In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pharmacovigilance (PV) program is in the stage of initiation t... more In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pharmacovigilance (PV) program is in the stage of initiation therefore the success of such a program depends upon the participation of the health care professionals. No study has been found regarding the role of the community pharmacist as a health care provider in monitoring drug safety after marketing. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) toward adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting among community pharmacists (CPs) in Ajman and Sharjah, UAE. Evaluating the baseline KAP of the CPs regarding ADRs reporting can be useful in providing information for the progress of a PV program in UAE. An interview questionnaire was delivered to 300 CPs in Ajman and Sharjah cities. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used for data analysis. Only 4.9% of respondents had good ADRs reporting knowledge, while the majority of pharmacists 93.7% had a positive attitude towards ADRs reporting. Forty four percent of the pharmacists were not alert about ADRs reporting program in UAE. Only 3.6 % of the enrolled pharmacists submitted ADRs report and only 11.2% had good practice score. The results of our study clearly point out that in spite of the community pharmacists positive attitude there was a lack of appropriate knowledge and practice to implement ADRs reporting successfully. The results emphasized the critical need for interventions to support ADRs reporting activity and to maintain CPs positive attitude.
Cancer is considered as a threatening disease affecting individuals all over the world and it is ... more Cancer is considered as a threatening disease affecting individuals all over the world and it is among the top three causes of death in UAE as recorded by the Ministry of Health. Young generations including university students are not immune to cancer particularly nowadays where the risk factors of cancer are common in our daily life. The purpose of this research is to display an insight into the awareness of nonmedically educated U.A.E undergraduates about cancer warning signs and prevention factors. This cross-section survey-based study researched 356 undergraduate students (40.8% Male and 58.8% Female) as a representative sample of the university population of UAE, who were questioned about their awareness towards cancer. Because anyone may be susceptible to have cancer, sufficient cancer awareness regarding prevention by lifestyle modification should be strongly acknowledged.
Leptospirosis is the most widely spread zoonosis and Leptospirosis Associated Acute Kidney Injury... more Leptospirosis is the most widely spread zoonosis and Leptospirosis Associated Acute Kidney Injury (LAKI) is common and fatal if not properly and swiftly treated. The aim of this review is to evaluate the mortality of LAKI and to identify the risk factors for its development. An electronic search was performed to identify the studies included LAKI patients series. Only studies which investigated mortality or risk factors for LAKI development in adults were included. Twenty-three studies with 24 patients series were included in the final analysis and included 1698 patients. The median series mortality was 10.05% (range 0-33.3%) with a total of 223 death. Only four studies identified the independent risk factors for LAKI development which were oliguria, jaundice, arrhythmia, crackles, elevated direct bilirubin level, elevated activated prothrombin time, hyperbilirubinemia and leukocytosis. Although the mortality of LAKI is high, its predictors are not studied enough in literature.
Clinical pharmacist can play a unique role in ensuring the rational use of medicine and improving... more Clinical pharmacist can play a unique role in ensuring the rational use of medicine and improving the health related quality of life among different patients. A cross-sectional study, conducted from February 2015 through May2015 aimed to investigate the acceptance level of integrating clinical pharmacists into the healthcare team. The study was conducted by using a convenience sampling method; a structured questionnaire had been distributed among177 healthcare providers. Point scoring was used to assess the questionnaire parts. All answers and scores of every participant coded and entered in SPSS 20 software. The relationship between attitude and perception of healthcare providers toward Clinical Pharmacy Services in UAE investigated using Spearman‟s Rank Order Correlation (rho). There was a positive correlation between the two variables. The current research confirmed previous findings that more efforts should be achieved to improve healthcare providers awareness about the importance of collaboration with clinical pharmacists and what benefits can be reflected on patient‟s health-related quality of life and health care in general.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of diabetics and non-diabetics... more The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of diabetics and non-diabetics at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) main campus towards erectile dysfunction (ED). A cross-sectional survey using 40 items questionnaire was conducted in USM main Campus and at the Diabetic Clinic in the main campus. By the end of the study period a total of 200 individuals were surveyed, 52 of them were diabetics and the rest were non-diabetics. The mean total knowledge score obtained by diabetics was significantly higher, (63.7% of the maximum possible total knowledge score) than non-diabetics score (53.8 % of the maximum possible total knowledge score), P=0.002. Diabetics scored significantly lower regarding perception towards sexual activity, (65.1% of the maximum possible score) than non diabetics (70% of the maximum possible score), P=0.012. Diabetic patients scored none significantly higher scores regarding perception towards effect of ED on quality of life, (61.3% of the maximum possible score) compared with non-diabetics (59.7 % of the maximum possible score) P=0.332. Overall, the finding of this study suggested that health care professionals should be more proactive in disseminating health information about ED to the public in order to increase their knowledge and awareness on the disease.
