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Lam TY, Rajandram R, Seevalingam KK, Kuppusamy S. Evaluation of Knowledge, Protection, and Participation of Medical Students in Facing Recurrent Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Asia Pac J Public Health 2024; 36:402-406. [PMID: 38666469 DOI: 10.1177/10105395241249458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Thian Yin Lam
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Retnagowri Rajandram
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kanesh Kumaran Seevalingam
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Division of Urology, University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Shanggar Kuppusamy
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Division of Urology, University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Huang X, Zhuang Z, Liu J, Shi W, Xu X, Wang L, Li Q, Wang H. Research on the impact mechanism of changes in the production of medical solid waste in China before and after COVID-19. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:37717-37731. [PMID: 38789708 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33755-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
The changes of medical solid waste (MSW) output in recent years have had a significant impact on the spread of the virus. There is a high-risk transmission of MSW in various stages such as storage, transportation, and treatment during the COVID-19. To cope with the risks brought by the epidemic, normalized prevention consumes a large amount of protective clothing, medical masks, goggles, packaging bags, and other related medical supplies. There is a significant uncertainty in the amount of MSW output that poses a risk of COVID-19 infection in the event of an emergency, which increases the difficulty of collecting and handling epidemic prevention MSW. The analysis of MSW data from 2000 to 2022 found a stable growth trend before 2019. However, the MSW data was a sudden increase trend from 2020 to 2022, and the COVID-19 in China was characterized by an initial stage, an outbreak stage, and a stable growth stage. The range of MSW output during the epidemic was (1.19-1.75) × 106 t a-1. The amount of MSW was approximately 1.19 × 106 t a-1 during the normalized epidemic period, and its treatment cost was as high as 3.57 × 109 yuan (RMB)·a-1. The distribution of MSW output was uneven due to factors such as climate conditions, population data, and local economy. This study has important reference value for epidemic medical material reserves and MSW treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Huang
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions/Heilongjiang Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Cold Region Ecological Safety/School of Geographical Sciences, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China
| | - Ziqi Zhuang
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions/Heilongjiang Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Cold Region Ecological Safety/School of Geographical Sciences, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China
| | - Jiajun Liu
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions/Heilongjiang Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Cold Region Ecological Safety/School of Geographical Sciences, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China
| | - Wen Shi
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions/Heilongjiang Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Cold Region Ecological Safety/School of Geographical Sciences, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China
| | - Xiangdong Xu
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions/Heilongjiang Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Cold Region Ecological Safety/School of Geographical Sciences, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China
| | - Lingyan Wang
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions/Heilongjiang Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Cold Region Ecological Safety/School of Geographical Sciences, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China
| | - Qi Li
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, 224051, China
| | - Hanxi Wang
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Geographical Environment Monitoring and Spatial Information Service in Cold Regions/Heilongjiang Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Cold Region Ecological Safety/School of Geographical Sciences, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China.
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Souissi S, Ben Turkia H, Saad S, Keskes S, Jeddi C, Ghazali H. Predictive factors of mortality in patients admitted to the emergency department for SARS-Cov2 pneumonia. LA TUNISIE MEDICALE 2024; 102:78-82. [PMID: 38567472 PMCID: PMC11358810 DOI: 10.62438/tunismed.v102i2.4659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The overcrowding of intensive care units during the corona virus pandemic increased the number of patients managed in the emergency department (ED). The detection timely of the predictive factors of mortality and bad outcomes improve the triage of those patients. AIM To define the predictive factors of mortality at 30 days among patients admitted on ED for covid-19 pneumonia. METHODS This was a prospective, monocentric, observational study for 6 months. Patients over the age of 16 years admitted on the ED for hypoxemic pneumonia due to confirmed SARS-COV 2 infection by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) were included. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to investigate the predictive factors of mortality at 30 days. RESULTS 463 patients were included. Mean age was 65±14 years, Sex-ratio=1.1. Main comorbidities were hypertension (49%) and diabetes (38%). Mortality rate was 33%. Patients who died were older (70±13 vs. 61±14;p<0.001), and had more comorbidities: hypertension (57% vs. 43%, p=0.018), chronic heart failure (8% vs. 3%, p=0.017), and coronary artery disease (12% vs. 6%, p=0.030). By multivariable analysis, factors independently associated with 30-day mortality were age ≥65 years aOR: 6.9, 95%CI 1.09-44.01;p=0.04) SpO2<80% (aOR: 26.6, 95%CI 3.5-197.53;p=0.001) and percentage of lung changes on CT scan>70% (aOR: 5.6% 95%CI .01-31.29;p=0.04). CONCLUSION Mortality rate was high among patients admitted in the ED for covid-19 pneumonia. The identification of predictive factors of mortality would allow better patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Souissi
- Emergency department of regional hospital of Ben Arous
| | | | - Soumaya Saad
- Emergency department of regional hospital of Ben Arous
| | - Syrine Keskes
- Emergency department of regional hospital of Ben Arous
| | - Camilia Jeddi
- Emergency department of regional hospital of Ben Arous
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Hon KLE, Leung AKC, Leung KKY, Wong AHC. Impact of "Long Covid" on Children: Global and Hong Kong Perspectives. Curr Pediatr Rev 2024; 20:59-65. [PMID: 36281870 DOI: 10.2174/1573396319666221021154949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic spares no nation or city, and the virus is responsible for the escalating incidence and mortality worldwide. OBJECTIVE This article reviews the impact of "Long Covid" on Children. METHODS A PubMed search was conducted in December 2021 in Clinical Queries using the key terms "COVID-19" OR "long COVID". The search was restricted to children and adolescent aged < 18 years and English literature. RESULTS Many large-scale studies have provided strong scientific evidence as to the detrimental and irreversible sequelae of COVID-19 on the health, psychology, and development of affected children. Many insights into managing this disease can be obtained from comparing the management of influenza. COVID-19 is generally a mild respiratory disease in children. Several syndromes, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and COVID toe, are probably not specific to SARS-CoV-2. "Long COVID", or the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or the prolonged isolation and containment strategies on education and psychosocial influences on children associated with the pandemic, are significant. CONCLUSION Healthcare providers must be aware of the potential effects of quarantine on children's mental health. More importantly, healthcare providers must appreciate the importance of the decisions and actions made by governments, non-governmental organizations, the community, schools, and parents in reducing the possible effects of this situation. Multifaceted age-specific and developmentally appropriate strategies must be adopted by healthcare authorities to lessen the negative impact of quarantine on the psychological well-being of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kam Lun Ellis Hon
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alexander K C Leung
- Department of Pediatrics, The Alberta Children's Hospital and The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Karen Ka Yan Leung
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alex H C Wong
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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El-Warrak L, Nunes M, Luna G, Barbosa CE, Lyra A, Argôlo M, Lima Y, Salazar H, de Souza JM. Towards the Future of Public Health: Roadmapping Trends and Scenarios in the Post-COVID Healthcare Era. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:3118. [PMID: 38132008 PMCID: PMC10743190 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11243118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, a transformative event in modern society, has disrupted routine, work, behavior, and human relationships. Organizations, amidst the chaos, have innovatively adapted to the evolving situation. However, many countries were unprepared for the magnitude of the challenge, revealing the fragility of health responses due to inadequate leadership, insufficient resources, and poor information system integration. Structural changes in health systems are imperative, particularly in leadership, governance, human resources, financing, information systems, technology, and health service provision. This research utilizes the Technological Roadmapping method to analyze the health sector, focusing on public health, drawing on articles from SCOPUS and PubMed databases, and creating a roadmap extending to 2050. The research presents three long-term scenarios based on the literature-derived roadmap and explores various alternatives, including integrated care, telemedicine, Big Data utilization, nanotechnology, and Big Tech's AI services. The results underscore the anticipation of post-pandemic public health with high expectations, emphasizing the importance of integrating health history access, encouraging self-care, and leveraging technology for streamlined treatment. Practical implications include insights for decision makers and stakeholders to inform strategic planning and adapt to evolving industry demands, recognizing the significance of preventive services and the humanizing potential of technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo El-Warrak
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Mariano Nunes
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Gabriel Luna
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Carlos Eduardo Barbosa
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
- Centro de Análises de Sistemas Navais, Rio de Janeiro 20091-000, Brazil
| | - Alan Lyra
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Matheus Argôlo
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Yuri Lima
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Herbert Salazar
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Jano Moreira de Souza
- Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Avenida Horácio Macedo 2030, Centro de Tecnologia, Bloco H, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil; (L.E.-W.); (G.L.); (Y.L.); (H.S.)
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Amjad Z, Maryam I, Munir M, Salman M, Baraka MA, Mustafa ZU, Khan YH, Mallhi TH, Hasan SS, Meyer JC, Godman B. COVID-19 Vaccines Status, Acceptance and Hesitancy among Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study and the Implications for Pakistan and Beyond. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:904. [PMID: 37243008 PMCID: PMC10223584 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11050904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy continues to be a widespread problem in Pakistan due to various conspiracy beliefs, myths and misconceptions. Since the hemodialysis population is at a higher risk of contracting infections, we sought to investigate the current COVID-19 immunization status and reasons for any vaccine hesitancy among these patients in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted among maintenance hemodialysis patients at six hospitals in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Data were collected anonymously using a questionnaire. A total of 399 hemodialysis patients took part in the survey, the majority of them were male (56%) and aged 45-64 years. A calculated 62.4% of the patients reported receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of those vaccinated (249), 73.5% had received two doses and 16.9% had received a booster dose. The most common reasons for vaccination were "being aware they were at high risk" (89.6%), "fear of getting infected" (89.2%) and "willingness to fight against COVID-19-pandemic" (83.9%). Of the 150 patients who had not yet been vaccinated, only 10 showed a willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The major reasons for refusal included "COVID-19 is not a real problem" (75%), the "corona vaccine is a conspiracy (72.1%)" and "I don't need the vaccine" (60.7%). Our study revealed that only 62% patients receiving hemodialysis were partially or completely vaccinated against COVID-19. Consequently, there is a need to initiate aggressive approaches to educate this high-risk population in order to address their concerns with vaccine safety and efficacy as well as correct current myths and misconceptions to improve the COVID-19 immunization status in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zara Amjad
- Department of Paediatrics, District Head Quarter (DHQ), Bhakkar 30000, Pakistan;
| | - Iqra Maryam
- Department of Medicine, Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan;
| | - Maria Munir
- Department of Medicine, Faisalabad Medical University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Salman
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan;
| | - Mohamed A. Baraka
- Clinical Pharmacy Program, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain Campus, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 64141, United Arab Emirates;
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11651, Egypt
| | - Zia Ul Mustafa
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Penang, Malaysia
- Department of Pharmacy Services, District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital, Pakpattan 57400, Pakistan
| | - Yusra Habib Khan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syed Shahzad Hasan
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
| | - Johanna C. Meyer
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa 0208, South Africa
- South African Vaccination and Immunisation Centre, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Molotlegi Street, Ga-Rankuwa 0208, South Africa
| | - Brian Godman
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa 0208, South Africa
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman P.O. Box 346, United Arab Emirates
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
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Mustafa ZUI, Khan AH, Harun SN, Salman M, Godman B. Antibiotic Overprescribing among Neonates and Children Hospitalized with COVID-19 in Pakistan and the Implications. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:646. [PMID: 37107008 PMCID: PMC10135218 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12040646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
There are concerns with excessive antibiotic prescribing among patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Most studies have been conducted in adults with limited data on neonates and children, including in Pakistan. A retrospective study was conducted among four referral/tertiary care hospitals, including the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, the prevalence of bacterial co-infections or secondary bacterial infections and antibiotics prescribed among neonates and children hospitalized due to COVID-19. Among 1237 neonates and children, 511 were admitted to the COVID-19 wards and 433 were finally included in the study. The majority of admitted children were COVID-19-positive (85.9%) with severe COVID-19 (38.2%), and 37.4% were admitted to the ICU. The prevalence of bacterial co-infections or secondary bacterial infections was 3.7%; however, 85.5% were prescribed antibiotics during their hospital stay (average 1.70 ± 0.98 antibiotics per patient). Further, 54.3% were prescribed two antibiotics via the parenteral route (75.5%) for ≤5 days (57.5), with most being 'Watch' antibiotics (80.4%). Increased antibiotic prescribing was reported among patients requiring mechanical ventilation and high WBCs, CRP, D-dimer and ferritin levels (p < 0.001). Increased COVID-19 severity, length of stay and hospital setting were significantly associated with antibiotic prescribing (p < 0.001). Excessive antibiotic prescribing among hospitalized neonates and children, despite very low bacterial co-infections or secondary bacterial infections, requires urgent attention to reduce AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zia UI Mustafa
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Penang, Malaysia
- Department of Pharmacy Services, District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital, Pakpattan 57400, Pakistan
| | - Amer Hayat Khan
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Sabariah Noor Harun
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Salman
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Allied Health Sciences, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman P.O. Box 346, United Arab Emirates
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Adherence to Infection Prevention and Control Measures Among Health-Care Workers Serving in COVID-19 Treatment Centers in Punjab, Pakistan. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2023; 17:e298. [PMID: 36785528 PMCID: PMC9947036 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2022.252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are easily adoptable activities to prevent the spread of infection to patients as well as among health-care workers (HCWs). METHODS This cross-sectional study evaluated the adherence to IPC measures among HCWs working at coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment centers in Punjab, Pakistan. HCWs were recruited by means of convenient sampling through Google Form® using the World Health Organization risk assessment tool. All data were analyzed using SPSS 20. RESULTS A total of 414 HCWs completed the survey (response rate = 67.8%), and majority of them were males (56.3%). Most of the HCWs were nurses (39.6%) followed by medical doctors (27.3%). Approximately 53% reported insufficiency of personal protective equipment (PPE), 58.2% did not receive IPC training and 40.8% did not have functional IPC team at their health facilities. The majority of HCWs (90%) used disposable gloves and N95 facemasks while interacting with COVID-19 patients. Nearly 45% used protective face shields and gowns before providing care to their patients. Hand hygiene practices while touching, and performing any aseptic procedure was adopted by 70.5% and 74.1% of HCWs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the adherence to IPC measures among Pakistani HCWs working in COVID-19 treatment centers is good despite the limited availability of PPEs. Their practices can be optimized by establishing institutional IPC teams, periodic provision of IPC training, and necessary PPE.
