Strategies for Improving the Effectiveness of Professional Practice for Full-Time Professional Master Degree Postgraduate in Mineral Processing Engineering

In order to gain practical experience and hands-on skills,full-time professional master degree postgraduate in mineral processing engineering should engage in professional practices.Nonetheless,a series of problems,including insufficient time for practice,low management level,inadequate implementation of the double-supervisor system,and poor results of professional practice,has reduced the effectiveness of professional practice.In view of the aforementioned problems and the characteristics of the discipline,this paper proposes several strategies for improving the effectiveness of professional practice for postgraduates in mineral processing engineering.

Study on the Long-term Mechanism of Building Innovative Practice Bases for Full-time Civil Engineering Postgraduate Training

In order to implement the quality of full-time professional degree postgraduate education cultivation,the necessity of building an innovative base for cultivating professional degree postgraduates in civil engineering is discussed.Based on the problems ofthe integrated cultivation mode of industry-university-research,the effective mechanism for cultivating an innovative practice base for professional degree postgraduates in civil engineering is elaborated from the construction of the cultivation mode,system construction,daily management,and improvement of the rights and responsibilities of both parties,which provides guiding significance for better realizing the need to adapt to the development of high-level talents in society.

Exploring the Contribution of Pharmacists in Addressing the Opioid Crisis through Naloxone Prescriptions and Pharmacist-Led Interventions

The opioid epidemic in the United States continues to take the lives of many individuals, with overdoses continuing to rise every year. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that is efficacious in temporarily reversing opioid overdoses. Pharmacists play an important role in the accessibility and education of naloxone in both the community and health system settings. Recent efforts, such as co-dispensing naloxone with opioid prescriptions, naloxone training programs, and approval of naloxone to be over-the-counter, have been implemented in hopes to better control the opioid epidemic. Despite the efforts to make naloxone more accessible, there are still some barriers to overcome such as lack of training, cost, stigma, and patient refusal. This review aims to explore the contributions pharmacists have made thus far and define the barriers that still have to be resolved.

Rôles et vécus des pharmaciens d’officine dans les soins palliatifsàdomicile en France Role and Experience ofCommunity Pharmacists in Home Palliative Care in France

The need for home palliative care is increasing in allWestern countries.Community pharmacists are local professionals whose role in end-of-life care at home remains poorly understood.The aim of this study is to understand how community pharmacists see their role in end-of-life home care in France,and to analyze their experiences of this care.An online questionnaire was distributed to community pharmacists working in France between December 2022 and March 2023.Of the 136 respondents to the questionnaire,87%had accompanied at least one patient at the end of life in the 3 months preceding the survey.Therapeutic education(88%of respondents),psychological support for caregivers(85%of respondents),securing treatment(82%of respondents)and monitoring therapeutic compliance(80%of respondents)are the behaviors validated by the greatest number of participants.The majority of professionals surveyed had a positive overall experience of managing patients at the end of life.These results pave the way for pharmacists to better support end-of-life patients at home.

Roles of Community Pharmacists in Screening and Disseminating of Information about Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Risks: Implications for Drug Safety Assessment

Background: The increasing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) both on prescription and over the counter raises a major global health concern because of the risks associated with their use if no proper guidance is given by the health care provider. This study assessed the roles of community pharmacists in screening and disseminating information about the risks associated with NSAID use in Zambia. Methodology: This was a national cross-sectional study in which a structured self-administered questionnaire was administered to 245 registered community pharmacists in Zambia. Stata/BE, version 15.1 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas, USA) and multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs. Results: 231 of the 245 distributed questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 94.3%. All (100%) participating community pharmacists claimed to have practiced dispensing NSAIDs. However, only 26 (11.0%) and 71 (30.8%) regularly screened for risk factor of selective COX-2 NSAIDS (SC2-NSAIDS) and non-selective NSAIDS (NS-NSAIDs) respectively. Information dissemination on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of SC2-NSAIDS was regularly provided by only 22 (9.5%) of pharmacists while that of NS-NSAIDs was regularly provided by 49 (21.2%). In the multivariate logistic regression model, being the owner of a pharmacy (AOR: 5.4, CI: 1.84 - 16.4) was significantly associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs while an hour increase in the working hours per day (AOR: 0.9, CI: 0.64 - 0.95) was associated with less likelihood of information dissemination. Conclusion: Pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Zambia did not regularly screen and disseminate information about the risks associated with NSAID use. Therefore, pharmacists should be able to screen and monitor patients at risk and be aware of the majority of risk factors while dispensing NSAIDs to minimize the associated complications.

