Exploring Community Pharmacists' Perception and Readiness Toward Telepharmacy Implementation in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: The present study was conducted to assess the perceptions and readiness of pharmacists toward implementing "Telepharmacy" in Jordan. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted between April and May 2023. Any licensed community pharmacists practicing in Jordan were considered to be eligible to be included in this study. Pharmacists were approached at their pharmacy store using a convenience sampling method. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify predictors affecting pharmacists readiness to implement telepharmacy services. Results: Two hundred eighteen community pharmacists volunteered to participate in this study. Roughly around 42% of the pharmacists (n = 91) reported that they have previously used telepharmacy. More than 70% of the pharmacists believed that telepharmacy decreases the patient's visits to hospitals, private clinics, or pharmacies (n = 165, 75.7%). In addition, more than 65% of the pharmacists expressed their concerns that telepharmacy service may increase pharmacists' workload and commitment (n = 150, 68.8%), and it has a higher error rate for medication dispensing and filling (n = 147, 67.4%). Nearly 70% of the pharmacists (n = 153) expressed their readiness to implement telepharmacy. Regression analysis showed that pharmacists who had previous experience in using telepharmacy service and those who showed more positive perception toward telepharmacy showed significantly higher readiness to implement telepharmacy service (p < 0.001 for both). Conclusions: The utilization of telepharmacy by community pharmacists in Jordan is still limited. The adaption of telepharmacy faces many challenges, including a negative attitude from the pharmacist, financial reimbursement, training, regulations, and competency in and access to efficient technology.

Navigating parental attitudes on childhood vaccination in Jordan: a cross-sectional study.

This study investigated parental attitudes toward childhood vaccination in Jordan, focusing on acceptance, concerns, and perceptions. A cross-sectional survey conducted from January to February 2024 included 939 parents. Findings indicated that 85.4% (n = 802) of respondents received the COVID-19 vaccine, while only 25% (n = 229) vaccinated their children. Concerns regarding vaccine safety and efficacy were prevalent, with 63.9% (n = 600) expressing worries about side effects and 46.9% (n = 440) trusting immunization programs. Post-pandemic, 34% (n = 319) reported a more negative attitude. Logistic regression showed parents not vaccinating their children against COVID-19 were significantly less likely to exhibit positive attitudes toward childhood vaccination (OR = 0.412, p < 0.001). Older participants were more inclined toward negativity post-pandemic (OR = 1.031, p = 0.007). In conclusion, parental attitudes shifted post-COVID-19, reflecting hesitancy and decreased trust. Addressing concerns and restoring confidence are crucial, especially for children's health. Education through healthcare providers and dispelling social media misinformation are essential. Implementing strategies to enhance post-pandemic vaccine acceptance is imperative for preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

A qualitative assessment of anabolic-androgenic steroid use among gym users in Jordan: motives, perception, and safety.

BACKGROUND: Over the years, the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) has become widespread among athletes and bodybuilders. The prevalence of their use has been estimated at around 20 to 50% globally. Unfortunately, many athletes do not have the proper knowledge about the effects of these banned substances Thus, this study aims to qualitatively assess Jordanian gym users' AAS intentions, perceptions, and safety. METHODS: Twenty male Jordanian anabolic steroid users were interviewed using in-depth interviews as part of a qualitative study evaluating the motivations, perceptions, and safety of AAS among gym users. RESULTS: The findings of this study indicate that the desire to compete in bodybuilding contests was the primary motivation for participants to use AAS. The study participants mentioned using a combination of oral and injectable medications. Gym coaches and trainers were also identified as an essential source of information for AAS use. A very limited number of AAS users were getting their information from healthcare providers, and most of them have experienced some of these medications side effects but are still willing to continue the use of AAS to get what they need in terms of their physical appearance or for winning competitions. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need for structured awareness campaigns targeting gyms and fitness clubs' members to increase their knowledge about the side effects and health risks associated with the use of AAS. In addition, sports governing bodies should have stricter measures to tackle this problem and discourage athletes from using such products.