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Prodhan AHMSU, Islam DZ, Khandker SS, Jamiruddin MR, Abdullah A, Godman B, Opanga S, Kumar S, Sharma P, Adnan N, Pisana A, Haque M. Breast Cancer Management in the Era of Covid-19; Key Issues, Contemporary Strategies, and Future Implications. BREAST CANCER (DOVE MEDICAL PRESS) 2023; 15:51-89. [PMID: 36733464 PMCID: PMC9888303 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s390296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, several priority diseases were not getting sufficient attention. Whilst breast cancer is a fatal disease affecting millions worldwide, identification and management of these patients did not initially attract critical attention to minimize the impact of lockdown, post-lockdown, and other measures. Breast cancer patients' conditions may not remain stable without proper care, worsening their prognosis. Proper care includes the timely instigation of surgery, systemic therapy, and psychological support. This includes low-and middle-income countries where there are already concerns with available personnel and medicines to adequately identify and treat these patients. Consequently, there was a need to summarize the current scenario regarding managing breast cancer care during COVID-19 across all countries, including any guidelines developed. We systematically searched three scientific databases and found 76 eligible articles covering the medical strategies of high-income countries versus LMICs. Typically, diagnostic facilities in hospitals were affected at the beginning of the pandemic following the lockdown and other measures. This resulted in more advanced-stage cancers being detected at initial presentation across countries, negatively impacting patient outcomes. Other than increased telemedicine, instigating neo-adjuvant endocrine therapy more often, reducing non-essential visits, and increasing the application of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy to meet the challenges, encouragingly, there was no other significant difference among patients in high-income versus LMICs. Numerous guidelines regarding patient management evolved during the pandemic to address the challenges posed by lockdowns and other measures, which were subsequently adopted by various high-income countries and LMICs to improve patient care. The psychological impact of COVID-19 and associated lockdown measures, especially during the peak of COVID-19 waves, and the subsequent effect on the patient's mental health must also be considered in this high-priority group. We will continue to monitor the situation to provide direction in future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dewan Zubaer Islam
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh
| | - Shahad Saif Khandker
- Department of Biochemistry, Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Medical College, Dhaka, 1344, Bangladesh
| | | | - Adnan Abdullah
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia, (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, 57000, Malaysia
| | - Brian Godman
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK,Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates,Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa
| | - Sylvia Opanga
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Paras Sharma
- Department of Pharmacognosy, BVM College of Pharmacy, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 474006, India
| | - Nihad Adnan
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh,Correspondence: Nihad Adnan, Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh, Email ;Mainul Haque, The Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan, Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sugai Besi, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia, Tel +60109265543, Email
| | - Alice Pisana
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mainul Haque
- The Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan, Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, 57000, Malaysia
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Anaam MS. Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of the General Population in Yemen Regarding COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study. Diseases 2023; 11:17. [PMID: 36810531 PMCID: PMC9944951 DOI: 10.3390/diseases11010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Following the World Health Organization declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, Yemen has taken preventive and precautionary measures against COVID-19 to control its spread. This study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the Yemeni public regarding COVID-19. METHODS A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted during the period from September 2021 to October 2021. RESULTS The mean total knowledge score was 9.50 ± 2.12. The majority of the participants (93.4%) were aware that to prevent infection by the COVID-19 virus, going to crowded places and gatherings should be avoided. Approximately two thirds of the participants (69.4%) believed COVID-19 is a health threat to their community. However, in terms of actual behavior, only 23.1% of the participants reported that they did not go to any crowded places during the pandemic, and only 23.8% had worn a mask in recent days. Moreover, only about half (49.9%) reported that they were following the strategies recommended by the authorities to prevent the spread of the virus. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that the general public has good knowledge and positive attitudes regarding COVID-19, but that their practices are poor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Saif Anaam
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraydah 999088, Saudi Arabia;
- Al-Rowaad Medical College, Sana’a 5696, Yemen
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Al-Azzawi S, Masheta D. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dispensing medicines in the community pharmacy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RISK & SAFETY IN MEDICINE 2023; 34:295-311. [PMID: 37355915 DOI: 10.3233/jrs-220061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The world has faced an unprecedented challenge since COVID-19 emerged as a pandemic, which has led to quarantine and disruptions in drug services. During the pandemic, drug use habits and availability changed, causing a shift in behaviors and, in turn, medicine misuse. In Iraq, this is a major problem because many medicines can be easily obtained. OBJECTIVE The study aims to describe the pattern of dispensing medications during the pandemic and to evaluate the biochemical and pathological consequences. METHOD The analytical, observational, cross-sectional study was performed via a compiled questionnaire for 400 random pharmacists, and the analysis and interpretation of the biochemical changes and medical reports. RESULTS Results revealed that dispensing of medications since the COVID-19 outbreak has increased by 74%, and the demand for medicines seems higher than required in comparison to the periods before the pandemic, while 60% of the dispensed medicines were taken just in case needed. In addition, the availability of medicines decreased by 61%, and the dispensing of common medicines increased due to the belief in their prophylactic action. Several biochemical abnormalities and pathological consequences were recorded due to the irrational use of medicines, and the highest percentage (12%) was seen in hepatic and liver enzymatic dysfunction and 8% for the endocrine and hormonal abnormalities. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that most of the dispensed medicines were not used on a therapeutic or scientific basis during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafq Al-Azzawi
- College of Pharmacy, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
- PhD/Pharmacy, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
| | - Dhafir Masheta
- College of Pharmacy, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
- PhD/Pharmacy, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
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Saleh EA, Haddadin RN, Saleh B, Elayeh E. Changes in drug demand when a pandemic coincides with other outbreaks in a war zone country: a cross-sectional pilot study. J Pharm Policy Pract 2022; 15:89. [PMID: 36419090 PMCID: PMC9682693 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-022-00487-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yemen's health system has severely deteriorated due to the ongoing civil war accompanied by the COVID-19 pandemic which coincided with other outbreaks of endemic infections. Many health institutions closed due to insufficient equipment and supplies. Consequently, pharmacists became the available healthcare provider on the frontlines. This study aimed to evaluate the pattern of demand for prescription and nonprescription drugs during the pandemic based on the pharmacist's perspective in Yemen, a conflict zone country. METHODS An online survey was developed, validated, and distributed among pharmacists. The questionnaire was composed of two sections: (1) demographic characteristics of the participants and (2) changes in the demand for different drug categories. Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to find statistical associations. RESULTS Responses (330) were received from pharmacists working in 12 out of 22 governorates in Yemen. During the pandemic, there was an increase in the demand for prescription drugs such as antibiotics, antimalarials, and sedatives (95%, 90%, and 71%, respectively) and an increase in the demand for nonprescription drugs such as vitamins (93%) and paracetamol (> 90%). Some of these drugs could have serious side effects if taken without medical advice, and others could result in severe effects if taken concomitantly. In addition, there was an increase in the demand for prescription drugs without a prescription, which was reported by 50% of the participants. No statistical difference was seen between the frontline districts and major cities in terms of requesting these drugs without a prescription. On the other hand, most participants (75.2%) did not attend any training or workshop during the last 6 months of conducting this survey. CONCLUSION COVID-19 has increased the demand for many prescription and nonprescription drugs, where the irrational use of these drugs may lead to devastating health effects. In war zone areas hit by a pandemic, policymakers and public health organizations should focus on training and educating pharmacists as important health care and medicine providers for the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebtesam A Saleh
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
| | - Randa N Haddadin
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
| | - Bassam Saleh
- Medical and Health Unit, International Organization of Migration (IOM), Aden, Yemen
| | - Eman Elayeh
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
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Ogunleye OO, Godman B, Fadare JO, Mudenda S, Adeoti AO, Yinka-Ogunleye AF, Ogundele SO, Oyawole MR, Schönfeldt M, Rashed WM, Galal AM, Masuka N, Zaranyika T, Kalungia AC, Malande OO, Kibuule D, Massele A, Chikowe I, Khuluza F, Taruvinga T, Alfadl A, Malik E, Oluka M, Opanga S, Ankrah DNA, Sefah IA, Afriyie D, Tagoe ET, Amu AA, Msibi MP, Etando A, Alabi ME, Okwen P, Niba LL, Mwita JC, Rwegerera GM, Kgatlwane J, Jairoun AA, Ejekam C, Mavenyengwa RT, Murimi-Worstell I, Campbell SM, Meyer JC. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic across Africa: Current Status of Vaccinations and Implications for the Future. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1553. [PMID: 36146631 PMCID: PMC9504201 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10091553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of effective vaccines in December 2020 marked a significant step forward in the global response to COVID-19. Given concerns with access, acceptability, and hesitancy across Africa, there is a need to describe the current status of vaccine uptake in the continent. An exploratory study was undertaken to investigate these aspects, current challenges, and lessons learnt across Africa to provide future direction. Senior personnel across 14 African countries completed a self-administered questionnaire, with a descriptive analysis of the data. Vaccine roll-out commenced in March 2021 in most countries. COVID-19 vaccination coverage varied from low in Cameroon and Tanzania and up to 39.85% full coverage in Botswana at the end of 2021; that is, all doses advocated by initial protocols versus the total population, with rates increasing to 58.4% in Botswana by the end of June 2022. The greatest increase in people being fully vaccinated was observed in Uganda (20.4% increase), Botswana (18.5% increase), and Zambia (17.9% increase). Most vaccines were obtained through WHO-COVAX agreements. Initially, vaccination was prioritised for healthcare workers (HCWs), the elderly, adults with co-morbidities, and other at-risk groups, with countries now commencing vaccination among children and administering booster doses. Challenges included irregular supply and considerable hesitancy arising from misinformation fuelled by social media activities. Overall, there was fair to reasonable access to vaccination across countries, enhanced by government initiatives. Vaccine hesitancy must be addressed with context-specific interventions, including proactive programmes among HCWs, medical journalists, and the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olayinka O. Ogunleye
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
| | - Brian Godman
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 02084, South Africa
| | - Joseph O. Fadare
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti 362103, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti 360211, Nigeria
| | - Steward Mudenda
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 50110, Zambia
- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 32379, Zambia
| | - Adekunle O. Adeoti
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti 360211, Nigeria
| | | | - Sunday O. Ogundele
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
| | - Modupe R. Oyawole
- Department of Pharmacy, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
| | - Marione Schönfeldt
- Child, Youth and School Health Directorate, National Department of Health, Pretoria 0083, South Africa
| | - Wafaa M. Rashed
- Children’s Cancer Hospital, Egypt-57357 (CCHE-57357), Cairo 11441, Egypt
| | - Ahmad M. Galal
- Biomedical Research Department, Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo 11774, Egypt
| | - Nyasha Masuka
- CIMAS, Cimas House, Borrowdale Office Park, Borrowdale Road, Harare P.O. Box 1243, Zimbabwe
| | - Trust Zaranyika
- Department of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe
| | - Aubrey C. Kalungia
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 50110, Zambia
| | - Oliver O. Malande
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 02084, South Africa
- Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Egerton University, Nakuru P.O.Box 536, Kenya
- East Africa Centre for Vaccines and Immunization (ECAVI), Namela House, Naguru, Kampala P.O. Box 3040, Uganda
| | - Dan Kibuule
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Busitema University, Mbale P.O. Box 236, Uganda
| | - Amos Massele
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hurbert Kairuki Memorial University, 70 Chwaku Road Mikocheni, Dar Es Salaam P.O. Box 65300, Tanzania
| | - Ibrahim Chikowe
- Pharmacy Department, Formerly College of Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre P.O. Box 278, Malawi
| | - Felix Khuluza
- Pharmacy Department, Formerly College of Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre P.O. Box 278, Malawi
| | - Tinotenda Taruvinga
- Department of Global Health and Development (GHD), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London WC1E 7TH, UK
| | - Abubakr Alfadl
- National Medicines and Poisons Board, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum P.O. Box 303, Sudan
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unaizah 51911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elfatih Malik
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum 11111, Sudan
| | - Margaret Oluka
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 19676-00202, Kenya
| | - Sylvia Opanga
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 19676-00202, Kenya
| | - Daniel N. A. Ankrah
- Department of Pharmacy, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra P.O. Box 77, Ghana
| | - Israel A. Sefah
- Pharmacy Practice Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe PMB 31, Ghana
| | - Daniel Afriyie
- Pharmacy Department, Ghana Police Hospital, Accra P.O. Box CT104, Ghana
| | - Eunice T. Tagoe
- Department of Management Science, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0QU, UK
| | - Adefolarin A. Amu
- Pharmacy Department, Eswatini Medical Christian University, P.O. Box A624, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
| | - Mlungisi P. Msibi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Swazi Plaza P.O. Box A624, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
| | - Ayukafangha Etando
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Swazi Plaza P.O. Box A624, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
| | - Mobolaji E. Alabi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Kwazulu-natal (UKZN), Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Patrick Okwen
- Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Ndamukong Street, Bamenda 5175, Cameroon
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Loveline Lum Niba
- Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Ndamukong Street, Bamenda 5175, Cameroon
- Department of Public Health, University of Bamenda, Bambili P.O. Box 39, Cameroon
| | - Julius C. Mwita
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone P.O. Box 70480, Botswana
| | - Godfrey M. Rwegerera
- Department of Medicine, Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital, Gaborone P.O. Box 70480, Botswana
| | - Joyce Kgatlwane
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Botswana, Gaborone P.O. Box 70480, Botswana
| | - Ammar A. Jairoun
- Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai P.O. Box 67, United Arab Emirates
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia
| | - Chioma Ejekam
- Department of Community Health, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos PMB 21266, Nigeria
| | - Rooyen T. Mavenyengwa
- Medical Microbiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe
| | - Irene Murimi-Worstell
- School of Pharmacy, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephen M. Campbell
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 02084, South Africa
- Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Johanna C. Meyer
- Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 02084, South Africa
