Frequency, nature and determinants of pharmaceutical consultations provided in private by Dutch community pharmacists

OBJECTIVE: According to a report published by the federation of Dutch patients' associations, patients would like to see a pharmacist, who acts more as a personal adviser. This raised the question, how often Dutch community pharmacists have personal consultations with their patients in daily practice, on which factors this depends, and what kind of topics are discussed during these meetings. SETTING: Community pharmacies in the Netherlands. METHOD: A questionnaire was distributed among 800 randomly selected pharmacies. Questions were restricted to consultations characterized by one-to-one contact, drug therapy related content, and adequate privacy. These consultations were labelled as pharmaceutical consultations in private to distinguish them from other contacts between pharmacists and patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Number, content, and character of consultations. RESULTS: 198 (24.8%) community pharmacies responded. The pharmacists provide an average of roughly 1.2 consultations in private per working day. The vast majority of respondents provided face-to-face and telephone consultations (94.4 and 91.9%, respectively), only a minority gave consultations by e-mail (30.8%). These consultations primarily dealt with topics related to medication safety. The mean overall time spent was 290 min per month. A relatively high frequency of personal consultations was significantly associated with the absolute number of full-time equivalent pharmacists in the pharmacy. CONCLUSION: The frequency of pharmaceutical consultations in private is low, but may be improved by reorganisation of the pharmacist's activities. The possibility of personal consultations by e-mail is not yet well-developed. Further research is needed to assess the patient's view of pharmaceutical consultations in private.     

Validation of the Brazilian-Portuguese Version of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey in Asthma Patients

Background. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) questionnaire was planned to answer questions about the distribution of asthma. Our objective was to determine the cultural equivalence of the ECRHS into the Brazilian-Portuguese language. Methods. We translated the ECRHS according to international criteria. Results. Small cultural adaptations were necessary. Among the 80 participating patients, the Cronbach indices were higher (0.98-1.00) and the Kappa indices varied from 0.77 to 1.00. Conclusion. The study suggests that the Brazilian version of the ECRHS is conceptually equivalent to the original and similarly reliable and may be used in international studies involving Portuguese-speaking respiratory patients.     

Pharmacy customers’ views and experiences of using pharmacies which provide needle exchange services in Aberdeen and Glasgow, Scotland

Community pharmacists contribution to the management of drug problems is considerable. As the use of illicit drugs has increased, pharmacists have come under increasing pressure to offer services to problem drug users. However, there is concern among some pharmacists that offering such services may deter other customers. There is particular concern among some pharmacists about needle exchange services. Only 9.5% of Scottish pharmacies offer needle exchange services compared to 69% which are dispensing methadone (57% of which supervise methadone consumption). Qualitative interviews were used in a purposive sample of 10 pharmacies in Scotland. Eight customers were interviewed in each pharmacy to ascertain pharmacy customers’ views on these services. The majority of customers were supportive of these services. Customers were often unaware that the pharmacy they were interviewed in was offering services for people with drug problems. Pharmacy customers were more knowledgeable about, and more supportive, of needle exchange services than they were of methadone. This was because they believed needle exchange services helped to reduce the amount of discarded needles in public places. Pharmacy customers also recognised that needle exchange helped reduce the spread of disease. These findings should be used to encourage more pharmacists to offer needle exchange services.     

68例社区获得性肺炎病原及临床特征分析

目的　 68例外周血白细胞正常或降低的社区获得性肺炎 (CAP)病原及临床特点分析。方法　检测CAP患者呼吸道及血液标本的常见病原体 ,并分析其临床特点。结果　军团菌属占 2 2 .1 % (1 5/ 68) ,肺炎支原体占 1 1 .8% (8/ 68) ,病毒占 1 6 .2 % (1 1 / 68) ,其中甲型流感病毒 2例、乙型流感病毒 5例 ,副流感病毒 1例 ,腺病毒 1例 ,艾滋病病毒 2例。细菌占 2 .9% (2 / 68) ,有 47.1 % (32 / 68)不能明确病原体 ,混合感染率为 8.8% (6/ 68)。病毒性肺炎、军团菌肺炎及肺炎支原体肺炎的临床症状、体征、外周血白细胞、胸部影像均无特异性 ,其鉴别需靠病原学检查。结论　外周血白细胞正常或降低的CAP病因主要为非典型病原体和病毒 ,对此类CAP的经验治疗应首选大环内酯类抗生素或抗病毒药物。     

袁州区农村初三学生艾滋病健康教育效果分析

目的：为给欠发达地区的农村中学开展艾滋病健康教育工作提供科学依据。方法：采取整群随机抽样方法抽取宜春市袁州区4所农村中学的初三学生为研究对象，以专题讲座为艾滋病健康教育方式，用同一问卷调查农村中学生教育前后对艾滋病相关知识的知晓及态度。结果：在农村中学开展艾滋病健康教育能有效地提高农村中学生对艾滋病的一般知识和艾滋病传播途径的知晓程度，并能转变他们对艾滋病的相关态度。结论：对农村中学学生开展讲座方式的艾滋病健康教育是行之有效的。     

