Knowledge and Attitude of Pharmacy Students toward People with Mental Illnesses and Help-Seeking: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia

People with mental illnesses (MIs) face several challenges in addition to their disease. People’s negative views of those with MIs impact patients’ decisions to seek professional help. The aims of this study were to assess pharmacy students’ attitudes toward people with MIs and seeking help for mental health, as well as their knowledge about the causes of MIs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on pharmacy students at Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Out of the 460 distributed questionnaires, 330 complete questionnaires were received, giving a response rate of 71.7%. Overall, the mean total score for attitude towards people with MIs was 60.16 ± 10.48 (maximum attainable score: 105). In this study, 51.12% believed that people with MIs are more likely to harm others than a person without MIs and 66.9% mentioned that they did not trust the work of a mentally ill person as part of their work team. However, only 35.45% believed that it is difficult for mentally ill individuals to follow social rules. In terms of attitudes toward help-seeking, the mean total score of was 12.83 ± 3.16 out of the maximum score of 25. In addition, the mean total score for knowledge about causes of mental illness was 2.92 ± 1.76 out of the maximum score of 8. The participants reported that MIs could be due to genetic inheritance (56%), substance abuse (54.5%), or brain disease (66.1%). The findings showed that there are some negative attitudes toward people with MIs and negative attitudes towards seeking help for mental health. In addition, some misconceptions about the causes of MIs are prevalent. Consequently, the incorporation of more topics concerning mental health in pharmacy curricula could help improve the awareness of and knowledge about mental health

Gender Differences in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19 was a pandemic, Saudi Arabia took preventative and precautionary measures to avoid its spread and to safeguard its citizens. In this study, we investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of both men and women toward COVID-19 as well as associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online, self-report questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. The overall percentage of correct answers for the knowledge statements was 80.2%, with a higher rate among the female respondents (82.4% vs. 78.5%, p = 0.005). Slightly more than half (i.e., 165: 51.6%) of the participants showed that they did not go to crowded places during the pandemic; however, more female respondents recorded that they avoided crowded places than male respondents (57.7% vs. 46.2%, p = 0.04). Most participants (i.e., 272: 85.0%) reported that they had worn a mask in recent days, and more than two-thirds (84.4%) said that they still follow the strategies recommended by government authorities to prevent the spread of the virus. Again, more female respondents reported this than males (89.9% vs. 79.5%; p = 0.01). Significant correlations (p < 001) were noted between knowledge and practices (r = 0.31), knowledge and attitudes (r = 0.37), and attitudes and practices (r = 0.29). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, occupation and education were independently associated with knowledge among both the male and female respondents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–7.2; aOR: 5.9; 95% CI: 2.2–15.9). Residence was independently associated with attitudes, but only among the male respondents (aOR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1–4.9), and COVID-19 was independently associated with practices among both the male and female respondents (aOR: 4.5; 95% CI: 1.4–14.2; aOR: 9.8; 95% CI: 1.2–81.2). There were significant gender differences in both knowledge and practices toward COVID-19, with the female respondents achieving better scores than the male respondents. Thus, we recommend that health education campaigns are tailored to specifically target males

Impact of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Clinical Outcomes and Epigenetic Markers in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Vitamin D has recently been found to influence the renin-angiotensin system (RAS); it can reduce the effects of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) by decreasing plasma renin. This study examines the effect of vitamin D supplements on cardiac fibrosis markers, echocardiographic parameters, and epigenetic markers in patients with established acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It also looks at the incidence of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms Apa I (rs7975232), Bsm I (rs1544410), Taq I (rs731236), and Fok I (rs2228570) and its association with the development of secondary major acute cardiovascular events (MACE) and heart failure (HF). A randomized controlled trial in which patients were divided into two groups was performed. Group 1 comprised of 125 ACS patients who received ACS standard therapy alone, while Group 2 consisted of 125 ACS patients who received ACS standard therapy plus vitamin D according to their vitamin D levels. Patients were monitored for 24 months to find subsequent MACE and HF. Vitamin D therapy for ACS patients resulted in a substantial decline in end systolic and end diastolic volumes (p = 0.0075 and 0.002, respectively), procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (PIIINP) and soluble ST2 levels (p = 0.007 and 0.001, respectively), as well as in ejection fraction and vitamin D level (p = 0.0001 and 0.008, respectively). In addition, vitamin D treatment was linked to a significant decline in the levels of noncoding RNA, such as mir361, lncRNA MEG3, and lncRNA Chaer (p = 2.9 × 10−4, 2.2 × 10−6, and 1.2 × 10−5, respectively). Furthermore, patients who suffered MACE had significantly higher levels of the Bsm I CC and Fok I GG genotypes (p = 4.8 × 10−4 and 0.003, respectively), while patients with HF had significantly higher levels of the Taq I AA genotype (p = 4.2 × 10−7). Supplementing ACS patients with vitamin D has been demonstrated to limit cardiac fibrosis and echocardiographic parameters, as well as epigenetic markers. Additionally, MACE and HF among ACS patients may be related to genetic variations among VDR gene polymorphisms