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Jairoun AA, Al hemyari SS, Abdulla NM, Shahwan M, Hashim Jaber Bilal F, AL-Tamimi SK, Jairoun M, Zyoud SH, Kurdi A, Godman B. Acceptability and Willingness of UAE Residents to Use OTC Vending Machines to Deliver Self-Testing Kits for COVID-19 and the Implications. J Multidiscip Healthc 2022; 15:1759-1770. [PMID: 36039076 PMCID: PMC9419902 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s370441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 appear effective, practical, safe and reliable as well as helping patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms to be successfully managed at home without going to hospital. As a result, ease pressures on hospitals. OTC vending machines offer the potential for SARS-CoV-2 self-testing kits alongside making available OTC treatments to alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19. As a result, providing confidentiality alongside ease of use in case people do not want their status broad casted. Consequently, there was a need to assess the acceptability and willingness regarding the availability of OTC vending machines to dispense self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 among UAE residents to provide future direction. Patients and Methods A cross-sectional survey using a designed questionnaire was based on previous research and expert input and pilot tested. All items in the final questionnaire were seen as acceptable with a satisfactory content validity. A purposive sampling strategy was used in the principal study by primarily sending a link to the questionnaire to UAE universities via Facebook and WhatsApp. Results A total of 876 respondents participated in the study and completed the whole questionnaire. Most participants were female (63%), Arabic origin (42%) and holding a bachelor's degree (84.5%). There was high acceptability and willingness to use self-testing kits (87.2%), with 88.6% of respondents believing OTC vending machines would be beneficial for patients with actual or suspected SARS-CoV-2. Gender, nationality, educational level, employment status, having relatives infected with SARS-CoV-2 and being vaccinated were significantly associated with attitudes towards the self-testing kits. Recognised barriers include their potential costs, ease of access and help for those who cannot read the instructions. Conclusion Overall, there was high acceptability and willingness to use OTC vending machines to deliver self-testing kits for SARS-CoV-2 among the surveyed participants. Key barriers will need to be addressed to enhance their use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Gelugor, 11800, Malaysia
- Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sabaa Saleh Al hemyari
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Gelugor, 11800, Malaysia
- Pharmacy Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Moyad Shahwan
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab Emirates
- Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Farah Hashim Jaber Bilal
- Anesthesiology Department, Saint Georges Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
- Valiant Hospital, Anesthesiology Department, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Maimona Jairoun
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab Emirates
| | - Samer H Zyoud
- Nonlinear Dynamics Research Center (NDRC), Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region Government, Iraq
- Center of Research and Strategic Studies, Lebanese French University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region Government, Iraq
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Brian Godman
- Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science (SIPBS), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
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Qamar S, Tekin A, Singh R, Surani S, Adhikari R, Bansal V, Sharma M, Bogojevic M, Deo N, Zec S, Valencia Morales DJ, Taji J, Kumar VK, Boman K, Khan SA, Domecq JP, Kashyap R. How do frontline healthcare workers learn from COVID-19 webinars during a pandemic? An online survey study. Hosp Pract (1995) 2022; 50:326-330. [PMID: 35982643 DOI: 10.1080/21548331.2022.2114741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted in-person learning. As a result, many educational institutions switched to online platforms to continue teaching. COVID-19 webinars have been useful for rapidly disseminating information to frontline healthcare workers. While conducting COVID-19 webinars through online platforms is a popular method to train medical professionals, their effectiveness has never been investigated. Our aim was to ascertain the usefulness of COVID-19 webinars during the pandemic. METHODS We conducted an online survey of about 400 frontline healthcare workers. 112 people responded to the survey (response rate = 28%). In it, we asked several questions to determine whether webinars had been a useful resource to help deal with COVID-19 patients. RESULTS We found that a majority of healthcare worker respondents had favourable opinions of online education during the pandemic as around 78% of respondents either agreed or highly agreed that webinars are a useful source of knowledge. A significant proportion (34%) did not participate in webinars and gave time constraints as their main reason for not participating. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that while online education is a great way to disseminate information quickly to a large amount of people, it also comes with its disadvantages. As we transition into a post-pandemic world, we need to make sure that online teaching is designed with the best interests of the healthcare workers in mind to ensure that we get the most out of it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahraz Qamar
- Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Aysun Tekin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Romil Singh
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Salim Surani
- Department of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX 78404, United States
| | - Ramesh Adhikari
- Department of Hospital Medicine, Franciscan Health, Lafayette, USA
| | - Vikas Bansal
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mayank Sharma
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Marija Bogojevic
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Neha Deo
- Medical Student, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Simon Zec
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA
| | - Diana J Valencia Morales
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, and Health Sciences Research, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jamil Taji
- Department of Intensive Care, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato, MN
| | | | - Karen Boman
- Society of Critical Care Medicine, Mount Prospect, IL
| | - Syed Anjum Khan
- Department of Intensive Care, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato, MN
| | - Juan Pablo Domecq
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Rahul Kashyap
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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Kumar S, Haque M, Shetty A, Choudhary S, Bhatt R, Sinha V, Manohar B, Chowdhury K, Nusrat N, Jahan N, Kurdi A, Ul Mustafa Z, C Meyer J, Sefah IA, Abdullah A, Abdulrahman Jairoun A, Godman B. Characteristics and Management of Children With Suspected COVID-19 Admitted to Hospitals in India: Implications for Future Care. Cureus 2022; 14:e27230. [PMID: 35910696 PMCID: PMC9311229 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.27230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: There is a growing focus on researching the management of children with COVID-19 admitted to hospital, especially among developing countries with new variants alongside concerns with the overuse of antibiotics. Patient care can be improved with guidelines, but concerns with the continued imprudent prescribing of antimicrobials, including antibiotics, antivirals, and antimalarials. Objective: Consequently, a need to document the current management of children with COVID-19 across India. Key outcome measures included the percentage of prescribed antimicrobials, adherence to current guidelines, and mortality. Methodology: A point prevalence study using specially developed report forms among 30 hospitals in India. Results: The majority of admitted children were aged between 11 and 18 years (70%) and boys (65.8%). Reasons for admission included respiratory distress, breathing difficulties, and prolonged fever. 75.3% were prescribed antibiotics typically empirically (68.3% overall), with most on the Watch list (76.7%). There were no differences in antibiotic prescribing whether hospitals followed guidelines or not. There was also appreciable prescribing of antimalarials (21.4% of children), antivirals (15.2%), and antiparasitic medicines (27.2%) despite limited evidence. The majority of children (92.2%) made a full recovery. Conclusion: It was encouraging to see low hospitalization rates. However, concerns about high empiric use of antibiotics and high use of antimalarials, antivirals, and antiparasitic medicines exist. These can be addressed by instigating appropriate stewardship programs.
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Exploring Knowledge of Antibiotic Use, Resistance, and Stewardship Programs among Pharmacy Technicians Serving in Ambulatory Care Settings in Pakistan and the Implications. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11070921. [PMID: 35884175 PMCID: PMC9311796 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11070921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a leading global health threat, increasing morbidity, mortality, and costs, with excessive and irrational use of antimicrobials contributing to the development of AMR. Consequently, the aims of this study were to evaluate the understanding of antibiotic use, AMR, and antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) among pharmacy technicians serving in ambulatory healthcare settings in Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among pharmacy technicians serving in 144 ambulatory care settings in seven districts of Punjab province using a validated questionnaire. Overall, 376 technicians completed the survey (85.8% response rate). The majority were men (89.1%), aged 25−35 years (45.1%), serving in emergency departments (43.9%) and filling 31−60 prescriptions per day (37.5%). Most (79.5%) knew that antibiotics were one of the most frequently prescribed drug classes, while 59.8% believed antibiotics for common colds did not speed up recovery. Inadequate duration (59.6%) and inadequate dosages (57.7%) of antibiotic therapy were reported as the leading causes of AMR. Terms including ‘superbugs’, ‘multidrug resistance’, and ‘extensively drug resistance’ were known to 42.0%, 25.3%, and 20.7% of participants, respectively; however, <10% knew about ASPs, including their core elements and purpose. Our study revealed that pharmacy technicians have adequate awareness of antibiotic use but are currently unaware of AMR and ASPs, which is a concern.
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Mugo PM, Mumbi A, Munene D, Nzinga J, Molyneux S, Barasa E. Experiences of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic at private retail pharmacies in Kenya: a mixed-methods study. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e058688. [PMID: 35768121 PMCID: PMC9240447 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess experiences of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic at community pharmacies in Kenya. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS This was a mixed-methods study conducted from November 2020 to April 2021, targeting service providers in three counties (Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu), selected purposively to represent the main urban centres; pharmacies were selected randomly from a list of licensed pharmacies. RESULTS Of 195 sampled pharmacies, 108 (55%) completed a questionnaire and 103 (53%) received a simulated client call; 18 service providers were interviewed. The initial weeks of the pandemic were characterised by fear and panic among service providers and a surge in client flow. Subsequently, 65 (60%) of 108 pharmacies experienced a dip in demand to below prepandemic levels and 34 (31%) reported challenges with unavailability, high price and poor quality of products. Almost all pharmacies were actively providing preventive materials and therapies; educating clients on prevention measures; counselling anxious clients; and handling and referring suspect cases. Fifty-nine pharmacies (55% (95% CI 45% to 65%)) reported receiving a client asking for COVID-19 testing and a similar proportion stated they would support pharmacy-based testing if implemented. For treatment of simulated clients, most pharmacies (71%, 73 of 103) recommended alternative therapies and nutritional supplements such as vitamin C; the rest recommended conventional therapies such as antibiotics. While 52 (48%) of 108 pharmacies had at least one staff member trained on COVID-19, a general feeling of disconnection from the national programme prevailed. CONCLUSIONS Private pharmacies in Kenya were actively contributing to the COVID-19 response, but more deliberate engagement, support and linkages are required. Notably, there is an urgent need to develop guidelines for pharmacy-based COVID-19 testing, a service that is clearly needed and which could greatly increase test coverage. Pharmacy-based COVID-19 programmes should be accompanied with implementation research to inform current and future pandemic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mwangi Mugo
- Health Economics Research Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
- Health Systems and Research Ethics Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Audrey Mumbi
- Health Economics Research Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Jacinta Nzinga
- Health Economics Research Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
- Health Systems and Research Ethics Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Sassy Molyneux
- Health Systems and Research Ethics Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Edwine Barasa
- Health Economics Research Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Co-Infections, Secondary Infections, and Antimicrobial Use in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 during the First Five Waves of the Pandemic in Pakistan; Findings and Implications. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11060789. [PMID: 35740195 PMCID: PMC9219883 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11060789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 patients are typically prescribed antibiotics empirically despite concerns. There is a need to evaluate antibiotic use among hospitalized COVID-19 patients during successive pandemic waves in Pakistan alongside co-infection rates. Methods: A retrospective review of patient records among five tertiary care hospitals during successive waves was conducted. Data were collected from confirmed COVID-19 patients during the first five waves. Results: 3221 patients were included. The majority were male (51.53%), residents from urban areas (56.35%) and aged >50 years (52.06%). Cough, fever and a sore throat were the clinical symptoms in 20.39%, 12.97% and 9.50% of patients, respectively. A total of 23.62% of COVID-19 patients presented with typically mild disease and 45.48% presented with moderate disease. A high prevalence of antibiotic prescribing (89.69%), averaging 1.66 antibiotics per patient despite there only being 1.14% bacterial co-infections and 3.14% secondary infections, was found. Antibiotic use significantly increased with increasing severity, elevated WBCs and CRP levels, a need for oxygen and admittance to the ICU; however, this decreased significantly after the second wave (p < 0.001). Commonly prescribed antibiotics were piperacillin plus an enzyme inhibitor (20.66%), azithromycin (17.37%) and meropenem (15.45%). Common pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (24.19%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (20.96%). The majority of the prescribed antibiotics (93.35%) were from the WHO’s “Watch” category. Conclusions: Excessive prescribing of antibiotics is still occurring among COVID-19 patients in Pakistan; however, rates are reducing. Urgent measures are needed for further reductions.
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Santini G, Fordellone M, Boffo S, Signoriello S, De Vito D, Chiodini P. Modeling for the Stringency of Lock-Down Policies: Effects of Macroeconomic and Healthcare Variables in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Public Health 2022; 10:872704. [PMID: 35692347 PMCID: PMC9174749 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.872704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The spread of COVID-19 has been characterized by unprecedented global lock-downs. Although, the extent of containment policies cannot be explained only through epidemic data. Previous studies already focused on the relationship between the economy and healthcare, focusing on the impact of diseases in countries with a precarious economic situation. However, the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 drew most countries of the world into a precarious economic situation mostly caused by the global and local lock-downs policies. Methods A discriminant analysis performed via partial least squares procedure was applied to evaluate the impact of economic and healthcare variables on the containment measures adopted by 39 countries. To collect the input variables (macroeconomic, healthcare, and medical services), we relied on official databases of international organizations, such as The World Bank and WHO. Results The stringency lock-down policies could not only be influenced by the epidemical data, but also by previous features of the selected countries, such as economic and healthcare conditions. Conclusions Indeed, economic and healthcare variables also contributed to shaping the implemented lock-down policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giunio Santini
- Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Fordellone
- Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,”Naples, Italy
| | - Silvia Boffo
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Simona Signoriello
- Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,”Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Simona Signoriello
| | - Danila De Vito
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro,”Bari, Italy
| | - Paolo Chiodini
- Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,”Naples, Italy
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Ahmad I, Masuda G, Tomohiko S, Shabbir CA. Living Well as a Muslim through the Pandemic Era—A Qualitative Study in Japan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19106020. [PMID: 35627557 PMCID: PMC9140639 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This study explored the living situations, financial conditions, religious obligations, and social distancing of Muslims during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 28 Muslim community members living in the Kanto region were recruited; 18 of them were included in in-depth qualitative interviews and 10 in two focus group interviews. The snowball method was used, and the questionnaires were divided into four themes. The audio/video interviews were conducted via Zoom, and NAVIO was used to analyse the data thematically. The major Muslim events were cancelled, and the recommended physical distancing was maintained even during the prayers at home and in the mosques. The Japanese government’s financial support to each person was a beneficial step towards social protection, which was highlighted and praised by every single participant. Regardless of religious obligations, the closing of all major mosques in Tokyo demonstrates to the Japanese community how Muslims are serious about adhering to the public health guidelines during the pandemic. This study highlights that the pandemic has affected the religious patterns and behaviour of Muslims from inclusive to exclusive in a community, and recounts the significance of religious commitments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishtiaq Ahmad
- Department of Global Health Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
- The Section of Global Health, Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan; (G.M.); (S.T.)
