Costs saved and avoided from pharmacist interventions to address drug-related problems identified from outpatient clinics in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: The pharmacist plays an essential role in identifying and managing drug-related problems. The aim of this research was to assess the costs avoided by clinical pharmacist interventions to resolve drug-related problems. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Clinical pharmacists identified drug-related problems and interventions to address them in consecutive outpatients visiting internal medicine clinics at major teaching and public hospitals in Jordan from September 2012 to December 2013. The costs avoided by each intervention to address drug-related problems were collected from the literature. The collected data were used to calculate the overall cost saved and avoided by the interventions implemented to address the identified drug-related problems, adopting a Jordanian healthcare system perspective. RESULTS: A total of 2747 patients were enrolled in the study. Diagnostic interventions, such as the need for additional diagnostic testing, were employed in 95.07% of the 13935 intervention to address the drug-related problem "Miscellaneous" which was the most frequent drug-related problems. Other common drug-related problems categories included inappropriate knowledge (n = 6972), inappropriate adherence (4447), efficacy-related drug-related problem (3395) and unnecessary drug therapy (1082). The total cost avoided over the research period was JOD 1418720 per month and total cost saved over the study period was JOD 17250.204. Drug-related problems were associated the number of prescription medications (odds ratio = 1.105; 95% confidence interval = 1.069-1.142), prescribed gastrointestinal drugs (3.485; 2.86-4.247), prescribed antimicrobials (3.326; 1.084-10.205), and prescribed musculoskeletal drugs (1.385; 1.011-1.852). CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that pharmacists have provided cognitive input to rationalize and optimize the medication use and prevent errors, that led to the reported projected avoided and saved expenditures via various interventions to address drug-related problems. This highlights the added economic impact to the clinical impact of drug-related problems on patients and the healthcare system. The high prevalence and cost of drug-related problems offer strong rationale for pharmacists to provide more vigilant intervention to improve patient outcomes while maintaining cost effectiveness.

Assessment of adherence to carbamazepine using plasma and saliva samples, a study from Jordan.

Background: The measurement of carbamazepine levels in a biological sample is required to guide dosing, and prevent toxicity, and can be useful to assess medication adherence. Aim: The primary aim of the presented study is to analyze carbamazepine levels in saliva and plasma samples of outpatients and to assess adherence to carbamazepine using saliva and plasma levels. Methods: Adults who used carbamazepine for at least one month were recruited from the outpatient clinic department of Princess Basma Hospital, a public hospital in Irbid. Saliva and blood samples (1 ml) were collected simultaneously from subjects, and using a microanalytical method with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ultraviolet detector, the level of carbamazepine (in micrograms per milliliter) was ascertained. Analysis of adherence to carbamazepine was carried out using plasma and saliva levels. Results: A total of 69 consecutive patients attending the neurology clinic were recruited, of whom 85.5% had epilepsy. Approximately one-third (34.8%) used carbamazepine as monotherapy, whereas the remainder used a combination of antiepileptic drugs to control seizures. Overall, about two-thirds (71.9%) of the studied samples were non-adherent in either plasma or saliva samples. By referring to the plasma sample carbamazepine concentration, 75.4% of the respondents were adherents, 15.9% had under-adherence, and 8.7% had over-adherence. A total of 85.9% of the responders were adherent using the carbamazepine level in saliva samples. Plasma and saliva carbamazepine levels were linearly correlated to one another. Polypharmacy was commonly utilized with the patients, as 42% of the patients used two medications, with a range of 1-7 drugs used concomitantly. The predictor associated with higher plasma and saliva carbamazepine levels, as determined by multiple linear regression analysis, was the occurrence of seizures less than once a month, as compared to seizures with higher frequencies. Conclusion: Saliva carbamazepine levels show the potential to be used as an alternative matrix to assess medication adherence, with a considerable correlation with the plasma carbamazepine level. Healthcare professionals can address routine care non-adherence through such measures.

Public Patterns and Determinants of Antibiotic Self-Medication and Antibiotic Knowledge in Southern Jordan.

