Pharmacy Practice and Education in Latvia

The PHARMINE (“Pharmacy Education in Europe”) project studied the organisation of pharmacy practice and education in the member states of the European Union (EU). The work was carried out using an electronic survey sent to chosen pharmacy representatives. The surveys of the individual member states are now being published as reference documents. This paper presents the results of the PHARMINE survey on pharmacy practice and education in Latvia. In the light of this, we examine the harmonisation of practice and education in Latvia with EU norms.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Factors related to good asthma control using different medical adherence scales in Latvian asthma patients : An observational study

Publisher Copyright: © 2017 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.One of the main challenges in asthma control is adherence to pharmaceutical treatment. The aim of this study was to test the association between adherence to asthma medication, control and medical beliefs, cognitive and emotional perceptions using three different validated questionnaires. Beliefs about asthma medicine, cognitive and emotional factors were determined in a cross-sectional survey of patients attending outpatient pulmonologist practices in Latvia (n = 352). The validated Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire were used. Adherence to asthma medication was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and two different versions of the Medication Adherence Reporting Scale. Several questions about necessity or concerns related to pharmaceutical treatment were able to predict poor adherence according to the Morisky scale. If the patient felt that without the asthma medication his life would be impossible, his risk to have poor treatment adherence was 46% reduced (odds ratio 0.54; 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.89). Furthermore, asthma patients who were convinced that their health depends on the asthma treatment were less likely to have poor treatment adherence (odds ratio 0.56: 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.97). In case the patient was concerned by the need to constantly use asthma medication or sometimes concerned by long-term effects of asthma medication the odds of poor treatment adherence were 1.96 (95% confidence interval 1.19-3.24) and 2.43 (95% confidence interval 1.45-4.08), respectively. In conclusion, medication beliefs, particularly concerns and necessity of asthma treatment were associated with poor treatment adherence when assessed with the Morisky or 5-item Medication Adherence Reporting Scale.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Perception of the Professional Knowledge of and Education on the Medical Technology Products among the Pharmacists in the Baltic and Nordic Countries—A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

With increased development of medical technology (MT), new challenges emerge related to education and training of pharmacists and other healthcare specialists. Currently, only a few universities in the EU promote MT education and research. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current status, views on, and need for the education on MT for the pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists in the Baltic and Nordic countries. Methods: The representatives of higher education institutions and community/hospital pharmacists from six Baltic and Nordic countries participated in a qualitative cross-sectional exploratory internet-based study from May to October 2014. Results: Approximately two-third of the respondents considered professional knowledge about MT products important for pharmacists, but half of them had never participated in any MT courses. More practicing pharmacists than representatives of academia underlined the need for increased MT education for pharmacy students in the future. Conclusions: The pharmacists in the Baltic and Nordic countries consider the professional knowledge about MT as pertinent in their education and work. The limited number and status of MT courses available today, however, is a major concern among both pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists in these countries. In the future, increasing education combining theory and practice about MT products would be one possible solution to overcome this challenge.Peer reviewe

Factors related to poor asthma control in Latvian asthma patients between 2013 and 2015

Objectives: To investigate whether beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional factors are related to poor asthma control in a sample of Latvian asthma patients in 2015. Design: Cross-sectional, self-administered survey. Subjects: Three hundred and fifty two asthma patients (mean age 57.5 years) attending outpatient pulmonologist consultations in Riga, Latvia during September 2013 to December 2015. The sample size was calculated to detect a prevalence of poor asthma control of 50% with a margin of error of 5% and a power of 95%. Main outcome measures: The validated Beliefs about Medication Questionnaire (BMQ) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (brief IPQ) were used. Good asthma control was assessed using the asthma control test (ACT), a validated five-item scale that reliably assesses asthma control over a recall period of four weeks. Logistic regression models were used to predict poor asthma control. Results: Patients who had a good control of asthma medication (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.61–0.79) or were confident that their asthma medication improves illness (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.74–0.95) had a reduced risk of poor asthma control. The more symptoms (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.44–1.84) the asthma patients perceived or the more their illness affects their life, the higher the probability of poor asthma control (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.31–1.65). Some beliefs of necessity and concerns of asthma medication were also statistically significantly related to poor asthma control. Conclusions: Beliefs of necessity of asthma medication, cognitive and emotional illness perception factors correlate well with poor asthma control in Latvian patients