Impact of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Clinical Outcomes and Epigenetic Markers in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Vitamin D has recently been found to influence the renin-angiotensin system (RAS); it can reduce the effects of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) by decreasing plasma renin. This study examines the effect of vitamin D supplements on cardiac fibrosis markers, echocardiographic parameters, and epigenetic markers in patients with established acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It also looks at the incidence of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms Apa I (rs7975232), Bsm I (rs1544410), Taq I (rs731236), and Fok I (rs2228570) and its association with the development of secondary major acute cardiovascular events (MACE) and heart failure (HF). A randomized controlled trial in which patients were divided into two groups was performed. Group 1 comprised of 125 ACS patients who received ACS standard therapy alone, while Group 2 consisted of 125 ACS patients who received ACS standard therapy plus vitamin D according to their vitamin D levels. Patients were monitored for 24 months to find subsequent MACE and HF. Vitamin D therapy for ACS patients resulted in a substantial decline in end systolic and end diastolic volumes (p = 0.0075 and 0.002, respectively), procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (PIIINP) and soluble ST2 levels (p = 0.007 and 0.001, respectively), as well as in ejection fraction and vitamin D level (p = 0.0001 and 0.008, respectively). In addition, vitamin D treatment was linked to a significant decline in the levels of noncoding RNA, such as mir361, lncRNA MEG3, and lncRNA Chaer (p = 2.9 &times; 10&minus;4, 2.2 &times; 10&minus;6, and 1.2 &times; 10&minus;5, respectively). Furthermore, patients who suffered MACE had significantly higher levels of the Bsm I CC and Fok I GG genotypes (p = 4.8 &times; 10&minus;4 and 0.003, respectively), while patients with HF had significantly higher levels of the Taq I AA genotype (p = 4.2 &times; 10&minus;7). Supplementing ACS patients with vitamin D has been demonstrated to limit cardiac fibrosis and echocardiographic parameters, as well as epigenetic markers. Additionally, MACE and HF among ACS patients may be related to genetic variations among VDR gene polymorphisms

Knowledge, attitude and practice about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its psychological impact on students and their studies : a cross-sectional study among pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia

Background: Individuals' knowledge, attitude and practice towards preventive and precautionary measures of COVID-19 are essential to control the spread of the disease. Consequently, the aims of the study were to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacy students towards the pandemic and to assess its psychological impact on them to provide future guidance. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted via a web-based survey in May 2020. All pharmacy students enrolled at Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, were invited to take part in the study. Results: A total of 232 out of 460 students took part in the study, giving a response rate of 50.43%. The mean total knowledge score was 9.87 ± 2.04 (maximum attainable score, 12). The majority of the participants (n=163; 70.3%) believed COVID-19 is a health threat to their community in the early months of the pandemic. Moreover, the majority (93%) also believed that the lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic was necessary to contain the pandemic. Encouragingly, 86.6% reported that they did not go to any crowded places during the pandemic with more female students avoiding crowded places compared to male students (91.6% versus 78.7%, respectively, P = 0.005). The majority (91%) also reported that they were following the strategies recommended by the authorities to prevent the spread of the virus. Encouragingly, 54.3% reported that the pandemic either had no effect or just a limited effect on their studies. However, 38.5% reported that they always felt or frequently felt nervous or anxious during the pandemic. Conclusion: The study showed that pharmacy students had good knowledge as well as positive attitudes and good practices towards COVID-19 and the preventive measures. However, during the early months, the pandemic did have a negative psychological impact on a number of students. Consequently, proactive psychological and social support services to the students should be considered during the current and future pandemics. In addition, it is important to consider and proactively address key issues that could cause stress and anxiety among students when shifting to distance learning and assessments

Comparative Safety Signal Assessment of Hospitalization Associated With the Use of Atypical Antipsychotics

BACKGROUND: Persons with symptoms of psychosis receiving treatment with atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) can experience serious adverse events (AEs) requiring admission to the hospital. The comparative likelihood of AE-related hospitalization following the use of all AAPs has not been fully characterized. Therefore, we evaluated the safety signals of hospitalizations associated with the use of AAPs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database (from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2021) to examine disproportionality in reporting hospitalizations suspected to be associated with 12 AAPs (aripiprazole, asenapine, brexpiprazole, clozapine, iloperidone, lurasidone, olanzapine, paliperidone, and pimavanserin, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone). Hospitalization in the FAERs database is an outcome that is recorded as a result of an AE occurring at any drug dose. We estimated reporting odds ratios (RORs) by comparing the odds of hospitalization occurring with a particular AAP to the odds of its occurrence with other drugs. In addition, we considered the presence of a significant safety signal when the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the ROR is \u3e1. RESULTS: A total of 204,287 cases of hospitalizations were reported to the FDA for individuals treated with AAPs. There were significant safety signals of hospitalization associated with using clozapine (ROR, 2.88; 95% CI, 2.84-2.92), olanzapine (ROR, 2.61; 95% CI, 2.57-2.64), quetiapine (ROR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.85-1.89), risperidone (ROR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.39-1.43), aripiprazole (ROR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.32-1.35), and ziprasidone (ROR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.10-1.18). However, no hospitalization-related safety signals were observed with the use of paliperidone, pimavanserin, iloperidone, asenapine, lurasidone, and brexpiprazole. The ROR estimates were numerically higher among older adults than younger adults. CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional assessment of data from FAERs (2004-2021) suggested that users of clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, aripiprazole, and ziprasidone were more likely to report being hospitalized than users of other AAPs. Given that the FAERs database only contains spontaneous reports of AEs experienced by persons exposed to a drug but without information on exposed persons who did not have an event, a cohort study comparing hospitalizations among new users of individual AAPs against each other is needed to delineate these safety signals further

