Preparing competent graduates for delivering pharmaceutical care: an experience from Northern Cyprus.

BACKGROUND: This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a clinical pharmacy practice (CPP) course in Northern Cyprus. The course covered a range of subjects, including internal medicine, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and drug information services. METHODS: An 8-week structured CPP course was designed for fifth-year students. Students' competencies were assessed using an objective structural clinical examination (OSCE) before and after the intervention. The course addressed all CPP competence domains and learning outcomes, and it utilized a wide variety of learning activities. Student perceptions, experience and preceptor evaluations were assessed using surveys. RESULTS: Students reported that the learning objectives of the course were met. Substantial knowledge and skills in different areas of CPP were gained. A significant overall enhancement in the average grades on the OSCE was identified (23.09 ± 0.75 and 27.51 ± 0.71 out of 40). Students received the highest scores in drug information data retrieval and interpretation (4.4 ± 0.13), communication skills (4.2 ± 0.09) and public health promotion (3.92 ± 0.12). The lowest scores were recorded in clinical prescription management problems (2.5 ± 0.23) and pharmacotherapy application (2.54 ± 0.18). CONCLUSION: Students' scores significantly improved from the baseline in the core competence domains. Most students found the structure, process and outcomes of the course to be beneficial and satisfactory.

Introducing clinical pharmacy services to cardiovascular clinics at a university hospital in Northern Cyprus.

Background Clinical pharmacists are the primary source of scientifically valid information and advice on the safe, rational, and cost-effective use of medications. However, ward-based clinical pharmacy services are not well optimized in Northern Cyprus. Objective Ward based clinical pharmacy services were introduced and evaluated in cardiovascular clinics. Setting Cardiology and cardiovascular surgery departments in a tertiary university hospital. Methods A prospective interventional study introduced and documented clinical pharmacy services for 120 days. Drug-related problems were classified using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe PCNE DRP classification tool V6.2. Main outcome measure Interventions proposed and acceptance rate of recommendations. Results A total of 133 patients were reviewed, and, 81 patients had drug-related problems. Only 402 (93.1%) of the 432 suggested interventions were accepted and regarded as clinically relevant. Drug-related problems primarily involved antihypertensive, diuretic, and antithrombotic agents. Treatment effectiveness was the major type of drug-related problems (107; 49.3%) followed by adverse drug reactions (74; 34.1%). Drug dose and selection were the most frequent causes of drug-related problems. Add/change/stop medications were the most common types of intervention at the prescriber level. A total of 171 (78.8%) of the identified 217 drug-related problems were solved, 4 (1.8%) of the problems were partially solved, 32 (14.7%) problems were unsolved, and 10 (4.6%) problems had unknown outcomes. Conclusion Clinical pharmacy services may have optimized therapy effectiveness and prevent adverse effects. The pharmacist interventions were highly accepted by cardiologists; this may indicate the presence of a great opportunity and need to optimize and implement CPS in other hospitals in Northern Cyprus.

Dispensing practice in the community pharmacies in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

BACKGROUND: Good pharmacy practice is the process of supplying the accurate drug to the right patient for an adequate period of time with the lowest cost to the patient and the community. Pharmacist have a crucial role in promoting good pharmacy practice. OBJECTIVE: To assess the dispensing practice of the community pharmacists in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) regarding RDU and to evaluate the quality of dispensing. Setting Community pharmacies in TRNC. Method The study consists of two parts: a face to face interview and a simulated patient visit to these pharmacies. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE: Rationality indicators (average dispensing time, stock availability and adequate labelling), presence of the pharmacist on the premises, dispenser characteristics, prescription checking, and the provided patient information. RESULTS: The majority of the prescriptions (73.3%) were dispensed by the pharmacists. None of the pharmacy employees had pharmacy based training. Eighty nine percent of the pharmacists believed that their employees could very well dispense drugs on their own. The declared average dispensing time for a prescription of a single drug was 233 s while the measured one was 149 s. Few dispensers in reality warned the patient about potential interactions. The difference between the average dispensing scores of the pharmacists and the non-pharmacist dispensers was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The dispensing practice in the community pharmacies in the Turkish part of Cyprus seems inadequate in terms of GPP.

Synthesis and evaluation of analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of 6-acyl-3-piperazinomethyl-2-benzoxazolinones.

In this study, 16 new 6-difluorobenzoyl-3-piperazinomethyl-2-benzoxazolinones were synthesized by Mannich reaction. Their chemical structures were proven by IR, 1H-NMR and elemental analysis. The compounds were screened for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. A modified Koster test, using acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, CAS 50-78-2) as the reference drug, was used to assess analgesic activity. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by the carrageenan induced hind-paw oedema test. The analgesic activities of all compounds were higher than their anti-inflammatory activities and therefore the prominent analgesic actions of the compounds are thought to be due to a central effect. The microbiological effects of the compounds were evaluated in vitro against various pathogenic fungi and bacteria using the microdilution method. Most of the compounds were found to be inactive against bacteria and fungi. One of the compounds (31) possessed considerable analgesic activity as well as moderate antibacterial activity against S. aureus. Another compound (3m) showed analgesic and antifungal activities comparable to those of ASA and fluconazole (CAS 86386-73-4), respectively.