Post COVID-19 Vaccination Side Effects and Associated Factors Among Vaccinated Clients in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia.

Introduction: The lack of local side effect profiles for vaccines could hinder vaccination uptake. Since all COVID-19 vaccines are brand-new medications, it is crucial to keep track of any safety related concern. Objective: This study is aimed to investigate post-vaccination side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and associated factors in Bahir Dar city. Method: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among vaccinated clients. A simple random and a systematic random sampling method were used to select the health facilities and the participants, respectively. Bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were executed with odds ratio at 95% confidence intervals at p < .05. Results: A total of 72(17.4%) participants reported at least one side effect following vaccination. The proportion prevalence was higher after the first dose than that of the second dose and the difference was also found to be statistically significant. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis female participants (AOR = 3.39, 95% CI = 1.53, 7.52), participants with a history of regular medication use (AOR = 3.34, 95% CI = 1.52, 7.33), participants aged 55 and above (AOR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.23, 7.01), and participants who had taken only the first dose (AOR = 14.81, 95% CI = 6.40, 34.31) were more likely to develop side effects for COVID 19 vaccination compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: A significant number (17.4%) of participants reported at least one side effect following vaccination. Sex, medication, occupation, age, and type of vaccination dose were factors statistically associated with the reported side effects.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards Face-Mask Use Amid the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic Among Public Transport Drivers in Gondar Town, A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly communicable virus that continues to interrupt livelihoods, predominantly those of low-income segments of society. For the prevention of respiratory infections like the current COVID-19 outbreak, face masks are considered an effective approach.Objective. This study intended to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of public transport drivers towards face mask use amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Gondar, Ethiopia.Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 412 public transport drivers in Gondar town from July to September 2021. The study subjects were recruited using a simple random sampling technique after proportionally allocating the sample size from the total number of public transport drivers, and finally, study subjects were selected using the convenience sampling method to select the participant drivers working in Gondar Town. The data were collected by face-to-face interview administered questioners and an on-the-spot observational checklist.Results. A total of 412 public transport drivers have participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 32.75 years (±8.75 years). The majority of the participants were Bajaj drivers 193 (46.84%). Among the responders, 114 (27.67%) of them use radio to gather information about the pandemic and 50 (12.14%) of them had reported being caught by COVID-19. Meanwhile, only 32 (7.77%) were vaccinated against COVID-19. Drivers that had a diploma level of education were found to be 87.7% less knowledgeable than degree holders (AOR .123, 95% CI = .026, .573). Respondents that had good knowledge about COVID-19 and face masks were found to have 1.7 times more positive attitudes than those that had poor knowledge (AOR = 1.728, 95% CI = 1.150, 2.596). drivers whose family members have ever been caught by COVID-19 were found 2 times more likely to use face masks whenever they are working/driving (AOR = 2.173, 95% CI = 1.015, 4.652) than their counterparts.Conclusion. This study revealed a very low Knowledge, attitude, and practice of face mask use among public transport drivers in Gondar town. Periodic reinforcement and training programs are needed for all public transport drivers in each level for proper understanding and adherence to COVID-19 prevention protocols and the use of face masks.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of medicine use studies in Ethiopia using the WHO patient care indicators with an emphasis on the availability of prescribed medicines.

