Pharmacist,the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia: A questionnaire-based study

Background: In Saudi Arabia there is an estimated need of more than 100,000 pharmacy graduates to cover all present sectors. The shortage of pharmacists has affected many of these sectors especially the pharmaceutical industry. The contribution of Saudi pharmacists to local pharmaceuticals industry would be extremely beneficial and important for shaping the future of the drug industry within the Kingdom. It is not clear whether future Saudi pharmacists are willing to contribute to local pharmaco-industrial fields. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted on all final-year pharmacy students in King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Results: Out of a total of 130 students registered in the final-year of the pharmacy program in KSU, 122 (93.8%) were able to complete the questionnaire. The results showed that the majority (83%) of Saudi pharmacy students indicated that they had not received practical training in the pharmaceutical companies, while only 17.2% of the students felt that they had the knowledge and the skills to work in the pharmaceutical industry after graduation. The majority of the students (66.7%) chose clinical pharmacy as their future career field while only 10.9% indicated willingness to work in a pharmaceutical industry career. Only 8.2% selected working in the pharmaceutical industry. The significant predictor of possibly choosing a career in the local drug industry is a student with a bachelor’s degree (compared to Pharm D degree) in pharmacy (OR = 2.7 [95% CI 1.1–6.3]). Conclusion: Pharmacy students who are enrolled in the capital city of Riyadh are not properly trained to play an influential role in local drug companies. As a result, their level of willingness to have a career in such important business is not promising (more among Pharm D program). Future research in other pharmacy colleges within Saudi Arabia is needed to confirm such results.     

昆仑高原世居农牧民健康状况及卫生服务调查

目的 了解和掌握海拔3700～4300 m赛图拉和康西瓦边境地区世居农牧民的健康状况和卫生服务情况,为提高高原边境地区农牧民医疗卫生服务质量和优化配置卫生资源提供科学依据.方法 采用分层整群抽样方法,对世居昆仑山赛图拉和康西瓦地区51户柯尔克孜族农牧民进行家庭健康询问调查及辅助检查等方式对每个农牧民进行健康评价和疾病诊断.结果 高海拔边境地区世居农牧民常见疾病为牙周炎、维生素缺乏症、高原衰退症、妇科疾病等;高原边境农牧民2周内就诊率和1年内住院率均低于同期全国农村水平;高原农牧民就医可及性差和收入低是农牧民得到卫生服务不足的主要原因.结论 高海拔边境地区世居农牧民的健康状况有待改善,优化当地卫生服务资源的配置,加强高原边境地区医疗卫生服务体系建设,提高农牧民家庭经济收入,农牧民卫生状况才能改善.     

围生期孕产妇保健状况调查和健康教育效果分析

目的：研究围生期孕妇保健状况调查并对健康教育效果进行评价分析。方法选取本院自2012年8月~2013年12月间的120例孕妇进行围生期保健状况调查以及健康教育效果分析研究。对其进行随机分组,分为对照组和观察组,每组患者60例,对照组不采用健康教育,观察组采用健康教育方式,然后对两组患者的保健知识评分、产程时间和出血量进行对比分析。结果经本院的分组调查,观察组的保健知识评分明显高于对照组（P〈0.05）,差异具有统计学意义;观察组的第一产程和第二产程均优于对照组,产后出血量较之对照组要少,且差异具有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论根据本院的分组调查研究,根据孕妇的自身情况开展不同的健康教育可以有效的提升生育质量,值得临床的应用以及推广。     