伊克昭盟甘草群落调查报告

通过样地调查和采挖试验,内蒙古伊克昭盟的甘草群落可划分为12个类型,并对各类群落的利用作出评估。     

新疆乌鲁木齐县农村住宅卫生设施状况的调查与评价

本文报告了乌鲁木齐县两种不同类型住宅的卫生设施状况，重点对上下水设施，厕所及周围卫生状况进行了调查。结果表明：小二楼住宅有给排水设施及卫生间；砖土木结构平房内只有上水（自来水），但无下水道及卫生间。因均饮用城市自来水，故两类住宅人群肠道传染病发病率无显著性差异（Ｐ＞０．０５）。对Ｂ村六年几种肠道传染病发病率的动态分析表明，改水是预防和降低肠道传染病发病的有效措施。调查结果还表明，住宅设施完善与否，     

Periodontal conditions among the middle-aged and the elderly in Hong Kong

Abstract The aim of this study was to describe the periodontal conditions in 372 35–44-yr-old and 537 noninstitutionalized 65–74-yr-old Hong Kong Chinese who were examined clinically for loss of attachment, recession, probing depth, calculus, and bleeding after probing. Community Periodontal Index (CPI) data and treatment need indications were compiled from index teeth or their substitutes. The prevalence of loss of attachment varied considerably in both cohorts according to the definition of the threshold (≥6, ≥9, and ≥12 mm, respectively). The mean numbers of teeth with loss of attachment at the ≥6-mm threshold and at higher thresholds were small. In both age cohorts, about one-fifth of subjects had probing depths ≥6-mm, while al the ≥9-mm threshold only 2–3% were so affected. Although recession was an important component of loss of attachment in the younger cohort, in the older cohort the prevalence and extent of recession were greater than for probing depths at thresholds ≥4 mm. All subjects had one or more teeth with calculus, bleeding, or both, most teeth being so affected. Eighty-four of the 537 65–74-yr-old subjects were excluded either because of edentulousness or because extractions indicated for the remaining teeth would have rendered the subjects edentulous. The distribution of subjects according to their highest CPI score was remarkably similar for the two cohorts. No subjects in either age group were assessed as “healthy” (CPI code 0) or had “bleeding only” (code 1) as their highest score. While most subjects scored CPI code 2 or 3 us their highest score, only 17% of the younger and 15% of the older cohort scored Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) code 4. Differences in the mean number of sextants affected by CPI codes between the two cohorts were mainly due to a greater number of excluded sextants in the older cohort. CPI findings for 35–44-yr-olds differed little from those reported in 1984.     

The Effects of Depressed Affect on Functional Disability Among Rural Older Adults

This study investigates functional disability among some of the nation's most vulnerable older adults: rural Medicaid recipients. Data were provided by 221 older adults (mean age = 75.9 years; 82% women) who were receiving community-based long-term care services through Medicaid. Participants self-reported functional ability involving the completion of six basic activities of daily living (BADLs), three cognitive instrumental activities of daily living (IADLS), and four physical IADLs. Self-reports of depressed affect and the number of physical health conditions were also obtained. Path analysis was used to examine all of the associations among age, gender, number of chronic health conditions, depressed affect and functional disability. The tested model was significant [chi2 (DF = 3, n = 221) = 5.052, p = 0.168; TLI = 0.945; CFI = 0.992; RMSEA = 0.056] and explained 45.1% of the variance in BADL disability. Depressed affect significantly predicted disability in cognitive IADLs and physical IADLs, which predicted disability in BADLs. Age and gender had indirect effects on BADL, through their association with cognitive IADLs and physical IADLs. The number of chronic health conditions exerted both indirect and direct effects on BADL disability. Results are discussed within the context of the growing literature that suggests the importance of psychological variables as predictors of functional disability. Moreover, we discuss whether community-based long-term care is appropriate for older adults with high levels of functional disability.     

北京农村居民健康状况及卫生服务需求调查

目的了解北京农村居民健康状况及卫生服务需求特点。方法从昌平区、顺义区、大兴区、房山区随机抽取25～64岁农民1605人进行统一问卷调查。结果农民高血压自报患病率为22．4％，超重和肥胖率为56．1％；现在吸烟率为34．4％，缺乏运动率为41．6％；家庭主要经济支出为学生上学(35．3％)，建房(25．4％)和疾病(21．2％)；54．9％家庭医疗费用支出占总收入的10％以上；最关心的健康问题主要是慢性疾病防治(70．2％)；最希望获得的健康知识是慢性病预防知识(72％)；希望获得健康知识的途径是广播和电视(81％)；家庭最希望获得的医疗保健服务是方便看病和获得药物(73．8％)。结论慢性病给农民带来沉重负担，并成为农民关心的主要健康问题。