The use of Traditional Medicines for Sexual Enhancement in Northern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of information on the use of traditional medicine TM to improve sexual performance. This study aims to assess the prevalence and self-reported adverse effects associated with the use of TM as a sexual enhancer in northern Nigeria. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional design among adults aged 18 years and above, who are residing in northern Nigeria. A mixed-mode approach was utilized using face-to-face interviews and an online survey. For the online survey, a link to the questionnaire was shared on the social media platforms of the targeted participants. RESULTS: A total of 794 eligible participants completed the survey over the six weeks. Of this number, 508 reported ever using TM for sexual enhancement, with a prevalence of 64% (95% CI: 60.5, 67.3). About 30 (3.8%) reported daily use, 49 (4.9%) weekly, 65 (8.2%) monthly and 473 (59.6%) as when needed. Islamic medicine was the most frequently implicated TM. Most respondents obtained it TM practitioners 213 (26.8%). Participants 164 (20.7%) reported experiencing side effects, mostly headaches 59 (35.9%), and 31 (3.9%) were severe (required hospitalization). Predictors of TM use for sexual enhancement were found to be gender, marital status, number of wives, ethnicity, educational level, and lifestyle. CONCLUSION: The use of TM for sexual enhancement is common among the adult population in northern Nigeria. One out of five of the users reported an adverse event. Therefore, there is a need for improved awareness of the safe use of the TM in the community, especially among females, those with multiple wives, a low education level, and poor lifestyles.

Factors Associated With Medication Errors at a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia.

Background: Medication errors (MEs) continue to pose a significant problem to health care systems across the world, not only causing harm and death in patients but also consuming approximately $42 billion annually in health care expenditure. The emergency department (ED) is considered a high-risk area of having MEs to occur. Little is known about the associated factors of ME in the ED of hospitals in Malaysia. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with ME in an ED of a teaching hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who visited the ED of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia over 9 weeks during normal working hours (ie, 8:00 am-5:00 pm). A total of 547 patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were enrolled for the study. Patient demographic information, clinical characteristics, and medication orders and procedures were observed and recorded. The required number of patient data (n = 311) were selected randomly for analysis. Multiple logistic regression method was employed to determine factors associated with ME. Results: Of the 311 patient data, 95 (30.5%) patients had at least 1 ME. The factors found to be associated with ME were number of medications (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51-2.41), triage (adjusted OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04-0.27), gender (adjusted OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26-0.93), and time of patient visit (adjusted OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.52-0.75). Conclusion: Medication error was not uncommon in our ED setting. Patients with a higher number of medications prescribed during visit to the ED were found to be particularly at risk. Identification of such factors may guide intervention measures to prevent MEs in this setting.

Prevalence and characteristics of medication errors at an emergency department of a teaching hospital in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Medication use process in the emergency department (ED) can be challenging and the risk for medication error (ME) to occur is high. In Malaysia, several studies on ME have been conducted in various hospital settings. However, little is known about the prevalence of ME in emergency department (ED) in these hospitals. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of ME at an ED of a teaching hospital in Malaysia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted over the period of 9 weeks in patients who visited the ED of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kelantan, Malaysia. Data on patient medication orders and demographic information was collected from the doctor's clerking sheet. Observations were made on nursing activities and these were documented in the data collection form. Other information related to the administration of medications were obtained from the nursing care records. RESULTS: Observations and data collections were made for 547 patients who fulfilled the study criteria. From these, 311 patient data were randomly selected for analysis. Ninety-five patients had at least one ME. The prevalence of ME was calculated to be 30.5%. The most common types of ME were wrong time error (46.9%), unauthorized drug error (25.4%), omission error (18.5%) and dose error (9.2%). The most frequently drug associated with ME was analgesics. No adverse event was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ME in our ED setting was moderately high. However, the majority of them did not result in any adverse event. Intervention measures are needed to prevent further occurrence.

Factors Associated With an Interest in Practice-Based Research Among Pharmacists in Nigeria.

Background: Practice-based research (PBR) is employed in the pharmacy profession to improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery. Although widely practiced in developed countries, it is rarely used in developing countries, including Nigeria. Objectives: To determine the factors associated with Nigerian pharmacists' interest in PBR. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study utilizing an online survey. Pharmacists currently practicing in Nigeria were invited to participate. A hyperlink to the online questionnaire was shared with members of relevant professional bodies via Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. Reminders were sent to facilitate a high response rate. Factors associated with pharmacists' interest in PBR were determined using multiple logistic regression. Results: Two hundred and three completed responses were received from the survey. The majority, 94.6% (192), expressed an interest in PBR and believed that it would enhance their pharmacy practice and role in patient care. The multivariable analysis showed that pharmacists' interest in publishing their research findings in peer-reviewed journals (odds ratio = 0.004, 95% confidence interval = 0.00-0.05, P < .001) and their knowledge of the professional relevance of research pertaining to their area of practice within the health care system (odds ratio = 0.02, 95% confidence interval = 0.00-0.47, P = .015) were found to be independent predictors of pharmacists' interest in PBR. Conclusion: There is an interest in PBR among practicing pharmacists in Nigeria. The provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical services in Nigeria will be enhanced by interventions that encourage the conduct of research and publication of research findings, and by improving knowledge of the professional relevance of PBR in pharmacy practice areas.