A Study of Pharmacist-Patient Communication: Examining Optimal Distance and Angle Using an Eye-Tracking System

This study focuses on seating arrangement and interpersonal distance as important aspects of nonverbal communication and aims to elucidate the optimal distance and angle between pharmacist and patient through an analysis based on the subjective evaluation of the patient and the objective evaluation of eye movements. Seven female simulated patients and one male and one female pharmacist cooperated as patients and pharmacists, respectively. The medication teaching scenes were set up with three pharmacist placements (face-to-face at 50 cm and 70 cm, 90-degree at 70 cm) and three hospital rooms (0-degree, 45-degree, 90-degree). Pupil diameter, blink rate, saccades, and fixation rate of the patient at each of these locations were measured using a Tobii Pro Glass 2. The patient’s subjective evaluation at each placement was also investigated using the conversation scale, which assesses the optimal distance for conversation. The results for the pharmacy setting revealed that pupils were significantly more mydriatic at the 50 cm point than at the other points. The results for the hospital room setting showed the greatest mydriasis at the 0-degree point. The result of the 50 cm point for the pharmacy setting and the 0-degree point for the hospital room setting was similar to that of the subjective evaluation. When the likelihood of saccades occurrence in the hospital room setting was compared, saccades were found to be most likely to occur when medication instructions were given to patients at the 0-degree point. We believe that using pupil diameter for interpersonal distance, and saccades for angle will enable more accurate determinations of the optimal distance and angle between pharmacist and patient. The results of the present study suggest that the 70 cm face-to-face point in the pharmacy and the 45-degree point in the ward may be suitable for medication instruction.

The role of community pharmacists and their perception towards antimicrobial stewardship in Baghdad,Iraq

Background:This study aimed to assess the role of community pharmacists and their perception toward antimicrobial stewardship,in addition to identifying factors influencing their perception and practices in community pharmacy.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out among community pharmacists regarding antimicrobial stewardship.Convenience sampling was used to obtain the required sample from a community pharmacy in Baghdad.In total,381 participants have completed the survey.Results:The majority of the participants(85.6%)strongly agreed/agreed that“antimicrobial stewardship programs reduce the problems of antibiotic resistance”;and 85.5%of them strongly agreed/agreed that community pharmacists required adequate training on antibiotics use.In addition,high percent of community pharmacists(88.4%)strongly agreed/agreed that pharmacists have a responsibility to take a prominent role in antimicrobial stewardship programs and infection-control programs in the health system.The total score of perception was significantly influenced by older age groups,postgraduate degrees,and experience of 6–10 years(p<0.001).This study also showed that 65.4%of pharmacists always/often advise patients to continue the full course of antimicrobials,and 64.9%of them reported always/often considering clinical and safety parameters before dispensing antibiotics.The role of pharmacists was significantly influenced by the younger age group,females,higher degree in pharmacy,experience of 3–5 years,and medical complex pharmacy(p<0.001).Conclusion:Community pharmacists have a good perception toward antimicrobial stewardship programs,but their role is still limited.More efforts are needed to design better strategies for antimicrobial stewardship in community pharmacy.

Optimizing hepatitis C virus treatment through pharmacist interventions: Identification and management of drug-drug interactions

To quantify drug-drug-interactions (DDIs) encountered in patients prescribed hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, the interventions made, and the time spent in this process.METHODSAs standard of care, a clinical pharmacist screened for DDIs in patients prescribed direct acting antiviral (DAA) HCV treatment between November 2013 and July 2015 at the University of Colorado Hepatology Clinic. HCV regimens prescribed included ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF), paritaprevir/ritonavir/ombitasvir/dasabuvir (OBV/PTV/r + DSV), simeprevir/sofosbuvir (SIM/SOF), and sofosbuvir/ribavirin (SOF/RBV). This retrospective analysis reviewed the work completed by the clinical pharmacist in order to measure the aims identified for the study. The number and type of DDIs identified were summarized with descriptive statistics.RESULTSSix hundred and sixty four patients (83.4% Caucasian, 57% male, average 56.7 years old) were identified; 369 for LDV/SOF, 48 for OBV/PTV/r + DSV, 114 for SIM/SOF, and 133 for SOF/RBV. Fifty-one point five per cent of patients were cirrhotic. Overall, 5217 medications were reviewed (7.86 medications per patient) and 781 interactions identified (1.18 interactions per patient). The number of interactions were fewest for SOF/RBV (0.17 interactions per patient) and highest for OBV/PTV/r + DSV (2.48 interactions per patient). LDV/SOF and SIM/SOF had similar number of interactions (1.28 and 1.48 interactions per patient, respectively). Gastric acid modifiers and vitamin/herbal supplements commonly caused interactions with LDV/SOF. Hypertensive agents, analgesics, and psychiatric medications frequently caused interactions with OBV/PTV/r + DSV and SIM/SOF. To manage these interactions, the pharmacists most often recommended discontinuing the medication (28.9%), increasing monitoring for toxicities (24.1%), or separating administration times (18.2%). The pharmacist chart review for each patient usually took approximately 30 min, with additional time for more complex patients.CONCLUSIONDDIs are common with HCV medications and management can require medication adjustments and increased monitoring. An interdisciplinary team including a clinical pharmacist can optimize patient care.

