Establishing competency based internship program through participatory action research in a private pharmacy college in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: To use Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology to develop a competency-based training (CBT) program for Bachelor of Pharmacy interns at Mohammed Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences (MACHS), Dammam, Saudi Arabia, based on the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework.

Methods: The MACHS Pharmacy Department Training Unit developed a competency-based training (CBT) framework over 6 cohorts of interns based on the FIP Global Competency Framework using the Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology. Assignments were set throughout the training period to support competency development.

A Questionnaire-based Study for Weight Loss by Using Herbal Drugs in Dammam (Eastern Region), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Obesity is a common health problem and it is increasing around the world. Herbal drugs are the most commonly used alternative treatment for weight reduction. The aim of this study was to identify the most commonly used plants for the treatment of obesity or to reduce the weight of patients with obesity and to determine the usage rate of herbal drugs in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.