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +81-80935-67029
| | - Gaku Masuda
- The Section of Global Health, Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan; (G.M.); (S.T.)
| | - Sugishita Tomohiko
- The Section of Global Health, Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan; (G.M.); (S.T.)
| | - Chaudhry Ahmed Shabbir
- Department of Medical Quality and Safety Management, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 558-8585, Japan;
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22
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Antimicrobial Prescribing Confidence and Knowledge Regarding Drug Resistance: Perception of Medical Students in Malaysia and the Implications. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11050540. [PMID: 35625184 PMCID: PMC9137524 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, microbes are becoming more challenging by acquiring virulent skills to adapt and develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This is a concern as AMR increases morbidity, mortality, and costs. Consequently, physicians need to be trained on appropriate antimicrobial prescribing, starting as medical students. Objective: To evaluate medical students’ confidence in antimicrobial prescribing and AMR. Methods: Cross-sectional study assessing medical students’ knowledge, perception, and confidence in prescribing antimicrobials and AMR in a Malaysian University. A universal sampling method was used. Results: Most responding students believed that educational input regarding overall prescribing was sufficient. Regarding the principle of appropriate and accurate prescriptions, female medical students had less knowledge (odds ratio (OR) = 0.51; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25–0.99; p = 0.050). Year-IV and Year-V medical students had more excellent knowledge than Year-III students regarding confidence in potential antibiotic prescribing once qualified. Year-V students also showed an appreciably higher confidence in the broad principles of prescribing, including antibiotics for infectious diseases, compared to those in other years. Conclusion: Overall, medical students gain more knowledge and confidence regarding the potential prescribing of antimicrobials as their academic careers progress. This is important given concerns with the current excessive use of antimicrobials in Malaysia.
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Public Health Financing and Responses to COVID-19: Lessons from South Korea. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10040750. [PMID: 35455927 PMCID: PMC9030522 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10040750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Health financing strategies contribute significantly to containing the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to reassess Korea’s financing strategies in response to COVID-19 in 2020, to ascertain its effects and sustainability. The Joint External Evaluation tool was adopted to analyze the data collected from government reports, official statistics, and other sources. Findings show that Korea could maintain a low incidence and fatality rate compared with other countries, at low costs. It was a result of rapidly procured healthcare resources based on laws and policies established after the 2015 epidemic, and the National Health Insurance. However, to achieve long-term sustainability, it is important to enhance the financial stability of the national health insurance and increase the proportion of the public sector in healthcare resources.
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Schellack N, Strydom M, Pepper MS, Herd CL, Hendricks CL, Bronkhorst E, Meyer JC, Padayachee N, Bangalee V, Truter I, Ellero AA, Myaka T, Naidoo E, Godman B. Social Media and COVID-19—Perceptions and Public Deceptions of Ivermectin, Colchicine and Hydroxychloroquine: Lessons for Future Pandemics. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11040445. [PMID: 35453198 PMCID: PMC9031711 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11040445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The capacity for social media to influence the utilization of re-purposed medicines to manage COVID-19, despite limited availability of safety and efficacy data, is a cause for concern within health care systems. This study sought to ascertain links between social media reports and utilization for three re-purposed medicines: hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), ivermectin and colchicine. A combined retrospective analysis of social media posts for these three re-purposed medicines was undertaken, along with utilization and clinical trials data, in South Africa, between January 2020 and June 2021. In total, 77,257 posts were collected across key social media platforms, of which 6884 were relevant. Ivermectin had the highest number of posts (55%) followed by HCQ (44%). The spike in ivermectin use was closely correlated to social media posts. Similarly, regarding chloroquine (as HCQ is not available in South Africa), social media interest was enhanced by local politicians. Sentiment analysis revealed that posts regarding the effectiveness of these repurposed medicines were positive. This was different for colchicine, which contributed only a small number of mentions (1%). Of concern is that the majority of reporters in social media (85%) were unidentifiable. This study provides evidence of social media as a driver of re-purposed medicines. Healthcare professionals have a key role in providing evidence-based advice especially with unidentifiable posts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Schellack
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (M.S.); (A.A.E.); (T.M.); (E.N.)
- Correspondence: (N.S.); or (B.G.)
| | - Morné Strydom
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (M.S.); (A.A.E.); (T.M.); (E.N.)
| | - Michael S. Pepper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Immunology and SAMRC Extramural Unit for Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (M.S.P.); (C.L.H.); (C.L.H.)
| | - Candice L. Herd
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Immunology and SAMRC Extramural Unit for Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (M.S.P.); (C.L.H.); (C.L.H.)
| | - Candice Laverne Hendricks
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Immunology and SAMRC Extramural Unit for Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (M.S.P.); (C.L.H.); (C.L.H.)
| | - Elmien Bronkhorst
- School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (E.B.); (J.C.M.)
| | - Johanna C. Meyer
- School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (E.B.); (J.C.M.)
| | - Neelaveni Padayachee
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa;
| | - Varsha Bangalee
- Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa;
| | - Ilse Truter
- Drug Utilization Research Unit (DURU), Department of Pharmacy, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa;
| | - Andrea Antonio Ellero
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (M.S.); (A.A.E.); (T.M.); (E.N.)
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology (CNE), Department of Immunology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa
| | - Thulisa Myaka
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (M.S.); (A.A.E.); (T.M.); (E.N.)
| | - Elysha Naidoo
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (M.S.); (A.A.E.); (T.M.); (E.N.)
| | - Brian Godman
- School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0084, South Africa; (E.B.); (J.C.M.)
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman P.O. Box 346, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence: (N.S.); or (B.G.)
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The Effect of Socio-Demographic Factors in Health-Seeking Behaviors among Bangladeshi Residents during the First Wave of COVID-19. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10030483. [PMID: 35326961 PMCID: PMC8949002 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10030483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Socio-demographic variability among nations and cultures highly influences health-seeking behavior (HSB) in managing endemic or pandemic diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of socio-demographic factors on HSB among Bangladeshi residents during the first wave of COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was performed with Bangladeshi residents (60% male and 40% female; age range: 10−60 years or above) from May to July 2020. Information was collected from the participants who resided in slum areas or did not have internet access through face-to-face surveys, maintaining spatial distancing and proper preventive measures. A self-reported and structured questionnaire, including socio-demographic and HSB, was undertaken, and the data was analyzed using a convenience sampling method. Finally, among the 947 participants, 20 were selected using a stratified random sampling technique for in-depth-interview (IDI). The linear regression analysis was performed to determine the influence of socio-demographic factors on HSB. Results: Only about 4.2% of respondents did not wear masks, but nearly half of the participants (46.6%) did not use hand gloves. The mean score of HSB was 9.98 (SD = 2.01) out of 16, with a correct overall rate of 62.4%. As per regression analysis, higher HSBs were found among participants who reported older age (>50 years) (9.96 ± 2.45), educated unemployed students (10.1 ± 1.95), higher education (10.5 ± 1.76), and higher-income (10.4 ± 1.59); in contrast, participants living in slum areas (8.18 ± 2.34) and whose source of income was business (8.46 ± 2.04) exhibited lower HSBs. Females, compared to men, showed better HSB in every aspect, apart from online food ordering. Qualitative data showed that the younger generation is more aware because of their access to information and persuaded the older generations to follow health-seeking protocols. The results also showed that some lower-income slum-dwellers have access to information and healthcare through their employers. IDIs also found cultural, religious, and mental-health affect people’s adherence to health-seeking guidelines and regulations. Conclusions: The findings suggest that socio-demographic factors significantly influenced HSBs during COVID-19 in the Bangladeshi population. Authorities can use these observations to systematically manage future endemics or pandemics.
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Dutta S, Kaur RJ, Bhardwaj P, Ambwani S, Godman B, Jha PA, Sukhija S, Venkatesh SS, Lugova H, Islam S, Charan J, Haque M. Demand of COVID-19 medicines without prescription among community pharmacies in Jodhpur, India: Findings and implications. J Family Med Prim Care 2022; 11:503-511. [PMID: 35360769 PMCID: PMC8963618 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1250_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 pandemic led to increased self-medication of antimicrobials, vitamins, and immune boosters among the common people and consuming without prescription can lead to adverse consequences including antimicrobial resistance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on community pharmacies in Jodhpur, India. They were inquired regarding the prescription and increased sales (<25%, 25—50%, 50--75%, or 75--100%) of various medicines (Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, Ivermectin, and Vitamin C) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between requests for certain COVID-19 medications and an increase in their sale. Results: A total of 204 pharmacies took part, and 88.23% reported patients to approach them without prescriptions. Most of the pharmacies revealed that <25% of patients came without prescription. The majority came for azithromycin (68%) and vitamin C (92%). Increased sales of the four targeted medications were seen by 85.92% of pharmacies compared to last year. A majority (51.5%) reported <25% increased sales of azithromycin, but no change in the sale of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. However, 39.6% reported >75% increase in vitamin C sales. Conclusion: There was an increase in the demand for COVID-19 medications without prescription. This study was unable to detect a significant increase in sales of antimicrobials, which is encouraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Dutta
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Rimple J Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Pankaj Bhardwaj
- Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Sneha Ambwani
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, United Kingdom.,Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Pallavi A Jha
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Sanchi Sukhija
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Suman S Venkatesh
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Halyna Lugova
- Unit of Community Medicine, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Salequl Islam
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jaykaran Charan
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Mainul Haque
- Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Haque M, Godman B, Chowdhury K, Etando A, Kumar S, Lugova H, Shahwan M, Škrbic R, Jairoun A. The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education of healthcare professionals, especially in low- and middle-income countries. ADVANCES IN HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/aihb.aihb_60_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Dutta S, Kaur R, Charan J, Bhardwaj P, Ambwani SR, Babu S, Goyal JP, Haque M. Analysis of Neurological Adverse Events Reported in VigiBase From COVID-19 Vaccines. Cureus 2022; 14:e21376. [PMID: 35198288 PMCID: PMC8852793 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.21376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fifteen COVID-19 vaccines have been granted emergency approval before the completion of conventional phases of clinical trials. The present study aimed to analyze the neurological adverse events (AEs) post-COVID-19 vaccination and focuses on determining the association of AEs with the vaccine. METHODOLOGY The neurological AEs reported for COVID-19 vaccines in the WHO pharmacovigilance database (VigiBase) were extracted from the System Organ Classes - neurological disorders and investigations. Descriptive statistics are reported as percentage and frequency and the disproportionality analysis was also conducted. RESULTS For the neurological system, 19,529 AEs were reported. Of these, 15,638 events were reported from BNT162b2 vaccine, 2,751 from AZD1222 vaccine, 1,075 from mRNA-1273 vaccine, eight from Vero vaccine, two from Covaxin, and for 55 AEs, vaccine name was not mentioned. The reason for more AEs reported with BNT162b2 can be maximum vaccination with BNT162b2 vaccine in the study period. According to the disproportionality analysis based on IC025 value, ageusia, anosmia, burning sensation, dizziness, facial paralysis, headache, hypoaesthesia, lethargy, migraine, neuralgia, paresis, parosmia, poor sleep quality, seizure, transient ischemic attack, and tremor are some of the AEs that can be associated with the administration of the vaccine. CONCLUSION The vaccines should be monitored for these AEs till the causality of these AEs with COVID-19 vaccines is established through further long-term follow-up studies. These neurological AEs reported in VigiBase should not be taken as conclusive and mass vaccination should be carried out to control the pandemic until a definite link of these adverse effects is established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhartha Dutta
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot, Rajkot, IND
| | - Rimplejeet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Jodhpur, IND
| | - Jaykaran Charan
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Jodhpur, IND
| | - Pankaj Bhardwaj
- Department of Community Medicine & Family Medicine and School of Public Health, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Jodhpur, IND
| | - Sneha R Ambwani
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Jodhpur, IND
| | - Shoban Babu
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Jodhpur, IND
| | - Jagdish P Goyal
- Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Jodhpur, IND
| | - Mainul Haque
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, MYS
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Haque M, Godman B, Kumar S, Shetty A, Acharya J, Kumar M, Sinha V, Manohar B, Gowere M. Current management of children with COVID-19 in hospitals in India; Pilot study and findings. ADVANCES IN HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/aihb.aihb_162_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Haque M, Godman B, Sharma P, Chowdhury K, Kumar S, Bhatt R, Hirani T, Duseja S, Lutfor A, Etando A, Škrbić R, Shahwan M, Jairoun A. A pilot study regarding the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare education in India and the implications. ADVANCES IN HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/aihb.aihb_34_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Mokwele RN, Schellack N, Bronkhorst E, Brink AJ, Schweickerdt L, Godman B. OUP accepted manuscript. JAC Antimicrob Resist 2022; 4:dlab196. [PMID: 35146427 PMCID: PMC8826632 DOI: 10.1093/jacamr/dlab196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Objectives Patients and methods Results Conclusions
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Nelly Mokwele
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa
| | - Natalie Schellack
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Elmien Bronkhorst
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa
| | - Adrian J. Brink
- Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Louise Schweickerdt
- Skills Centre, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa,Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Brian Godman
- School of Pharmacy, Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, United Arab Emirates
- Corresponding author. E-mail:
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Setufe SB, Amponsah SKK, Henneh S, Acheampong EA. Pandemic risk, response, and resilience of fishermen in Ghana: a case study of fishing communities in Stratum VII, Volta Lake. PANDEMIC RISK, RESPONSE, AND RESILIENCE 2022. [PMCID: PMC9212228 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-99277-0.00025-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In 2019, the World Health Organization reported the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 in humans. In view of this, there has been an economic downturn since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent global lockdowns. This has led to the interference of the food system and its value chains. One major concern is Stratum VII of the Volta Lake situated in Yeji fishing community. Hence, this study was necessitated to evaluate the impact of the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic on Fishermen's landings/catch, cost/revenue, and the management strategies employed during the lockdown. As a result, we urge governments and nongovernmental organizations, donors, the private sectors, and researchers to support fishermen and coastal fishing communities in alleviating the negative effect of the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.