A study investigating the level of satisfaction with the health services provided by the Pharmacist at ENT hospital,Eastern Region Alahsah,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The current study aims to evaluate the patient’s level of satisfaction with health care services provided by the pharmacist at Aljaber ENT hospital, Eastern Region Alahsah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A cross sectional study was planned from 1st March 2011 until 31st May 2011. A 27 item questionnaire was used, scoring of the responses was done to classify the patient satisfaction into sublevels. The maximum possible score was 36; those scoring less than twenty were graded as poor satisfaction level followed by moderate satisfaction level 21–25, good satisfaction level 26–30 and high satisfaction level 31–36. Statistical package for social science version 13® was used to analyze data, One-way ANOVA and independent sample t-test were applied to see the differences in the level of satisfaction. Every third patient visiting pharmacy was given a chance to participate in this study. A total of N = 991 patients were randomized using the pharmacy appointment number. Of whom 657 patients have shown willingness to participate in this study. The response rate of this study was 66.30%, most of the respondents 383 (58.1%) were male ranging from the age group of 21–40 years with a mean age of 32 years SD 9.73. The mean score for all patients was 26.15 SD ±3.4. Among all the demographic variables a significant difference in satisfaction level was found among in terms of age (df = 8, F = 8.36, p = <0.001^∗), gender (t = −4.089, df = 656, p=<0.001^∗) and race (df = 2, F = 8.47, p = <0.001. The satisfaction level among Saudi nationals was least in comparison to Egyptians and others. In general, it is seen that respondents of age 56–60 years were most satisfied with the healthcare services provided by the pharmacist. In addition, the satisfaction level was higher among female patients in comparison to men.     

How pharmacist-led health services are tailored to minoritized populations,their acceptability and effectiveness: A scoping literature review

BackgroundWorldwide, minoritized populations experience inequitable health risks and outcomes. The importance of offering tailored services to meet the specific needs of target populations should be addressed during service development. Within healthcare systems, pharmacists play a crucial role in supporting patients to manage their medicines and health conditions.ObjectivesThis scoping review aims to identify, collate and analyse literature describing pharmacist-led services tailored for minoritized populations in order to strengthen the knowledge base and support for achieving health equity.MethodsA scoping review was guided by the PRISMA-ScR checklist and the five-stage process outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Google Scholar databases, plus grey literature were searched to identify relevant studies published up to October 2022. Texts were included if they reported on a pharmacist-led health service tailored to meet the needs of a minoritized population. The review protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/E8B7D).ResultsOf the 566 records initially identified, 16 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 9 articles describing 6 unique services met the criteria and were included in the review. Three services were non-health-condition-specific, 2 targeted type two diabetes and 1 focussed on opioid dependency disorders. Service acceptability was consistently explored, and all services ensured that pharmacists' views were considered. However, only 4 consulted with the people from the group that the service targeted. Where reported, the effectiveness was not comprehensively evaluated.ConclusionThere is limited literature in this area and a critical need for more evidence on the effectiveness of pharmacist-led services for minoritized populations. We need a better understanding of how pharmacists contribute to health equity pathways and how to expand this. Doing so will inform future services and contribute towards achieving equitable health outcomes.     

Determining and regulating scope of practice for health care professionals: A participatory,multiple stakeholder approach

BackgroundScope of practice varies between health professions and states.ObjectiveTo explore stakeholders' preferences for determining and regulating health care professionals’ scopes of practice.MethodsStakeholders in medicine, nursing, and pharmacy, including practitioners, leaders of professional associations, regulatory board members, and healthcare executives, were recruited via professional organizations, social media, and snowball sampling. Stakeholder preferences were collected using concept mapping, an integrated mixed methods approach which includes 1) brainstorming of statements and 2) sorting and rating of statements. Multidimensional scaling, hierarchical cluster analysis, and Mann Whitney-U tests were used for analysis.ResultsThirty participants generated and sorted statements regarding preferences for scope of practice, creating eight clusters: 1) accountability to prioritize patient safety, 2) standardization, 3) collaborative regulation, 4) intra-professional regulation, 5) federal versus state, 6) role of non-health care professionals, 7) prioritization of patient outcomes, and 8) health care professional training and education. Fifty-seven participants rated statements in terms of importance and feasibility. Physicians and non-physicians held similar views on 68.5% (n = 37) and 81.5% (n = 44) of statements, respectively for importance and feasibility. The statements in the standardization and health care professional training and education clusters were perceived as the most important and feasible across stakeholder types.     