Antibiotic self-medication, which refers to acquisition and using antibiotics to treat infections based on personal experience and/or without a doctor's advice or prescription, is a significant public health issue jeopardizing patient health outcomes. The purpose of the present cross-sectional online survey was to assess the frequency of self-medication among the general public in various geographical locations in southern Jordan, as well as to examine the determinants to self-medication. The survey was distributed through several social media networks over the period November-December 2022, and included demographic information as well as items related to the use and abuse of antibiotics, information sources about antibiotics, the duration of use of antibiotics, and assessment of the public knowledge about appropriate antibiotic use. Inferential analysis, such as the Chi-Square test and logistic regression, were adopted to assess the associations between the different variables with self-medication. A total of 984 respondents were enrolled in the study. Of these, 752 had been using antibiotics during the last year. However, the self-medicating cases were 413 of the 752. The main source of information about the utilization of antibiotics among participants in the survey was pharmacists. The participants commonly (36.0%) tended to use antibiotics until the symptoms disappeared. Nearly half of the respondents reported usually taking antibiotics for treating a runny nose (rhinorrhea). The logistic regression analysis indicated that self-medication with antibiotics was significantly associated with female gender (p-value < 0.001), low educational level (p-value = 0.014), rural living location (p-value 0.003), no health insurance (p-value = 0.001) and occupation (p-value = 0.005). Meanwhile age had no significant relationship to self-medication. Finally, the results revealed poor understanding of key appropriate antibiotic usage, which inevitably influences self-medication practice. It is crucial to come up with several programs and governmental policies to suppress widespread antibiotic self-medication as it will affect the health of future generations of Jordanian citizens.

The relationship between psychiatric symptoms and the use of levetiracetam in people with epilepsy.

Background: Mental health in people with epilepsy (PWE) is often overlooked, especially in developing countries.Purpose: Consequently, the current work had two objectives: (1) to estimate the burden of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and stress, and (2) to examine the association of these psychiatric/psychological symptoms with levetiracetam and other relevant clinical factors in a cohort of Jordanian PWE.Research Design: This is a cross-sectional study. The demographic and clinical data were recorded. Depression was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, Arabic-validated version) and anxiety by the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7, Arabic-validated version). The insomnia severity index (ISI-A, Arabic version) was used to assess sleep quality, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-A, Arabic version) was used to measure perceived stress.Study Sample: Data were analyzed from 280 patients, of which 178 (63.6%) received levetiracetam as monotherapy or as adjuvant.Results: Depression was reported in 150 (53.6%), anxiety in 110 (39.3%), insomnia in 131 (46.8%), and clinically significant stress in 211 (75.4%). At univariate analysis, levetiracetam was not associated with psychiatric symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that severe depressive symptoms were associated with family history (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.42-4.33, P = .001) and seizure type (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.01-2.80, P = .04), severe anxiety symptoms were associated with family history (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.12-3.23, P = .01), severe insomnia was associated with seizure type (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.33-3.5, P = .002) and severe stress was associated with marital status (OR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.31-4.29, P = .004).Conclusions: The high psychological burden of PWE is a challenging issue that requires attention and prompt action to control its risk factors.

Factors Associated with Psychotropic Medications Literacy among Community Pharmacists.

Background and objectives: Community pharmacists play an important role in ensuring the patient's adherence to medications, thus achieving therapeutic outcomes. The present study had two aims: to measure the extent of knowledge that community pharmacists had about psychotropic medications and to determine the factors associated with higher knowledge scores. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed, using a structured online questionnaire. The study instrument assessed demographics, general practice characteristics related to psychotropics and a battery of factual questions that assessed the knowledge of pharmacists about psychotropic medications using closed-ended responses. A total knowledge score consisting of the sum of correct responses was calculated; the passing score was 75%. A total of 676 pharmacists completed the survey. Results: Only 20% passed the threshold score (75%) for the factual knowledge questions, and only (11.0%) were very comfortable with their knowledge of psychotropic agents. A total of 49.0% of the respondents felt that they had been adequately trained to counsel patients on psychotropic agents. According to the regression model, pharmacists who reported higher knowledge were more experienced (0.63, (0.26-1.0), p < 0.001), reported studying the topic in the pharmacy school (0.77 (0.27-1.26), p = 0.002) holding a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) degree (0.24 (0.05-0.43), p = 0.01), and reported a higher perceived knowledge (0.29 (0.01-0.38), p = 0.038). Conclusion: Community pharmacists reported poor knowledge of psychotropic medications, and continuous medical and professional education programs are mandatory.