The awareness and experience of healthcare providers with the use of anabolic androgenic steroids by gym users.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate healthcare providers' awareness and experience with anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) use among gym users in Jordan and their role in mitigating AAS misuse. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2022 and Feb 2023. During the study period, 158 physicians involved in prescribing AAS or treating adverse effects associated with these agents were invited to participate. A questionnaire was created and uploaded on Google Forms and distributed through social media platforms to reach physicians from different medical subspecialties. RESULTS: Of the 158 physicians surveyed, 30.4% were general practitioners, and 63.3% reported having formal education about the risks of bodybuilding with AAS. Among the participants, 48.7% had encountered gym users who were using AAS, with the main reason for referral being the management of side effects associated with AAS use. The median knowledge score regarding AAS and their complications was 10.0 out of 14 (IQR = 7.0), indicating adequate knowledge about most AAS side effects. Around 46% of the physicians (n = 73, 46.2%) believed that gym users might struggle to disclose AAS because they lack trust in them. Finally, the most common advice to gym users was informing them about the health-associated consequences of AAS use, with 92.2% of physicians providing this advice. CONCLUSION: Although healthcare professionals in Jordan had adequate knowledge about AAS, they needed more to make them confident in dealing with AAS use. This highlights the necessity for specialized teaching and training programs to enhance their knowledge and skills in providing accurate information to AAS users.

The prevalence of Carbapenem Resistance Gram negative pathogens in a Tertiary Teaching Hospital in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: With the absence of new antimicrobial drugs being developed to replace those facing resistance, bacterial resistance continues to grow. Despite previous studies conducted in various countries, there is a lack of comprehensive local reporting on the occurrence of carbapenem resistance among gram-negative bacteria. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacterial isolates. METHOD: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at an academic hospital in Jordan over an eight-month period, spanning from November 2021 to June 2022. The study involved screening electronic medical records to identify patients with clinical cultures showing the growth of Gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial susceptibility results of the Gram-negative isolates were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 1,043 isolated Gram-negative bacteria were analyzed for carbapenem susceptibility. Among the species tested, the most common carbapenem-resistant bacteria were Acinetobacter baumannii (153/164, 93.3%), followed by Klebsiella pneumonia (184/311, 59.2%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (67/160, 41.9%). The least commonly isolated species resistant to carbapenem were Escherichia coli (25/361, 6.9%) and Proteus mirabilis (1/30, 3.3%). None of Serratia marcescens or Proteus vulgaris isolates were resistant to carbapenem (0%). Overall, the prevalence of carbapenem-resistance gram-negative isolates was 41.2% (430 out of 1,043). CONCLUSION: This study provides population-specific data that are crucial for guiding empirical antimicrobial treatment decisions not only within the participating hospital but also in other nearby healthcare facilities. The results underscore the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address antibiotic resistance in Jordan. Comprehensive measures such as strict infection control methods, annual nationwide surveillance programs, and effective antimicrobial stewardship programs at the national level are imperative to reduce the overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Oral contraceptive pills shortage in Lebanon amidst the economic collapse: a nationwide exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: The political instability, economic crisis, and devaluation of the national currency left Lebanese females suffering from a scarcity of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Therefore, we aimed to identify the incidence of OCPs shortage in Lebanon and its impact on women's sexual and reproductive health, as well as physical and psychological well-being. METHODS: Community pharmacies were selected randomly across Lebanon, using a stratified sampling approach, where female clients asking for OCPs were interviewed using a standardized data collection form. RESULTS: A total of 440 females were interviewed. More than three-quarters of the participants (76.4%) reported not finding their preferred OCPs brands, almost 40% were affected by the increased prices, and 28.4% declared stockpiling OCPs. More than half of the participants using OCPs for pregnancy prevention reported adopting alternative traditional contraceptive methods (55.3%). Unplanned pregnancy was reported by 9.5% of participants, where 75% of them disclosed intentional abortion while the remaining (25%) reported experiencing a spontaneous miscarriage. Other consequences of OCPs shortage included mood disturbances (52.3%), dysregulation of menses (49.7%), dysmenorrhea (21.1%), weight gain (19.6%), acne (15.7%), and hirsutism (12.5%). Of the participants taking OCPs for birth control, 48.6% reported a reduced frequency of sexual intercourse, which led to conflicts with their partners (46%) and a decreased libido (26.7%). CONCLUSIONS: OCPs shortage has seriously and negatively exposed women to various undesirable consequences including unplanned pregnancy and dysregulation of menses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to bring the attention of healthcare authorities to support the national pharmaceutical industry in manufacturing affordable OCPs generics to meet women's reproductive health demands.