OBJECTIVE: To collate the findings of studies on patient care indicators in Ethiopia using the WHO/International Network for Rational Use of Drugs indicators with a focus on the availability of medicines to patients. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Embase, Global Index Medicus, Google Scholar, Medline (via PubMed) and Web of Science. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Medicine use studies employing the WHO patient care indicators across health facilities in Ethiopia. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Descriptive summary of the indicators and a random-effects meta-analysis were performed for quantitative synthesis of findings on the percentage of medicines actually dispensed. Meta-regression was performed to assess the moderator effects of different attributes of the studies. RESULTS: A total of 25 studies conducted in 155 health facilities with 11 703 patient exit interviews were included. The median value of average consultation time was 5.1 min (25th-75th: 4.2-6.6) and that of average dispensing time was 78 s (25th-75th: 54.9-120.0). The median percentage of medicines with adequate labelling was 22.4% (25th-75th: 5.6%-50.0%). A concerning trend of decreasing dispensing times and adequacy of labelling were observed in more recent studies. The median percentage of patients with adequate knowledge of dosage schedules of medicines was 70.0% (25th-75th: 52.5%-81.0%). In the meta-analysis, the pooled estimate of medicine availability was 85.9% (95% CI: 82.1% to 89.0%). The multivariable meta-regression showed that geographical area and quality of study were statistically significant predictors of medicine availability. CONCLUSION: Short consultation and dispensing times, inadequate labelling, inadequate knowledge of patients on medicines and suboptimal availability of medicines were identified in health facilities of Ethiopia. Studies aimed at further exploration of the individual indicators like problems of inadequate labelling and patients' knowledge of dispensed medicines are crucial to determine the specific reasons and improve medicine use. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020157274.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among health professionals in a tertiary care center at the University of Gondar Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a highly communicable disease that can be transmitted from animal-to-human and human-to-human contacts. It is still now a major global threat for which vaccination remains the ultimate solution to protect it, especially healthcare professionals are the first frontiers to fight against the COVID-19 virus which makes them at higher risk of this disease. Therefore, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, we need to improve the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is crucial. The aim of this study was to assess the vaccine hesitancy of the COVID-19 vaccine among health professionals who worked at the University of Gondar Specialized Hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 1 May and 10 June 2021. And the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26. A chi-square test was conducted and to assess the associations between socio-demographic characteristics, perceived risk of COVID-19, attitude, and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine, a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: We surveyed 319 health professionals with a response rate of 67.87%. Of these, 74.9% (239) were male, and 81.2% (259) of health professionals were perceived exposed to COVID-19 without testing. 87.7% of respondents would like to vaccinate their parents. 66.2% (208) of them have accepted the COVID-19 vaccine. 54.85% (175) of health professionals had a good attitude and 45.8% (146) of health professionals were received the first-round COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSION: This study showed that more than 60% of health professionals had good acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination during the pandemic period. Regarding vaccine safety profile may reduce the vaccination in the future. To increase vaccine uptake in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccination programs should be redesigned to remove barriers to vaccine acceptance. Knowledge and attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine should be promoted.

Availability of Essential Antidotes and the Role of Community Pharmacists in the Management of Acute Poisoning: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Morbidity and mortality related to acute poisoning is a major public health issue in both developing and developed countries. Community pharmacists have a crucial role in ensuring drug availability, increasing drug safety, counseling patients, overdose risk reduction and management, and provision of appropriate drug information. This study aimed to assess the availability of necessary antidotes in community pharmacies in Gondar and Bahir-Dar cities, Ethiopia, and the role of community pharmacists in the management of acute poisoning. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Gondar and Bahir-Dar cities. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used for data collection and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 was used for data analysis. Chi-square analysis was computed to identify the associated factors with a confidence interval of 95% and a P value less than .05 was used as a cut-point for statistical significance. RESULTS: Out of 101 community pharmacies invited to participate in the study, 80 of them completed the survey with a response rate of 79.2%. The overall mean antidote availability score was .59 (SD = .837), which falls within the definition of Poor availability. None of the pharmacies had kept all of the antidotes, and the maximum number of an antidote kept by a single pharmacy was 7 out of nineteen essential antidotes surveyed. The most commonly reported reason for the unavailability of essential antidotes was stock was not ordered (56.3%) followed by stock ordered but not delivered from suppliers (wholesalers) (20.0%). More than 3 fourth of the respondents (83.8%) had poor knowledge about the antidotes for the common poisonings. CONCLUSION: There was a significantly very low availability of essential antidotes in the community pharmacies. Strategies should be implemented to improve pharmacist's knowledge about antidotes, and management of poisoning emergencies through on-job training and provision of reference materials.