Perceptions of Generic Drugs in the Pharmacists of Public Hospitals:A Cross-sectional Survey in Hubei Province of China

Objective:Generic drugs provide an opportunity for savings in drug expenditure since they are available at a lower cost and do not affect patients’health.A better understanding of pharmacists’knowledge,attitudes,and perception can promote the quality use of generic drugs.The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge,attitudes,and perception of pharmacists from tertiary hospitals in China regarding generic drugs.Methods:A cross-sectional survey using a postal questionnaire was conducted,which was sent to 200 hospital pharmacists randomly selected from tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province.A total of 125 questionnaires out of 200 were received.Of the respondents,80 were female and 45 were male.Results:The majority of respondents(87.2%)could clearly distinguish between original and generic drugs.Pharmacists agreed that generic drugs were less effective(52.8%)and produced more side effects(52%).Forty-nine respondents thought that generic drug products were not adequately tested.Approximately 78% and 60% of the pharmacists indicated that generic substitution was not feasible for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows and drugs for critical diseases,respectively.Most of them supported the recommendation of generic drugs based on professional judgment.Conclusion:Our study showed that a considerable portion of Chinese hospital pharmacists hold negative perceptions of generic drugs.Interventions to improve pharmacists'knowledge of generic drugs are needed.

Perception of Physicians to the Role of Clinical Pharmacists in United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The present study aims to investigate the perceptions and experience of physicians regarding the clinical role of the pharmacists. This is an observational study that was conducted during the period of September 2013 through March 2014. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to be distributed by personal interview to the physicians. The questionnaire population consisted of randomly selected physicians practicing in UAE. The questionnaire was piloted by 10 physicians for face and understandability. Demographic data, frequencies and cross tabulation between different variables were calculated. The Chi-square test was used to determine the significance of association between categorical variables (gender, length of medical practice, and specialty) and the perception of physicians. A total of 285 filled questionnaires were returned representing 285 physicians, with a male dominance (65.3%). The average age of the physician screened was 32.4 (SD = 10.38) years with a minimum one year experience and up to 24 years. General practitioners consumed the widest sector (21.8%) followed by cardiologists (15.8%), then internal medicine (10.1%). In the current study, two thirds of the physicians believed that pharmacists could act as a reliable source of general drug information and play an important role in discovering clinical related problems. It was found that the physicians who had fewer years in practice (less than 10 years) and recently graduated had more acceptances to the clinical role of the pharmacist and believed that there should be a clinical pharmacy services in their hospitals (p-value < 0.05). No other statistically significant differences were found from analyzing the data. In conclusion, results suggest that physicians in UAE appear comfortable with pharmacists providing the broad range of services but appear somewhat less comfortable with pharmacists’ provision of direct patient care.

How the community pharmacist contributes to the multidisciplinary management of heart failure