Evaluation of community pharmacists' perceptions and willingness to integrate ChatGPT into their pharmacy practice: A study from Jordan.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the extent of community pharmacists' awareness of Chat Generative Pretraining Transformer (ChatGPT), their willingness to embark on this new development of artificial intelligence (AI) development, and barriers that face the incorporation of this nonconventional source of information into pharmacy practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among community pharmacists in Jordanian cities between April 26, 2023, and May 10, 2023. Convenience and snowball sampling techniques were used to select study participants owing to resource and time constraints. The questionnaire was distributed by research assistants through popular social media platforms. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess predictors affecting their willingness to use this service in the future. RESULTS: A total of 221 community pharmacists participated in the current study (response rate was not calculated because opt-in recruitment strategies were used). Remarkably, nearly half of the pharmacists (n = 107, 48.4%) indicated a willingness to incorporate the ChatGPT into their pharmacy practice. Nearly half of the pharmacists (n = 105, 47.5%) demonstrated a high perceived benefit score for ChatGPT, whereas approximately 37% of pharmacists (n = 81) expressed a high concern score about ChatGPT. More than 70% of pharmacists believed that ChatGPT lacked the ability to use human judgment and make complicated ethical judgments in its responses (n = 168). Finally, logistics regression analysis showed that pharmacists who had previous experience in using ChatGPT were more willing to integrate ChatGPT in their pharmacy practice than those with no previous experience in using ChatGPT (odds ratio 2.312, P = 0.035). CONCLUSION: Although pharmacists show a willingness to incorporate ChatGPT into their practice, especially those with previous experience, there are major concerns. These mainly revolve around the tool's ability to make human-like judgments and ethical decisions. These findings are crucial for the future development and integration of AI tools in pharmacy practice.

Jordanians' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding adverse drug reactions reporting.

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the general public knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) reporting and pharmacovigilance in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 16, 2022, and July 30, 2022, in Jordan. During the study period, an electronic survey consisting of 4 sections was administered to a convenience sample of Jordanians (aged 18 or above) using 2 social media platforms (Facebook and WhatsApp). Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the predictors of ADRs reporting by the participants. Results: A total of 441 participants completed the survey. The majority of the participants (67.6%) were females, 53.1% between 26 and 45 years old. Almost all participants (96.3%) were always aware of the indication of the medications they take, the time and frequency (87.8%), and the duration of medications (84.4%). Nearly one-third of the participants (37.4%) asked about their medications' ADRs. However, the drug information leaflet was the most frequently used source of ADR information (33.3%). The majority of responders believed that both healthcare providers and consumers should report ADRs (93.4% and 80.3%, respectively). Only one-quarter of respondents (27.2%) believed that consumers could directly report ADRs through the Jordan pharmacovigilance program. The majority of patients who had experienced ADRs (70.3%) were aware that ADRs should be reported, and among them, 91.9% had reported the ADRs to healthcare providers. Furthermore, few participants (8.1%) reported it to the Jordan National Pharmacovigilance Centre (JNCP). Linear regression revealed that none of the demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, job, and social status) were affecting public reporting practice of the ADRs (P > 0.05 for all). Conclusion: Respondents showed fair knowledge about adverse drug reactions and their reporting. However, there is a need to initiate educational activities and intervention programs to raise awareness about the JNPC, which will have a positive impact on public health and ensure safe medication use in Jordan.

Evaluation of knowledge, experiences, and fear toward prescribing and dispensing corticosteroids among Egyptian healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Corticosteroids (CS) are essential drugs in the treatment of several medical conditions. Assuming different roles, physicians and pharmacists play a primary role in prescribing and dispensing these medications to optimize patients' clinical management. The data on assessing knowledge and experience of healthcare professionals toward CS is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to assess and compare knowledge, experience, and fears towards CS among Egyptian physicians and pharmacists. Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administrated, validated online questionnaire was used to collect the data from Egyptian healthcare professionals. The questionnaire consisted of four sections with multiple choice questions: sociodemographic (7 questions), knowledge about CS (13 questions), experience with CS prescription/dispensing (5 questions), and fears and preferences toward CS prescription/dispensing (13 questions). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 600 responses were analyzed in this study. The study sample was almost two-half of healthcare providers: 303 (50.5%) pharmacists and 297 (49.5%) physicians. Pharmacists had marginally higher knowledge scores as compared to those recorded for physicians (11.29 versus 10.16, respectively; P = 0.047). Physicians had more experience choosing corticosteroids in treatment plans based on their experience (51.8% vs 38.5%) and guideline recommendations (72.8% vs 50.9%) than pharmacists. However, pharmacists had more experience dealing with corticosteroid use based on patients' preferences (19.5% vs 4.9%) and showed a broader scope of experiencing side effects of corticosteroids with their patients. The two professions demonstrated high levels of fear, with pharmacists acknowledging significantly lower concerns about CS than physicians (3.72 versus 4.0, respectively; P = 0.003). Conclusion: Discrepancies exist among healthcare professionals in knowledge and experience, favoring better scientific knowledge of pharmacists related to corticosteroids. Based on these findings, the interprofessional collaborative efforts would provide comprehensive, patient-centered care that maximizes the benefits of CS while minimizing their risks.