Sex is a natural and basic drive of human beings. In Malaysia, erectile dysfunction (ED) is a com... more Sex is a natural and basic drive of human beings. In Malaysia, erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem, affecting 16 to 47% of men above 40 years old. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common complication of diabetics, with prevalence ranging between 27 and 75%. Knowledge and perception are essential precursors of ED related quality of life. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, to produce the preliminary information to compare the knowledge and the perception of diabetic and non diabetic population towards sexual activity and the effect of ED on quality of life. Population based survey includes the entire male respondent in the community with age of 18 years and above. Investigator personally approached the respondents and asked them to complete self administered and anonymous pre-validated questionnaire. Statistical package for social sciences (version 15®) was used to analyze the data by adopting chi-square, univariate and multivariate analysis, ANOVA, T-test techniques, respectively. Data was collected from 1700 males aged between 20 years and above with response rate of 88.35%. The mean total knowledge score obtained by diabetics was significantly (p<0.001) higher (63.7% of the maximum possible total knowledge score) than non-diabetics score (53.8 %). Diabetics scored significantly (p=0.021) lower, regarding perception towards sexual activity (65.1%) than non diabetics (70%), also, diabetics scored non significantly higher scores regarding perception towards effect of ED on quality of life (61.3%) compared with non diabetics (59.7%). Mean score of total knowledge of non-diabetics was 10.23 ± 4.73 (that is, 53.8%) with maximum possible score of 19, while mean score of total perception of non-diabetics was 34.08 ± 5.51 (that is, 63.1%) with maximum possible score of 54. There was significant association between diabetics using medicine for ED (p<0.001). Viagra ® (Seldenafil) was the most commonly used medicine between diabetics and non diabetics. It was concluded that although diabetics patients are more knowledgeable regarding ED, they have lower perception towards sexual activity and less satisfaction with their sexual life. Their perception regarding the effect of ED on their quality of life is more than that of non-diabetics.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge & perception of general public towards erec... more Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge & perception of general public towards erectile dysfunction (ED) & to assess treatment used among them. Subjects and Methods: This study involved 1924 randomly selected (cluster random sampling) participants aged above 18 years. The respondents are required to answer 37 questions from a pre-tested anonymous questionnaire divided into five main sections, namely, Knowledge regarding causes of ED, knowledge regarding prevention of ED, Perception regarding sexual activity, perception regarding the effect of ED on quality of life & finally treatment of ED. Statistical analysis is made by SPSS for windows (version 15®). Results: A total of 1700 are selected with 88.35% response rate. The mean score of knowledge of causes& risk factors is 7.09±3.45 (i.e. 54.5%) with maximum possible score of 13. The mean score of knowledge of prevention of ED is 3.63 ±1.60 (i.e. 60.5%) with maximum possible score of 6. Mean scores of perception towards sexual activity is 15.11±2.61 (i.e.68.7%) with maximum possible score of 22. Mean scores of perception towards effect of ED on quality of life is 19.22 ± 3.22 (i.e. 60.1%) with maximum possible score of 32. The mean score of total knowledge is 10.72±4.46 (i.e. 56.42%) with maximum possible score of 19. The mean score of total perception is 34.04±5.15 (i.e. 63%) with maximum possible score of 54. Conclusion: This study showed that the awareness towards ED should be improved among whole population and more effort s are required to provide knowledge regarding this major medical problem. KEYWORD: diabetes mellitus, perception and quality of life, erectile dysfunction, erectile and diabetes, diabetes and quality of life, erectile dysfunction treatment.
