RESUMO
Background: Safe disposal of expired medicines is a problem which is current area of intense discussion among policy makers. This project was conducted to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among hospital pharmacies and drug store owners about expired medicines and their disposal. The information generated could be used to plan proper and safe drug disposal practices. Aims and Objectives: This project was conducted to explore the KAP among hospital pharmacies and drug store owners about expired medicines and their disposal. The information generated could be used to plan proper and safe drug disposal practices. Materials and Methods: The target population for the current project were the pharmacies dispensing drugs to patients. Pharmacies situated in the hospitals were also covered in this survey. KAP survey is designed to explore the present concepts about a topic of public interest in the target population. Results: The present study was conducted in 373 participants. Most of the participants (88.37%) believed that expired drugs should be returned to manufacturers and proper disposition is the responsibility of pharmacists (72.6%). However, few others believed that it should be cumulative responsibility of nursing professionals and municipal corporations as well. Most of the pharmacists were of opinion that expiry date is fixed by regulatory body (56.0%) and depends on storage conditions (59.2%) of drugs. Conclusion: An innovative policy needs to be implemented by the health regulators to strengthen the existing drug disposal policies more effectively.
RESUMO
In 2019, a new variant of coronavirus emerged that put the whole world on a standstill due to its unprecedented spread and morbidity. Since then, scientists have been working on several theories to explain the origin and pathogenesis of the virus. Over this period of time, it has been observed clinically that individual variation exists in the way this virus infects people, its symptomatology and sequelae. The pathophysiology is still unclear. This review was taken up to consolidate all the available information until date about current theories of etiopathogenesis with an understanding of potential therapeutic targets on the mechanisms. This review also highlights the gray areas that need to be addressed in the future. Research papers published up to December 7, 2020 were included based on a search on PubMed, Google Scholar, etc., to get the latest relevant literature on this topic. Coronavirus expresses differently in different individuals, affecting different organ systems, and having variable severity. However, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are not completely understood. Due to the lack of definite curative therapy, it is essential to explore the basic pathophysiology so as to develop more effective and target-based therapies in the future.