A Quantitative Review of Un-licensed and Off-label Medicines Use in Children Aged 0-2 Years in the Private Sector in South Africa: Extent, Challenges, and Implications.

Background: The global lack of suitable formulations for children leads to off-label and unlicensed medicine use, posing significant risks of adverse effects. Understanding this usage on a national level can help guide interventions for better formulations. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of off-label and unlicensed medicines among children in South Africa's private sector.

Off-Label and Unlicenced Medicine Use among Hospitalised Children in South Africa: Practice and Policy Implications.

Background: Information regarding off-label and unlicensed medicine use among South African children is limited. This is a concern as the prescribing of off-label and unlicensed medicines can lead to issues of effectiveness and safety as well as raise liability issues in the event of adverse events. This potentially exposes physicians to legal penalties.

Estimated indirect costs of haemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis from a patients' perspective at an Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

In South Africa (SA), patients with kidney failure can be on either haemodialysis (HD), which is performed by a healthcare professional in a hospital thrice weekly; or peritoneal dialysis (PD), which can performed daily at home. There needs to be more studies within the South African healthcare sector on the cost of kidney failure and especially the indirect costs associated with patients being on dialysis to provide future guidance. This study aimed to determine and compare the indirect costs associated with HD and PD from the patients' perspective at an Academic Hospital in Pretoria.

Perceptions of and Preparedness for the Application of Pharmacoeconomics in Practice, among Final Year Bachelor of Pharmacy Students in South Africa: A National Cross-Sectional Study.

For the improvement of access to health, many countries including South Africa, have adopted universal healthcare. However, this requires skills to apply health technology assessments for the facilitation of investment decisions. This study aimed to ascertain final year Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) students' perceptions of the relevance of pharmacoeconomics in pharmacy practice, and their level of preparedness to apply pharmacoeconomic principles, using a quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive design.

Performance of the school-based human papillomavirus vaccine uptake in Tshwane, South Africa.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is an effective preventive measure against HPV infection and HPV-associated cervical cancer. South Africa introduced its HPV vaccination programme in 2014.

Objectives: The authors assessed the uptake of HPV vaccine in the school-based HPV vaccination programme in Tshwane Health District for the year 2019 and compared the vaccine uptake (VU) between fee-paying and no-fee public schools.

Trends in the utilization of medicines sold in the private sector post- registration in South Africa and the implications for similar countries.

Background: Regulatory authorities register medicines for patients to access them within a reasonable period of time. There is a paucity of available data regarding the extent to which registered medicines reach the public after market authorisation is granted by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). This is important since time spent by SAHPRA assessing medicines that are subsequently not launched onto the South African market means time wasted, which could be spent on assessing new medicines that address an unmet need in the country.

Market Women's Perspectives on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): The Case of Ghana and South Africa.

Globally, countries are still battling health challenges and the negative economic stress on the citizenry caused by COVID-19. This study explored the perspectives of market women in Ghana and South Africa on COVID-19. Data collection was executed in both Ghana and South Africa between March 2021 and December 2021.

Challenges and Innovations Brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic Regarding Medical and Pharmacy Education Especially in Africa and Implications for the Future.

Background: Multiple measures introduced early to restrict COVID-19 have dramatically impacted the teaching of medical and pharmacy students, exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure and experience with e-learning at the start of the pandemic. In addition, the costs and reliability of the Internet across Africa pose challenges alongside undertaking clinical teaching and practical programmes. Consequently, there is a need to understand the many challenges and how these were addressed, given increasingly complex patients, to provide future direction.

Formulary Management Activities and Practice Implications Among Public Sector Hospital Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committees in a South African Province.

Introduction: The World Health Organization identified Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committees (PTCs) at district and hospital levels as one of the pivotal models to promote rational use of medicines (RUM). This is endorsed by the Government in South Africa. Formulary development and management is one of the main functions of PTCs.

Medicine shortages and challenges with the procurement process among public sector hospitals in South Africa; findings and implications.

Background: Medicine shortages are a complex global challenge affecting all countries. This includes South Africa where ongoing medicine shortages are a concern among public sector hospitals as South Africa strives for universal access to healthcare. The objectives of this research were to highlight challenges in the current pharmaceutical procurement process for public sector hospitals.

Availability and Use of Therapeutic Interchange Policies in Managing Antimicrobial Shortages among South African Public Sector Hospitals; Findings and Implications.

Unlabelled: Background: Therapeutic interchange policies in hospitals are useful in dealing with antimicrobial shortages and minimising resistance rates. The extent of antimicrobial shortages and availability of therapeutic interchange policies is unknown among public sector hospitals in South Africa. This study aimed to ascertain the extent of and rationale for dealing with antimicrobial shortages, describe policies or guidelines available, and the role of pharmacists in the process.

Correction to: A Cost Analysis of Haemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis for the Management of End-Stage Renal Failure At an Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

Multiple errors have been identified in the article including in the main findings.

A Cost Analysis of Haemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis for the Management of End-Stage Renal Failure At an Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

Background: Haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) are commonly used treatments for the management of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The costs of managing these patients have grown in recent years with increasing rates of non-communicable diseases, which will adversely impact on national health budgets unless addressed. Currently, there is limited knowledge of the costs of ESRD within the public healthcare system in South Africa.

Implementation and monitoring of decisions by pharmacy and therapeutics committees in South African public sector hospitals.

The National Drug Policy in South Africa has achieved its objective in establishing and strengthening Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees (PTCs) in public sector hospitals. However, little is known about the implementation of decisions by PTCs and the monitoring thereof. Consequently, there is a need to investigate this.

Structure and activities of pharmacy and therapeutics committees among public hospitals in South Africa; findings and implications.

The WHO identified Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees (PTCs) as a pivotal model to promote rational medicine use in hospitals. This matches a key South African (SA) government objective to establish PTCs in all hospitals to ensure rational, efficient and cost-effective use of medicines. However, documentation on the functionality of PTCs in public hospitals in SA is limited.