Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice
Volume:12 Issue: 1, Jan -Mar 2023

The Central Board of Accreditation for Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) the national Saudi accreditation body accredited most hospitals in Saudi Arabia whereas, the Joint Commission International (JCI) a well-known international accreditation body accredited some hospitals. We assessed Western Saudi Arabia hospital pharmacists’ knowledge, opinions, and observations about pharmacy-related JCI accreditation criteria needed for hospitals.

This was a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted among pharmacy personnel working in the Ministry of Health (MOH), Military, and private hospitals in the Makkah region in western Saudi Arabia. The present report represents the findings of descriptive and comparative analyses. Comparative analyses were tested by Student’s t-test, analysis of variance, and Chi-square when applicable and a P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

One hundred and one pharmacists completed the survey; most of them were from Taif (53.5%) and Jeddah (37.6%) and fewer from Makkah (8.9%). The highest proportions were from MOH (55.4%), private (29.7%), and some from military (14.9%) hospitals. They worked mostly in hospitals accredited with CBAHI (93.1%) than JCI (58.4%) and only (41.6%) worked with quality units. Correct answers on knowledge items ranged from 14.9% to 65.3%. On five‑point Likert Scale, they showed supportive ratings on how they perceived the importance of JCI statement provided (overall average score: 3.78) and on how statement criteria are implemented in their hospitals (overall average score: 3.76). Higher proportions of those working in quality units compared to their counterparts were aware that accreditation cycles for JCI and CBAHI are identical (66.7% vs. 55.9%, P = 0.009) and that JCI criteria are more concise than CBAHI (59.5% vs. 52.5%, P = 0.007). Higher proportions of those working in JCI-accredited hospitals compared to their counterparts were aware that JCI criteria are clearer than CBAHI (55.9% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.021) and that JCI criteria are more concise than CBAHI (61% vs. 47.6%, P = 0.012).

To a high extent, pharmacists were supportive of JCI criteria and considered the criteria to be implemented in their hospitals. There is a room for improvement to enhance awareness and support of JCI quality criteria among pharmacists.

Infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality after hysterectomy. Here, we aimed to investigate and evaluate the beneficial effects of metronidazole vaginal gel on the rate of surgical site infections in women undergoing elective abdominal hysterectomy.

This is a randomized prospective, double‑blind controlled clinical trial performed in 2020 in Isfahan on 108 candidates for elective hysterectomy. At the beginning of the study, we completed a checklist of the patient’s characteristics (patient age, body mass index [BMI], and history of medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, anemia, and immune deficiency) and the cause of hysterectomy. All patients were randomized into two groups. The first group received a lubricant vaginal gel single dosage, and the second group received a 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel single dosage the night before surgery. Patients were visited up to 6 weeks after surgery, and the frequency of infection at the surgical site was determined.

The rates of infection were lower in patients who received metronidazole vaginal gel (5.8%) compared to the control group (11.6%) (P = 0.03). Patients with an estimated blood loss volume of more than 500 mL had higher rates of infection (13.46%) compared to patients with a bleeding volume of fewer than 500 mL (1.9%) (P = 0.001). We also found that patients with diabetes (13.5%) and patients with BMI more than 30 kg/m2 ( 13.5%) had higher rates of infection compared to patients without diabetes (5.8%) and patients with BMI <30 kg/m2 (11.5%) (P = 0.001 for both). Patients with higher hospitalization duration had higher infection rates (P = 0.009).

Administration of a single dosage of metronidazole vaginal gel before abdominal hysterectomy may reduce surgical site infection and have clinical values.

This study aimed to evaluate the current practice of community pharmacists from patients’ and pharmacists’ perspectives in Saudi Arabia. This paper presents the patients’ perspective.

A self-administered cross-sectional survey was developed to collect responses from patients in Saudi Arabia from February to April 2021. The questionnaire comprised several statements related to the best practice in community pharmacy. Patients’ responses to each statement were scored using a 5‑point Likert scale. Higher scores represented the greater extent to which the pharmacists perform the best practice in a community pharmacy setting and vice versa.

The data of 233 participants were included in the analysis. The majority of the participants were female (67%) and Saudi nationals (96%). The minimum mean score was related to the statement: pharmacist discusses with you about herbal medications or vitamin supplements. The maximum mean score was related to the statement: Pharmacist explains to you about the dose of medications and when to take them. Participants who were <20 years old had a significantly highest mean score, whereas those above 40 years old had the least mean score, P = 0.001. Participants from the Eastern region had a significantly highest mean score, compared to South region participants who had the least mean score, P = 0.009.

A gap in the current practice and the best practice of community pharmacists was found. The policymakers can utilize these findings to provide targeted professional development opportunities for the practicing community pharmacists to improve the overall service and care for the patients.

Aluminum phosphide (ALP) and zinc phosphide (ZnP) are toxic agrochemical pesticides, which are commonly used as an agent of self-harm in developing countries. Because of high toxicity of phosphides, we evaluated toxico-epidemiology ALP and ZnP poisoning in with respect to outcome.

We performed a cross-sectional study with retrospective chart review including the records for patients admitted due to phosphide poisoning (ALP, ZnP) in a poisoning referral center in Khorshid Hospital, affiliated with Isfahan University of Medial Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, outcome (survived or death), and length of hospital stay for the patients were recorded in a data collecting form. Binary backward stepwise logistic regression was used for outcome prediction.

Sixty patients were evaluated in the study. The mean age of patients was 27.61. Thirty‑nine patients were men. 96.7% of the patients ingested it intentionally. Most of the patients on admission were conscious (66.7%). Abnormality of EKG was noted in 8.3%. The mortality in ALP and ZnP poisoning was 39.2% and 22.2%, respectively. Serum bicarbonate and base excess in the venous blood gas analysis, systolic blood pressure, and serum sodium level were significantly different between patients with ALP and ZnP poisoning on admission time (P < 0.05). On admission, systolic blood pressure was an important predictive factor for mortality (odds ratio 4.87; 95% confidence interval: 1.5–15.45; P = 0.007).

The rate of mortality in phosphide poisoning is high. Knowing predictive factors for mortality help physicians for selecting patients in intensive care unit admission and aggressive treatment.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of cigarette smoking habit on the clozapine (CLZ)-to-norclozapine (norCLZ) ratio in male patients.

The sample consisted of plasma concentration of CLZ and norCLZ data set. The mean values of CLZ, norCLZ, and CLZ-to-norCLZ, between male patients who smoke versus nonsmokers were compared.

CLZ mean plasma level of 142 ± 80 ng/ml and 305 ± 159 ng/ml, norCLZ mean plasma level of 93 ± 72 ng/ml and 234 ± 62 ng/ml, and mean CLZ‑to‑norCLZ plasma level ratio of 2.1 ± 1.1 and 1.5 ± 0.5, were obtained respectively for male patients who smoke and nonsmokers.

This study has shown a significant decrease in CLZ and norCLZ plasma levels, and an increase in the CLZ-to-norCLZ ratio, in smokers as compared to nonsmokers, due to an increase in the clearance of CLZ and norCLZ by smoking induction of CYP 1A2 and glucuronidation by uridyl glucuronyl transferase enzymes (UGT), mainly UGT 1A4, respectively, as the most probable cause.