Community pharmacists’ knowledge,behaviors and experiences about adverse drug reaction reporting in Saudi Arabia

Objective

To assess community pharmacists’ knowledge, behaviors and experiences relating to Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated self-administered questionnaire. A convenience sample of 147 community pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results

The questionnaire was distributed to 147 pharmacists, of whom 104 responded to the survey, a 70.7% response rate. The mean age of participants was 29 years. The majority (n = 101, 98.1%) had graduated with a bachelorette degree and worked in chain pharmacies (n = 68, 66.7%). Only 23 (22.1%) said they were familiar with the ADR reporting process, and only 21 (20.2%) knew that pharmacists can submit ADR reports online. The majority of the participants (n = 90, 86.5%) had never reported ADRs. Reasons for not reporting ADRs most importantly included lack of awareness about the method of reporting (n = 22, 45.9%), misconception that reporting ADRs is the duty of physician and hospital pharmacist (n = 8, 16.6%) and ADRs in community pharmacies are simple and should not be reported (n = 8, 16.6%). The most common approach perceived by community pharmacists for managing patients suffering from ADRs was to refer him/her to a physician (n = 80, 76.9%).

Conclusion

The majority of community pharmacists in Riyadh have poor knowledge of the ADR reporting process. Pharmacovigilance authorities should take necessary steps to urgently design interventional programs in order to increase the knowledge and awareness of pharmacists regarding the ADR reporting process.     

Efficacy of acetaminophen versus ibuprofen for the management of rotator cuff-related shoulder pain: Randomized open-label study

BackgroundShoulder pain related to the rotator cuff (RC) is one of the most common and bothersome musculoskeletal complaints. Pharmacologic treatment most often includes acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. However, data allowing comparison of the efficacy of these two drugs are very limited. We compared the therapeutic outcomes of acetaminophen and ibuprofen in the management of RC-related pain.MethodsThis was an open-label, two-center, active-control, prospective randomized clinical trial. Participants were assigned randomly to acetaminophen or ibuprofen treatment groups. The acetaminophen dose was 500 mg every 6–8 h, and it was 400–800 mg every 6–8 h for ibuprofen. The impact of the treatment was measured by Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (Quick-DASH) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaires at baseline and after 6 weeks of therapy.ResultsThirty-three patients completed the study; 20 treated with ibuprofen and 13 with acetaminophen. Patients in both groups were comparable at baseline with regard to SPADI, Quick-DASH, and WHOQOL-BREF scores. After 6 weeks of treatment, patients receiving ibuprofen, but not acetaminophen, reported an improvement in pain severity and functional activity (as measured by SPADI and Quick-DASH). Patients taking acetaminophen, but not ibuprofen, reported improvement in the physical and environmental domains of WHOQOL-BREF scores.ConclusionsIbuprofen and acetaminophen provide benefits to patients suffering from RC-related pain. However, the type of improvement perceived by patients differed between these two medications.     

A retrospective biochemical,molecular, and neurocognitive review of Saudi patients with argininosuccinic aciduria

A retrospective review was compiled of 54 patients with argininosuccinic aciduria who were either identified through the Saudi National Newborn Screening Program or diagnosed clinically from January 2000 to December 2015. The duration of follow-up is from 2 to 19 years. The majority of patients (65%) originated from the central province of Saudi Arabia. The mean patient age at review was 10 years (2–19 years), 92% received an early diagnosis (<28 days of age) and most were symptomatic at the time of the diagnosis (n?=?34). Normal ammonia at diagnosis was reported in 30% of patients, who were detected under the newborn metabolic screen (n?=?5/16). A very high rate of consanguinity was observed in our cohort (98%). Developmental delay was the most detectable long term neurocognitive consequence followed by seizure disorder; 90.7% (n?=?49) and 62.9% (n = 34) respectively. As expected, the severe neonatal form was the major presentation. The most common variant identified in this cohort was the previously reported founder c.1060C > T; p.(Gln354*) nonsense mutation in the ASL gene. In addition, the frequency of hyperammonemia was higher in patients homozygous for c.1060C > T; p.(Gln354*) compared to the other mutations. Interestingly, frequent thrombocytosis with the mean level of 717 × 10⁹/L (range?=?457–1169?×?10⁹/L) was observed in 96% of the patients with no clear explanation.     

Prosthodontic rehabilitation with monolithic,multichromatic, CAD-CAM complete overdentures in an adolescent patient with ectodermal dysplasia: A clinical report

Ectodermal dysplasia is a rare, hereditary, congenital disease that affects the normal development of certain tissues and structures of ectodermal origin. The disease is manifested to different degrees of severity and may involve the nose, eyes, hair, nails, sweat glands, and enamel. This report describes a 14-year-old boy with ectodermal dysplasia, rehabilitated with monolithic, multichromatic maxillary and mandibular computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) acrylic resin complete overdentures.     

Literature Review on Comparisons of Advanced Clinical Nurse Practitioner Role in Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom

The role of advanced clinical nurse practitioners (ACNPs) is continuously developing to be viewed as a critical contribution to nursing professional development. There is an agreed understanding of the role of ACNP, yet no definitive definition has been proposed. Debate arises about whether ACNP is a medical extension of the nursing role or a holistic approach for the patient care. According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the United Kingdom, the code of professional conduct encompasses advanced practitioner practice, meaning that it does not require its own regulation.     

Inguinal hernia in Saudi Arabia. A 10 year experience

There are differing opinions regarding the cause of inguinal hernias in adults. It seems that a patent vaginal process may determine the type of herniation that occurs in an adult but may not actually cause the hernia. Also, altered collagen metabolism seems to play a significant role in many cases of hernias in adults. Thus, most of these hernias are actually caused by a mixture of congenital and acquired factors. Consequently, it follows that there are a variety of opinions regarding surgical repair. This follow-up study on recurrence after inguinal hernia repair in Saudi Arabia was aimed at testing the effectiveness of Bassini's repair and the results achieved when it is employed for primary inguinal hernia repair in adults. One hundred forty patients (95 with indirect and 45 with direct hernias) who had Bassini's repair were studied. Only pure direct or indirect hernias were included. Combined direct, indirect bilateral, recurrent, or femoral hernias were not investigated. All the patients were followed for 2 years after repair, with a total recurrence rate of 2.14 percent. The projected recurrence rate at 25 years is 5.3 percent. These results are comparable to those achieved with other techniques. Therefore, I believe that the criticisms of Bassini's repair are based on theoretic grounds only. Bassini's repair has stood the test of time, is easier to teach and to perform by junior surgeons, and the chance of being complicated by thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism is less than the chance with Cooper's ligament repair.