Complementary and alternative medicine use and its associated factors among hypertensive patients in Debre Tabor General Hospital, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive patients have been using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to meet their primary healthcare needs within Ethiopia. The use of plant-based medicine is not only common rather it is also a culturally accredited practice, among the people of Ethiopia. However, studies conducted on the prevalence and correlates of herbal medicine (HM) use among hypertensive patients are lacking. Thus, this study aimed to assess CAM use and its associated factors among hypertensive patients. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 450 hypertensive patients, visiting the hypertensive care service of Debre Tabor General Hospital from November 1 to December 28, 2020. Interview-guided self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24.0 was used for data analysis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was computed to identify associated factors of CAM use (age, sex, religion, residence, marital status, educational level, monthly income, presence of HTN complication, duration of HTN, and family history of HTN). RESULTS: Out of the 450 hypertensive patients, 275 (67.8%) participants used complementary and alternative medicine. Herbal medicines used among hypertensive patients were M. stenoptela 105 (62.9%), O. lamiifolium 81 (48.5%), C. aurea 62 (37.1%), R. nepalensis 44 (26.3%), M. piperata 36 (21.6%), H. abyssinica 24 (14.4%), T. schimperi 19 (11.4%), R. abyssinicus 15 (9.0%), and T. foenumgraecum 9 (5.4%). Majority of CAM users 202 (73.5) did not discuss with health professionals about their CAM use. Families and friends 91 (33.1%) were the frontline source of information about CAM use. In a multivariate analysis, female gender patients over 45 years old, rural residence, higher educational level, high average monthly income, presence of complications, greater than 5 years duration of hypertension (HTN), and having a family history of HTN were the independent predictors of CAM use. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CAM use among hypertensive patients was high 275 (67.8%). Factors associated with CAM use are similar to those observed in previous studies, but further research is required to further clarify the opportunities and challenges correlated to CAM use in Ethiopia.

Multidisciplinary Effort and Integrative Preparedness: A Lesson for the Foreseen Multivariate COVID-19 Pandemic Flare-Up.

It has been a year and a half since the world suffered the horrific COVID-19 pandemic which has still continued becoming a prominent headache for the whole world. Recently, we are facing the second and third wave of multivariate outbreaks with great intensity of transmission which renders huge disaster. Presently, new strains of the virus are emerging that are predicted to be resistant for the current vaccines and other management approaches. It needs collaborative and coordinated role at professional, facility, regional, and global levels to ameliorate the pandemic by monitoring the existing and emerging variants. This review addressed the multidisciplinary roles in patient screening and detection, emergency management, moderate and critical care, vaccination, complication prevention, comorbidity management, psychological therapy, and digital health care. The inevitable roles of academicians, researchers, private health sectors, policy makers, regulatory bodies, and partners are also discussed.

The Weekend Drug; Recreational Use of Sildenafil Citrate and Concomitant Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Men who use erectile dysfunction medications for recreational purposes may be at increased risk of becoming psychologically dependent, which in turn could lead to psychogenic-based erectile dysfunction symptoms. Sildenafil has become one of the most commonly prescribed and abused drugs available today. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the utilization pattern and associated factors of sildenafil citrate among its users visiting community pharmacies in Gondar, Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 20, 2017 to May 10, 2017, among male clients who visited community pharmacies in Gondar town, North West Ethiopia. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used to collect data from Sildenafil users older than 18 years, that started using the drug (Sildenafil) for at least 6 months before the data collection period. A regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between study variables, and a P-value of <0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance. Results: A total of 65 men participated in the study. Of the total study participants, 33.8% were aged 25-34 years and about 40% of them had multiple sexual partners. The use of sildenafil for recreational purposes was 66.2% and was found to be higher than its use for medical purposes 33.8%. Use of the drug for <1-year duration (AOR = 34.086, 95% CI [2.90, 401.37]) and 2 years duration (AOR = 21.42: 95% CI [2.10, 218.82]) were significantly associated with its use for recreational purpose. Non-recreational use of sildenafil includes erectile problems associated with diabetes mellitus (27.1%), heart disease (9.2%), hyperlipidemia (4.2%), and relationship problems due to stress and poor communication (3.1%). Conclusion: Most men who use sildenafil citrate do so for recreational purposes, and use of sildenafil citrate for 2 years or less was associated with recreational use. There should be a collaborative effort among pharmacists, health professionals, and policymakers to improve the rational use of sildenafil.

Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of narrow-spectrum versus broad-spectrum antibiotics for the treatment of childhood pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of empiric treatment with narrow-spectrum therapy versus broad-spectrum therapy for children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. METHODS: Institutional-based retrospective chart review was conducted at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital (GURH) pediatrics ward from 1 February 2016 to 30 April 2016. The collected data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics were done to present the basic features and summary of the data set. In addition, binary logistics and multivariable logistic regression analysis were conducted to test for an association between the dependent and independent variables. A P value of <0.05 was taken to declare statistical significance at a 95% confidence interval. RESULT: A total of 147 patients with CAP were included in the study. Seven different treatment regimens were employed for the 147 children hospitalized. About 63 (42.9%) of the study participants received a narrow-spectrum antibiotic and 84 (57.1%) received a broad-spectrum antibiotic. There was no significant difference between the broad and narrow spectrum treatment groups in main treatment outcomes. The median length of stay (LOS) for the study population was 3 days. The median LOS was shorter among those receiving narrow-spectrum therapy compared with those receiving broad-spectrum therapy. Treatment dose and duration of therapy were significantly associated with treatment outcome (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.003), respectively. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of narrow-spectrum therapy is similar to that of broad-spectrum therapy for children hospitalized with CAP. Treatment regimens for children with community-acquired pneumonia should be selected based on their safety profile and their tendency for antibiotic resistance.

Impact of COVID-19 on Pharmaceutical Care Services and the Role of Community Pharmacists: A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study in Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed at assessing the impact of COVID-19 on pharmaceutical care services and the role of community pharmacists. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 1st to June 7, 2020, on community pharmacies in Bahir Dar and Gondar cities, Ethiopia. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were conducted. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance at a 95% Confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total of 101 community pharmacies were approached (one pharmacist per pharmacy), and 80 of them had completed the survey. From the total pharmacies, 78.8% of them had encountered a shortage of pharmaceutical products. Chi-square test revealed that there was a significant difference (P = 0.036) in the shortage of personal protection equipment between Gondar and Bahir Dar cities. Face mask 55 (77.4%) followed by hand glove 15 (21.1%) were the most commonly reported personal protective equipment's in short supply. CONCLUSION: Strategies should be in place to improve the availability and affordability of various essential pharmaceuticals to mitigate the spread of the disease and prevent other complications.

Health professional's exposure, attitude, and acceptance of drug promotion by industry representatives: A cross-sectional study in Ethiopia.

Interactions between pharmaceutical companies and health care providers have long been an area of interest from ethical as well as scientific grounds. The information provided by those companies must be scientifically accurate and fair. The current study aimed to investigate the exposure, attitude, and training background of medical doctors and pharmacy professionals regarding drug promotional activities, and assess their acceptance of promotional gifts provided by pharmaceutical sales representatives. A cross-sectional study was conducted on medical doctors and pharmacy professionals working at Bahir Dar and Gondar cities, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26 was used for analysis. A Chi-square test was computed to investigate the presence of an association between the dependent and independent variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to declare significance at a 95% Confidence Interval (CI). A total of 105 health professionals, 81 pharmacy professionals, and 24 medical doctors have participated in the study. Above two-thirds of the respondents (69.5%) agreed that most talks sponsored by drug companies were helpful and educational. On the other hand, 39% of the respondents agreed and 47.6% disagreed that receiving gifts from pharmaceutical representatives will increase the chance that they will eventually sell or recommend the drug company's products. The majority of the study participants (81%) preferred drug samples and stationery as appropriate gifts by pharmaceutical sales representatives. Significant gaps were found regarding the training of health professionals about the ethics of drug marketing and how to deal with pharmaceutical representatives. Policies aiming at restricting health care provider's contacts with pharmaceutical companies during residency training along with incorporating gift restriction policies could bring significant improvements.

