How Are We Educating Future Physicians and Pharmacists in Pakistan? A Survey of the Medical and Pharmacy Student’s Perception on Learning and Preparedness to Assume Future Roles in Antibiotic Use and Resistance

Background: Medical and pharmacy students are future healthcare professionals who will be on the forefront in dealing with antibiotics in hospitals or community settings. Whether the current medical and pharmacy education in Pakistan prepares students to take future roles in antibiotic use remains an under-researched area. Aim: This study aims to compare medical and pharmacy students’ perceived preparedness, learning practices and usefulness of the education and training on antibiotic use and resistance imparted during undergraduate studies in Pakistan. Design and Setting: It was amulti-centre cross-sectional survey of medical and pharmacy colleges in Punjab, Pakistan. Method: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from final year medical and pharmacy students. Descriptive statistics were used for categorical variables while independent t-test and One-way ANOVA computed group differences. Result: Nine hundred forty-eight respondents (526 medical and 422 pharmacy students) completed the survey from 26 medical and 19 pharmacy colleges. Majority (76.1%) of the pharmacy students had not completed a clinical rotation in infectious diseases. The top three most often used sources of learning antibiotic use and resistance were the same among the medical and the pharmacy students; included textbooks, Wikipedia, and smart phone apps. Overall self-perceived preparedness scores showed no significant difference between pharmacy and medical students. The least prepared areas by medical and pharmacy students included transition from intravenous to oral antibiotics and interpretation of antibiograms. Both medical and pharmacy students found problem solving sessions attended by a small group of students to be the most useful (very useful) teaching methodology to learn antibiotic use and resistance. Conclusions: Differences exist between medical and pharmacy students in educational resources used, topics covered during undergraduate degree. To curb the growing antibiotic misuse and resistance, the concerned authorities should undertake targeted educational reforms to ensure that future physicians and pharmacists can play a pivotal role in rationalizing the use of antibiotics.

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The impact of COVID-19 on pharmacy students in Sudan: A cross-sectional survey

Pharmacy Education ◽

10.46542/pe.2020.202.276282 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 276-282

Author(s):

Noon Abubakr Abdelrahman Kamil ◽

Salma Elmukashfi Eltahir Mohammed ◽

Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi ◽

Mohamed Babiker Musa ◽

Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pharmacy Education ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Traditional Teaching ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public Health Emergencies ◽

Academic Activities ◽

The Impact

Background: The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has impacted many aspects of life. Several studies have investigated the effect of this pandemic on academic activities. Yet, no studies addressed the impact of COVID-19 on students in Sudan. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on Sudanese undergraduate pharmacy students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire delivered to undergraduate pharmacy students. Results: A total of 137 students responded to the survey. The majority were female (74.5%) and were students in private colleges (60.6%). Majority of the students (95.0%) were affected by COVID-19 crisis and about half of the respondents (54.0%) were depressed and 85.4% reported a decreased level of concentration. In spite of these challenges, majority of our respondents were still motivated (85.3%) to continue their education on campus. Conclusion: Despite unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacy students in Sudan are motivated to continue their studies, and they want the traditional teaching model to resume. It is time to invest more in education and rethink delivery of pharmacy education in Sudan during public health emergencies. There is no better time than now.

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Carrier prevalence and risk factors for colonisation of multiresistant bacteria in Danish emergency departments: a cross-sectional survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029000 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. e029000 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Helene Skjøt-Arkil ◽

Christian Backer Mogensen ◽

Annmarie Touborg Lassen ◽

Isik S Johansen ◽

Ming Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Emergency Departments ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Age Groups ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase ◽