Pharmacy Students’ Attitudes Toward Distance Learning After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study From Saudi Arabia

BackgroundElectronic learning refers to the use of assistive tools in offline and distance learning environments. It allows students to access learning tools and materials anytime and anywhere. However, distance learning courses depend on several factors that affect the quality of learning, which consequently affect students’ preferences in the settings and tools used to deliver educational materials. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate students’ preferences for continuing distance learning after the pandemic and to assess the distance educational environment after the pandemic. It also aimed to identify the factors affecting distance learning and evaluate students’ preferences regarding modes of communication with instructors. MethodsA web-based survey was used to conduct this cross-sectional study. The target participants of this study were students in the doctor of pharmacy program at Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim, Saudi Arabia. All students enrolled from December 2022 to January 2023 received an invitation with a link to the web-based survey. ResultsThe survey was completed by 141 students (58 female students and 83 male students). The research results showed that most students (102/141, 72.3%) did not wish to continue distance education for laboratory courses, and 60.3% (85/141) did not wish to continue taking distance team-based learning after the pandemic. Additionally, 83.7% (118/141) of the students indicated that distance courses were simple. More than half of the participants (79/141, 56%) stated that having a camera on during class negatively impacted their learning, and only 29.1% (41/141) of the students stated that nonvisual communication with their fellow students impacted their learning. A large proportion of students (83/141, 58.9%) reported impairment of social engagement on campus, 44% (62/141) in-person interactions during classes, and 73.7% (104/141) were relieved that their classes were not disrupted. ConclusionsSimilar to all types of education, distance learning is characterized by advantages and disadvantages, as reported by students. Students felt that the course material was intelligible, and the distance course was uncomplicated. Moreover, they expressed relief that their studies were not disrupted. However, they also reported the loss of face-to-face contact during courses as the most significant drawback of distance learning versus face-to-face learning, followed by a lack of social connection on campus

Knowledge, Attitude, and Acceptance of Sinopharm and AstraZeneca&rsquo;s COVID-19 Vaccines among Egyptian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the Egyptian population&rsquo;s preference and awareness related to available COVID-19 vaccines and to determine different factors that can affect beliefs concerning these vaccines. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based study was carried out among the general population in Egypt. Data collection was conducted via an online questionnaire. Results: About 426 subjects participated in the survey. Vaccine preference is nearly equally even (50%) among all respondents. There was no significant difference in vaccine preference according to age, gender, residence, educational level, or social status. About 50% of public respondents mentioned that both AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines do not offer protection against new variant COVID-19 strains. Healthcare workers are the lowest respondents to agree that vaccines offer protection against new COVID-19 variants (10.9%) compared to unemployed respondents (20.3%) and other professions (68.8%) with a statistically significant difference (p &lt; 0.005). Safety of vaccine administration among children below 18 showed statistical differences for gender and educational level predictors. Conclusions: Most of the study population has satisfying knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine. Continuous awareness campaigns must be carried out so that the people&rsquo;s background is updated with any new information that would help in raising the trust in vaccination

Impact of a Clinical Pharmacist Intervention on Medicine Costs in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in India.

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as India. Medicine costs are a key issue in LMICs, with typically high patient co-payments. In addition, pharmacists are underutilised in LMICs, including India. However, pharmacist-led educational interventions may improve the care of patients with COPD, as well as reduce medicine costs. Consequently, the objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a pharmacist-led intervention in reducing medicine costs.MethodologyWe assessed the impact of a pharmacist intervention on direct medicine costs in COPD patients (medicine costs and pharmacist time) in a randomised controlled study involving an intervention and control group, conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in India.ResultsThe 6-monthly cost of medicines at baseline increased with disease severity, from a maximum of US$29.46 for those with mild COPD to US$63.28 for those with very severe COPD. Substantial savings in medical costs were achieved with the pharmacist-led programme, to a maximum of US$20.49 over 6 months for very severe patients. This equates to a reduction of 30.6% in medicine costs (p ConclusionThere could be a key role for pharmacists as educators for COPD patients in LMICs, to improve care and reduce costs, including patient co-payments