[Design, implementation and evaluation of a service for Medication compliance aids (MCAs) in an institutional Pharmacy in the city of Córdoba].

Introduction: The Pharmaceutical Service (PS) for the provision of Medication compliance aids (MCAs) consists of reconditioning and unifying, in a protocolized manner and in multi-compartment devices, the medications used by a patient, ordering them according to their dosage guideline. The objective was to design, implement and evaluate an PS of MCAs in an institutional pharmacy in the city of Córdoba.

Methods: Observational, descriptive and longitudinal study.

[Characterization of the problem of the therapeutic use of Cannabis Oil in Córdoba, Argentina].

Introduction: The therapeutic use of the “cannabis” oil is a social problem that puts legal, health, scientific and cultural aspects under stress. Difficulty in access generates an emptiness exploited by the illegal market, to which patients and relatives resort to improve their health and quality of life. These oils, with unknown chemical composition, are used without therapeutic follow-up.

Integration of Community pharmacy and pharmacists in primary health care policies in Argentina.

Argentina is a federal republic with approximately 44 million people, divided into 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. The health system is segmented into public, social security and private subsystems. The social security and private sectors cover more than 60% of the population.

[Analysis of over-the-counter medicines’ information and strategies oriented to the community for improving its access and quality.].

Introduction: The Disposición ANMAT 753/2012 states definitions and guidelines about the information that inserts and labels must include in nonprescription drugs (also known as over-the-counter or OTC drugs).

Aim: Aims: to analyze the adequacy to the norm in a sample of OTC drugs; promote and disseminate strategic viable actions for being developed by pharmacists to improve the patient’s information. formulated.

[Strategies to foster an adequate compromise of the pharmacist with respect to over the counter medicines’ advertisement.].

The advertisement has a great influence on the public and, in over the counter medicines (OTC), it can generate health risks on the population if it is misregulated. The aim of this work is to analyze and disclose strategic viable actions emerged from a forum debate during an online course for fostering the pharmacist’s compromise related to OTC advertisement. Methods: A content analysis was carried on, grouping by themes and categories the opinions of community pharmacists participating in a forum debate about OTC advertisement.

[Community pharmacies' professional image: causes and improvement strategies by applying qualitative research techniques].

Objective: Ascertaining pharmacists' views related to factors explaining the lack of visibility of community pharmacies as being health facilities and proposing strategies for improving community pharmacy professional service accessibility using qualitative research techniques.

Methods: The nominal group technique (NGT) was used in two successive rounds using separate guidelines for factors and strategies. Framework analysis was then carried out.

[Validating a patient-satisfaction questionnaire about professional advice received for minor illness in community pharmacies].

Objective: Analysing the evidence regarding the validity and reliability of a patient-satisfaction questionnaire about professional advice received for minor illness in Argentinean community pharmacies.

Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. All patients or their caregivers who visited the pharmacies during the study period (March and April, 2006) and knew how to read and write were included.

Relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and high blood pressure by community pharmacists in Spain.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the influence that different risk factors (age, gender, obesity, smoking, inactivity, diabetes mellitus and previous diagnosis of arterial hypertension) have on arterial pressure, and to determine the prevalence of patients that have high blood pressure and hypertension but have not received drug-treatment for arterial hypertension.

Setting: 42 Spanish community pharmacies.

Method: Observational and descriptive study.

Barriers to pharmaceutical care in Argentina.

Objective: To identify the perceived barriers to implementing pharmaceutical care in Argentina.

Method: A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to carry out a cross-sectional descriptive study. The questionnaires were distributed in different continuing professional development events for pharmacists during November-December 2005.

Development and validation of a Spanish language patient satisfaction questionnaire with drug dispensing.

Objective: To develop and validate a specific questionnaire about patient satisfaction with drug dispensing at Spanish community pharmacies.

Method: A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was designed centered on the perception of the patients with the dispensing service. To validate this questionnaire, it was administered at Spanish community pharmacies, which voluntarily agreed to participate in the study for a period of 2 months (March and April 2006).