Evaluation of the involvement of pharmacists in diabetes self-care: a review from the economic perspective

Objectives: To analyze the studies encompassing the involvement of pharmacists in diabetes self-care. Method: We reviewed studies conducted from 2005 to 2017 on the involvement of pharmacists in diabetes self-care. The keywords mainly used in this search are pharmacoeconomic analysis, diabetes self-care, pharmacist involvement,cost-effectiveness analysis, cost of utilization, cost of illness, cost of minimization and cost-benefit analysis. PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Link and Medline searched for the relevant studies. These databases searched for full text articles ranging from 2007 to 2017. We tried to limit the search with the inclusion of studies having any sort of pharmacoeconomically relevant component. Key Findings: Cost of illness varied among the countries in managing diabetes mellitus, and the cost of managing diabetes complications were twice the cost of management of diabetes. Continuous involvement of the pharmacist in primary health care is a cost-effective strategy and pronounced to be essential for helping diabetes patient in controlling and managing their disease. Implementation of diabetes self-care by pharmacists such as lifestyle intervention rendered improved quality of life of patient without any increase in health care cost. Self-care management generates intensive blood glucose control and improved quality of life. Conclusions: Implementation of diabetic self-care intervention including intensive lifestyle intervention, education, self-monitoring of blood glucose and adherence toward medication-initiated reduction in the overall healthcare cost of diabetic patients compared to patients relying on only any one of the interventions. Impact of diabetes self-care intervention by pharmacist reported to significantly reduce the HbA1C levels of diabetic patients along with the reduction of yearly healthcare cost. This review showed that pharmacist involvement in diabetes self-care interventions prove to be cost-effective and can significantly affect the condition of the diabetic patients and reduces the risk of complications

Mobile applications in clinical practice: What is needed in the pharmacy scenario?

Pharmacy informatics is demonstrated to have a positive effect on pharmacy practice. The incorporation of pharmacy informatics in academic programs is a common feature in the pharmacy curriculum. This work aims to provide an overview of the current and potential role of mobile applications (apps) in pharmacy education and practice. Mobile apps are the most common informatics tools used by medical and pharmacy practitioners as well as students. Both students and practitioners have overall positive perceptions toward using mobile apps in their daily clinical training and practice although the fact that the number of pharmacy apps is still small relatively in comparison with other medical-related apps. There are many potential roles for mobile apps in pharmacy practice and education. The future efforts of educational uses of mobile apps in pharmacy should target playing a role in the provision of customized tools for clinical pharmacy education

Reflective writing in pharmacy practice

Pharmacists, being health information gurus and one of the largest groups of healthcare providers, seep into the changing dynamics of the healthcare environment where now the patient is both demanding of, and receptive to, information even on minor illnesses. The profession of pharmacy holds the concept of ‘patient centred care,’ thus shifting the image of a pharmacist from a dispenser to a decision-maker and caregiver. This places an additional burden on the pharmacist, and therefore the practice of professional principles should be more dynamic and action-oriented in the best interest of the patient. Future pharmacy practitioners need to gain better understanding of the professional principles and heterogeneous philosophies of pharmacy practice that initiate from dispensing, counselling, congenial interprofessional and intra-professional working, and later culminate in drug and patient safety, pharmacogenomics and pharmacoinformatics. In order to accomplish this, future pharmacy practitioners could be frequently acclimatized to the concept of reflective learning in different pharmacy modules. It is suggested that the concept of reflective learning could be nurtured by observational writing. The requirement of reflection-imbued observational writing generally, exposes the students to activities related to learning and makes them an insider for a transient epoch facilitating in facing the world being observed

Knowledge of the risk factors of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among pharmacy students: findings from a Malaysian university

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a global health burden that affects a broad scope of individuals worldwide. Pharmacists, as members of the multidisciplinary team, play a significant role in promoting public awareness towards potential risk factors for NCDs. This study aims to gauge the knowledge of NCDs risk factors among pharmacy students of a Malaysian public university. This paper also outlines perspectives of pharmacy students on the strategies to raise the awareness of NCDs risk factors. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Faculty of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia. Self-administered questionnaires were pretested and validated before being distributed to pharmacy students across different years of study. The data indicated an average level of knowledge towards risk factors of NCDs among study participants with no significant differences in knowledge between male and female genders (p = 0.583). However, there is a significant difference in knowledge concerning the year of study (p < 0.001); as positive correlation can be seen between the level of education and the knowledge of NCDs risk factor. Most of the students (75%) were unaware of the planning by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to control NCDs. Reinforcement of NCDs-related education activities is imperative in order to increase the overall awareness concerning the risk factors of NCDs among future pharmacy practitioners. Further collaborations between educational institutions and the MOH were proposed to help raise awareness of NCDs risk factors among the younger population

