Pattern of Prescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors: Evaluating Appropriateness and Factors Contributing to Their Adverse Effect Reaction Risk.

: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are amongst the most commonly prescribed classes of medication. However, inappropriate PPI use can lead to several adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Limited data exist on factors contributing to the risk of ADRs associated with PPI prescribing patterns in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia.

The prevalence of polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy among middle-aged vs older patients in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications, is a growing concern among middle-aged and older patients, posing potential risks and challenges in healthcare management.

Aim: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy among populations of middle-aged vs older patients and identify its associated common comorbidities and prescribed medications in Qatif Central Hospital (QCH), Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Patients aged 40 years or older who presented to an outpatient medical care clinic at QCH, Saudi Arabia, between 1 January and 31 December 2021 were included, and their comorbidities, prescribed medications, and recent clinical laboratory test results were collected.

Investigating physicians' views on non-formulary prescribing: a qualitative study using the theoretical domains framework.

Background: Well-designed and well-maintained drug formularies serve as a reliable resource to guide prescribing decisions; they are associated with improved medicine safety and increased efficiency, while also serving as a cost-effective tool to help manage and predict medicine expenditure. Multiple studies have investigated the inappropriate prescribing of non-formulary drugs (NFDs) with statistics indicating that up to 70% of NFD usage being inappropriate or not following the ascribed NFD policies.

Aim: To explore physicians' views and influences on their prescribing of non-formulary drugs.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Ibuprofen Versus Indomethacin or Paracetamol for the Treatment of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Neonates.

This was a first-time evaluation that sought to analyze the cost-effectiveness of oral paracetamol and intravenous (IV) indomethacin as alternatives to ibuprofen for PDA in neonates. Decision-analytic, literature-based, economic simulation models were constructed, to follow up the use and consequences of oral/IV ibuprofen versus IV indomethacin, and oral/IV ibuprofen versus oral paracetamol, as first-line therapies for PDA closure. Model outcomes of interest were "success", defined as PDA closure with/without adverse events, or "failure" due to no response to the first course of treatment, death or premature discontinuation of therapy due to adverse events.

A scoping review of theories used to investigate clinician adherence to clinical practice guidelines.

Background: Routine utilization of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is an effective strategy to optimize patient care and reduce practice variation. Healthcare professionals' failure to adhere to CPGs introduces risks to both patients and the sustainability of healthcare systems. The integration of theory to investigate adherence provides greater insight into the often complex reasons for suboptimal behaviors.

A systematic review on the impact of pharmacist-provided services on patients' health outcomes in Arab countries.

What Is Known And Objective: The pharmacist's role has evolved dramatically over the last few decades and shows considerable impact globally. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the nature and extent of studies evaluating the impact of pharmacist-provided services on clinical, humanistic and economic outcomes in different healthcare settings across the Arab world.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using the following databases from their inception until June 2020: Cochrane, Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus.

Determination of potential drug-drug interactions in prescription orders dispensed in a community pharmacy setting using Micromedex and Lexicomp: a retrospective observational study.

Background Community pharmacists have a role in identifying drug-drug interactions (DDIs) when processing prescription orders and dispensing medications to patients. The harmful effects of DDIs can be prevented or minimized by using an electronic DDI checker to screen for potential DDIs (pDDIs). However, different DDI checkers have variable rates of detecting pDDIs.

Use of ibuprofen for the closure of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants: a systematic review of meta-analyses.

To systematically review ibuprofen, including versus indomethacin and paracetamol/acetaminophen, for the closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and gray literature were searched to summarize ibuprofen outcomes in closure of PDA in published meta-analyses (MAs). Seven MAs were included.

Cost-effectiveness of Oral Versus Intravenous Ibuprofen Therapy in Preterm Infants With Patent Ductus Arteriosus in the Neonatal Intensive Care Setting: A Cohort-based Study.

Purpose: Use of ibuprofen for the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has become increasingly common. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and economic impact of oral ibuprofen versus intravenous ibuprofen for PDA among preterm infants.

Methods: This retrospective, cohort-based pilot study examined the clinical and economic associations of oral versus intravenous ibuprofen for PDA.

Caffeine for the Treatment of Apnea in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Overview of Meta-Analyses.

Background: Caffeine is a common treatment for neonatal intensive care management of the developmental complication of apnea of prematurity in preterm infants. There are several systematic reviews (SRs) on the performance of caffeine in the treatment of apnea. The evidence provided by those, however, is depressed by an information overload due to high heterogeneity in the characteristics as well as the quality of these SRs.