Susceptibility of common urinary isolates to the commonly used antibiotics in a tertiary hospital in southern Nigeria

Antimicrobial resistance in the treatment of urinary tract infections is a major health problem. This study evaluates the pattern of susceptibility of pathogens commonly responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs) to commonly used antimicrobial agents in Benin City. Midstream urine samples of 700 patients (300 males and 400 females), who were attending clinics in a 550-bed University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, between April 2003 to March 2004 were examined. Susceptibility of the urine bacteria isolates to twelve commonly used antibiotics was investigated. Eight bacteria isolates were recovered from 49.5% of the patients (18.1% of males and 31.4% of females). These wereEscherichia coli (19.7%), Klebsiella aerogenes (15.1%), Proteus mirabilis (6.7%), Acinetobacter calcoaceticus (2.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2.3%), Streptococcus faecalis (1.3%), Providence stuartii (1%), and Alkaligenes faecalis (1%). All the isolates exhibited a significantly high resistance to tetracycline, co-trimoxazole, amoxycillin and cefuroxime but were either moderately or highly sensitive to the quinolones and nitrofurantoin. We conclude that majority of the antimicrobial agents that are commonly used to treat UTIs in the hospitals are no longer effective. Therefore, the development and strict management of antimicrobial policy, and surveillance for resistant organisms should be given priority in Nigeri

Identification of Standards for Pharmaceutical Care in Benin City

Purpose: Pharmaceutical care (PC) is still a theoretical statement in Nigeria and not operational. The goal of this study is to identify practice standards that can be effectively applied in the implementation of pharmaceutical care in Nigeria. Method: The survey instrument (a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire) was distributed to pharmacists in Benin City. Each questionnaire contained the 52 suggested practice standards obtained from round one discussion by the Delphi panel of PC experts. The pharmacists were requested to indicate in the questionnaire whether or not each of the standards was feasible, relevant, being currently applied or intend to be apply it in their practice setting. Analysis of the responses on being currently applied or intend to apply it excluded the pharmacists in academia since nearly all of them were full-time University Lecturers. Result: Of the 150 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 119 (79.3%) responded. The average proportion of pharmacists who gave positive response to each of the standards were as follows: feasibility (71.3% 9.2%), relevance (72.0% 8.0%), currently apply it (18.2% 20.2%) and intend to apply it (10.8% 6.7%). The 95% confidence intervals of the responses were: feasibility (68.7% 73.9%), relevance (69.7% - 74.4%), currently apply it (12.5% - 23.8%), and intend to apply it (8.9% - 12.6%). Neither the age, years of professional experience, qualification nor area of practice significantly influenced the pharmacists responses. Forty-seven (47) of the 52 standards were identified for application by the pharmacists. Conclusion: PC standards that can be effectively applied in improving effective pharmaceutical services in Benin City have been identified. The identified 47 standards are most likely to stimulate the widespread implementation of PC in Nigeria if seriously addressed by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Nigeria pharmacists. Keywords: Benin City, pharmaceutical care, practice standards Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 2002; 1(2): 55-6

The Quality of Groundwater in Benin City: A baseline study on inorganic chemicals and microbial contaminants of health importance in boreholes and open wells.

Purpose: Inorganic chemicals and microorganisms are common in human environments and at high levels poisoning from the chronic effects have occasionally occurred. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate whether the levels of inorganic chemicals and microbial contaminants in boreholes and open wells in selected Districts in Benin City are sufficient to affect the health of the inhabitants of the areas under investigation. Method: Six (6) boreholes and three (3) open wells were randomly selected from two Districts (Okhoro and Teboga) in Benin City. Water samples were collected from the boreholes and open wells using standard techniques. Lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) concentrations as well as aerobic bacteria, presumptive faecal coliform, E. coli, faecal Streptococci and fungi in the water samples were determined using standard procedures. World Health Organisation acceptable limits for drinking water were used in the evaluation. Result: All the boreholes and open wells were contaminated with abnormal levels of Pb. High levels of Cr and Cd were found in the borehole and open wells at Okhoro. Abnormal levels of Zn concentrations were detected in almost all the boreholes and open wells. All the boreholes at Teboga were contaminated with unacceptable levels of aerobic bacteria and fungi. Presumptive faecal colifom, E.coli and faecal Streptococci were seen in all the boreholes. Conclusion: Some boreholes and open wells in Okhoro and Teboga Districts in Benin City are contaminated with abnormal levels of metals and microorganisms capable of causing health hazards to the consumers of boreholes and open wells. Keywords: Benin City, boreholes, inorganic chemicals, microorganisms, open wells. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 2002; 1(2):75-8

