Risk of major adverse cerebro-cardiovascular events following BNT162b2, CoronaVac, and ChAdOx1 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection: A self-controlled case-series study.

Objective: To assess the potential risk of major adverse cerebro-cardiovascular events (MACCE) associated with COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: This self-controlled case series study used nationwide health database from Malaysia. The study included individuals aged ≥18 years who were hospitalised between 24 February 2021 and 30 June 2022.

Trends in medicine utilisation in public and private healthcare facilities before and during COVID-19: a nationwide analysis of medicine procurement and sales data, 2018-2022.

Background: There was a fluctuation in medication demand and supply during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the trend of drug utilisation in Malaysia in 2018-2022 and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on drug utilisation rates.

Methods: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional study of pharmaceutical sales data from public and private sectors in Malaysia from 2018 to 2022.

Impact evaluation of guidelines on antibiotic utilisation & appropriateness in Malaysian public primary care: an interrupted time series analysis.

Background: The National Antimicrobial Guidelines (NAG) 2014 and NAG2019 in Malaysia targeted rational and judicious use of antimicrobials. In this study, we assessed the change in antibiotic utilisation and appropriateness due to the guidelines that were implemented from 2011 to 2019.

Methods: Interrupted time series analyses on rates of antibiotic appropriateness and utilisation were performed using prescription data from public primary care clinics in Malaysia between January 2011 and December 2019.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among children 6-11 years against hospitalization during Omicron predominance in Malaysia.

There is currently limited data on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6-11 years in Malaysia. This study aims to determine vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19-related hospitalization after receipt of one- and two-doses of BNT162b2 mRNA (Comirnaty-Pfizer/BioNTech) vaccine over a duration of almost 1 year in the predominantly Omicron period of BA.4/BA.

Identifying factors in the provision of intravenous stroke thrombolysis in Malaysia: a multiple case study from the healthcare providers' perspective.

Background: Translation into clinical practice for use of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for the management of ischemic stroke remains a challenge especially across low- and middle-income countries, with regional inconsistencies in its rate. This study aimed at identifying factors that influenced the provision of IVT and the variation in its rates in Malaysia.

Methods: A multiple case study underpinning the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases framework was carried out in three public hospitals with differing rates of IVT using a multiple method design.