Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription in community drug retail outlets of Bahir Dar city in Northwest Ethiopia: A simulated client visit before and after educational intervention.

Objectives: Non-prescription supply of antibiotics in community drug retail outlets (CDROs) significantly contributes to antibiotic resistance (ABR). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of educational intervention for pharmacy practitioners (PPs) in reducing over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotic sales.

Methods: From August 1, 2022 to January 30, 2023 a total of 80 simulated client (SC) visits (40 pre-intervention; 40:post-intervention) were made in 40 CDROs of Bahir Dar city, to determine the baseline and post-intervention extent of OTC sale of antibiotics.

Simulated client study on the dispensing practices for narcotic and psychotropic medications in community drug outlets in Ethiopia.

Background: Dispensing prescription-only medications without a valid prescription poses significant public health risks, including inappropriate drug use, adverse drug reactions and medication dependence. Narcotics and psychotropic drugs are particularly vulnerable to misuse. Despite this, limited data exist on the dispensing practices of these medications at community drug retail outlets in Ethiopia.

Mental health treatment and its impact on survival outcomes in patients with comorbid mental health and cardiovascular diseases: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Mental illness and cardiovascular diseases frequently co-occur and are among the leading causes of global morbidity and mortality. Their comorbidity is associated with poorer health outcomes, including higher mortality, hospital readmissions, and increased healthcare utilization. Although mental health treatment has been shown to improve clinical outcomes, its impact on patient survival outcomes remains underexplored.

Inventory management performance of essential medicines in public health facilities of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.

The inventory management of essential medicines is a crucial aspect of health care delivery, particularly in resource-limited settings. Access to these medicines must be ensured to meet the health needs of the population, demanding effective control of their inflow, outflow, and stock levels. Poor inventory management can lead to significant disruption in the supply chain, ultimately affecting patient care and safety.

Application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on Breast cancer diagnosis combined with multiple algorithms: A systematic review.

Introduction: Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is an innovative diagnostic technique for improving early detection and personalized care for breast cancer patients. It allows rapid and accurate analysis of biological samples. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of FT-IR spectroscopy for breast cancer, based on a comprehensive literature review.

Community pharmacy professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward substandard and falsified medicines and associated factors in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia.

Background: The availability of substandard and/or falsified medicines (SFMs) in the market poses a severe threat to health and the national economy. Therefore, pharmacy professionals are highly responsible for controlling SFMs distribution in the market to improve the health of the population.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess community pharmacy professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward SFMs and to identify associated factors in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia.

Artificial intelligence based predictive tools for identifying type 2 diabetes patients at high risk of treatment Non-adherence: A systematic review.

Aims: Several Artificial Intelligence (AI) based predictive tools have been developed to predict non-adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Hence, this study aimed to describe and evaluate the methodological quality of AI based predictive tools for identifying T2D patients at high risk of treatment non-adherence.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted across multiple databases including, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, MedLine, and Google Scholar search.

Cost-effective track and trace technology for poor-quality chemotherapeutic pharmaceuticals in resource-limited countries: a review of the Chemotherapeutic Paper Analytical Device.

Poor-quality medicines (substandard or counterfeit) can lead to treatment failure. There is a vast global imbalance in cancer treatment outcomes due to the difficulty of accessing quality chemotherapeutic products. Early diagnosis of cancer brings more hope for curative treatment of cancer and increases the demand for chemotherapeutic products.

In silico prediction of some pharmacokinetic, safety, biological activity and molecular docking studies of 1-piperazine indole hybrid with nicotinic amide and nicotinic acid and their analogues.

Background: In silico predictions are now being utilized in drug discovery and design to assess the physicochemical, pharmacokinetics, and safety properties of compounds at the beginning of the drug discovery process. This early evaluation of the physicochemical, pharmacokinetics, and safety properties of compounds helps the researchers to invest their time and resources only in the best prospective lead compounds by eliminating compounds with a low chance of success.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore a promising lead compound designed from 1-piperazine indole hybrid with nicotinic amide and nicotinic acid analogs targeted on phosphofructokinase for Trypanosomiasis activity by using in silico predictions strategy.

Radio frequency identification technology; A method of analysis of falsified pharmaceutical products: Literature review.

Quality has been a concern of the World Health Organization since its inception and is defined as fitness for use. Since our ancestors began trading several millennia ago, Falsified Pharmaceutical Products has been a recurring problem and still threatens economic stability and public health. Its definition various from country to country and according to World Health Organization, 2017, it is 'a product that is deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source'.

Assessment of the hospital pharmacy quality assurance system in selected hospitals in the Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.

Introduction: Pharmacy services in hospitals are designed to meet the needs of all patients. This is undoubtedly one of the most complex services provided by hospitals. In government hospitals, including those in Ethiopia, pharmacies mainly serve as drug stores and dispensaries.

Evaluation of female university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward human papillomavirus infection and vaccination. Multicenter cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Having good knowledge and a favorable attitude toward human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccinations is the cornerstone for increasing the use of HPV vaccinations and preventing cervical cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HPV and HPV vaccinations, as well as to identify associated factors among female undergraduate health science students at both the University of Gondar (UoG) and Bahir Dar University (BDU), Amhara, Ethiopia.

Methods: Institutional-based multicenter descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1, 2023, to July 30, 2023.

Prevalence of substandard, falsified, unlicensed and unregistered medicine and its associated factors in Africa: a systematic review.

Background: Substandard, falsified, unlicensed, and unregistered medicines pose significant risks to public health in developed and developing countries. This systematic review provides an overview of the prevalence of substandard, falsified, unlicensed, and unregistered medicine and its associated factors in Africa.

Methods: Articles published from April 2014 to March 2024 were searched in Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice on substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products among pharmacy professionals in Gondar City, North-West Ethiopia.

Introduction: The circulation of substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products on the national and international markets has increased. Different studies revealed that there is limited information about pharmacy professionals' awareness of substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products. Therefore; the aim of the present study was to assess the pharmacy professionals' knowledge, attitude, and practice of substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products.

Food adulteration: Causes, risks, and detection techniques-review.

Food adulteration is the intentional addition of foreign or inferior substances to original food products for a variety of reasons. It takes place in a variety of forms, like mixing, substitution, hiding poor quality in packaging material, putting decomposed food for sale, misbranding or giving false labels, and adding toxicants. Several analytical methods (such as chromatography, spectroscopy, electronic sensors) are used to detect the quality of foodstuffs.

Assessment of prescription completeness and drug use pattern using WHO prescribing indicators in private community pharmacies in Addis Ababa: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Healthcare systems in both developing and developed countries were not free from prescription errors. One of the effects of prescription errors is irrational prescribing. According to the estimation of the World Health Organization (WHO), greater than 50% of medicines are prescribed and dispensed irrationally.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Traditional Healers toward Dosage Forms and Routes of Administration: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ethiopia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted on 70 traditional healers from June 1, 2022 to July 25, 2022. The data were collected through structured questionnaires. The data were checked for completeness and consistency and then entered into SPSS version 25.