A scoping review of health professional curricula: Implications for developing integration in pharmacy

BackgroundIntegrated health professions curricula aim to produce graduates who are capable of meeting current and future healthcare needs. This is reflected in pharmacy education where integration is increasingly advocated by pharmacy regulators as the perceived optimal way of preparing students for registration as pharmacists. There is, however, no definition of integration. Integration can be described according to a model of horizontal, vertical or spiral integration. It can also be described by the themes used to integrate, such as a systems-based approach or by integrative teaching and learning approaches. The level of integration can also be described.ObjectiveThis scoping review aimed to explore health professions education literature to inform the optimal design of integrated pharmacy curricula. This review asks: what is meant by integration in health professions curricula?MethodsThe Arksey and O'Malley scoping review framework was utilised. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science and ERIC were searched. Models of integration, themes for integration, integrative teaching and learning approaches, and level of integration were defined and supported data extraction.ResultsThere were 9696 records screened and of these 137 were included. The majority of studies (n = 88) described horizontal integration. Systems-based teaching (n = 56) was the most common theme reported. Various integrative teaching and learning approaches were described, including experiential (n = 43), case-based (n = 42) and problem-based (n = 38) learning. The majority of the curricula could be classified as levels 5–7 on Harden's ladder (n = 102). Perception outcomes were reported for 81 studies, and only 3 reported outcomes beyond perception. Reported outcomes were generally positive and included knowledge gains and increased motivation.ConclusionsThere is a need for integration to be explicitly defined by curriculum developers and researchers. Attention should be given to describing the model, theme, teaching and learning approach and level of integration. There remains a lack of evidence for integration.     

2013年某市职业健康监护状况调查与分析

目的了解淮安市2013年各类企业工作场所职业健康监护状况,完善淮安市内的企业健康相关档案,为各级政府和卫生行政部门制订职业卫生服务政策提供依据和数据支持。方法对淮安市内具有职业危害因素的企业,抽取108家企业展开调查,使用Excel录入并整理数据库,采用SPSS19．0进行统计分析。结果本次共调查108家企业,其中大型企业12家,中型企业34家,小型企业38家,规模不明企业24家。交通和建材行业的检出率最高（3．17％、3．45％）,企业规模越大,检出率越高,而私营企业中私营合伙企业实检率最低（13．68％）,检出率最高（5．36％）。结论交通和建材行业需要加强监管力度,而私营企业在职业健康监护方面所做的工作较少,应予以重点关注,继续加强监测和监督,规范开展工作环境职业卫生管理和劳动者的健康监护。     

某印刷厂生产工人健康状况调查结果分析

目的了解深圳市某印刷厂生产工人接触的主要职业危害因素及长期接触这些因素对工人健康的影响。方法对某印刷厂进行现场职业卫生学检查并选择该厂生产工人418名为接触组,同时选择420名非生产一线工人为对照组进行健康检查,健康检查项目包括：尿常规、肝脾B超、心电图、血常规、肝功能、胸部X射线透视、内科常规（血压、心、肺、腹部、甲状腺、咽喉等）、皮肤科常规,并对体检结果进行分析。结果对照组10人尿常规异常（2．4％）、接触组44人异常（10．5％）,两组差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）;对照组8人心电图异常（1．9％）、接触组23人异常（5．5％）,两组差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）;对照组10人血常规异常（2．4％）、接触组69人异常（16．5％）,两组差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。结论该印刷厂生产工人长期接触上述职业病危害因素,导致心血管系统和血液系统产生了一定程度的损害。     

The corporatization of community pharmacy: Implications for service provision,the public health function,and pharmacy's claims to professional status in the United Kingdom

