Pharmacists self-perceived role competence in prevention and containment of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The increased need for prioritized infection prevention and control (IPC) activities for the prevention and containment of COVID-19 is pivotal and timely in preventing harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about pharmacists' infection IPC activities and their role competence during disease outbreaks. This study aimed to assess pharmacists' perceived role competence to perform frontline roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using online social media to recruit eligible participants. A validated questionnaire contained 41 items on sociodemographic characteristics, preventative behaviors, and competencies. RESULTS: A total of 486 participants completed the survey. Participants reported several IPC activities that could potentially prevent COVID-19 spread. The majority expressed high attitudes towards their capabilities to fulfill their healthcare roles (M = 4.43, SD = 0.46, out of 5). The vast majority of participants (97.1%) were willing to demonstrate the effective way of cleaning hands and using facemasks. Pharmacists (89.1%) showed their willingness to timely refer patients in response to their emerging needs. Gender, age groups, years of experience, monthly incomes, area of work, ability to make a referral, source of information, and self-isolation discontinuation criteria were significantly associated with pharmacists' self-perceived role competence. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists are well-positioned as access points to care and can potentially play a significant role in the containment of the COVID-19 outbreak by delivering advanced clinical and public health services. Future research efforts need to be comprehensively directed towards the advanced role of pharmacists in implementing point-of-care testing for infectious diseases.

Use of Herbal Medicine in Digestive Health.

No Abstract Available.

Caffeine to optimize cognitive function for military mission-readiness: a systematic review and recommendations for the field.

Context: In 2001 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report on the use of caffeine during sustained military operations in which recommendations for research and practice were made. Objective: This systematic review serves as an update on the current quality of the evidence and addresses gaps in the current literature surrounding the effects of caffeinated foods and beverages on cognitive functioning in healthy adult populations exposed to military-like moderators. Data Sources: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane Library were searched. Study Selection: Peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials published in the English language since 1998 were eligible. Data Extraction: Twenty-five trials were included and assessed for methodological quality, and descriptive data were extracted according to each military-like moderator identified. Data Synthesis: Moderators included sleep deprivation (n = 17), physical or mental exertion (n = 4), sleep deprivation combined with a sustained military operation (n = 3), and physical exertion combined with low ambient temperature (n = 1). Conclusions: The effects of caffeine supplementation on cognitive functioning in sleep-deprived subjects included improvements in attention and vigilance, complex reaction time, and problem solving and reasoning in the trials reviewed. These findings are consistent with the conclusions reached in the 2001 IOM report. This review contributes to the field by addressing gaps outlined in the IOM report.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of pharmacists concerning prescription drug abuse.

This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and professional practices of pharmacists regarding addiction and patient use of controlled medications. This research project explored the relationship between pharmacy education, perceived and actual knowledge, and professional interactions as it pertains to problems surrounding dependency and addiction. A questionnaire of 25 items was administered at three separate continuing education programs in Florida in 2005. A total of 484 surveys were completed. Pharmacists (67.5%) reported participating in two hours or less of addiction/substance abuse education in pharmacy school. Of particular concern was that 29.2% reported having received no addiction education. Pharmacists who had greater amounts of addiction-specific education had a higher likelihood of correctly answering questions relating to the science of addiction and substance abuse counseling. In addition, pharmacists who reported more education counseled patients more frequently and felt more confident about counseling. A majority of respondents (53.7%) reported that they had never referred a patient to drug treatment in their career. These findings suggest that the neurobiological basis for addictive diseases, standards of care, and pain management guidelines were not widely understood by the sample. More research should be undertaken to determine the educational needs of practicing pharmacists to enable them to assume a leadership role in detecting, preventing, and treating prescription drug abuse.