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Fan CW, Chen JS, Addo FM, Adjaottor ES, Amankwaah GB, Yen CF, Ahorsu DK, Lin CY. Examining the validity of the drivers of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance scale using Rasch analysis. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 21:253-260. [PMID: 34845953 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2011227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To well control the pandemic of COVID-19, herd immunity should be achieved. However, people, especially those with better physical conditions (e.g., young adults), may not accept COVID-19 vaccines. Understanding university students' willingness or reluctance to uptake COVID-19 vaccination is important. AIM This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the DrVac-COVID19S, an instrument that helps assess motivations/drivers of COVID-19 vaccination uptake among university students. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Using convenience sampling and cross-sectional design, university students (930 from Taiwan [38.0% males] and 1,244 from Ghana [63.3% males]) completed the DrVac-COVID19S using an online survey (Taiwanese students) or paper-and-pen method (Ghanaian students). Rasch analysis was used to examine the psychometric properties of the DrVac-COVID19S. RESULTS All 12 items in the DrVac-COVID19S had a satisfactory fit in the Rasch models (infit MnSq = 0.74 to 1.49; outfit MnSq = 0.72 to 1.42). Moreover, the seven-point Likert scale used in the DrVac-COVID19S demonstrated monotonically increasing in their difficulties, which indicated the ordered category. Additionally, no differential item functioning was displayed in the DrVacCOVID-19S across Taiwanese and Ghanaian students. CONCLUSIONS The DrVacCOVID-19S has good psychometric features to help healthcare providers assess individuals' (especially university students) motivations or drivers to get the COVID-19 vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wei Fan
- Department of Occupational Therapy, AdventHealth University, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Jung-Sheng Chen
- Department of Medical Research, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Frimpong-Manso Addo
- Department of Behavioural Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana
| | - Emma Sethina Adjaottor
- Department of Behavioural Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana
| | - Gifty Boakye Amankwaah
- Department of Behavioural Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana
| | - Cheng-Fang Yen
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Taiwan.,College of Professional Studies, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung Taiwan
| | - Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
| | - Chung-Ying Lin
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Biostatistics Consulting Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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Mehta A, Kumar Ratre Y, Sharma K, Soni VK, Tiwari AK, Singh RP, Dwivedi MK, Chandra V, Prajapati SK, Shukla D, Vishvakarma NK. Interplay of Nutrition and Psychoneuroendocrineimmune Modulation: Relevance for COVID-19 in BRICS Nations. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:769884. [PMID: 34975797 PMCID: PMC8718880 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.769884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The consequences of COVID-19 are not limited to physical health deterioration; the impact on neuropsychological well-being is also substantially reported. The inter-regulation of physical health and psychological well-being through the psychoneuroendocrineimmune (PNEI) axis has enduring consequences in susceptibility, treatment outcome as well as recuperation. The pandemic effects are upsetting the lifestyle, social interaction, and financial security; and also pose a threat through perceived fear. These consequences of COVID-19 also influence the PNEI system and wreck the prognosis. The nutritional status of individuals is also reported to have a determinative role in COVID-19 severity and convalescence. In addition to energetic demand, diet also provides precursor substances [amino acids (AAs), vitamins, etc.] for regulators of the PNEI axis such as neurotransmitters (NTs) and immunomodulators. Moreover, exaggerated immune response and recovery phase of COVID-19 demand additional nutrient intake; widening the gap of pre-existing undernourishment. Mushrooms, fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, and legumes are few of such readily available food ingredients which are rich in protein and also have medicinal benefits. BRICS nations have their influences on global development and are highly impacted by a large number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. The adequacy and access to healthcare are also low in BRICS nations as compared to the rest of the world. Attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic are praiseworthy in BRICS nations. However, large population sizes, high prevalence of undernourishment (PoU), and high incidence of mental health ailments in BRICS nations provide a suitable landscape for jeopardy of COVID-19. Therefore, appraising the interplay of nutrition and PNEI modulation especially in BRICS countries will provide better understanding; and will aid in combat COVID-19. It can be suggested that the monitoring will assist in designing adjunctive interventions through medical nutrition therapy and psychopsychiatric management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arundhati Mehta
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, India
| | | | - Krishna Sharma
- Department of Psychology, Government Bilasa Girls Post Graduate Autonomous College, Bilaspur, India
| | - Vivek Kumar Soni
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, India
| | - Atul Kumar Tiwari
- Department of Zoology, Bhanwar Singh Porte Government Science College, Pendra, India
| | - Rajat Pratap Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, India
| | - Mrigendra Kumar Dwivedi
- Department of Biochemistry, Government Nagarjuna Post Graduate College of Science, Raipur, India
| | - Vikas Chandra
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, India
| | | | - Dhananjay Shukla
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, India
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Etando A, Amu AA, Haque M, Schellack N, Kurdi A, Alrasheedy AA, Timoney A, Mwita JC, Rwegerera GM, Patrick O, Niba LL, Boahen-Boaten BB, Tabi FB, Amu OY, Acolatse J, Incoom R, Sefah IA, Guantai AN, Opanga S, Chikowe I, Khuluza F, Kibuule D, Kalemeera F, Hango E, Lates J, Fadare J, Ogunleye OO, Saleem Z, Oosthuizen F, Cordier W, Matlala M, Meyer JC, Schellack G, Massele A, Malande OO, Kalungia AC, Sichone J, Banda SS, Zaranyika T, Campbell S, Godman B. Challenges and Innovations Brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic Regarding Medical and Pharmacy Education Especially in Africa and Implications for the Future. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:1722. [PMID: 34946448 PMCID: PMC8701006 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9121722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple measures introduced early to restrict COVID-19 have dramatically impacted the teaching of medical and pharmacy students, exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure and experience with e-learning at the start of the pandemic. In addition, the costs and reliability of the Internet across Africa pose challenges alongside undertaking clinical teaching and practical programmes. Consequently, there is a need to understand the many challenges and how these were addressed, given increasingly complex patients, to provide future direction. METHOD An exploratory study was conducted among senior-level medical and pharmacy educators across Africa, addressing four key questions, including the challenges resulting from the pandemic and how these were dealt with. RESULTS Staff and student members faced multiple challenges initially, including adapting to online learning. In addition, concerns with the lack of equipment (especially among disadvantaged students), the costs of Internet bundles, and how to conduct practicals and clinical teaching. Multiple activities were undertaken to address these challenges. These included training sessions, developing innovative approaches to teaching, and seeking ways to reduce Internet costs. Robust approaches to practicals, clinical teaching, and assessments have been developed. CONCLUSIONS Appreciable difficulties to teaching arising from the pandemic are being addressed across Africa. Research is ongoing to improve education and assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayukafangha Etando
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, P.O. Box A624, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
| | - Adefolarin A Amu
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, P.O. Box A624, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
| | - Mainul Haque
- Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sungai, Besi, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Natalie Schellack
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences Building, Prinshof Campus, University of Pretoria, Arcadia 0083, South Africa
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Garankuwa, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, P.O. Box 178, Erbil 44001, Iraq
| | - Alian A Alrasheedy
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Angela Timoney
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Chair SIGN Council, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Edinburgh EH12 9EB, UK
| | - Julius C Mwita
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | | | - Okwen Patrick
- Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Ndamukong Street, Bamenda, Cameroon
- Adelaide University, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Loveline Lum Niba
- Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Ndamukong Street, Bamenda, Cameroon
- Department of Public Health, University of Bamenda, P.O. Box 39, Bambili, Cameroon
| | - Baffour Boaten Boahen-Boaten
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, P.O. Box A624, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
| | - Felicity Besong Tabi
- Department of Social Work, Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, P.O. Box A624, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
| | - Olufunke Y Amu
- Department of Social Work, Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, P.O. Box A624, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
| | - Joseph Acolatse
- Pharmacy Directorate, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Robert Incoom
- Pharmacy Directorate, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Israel Abebrese Sefah
- Pharmacy Practice Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Volta Region, Ghana
| | - Anastasia Nkatha Guantai
- Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202 KNH, Nairobi 00200, Kenya
| | - Sylvia Opanga
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676-00202 KNH, Nairobi 00200, Kenya
| | - Ibrahim Chikowe
- Pharmacy Department, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Felix Khuluza
- Pharmacy Department, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Dan Kibuule
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek 10000, Namibia
| | - Francis Kalemeera
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek 10000, Namibia
| | - Ester Hango
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek 10000, Namibia
| | - Jennie Lates
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek 10000, Namibia
| | - Joseph Fadare
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti 362001, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti 362001, Nigeria
| | - Olayinka O Ogunleye
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, College of Medicine, Lagos State University, Ikeja, Lagos 21266, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos 101233, Nigeria
| | - Zikria Saleem
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Frasia Oosthuizen
- Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Werner Cordier
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences Building, Prinshof Campus, University of Pretoria, Arcadia 0083, South Africa
| | - Moliehi Matlala
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Garankuwa, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
| | - Johanna C Meyer
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Garankuwa, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
| | | | - Amos Massele
- Hurbert Kairuki Memorial University, 70 Chwaku Road Mikocheni, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Oliver Ombeva Malande
- Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Egerton University, Nakuru, Kenya
- East Africa Centre for Vaccines and Immunization (ECAVI), Namela House, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - James Sichone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Sekelani S Banda
- Department of Medical Education Development, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Trust Zaranyika
- Department of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Stephen Campbell
- Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Garankuwa, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman 20550, United Arab Emirates
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Khandker SS, Godman B, Jawad MI, Meghla BA, Tisha TA, Khondoker MU, Haq MA, Charan J, Talukder AA, Azmuda N, Sharmin S, Jamiruddin MR, Haque M, Adnan N. A Systematic Review on COVID-19 Vaccine Strategies, Their Effectiveness, and Issues. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:1387. [PMID: 34960133 PMCID: PMC8708628 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9121387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccines are indispensable, with the number of cases and mortality still rising, and currently no medicines are routinely available for reducing morbidity and mortality, apart from dexamethasone, although others are being trialed and launched. To date, only a limited number of vaccines have been given emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. There is a need to systematically review the existing vaccine candidates and investigate their safety, efficacy, immunogenicity, unwanted events, and limitations. The review was undertaken by searching online databases, i.e., Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, with finally 59 studies selected. Our findings showed several types of vaccine candidates with different strategies against SARS-CoV-2, including inactivated, mRNA-based, recombinant, and nanoparticle-based vaccines, are being developed and launched. We have compared these vaccines in terms of their efficacy, side effects, and seroconversion based on data reported in the literature. We found mRNA vaccines appeared to have better efficacy, and inactivated ones had fewer side effects and similar seroconversion in all types of vaccines. Overall, global variant surveillance and systematic tweaking of vaccines, coupled with the evaluation and administering vaccines with the same or different technology in successive doses along with homologous and heterologous prime-booster strategy, have become essential to impede the pandemic. Their effectiveness appreciably outweighs any concerns with any adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahad Saif Khandker
- Gonoshasthaya-RNA Molecular Diagnostic & Research Center, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh; (S.S.K.); (M.U.K.); (M.A.H.); (M.R.J.)
| | - Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK;
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman P.O. Box 346, United Arab Emirates
| | - Md. Irfan Jawad
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar 1342, Bangladesh; (M.I.J.); (B.A.M.); (T.A.T.); (A.A.T.); (N.A.)
| | - Bushra Ayat Meghla
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar 1342, Bangladesh; (M.I.J.); (B.A.M.); (T.A.T.); (A.A.T.); (N.A.)
| | - Taslima Akter Tisha
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar 1342, Bangladesh; (M.I.J.); (B.A.M.); (T.A.T.); (A.A.T.); (N.A.)
| | - Mohib Ullah Khondoker
- Gonoshasthaya-RNA Molecular Diagnostic & Research Center, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh; (S.S.K.); (M.U.K.); (M.A.H.); (M.R.J.)
- Department of Community Medicine, Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Medical College, Savar 1344, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Ahsanul Haq
- Gonoshasthaya-RNA Molecular Diagnostic & Research Center, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh; (S.S.K.); (M.U.K.); (M.A.H.); (M.R.J.)
| | - Jaykaran Charan
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur 342005, India;
| | - Ali Azam Talukder
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar 1342, Bangladesh; (M.I.J.); (B.A.M.); (T.A.T.); (A.A.T.); (N.A.)
| | - Nafisa Azmuda
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar 1342, Bangladesh; (M.I.J.); (B.A.M.); (T.A.T.); (A.A.T.); (N.A.)
| | - Shahana Sharmin
- Department of Pharmacy, BRAC University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh;
| | - Mohd. Raeed Jamiruddin
- Gonoshasthaya-RNA Molecular Diagnostic & Research Center, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh; (S.S.K.); (M.U.K.); (M.A.H.); (M.R.J.)
- Department of Pharmacy, BRAC University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh;
| | - Mainul Haque
- The Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sugai Besi, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Nihad Adnan
- Gonoshasthaya-RNA Molecular Diagnostic & Research Center, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh; (S.S.K.); (M.U.K.); (M.A.H.); (M.R.J.)
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar 1342, Bangladesh; (M.I.J.); (B.A.M.); (T.A.T.); (A.A.T.); (N.A.)