In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pharmacovigilance (PV) program is in the stage of initiation t... more In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pharmacovigilance (PV) program is in the stage of initiation therefore the success of such a program depends upon the participation of the health care professionals. No study has been found regarding the role of the community pharmacist as a health care provider in monitoring drug safety after marketing. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) toward adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting among community pharmacists (CPs) in Ajman and Sharjah, UAE. Evaluating the baseline KAP of the CPs regarding ADRs reporting can be useful in providing information for the progress of a PV program in UAE. An interview questionnaire was delivered to 300 CPs in Ajman and Sharjah cities. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used for data analysis. Only 4.9% of respondents had good ADRs reporting knowledge, while the majority of pharmacists 93.7% had a positive attitude towards ADRs reporting. Forty four percent of the pharmacists were not alert about ADRs reporting program in UAE. Only 3.6 % of the enrolled pharmacists submitted ADRs report and only 11.2% had good practice score. The results of our study clearly point out that in spite of the community pharmacists positive attitude there was a lack of appropriate knowledge and practice to implement ADRs reporting successfully. The results emphasized the critical need for interventions to support ADRs reporting activity and to maintain CPs positive attitude.
All drug regulatory authorities have great responsibilities in ensuring the safety in addition to... more All drug regulatory authorities have great responsibilities in ensuring the safety in addition to the quality and efficacy for all marketed drugs. Data from pre-marketing studies of drugs ensure the quality and the efficacy but lack the power to detect rare adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or events with significant latency. In view of this, post marketing surveillance play a prominent role in monitoring safety profile of marketed drugs.
KEYWORDS: Pharmacovigilance, post marketing surveillance, Adverse drug reactions, spontaneous reporting, adverse drug events, World Health Organization (WHO).
Objectives: This study investigated the practice towards vitamin D deficiency among female pharma... more Objectives: This study investigated the practice towards vitamin D deficiency among female pharmacy and dentistry students in Ajman, UAE. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was used in Ajman University with a total of 390 pharmacy and dentistry students surveyed from October 2015 to February 2016. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24. Correlation tests were used to determine the association between the socio-demographic data and the practice towards VDD. Results: The majority of the participating students (63.3%) were studying in their first year at Ajman University. Forty-two percent of the participants were diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. Sixty percent of the students feel often tired and 40.8% complain from having pain or weakness in muscles and bones. Although the majority of the participants (97.9%) were aware of the fact that sunlight is one of the main sources of vitamin D, 65.9% avoided sun exposure by covering themselves with cloths or sunscreen on daily basis. Only thirty-five percent of the participants exposed themselves more to the sun in summer and fall. Conclusions: Ajman University pharmacy and dental students have sufficient knowledge about vitamin D deficiency, but they lack the practice by exhibiting sun-avoidance behavior. Therefore, many are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency or complain from related symptoms. Students need to be equipped with school and university level health education to promote safe sun exposure practice and sufficient intake of vitamin D from different sources.
Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a broadly experienced technique of prac... more Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a broadly experienced technique of practicing pharmacovigilance (PV) activity. However, the progression of pharmacovigilance programs is limited by under-reporting of ADRs, as it is considered one of the major problems associated with PV programs development. This is the first study of its kind in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that examines what inhibits and what motivates the community pharmacists (CPs) to report ADRs. Face to face questionnaire was used for data collection. Random sampling method was used to approach the potential respondents. Descriptive analysis was conducted using SPSS 20. Many barriers had been revealed that prohibit pharmacists participation in PV program; unavailability of reporting forms (81.8%), unknown address to contact (79.8%), the belief that all serious ADRs are detected before registration (70%), pharmacists unfamiliarity of how to report (69.1%) were the commonly shared reasons for under-reporting by CPs. Also, the majority (82.1%) of the respondents agreed that encouraging patients to report ADRs to the pharmacists is an important factor necessary for reporting ADRs. Also, 75.8% advised that ADRs reporting concept should be included in the university curriculum as it will enhance the reporting process. In Conclusion, the UAE PV center and the Ministry of Health (MOH) can play a major role in enhancing pharmacists' participation in ADRs reporting program and implementing an active collaborative role to overcome the obstacles revealed by the study.
Objective: The purpose of the current study to assess current attitude and knowledge of UAE popul... more Objective: The purpose of the current study to assess current attitude and knowledge of UAE population toward mental disorders, and to determine the stigma status of people with schizophrenia and depression. Methods: A represented sample of 430 participants was enrolled in the study. A descriptive qualitative survey was the study tool. The developed questionnaire was designed to be interview-administrated SPSS 24 used in data analysis. A correlation analysis was performed to test association. One-way ANOVA and independent t-test were applied to determine which factors might affect the knowledge and attitude score. p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The study findings revealed a high level of stigma among UAE population toward people with schizophrenia and depression. 62% (266) had negative attitude score while 38.1% (164) had positive attitude score. 67% of the participants believe that people with schizophrenia and depression are dangerous. 80% (343) had a good knowledge score while 20.2% (87) had poor knowledge score. Conclusion: The negative attitude confirms the importance of increasing mental health literacy. These findings highlight the need to implement national mental health policy to educate the public and reduce the stigma of mental disorders.
In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pharmacovigilance (PV) program is in the stage of initiation t... more In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pharmacovigilance (PV) program is in the stage of initiation therefore the success of such a program depends upon the participation of the health care professionals. No study has been found regarding the role of the community pharmacist as a health care provider in monitoring drug safety after marketing. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) toward adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting among community pharmacists (CPs) in Ajman and Sharjah, UAE. Evaluating the baseline KAP of the CPs regarding ADRs reporting can be useful in providing information for the progress of a PV program in UAE. An interview questionnaire was delivered to 300 CPs in Ajman and Sharjah cities. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used for data analysis. Only 4.9% of respondents had good ADRs reporting knowledge, while the majority of pharmacists 93.7% had a positive attitude towards ADRs reporting. Forty four percent of the pharmacists were not alert about ADRs reporting program in UAE. Only 3.6 % of the enrolled pharmacists submitted ADRs report and only 11.2% had good practice score. The results of our study clearly point out that in spite of the community pharmacists positive attitude there was a lack of appropriate knowledge and practice to implement ADRs reporting successfully. The results emphasized the critical need for interventions to support ADRs reporting activity and to maintain CPs positive attitude.
Cancer is considered as a threatening disease affecting individuals all over the world and it is ... more Cancer is considered as a threatening disease affecting individuals all over the world and it is among the top three causes of death in UAE as recorded by the Ministry of Health. Young generations including university students are not immune to cancer particularly nowadays where the risk factors of cancer are common in our daily life. The purpose of this research is to display an insight into the awareness of nonmedically educated U.A.E undergraduates about cancer warning signs and prevention factors. This cross-section survey-based study researched 356 undergraduate students (40.8% Male and 58.8% Female) as a representative sample of the university population of UAE, who were questioned about their awareness towards cancer. Because anyone may be susceptible to have cancer, sufficient cancer awareness regarding prevention by lifestyle modification should be strongly acknowledged.