Prevalence and Impacts of Psychoactive Substance Abuse amongst Undergraduate University Students in Katsina State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Drug and substance abuse among university students is of public health concern and is becoming a global threat to the education system. This is more devastating to the academic performance of the addicts. The present study aims to assess the prevalence and impacts of psychoactive substance abuse among the university undergraduate students in Katsina State, Nigeria, and to determine the effects of such abuses on the students' academic performance. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using online survey tool (Google Form) validated by content validity and pilot study. The hyperlink to the online survey tool was shared with undergraduate students from three universities located in Katsina State via emails and social media platforms, namely WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Data collected from eligible participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics. FINDINGS: A total of 308 students from the three universities returned the online questionnaire, of which 67.2% were men and 32.8% were women. Among the respondents, 37% admitted practicing drug and/or substance abuse. Majority of them (56.2%) were third-year students in the age range of 20-25 years. CONCLUSION: Drug and substance abuse among the undergraduate university students in Katsina State is common, and it cuts across both male and female students. Concerted efforts towards parental support and supervisions, social intervention programs, and campus-based prevention and supported programs against drug and substance abuse should be encouraged.

The Burden of Drug Abuse in Nigeria: A Scoping Review of Epidemiological Studies and Drug Laws.

Background: The burden of drug abuse is becoming a public health concern in Nigeria. Preventive measures should include identifying the root causes of the burden for targeted intervention. We, therefore, aim to conduct a scoping review of the literature to summarize the findings of epidemiological studies on drug abuse and provisions of drug laws in Nigeria. The review also provides appropriate recommendations as interventions for prevention. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the literature on PubMed to identify information on drug abuse and drug laws in Nigeria from the inception of the database to March 2020. Additional information was retrieved from Google Scholar, a manual search of included articles, discussion with experts on the subject matter, and gray literature. Study selection was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statements. Information from gray literature was assessed for quality and accuracy using the AACODS checklist (authority, accuracy, coverage, objectively, date, significance). Results: The systematic search of the literature generated 253 studies. Nine articles were obtained from other sources. After the selection process, 23 eligible studies were included for review. A prevalence of 20-40% and 20.9% of drug abuse was reported among students and youths, respectively. Commonly abused drugs include cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, heroin, diazepam, codeine, cough syrup and tramadol. Sources where abusers obtained drugs, were pharmacies/patent medicine shops, open drug markets, drug hawkers, fellow drug abusers, friends, and drug pushers. Drug abuse was common among undergraduates and secondary school students, youths, commercial bus drivers, farmers, and sex workers. Reason for use included to increase physical performance, stress and to derive pleasure. Poor socioeconomic factors and low educational background were the common risk factors associated with drug abuse. We identified several drug laws and policies that were established under government agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and a Presidential Advisory Committee. Conclusion: Findings from epidemiological studies on drug abuse in Nigeria has demonstrated that the burden of drug abuse is still high despite the existing drug laws, policies, and strategies for prevention. Measures to reduce the burden should involve the community, government, and religious bodies. Preventive measures should target the youths, the students, identified sources of the drugs, reasons and risk factors associated with drug abuse in Nigeria.

Drug repurposing of nitazoxanide: can it be an effective therapy for COVID-19?

BACKGROUND: The current outbreak of pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) aggravates serious need for effective therapeutics. Over recent years, drug repurposing has been accomplished as an important opportunity in drug development as it shortens the time consumed for development, besides sparing the cost and the efforts exerted in the research and development process. The FDA-approved antiparasitic drug, nitazoxanide (NTZ), has been found to have antiviral activity against different viral infections such as coronaviruses, influenza, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and other viruses signifying its potential as a broad spectrum antiviral drug. Moreover, it has been recently reported that NTZ exhibited in vitro inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 at a small micromolar concentration. Additionally, NTZ suppresses the production of cytokines emphasizing its potential to manage COVID-19-induced cytokine storm. Furthermore, the reported efficacy of NTZ to bronchodilate the extremely contracted airways can be beneficial in alleviating COVID-19-associated symptoms. SHORT CONCLUSION: All these findings, along with the high safety record of the drug, have gained our interest to urge conductance of clinical trials to assess the potential benefits of using it in COVID-19 patients. Thus, in this summarized article, we review the antiviral activities of NTZ and highlight its promising therapeutic actions that make the drug worth clinical trials.

Understanding adverse drug-related emergency department visits: development of a conceptual model through a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The burden of adverse drug event (ADE)-related emergency department (ED) visits is increasing despite several preventive measures. The objective of this paper was to develop and validate a conceptual model for a better understanding of ADE-related ED visits and to guide the design and implementation of effective interventions. METHODS: The development of the model involved a systematic review of the literature using PubMed and Embase databases. Studies reporting the risk factors associated with ADE-related ED visits were included. The methodological qualities of the included studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The model was mapped and validated using face and content validity by an expert panel. Deficiencies and targeted interventions were identified, and steps for the design and implementation were recommended. RESULTS: The literature search generated 1361 articles, of which 38 were included in the review; 41 risk factors associated with ADE-related ED visits were identified. All factors were mapped, and the model was validated through face and content validity. The model consisted of six concepts related to sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, ADE-related to ED visits, ADE while in the ED, outcomes, and consequences. Interventions could be targeted at the factors identified in each concept to prevent ADE-related ED burden. CONCLUSION: A conceptual model to guide the successful design and implementation of strategies to prevent ADE-related ED visits and the occurrence of ADE at ED was developed. Clinicians should take these factors into consideration to prevent untoward events, especially when treating high-risk patients.