ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impacts of chronic disease assistance program (CDAP) on economic parameters, human resource and pharmacy structure and pharmaceutical care on the retail industry in Trinidad and Tobago. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A partially perceptual retrospective investigation was carried out in 60 pharmacies from all regions (North East, North West, Central and South) in Trinidad. Questionnaires were distributed to all pharmacists of the each pharmacies indicated above. The validated questionnaires were distributed, over a period of approximately 2 weeks. Pharmacists employed at each pharmacy were asked to complete the questionnaire which consisted of 11 questions based on the three aspects of investigation. A five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) was used. Information from the completed questionnaires was tabulated in Microsoft Excel and the respective percentages and proportions were generated. RESULTS: From the 60 pharmacies, 61% (n=37) believed that there was a decrease in sale of original brands while more than half of the respondents [53% (n=32)] believed there was an increase in sale of generics. The 60% (n=36) respondents viewed that there was compromised dispensary sale of original brands while 65% (n=39) felt there was increased orders for generic drugs. Of the CDAP prescriptions, it was disclosed that there was an overall increase in CDAP prescriptions from the year 2005-2008. A medium-scale pharmacy disclosed 1801 prescriptions in 2005, 2265 prescriptions in 2006, 3002 prescriptions 2007 and 3344 prescriptions in 2008 with overall increase in each year. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of CDAP can explain the phenomenal increase in sale of generics drugs and the decrease in the sale of brands. There is a need for such a program in the developing countries.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether elevated levels of troponin T are associated with altered lipid profile. METHODS: Data were collected from 205 patients each of whom presented elevated troponin T levels. RESULTS: 195 patients presented with suspected myocardial infarction, 10 patients did not. Of which 68 had medium, 107 high and 20 presented with very high troponin T levels. The proportions were significantly different (p = 0.000215). Regression analysis showed that troponin T level was a useful quadratic predictor of total cholesterol (p = 0.000), triglycerides (p = 0.003), and low density cholesterol (p = 0.000); and a useful linear predictor of TC/HC ratio (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of myocardial infarction is associated with elevated troponin T levels; troponin T is positively correlated with total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and TC/HC ratio and negatively correlated with HDL. TC/HC ratio was not found to be a useful predictor of the likelihood of MI.