Leptospirosis is the most widely spread zoonosis and Leptospirosis Associated Acute Kidney Injury... more Leptospirosis is the most widely spread zoonosis and Leptospirosis Associated Acute Kidney Injury (LAKI) is common and fatal if not properly and swiftly treated. The aim of this review is to evaluate the mortality of LAKI and to identify the risk factors for its development. An electronic search was performed to identify the studies included LAKI patients series. Only studies which investigated mortality or risk factors for LAKI development in adults were included. Twenty-three studies with 24 patients series were included in the final analysis and included 1698 patients. The median series mortality was 10.05% (range 0-33.3%) with a total of 223 death. Only four studies identified the independent risk factors for LAKI development which were oliguria, jaundice, arrhythmia, crackles, elevated direct bilirubin level, elevated activated prothrombin time, hyperbilirubinemia and leukocytosis. Although the mortality of LAKI is high, its predictors are not studied enough in literature.
Clinical pharmacist can play a unique role in ensuring the rational use of medicine and improving... more Clinical pharmacist can play a unique role in ensuring the rational use of medicine and improving the health related quality of life among different patients. A cross-sectional study, conducted from February 2015 through May2015 aimed to investigate the acceptance level of integrating clinical pharmacists into the healthcare team. The study was conducted by using a convenience sampling method; a structured questionnaire had been distributed among177 healthcare providers. Point scoring was used to assess the questionnaire parts. All answers and scores of every participant coded and entered in SPSS 20 software. The relationship between attitude and perception of healthcare providers toward Clinical Pharmacy Services in UAE investigated using Spearman‟s Rank Order Correlation (rho). There was a positive correlation between the two variables. The current research confirmed previous findings that more efforts should be achieved to improve healthcare providers awareness about the importance of collaboration with clinical pharmacists and what benefits can be reflected on patient‟s health-related quality of life and health care in general.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of diabetics and non-diabetics... more The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of diabetics and non-diabetics at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) main campus towards erectile dysfunction (ED). A cross-sectional survey using 40 items questionnaire was conducted in USM main Campus and at the Diabetic Clinic in the main campus. By the end of the study period a total of 200 individuals were surveyed, 52 of them were diabetics and the rest were non-diabetics. The mean total knowledge score obtained by diabetics was significantly higher, (63.7% of the maximum possible total knowledge score) than non-diabetics score (53.8 % of the maximum possible total knowledge score), P=0.002. Diabetics scored significantly lower regarding perception towards sexual activity, (65.1% of the maximum possible score) than non diabetics (70% of the maximum possible score), P=0.012. Diabetic patients scored none significantly higher scores regarding perception towards effect of ED on quality of life, (61.3% of the maximum possible score) compared with non-diabetics (59.7 % of the maximum possible score) P=0.332. Overall, the finding of this study suggested that health care professionals should be more proactive in disseminating health information about ED to the public in order to increase their knowledge and awareness on the disease.
Sex is a natural and basic drive of human beings. In Malaysia, erectile dysfunction (ED) is a com... more Sex is a natural and basic drive of human beings. In Malaysia, erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem, affecting 16 to 47% of men above 40 years old. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common complication of diabetics, with prevalence ranging between 27 and 75%. Knowledge and perception are essential precursors of ED related quality of life. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, to produce the preliminary information to compare the knowledge and the perception of diabetic and non diabetic population towards sexual activity and the effect of ED on quality of life. Population based survey includes the entire male respondent in the community with age of 18 years and above. Investigator personally approached the respondents and asked them to complete self administered and anonymous pre-validated questionnaire. Statistical package for social sciences (version 15®) was used to analyze the data by adopting chi-square, univariate and multivariate analysis, ANOVA, T-test techniques, respectively. Data was collected from 1700 males aged between 20 years and above with response rate of 88.35%. The mean total knowledge score obtained by diabetics was significantly (p<0.001) higher (63.7% of the maximum