Diverging levels of COVID-19 governmental response satisfaction across middle eastern Arab countries: a multinational study.

BACKGROUND: Public acceptance of governmental measures are key to controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on healthcare systems for high-income countries as well as low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The ability of LMICs to respond to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited and may have affected the impact of governmental strategies to control the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate and compare public opinion on the governmental COVID-19 response of high and LMICs in the Middle East and benchmark it to international countries. METHODS: An online, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among different Middle Eastern Arab countries. Participants' demographics and level of satisfaction with governmental responses to COVID-19 were analyzed and reported. Scores were benchmarked against 19 international values. RESULTS: A total of 7395 responses were included. Bahrain scored highest for satisfaction with the governmental response with 38.29 ± 2.93 on a scale of 40, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (37.13 ± 3.27), United Arab Emirates (36.56 ± 3.44), Kuwait (35.74 ± 4.85), Jordan (23.08 ± 6.41), and Lebanon (15.39 ± 5.28). Participants' country of residence was a significant predictor of the satisfaction score (P < 0.001), and participants who suffered income reduction due to the pandemic, had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and held higher educational degrees had significantly lower satisfaction scores (P < 0.001). When benchmarked with other international publics, countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council had the highest satisfaction level, Jordan had an average score, and Lebanon had one of the lowest satisfaction scores. CONCLUSION: The political crisis in Lebanon merged with the existing corruption were associated with the lowest public satisfaction score whereas the economical instability of Jordan placed the country just before the lowest position. On the other hand, the solid economy plus good planning and public trust in the government placed the other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council on top of the scale. Further investigation is necessary to find out how the governments of other low-income countries may have handled the situation wisely and gained the trust of their publics. This may help convey a clearer picture to Arab governments that have suffered during the pandemic.

Factors affecting the public's knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines and the influence of knowledge on their decision to get vaccinated.

OBJECTIVE: An analysis was conducted to assess the factors affecting the public's knowledge about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines and the influence of that knowledge on their decision to get vaccinated. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: An online, self-administered questionnaire was instrumentalized to assess the factors affecting the Jordanian public's knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines and the influence of that knowledge on their decision to get vaccinated. A multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to determine the variables that affected the participants' knowledge score regarding COVID-19 vaccines. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the differences in knowledge scores among different groups. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Only 45.9% of the 468 participants reported being willing to receive the vaccine, and only 38.5% (n = 180) had registered on the Ministry of Health platform to get vaccinated. Moreover, very few of them (26/468, 5.6%) had received the vaccine. The participants showed inadequate knowledge, with a median knowledge score of 4 out of 8 (interquartile range = 4). The linear regression analysis showed that participants aged above 45 years, those with bachelor's or graduate degrees, and those with medical-related degrees had higher knowledge scores regarding COVID-19 vaccines than the others (P < 0.001). Participants who were willing to receive the vaccine, those who had registered to receive the vaccine, and those who had got vaccinated had higher knowledge scores than the others (P < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSION: This cross-sectional analysis indicated that urgent education is needed to improve the public's knowledge and awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine to reduce the adverse impact of lack of knowledge on decision making for the COVID-19 vaccination.

Medication administration errors: Causes and reporting behaviours from nurses perspectives.