Assessment of exposure risks to COVID-19 among frontline health care workers in Amhara Region, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: The burden to fight with Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has lied to frontline health care workers that are putting themselves at a higher risk in the battle against the disease. This study aimed to assess the exposure health risks of COVID-19 among frontline healthcare workers in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. METHOD: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on public health workers from May to August 2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire via email and telegram services. Both descriptive statistics and bivariate followed by multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify distribution patterns and factors associated with exposure risks to COVID-19. Odds ratio with 95% Confidence Interval (CI), and a P-value of <0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. RESULT: A total of 418 health care workers participated in the study with a response rate of 99.1%. The majority of the study participants 310(74.2%), were males, and 163(39%) were nurses/ midwives respectively. More than half of the respondents 237(56.7%), had reported that they didn`t have face-to-face contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient. Among the respondents, 173(41.4%), 147(35.2%), 63(15.1%), and 65(15.6%) of the health professionals had always used gloves, medical masks, face shield, or goggles/protective glasses, and disposable gown, respectively. In this study, age between 25-34 years (AOR = 0.20), age between 35-44 years (AOR = 0.13), family size of >6 (AOR = 3.77), work experience of 21-30 years (AOR = 0.01), and good handwashing habit (AOR = 0.44) were the protective factors against COVID-19. On the other hand, perception of non-exposure to COVD 19 (AOR = 9.56), and poor habit of decontamination of high touch areas (AOR = 2.52) were the risk factors associated with confirmed COVID 19 cases among health care workers. CONCLUSION: Poor adherence to personal protective equipment use and aseptic practices during and after health care interactions with patients were identified. Strategies should be implemented to institute effective and sustainable infection control measures that protect the health care workers from COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19: What should health professionals know? Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and practice of community pharmacists in a developing country.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals are the primary frontiers of the fight against every public health threat. These had made them vulnerable to various infectious agents, with many reports of morbidity and mortality also being evident. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward COVID-19 among community pharmacists in Gondar town, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection, and the collected data were coded, validated, and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Quantitative data were summarized using means and standard deviations, while frequencies and proportions were used to summarize categorical data. A chi-square test was used to assess an association between the different variables, and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance at a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: A total of 46 community pharmacy professionals had participated in the study. The main sources of information about COVID-19 were news media 29 (63%), followed by social media 24 (52.2%). The mean knowledge score was 8.15 (standard deviation: 1.86), and among the total study participants, 29 (63%) were found to have good knowledge about COVID-19. The mean attitude score was 31.52 (standard deviation: 4.288). Only 30.4% of the study participants were found to have a good practice toward the prevention of COVID-19. Chi-square results showed that having a good knowledge of COVID-19 was significantly associated with practice (P = 0.035). CONCLUSION: Significant gaps were identified concerning community pharmacy professional's knowledge of COVID-19 and their practice toward prevention of the disease. Strategies should be implemented to equip community pharmacy professionals with all necessary information about COVID-19 through continuous training programs and other virtual platforms.