possible total knowledge score) than non-diabetics score (53.8 %). Diabetics scored significantly (p=0.021) lower, regarding perception towards sexual activity (65.1%) than non diabetics (70%), also, diabetics scored non significantly higher scores regarding perception towards effect of ED on quality of life (61.3%) compared with non diabetics (59.7%). Mean score of total knowledge of non-diabetics was 10.23 ± 4.73 (that is, 53.8%) with maximum possible score of 19, while mean score of total perception of non-diabetics was 34.08 ± 5.51 (that is, 63.1%) with maximum possible score of 54. There was significant association between diabetics using medicine for ED (p<0.001). Viagra ® (Seldenafil) was the most commonly used medicine between diabetics and non diabetics. It was concluded that although diabetics patients are more knowledgeable regarding ED, they have lower perception towards sexual activity and less satisfaction with their sexual life. Their perception regarding the effect of ED on their quality of life is more than that of non-diabetics.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge & perception of general public towards erec... more Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge & perception of general public towards erectile dysfunction (ED) & to assess treatment used among them. Subjects and Methods: This study involved 1924 randomly selected (cluster random sampling) participants aged above 18 years. The respondents are required to answer 37 questions from a pre-tested anonymous questionnaire divided into five main sections, namely, Knowledge regarding causes of ED, knowledge regarding prevention of ED, Perception regarding sexual activity, perception regarding the effect of ED on quality of life & finally treatment of ED. Statistical analysis is made by SPSS for windows (version 15®). Results: A total of 1700 are selected with 88.35% response rate. The mean score of knowledge of causes& risk factors is 7.09±3.45 (i.e. 54.5%) with maximum possible score of 13. The mean score of knowledge of prevention of ED is 3.63 ±1.60 (i.e. 60.5%) with maximum possible score of 6. Mean scores of perception towards sexual activity is 15.11±2.61 (i.e.68.7%) with maximum possible score of 22. Mean scores of perception towards effect of ED on quality of life is 19.22 ± 3.22 (i.e. 60.1%) with maximum possible score of 32. The mean score of total knowledge is 10.72±4.46 (i.e. 56.42%) with maximum possible score of 19. The mean score of total perception is 34.04±5.15 (i.e. 63%) with maximum possible score of 54. Conclusion: This study showed that the awareness towards ED should be improved among whole population and more effort s are required to provide knowledge regarding this major medical problem. KEYWORD: diabetes mellitus, perception and quality of life, erectile dysfunction, erectile and diabetes, diabetes and quality of life, erectile dysfunction treatment.
In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pharmacovigilance (PV) program is in the stage of initiation t... more In United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pharmacovigilance (PV) program is in the stage of initiation therefore the success of such a program depends upon the participation of the health care professionals. No study has been found regarding the role of the community pharmacist as a health care provider in monitoring drug safety after marketing. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) toward adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting among community pharmacists (CPs) in Ajman and Sharjah, UAE. Evaluating the baseline KAP of the CPs regarding ADRs reporting can be useful in providing information for the progress of a PV program in UAE. An interview questionnaire was delivered to 300 CPs in Ajman and Sharjah cities. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used for data analysis. Only 4.9% of respondents had good ADRs reporting knowledge, while the majority of pharmacists 93.7% had a positive attitude towards ADRs reporting. Forty four percent of the pharmacists were not alert about ADRs reporting program in UAE. Only 3.6 % of the enrolled pharmacists submitted ADRs report and only 11.2% had good practice score. The results of our study clearly point out that in spite of the community pharmacists positive attitude there was a lack of appropriate knowledge and practice to implement ADRs reporting successfully. The results emphasized the critical need for interventions to support ADRs reporting activity and to maintain CPs positive attitude.
All drug regulatory authorities have great responsibilities in ensuring the safety in addition to... more All drug regulatory authorities have great responsibilities in ensuring the safety in addition to the quality and efficacy for all marketed drugs. Data from pre-marketing studies of drugs ensure the quality and the efficacy but lack the power to detect rare adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or events with significant latency. In view of this, post marketing surveillance play a prominent role in monitoring safety profile of marketed drugs.