Small and Medium Enterprises and Biopharmaceutical Innovations in Africa: Challenges and Prospects

Biopharmaceuticals can be described as medicines or medicinal products manufactured through biotechnological processes with links to biological sources especially those of live organisms or their active components. The biopharmaceutical industry is presently experiencing tremendous revenuegrowth rates projected at more than $167 billion worldwide in 2015. There are more than 500 biopharmaceutical products that have been approved with about 400 presently marketable in the United States and European markets. The full potential of biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, genomic, genetic and biogeneric compounds is best realized in small entrepreneurial firms which have the capacity for creativity, risk, flexibility and iteration that no large biopharmaceutical entity can match. Although there are challenges facing African Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in biopharmaceutical industry, the prospects on the other hand can be lucrative taking into cognizance Africa’s ever increasing population and the need for affordable health care. To facilitate the contribution of SMEs in Africa, this article presents a perspective on the prospects of African SMEs in biopharmaceutical innovations such as new products, processes and services. The roles of SMEs in the global biopharmaceutical industry are reviewed. Additionally, selected critical factors to accelerate the contribution of African SMEs in global biopharmaceutical innovation are described. Finally, the prospective areas for biopharmaceutical innovation in Africa include research and development, marketing, workforce development and contract manufacturing.Keywords: Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, SMEs, Biopharmaceuticals, Research and Development, Contract manufacturing

The Pharmd Program: Prospects and Challenges in Nigeria

Pharmacy profession has experienced tremendous changes over the years. In Nigeria, the profession is traceable to the colonial period when some people were trained to handle drugs and functioned as dispensers of medicines, sanitary officers, medical aids and anaesthetists in operating theatres. This progressed to the supply and dispensing of medications, bulk compounding and administrative functions by pharmacists and then to the acceptance of clinical pharmacy practice in the 1980s. PharmD program is part of the rapid changes being experienced in pharmacy practice and started in the United States over 5 decades ago. Today, the program has been introduced in many countries including United Kingdom, Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India and Nigeria. Fueled by the increasing use of prescription drugs by an aging population, scientific advances leading to the introduction of new drugs and the emerging trend of pharmacists becoming directly involved in patient care across the world, PharmD program opens opportunities for pharmacy graduates to practice in US and other countries currently running PharmD and several new job prospects in academic/research institutions, hospitals, community pharmacies, glossary stores and NGOs and increase overall respect for the pharmacist. University of Benin has made inexorable bold steps in starting the program and this has now opened opportunities for other faculties of pharmacy in Nigeria. However, accreditation of the program by relevant bodies, slow progress in PharmD implementation by many faculties of pharmacy, low level of appropriate academic manpower, disparity within the pharmacy profession, rivalry between pharmacists and doctors, adequate remuneration for PharmD holders in public service, limited faculties of pharmacy, limited number of pharmacy technicians to assist pharmacists in dispensing functions and development/enforcement of areas of specialization for pharmacists in hospital and community practice are areas of major challenges in Nigeria. Like the health care delivery system itself, the PharmD program cannot thrive in isolation in the face of so much emerging technological innovations and uncertainties making it critical for pharmacists to create forward thinking and flexible vision of the PharmD program and the roles other health care professionals play in the evolving health care system.Keywords: Health care delivery; Patient-centred pharmacy practice; Pharmacist; Pharmacy educationNigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 9 No 1 pp. 30 - 48 (February 2011