Editorial: Social and Administrative Policy in Healthcare and Pharmacy Practice

Most public health policies and activities in developing and developed countries are government-funded, so new information should be open to the public (1). There is a need to focus on both strengths and weaknesses of medication use policy, medication marketing, and evaluation of theoretical models. Furthermore, these could impact practice and/or patient behavior in responses to the social, health, and environmental challenges providing both theoretical and empirical findings. Potential issues include but are not limited to medication products/programs/services, medication adherence, disease management, medication use policy, and medication marketing (2–4). Social and health issues related to delivering health care services, medical governance, medication management, and pharmaceutical management related to multilevel, multi-stakeholder, and multi-sectoral approaches to healthy and affected communities should be explored. It is noteworthy to criticize ethical issues related to medication products/programs/services, medication use policy, and medication marketing. The ideas relevant to the social policy and health policy-related concepts received contributions from health policymakers, academics, practitioners, and collaborators in other sectors whose work impacts social and administrative policy. They were the appropriate sources to discuss how policy and practice change over time, how it compares across the globe, and how it is realized at all levels, from international to local. Whilst focused on relevance to practice, it was understood that examining the theories and philosophies that underpin social and administrative policy was essential. It captured a diversity of opinions across a broad range of fields, from the traditional (medication adherence; disease management; medication use policy; medication marketing, etc.) to the new (big data, new technologies). This Research Topic provided a venue for health professionals in social and administrative policy disciplines with a specific interest in policy and practice to share their research findings and other Research Topics related to public health

Evaluating effectiveness and safety toward electronic cigarette among Malaysian vapers: One-month observational study

Objective: Electronic cigarette (e‑cig) is recently growing substitute for smoking. The attention and practice of e‑cig among consumers is expanded globally, and Malaysia is not an exception to this, but the paucity of local data motivates us to do the current research. Methods: A total of 220 e‑cig vapers recruited for the study and divided into two categories based on smoking status as a single user and dual user. Both users observed for 1 month period to assess smoking cessation rate, adverse effects, withdrawal symptoms, and smoking‑related diseases. Results: A month follow‑up showed still 28.44% (P ≤ 0.001) of the entire study population (62 of 218, intention to treat analysis) were abstained from tobacco smoking. However, a high number of single user shown more quit rate as compared to of dual users (72.9% [51] vs. 7.4% [11]: Odds ratio 33.43; 95% confidence interval: 0.102–3.410) and merely two persons (<1%) started e‑cig by ever smokers. The key adverse effects and withdrawal symptoms that observed in dual users were coughing, breathing problems, and craving, whereas in single users high appetite cases documented; however, no cases of any diseases reported among both users during the whole study period. Conclusion: A month follow‑up showed a good smoking cessation rate among Malaysian vapers mainly in single users, whereas less number of quitters but the high reduction in tobacco cigarette consumption observed in dual users without any harmful effects. Furthermore, extended period studies are warranted to confirm its long‑term safety and effectiveness among different Malaysian population

Safety and effectiveness of electronic cigarettes: a narrative review

Objective: To current review the literature regarding safety and effectiveness of electronic cigarettes and to find out any con- tribution from Malaysia, regarding electronic cigarettes research field. Design: To commendably face this new challenge, health care providers need to become more familiar with the existing liter- ature. A narrative review studies conducted from 2004 to August 2014 through multiple electronic databases that available at the author's institution library conducted by using the terms, safety, effectiveness, efficacy, chemical analysis of e-cigs, electron- ic cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS). The databases searched only for full text papers published in English from 2004 to august 2014. Methods: 48 original articles identified with help of multiple electronic databanks, that linked to aim title were selected. Nation wise contribution included, USA(16), UK(07), Italy(6), Greece(5), New Zealand(5), Switzerland(4), Canada, Australia, Poland, south Korean, Czech republic each 1. We did not found any article from Malaysia, this indicate us there is a necessity of electronic cigarettes studies on Malaysian population. Conclusion: Due to limited studies with inadequate participants and short time exposure in some developed countries, e-cig cannot accomplish safe and effective in complete terms. In order to conclude firmly, still more research is needed globally in dif- ferent population to look at its long-term safety and effectiveness particularly on cardiovascular diseases and on smoker’s health from different parts of the world

Pharmacy education symposium: a need of time

Pharmacists are important among healthcare professionals because of their role in the identification and treatment of minor illnesses and counsel for major diseases irrespective of age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status and health convictions. Within the last five decades there is colossal entry of medications into the pharmaceutical market, thus accelerating the requirement of the pharmacists. The existing position of the pharmacist in a wider standpoint is that of a “seven star pharmacist” and thus pharmacy institutions are struggling to exercise principal influence in training students into full-fledged seven star pharmacists. Pharmacists being the health information custodian and the third largest group of health care providers seep into the changing dynamics of healthcare environment where now patient is both demanding and receptive for information even on minor illnesses [1]. To be precise the profession of pharmacy embraces the concept of ‘Patient centered Care’ thus changing the image of a pharmacist from a ‘dispenser’ to a ‘decision maker’ and ‘caregiver’. However, more work is needed to be done to establish the true value of this underrated healthcare professional group in the eyes of other stakeholders; be it a doctor, nurse, or a patient. In the backdrop of this, there is an urgent need to continuously revisit the principles of pharmacy education for better competency skills. Therefore, the Council of Deans for the Malaysian Public Pharmacy Schools and Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)planned to organize a symposium, which was held in September 2013 at Conference Room, Cultural Activity Center (CAC), IIUM, Gombak Campus, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was attended by 34 delegates from different public universities in Malaysia, including Deans, Deans’ representatives, and pharmacy academics. The key speakers were Deans of the Malaysian Public universities. The five a priori themes on which the speakers embarked upon were Academic, Research, Community Services and Industrial Linkages, Student Activities and Internationalization