Potentially inappropriate medications use and its associated factors among geriatric patients: a cross-sectional study based on 2019 Beers Criteria

The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in a community-dwelling Jordanian population of geriatrics according to the 2019 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria, to identify the most used PIMs and factors independently associated with PIMs use. This was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The sample population included 386 participants. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews. A total of 2894 medications were evaluated. The prevalence of patients using at least one PIM was 49.2%. The most used PIMs were proton pump inhibitors (24.6%) and long-acting sulfonylurea (20.5%). Participants who had diabetes mellitus, peptic ulcer, or irritable bowel syndrome had significantly higher numbers of PIMs. The use of PIMs was high in Jordanian geriatric patients. The results of this study might help healthcare providers to detect high-risk patients and reconsider the necessity of using PIMs to decrease the risk of adverse drug events

Bovine Colostrum Treatment of Specific Cancer Types: Current Evidence and Future Opportunities

Worldwide, the incidence of cancer is on the rise. Current cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are typically associated with severe adverse effects and a decline in patients’ quality of life. Anti-cancer substances derived from plants and animals need to be evaluated therapeutically as it is cost-effective, have fewer side effects, and can improve cancer patients’ quality of life. Recently, bovine colostrum (BC) has attracted the interest of numerous researchers investigating its anti-cancer potential in humans. Dressings loaded with BC are beneficial in treating chronic wounds and diabetic foot ulcers. Lactoferrin, a glycoprotein with potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial effects, is abundant in BC. The BC pills successfully promote the regression of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia when administered intravaginally. The biological, genetic, and molecular mechanisms driving BC remain to be determined. Oral BC supplements are generally well-tolerated, but some flatulence and nausea may happen. To evaluate the therapeutic effects, long-term safety, and appropriate dosages of BC drugs, well-designed clinical trials are necessary. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the anti-cancer potential of BC and its constituents

Pharmaceutical care and telemedicine during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study based on pharmacy students, pharmacists, and physicians in Jordan

Lack of access to the patient medical record (90.6%) was the major barrier for the integration of pharmaceutical care into practice. The majority of participants (93.0%) encouraged creating a website that provides pharmaceutical care. Furthermore, 45.1% would pay for such a service if present. Moreover, the majority (89.8%) agreed that creating a comprehensive database for patients’ data will help in decreasing medical errors. Among the four aspects of pharmaceutical care (technical, psychosocial, communication and administrative) that were assessed for students and pharmacist’s, general weakness in all aspects was noticed. This study highlights that absence of proper documentation of patient medical information raises the risk of medical problems and is considered the most documented barrier for the integration of pharmaceutical care. This emphasizes the future role of telemedicine and the availability of a specialized website and database repository that stores patient’s information to ensure the continuity of care even during pandemics

The supplementary effects of omega-3 fatty acid alone and in a combination with vitamin D3 on serum leptin levels: A randomized clinical trial on men and women with vitamin D deficiency

Purpose: This randomized clinical trial (RCT) was designed to assess the effect of VD3, n-3FA, and their combination on serum leptin levels in people with vitamin D deficiency (VDD). Subjects and methods: One hundred and forty six participants, were randomly assigned into four groups supplemented with the dose of 50,000 IU VD3 taken weekly (D), 300 mg n-3FA taken daily (Om), and their combination (D+Om) or control (C) for eight weeks. Fasting baseline and follow-up (10 weeks; 8 weeks supplementation plus washout period of 2 weeks) of serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), leptin, glucose, triglycerides (TG), parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, and phosphorus were assayed. A paired T-test was used to assess the changes in serum leptin levels over of the follow-up period. Results: Significant increase in follow-up serum leptin (10.62 ± 7.18 to 14.42 ± 8.29 ng/mL, P = 0.002) and TG (154 ± 84.4 to 200.1 ± 79, P = 0.015) levels were observed in n-3-FA supplemented group. Combination therapy (VD3 plus n-3 FA) significantly increased serum 25OHD (13.49 ± 4.64 to 37.09 ± 11.13 ng/mL, P < 0.001), TG levels (114.3 ± 57.3 to 139.1 ± 60.7 mg/mL, P = 0.007) and insignificantly serum leptin (6.74 ± 4.87 to 8.01 ± 6.77 ng/mL, P = 0.269). Conclusion: Our study referred that notable elevation in leptin and TG levels might be linked to leptin resistance. However, further RCTs are required to clarify possible consequences resulted from the extensive administration of n-3FA supplements and their combinations with high doses of VD3 supplements on humans’ health

Evaluation of the effectiveness of educational medical informatics tutorial on improving pharmacy students’ knowledge and skills about the clinical problem-solving process

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of an online tutorial and its impact on improving knowledge and skills of pharmacy students in the clinical problem-solving process that is necessary to implement pharmaceutical care. Methods: This is a prospective interventional study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions using four novel templates. The first two levels of Kirkpatrick’s Model (Reaction and Learning) were used. Results: 129 participants completed all of the online training parts. The findings indicated a significant improvement in the students’ knowledge and skills. The participants achieved higher score following the tutorial than the baseline, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). There was a significant improvement in the number of detected treatment-related problems. The majority of students were satisfied with the overall training process and stated a high evaluation score out of 10 (mean = 7.93 ± 1.42, median = 8.00). Conclusion: The educational intervention achieved a substantial positive impact on decision-making skills of participating students and was considered effective in helping them attain basic skills such as teamwork, peer assessment, communication and critical evaluation. Healthcare providers must work together to ensure accurate medication use during care transitions. Pharmacists, as medication experts, play an important role in the implementation process. Pharmacy educators must prepare pharmacy student to use pharmaceutical care in their future practice

Molecular Accounting and Profiling of Human Respiratory Microbial Communities: Toward Precision Medicine by Targeting the Respiratory Microbiome for Disease Diagnosis and Treatment

The wide diversity of microbiota at the genera and species levels across sites and individuals is related to various causes and the observed differences between individuals. Efforts are underway to further understand and characterize the human-associated microbiota and its microbiome. Using 16S rDNA as a genetic marker for bacterial identification improved the detection and profiling of qualitative and quantitative changes within a bacterial population. In this light, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the basic concepts and clinical applications of the respiratory microbiome, alongside an in-depth explanation of the molecular targets and the potential relationship between the respiratory microbiome and respiratory disease pathogenesis. The paucity of robust evidence supporting the correlation between the respiratory microbiome and disease pathogenesis is currently the main challenge for not considering the microbiome as a novel druggable target for therapeutic intervention. Therefore, further studies are needed, especially prospective studies, to identify other drivers of microbiome diversity and to better understand the changes in the lung microbiome along with the potential association with disease and medications. Thus, finding a therapeutic target and unfolding its clinical significance would be crucial