Evaluation of nurses' perceptions towards medication administration errors (MAEs) reporting is a key aspect for improving patient safety, and prevention of errors repetition. Thus, this study has evaluated nurses' behaviour towards MAEs reporting practice, and factors contributing to their under-reporting of errors. This is a cross-sectional survey-based study that was conducted during February 2021. During the study period, a convenience sample of nurses working at Jordan university hospital was invited to voluntarily participate in the study and to fill an online questionnaire uploaded on an electronic data collection platform. The questionnaire assessed nurses MAEs reporting practice, their perception towards factors contributing to MAEs, factors associated with under-reporting of MAEs, and their perception towards MAEs preventive measures. A total of 150 nurses responded to the electronic questionnaire, with 54.0% of them (n = 81) were males and the majority had a bachelor's degree in nursing (n = 138, 92.0%). Regarding MAE reporting's practice, 78% of them (n = 117) indicated that they are always/often report MAEs even if it is not possible to improve the patient's health status. With regard to factors contributing to MAEs, results showed that "insufficient staffing" was the most common reason contributing to MAEs occurrence reported by nurses (n = 114, 94.0%). Personal fear from nursing administration was the primary cause of MAEs under-reporting (n = 98, 65.3%), while 94.0% of nurses (n = 141) agreed/strongly agreed that following the six rights is a way to prevent MAEs occurrence. This study indicates a positive reporting attitude towards MAEs. Nursing administration concerns were considered the main reason associated with the under-reporting of MAEs. This study shed the light on the deep need for continuous education programmes about the importance of the right MAEs reporting. As well, the need for effective and restricted rules in a non-punitive environment to prevent MAEs incidences.

Prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy in Jordanian hospitalised patients: A cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of polypharmacy in hospitalised patients in Jordan to help guide healthcare efforts in decreasing the burden on the healthcare system. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Jordan Hospital in Amman, Jordan. During the study period, a convenience sample of patients admitted to the internal medicine and surgical wards were approached to take part in this study. Following patients' recruitments, patients were interviewed and their medical files were reviewed to obtain demographic and clinical information regarding their medical conditions and their regular use of medicines. Then, the prevelence of patients with polypharmacy were identified, and factors predicting polypharmacy among them were determined. RESULTS: Among the 300 participants who agreed to participate in this study, females represented 45.3% of the recruited sample (n = 139), and around 48.0% (n = 144) of the study sample were elderly people (≥65 years old). Most of the recruited patients (n = 248, 82.7%) were found to use polypharmacy (≥ 5 medications). Hypertension was the most frequent medical condition among study participants (n = 240, 80.0%) followed by diabetes (n = 185, 61.7%). Results of logistic regression analysis showed that polypharmacy was only significantly affected by patients' age (OR = 2.149, P-value = .024) and monthly income (OR = 0.336, P-value = .009), while other factors were not associated with polypharmacy. Elderly patients (≥65 years) were found to have polypharmacy more significantly than non-elderly patients. Also, those with lower monthly income (<500 JD) were found to use lower polypharmacy compared with those with higher monthly income (>500 JD). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that polypharmacy is prevalent among patients in Jordan. While polypharmacy was not affected by smoking status, gender, BMI and educational level, it was significantly affected by monthly income and age. Further plans should be put in place to reduce polypharmacy, starting with effective pharmaceutical care services leading to treatment optimisation and ensuring desired treatment outcomes.

Public perceptions about pharmacists' role in prescribing, providing education and delivering medications during COVID-19 pandemic era.

COVID-19 is a pandemic disease with a significant threat to public health. Public knowledge and perception significance in tackling pandemics have been evidenced in the previous research. This study aimed to explore public perceptions about pharmacists' educational and prescribing role, and the medication delivery service provided during COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Jordan using a convenient sampling technique for 10 days (15-25 May 2020). Data were collected from 578 participants who agreed to fill the questionnaire, which was distributed online. The questionnaire items were piloted using face validity and reliability. Participants showed a positive perception about the impact of pharmacists and pharmacy services provided during COVID-19 outbreak. More than half of the participants (61.1%) believed that pharmacists could prescribe over-the-counter medications, and only 15.7% believed that pharmacists could prescribe both over-the-counter and prescribed medications. Linear regression was performed to assess the factors that affect the participants' perception of pharmacists' prescribing and educational role and delivering medication during COVID-19. Females have lower perception scores towards medication delivery services compared with males (P value = .008). However, male participants, those aged less than 50 years, those with postgraduate degrees and those from non-medical profession showed a significantly higher perception score towards the impact of pharmacists and pharmacy services provided during COVID-19 outbreak compared with others (P value < .05 for all). This study indicates that the public positively endorsed the impact of the educational role of the pharmacist, medication delivery services and extending pharmacists' prescribing authority during COVID-19 pandemic. Also, findings from this study provide a platform to examine the perception of the public towards pandemic diseases and inform policy decision-makers to react by updating their regulation to allow extending pharmacy services and prescribing role during COVID-19 pandemic.

