Comparison of the Knowledge and Practices in Medicine Dispensing between Retail Medicine Shops and Model Pharmacies in Dhaka Metropolis

Model pharmacy has been adopted recently to upgrade the healthcare delivery system in Bangladesh. This study was aimed to analyze and compare the effectiveness of drug dispensing patterns, practices, and knowledge of both clients and dispensers of model pharmacies over traditional retail medicine shops. Two established methods, namely, client simulated method (CSM) and provider interview method (PIM), were employed to determine the practice differences in 90 retail medicine shops and 90 model pharmacies in and around Dhaka city. The results are represented primarily in comparison with corresponding percentages. The survey results did not fully support the findings obtained from the observations of the CSM as PIM contrasted these to some extent, and the differences are statistically significant (p<0.0001). According to CSM, the presence of A-grade pharmacists during working hours in retail medicine shops was 0%, and 63% in model pharmacies. As reported by PIM, in the retail medicine shops, 36% of clients were ignorant of visiting doctors before purchasing medicine. On the other hand, only 18% of clients could visit doctors. As per CSM, 40% of clients did not follow doctors' recommendations for completion of the full dose of antibiotics bought from retail medicine shops and 51% did not finish full antibiotic courses collected from model pharmacies. Additionally, CSM revealed that 28% of the clients administered leftover drugs following old and obsolete prescriptions of retail medicine shops and 21% of clients followed the same practices in terms of model pharmacies. The report of CSM revealed that 95% of dispensers of retail medicine shops sold medicine without prescription except over-the-counter (OTC), and in the model pharmacies, the percentage was 77%. The qualitative findings revealed substandard practices and dispensing pattern too. Model pharmacies were established to prevent aberrant medicine dispensing patterns and ensure proper medication dispensing practices and medicine intake. This research could not verify the situation that pharmacists or owners of model pharmacies were fully abiding by the guidelines set for them by the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA)

Association of Serum Zinc level with Pre Eclampsia

BACKGROUND: Pre eclampsia is the commonest obstetrical complication in pregnant women. The etiology of pre eclampsia has yet not been clearly understood. It has a worldwide prevalence of 2–10% of pregnancies and one of the major causes of increase in maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Zinc plays an important role in the course and eventual outcome of human pregnancy and is essential for normal embryogenesis and fetal growth. Zinc deficiency in pregnancy is thought to be associated with pre-eclampsia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the serum zinc level in pre-eclampsia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This Hospital based study conducted at Gynecology Department of Indus Medical Collage, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sindh from October 2015 to March 2016 with the Permission of Head of the Department and Principal of Institute. The study groups consist of 40 consecutive diagnosed cases of pre eclampsia and 40 women with normal pregnancies. The serum zinc level of the subjects under this study was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. RESULTS: The results of our study showed that serum Zinc level among the pre-eclamptic and was statistically significantly low as compared to normotensive pregnant women. CONCLUSION: The findings of current work are statistically significant to establish that concentration of serum zinc among preeclamptic subjects is lower than in the normotensive women during pregnancy

Operational risk management and customer complaints: the role of product complexity as a moderator.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between operational risk management and customer complaints. It also determines whether product complexity moderates the relationship between the operational risk management and customer complaints. Design/methodology/approach – This study utilizes a quantitative method: quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire. The population of this study is 1,845 local conventional bank branches based in Malaysia.Findings – The findings revealed that components of operational risk management, namely practice of hazard identification and formulation of implementation of risk control, have negative and significant relationships with customer complaints. Empirical evidence confirmed the moderating effects of product complexity on the relationship between operational risk management and customer complaints. Originality/value – From the perspective of developing countries, the main contribution of this study is the elucidation of the effect of operational risk management on customer complaints in commercial banks in Malaysia. This study confirmed the usability of the resource-based view theory in the banking industry, as well as operational risk management as a bank resourc

Causes and extent of environmental impacts of landslide hazard in the Himalayan region: a case study of Murree, Pakistan

Pakistan is located at the cross-roads of plate boundaries, experiencing multiple hazards of earthquake, flood, drought, water-logging, salinization and recurrent landslides. This paper examines the causes and environmental impacts of frequently occurring landslide hazards in the Murree area of Pakistan’s Himalayan region. These are wide ranging in nature and in terms of the damage that result. The area under research was divided into eight blocks and randomly data collected. It was observed that landslides mostly occur along the road network and disturbed slopes. Immature geology, a wide variation in climate and degradation of the natural resource-base were found to be some of the causal factors responsible for the landslide hazards. During the past three decades, rapid expansion of urban zones contributed to the changing vulnerability of the area. The analysis revealed that a large majority of the households (75%) in the area have been directly or indirectly affected by landslide hazards. Damages to already scarce agricultural land, infrastructure and other properties are each year a regular and escalating phenomenon. Landslide size, frequency and consequent costs of damage have increased considerably

Malaysian SMEs Performance and the Government Business Support Service: The Moderating Effects of Absorptive Capacity

The purpose of this study is to test and develop absorptive capacity as a moderator of the relationship between Government Business Support Service (GBSS) and SMEs Performance in Malaysia. A random sampling technique was used on 150 usable questionnaires and data was analysed by SPSS 19. Statistically, the results confirmed that financial and non-financial support by government positively related to SMEs Performance and there is an interaction of absorptive capacity as a moderator on GBSS and SMEs Performance

Influence of growth need strength on the relationship between overall life satisfaction and job satisfaction for medical service quality and delivery

This study is to determine the influence of Growth Need Strength [GNS] between overall life satisfaction and job satisfaction among SRN’s. Data were collected through survey using questionnaire. This study employed stratified random sampling involving a total of 390 nurses at selected general hospitals. The finding of the study contributes in the specific area of literature, theory and also in research design. The results of this study suggest that the GNS as moderator have played significant important role between overall life satisfaction and job satisfaction. It is also to improve medical service quality and delivery in order to provide a much better conducive working environment by incorporating policies that can improve job satisfaction