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Arshad AR, Ijaz F, Siddiqui MS, Khalid S, Fatima A, Aftab RK. COVID-19 pandemic and antimicrobial resistance in developing countries. Discoveries (Craiova) 2021; 9:e127. [PMID: 34754900 PMCID: PMC8570918 DOI: 10.15190/d.2021.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A wide range of antimicrobial agents were touted as potential remedies during the COVID-19 pandemic. While both developed and developing countries have recorded an increase in the use of antimicrobial drugs, use and misuse have occurred to a far greater degree in developing countries. This can have deleterious consequences on antimicrobial resistance, especially when various developing countries have already reported the emergence of various drug-resistant organisms even before the pandemic. Telemedicine services, societal and cultural pressures, and bacterial co-infections can predispose to overwhelming antimicrobial prescriptions. The emergence of new multidrug resistance species is a major concern for the developing world especially since health services are already overburdened and lack the diagnostic capabilities and basic amenities for infection prevention and control. This can lead to outbreaks and the rampant spread of such microorganisms. Improper waste management and disposal from hospitals and communities establish freshwater runoffs as hubs of various microorganisms that can predispose to the rise of multidrug-resistant species. Microplastics' ability to act as vectors for antibiotic-resistant organisms is also particularly concerning for lower-middle-income countries. In this review, we aim to study the impact of antimicrobial use during the COVID-19 pandemic and antimicrobial resistance in lower middle-income countries, by understanding various determinants of resistance unique to the developing world and exploring solutions to combat the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Rehman Arshad
- CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry, Abdur Rehman Road, Cantt, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Farhat Ijaz
- CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry, Abdur Rehman Road, Cantt, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mishal Shan Siddiqui
- Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Mission Road, New Labour Colony Nankwara, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Saad Khalid
- Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Mission Road, New Labour Colony Nankwara, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Abeer Fatima
- Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Mission Road, New Labour Colony Nankwara, Karachi, Pakistan
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Comparison of Different Waves during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Descriptive Study in Thailand. Adv Prev Med 2021; 2021:5807056. [PMID: 34659835 PMCID: PMC8519693 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5807056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. An outbreak is called an epidemic when there is a sudden increase in cases. Many countries have experienced a two-wave pattern in the reported cases of COVID-19. The spread of COVID-19 in Thailand was a cluster event distributed over multiple locations. This study aims to compare the characteristics of different waves during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2020 to May 2021 (17 months) to determine the number of COVID-19 screenings and confirmed cases and deaths as well as sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, nationality, and source population at risk factors. The categorical data were compared using a chi-square test. Results Three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic occurred within 17 months in Thailand, and the number of cases increased by over 100,000 due to source population at risk factors such as close contact with a previously confirmed patient, community risk, cluster communities, and active and community surveillance. The chi-square test revealed significant differences between the three waves (p < 0.01). Conclusion Significant differences between pandemic phases or waves may be due to weak social distancing policies and the lack of public health interventions. A COVID-19 vaccination plan is needed for people at risk of suffering severe symptoms and the general population in outbreak areas to increase immunity.
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Godman B, Wladysiuk M, McTaggart S, Kurdi A, Allocati E, Jakovljevic M, Kalemeera F, Hoxha I, Nachtnebel A, Sauermann R, Hinteregger M, Marković-Peković V, Tubic B, Petrova G, Tachkov K, Slabý J, Nejezchlebova R, Krulichová IS, Laius O, Selke G, Langner I, Harsanyi A, Inotai A, Jakupi A, Henkuzens S, Garuolienė K, Gulbinovič J, Bonanno PV, Rutkowski J, Ingeberg S, Melien Ø, Mardare I, Fürst J, MacBride-Stewart S, Holmes C, Pontes C, Zara C, Pedrola MT, Hoffmann M, Kourafalos V, Pisana A, Banzi R, Campbell S, Wettermark B. Utilisation Trend of Long-Acting Insulin Analogues including Biosimilars across Europe: Findings and Implications. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:9996193. [PMID: 34676266 PMCID: PMC8526244 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9996193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus rates and associated costs continue to rise across Europe enhancing health authority focus on its management. The risk of complications is enhanced by poor glycaemic control, with long-acting insulin analogues developed to reduce hypoglycaemia and improve patient convenience. There are concerns though with their considerably higher costs, but moderated by reductions in complications and associated costs. Biosimilars can help further reduce costs. However, to date, price reductions for biosimilar insulin glargine appear limited. In addition, the originator company has switched promotional efforts to more concentrated patented formulations to reduce the impact of biosimilars. There are also concerns with different devices between the manufacturers. As a result, there is a need to assess current utilisation rates for insulins, especially long-acting insulin analogues and biosimilars, and the rationale for patterns seen, among multiple European countries to provide future direction. Methodology. Health authority databases are examined to assess utilisation and expenditure patterns for insulins, including biosimilar insulin glargine. Explanations for patterns seen were provided by senior-level personnel. RESULTS Typically increasing use of long-acting insulin analogues across Europe including both Western and Central and Eastern European countries reflects perceived patient benefits despite higher prices. However, activities by the originator company to switch patients to more concentrated insulin glargine coupled with lowering prices towards biosimilars have limited biosimilar uptake, with biosimilars not currently launched in a minority of European countries. A number of activities were identified to address this. Enhancing the attractiveness of the biosimilar insulin market is essential to encourage other biosimilar manufacturers to enter the market as more long-acting insulin analogues lose their patents to benefit all key stakeholder groups. CONCLUSIONS There are concerns with the availability and use of insulin glargine biosimilars among European countries despite lower costs. This can be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Magdalene Wladysiuk
- Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- HTA Consulting, Starowiślna Str. 17/3, 31-038 Krakow, Poland
| | - Stuart McTaggart
- Public Health Scotland, Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
| | - Eleonora Allocati
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche ‘Mario Negri' IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Mihajlo Jakovljevic
- Department of Global Health Economics and Policy, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
- Institute of Comparative Economic Studies, Faculty of Economics, Hosei University Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Francis Kalemeera
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Iris Hoxha
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania
| | - Anna Nachtnebel
- Dachverband der Österreichischen Sozialversicherungen, Kundmanngasse 21, AT-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Sauermann
- Dachverband der Österreichischen Sozialversicherungen, Kundmanngasse 21, AT-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Hinteregger
- Dachverband der Österreichischen Sozialversicherungen, Kundmanngasse 21, AT-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vanda Marković-Peković
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Social Pharmacy, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Biljana Tubic
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Agency for Medicinal Product and Medical Devices of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Guenka Petrova
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Social Pharmacy and Pharmacoeconomics, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Konstantin Tachkov
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Social Pharmacy and Pharmacoeconomics, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Juraj Slabý
- State Institute for Drug Control, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Iva Selke Krulichová
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Simkova 870, 500 03 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Ott Laius
- State Agency of Medicines, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Gisbert Selke
- Wissenschaftliches Institut der AOK (WIdO), Rosenthaler Straße 31, 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Irene Langner
- Wissenschaftliches Institut der AOK (WIdO), Rosenthaler Straße 31, 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - András Harsanyi
- Department of Health Policy and Health Economics, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Inotai
- Syreon Research Institute and Semmelweis University, Center of Health Technology Assessment, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Arianit Jakupi
- Faculty of Pharmacy, UBT Higher Education Institute, Pristina, Kosovo
| | | | - Kristina Garuolienė
- Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Jolanta Gulbinovič
- Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Patricia Vella Bonanno
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Department of Health Services Management, University of Malta, Valletta, Malta
| | - Jakub Rutkowski
- HTA Consulting, Starowiślna Str. 17/3, 31-038 Krakow, Poland
| | - Skule Ingeberg
- Medicines Committee, Oslo University Hospitals, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øyvind Melien
- Medicines Committee, Oslo University Hospitals, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ileana Mardare
- Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Management Department, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, 050463 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Jurij Fürst
- Health Insurance Institute, Miklosiceva 24, SI-1507 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | - Caridad Pontes
- Drug Department, Catalan Health Service, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Corinne Zara
- Drug Department, Catalan Health Service, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Turu Pedrola
- Drug Department, Catalan Health Service, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Vasileios Kourafalos
- National Organization for the Provision of Healthcare Services (EOPYY), Athens, Greece
| | - Alice Pisana
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rita Banzi
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche ‘Mario Negri' IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Stephen Campbell
- Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Bjorn Wettermark
- Department of Pharmacy, Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Godman B, Haque M, Kumar S, Islam S, Charan J, Akter F, Kurdi A, Allocati E, Bakar MA, Rahim SA, Sultana N, Deeba F, Halim Khan MA, Alam ABMM, Jahan I, Kamal ZM, Hasin H, Nahar S, Haque M, Dutta S, Abhayanand JP, Kaur RJ, Acharya J, Sugahara T, Kwon HY, Bae S, Khuan KKP, Khan TA, Hussain S, Saleem Z, Pisana A, Wale J, Jakovljevic M. Current utilization patterns for long-acting insulin analogues including biosimilars among selected Asian countries and the implications for the future. Curr Med Res Opin 2021; 37:1529-1545. [PMID: 34166174 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2021.1946024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prevalence rates for diabetes mellitus continue to rise, which, coupled with increasing costs of complications, has appreciably increased expenditure in recent years. Poor glycaemic control including hypoglycaemia enhances complication rates and associated morbidity, mortality and costs. Consequently, this needs to be addressed. Whilst the majority of patients with diabetes have type-2 diabetes, a considerable number of patients with diabetes require insulin to help control their diabetes. Long-acting insulin analogues were developed to reduce hypoglycaemia associated with insulin and help improve adherence, which can be a concern. However, their considerably higher costs have impacted on their funding and use, especially in countries with affordability issues. Biosimilars can help reduce the costs of long-acting insulin analogues thereby increasing available choices. However, the availability and use of long-acting insulin analogues can be affected by limited price reductions versus originators and limited demand-side initiatives to encourage their use. Consequently, we wanted to assess current utilisation rates for long-acting insulin analogues, especially biosimilars, and the rationale for patterns seen, across multiple Asian countries ranging from Japan (high-income) to Pakistan (lower-income) to inform future strategies. METHODOLOGY Multiple approaches including assessing utilization and prices of insulins including biosimilars among six Asian countries and comparing the findings especially with other middle-income countries. RESULTS Typically, there was increasing use of long-acting insulin analogues among the selected Asian countries. This was especially the case enhanced by biosimilars in Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia reflecting their perceived benefits. However, there was limited use in Pakistan due to issues of affordability similar to a number of African countries. The high use of biosimilars in Bangladesh, India and Malaysia was helped by issues of affordability and local production. The limited use of biosimilars in Japan and Korea reflects limited price reductions and demand-side initiatives similar to a number of European countries. CONCLUSIONS Increasing use of long-acting insulin analogues across countries is welcomed, adding to the range of insulins available, which increasingly includes biosimilars. A number of activities are needed to enhance the use of long-acting insulin analogue biosimilars in Japan, Korea and Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Mainul Haque
- Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Unit of Pharmacology, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Salequl Islam
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jaykaran Charan
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Farhana Akter
- Department of Endocrinology, Chittagong Medical College, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
| | - Eleonora Allocati
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri' IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Muhammed Abu Bakar
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital Medical College, Agrabad, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | | | - Nusrat Sultana
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Farzana Deeba
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - M A Halim Khan
- Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Iffat Jahan
- Department of Physiology, Eastern Medical College, Cumilla, Bangladesh
| | | | - Humaira Hasin
- Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, Carshalton, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Shamsun Nahar
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Monami Haque
- Human Resource Department, Square Toiletries Limited, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Siddhartha Dutta
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Jha Pallavi Abhayanand
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Rimple Jeet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Jitendra Acharya
- Department of Dentistry, SP Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
| | | | - Hye-Young Kwon
- Division of Biology and Public Health, Mokwon University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - SeungJin Bae
- College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | | | | | - Zikria Saleem
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Alice Pisana
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Janney Wale
- Independent Consumer Advocate, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mihajlo Jakovljevic
- Faculty of Economics, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Global Health Economics and Policy, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
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Godman B, Fadare J, Kwon HY, Dias CZ, Kurdi A, Dias Godói IP, Kibuule D, Hoxha I, Opanga S, Saleem Z, Bochenek T, Marković-Peković V, Mardare I, Kalungia AC, Campbell S, Allocati E, Pisana A, Martin AP, Meyer JC. Evidence-based public policy making for medicines across countries: findings and implications for the future. J Comp Eff Res 2021; 10:1019-1052. [PMID: 34241546 DOI: 10.2217/cer-2020-0273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Global expenditure on medicines is rising up to 6% per year driven by increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and new premium priced medicines for cancer, orphan diseases and other complex areas. This is difficult to sustain without reforms. Methods: Extensive narrative review of published papers and contextualizing the findings to provide future guidance. Results: New models are being introduced to improve the managed entry of new medicines including managed entry agreements, fair pricing approaches and monitoring prescribing against agreed guidance. Multiple measures have also successfully been introduced to improve the prescribing of established medicines. This includes encouraging greater prescribing of generics and biosimilars versus originators and patented medicines in a class to conserve resources without compromising care. In addition, reducing inappropriate antibiotic utilization. Typically, multiple measures are the most effective. Conclusion: Multiple measures will be needed to attain and retain universal healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, SE-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden
- School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Joseph Fadare
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
| | - Hye-Young Kwon
- Division of Biology and Public Health, Mokwon University, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Carolina Zampirolli Dias
- Graduate Program in Public Health, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
| | - Isabella Piassi Dias Godói
- Institute of Health & Biological Studies - Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Avenida dos Ipês, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Cidade Jardim, Marabá, Pará, Brazil
- Researcher of the Group (CNPq) for Epidemiological, Economic and Pharmacological Studies of Arboviruses (EEPIFARBO) - Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará; Avenida dos Ipês, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Cidade Jardim, Marabá, Pará, Brazil
| | - Dan Kibuule
- Department of Pharmacy Practice & Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Iris Hoxha
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine Tirana, Albania
| | - Sylvia Opanga
- Department of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Zikria Saleem
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Tomasz Bochenek
- Department of Nutrition & Drug Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Vanda Marković-Peković
- Department of Social Pharmacy, University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Medicine, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina
| | - Ileana Mardare
- "Carol Davila" University of Medicine & Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Stephen Campbell
- Centre for Primary Care, Division of Population Health, Health Services Research & Primary Care, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Eleonora Allocati
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri' IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Pisana
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antony P Martin
- Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, The University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Johanna C Meyer