Knowledge and attitudes of pharmacists towards colorectal cancer health education in Jordan: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacists' knowledge and attitude towards early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Jordan and to explore potential predictor variables of such knowledge and attitude. METHODS USED TO CONDUCT THE STUDY: An electronic, self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data about demographics, knowledge and attitude regarding early detection of CRC. Both content and face validity were tested in a panel of experts. The participants' responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions. RESULTS OF THE STUDY: The 352 pharmacists (78% females, 94% Jordanian) had a median age of 28 years and graduated mostly (83%) from public universities. Surprisingly, 90% were not able to identify carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a non-accurate diagnostic method and almost one-third did not identify the correct screening tests. On a scale of 5, the majority of participants (59%) had moderate knowledge scores (3 or 4) in case scenarios. The median knowledge Percent of Maximum Possible (POMP) score was 67% and higher scores were associated with more years since graduation, pharmacists with MSc degree and higher, working in urban areas, studying oncology course and received oncology training (P < .05). Most participants showed a positive attitude towards early detection of CRC (median attitude POMP score was 78%). However, none of the analysed variables predicted their level of attitude. CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THE STUDY AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Although the majority of pharmacists demonstrated a positive attitude towards early detection of CRC, their knowledge was inadequate. The study highlighted the importance of optimising the education programmes to improve the pharmacists' knowledge about CRC early detection and preparing the pharmacists for participating in future national screening initiatives.

Community pharmacists' preparedness and responses to COVID-19 pandemic: A multinational study.

BACKGROUND: Community pharmacists play a pivotal role in healthcare worldwide. Their role became more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the community pharmacists' preparedness and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and how efficiently they were prepared to contain and prevent the spread of infection. METHODS: An online questionnaire was distributed to community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Jordan through social media platforms. A scoring system was developed to measure their level of adherence to the preventive measures of the global infection. RESULTS: The total included responses were 800. Around 44% of the pharmacists reported spending less than 15 min/d reading about COVID-19 updates. Although more than half of them were reviewing official sites, 73% of them were also retrieving information through non-official channels. Additionally, almost 35% of them were directly contacting customers without physical barriers, 81% reported encountering infected customers, and 12% wore the same facial masks for more than a day. Moreover, 58% of the pharmacies reported the absence of door signs requesting infected customers to declare the infection, 43% of the pharmacies were not limiting the number of simultaneous customers, and 70% were not measuring customers' temperatures prior to entry. Collectively, the mean total score of applied protective measures was 10.12 ± 2.77 (out of 17). CONCLUSION: The level of preparedness of the community pharmacies in these three Middle Eastern countries was not adequate for facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Health authorities in these countries should closely monitor their adherence to the protective guidelines.

Caesarean section delivery from maternal perspective: An exploratory study in Jordan.

AIMS OF THE STUDY: This study aims to determine females' views, experiences and attitudes regarding the caesarean section (CS) and to explore the factors that increase the prevalence of CS in Jordan. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire that was distributed electronically through social media websites. Study participants included 1005 females with a history of at least one CS. Awareness, experiences about CS, complications and reasons for performing CS were investigated. SETTINGS: The participants were recruited from all Jordan cities by social media and emails. FINDINGS: Most of the respondents stated that the source of their knowledge about CS was from the internet (36.2%) followed by family and friends (31.6%). The majority of respondents were satisfied with their CS experience (72.8%). More than half of the participants (56.9%) reported that CS carries no risk for infants. About 53% of respondents stated that the most common reason leading women to choose to give birth via CS is the fear of labour pain. However, the majority of the respondents disagree with performing CS under maternal request (59.2%). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This study indicated that Jordanian females do not have reliable sources of information about CS. This leads to lower awareness of CS and its complications, and, as expected, CS is more likely to be performed by privately insured women.

Medication discrepancies in hospitalized cancer patients: Do we need medication reconciliation?