Sowing the seeds for improved Pharmacy education in Nigeria: development of ICT at university of Benin Faculty of Pharmacy

For today\'s pharmacy graduates to function effectively in an ever increasing technological world, pharmacy students must be trained to use computer facilities as they will always encounter the application of computerized information resources throughout their educational and professional lives. Similarly, pharmacy teachers need to be adequately proficient in computer usage in order to be able to apply computers in instructions and research. The purpose of this article is to describe the impact of the application of information technology (IT) on the training of pharmacy students in University of Benin Faculty of Pharmacy as well as explore the willingness of pharmacy instructors to embrace IT. A computer teaching laboratory, equipped with 20 computers, a server, printers, scanners, Laptop, and computer-aided learning (CAL) packages was developed. Internet access was provided through a local area network. Staff (n=30) and students (n=115) were trained to use the facilities. Self-administered questionnaires directed at both the staff and students trained were used to evaluate the success of the project. The level of computer literacy of academic staff increased from 60.8% (prior to the training) to 98.04%. There was a remarkable improvement in their computer skills. The staff agreed that the training greatly improved their abilities to teach and carry out research. All the students agreed that the computer education was beneficial in improving learning, professional competence, team work, problem-solving ability and self-confidence, as well as acquiring new knowledge and opening opportunity for life-long learning. The enthusiasm of staff and students in the Faculty has been overwhelming. Computer facilities for the teaching of pharmacy students have been successfully developed and applied to improve computer literacy for both staff and students in University of Benin Faculty of Pharmacy. These have opened opportunities for improvement in research, teaching and learning. Nig. J. Pharm. Res. 3(1) 2004: 35-4

Assessment of Pharmacist-Patient communication in some health care facilities in Southern Nigeria

Effective communication between the pharmacist and the patient is an important aspect of pharmacotherapy as it ensures patient's compliance to drug therapy. Therefore, a study of the communication between the pharmacist and patient was carried out to determine the level of communication between the pharmacist and the patient, and to examine the factors that can effectively predict question asking behaviour by the patient and the provision of medication information by the pharmacist to the patient. Pharmacy departments in three government hospitals in Edo and Delta States were used for the study. In each of the hospitals, both the pharmacists (n=59) and the patients (96 males and 104 females) were observed as the patients were being attended to by the pharmacists within the drug dispensing area. This involved 265 new prescriptions sheets and 44 refill prescriptions sheets. Information on the prescriptions was obtained from the patients as they came into the pharmacy dispensing areas. The likelihood that specific types of information were provided under different conditions of prescription status, patient age, patient gender and patient question asking were investigated. Factors associated with administrative elements, continuity of therapy, contraindications, directions for use, interactions, monitoring, name of medication, purpose of medication, side effects, and solicitation of feedback were determined by an observation of pharmacist-patient encounters and recording whether or not each type of information was provided to patients. The effects of independent variables (socio-demographic characteristics, prescription status, patient age, patient gender and patient question asking) on the provision of information to patients were investigated using logistic regression analysis. Results indicate that the level of communication between the pharmacists and their patients was generally very poor. The pharmacists provided information to the patients mainly in connection with the prices of their medications (98.5%) and the directions for their use (98.5%). They hardly provided information to the patients in areas such as continuity of therapy, contraindications, interactions, monitoring, solicitation of feedback and the name, source, nature, purpose and side effects of their drugs. Patient's question asking was also generally poor and most patients tend to ask questions in relation to the price of their medications. The socio-demographic characteristics, prescription status and patient question asking were major predictors for the provision of information to patients. Pharmacists in the hospitals studied do not provide adequate drug information to their patients. This necessitates the re-orientation of pharmacists if they are to be able to provide effective pharmaceutical care services to patients. Key words: Consultation; counseling; dispensing; question-asking; pharmacist-patient communication Nig. J. Pharm. Res. 3(1) 2004: 23-3