Antibiotic use and resistance: Information sources and application by dentists in Jordan.

INTRODUCTION: The availability of evidence-based information sources for dentists is essential to influence antibiotic prescribing practices and we need to understand how dentists interact with such sources and how this influences their practice. The present study aimed to evaluate dentists' preferred sources of information and their awareness of available information and initiatives on prudent antibiotic prescribing practices in Jordan. METHODOLOGY: An online cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to dentists between July to September 2021. It was an adapted version of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) survey for antibiotic use and resistance. RESULTS: A total of 204 dentists responded to the survey. The main sources of information regarding avoiding unnecessary antibiotic prescribing were published guidelines (35.5%), the dental professional body (20.0%), colleagues or peers (18.6%), and scientific organizations (17.2%), with the influence of these sources on changing prescribers' views being 40.7%, 9.8%, 10.3%, and 14.2%, respectively. Of the surveyed dentists, 9.3%, 33.8%, and 56.9% were aware, unaware, and unsure of the presence of national action plans on antimicrobial resistance, respectively. Dentists reported their desire to receive more information about resistance to antibiotics (57.8%), medical conditions for which antibiotics are used (52.9%), how to use antibiotics (41.2%), prescribing of antibiotics (39.7%), and links between the health of humans, animals, and the environment (26.0%). CONCLUSIONS: The study provided insights into the information available to and used by dentists, which can inform effective antimicrobial stewardship strategies for improving antibiotic prescribing.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior about Antimicrobial Use and Resistance among Medical, Nursing and Pharmacy Students in Jordan: A Cross Sectional Study.

The present study aimed to survey medical, nursing and pharmacy students' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding antimicrobial use and resistance. Additionally, the study assessed the teaching and assessment activities received regarding antibiotic use. A cross sectional online survey was distributed to undergraduate students currently in clinical studies in their degree program. A total of 716 medicine, nursing and pharmacy undergraduate students were included. Respondents scored more than 76% on knowledge on effective use, unnecessary use and associated side effects of antibiotics, and 65.2% regarding knowledge on the spread of antibiotic resistance. Some participants (21.0%) agreed or strongly agreed that there has been good promotion of prudent antimicrobial use. Students were aware (13.1%), unaware (29.1%), or unsure (57.8%) that there is a national action plan relating to antimicrobial resistance. A total of 62.8% of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they have a key role in helping control antibiotic resistance. Participants reported that they require more information about resistance to antibiotics (53.9%), medical conditions for which antibiotics are used (51.7%) and how to use antibiotics (51.0%). Discussion of clinical cases and vignettes and small group teaching were reported as very useful or useful teaching strategies (79.9% and 74.2%, respectively). The findings from this study determined the current situation in relation to education on prudent antimicrobial use for undergraduates and highlighted areas for informing better curriculum design.

A Survey of Knowledge and Barriers of Healthcare Professionals toward Opioid Analgesics in Cancer Pain Management.

