Knowledge and perception of mHealth medication adherence applications among pharmacists and pharmacy students in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The advances in digital health, including mobile healthcare (mHealth) medication adherence applications (MApps), have been demonstrated to support medication adherence and improve health outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and perception of the MApps among pharmacists and pharmacy students. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 223 pharmacists and pharmacy students in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia between 1st and 30th April 2023. The survey collected information about the participants' socio-demographics, knowledge, and perception of the MApps. Among the 223 participants included in the study, 105 (47.1%) were pharmacists and 118 (52.9%) were pharmacy students. Most participants were females (72.6%) and aged 18-30 (70.4%). About half of the participants had poor knowledge of the MApps [pharmacists (48.0%) and students (42.0%)] and mainly encountered Medisafe (18.1%) or Pills (17.0%) MApps, respectively. Pharmacy students showed significantly higher knowledge of MApps (p = 0.048), especially the Pills (p = 0.022) than pharmacists. However, the pharmacists had significantly higher knowledge of MyMeds (p = 0.001) than pharmacy students. Most participants had a positive perception of the usefulness of the MApps (pharmacists, 79.0%; students 80.0%). Notably, over 85% of the participants expressed willingness to know and provide guidance on MApps, with over 50% willing to recommend it to the patients. There was no significant difference in perception between the pharmacists and pharmacy students (p>0.05). In conclusion, the study demonstrates limited knowledge with a positive perception of mHealth medication adherence applications among pharmacists and pharmacy students. Integrating digital adherence tools like the MApps into pharmacy training could significantly improve professional practice mHealth competencies, and optimize healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

Formulation of Modified-Release Bilayer Tablets of Atorvastatin and Ezetimibe: An In-Vitro and In-Vivo Analysis.

The objective of this work was to formulate co-loaded bilayer tablets containing ezetimibe (EZB) and atorvastatin (ATC). ATC loaded in the immediate-release (IR) layer is an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, while EZB, added in the sustained-release (SR) layer, is a lipid-lowering agent. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of polymer on the formulation and characterization of bilayer tablets, as well as the therapeutic impact of the concurrent use of both drugs having a sequential release pattern. To obtain the optimized results, four different formulations with variable compositions were developed and evaluated for different parameters. The drug release studies were carried out using a type II dissolution apparatus, using phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of 1.2 pH for IR of EZB for an initial 2 h, followed by 24 h studies for ATC in PBS 6.8 pH. The IR layer showed rapid drug release (96%) in 2 h, while 80% of the ATC was released in 24 h from the SR layer. Locally obtained, 6-week-old female albino rats were selected for in vivo studies. Both preventive and curative models were applied to check the effects of the drug combination on the lipid profile, atherosclerosis and physiology of different organs. Studies have shown that the administration of both drugs with different release patterns has a better therapeutic effect (p < 0.05), both in preventing and in curing hyperlipidemia. Conclusively, through the sequential release of ATC and EZB, a better therapeutic response could be obtained.

Inpatient Case-mix Cost Vs Average Cost for Health Care Services in King Fahd Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Study.

Health care systems aim to deliver high-quality medical care while considering efficient resource usage and cost-effective forms of interventions. Such purposes require scientific tools or mechanisms which aid in cost assessment before the efforts of cost reduction are considered. Diagnosis-related groups based costing methodology (Case-mix) is considered one of the preferred costing approaches in the health care sector. King Fahd Central hospital Jazan, the only tertiary hospital in the Jazan region, was selected for case-mix system-based patient-level costing of health services. The study's objective was to estimate the cost per Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) per inpatient admission and compare it with the already established average cost of health care services for inpatients. We applied a cross-sectional retrospective approach to categorize the inpatients based on their diagnosis and procedures and then estimate the actual cost of health care services provided to inpatients during 2018 and compared it with the average cost of the health services. There was a considerable difference between DRG-based costing (SAR 269,663,897) and average costing (SAR 247,035,938). The Diagnosis Related Group costing was found to be more reliable and representative of the services provided to the patients and is recommended to be used for reimbursement purposes.

Overweight and obesity among the boys of primary public schools of Baish City in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are important modifiable risk factors for various noncommunicable diseases. The link between obesity, poor health outcomes, and all-cause mortality is well established. Overweight and obesity during childhood increases the likelihood of diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, obstructive sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis more early in younger age groups. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and some correlates of overweight and obesity in the study population. METHODS: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted during October 2017 among 300 boys of primary public schools from Baish City of Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Weight and height were measured using standard tools. The WHO Z-score reference values of body mass index-for-age were used for the screening of overweight and obesity. Analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 19.0). RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 10.1% and 12.4%, respectively, among the study participants. There was a significant difference in the overweight and obesity between urban and rural study population. Overweight and obesity was found higher among children who took frequently junk food. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity was substantially prevalent among primary schoolboys with a significant rural-urban difference.