- School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
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Saleem Z, Godman B, Azhar F, Kalungia AC, Fadare J, Opanga S, Markovic-Pekovic V, Hoxha I, Saeed A, Al-Gethamy M, Haseeb A, Salman M, Khan AA, Nadeem MU, Rehman IU, Qamar MU, Amir A, Ikram A, Hassali MA. Progress on the national action plan of Pakistan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR): a narrative review and the implications. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2021; 20:71-93. [PMID: 34038294 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2021.1935238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to public health. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced a global action plan to tackle AMR in the World Health Assembly. Pakistan's national action plan (NAP) for AMR was released in May 2017 by the Ministry of National Health Services. Based on the NAP, strategies have been initiated on a national and provincial scale in Pakistan.Areas covered: This narrative review of the five components of the Pakistan NAP has been undertaken to discuss some of the challenges in implementation of the NAP for AMR in Pakistan including different opinions and views of key stakeholders, combined with suggestions on potential ways to reduce the burden of the AMR.Expert opinion: Going forward, healthcare authorities should focus on screening and monitoring of all the objectives of the NAP by establishing proper policies as well as promoting antimicrobial stewardship interventions and Infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Overall, the comprehensive strengthening of the healthcare system is required to adequately implement the NAP, tackle continued inappropriate antimicrobial use and high AMR rates in Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zikria Saleem
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, UK.,School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, George Town Malaysia
| | - Faiza Azhar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Joseph Fadare
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
| | - Sylvia Opanga
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vanda Markovic-Pekovic
- Department of Social Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Iris Hoxha
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine Tirana, Albania
| | - Amna Saeed
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Manal Al-Gethamy
- Alnoor Specialist Hospital Makkah, Department of Infection Prevention & Control Program, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul Haseeb
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Salman
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ayaz Ali Khan
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Umer Nadeem
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Inaam Ur Rehman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Usman Qamar
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Afreenish Amir
- Department of Microbiology, National Institute of Health Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Aamer Ikram
- Department of Microbiology, National Institute of Health Islamabad, Pakistan
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Godman B, Haque M, Leong T, Allocati E, Kumar S, Islam S, Charan J, Akter F, Kurdi A, Vassalo C, Bakar MA, Rahim SA, Sultana N, Deeba F, Khan MAH, Alam ABMM, Jahan I, Kamal ZM, Hasin H, Munzur-E-Murshid, Nahar S, Haque M, Dutta S, Abhayanand JP, Kaur RJ, Rwegerera GM, do Nascimento RCRM, Dias Godói IP, Irfan M, Amu AA, Matowa P, Acolatse J, Incoom R, Sefah IA, Acharya J, Opanga S, Njeri LW, Kimonge D, Kwon HY, Bae S, Khuan KKP, Abubakar AR, Sani IH, Khan TA, Hussain S, Saleem Z, Malande OO, Piloya-Were T, Gambogi R, Hernandez Ortiz C, Alutuli L, Kalungia AC, Hoxha I, Marković-Peković V, Tubic B, Petrova G, Tachkov K, Laius O, Harsanyi A, Inotai A, Jakupi A, Henkuzens S, Garuoliene K, Gulbinovič J, Wladysiuk M, Rutkowski J, Mardare I, Fürst J, McTaggart S, MacBride-Stewart S, Pontes C, Zara C, Tagoe ET, Banzi R, Wale J, Jakovljevic M. The Current Situation Regarding Long-Acting Insulin Analogues Including Biosimilars Among African, Asian, European, and South American Countries; Findings and Implications for the Future. Front Public Health 2021; 9:671961. [PMID: 34249838 PMCID: PMC8264781 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.671961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus rates continue to rise, which coupled with increasing costs of associated complications has appreciably increased global expenditure in recent years. The risk of complications are enhanced by poor glycaemic control including hypoglycaemia. Long-acting insulin analogues were developed to reduce hypoglycaemia and improve adherence. Their considerably higher costs though have impacted their funding and use. Biosimilars can help reduce medicine costs. However, their introduction has been affected by a number of factors. These include the originator company dropping its price as well as promoting patented higher strength 300 IU/ml insulin glargine. There can also be concerns with different devices between the manufacturers. Objective: To assess current utilisation rates for insulins, especially long-acting insulin analogues, and the rationale for patterns seen, across multiple countries to inform strategies to enhance future utilisation of long-acting insulin analogue biosimilars to benefit all key stakeholders. Our approach: Multiple approaches including assessing the utilisation, expenditure and prices of insulins, including biosimilar insulin glargine, across multiple continents and countries. Results: There was considerable variation in the use of long-acting insulin analogues as a percentage of all insulins prescribed and dispensed across countries and continents. This ranged from limited use of long-acting insulin analogues among African countries compared to routine funding and use across Europe in view of their perceived benefits. Increasing use was also seen among Asian countries including Bangladesh and India for similar reasons. However, concerns with costs and value limited their use across Africa, Brazil and Pakistan. There was though limited use of biosimilar insulin glargine 100 IU/ml compared with other recent biosimilars especially among European countries and Korea. This was principally driven by small price differences in reality between the originator and biosimilars coupled with increasing use of the patented 300 IU/ml formulation. A number of activities were identified to enhance future biosimilar use. These included only reimbursing biosimilar long-acting insulin analogues, introducing prescribing targets and increasing competition among manufacturers including stimulating local production. Conclusions: There are concerns with the availability and use of insulin glargine biosimilars despite lower costs. This can be addressed by multiple activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Godman
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, George Town, Malaysia
| | - Mainul Haque
- Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Trudy Leong
- Essential Drugs Programme, South African National Department of Health, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Eleonora Allocati
- Center for Health Regulatory Policies, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri” IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Salequl Islam
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jaykaran Charan
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
| | - Farhana Akter
- Department of Endocrinology, Chittagong Medical College, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
| | - Carlos Vassalo
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Muhammed Abu Bakar
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital Medical College, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Sagir Abdur Rahim
- Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders General Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Nusrat Sultana
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Farzana Deeba
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Iffat Jahan
- Department of Physiology, Eastern Medical College, Cumilla, Bangladesh
| | | | - Humaira Hasin
- Clinical Fellow, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Munzur-E-Murshid
- Women's Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) 2 Access Choice Together Innovate Ownership Now (ACTION) Project, Handicap International, Kurigram, Bangladesh
| | - Shamsun Nahar
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Monami Haque
- Human Resource Department, Square Toiletries Limited, Rupayan Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Siddhartha Dutta
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
| | | | - Rimple Jeet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India
| | - Godfrey Mutashambara Rwegerera
- Department of Medicine, Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
| | | | - Isabella Piassi Dias Godói
- Institute of Health and Biological Studies, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Cidade Universitária, Marabá, Brazil
- Group (CNPq) for Epidemiological, Economic and Pharmacological Studies of Arboviruses (EEPIFARBO), Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
| | - Mohammed Irfan
- Faculdade de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Adefolarin A. Amu
- Pharmacy Department, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Mbabane, Eswatini
| | - Patrick Matowa
- Pharmacy Department, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Mbabane, Eswatini
| | | | - Robert Incoom
- Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Israel Abebrese Sefah
- Pharmacy Department, Keta Municipal Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana
- Pharmacy Practise Department of Pharmacy Practise, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Volta Region, Ghana
| | | | - Sylvia Opanga
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practise, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - David Kimonge
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practise, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Hye-Young Kwon
- Division of Biology and Public Health, Mokwon University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - SeungJin Bae
- College of Pharmacy, Ewha Woman's University, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Abdullahi Rabiu Abubakar
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Ibrahim Haruna Sani
- Unit of Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, Yusuf Maitama Sule University (YUMSUK), Kano, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Zikria Saleem
- Department of Pharmacy Practise, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Oliver Ombeva Malande
- Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Egerton University, Nakuru, Kenya
- East Africa Centre for Vaccines and Immunisation (ECAVI), Kampala, Uganda
| | - Thereza Piloya-Were
- Paediatric Endocrinologist, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | | | - Luke Alutuli
- University Teaching Hospital Group, Department of Pharmacy, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Iris Hoxha
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania
| | - Vanda Marković-Peković
- Department of Social Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Biljana Tubic
- Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Guenka Petrova
- Department of Social Pharmacy and Pharmacoeconomics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Konstantin Tachkov
- Department of Social Pharmacy and Pharmacoeconomics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ott Laius
- State Agency of Medicines, Tartu, Estonia
| | - András Harsanyi
- Department of Health Policy and Health Economics, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Inotai
- Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- Center of Health Technology Assessment, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Arianit Jakupi
- Faculty of Pharmacy, UBT Higher Education Institute, Pristina, Kosovo
| | | | - Kristina Garuoliene
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Jolanta Gulbinovič
- Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Magdalene Wladysiuk
- Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Kraków, Poland
- HTA Consulting, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Ileana Mardare
- Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Management Department, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Jurij Fürst
- Health Insurance Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | | | - Caridad Pontes
- Drug Department, Catalan Health Service, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Corinne Zara
- Drug Department, Catalan Health Service, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eunice Twumwaa Tagoe
- Department of Management Science, Business School, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Banzi
- Center for Health Regulatory Policies, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri” IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Janney Wale
- Independent Consumer Advocate, Brunswick, VIC, Australia
| | - Mihajlo Jakovljevic
- Department of Global Health Economics and Policy, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
- Faculty of Economics, Institute of Comparative Economic Studies, Hosei University Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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44
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Dias-Godói IP, Tadeu Rocha Sarmento T, Afonso Reis E, Peres Gargano L, Godman B, de Assis Acurcio F, Alvares-Teodoro J, Guerra Júnior AA, Mariano Ruas C. Acceptability and willingness to pay for a hypothetical vaccine against SARS CoV-2 by the Brazilian consumer: a cross-sectional study and the implications. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2021; 22:119-129. [PMID: 33993823 DOI: 10.1080/14737167.2021.1931128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The new coronavirus pandemic has appreciably impacted morbidity and mortality, as well as having an economic impact worldwide. New vaccines are a potential way forward to reduce transmission rates and subsequent infection. In Brazil, vaccines are being distributed via the public sector; however, in the future, they will be available in the private market. Information about consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical vaccine against SARS CoV-2 can help future price setting discussions. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with consumers in the five regions of Brazil regarding the WTP for a hypothetical vaccine against SARS CoV-2 with a 50% efficacy. RESULTS A total of 1402 individuals over 18 years of age who declared not having COVID-19 at the time of the survey were interviewed. The acceptability for this hypothetical vaccine was 80.7%. In addition, the amount of WTP by Brazilian consumers for a hypothetical SARS CoV-2 vaccine was estimated at US$ 22.18(120.00 BRL). CONCLUSION This study can contribute to decision-making to inform potential pricing for a hypothetical SARS CoV-2 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Piassi Dias-Godói
- College of Public Health, Institute of Health and Biological Studies, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Pará, Brazil.,Researcher of the Group (Cnpq) for Epidemiological, Economic and Pharmacological Studies of Arboviruses (EEPIFARBO) - Universidade Federal Do Sul E Sudeste Do Pará; Avenida Dos Ipês, Marabá, Pará, Brazil
| | - Túlio Tadeu Rocha Sarmento
- SUS Collaborating Centre for Technology Assessment and Excellence in Health, Sala 1042, Faculdade De Farmácia, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Edna Afonso Reis
- Researcher of the Group (Cnpq) for Epidemiological, Economic and Pharmacological Studies of Arboviruses (EEPIFARBO) - Universidade Federal Do Sul E Sudeste Do Pará; Avenida Dos Ipês, Marabá, Pará, Brazil.,Department of Statistics, Exact Sciences Institute, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ludmila Peres Gargano
- SUS Collaborating Centre for Technology Assessment and Excellence in Health, Sala 1042, Faculdade De Farmácia, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Programa De Pós-Graduação Em Medicamentos E Assistência Farmacêutica, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Brian Godman
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Glasgow, UK.,Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Health Economics Centre, Liverpool University Management School, Liverpool, UK.,School of Pharmacy, Department of Public Health and Pharmacy Management, Sefako Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Francisco de Assis Acurcio
- SUS Collaborating Centre for Technology Assessment and Excellence in Health, Sala 1042, Faculdade De Farmácia, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Programa De Pós-Graduação Em Medicamentos E Assistência Farmacêutica, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Juliana Alvares-Teodoro
- SUS Collaborating Centre for Technology Assessment and Excellence in Health, Sala 1042, Faculdade De Farmácia, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Programa De Pós-Graduação Em Medicamentos E Assistência Farmacêutica, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Augusto Afonso Guerra Júnior
- SUS Collaborating Centre for Technology Assessment and Excellence in Health, Sala 1042, Faculdade De Farmácia, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Programa De Pós-Graduação Em Medicamentos E Assistência Farmacêutica, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Cristina Mariano Ruas
- Programa De Pós-Graduação Em Medicamentos E Assistência Farmacêutica, School of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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45
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Godman B, Egwuenu A, Haque M, Malande OO, Schellack N, Kumar S, Saleem Z, Sneddon J, Hoxha I, Islam S, Mwita J, do Nascimento RCRM, Dias Godói IP, Niba LL, Amu AA, Acolatse J, Incoom R, Sefah IA, Opanga S, Kurdi A, Chikowe I, Khuluza F, Kibuule D, Ogunleye OO, Olalekan A, Markovic-Pekovic V, Meyer JC, Alfadl A, Phuong TNT, Kalungia AC, Campbell S, Pisana A, Wale J, Seaton RA. Strategies to Improve Antimicrobial Utilization with a Special Focus on Developing Countries. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11060528. [PMID: 34200116 PMCID: PMC8229985 DOI: 10.3390/life11060528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a high priority across countries as it increases morbidity, mortality and costs. Concerns with AMR have resulted in multiple initiatives internationally, nationally and regionally to enhance appropriate antibiotic utilization across sectors to reduce AMR, with the overuse of antibiotics exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Effectively tackling AMR is crucial for all countries. Principally a narrative review of ongoing activities across sectors was undertaken to improve antimicrobial use and address issues with vaccines including COVID-19. Point prevalence surveys have been successful in hospitals to identify areas for quality improvement programs, principally centering on antimicrobial stewardship programs. These include reducing prolonged antibiotic use to prevent surgical site infections. Multiple activities centering on education have been successful in reducing inappropriate prescribing and dispensing of antimicrobials in ambulatory care for essentially viral infections such as acute respiratory infections. It is imperative to develop new quality indicators for ambulatory care given current concerns, and instigate programs with clear public health messaging to reduce misinformation, essential for pandemics. Regular access to effective treatments is needed to reduce resistance to treatments for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. Key stakeholder groups can instigate multiple initiatives to reduce AMR. These need to be followed up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK;
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa;
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang 11800, Malaysia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-0141-548-3825; Fax: +44-0141-552-2562
| | - Abiodun Egwuenu
- AMR Programme Manager, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Jabi, Abuja 240102, Nigeria;
| | - Mainul Haque
- Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia;
| | - Oliver Ombeva Malande
- Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Egerton University, Nakuru, P.O. Box 536, Egerton 20115, Kenya;
- East Africa Centre for Vaccines and Immunization (ECAVI), Namela House, Naguru, Kampala P.O. Box 3040, Uganda
| | - Natalie Schellack
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences Building, University of Pretoria, Prinshof 349-Jr, Pretoria 0084, South Africa;
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar 382422, India;
| | - Zikria Saleem
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan;
| | - Jacqueline Sneddon
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Delta House, 50 West Nile Street, Glasgow G1 2NP, UK; (J.S.); (R.A.S.)