Purpose: Pain is among the most frequent and troubling symptoms in cancer patients. Despite the availability of updated treatment guidelines and effective pharmacological therapies, undertreatment of cancer pain remains a global problem. Opioids are the mainstay analgesics to treat moderate-to-severe cancer pain. The goal of this study was to assess the knowledge and barriers towards opioid analgesics for cancer pain management among healthcare professionals in Oncology Units in Jordan. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to healthcare professionals (consultant doctors, resident doctors, pharmacists, and nurses) at three Oncology Units in a cross-sectional study design. Results: A total of 201 healthcare professionals completed the questionnaire. The average age was 34.8 ± 8.1 years (range 23-58) and 49.3% of respondents were nurses. The mean score for the knowledge of opioids was 12.5 ± 3.2 out of 24 points (range 2-20). An acceptable level of knowledge was observed in 50.7% of participants, while 49.3% had poor knowledge. Knowledge items mostly answered incorrectly were related to opioid administration, pharmacology, dosing, adverse events, rotation, and toxicity. Knowledge scores were significantly higher for consultant doctors compared to pharmacists and nurses (p=0.016 and p < 0.001, respectively). Healthcare professionals who handled opioid analgesics had significantly higher mean knowledge scores than those who did not (p=0.012). Linear regression analysis revealed that being a consultant physician has an independent, statistically significant association with higher knowledge scores. Among perceived barriers to using opioids, fear of addiction by patients was the most frequently reported barrier by respondents (79.6%). Other highly recognized barriers were fear of adverse effects by patients (67.2%) and lack of training programs on opioid dosing and monitoring (63.7%). Conclusions: This study revealed major gaps in the knowledge of opioids and pain management among healthcare professionals. There is an urgent need for developing innovative interventions to improve the knowledge of opioid analgesics and the understanding of pain management guidelines among healthcare professionals in Jordan.

Community pharmacists' routine provision of drug-related problem-reduction services.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to assess the degree of the provision of services for drug-related problems (DRPs) and the factors affecting provision within the community pharmacy setting in Irbid, a large city in Northern Jordan. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was developed and administered to community pharmacists in Irbid, Jordan during the period from January to May 2017. The survey is composed of background and practice characteristics, services provided routinely by the community pharmacists to address DRPs, and barriers and facilitators for DRP-reduction services. A summated score quantifying the degree of DRP-reduction service provision was calculated, which included overall scores and scores for the different scales and domains. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and a multivariate linear regression model for factors associated with the high provision of DRP-reduction service. RESULTS: Two hundred community pharmacists out of 210 pharmacists approached completed the surveys yielding a response rate of 95.2%. The most frequent DRPs encountered within the routine practice in the community pharmacy were economic aspects (76.0%). The mean total score relating to different DRP-reduction services was 32.9 (58.8%) out of 56 as the maximum possible score. It was estimated that 28.2% of the responding pharmacists provided the service overall (scored more than 50% of the scale). For the assessment, intervention, and referral dimensions, similar percentages of providers of the services were achieved: 59.7%, 61.9%, and 49.0%, respectively. Lower rates of providers were achieved on the documentation scale (12.9%). The lack of recognition of the pharmacist role by physicians was the most commonly reported barrier to effective DRP-reduction services among community pharmacists (78.9%). The ability to receive external guidance was indicated by the majority of surveyed pharmacists (94.5%) as a potential facilitator to DRP-reduction services in this study. Predictors associated with high total scores were the presence of medical records for the patients in the pharmacy, patients contact the pharmacy using email, a high satisfaction in professional relationships with physicians, and pharmacists' age. CONCLUSION: Even though community pharmacists in this study have been shown to deliver certain activities to address DRPs to a high degree, the overall rate of DRPs services was suboptimal. Community pharmacists reported several barriers that should be taken into consideration to facilitate the role of community pharmacists in providing adequate DRP reduction services to patients.