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify and point out the number and types of medication discrepancies among cancer patients admitted to Jordan University Hospital. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional observational study that was conducted on cancer patients in the internal medicine department at Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan. During a period of six months, a convenience sample of cancer patients was recruited, and their medical records were reviewed to collect information regarding their demographics, clinical, and medication information. Also, patients' Best Possible Medication History (BPMH) was collected using different methods, and a comparison between patients' BPMH and their current medications was conducted where discrepancies were recognized. RESULTS: Seventy-eight medical records were reviewed, with a total of 166 discrepancies identified. Of these, 110 discrepancies (66.3%) were unintentional. Exactly 67.9% of the study participants (n = 53) were found to have at least one unintentional discrepancy, with the most common type being omissions (n = 71, 65.1%,) and the second most common type being additions (n = 16, 14.7%). Most of the discrepancies ranged between low to moderate in severity. Fifty-six (33.7%) intentional undocumented discrepancies (documentation errors) were also identified. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a high rate of medication discrepancies among hospitalized cancer patients, most commonly unintentional omissions. Nevertheless, undocumented intentional discrepancies can equally harm this critically ill population. So, do we need medication reconciliation in cancer patients? Yes. Cancer patients are critically ill, and therefore more effort should be paid towards implementing medication reconciliation services in their treatment plan.

Medication discrepancies among hospitalized patients with hypertension: assessment of prevalence and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Medication errors remained among the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide. Furthermore, a high percentage of medication errors are classified as medication discrepancies. This study aimed to identify and quantify the different types of unintentional medication discrepancies among hospitalized hypertensive patients; it also explored the predictors of unintentional medication discrepancies among this cohort of patients. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study undertaken in a large teaching hospital. A convenience sample of adult patients, taking ≥4 regular medications, with a prior history of treated hypertension admitted to a medical or surgical ward were recruited. The best possible medication histories were obtained by hospital pharmacists using at least two information sources. These histories were compared to the admission medication orders to identify any possible unintentional discrepancies. These discrepancies were classified based on their severity. Finally, the different predictors affecting unintentional discrepancies occurrence were recognized. RESULTS: A high rate of unintentional medication discrepancies has been found, with approximately 46.7% of the patients had at least one unintentional discrepancy. Regression analysis showed that for every one year of increased age, the number of unintentional discrepancies per patient increased by 0.172 (P = 0.007), and for every additional medication taken prior to hospital admission, the number of discrepancies increased by 0.258 (P= 0.003). While for every additional medication at hospital admission, the number of discrepancies decreased by 0.288 (P < 0.001). Cardiovascular medications, such as diuretics and beta-blockers, were associated with the highest rates of unintentional discrepancies in our study. Medication omission was the most common type of the identified discrepancies, with approximately 46.1% of the identified discrepancies were related to omission. Regarding the clinical significance of the identified discrepancies, around two-third of them were of moderate to high significance (n= 124, 64.2%), which had the potential to cause moderate or severe worsening of the patient´s medical condition. CONCLUSIONS: Unintentional medication discrepancies are highly prevalent among hypertensive patients. Medication omission was the most commonly encountered discrepancy type. Health institutions should implement appropriate and effective tools and strategies to reduce these medication discrepancies and enhance patient safety at different care transitions. Further studies are needed to assess whether such discrepancies might affect blood pressure control in hypertensive patients.

Perception of pharmacy students towards their community pharmacy training experience: a cross-sectional study from Jordan.

BACKGROUND: The fact that pharmacists are in the front line of patients' care gives a great responsibility to focus on education and training of pharmacy students to build a 'patient-centered' clinicians. Unfortunately, pharmacy education in the developing countries, have been lagging behind actual practice delivered by pharmacists. This highlighted the need to evaluate the perceptions of undergraduate pharmacy students regarding their current pharmacy training practices and experiences. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Jordan during the period from August 2018 to October 2018. During the study period, a questionnaire was distributed to pharmacy students to collect information regarding 1) pharmaceutical care services provided by them during their experiential training, 2) their perceptions towards training sites, 3) their perceptions of the outcomes of their training experience, 4) information about their training site and 5) their demographics characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 202 pharmacy students responded to the questionnaire. The majority of them reported having the opportunity to dispense refill or new prescriptions (73.8%, n = 149), and conduct patient interviews (69.8%, n = 141, but they were not provided good opportunities to create electronic patient profiles using the information obtained (53.0%, n = 107), perform required dose calculations based on patient information (37.6%, n = 76), and interact with other healthcare professionals (34.6%, n = 70). In addition, students showed positive attitudes toward training sites, positive feedback about the outcomes of their training experience (median scores range between 4 and 5 for all statements (IQR = 1 for all)). CONCLUSION: Students showed positive feedback about the outcomes of their training experience, but they felt that the selected training sites do not have adequate resources to meet their training competencies. Memorandums of understanding development is needed to specify the purpose of training and define the responsibility for both parties of the training process.