Utilization Pattern of Long-Acting and Permanent Family Planning Methods and Associated Factors: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Long-acting and permanent family planning methods (LAPMs) are modern contraceptive methods that can prevent pregnancy for greater than one year and include long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARCs) (Intrauterine device and subdermal implants), and permanent contraceptive methods (Tubal ligation and Vasectomy). The current study aimed to assess the utilization pattern of long-acting and permanent contraceptive methods and factors associated with their utilization in Lay-Armachiho district, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected by using an interview method and the collected data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Both binary logistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to analyze predictive variables with the utilization of contraceptives. A 95% confidence interval (CI) and a P-value of <0.05 were used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 460 women have participated in the study. The proportion of women that utilize long-acting and permanent contraceptives was found to be 65.4%. Educational statuses, residence, attitude towards long-acting contraceptives, discussion, and joint decision-making with their spouse were factors significantly associated with the utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods. CONCLUSION: The current study showed that there is high utilization of LAPMs. Women's attitude, educational status, residency, frequent discussions, and a joint decision with their partners about LAPMs were significantly associated with the utilization of long-acting and permanent contraceptives. There is a significant impact of husbands (sexual partners) on the utilization and choice of contraceptive methods by women.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Over-the-Counter Drugs Among Pharmacy and Medical Students: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) medications is common among medicine and health science students. For safe use of OTC medications, students are expected to have proper knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards OTC medications and subsequent adverse drug reactions (ADRs). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess KAP of OTC medications use and related factors among medical and pharmacy students at the University of Gondar, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Chi-square analysis was conducted and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between KAP and OTC use and its related adverse effects. A P value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 380 students (229 medical students and 151 pharmacy students) participated in the study. The majority of the respondents 303 (79.7%) reported that they have the practice of self-medication. Fever 69 (80.2%), headache 21 (24.4%), and abdominal cramp 20 (23.3%) were the most common conditions for which the students go for self-medication while paracetamol 51 (59.3%) followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 44 (51.2%) were the most commonly used classes of drugs. An intention for time-saving caused by the waiting time due to crowds in medical consultation rooms 212 (77.4%) and a desire for quick relief 171 (62.4%) were the main reasons for the self-medication practice with OTC medications. CONCLUSION: Self-medication is widely practiced among medical and pharmacy students. Significant problems and malpractices were identified, such as sharing of OTC medications, the use of expired medicines, doubling the dose of medications when they were ineffective, storage of OTC medications, and not reading labels and expiry dates.

Role of community pharmacists in educating asthmatic patients: A multi-centered cross-sectional study in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Effective asthma management requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes; the physician, the patient, and the patient's family. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to assess the roles played by community pharmacists toward asthma control together with the barriers hindering their practice and possible strategies to overcome those barriers. METHODS: A multi-centered cross-sectional study was conducted. Data was collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire adapted from previously conducted studies and customized to fit with the current study setup. The collected data was cleaned, coded, and entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 for analysis. Descriptive analysis of the collected data was conducted and the results were presented using frequency tables and graphs. RESULTS: A total of 122 community pharmacy professionals; 63 from Gondar, 26 from Bahir Dar, 15 from Debre Markos, 14 from Woldia, and 4 from Debre birhan participated in the study. About 96 (78.7%) of the participants reported that they teach their patients the basic facts about asthma. More than two-thirds of the participants 85 (69.7%) also reported that they were able to identify and manage the triggering factors of asthma for their patients. Lack of pharmacist time was reported by 78 (63.9%) of the study participants as a major reason for the inadequacy of the counseling service provided. CONCLUSION: It appears evident that there is a need for continuing professional education and pharmacists to receive additional training to improve their ability to go beyond identifying a problem and suggesting therapeutic options.

Health Professionals Oral Health Knowledge and Practice: Unleashing the Hidden Challenges.

OBJECTIVE: Dental disease is one of the major prevalent preventable public health challenges that resulted in a significant burden on children and adults. The aim of the current study was to identify oral health-related knowledge and practice among Bahir Dar community health care providers and the perceived barriers to oral health care services. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used for data collection, and SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. A chi-square test was used to determine the association between study variables, and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 281 interviews were conducted. Doctors had the highest mean knowledge score value of 4.67 followed by dentists with a mean score of 4.5. The majority of the study participants (59.4%) reported that they use a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste for brushing their teeth, and a statistically significant difference was observed between different types of health professionals. The majority of the study participants (80.1 and 70.8%) reported limited finances and lack of adequate health/dental insurance as a barrier to oral health care services, respectively. CONCLUSION: Oral health-related knowledge of health professionals in Bahir Dar city is low. Oral health topics must be incorporated into the health care professionals training programs and continuing medical education. Health professionals should master basic oral health-related knowledge, and they should practice basic oral health care practices to become role models for their patients.