Objective: To define how the community pharmacist contributes to the management of heart failure by exploring the type of service he provides to patients and by assessing what patients expect from him. Setting: Pharmacists of the Franche-Comte region (France) and patients of the Franche-Comté Heart Association. Method: Two questionnaires were drawn up and sent to pharmacists and patients. Results: The 118 pharmacists participating in this survey (36.9%) felt that they had a role to play in dispensing drugs (100.0%), educating patients about their treatment (83.1%), informing patients about the importance of observance (81.4%) and over- the-counter drugs (58.5%), distributing heart failure brochures (51.7%) and providing medical equipment (44.9%). On the other hand, only a third of them thought that they should inform patients about their illness and give advice by phone. On the whole, knowledge level is good for disease, drug therapy, contraindicated drugs, medical supervision and hygieno-dietetic management, but intermediate or poor for alert signs of decompensation, essential vaccinations and patient associations. University training in this area during formal pharmacy studies is considered either “insufficient” or “very insufficient” in 56.9% of cases. Although more than 99% of the pharmacists think that additional training is needed, only 33.1% had actually benefited from such training. Of the 96 patients (48.0%) who completed the questionnaire, 92.6% are faithful to their pharmacist. They contact him more about drug therapy than about their disease, or information related to treatments. Roles attributed to their pharmacist are mainly related to drug therapy explanation and information concerning over-the-counter drugs. Therapeutic education is known to 40.6% of interrogated patients. Among these patients, two-thirds depend on their pharmacist and feel that he is capable of providing the necessary education. Moreover, 46.2% of patients had received some form of therapeutic education from their pharmacist. Pharmacists believe that they are able to assume this role in 67.8% of cases. Conclusion: In spite of biases, this study allowed us to assess the expectations of heart failure patients with regard to the pharmaceutical management of their disease, thus clarifying the indispensable contribution that pharmacists make in the management of this disease.

A Web-Based Cardiovascular Risk Assessment via Pharmacists: A Feasibility and Validation Study

Background: Involving pharmacists in clinical care could improve the identification of subjects at risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease. Data on web-based approach involving pharmacists for CV disease risk assessment are very limited. Methods: We first developed a web-based CV risk assessment tool to be used by pharmacists that includes demographic, lifestyle, biological and anthropometric information. Biological and anthropometric data were collected in independent laboratories. We then assessed the feasibility and validity of this approach by inviting adults who previously (within 6 months) participated in a Swiss standardized population-based study to fill out the web-based platform. Attrition rates and correlations were used to assess the feasibility and validity, respectively. Proportions were expressed as percentages and continuous variables were expressed as means ± standard deviations (SD). Main Outcomes Measure: Proportions of participants who 1) agreed to participate;2) filled out the questionnaire and had their biological and anthropometric measures taken;3) only filled out the questionnaire;and 4) only had their biological and anthropometric measures taken. Correlations were used to compare continuous variables (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total plasma cholesterol, HDL plasma cholesterol, LDL plasma cholesterol, triglycerides) collected via both studies. Results: Overall, 218 (53.2% women) adults of the population-based study were eligible and were contacted to participate, from April to November 2013. Of these, 140 (64.2%) agreed to participate. The majority (67/140, 47.8%) both filled out the questionnaire and had their biological/anthropometric measures taken, whereas only 2.8% and 7.1% only filled out the questionnaire or only had their biological measures taken, respectively. Except for systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, and triglycerides, the correlations between the measures obtained in the population-based study and the web-based approach were generally greater than 0.80, suggesting very good correlations. Conclusions: A web-based CV risk assessment via pharmacists is a feasible and valid approach. This web-based approach should be adapted to lower attrition, and its impact on CV risk factors should be further tested.

Licensed Pharmacists in Pharmaceutical Retail Enterprises in China: Problems and Countermeasures

Objective To analyze the status and problems of licensed pharmacists in pharmaceutical retail enterprises in China, and to put forward suggestions for improving licensed pharmacists’ abilities. Methods Literature review and questionnaire survey were used to analyze the basic status of licensed pharmacists in pharmaceutical retail enterprises and fishbone diagram was used to find out the problems. Results and Conclusion Pharmaceutical retail enterprises have the following problems when they employ pharmacists, such as lack of assessment system, too general incentive policies. The causes of problems lie in four aspects, including system, environment, pharmacy and pharmacists. As to the above problems, the government should make policies to encourage and regulate enterprises to explore remote prescription service through Internet. Furthermore, pharmaceutical retail enterprises can take the advantage of Internet to develop a comprehensive performance appraisal system for licensed pharmacists. The assessment information platform will reflect the true level of pharmacists and enhance their professional value.

Japanese Community Pharmacists’ Barriers to Conducting or Participating in Practice Research

Objectives: This study identified barriers to Japanese community pharmacists’ active conduct or participation in practice research. Methods: Community pharmacists (n = 478) who gave presentations at three major pharmacy-related conferences in 2012 and 2013 were questioned about their difficulties of giving presentations, support for better presentations, and barriers to conducting pharmacy practice research in their practical setting. A questionnaire was mailed to and returned by the pharmacists directly. Results: We obtained 230 responses (47.9%). Presentation difficulties included pharmacists’ time constraints and lack of experience organizing the report’s results or discussion. Many thought statistical analysis support was necessary. The barriers were in sufficient time, community pharmacies’ lack of research supervisors, and other community pharmacists’ lack of understanding practice research’s importance. These were comparable to pharmacists’ barriers in other countries, except for money and funds. Conclusions: Japanese community pharmacists should clarify that practice research in their professional roles improves patients’ outcomes. Barriers were similar to pharmacists in other countries. Publication of pharmacists’ practice research results is important to expand their roles. Collaboration between faculties and pharmacists is a challenge for practice research development in the Japanese community setting.