| | - Iris Hoxha
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine Tirana, 1005 Tirana, Albania;
| | - Salequl Islam
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh;
| | - Julius Mwita
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Private Bag 0022, Gaborone, Botswana;
| | - Renata Cristina Rezende Macedo do Nascimento
- Department of Pharmacy, Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences (CiPharma), School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto 35400-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil;
| | - Isabella Piassi Dias Godói
- Institute of Health and Biological Studies, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Avenida dos Ipês, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Cidade Jardim, Marabá 68500-00, Pará, Brazil;
- Center for Research in Management, Society and Epidemiology, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MT, Brazil
| | - Loveline Lum Niba
- Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Ndamukong Street, Bamenda P.O Box 5175, Cameroon;
- Department of Public Health, University of Bamenda, Bambili P.O. Box 39, Cameroon
| | - Adefolarin A. Amu
- Pharmacy Department, Eswatini Medical Christian University, P.O. Box A624, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane H101, Eswatini;
| | - Joseph Acolatse
- Pharmacy Directorate, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Cape Coast, Ghana; (J.A.); (R.I.)
| | - Robert Incoom
- Pharmacy Directorate, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Cape Coast, Ghana; (J.A.); (R.I.)
| | - Israel Abebrese Sefah
- Pharmacy Department, Keta Municipal Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana;
- Pharmacy Practice Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana
| | - Sylvia Opanga
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 30197-00100, Kenya;
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK;
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil 44001, Iraq
| | - Ibrahim Chikowe
- Pharmacy Department, College of Medicine, Chichiri 30096, Blantyre 3, Malawi; (I.C.); (F.K.)
| | - Felix Khuluza
- Pharmacy Department, College of Medicine, Chichiri 30096, Blantyre 3, Malawi; (I.C.); (F.K.)
| | - Dan Kibuule
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek 13301, Namibia;
| | - Olayinka O. Ogunleye
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos 100271, Nigeria;
- Department of Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
| | - Adesola Olalekan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Lagos, Idiaraba, Lagos 100271, Nigeria;
- Centre for Genomics of Non-Communicable Diseases and Personalized Healthcare (CGNPH), University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
| | - Vanda Markovic-Pekovic
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Social Pharmacy, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina;
| | - Johanna C. Meyer
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa;
| | - Abubakr Alfadl
- National Medicines and Poisons Board, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum 11111, Sudan;
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unaizah 56264, Qassim 56453, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thuy Nguyen Thi Phuong
- Pharmaceutical Administration & PharmacoEconomics, Hanoi University of Pharmacy, 13-15 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam;
| | - Aubrey C. Kalungia
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia;
| | - Stephen Campbell
- Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK;
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Alice Pisana
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Janney Wale
- Independent Researcher, 11a Lydia Street, Brunswick, VIC 3056, Australia;
| | - R. Andrew Seaton
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Delta House, 50 West Nile Street, Glasgow G1 2NP, UK; (J.S.); (R.A.S.)
- Infectious Disease Department, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Govan Road, Glasgow G51 4TF, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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46
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Hayat K, Mustafa ZU, Godman B, Arshed M, Zhang J, Khan FU, Saleem F, Lambojon K, Li P, Feng Z, Fang Y. Perceptions, Expectations, and Experience of Physicians About Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Care Services in Pakistan: Findings and Implications. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:650137. [PMID: 34054528 PMCID: PMC8160509 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.650137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Optimal collaboration between pharmacists and other healthcare professionals such as physicians is integral in implementing pharmaceutical care. However, there are concerns regarding the role of pharmacists, especially among low- and middle-income countries. This study explored the perceptions, expectations, and experience of physicians working in various hospital settings of Punjab, Pakistan, about pharmacists and their roles. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire consisting of four sections was administered from October to December 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used for data analysis using SPSS. Results: Six hundred and seventy-eight physicians participated in this study with a response rate of 77.9%. Most of the physicians reported minimal to no interaction with pharmacists (n = 521, 76.8%). However, more than three-quarters of physicians (n = 660, 97.3%) accepted pharmacists as evidence-based sources of drug information. In addition, many physicians (n = 574, 84.7%) strongly agreed that pharmacists should attend patient care rounds to respond promptly to questions related to patient medication. A limited number of physicians (n = 124, 18.3%) assumed that pharmacists were advising their patients regarding the judicial use of their drugs. Median expectation and experience score had a significant association with age, experience, and education of physicians (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The perception of physicians was positive toward certain roles of pharmacists, coupled with high expectations. However, their experience was low, with most of the activities of pharmacists due to inadequate interprofessional coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khezar Hayat
- Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Centre for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi'an, China.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Zia Ul Mustafa
- Department of Pharmacy Services, District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital Pakpattan, Pakpattan, Pakistan
| | - Brain Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.,Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Arshed
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Lifeline Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.,Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Jiaxing Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Faiz Ullah Khan
- Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Centre for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi'an, China
| | - Fahad Saleem
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
| | - Krizzia Lambojon
- Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Centre for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi'an, China
| | - Pengchao Li
- Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Centre for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhitong Feng
- Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Centre for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi'an, China
| | - Yu Fang
- Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Centre for Health Reform and Development Research, Xi'an, China
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47
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Haque M, Abubakar AR, Ogunleye OO, Sani IH, Sefah I, Kurdi A, Islam S, Godman B. Changes in Availability, Utilization, and Prices of Medicines and Protection Equipment for COVID-19 in an Urban Population of Northern Nigeria. J Res Pharm Pract 2021; 10:17-22. [PMID: 34295848 PMCID: PMC8259594 DOI: 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_20_92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Measures are ongoing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and treat it with medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE). However, there has been considerable controversy surrounding treatments such as hydroxychloroquine with misinformation fuelling prices hikes and suicides. Shortages have also appreciably increased costs of PPE, potentially catastrophic among lower- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria with high copayment levels. Consequently, a need to investigate changes in availability, utilization, and prices of relevant medicines and PPE during the pandemic in Nigeria. Methods Exploratory study among community pharmacists with a survey tool comprising four sections including questions on changes in consumption, prices, and shortages of medicines and PPE from the beginning of March 2020 to the end of June 2020. In addition, suggestions from community pharmacists and co-authors on ways to reduce misinformation. Findings 30 out of 34 pharmacists participated giving a response rate of 88.2%. Significant increases were seen (3-fold or more increase) in the consumption of hydroxychloroquine (100%), vitamins/immune boosters (96.7%) and antibiotics (46.7%) as well as PPE (100%). Considerable price increases (50% increase or greater) also seen for antimalarials (96.7%), antibiotics (93.3%), vitamins/immune boosters (66.7%), and PPE (100%). Shortages are also seen for hydroxychloroquine and vitamins/immune boosters but most severe for PPE (80% of pharmacies). Conclusion Encouraging to see increases in the utilization of vitamins/immune boosters and PPE. However, a considerable increase in the utilization and prices of antimicrobials is a concern that needs addressing including misinformation. Community pharmacists have a key role in providing evidence-based advice and helping moderate prices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mainul Haque
- Unit of Pharmacology, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Olayinka O Ogunleye
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.,Department of Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
| | | | - Israel Sefah
- Department of Pharmacy, Ghana Health Service, Keta Municipal Hospital, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana.,Department Pharmacy Practice, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Volta Region, Ghana
| | - Amanj Kurdi
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.,Department of Pharmacology, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
| | - Salequl Islam
- Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Brian Godman
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.,Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.,School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, South Africa.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
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48
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Manivannan E, Karthikeyan C, Moorthy NSHN, Chaturvedi SC. The Rise and Fall of Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine as Compassionate Therapy of COVID-19. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:584940. [PMID: 34025393 PMCID: PMC8134745 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.584940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and rapid spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has posed a serious challenge to global public health in 2020. The speed of this viral spread together with the high mortality rate has caused an unprecedented public health crisis. With no antivirals or vaccines available for the treatment of COVID-19, the medical community is presently exploring repositioning of clinically approved drugs for COVID-19. Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have emerged as potential candidates for repositioning as anti-COVID-19 therapeutics and have received FDA authorization for compassionate use in COVID-19 patients. On March 28, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for HCQ in the treatment of COVID-19. However, it was later revoked by the FDA on June 15, 2020, after analyzing the emerging scientific data from ongoing clinical trials. Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) also conducted a Solidarity trial of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, lopinavir, and ritonavir. However, on May 23, 2020, the executive body of the "Solidarity trial" decided to put a temporary hold on the HCQ trial. On June 17, 2020, the WHO abruptly stopped the Solidarity trial of HCQ. The current review strives to examine the basis of compassionate use of CQ and HCQ for the treatment of COVID-19 in terms of literature evidence, establishing the antiviral efficacy of these drugs against corona and related viruses. Furthermore, the review presents a critical analysis of the clinical trial findings and also provides an insight into the dynamically changing decision on the authorization and withdrawal of HCQ as anti-COVID-19 therapy by the U.S. FDA and the WHO. Ultimately, our study necessitates an evidenced-based treatment protocol to confront the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and not the mere observational study that mislead the public healthcare system, which paralyzes the entire world.
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49
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Chan DKY, Mclaws ML, Forsyth DR. COVID-19 in aged care homes: a comparison of effects initial government policies had in the UK (primarily focussing on England) and Australia during the first wave. Int J Qual Health Care 2021; 33:6156358. [PMID: 33677490 PMCID: PMC7989405 DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact globally, with older people living in aged care homes suffering high death rates. OBJECTIVES We aimed to compare the impact of initial government policies on this vulnerable older population between the UK and Australia during the first wave of attack. METHODS We searched websites of governments in the UK and Australia and media outlets. We examined the key policies including the national lockdown dates and the distribution of some important resources (personal protective equipment and testing) and the effects of these initial policies on the mortality rates in the aged care homes during the first wave of attack of COVID-19. RESULTS We found that both countries had prioritized resources to hospitals over aged care homes during the first wave of attack. Both countries had lower priority for aged care residents in hospitals (e.g. discharging without testing for COVID-19 or discouraging admissions). However, deaths in aged care homes were 270 times higher in the UK than in Australia as on 7 May 2020 (despite UK having a population only 2.5 times larger than Australia). The lower fatality rate in Australia may have been due to the earlier lockdown strategy when the total daily cases were low in Australia (118) compared to the UK (over 1000), as well as the better community viral testing regime in Australia. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the public health policy in Australia aimed towards earlier intervention with earlier national lockdown and more viral testing to prevent new cases. This primary prevention could have resulted in more lives being saved. In contrast, the initial policy in the UK focussed mainly on protecting resources for hospitals, and there was a delay in national lockdown intervention and lower viral testing rate, resulting in more lives lost in the aged care sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kam Yin Chan
- Aged Care and Rehabilitation, Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, 68 Eldridge Road, Bankstown, NSW 2200, Australia.,School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, 3rd Floor Samuels Building, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Mary-Louise Mclaws
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, 3rd Floor Samuels Building, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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50
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Alrasheedy AA, Abdulsalim S, Farooqui M, Alsahali S, Godman B. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice About Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic and Its Psychological Impact on Students and Their Studies: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Pharmacy Students in Saudi Arabia. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2021; 14:729-741. [PMID: 33654441 PMCID: PMC7910083 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s292354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Individuals’ knowledge, attitude and practice towards preventive and precautionary measures of COVID-19 are essential to control the spread of the disease. Consequently, the aims of the study were to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacy students towards the pandemic and to assess its psychological impact on them to provide future guidance. Methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted via a web-based survey in May 2020. All pharmacy students enrolled at Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, were invited to take part in the study. Results A total of 232 out of 460 students took part in the study, giving a response rate of 50.43%. The mean total knowledge score was 9.87 ± 2.04 (maximum attainable score, 12). The majority of the participants (n=163; 70.3%) believed COVID-19 is a health threat to their community in the early months of the pandemic. Moreover, the majority (93%) also believed that the lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic was necessary to contain the pandemic. Encouragingly, 86.6% reported that they did not go to any crowded places during the pandemic with more female students avoiding crowded places compared to male students (91.6% versus 78.7%, respectively, P = 0.005). The majority (91%) also reported that they were following the strategies recommended by the authorities to prevent the spread of the virus. Encouragingly, 54.3% reported that the pandemic either had no effect or just a limited effect on their studies. However, 38.5% reported that they always felt or frequently felt nervous or anxious during the pandemic. Conclusion The study showed that pharmacy students had good knowledge as well as positive attitudes and good practices towards COVID-19 and the preventive measures. However, during the early months, the pandemic did have a negative psychological impact on a number of students. Consequently, proactive psychological and social support services to the students should be considered during the current and future pandemics. In addition, it is important to consider and proactively address key issues that could cause stress and anxiety among students when shifting to distance learning and assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alian A Alrasheedy
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
| | - Suhaj Abdulsalim
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unaizah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maryam Farooqui
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unaizah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saud Alsahali
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unaizah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
| | - Brian Godman
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.,School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
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