Pharmacists' Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors and Information Sources on Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Jordan.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious healthcare problem that affects public health globally. Appropriate understanding and knowledge of prudent antimicrobial use and resistance, along with providing evidence-based information sources, are needed for informed antibiotic prescribing practices. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, opportunity, motivation, behavior of pharmacists and their information sources regarding antibiotic use and resistance in Jordan. An online cross-sectional questionnaire was developed and administered to pharmacists during the period of July-September 2021. The survey is an adapted version of the validated European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) survey for antibiotic use and resistance. Pharmacists from all sectors (n = 384), of whom 276 (71.9%) were community pharmacists, completed an online questionnaire. While respondents scored highly (>87%) on knowledge on effective use, unnecessary use, and associated side effects of antibiotics, lower scores were recorded for knowledge on the spread of antibiotic resistance (52.9%). Pharmacists support easy access to guidelines on managing infections in 56% of cases, and easy access to materials advising prudent antibiotic use and resistance in 39.8% of cases. One-third of respondents (37.0%) reported no knowledge of any initiatives on antibiotic awareness and resistance. Pharmacists were aware (13.3%), unaware (36.2%), or unsure (50.5%) of the existence of a national antibiotic resistance action plan. Pharmacists indicated an interest in receiving more information on resistance to antibiotics (55.2%), medical conditions for which antibiotics are used (53.1%), how to use antibiotics (45.1%), prescribing of antibiotics (34.4%), and links between the health of humans, animals, and the environment (28.6%). Findings can inform antimicrobial stewardship with required interventions to improve antibiotic use.

Knowledge and Practice of Breast Cancer Screening Methods among Female Community Pharmacists in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Our study is aimed at exploring the knowledge and personal practice of breast cancer screening among female community pharmacists in Jordan. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out using a nonrandom sample selection method for pharmacists in community pharmacies. RESULTS: A total of 551 female pharmacists completed the questionnaire. The mean age of pharmacists was 29.1 ± 7.3 years (range 21-67), and most have bachelor degrees in pharmacy (89.1%). The mean score of knowledge of breast cancer signs and symptoms was 4.2 ± 1.5 out of 6 points (range 0-6). The mean score of knowledge of risk factors was 7.6 ± 1.9 out of 12 points (ranging from 2-12). The mean score for knowledge of screening guidelines was 2.8 ± 0.9 out of 4 points (range 0-4). Overall, 452 pharmacists (85.8%) had acceptable knowledge while 75 pharmacists (14.2%) had poor knowledge of breast cancer. Pharmacists surveyed were aware of the different screening methods of breast cancer. The percentage of pharmacists who has performed breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE), and mammography was 46.6%, 16.5%, and 5.4%, respectively. The most common reason for the lack of BSE and CBE performance was the absence of breast symptoms. Not being at the age recommended for mammography was the most common reason for not undergoing this screening method. Knowledge and practice of screening methods were influenced by age, years of experience, geographic region, personal history of breast cancer, and educational level among community pharmacists. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed some gaps in the knowledge of breast cancer among female community pharmacists. The practice of the different screening methods was suboptimal, and variable reasons were indicated for the low uptake of these screening methods. Community pharmacists need to practice preventive behaviors to a satisfactory level to encourage women in the community to adopt similar behavior.

Physicians' Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Point-of-Care Pharmacogenetic Testing: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacogenetic testing (PGx) is a diagnostic technique used by physicians to determine the possible reactions of patients to drug treatment on the basis of their genetic makeup. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of physicians' awareness, attitudes, and sociodemographics on the adoption of point-of-care (POC) PGx testing as a diagnostic method, as well as the impact of their knowledge, attitudes, and sociodemographics on its adoption. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 200 physicians and medical trainees working at the Clinics of King Abdullah University Hospital in Jordan was performed. Data on sociodemographics, knowledge and attitudes concerning PGx testing, genetic information sources, and barriers to POC-PGx testing adoption were gathered. RESULTS: Participants' perceived knowledge of the role of PGx testing in therapeutic decision-making was rated as "Excellent" (1.9%), "Very Good" (19.4%), "Good" (34.4%), "Fair" (32.5%), and "Poor" (11.9%). Physicians' actual knowledge of PGx testing was adequate (mean=3.56 out of 7, SD=1.2), but their attitudes were generally favorable (mean=3.64 out of 5.00, SD=0.52). According to Rogers' theory, many variables (eg, perceived need, relative advantage, compatibility) had a significant impact on physicians' willingness to endorse POC-PGx testing. DISCUSSION: The majority of physicians stated that they were unaware of PGx testing. Physicians' perceived knowledge of POC-PGx testing, however, was higher than those who participated in other studies. Participants were optimistic about the future benefits of PGx testing in prescribing effective medications and reducing potential side effects, which were consistent with previous studies. Physicians' willingness to accept and implement POC-PGx testing was hampered by a lack of PGx expertise, as well as concerns about patient confidentiality, employability, and insurability. More training and genetic courses are needed, according to the majority of participants.