Community Pharmacists’ Knowledge, Practices and Perceptions on Antibiotic Use and Resistance: A Cross-Sectional, Self-Administered Questionnaire Survey, in Guediawaye and Pikine, Senegal

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a threat to global health. Community pharmacists are among the most accessible health professionals. Therefore, their role in improving antibiotic use and subsequently in fighting resistance is crucial. The objective of this study was to evaluate community pharmacists’ knowledge, practices and perceptions on antibiotic use and resistance. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in community pharmacies located in the departments of Guediawaye and Pikine, Senegal. The study took place between November 2017 and February 2018. A total of 121 community pharmacies were located. In each of them, we planned to include one pharmacist. A self-administered questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed using Epi Info 7. The analysis was descriptive. Variables were expressed as number (n) and percentage (%). Results: The response rate was 75.2%. The majority mistakenly thought that antibiotics are always effective against sore throat (64.8%), bronchitis (51.6%), paronychia (72.5%) and dental caries (65.9%). Most respondents knew that self-medication (96.7%), poor treatment compliance (94.5%), inappropriate antibiotic dispensing (79.1%), inappropriate antibiotic prescribing (85.7%) were causes of resistance. Further, causes such as poor hand hygiene and lack of immunization were cited by 9.9% and 6.6% of participants. Moreover, 25.2% knew that third-generation cephalosporins, macrolides and quinolones are critically important antibiotics. In addition, 96.7% and 90.2% said to dispense antibiotics without a prescription and to contact prescribers in case of doubt about the reliability of an antibiotic prescription, respectively. The majority was of the opinion that some antibiotic prescriptions were inadequate (29.7%) and that the consumption of antibiotics was high (92.3%). Conclusion: This study showed a lack of knowledge among community pharmacists practicing in Guediawaye and Pikine towards antibiotic use and resistance. Therefore, it is necessary to sensitize them. Further studies should be conducted to better understand the beliefs and behavior of community pharmacists regarding antibiotic use and resistance.

The Role of the Pharmacist in Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Pre-exposure prophylaxis is a new HIV prevention method that has shown to be effective in HIV uninfected persons at very high risk of HIV infection. It involves daily use of truvada in combination with other proven methods of HIV prevention. The aim of this paper is to discuss the various roles that pharmacists play in pre-exposure prophylaxis to maximize therapy.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (K.A.P) of Pharmacy Pharmacists of the Department of Dakar in the Care of Diabetics

Aim: To evaluate the attitude practice and knowledge of pharmacists in the management of diabetes in the department of Dakar. Methodology: Cross-sectional study, conducted from 01 March to 30 September 2017 including all pharmacists in the Dakar region who agreed to participate in the survey. Data was collected through a pre-established questionnaire. Results: A total of 144 pharmacists were included in the study, representing a participation rate of 87.58%. The average age was 33.90 years, with a sex ratio of 1.69. Pharmacists were single in 50.88% of cases, and a minimum experience of 5 years was found in 64.03% of cases. Pharmacist assistants accounted for 57.9% of our study population. The assessment of knowledge based on 16 items shows an average score of 9.02. The level of knowledge was low to insufficient in 37.21% of cases, average in (50%) half of cases and good for (13.16%). Less than half (34.21%) of pharmacists had received training and the average date of last training was 33.76 ± 24.6 months. Training was provided by medical representatives and academics in 66.66% and 26.67% respectively. The most felt positive feelings were respectively the need for help, the compassion in respectively 98.42%, 42.11%. Feelings felt and simultaneously cited were: need for help and compassion in more than 40% of respondents. Only 29% of pharmacists did not have a lot of difficulty with patient questions and the only reason was the lack of awareness (84.68%) of patients about their disease. Screening for diabetes by capillary blood glucose was performed by 57% of pharmacists. Dietary advice (76.15%) and referral to the hospital (94.41%) were the most common practices in case of blood sugar disruption. The dialogue with patients was impossible in 22.81% of pharmacists and the main reasons given were lack of time (53.85%) and lack of knowledge (34.62%). The method of delivery of insulin was done on: medical prescription (98.25%), presentation of the box (69.30%), on request of the patient (54.39%). Only one pharmacist recognized advising insulin (0.88%). The delivery of oral antidiabetic agents was: on medical prescription (96.49%), presentation of the box (67.54%), at the request of the patient (52.63%). The good level of knowledge was more found in the subjects after 40 years (p = 0.69), the female sex (p = 0.84), the assistants and holders (p = 0.24), after 5 years of professional experience (p = 0.13). Conclusion: Despite the lack of knowledge of pharmacists, attitudes and practices are considered satisfactory in the management of diabetics. Continuing medical education sessions could strengthen knowledge and consolidate the attitudes and practices of community pharmacists.