Assessment of medicine use among outpatients at healthcare facilities in Ethiopia using the WHO's prescribing indicators with a focus on antibiotics: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize studies on prescribing medicine to general outpatients through the WHO/International Network for Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD) prescribing indicators with a focus on antibiotic prescription. METHODS: A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of studies on the WHO prescribing indicators with a focus on the percentage of encounters with antibiotics prescribed (PEAP) was performed. The databases PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and Global Index Medicus were searched. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies with a total of over 34 000 prescription encounters were included in the systematic review, showing a mean of two medicines per encounter. In each meta-analysis, a range of 19 to 25 studies was included. The percentages of medicines prescribed with an international non-proprietary name (INN) and from the essential medicines list (EML) were 91% and 96% of the total number of medicines, respectively, while 19% of encounters contained injections. Studies with over 25 000 prescription encounters reported an average PEAP of 58% and PEAP showed an increasing trend over the years included in this review. Multivariable meta-regression showed that PEAP increased with the average number of medicines per encounter (estimate = 0.83, P value = 0.0005). The number of medicines, study design and year of prescription explained over 40% of the variation in PEAP across studies. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of medicine use within and close to the WHO reference values were reported for the number of medicines, INN prescribing, prescription of injections and compliance with the EML, on average. Prescription of antibiotics requires attention as amounts much higher than the reference values were prescribed, which were even higher with polypharmacy and increasing over the years included in this review.

Prevalence and Predictors of Storage of Unused Medicines among Households in Northwestern Ethiopia.

Background: Unused medicines are those that are expired, discontinued, deteriorated, and/or not intended for any future use. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of unused medicines and predicting factors in households of Awi zone, Amhara regional state, Northwestern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. A survey of unused medicines was conducted through interviews with representatives of households. The collected data were entered with Epi Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 21 for analysis. Predictors of storage of unused medicines were assessed through binary and multivariable logistic regression methods. A confidence interval of 95% and a P-value of <0.05 were considered to declare statistical significance. Results: Of the total of 507 households surveyed, 70 (13.8%) were found to have unused medicines. These constituted twenty-eight types of unused medicines. Anti-infective medicines were the most commonly unused medicines, 58.9%. People who pay for medicines by themselves, those who lacked knowledge about medicines, and those who did not receive enough counseling about medicines they took were found to be 2.6, 4.8, and 3 times more likely to have unused medicines, respectively. Conclusion: A significant amount of unused medicines was present in the community. Strategies aimed at educating the public regarding the safe disposal of unused medicines and an organized method of collection and disposal of unused medicines in the community need to be introduced.

Assessment of Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns at Outpatient Pharmacy Using World Health Organization Prescribing Indicators.

Background: Overuse of antibiotics is a common problem in health care, which leads to unnecessary expenditure on drugs, raised risk of adverse reactions, and the development of antimicrobial resistance. Inappropriate prescribing habits lead to ineffective and unsafe treatment, worsening of disease and increment of health care costs. The aim of this study was to assess antibiotic prescribing patterns using World Health Organization prescribing indicators at the outpatient Pharmacy Department of University of Gondar referral hospital, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. One-year prescription data was collected from prescription and prescription registration books retained at the pharmacy store. World Health Organization/International Network of Rational Use of Drugs prescribing indicators were utilized to measure rational use of drugs with due focus on antibiotics prescribing patterns. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results and Discussion: A total of 968 drugs were prescribed from 600 patient encounters. The average number of drugs per encounter was 1.6. The percentage of encounters in which an antibiotics and injections were prescribed was 69.7% and 6.3% respectively. Amoxicillin (28.5%) followed by ciprofloxacin (12%) and metronidazole(11.1%) were the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. The percentage of drugs prescribed from essential drugs list and by generic name was 95.3% and 96%, respectively. Rate of antibiotics prescribing showed deviation from the standard recommended by World Health Organization whereas polypharmacy, injectable prescribing pattern, uses of brand names, and prescription of drugs from the National Essential Drugs List were not found to be a significant problem though there were slight deviations from the standard. Conclussion: Interventions aimed at improving the antibiotic prescribing patterns need to be implemented so as to prevent the inappropriate use of antibiotics and avoid further complications.