BackgroundPharmacy has experienced both incomplete professionalization and deprofessionalization. Since the late 1970s, a concerted attempt has been made to re-professionalize pharmacy in the United Kingdom (UK) through role extension—a key feature of which has been a drive for greater pharmacy involvement in public health. However, the continual corporatization of the UK community pharmacy sector may reduce the professional autonomy of pharmacists and may threaten to constrain attempts at reprofessionalization.ObjectivesThe objectives of the research: to examine the public health activities of community pharmacists in the UK; to explore the attitudes of community pharmacists toward recent relevant UK policy and barriers to the development of their public health function; and, to investigate associations between activity, attitudes, and the type of community pharmacy worked in (eg, supermarket, chain, independent).MethodsA self-completion postal questionnaire was sent to a random sample of practicing community pharmacists, stratified for country and sex, within Great Britain (n = 1998), with a follow-up to nonresponders 4 weeks later. Data were analyzed using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) (v12.0). A final response rate of 51% (n = 1023/1998) was achieved.ResultsThe level of provision of emergency hormonal contraception on a patient group direction, supervised administration of medicines, and needle-exchange schemes was lower in supermarket pharmacies than in the other types of pharmacy. Respondents believed that supermarkets and the major multiple pharmacy chains held an advantageous position in terms of attracting financing for service development despite suggesting that the premises of such pharmacies may not be the most suitable for the provision of such services.ConclusionsA mixed market in community pharmacy may be required to maintain a comprehensive range of pharmacy-based public health services and provide maximum benefit to all patients. Longitudinal monitoring is recommended to ensure that service provision is adequate across the pharmacy network.     

江西贫困地区口腔健康行为及医疗状况调查

目的：调查江西省贫困地区居民口腔健康行为及口腔卫生医疗状况,为贫困地区居民口腔健康维护提出指导。方法随机发放调查问卷、现场义诊检查的方式,对甘坊镇198名居民进行调查,了解其口腔健康行为及该地区医疗现状。结果仅45.67%的居民每天至少早晚各刷一次牙,27.33%的居民每次刷牙持续3-5min,不足10%的居民能定期进行口腔检查。结论江西省贫困地区居民口腔健康知识了解不足,就诊意识较差,县乡村口腔医疗状况不容乐观。     

衡阳市公务员群体健康状况分析

目的 分析衡阳市公务员的群体健康现状,为中国公务员健康状况研究提供依据.方法 对1 060 名公务员进行健康体检的检出率与健康程度进行统计分析.结果 公务员体检异常检出率为74.34%,共检出异常单项1 812项,人均（1.709±1.531）项.女性公务员的群体健康状况与个人健康程度均优于男性公务员,40~50岁公务员的群体与个体健康状况相对最差.结论 公务员群体健康状况不容乐观,应加强对公务员人群的健康教育与管理,促使他们积极改变生活工作方式以改善健康状况.     

Evaluation of health status in epilepsy using the EQ-5D questionnaire: a prospective,observational, 6-month study of adjunctive therapy with anti-epileptic drugs

ABSTRACT

Aims: The aims of this project were to evaluate the impact of adjunctive treatment with an anti-epileptic drug (AED) on the health status of people with epilepsy and to investigate how seizure frequency affects their health status.

Methods: Adult epilepsy patients, refractory to current treatment, were included in this prospective observational study. Patients commencing adjunctive therapy with one of five AEDs (topiramate, lamotrigine, gabapentin, clobazam, vigabatrin) were eligible for inclusion. The study took place at the outpatient clinics of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. Patients completed the EQ-5D, a generic health status measure, at baseline and again after 3 and 6 months. Information was also collected on medications and seizure frequency.

Results: In total, 125 patients entered the study and were followed up for 6 months. Patients treated with topiramate had a significant increase (?p < 0.05) in EQ-5D score from baseline, indicating an improvement in their health status whereas scores for lamotrigine, clobazam and gabapentin all showed a non-significant decline. When the data were analysed according to seizure frequency, only patients who became seizure-free on adjunctive treatment had a significant increase in their health status. The group who had a 50% reduction in seizure frequency did not have increased health status.

Conclusions: In summary, adjunctive treatment with topiramate significantly increased health status as measured by the EQ-5D. These data also suggest that achievement of seizure-freedom is the key to improving health status in this patient group.