A baseline survey of community pharmacies' workforce, premises, services and satisfaction with medical practitioners in Jordan.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to describe the local situation in community pharmacies in Jordan by assessing the baseline resources available in terms of workforce, premises and services provided. METHODS: A survey was developed and administered to community pharmacists from Amman, the capital of Jordan, and Irbid, a large city in North Jordan. RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-seven community pharmacists, 167 from Amman and 200 from Irbid, completed the surveys. The community pharmacists were mostly females (66.6%) and predominantly (about three quarters) younger than 30 years old. The community pharmacists were in independent (69.2%) and chain (30.8%) pharmacies. Respondent pharmacists reported delivering medication review services (93.1% of the respondents delivered the service), smoking-cessation services (86.7%), nutrition services (71.5%), blood pressure testing (86.7%), diabetes screening (86.9%) and home delivery (18.8%). Patient counselling is carried out by 94.5% of respondents. Community pharmacists spend most of their time dispensing prescriptions and counselling patients on prescription and non-prescription medicines and chronic diseases. The study also shed the light on a related aspect of practice which was the relationship with local doctors. Only 9.9% of the respondents indicated high satisfaction with their professional relationship with local medical practitioners, 81.6% had a mid-level of satisfaction and 8.5% had the lowest level of satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The present study identified baseline characteristics of the local situation in community pharmacies. The majority of pharmacists dispensed medications, provided counselling, reviewed medications and provided smoking cessation service.

The Perception of Premarital Genetic Screening within Young Jordanian Individuals.

BACKGROUND: During the past two decades, the attention of public health has been drawn to premarital genetic screening (PGS) programs to reduce birth defects and avoid genetic disorders. In Jordan, the high rate of genetic hemoglobinopathies compelled the government to implement an obligatory PGS program before marriage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge, opinion, and practice of young Jordanians concerning PGS. METHODS: Using a pretested questionnaire, this cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample from Jordan. The measures included respondents' demographics, and beliefs/opinions regarding PGS. RESULTS: A total of 432 participants completed the survey. The majority (87.8%) had a positive attitude toward PGS program. Reasons behind this positive attitude were preventing transmission of genetic diseases, reducing family breakdown/psychosocial problems, and financial burdens of having a child with genetic disease. In fact, 49.8% of participants were willing to change their marriage decision in case of receiving incompatible results. Moreover, most of the participants (75.1%) demanded the implementation of a law that prohibits incompatible marriages. A positive attitude toward PGS was found to be associated with female gender and having a university education. CONCLUSIONS: Young Jordanians have a positive attitude toward the implementation of PGS. Yet, educational programs should be drawn up to the target population before getting married emphasizing the important role of PGS in the wellness of the community.

Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes Concerning Genetic Testing Among Young Jordanians.

BACKGROUND: Medical genetic testing is an evolving side of clinical care that helps people to make informed medical and lifestyle decisions. The source of knowledge, personal beliefs, and attitude towards genetic testing are the main determinative factors of getting optimal utilization of such technology in reducing/prevention of diseases. METHODS: A structured survey was used to assess the knowledge, beliefs, and attitude regarding genetic testing among 463 young adults aged 18 years or older living in the North of Jordan. RESULTS: More than three-quarters (77.1%) of the respondents were familiar with the term genetic testing. The most common sources of knowledge were: education they received (44.8%), the internet (37.5%), and social media (17.2%). Most (93.9%) of the respondents believed that genetic testing is a useful tool to diagnose and prevent genetic diseases. Almost three-quarters (72.7%) of the respondents believed that the health care system provides advice or genetic counseling to those with a genetic disease. A total of 9.6% of the respondents thought that genetic testing might cause a physical risk to their lives. In addition, 11.3% of the respondents believed that genetic testing is forbidden and not permissible and about 6.3% did not agree in performing genetic testing in the future. Finally, about half (53.4%) of the respondents consider genetic testing affordable and the remainder consider it costly. CONCLUSION: Our findings emphasize the importance of acquiring knowledge about genetic testing among young individuals, Issues related to knowledge were identified and should be further improved, such as cost prediction, safety, and the legitimacy of genetic testing to get better outcomes in the Jordanian community.