KEYWORDS: Pharmacovigilance, post marketing surveillance, Adverse drug reactions, spontaneous reporting, adverse drug events, World Health Organization (WHO).
Objectives: This study investigated the practice towards vitamin D deficiency among female pharma... more Objectives: This study investigated the practice towards vitamin D deficiency among female pharmacy and dentistry students in Ajman, UAE. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was used in Ajman University with a total of 390 pharmacy and dentistry students surveyed from October 2015 to February 2016. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24. Correlation tests were used to determine the association between the socio-demographic data and the practice towards VDD. Results: The majority of the participating students (63.3%) were studying in their first year at Ajman University. Forty-two percent of the participants were diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. Sixty percent of the students feel often tired and 40.8% complain from having pain or weakness in muscles and bones. Although the majority of the participants (97.9%) were aware of the fact that sunlight is one of the main sources of vitamin D, 65.9% avoided sun exposure by covering themselves with cloths or sunscreen on daily basis. Only thirty-five percent of the participants exposed themselves more to the sun in summer and fall. Conclusions: Ajman University pharmacy and dental students have sufficient knowledge about vitamin D deficiency, but they lack the practice by exhibiting sun-avoidance behavior. Therefore, many are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency or complain from related symptoms. Students need to be equipped with school and university level health education to promote safe sun exposure practice and sufficient intake of vitamin D from different sources.
Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a broadly experienced technique of prac... more Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a broadly experienced technique of practicing pharmacovigilance (PV) activity. However, the progression of pharmacovigilance programs is limited by under-reporting of ADRs, as it is considered one of the major problems associated with PV programs development. This is the first study of its kind in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that examines what inhibits and what motivates the community pharmacists (CPs) to report ADRs. Face to face questionnaire was used for data collection. Random sampling method was used to approach the potential respondents. Descriptive analysis was conducted using SPSS 20. Many barriers had been revealed that prohibit pharmacists participation in PV program; unavailability of reporting forms (81.8%), unknown address to contact (79.8%), the belief that all serious ADRs are detected before registration (70%), pharmacists unfamiliarity of how to report (69.1%) were the commonly shared reasons for under-reporting by CPs. Also, the majority (82.1%) of the respondents agreed that encouraging patients to report ADRs to the pharmacists is an important factor necessary for reporting ADRs. Also, 75.8% advised that ADRs reporting concept should be included in the university curriculum as it will enhance the reporting process. In Conclusion, the UAE PV center and the Ministry of Health (MOH) can play a major role in enhancing pharmacists' participation in ADRs reporting program and implementing an active collaborative role to overcome the obstacles revealed by the study.
Objective: The purpose of the current study to assess current attitude and knowledge of UAE popul... more Objective: The purpose of the current study to assess current attitude and knowledge of UAE population toward mental disorders, and to determine the stigma status of people with schizophrenia and depression. Methods: A represented sample of 430 participants was enrolled in the study. A descriptive qualitative survey was the study tool. The developed questionnaire was designed to be interview-administrated SPSS 24 used in data analysis. A correlation analysis was performed to test association. One-way ANOVA and independent t-test were applied to determine which factors might affect the knowledge and attitude score. p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The study findings revealed a high level of stigma among UAE population toward people with schizophrenia and depression. 62% (266) had negative attitude score while 38.1% (164) had positive attitude score. 67% of the participants believe that people with schizophrenia and depression are dangerous. 80% (343) had a good knowledge score while 20.2% (87) had poor knowledge score. Conclusion: The negative attitude confirms the importance of increasing mental health literacy. These findings highlight the need to implement national mental health policy to educate the public and reduce the stigma of mental disorders.
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Papers by Yaseen Al Hariri
KEYWORDS: Pharmacovigilance, post marketing surveillance, Adverse drug reactions, spontaneous reporting, adverse drug events, World Health Organization (WHO).
KEYWORDS: Pharmacovigilance, post marketing surveillance, Adverse drug reactions, spontaneous reporting, adverse drug events, World Health Organization (WHO).