The Pharmacists Attributes in Advising Patients in Independently Owned Maltese Pharmacies

Objectives: To determine the influence of pharmacists on customers who have to decide between Over the Counter products in independently owned Maltese pharmacies. Methods: 20 managing pharmacists in independently owned Maltese pharmacies were interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and the data were coded. The main categories and subcategories were extracted and interrelated by using the grounded theory of action approach. Key findings Pharmacists dedicate time to ensure the right OTC is received by their patients. Before recommending an OTC medication the pharmacists ask key questions, which help them determine if an OTC is appropriate for the patient. The Maltese pharmacists engage their patients in a discussion before recommending an OTC product. In order to ensure that the patients are following their advice, pharmacists use different techniques. Whenever the patient might want to purchase an OTC, which could interfere with their medication regimen or might not be appropriate from the age point of view, then pharmacist intervenes accordingly. Each pharmacist offered specific examples how they convince their patients to purchase the correct medication. The pharmacists provided specific examples how they decide to select a specific OTC medicine and what type of questions were asked before taking a decision. In order to ensure their patients have the best access to the health care, many pharmacists embraced other roles and services, such as measuring and monitoring the blood pressure and glucose levels, determining the correct weight management product. Conclusions: The analyzed data highlight that Maltese community pharmacists play an important role in counseling patients on their choice of OTC products. The analysis has also identified some useful counseling techniques, which has been used by pharmacists for prescription medications. However, the Maltese pharmacists use these counseling techniques on a larger scale. It seems likely that many pharmacists are embracing more additional roles to ensure their population receives the best clinical services. Before dispensing an OTC medication, pharmacists use their clinical knowledge.

Pharmacist Role in Pharmaceutical Care during Ramadan

Introduction: Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic Hijri calendar where Muslims are ex-pected to fast every day from dawn to sunset. The eating behavior changes during Ramadan and the abstinence of food affects the oral drugs administration and other convenience dosage forms. There is a need to highlight and illustrate the role of the pharmacists in medication adjustment challenges that the patients conquer in the Holy month of Ramadan. Objectives: To estimate the awareness of pharmacists’ role in providing pharmaceutical care during Ramadan;moreover, to explore pharmacists’ perspective on the importance of medication regimen adjustment along with the proper counseling required to optimize patients’ health throughout fasting. Method: This is an observational study that was done through dissemination of a cross-sectional survey among 130 pharmacists covering Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Northern Emirates regions. The targeted population consisted of practicing community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists across UAE. Results: Among pharmacists participated in the study 115 pharmacists (88.5%) were Muslims and 79 pharmacists (60.8%) were Arabs. 126 pharmacists (97%) reported performing one or more kinds of medication regimen adjustment around Ramadan for at least one patient. Changing the frequency had the highest percentage by the pharmacist compared to other methods of regimen adjustment (39%). Moreover, the results revealed that 46.9% of the pharmacists chose not to change the medication itself. Nineteen percent of Muslim pharmacists initiated the conversation about medication regimen adjustment (P = 0.0448) compared to non-Muslims, while14% of pharmacists were Arabs who showed no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: In conclusion, pharmacists are more qualified to adjust and manage medication regimens than what they are presently performing. Utilization of such skill is required to adjust patients’ medication regimen during fasting the Holy month of Ramadan and to ensure safe transition for fasting patients into and out of Ramadan.

The Emerging Importance of Professional Liability Insurance Coverage for Pharmacists

As the responsibilities for clinical pharmacists have increased in recent years, the pharmacy practitioner finds the need for professional liability insurance. This report describes the practice changes under way and describes the malpractice insurance options available to current pharmacy practitioners.