 week. The aim of the study was to determine the experiences and document the work-based activities of pharmacy students engaged in.