Prevalence and risk factors of anaemia among ever-married women in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Anaemia is associated with poor health outcomes and is considered a serious public health problem particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Specific subgroups are at higher risk of anaemia, such as women of reproductive age. AIMS: This study examined the prevalence and risk factors of anaemia among ever-married women in Jordan using a secondary analysis of the Jordan Population and Family Health Survey. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of data from a nationally representative sample of ever-married women aged 15-49 years that were tested for haemoglobin levels in the 2012 JPFHS. Anaemia was categorized according to the WHO criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate risk factors associated with anaemia. RESULTS: The prevalence of any anaemia was 37.3%; specifically, 20% had mild anaemia (haemoglobin 11.0-11.9 g/dl), 16.3% had moderate anaemia (hemoglobin 8.0-10.9 g/dl) and 1% had severe anaemia (haemoglobin < 8.0 g/dl). Factors that were associated with anaemia in the multivariate regression included urban women (P = 0.01), living in the north (P = 0.014) or south regions (P = 0.013) of Jordan, having multiple children (P < 0.001), being pregnant (P < 0.01), and using IUD as a contraceptive method (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of anaemia among ever-married women of reproductive age in Jordan was noticed. The results emphasize the importance of urgent public health interventions to prevent anaemia in Jordan, particularly among high-risk subgroups.

Which drugs cause treatment-related problems? Analysis of 10,672 problems within the outpatient setting.

BACKGROUND: Treatment-related problems (TRPs) may pose risks for patients if unaddressed. With the increased complexity of health care, it is important to target pharmacists' efforts to patients that are at high risk for TRPs. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to identify medications most commonly associated with TRPs. SETTING: Outpatient departments of five public and teaching hospitals in Jordan. METHOD: TRPs and drugs most commonly implicated with TRPs were assessed for patients recruited from outpatient clinics in five major hospitals in Jordan using a standardized and validated pharmaceutical care manual. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Drugs associated with different types of TRPs. RESULTS: Ultimately, 2,747 patients, with a total of 10,672 TRPs, were included in the study. The medication groups most commonly associated with TRPs were cardiovascular (53.0%), endocrine (18.1%), and gastrointestinal (7.7%) drugs. The most common specific drugs associated with TRPs from any category were atorvastatin (12.5%), metformin (8.5%), simvastatin (6.2%), and enalapril (5.9%). Cardiovascular medications were the most common drugs implicated with multiple subtypes of TRPs - most commonly, allergic reaction or undesirable effect (88.5%), drug product not available (87.3%), safety interaction issues (81.8%), a need for additional or more frequent monitoring (78.0%), and more effective drugs available (77.2%). Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia were the most common diseases associated with different subtypes of TRPs. CONCLUSION: The present study identified high-risk drugs for TRPs, which can be used as identification of targeting approach TRPs. Such an approach would improve care provided to patients and can inform health care policies.

