Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Family Caregiver Medication Administration Hassles Scale.

BACKGROUND: The Family Caregiver Medication Administration Hassles Scale (FCMAHS) was developed to evaluate the hassles and concerns experienced by family caregivers in medication administration. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Family Caregiver Medication Administration Hassles Scale (FCMAHS-TR). METHODS: The FCMAHS-TR was developed after translation, cultural adaptation, and a pilot study. The cross-sectional study was conducted among family caregivers (≥18 years) in community pharmacies. Test-retest reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed. Hypothesis testing was used for the assessment of construct validity. RESULTS: The majority (68.7%) of the family caregivers were female (n = 470). In the test-retest reliability analysis (n = 30), the ICC value was 0.917 (P < 0.001). In EFA analysis (n = 251), the Kaiser‒Meyer‒Olkin (KMO) measure was 0.799, 62.6% of the total variance was explained by five factors including eighteen items, and Cronbach's alpha was 0.836. According to CFA (n = 219), the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.0654, and the comparative fit index (CFI) was 0.918. In construct validity, family caregivers with low reading ability of health-related materials and with high care burden had significantly higher median scores for all the factors of the FCMAHS-TR (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: The FCMAHS-TR can be used to evaluate the hassle and concerns experienced by family caregivers in medication administration. This scale can be used by healthcare professionals to identify family caregivers who need individualized interventions for medication administration hassles.

Community pharmacy cognitive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive study of practices, precautions taken, perceived enablers and barriers and burnout.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to identify community pharmacist (CP)-led cognitive services and CPs' precautions taken related to COVID-19, perceived enablers and barriers related to pharmaceutical services and burnout levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: In this descriptive study, the survey was administered online to CPs in all regions of Turkey. The frequency of their provision of patient counselling, provision of medication information and practices towards precautions during the pandemic were evaluated based on CP self-reports. The Turkish version of the Burnout Measure Short Form was used, and a 30-item questionnaire based on the 12-domain Theoretical Domains Framework was developed to determine CPs' perceived enablers of and barriers to pharmaceutical service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected using convenience sampling methods. Besides internal consistency reliability, principal component analysis, and correlation analysis, Mann-Whitney U-test was conducted in group comparisons. RESULTS: A total of 1098 complete responses were received, for a response rate of 4.11% among 26 747 CPs. The CPs' median burnout score was 3.3 (2.5-4.2). More than half of the CPs (54.5%) referred probable patients with COVID-19 to the hospital. Commonly delivered cognitive CP-led services included preventive health services (89.5%) and medication information services (86.3%). Perceived barriers to delivering pharmaceutical services were a lack of environmental resources and support and a lack of innovation in pharmaceutical services. Perceived enablers were CPs' knowledge, skills, self-confidence, actions, impacts, emotions and perceived behavioural control. CONCLUSION: To increase the preparedness of pharmacists for future pandemics or disasters, this study highlighted CP-led cognitive services, precautions taken related to COVID-19, perceived enablers and barriers and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmaceutical services guidelines that could be followed during a pandemic or other disaster should be designed by addressing these findings.

Effects of dapagliflozin in experimental sepsis model in rats.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of dapagliflozin in an experimental sepsis model in rats. METHODS: Saline (1 mL/kg, p.o.) or dapagliflozin (10 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered to Sprague-Dawley rats for 5 days prior to the surgical procedures. Under anesthesia, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation puncture, while sham control groups underwent laparotomy only. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and glucose levels were measured in serum samples and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), myeloperoxidase (MPO), tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta, caspase 8, and caspase 9 were determined in tissue samples (kidney, liver, and lung). Histological evaluation was also performed. RESULTS: The administration of dapagliflozin in a sepsis model reduced oxidative stress (MDA), increased antioxidant levels (GSH), and reduced inflammation (MPO) in the kidney (p<0.05). Dapagliflozin also decreased oxidative stress (MDA) in lung tissue and decreased inflammation (MPO) in lung and liver tissue (p<0.05). Caspase 8 and 9 levels in kidney, lung, and liver tissue were increased (p<0.05) in the dapagliflozin group compared with the sepsis group. According to the histopathological results, sepsis was moderately improved in renal tissue and slightly attenuated in lung and liver tissue with the administration of dapagliflozin. CONCLUSION: Dapagliflozin had a preventive effect on sepsis-induced kidney damage, but the protective effect was mild in lung and liver tissue in the present study.