Comparative point prevalence survey of antimicrobial consumption between a hospital in Northern Ireland and a hospital in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: To assess antimicrobial prescribing in a Northern Ireland hospital (Antrim Area Hospital (AAH)) and compare them with those of a hospital in Jordan (Specialty Hospital). METHODS: Using the Global-PPS approach, the present study surveyed patients admitted to the hospital in 2015, the prescribed antibiotics, and a set of quality control indicators related to antibiotics. RESULTS: Ultimately, 444 and 112 inpatients in the AAH and the Specialty Hospital, respectively, were surveyed. For the medical group, 165 inpatients were prescribed 239 antibiotics in the AAH, while 44 patients in the Specialty Hospital were prescribed 65 antibiotics. In relation to the surgical group, 34 inpatients treated for infection were prescribed 66 antibiotics in the AAH, while 41 patients in the Specialty Hospital treated for infection were prescribed 56 antibiotics. For the medical patients, the most frequently prescribed antibiotics in the AAH were a combination of penicillins (18.8%) and penicillins with extended spectrum (18.8%). For the surgical patients, the most frequently prescribed antibiotics in the AAH were imidazole derivatives (24.2%). For the medical and surgical patients in the Specialty Hospital, the most frequently prescribed antibiotics were third-generation cephalosporins (26.2 and 37.5%, respectively). In medical patients, compliance to guidelines was 92.2% in the Specialty Hospital compared to 72.0% in the AAH (p < 0.001). In surgical patients, compliance to guidelines was 92.7% in the Specialty Hospital compared to 81.8% in the AAH (p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: The present study highlighted differences in the utilisation of antimicrobials between two hospitals in two distinct regions and benchmarked antibiotic prescriptions across two hospitals.

Prediction of drug-related problems in diabetic outpatients in a number of hospitals, using a modeling approach.

OBJECTIVE: Drug-related problems (DRPs) are considered a serious, expensive, and important undesirable complication of health care. However, as current health care resources are limited, pharmacist DRP services cannot be provided to all patients. Using a modeling approach, we aimed to identify risk factors for DRPs so that patients for DRP-reduction services can be better identified. METHODS: Patients with diabetes from outpatient clinics from five key university-affiliated and public hospitals in Jordan were assessed for DRPs (drug without an indication, untreated indication, and drug efficacy problems). Potential risk factors for DRPs were assessed. A logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors using a randomly selected, independent, nonoverlapping development (75%) subsample from full dataset. The remaining validation subsample (25%) was reserved to assess the discriminative ability of the model. RESULTS: A total of 1,494 patients were recruited. Of them, 81.2% had at least one DRP. Using the development subsample (n=1,085), independent risk factors for DRPs identified were male gender, number of medications, prescribed gastrointestinal medication, and nonadherence to self-care and non-pharmacological recommendations. Validation results (n=403) showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.679 (95% confidence interval=0.629-0.720); the model sensitivity and specificity values were 65.4% and 63.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Within the outpatient setting, the results of this study predicted DRPs with acceptable accuracy and validity. Such an approach will help in identifying patients needing pharmacist DRP services, which is an important first step in appropriate intervention to address DRPs.

Provision of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists across Europe: Is it developing and spreading?

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: Pharmaceutical care involves patient-centred pharmacist activity to improve medicines management by patients. The implementation of this service in a comprehensive manner, however, requires considerable organisation and effort, and indeed, it is often not fully implemented in care settings. The main objective was to assess how pharmaceutical care provision within community pharmacy has evolved over time in Europe. METHOD: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of community pharmacies, using a modified version of the Behavioural Pharmaceutical Care Scale (BPCS) was conducted in late 2012/early 2013 within 16 European countries and compared with an earlier assessment conducted in 2006. RESULTS: The provision of comprehensive pharmaceutical care has slightly improved in all European countries that participated in both editions of this survey (n = 8) with progress being made particularly in Denmark and Switzerland. Moreover, there was a wider country uptake, indicating spread of the concept. However, due to a number of limitations, the results should be interpreted with caution. Using combined data from participating countries, the provision of pharmaceutical care was positively correlated with the participation of the community pharmacists in patient-centred activities, routine use of pharmacy software with access to clinical data, participation in multidisciplinary team meetings, and having specialized education. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated a slight evolution in self-reported provision of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists across Europe, as measured by the BPCS. The slow progress suggests a range of barriers, which are preventing pharmacists moving beyond traditional roles. Support from professional bodies and more patient-centred community pharmacy contracts, including remuneration for pharmaceutical care services, are likely to be required if quicker progress is to be made in the future.