Multiresistant Bacteria ◽

Significant Difference

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to describe the carrier prevalence and demographic variation of four different multiresistant bacteria (MRB) among acute patients in Danish emergency departments (EDs): methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA), carbapenemase-producing enterobacteria (CPE), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing enterobacteria (ESBL) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and to analyse the association of MRB carriage to a range of potential risk factors.DesignMulticentre descriptive and analytic cross-sectional survey.SettingEight EDs and four clinical microbiology departments in Denmark.ParticipantsAdults visiting the ED.Main outcome measuresSwabs from nose, throat and rectum were collected and analysed for MRSA, ESBL, VRE and CPE. The primary outcome was the prevalence of MRB carriage, and secondary outcomes relation to risk factors among ED patients.ResultsWe included 5117 patients in the study. Median age was 68 years (54–77) and gender was equally distributed. In total, 266 (5.2%, 95% CI 4.6 to 5.8) were colonised with at least one MRB. No significant difference was observed between male and female patients, between age groups and between university and regional hospitals. Only 5 of the 266 patients with MRB were colonised with two of the included bacteria and none with more than two. CPE prevalence was 0.1% (95% CI 0.0 to 0.2), MRSA prevalence was 0.3% (95% CI 0.2 to 0.5), VRE prevalence was 0.4% (95% CI 0.3 to 0.6) and ESBL prevalence was 4.5% (95% CI 3.9 to 5.1). Risk factors for MRB carriage were previous antibiotic treatment, previous hospital stay, having chronic respiratory infections, use of urinary catheter and travel to Asia, Oceania or Africa.ConclusionEvery 20th patient arriving to a Danish ED brings MRB to the hospital. ESBL is the most common MRB in the ED. The main risk factors for MRB carriage are recent antibiotic use and travel abroad.Trial registration numberNCT03352167;Post-results.

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UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF REGULATION AND SMART PHONE ADDICTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, NIGERIA

10.26772/cjsms2020050204 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 175-188

Author(s):

Sylvester Ororume Atiri ◽

◽

Victoria Lemo Ipietegha ◽

Olakunle Popoola ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Students ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Smart Phone ◽

Self Report ◽

Male Students ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Psychological Instruments ◽

The University

The study examined self-regulation of smart phone addiction among undergraduate students in the University of Lagos. The study involved a cross sectional survey of 248 undergraduates, 132 females and 116 male students. A paper and pencil self- report questionnaire which included questions on participants’ demographics and two standardized psychological instruments namely Self-Regulation Questionnaire developed by Kanfer (1970) and the Smart Phone Addiction Scale (SPAS) by Young and Leung, (2008) was used to gather data. The result established a statistically significant relationship between self-regulation and smart phone addiction (r=0.265, p=0.000, p<0.01, 2 tailed). The finding also showed that there was no statistically significant difference between female and male students to smart phone addiction t(246) = -0.647, P>0.05; this implies that neither the male or female respondents reported a higher level smart phone addiction. The study concluded that self-regulation influences addiction to smart phones among undergraduate students.

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Satisfaction with teaching and learning quality among undergraduate pharmacy students in a Nigerian university

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences ◽

10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20213062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 2210

Author(s):

Paul Otor Onah ◽

Siyaka Abdulateef ◽

Ahmed Abdulmalik

Keyword(s):

Learning Environment ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Principal Component ◽

Feedback System ◽

Pharmacy Education ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

Background: There is increasing acceptance that learning environment has significant impact on academic performance. Learning and teaching experiences influence satisfaction and perception of quality. Pharmacy education in Nigeria is evolving rapidly with new emphasis on acquisition of cognitive skills that upon graduation students can effectively implement pharmaceutical care. The evaluation of satisfaction can be used as a measure of quality and feedback system of teaching and learning experiences of students. The purpose of this study is to assess satisfaction with teaching and learning and their determinants.Methods: This was a cross sectional survey study involving third to fifth year pharmacy students. The educational service quality instrument was used to elicit response on items related to satisfaction. The 37-item questionnaire was administered on consenting students to elicit responses on a five-point Likert scale. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and one way ANOVA with post Hoc test. Factor analysis using principal component analysis and varimax rotation was used to identify items that have the most impact on satisfaction. P≤0.05 was considered statistically significantResults: Majority of students have less than average satisfaction across six domains of the instrument, though significant differences exist between lower and higher-level students in areas of administration and expertise (p<0.01). Several studies reported contrasting results some of which have comparable results with this study. Satisfaction and its determinants vary widely so emphasis should be in areas that produce the greatest impact on academic performanceConclusions: Satisfaction with quality of learning is generally low and there is need for institutions leadership to improve learning environment for students.

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COVID-19 epidemic in Vietnam: A study on knowledge, attitudes and prevention of pharmacy students

Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies ◽

10.24203/ajhss.v9i1.6531 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nguyen Huu Khanh Quan ◽

Duong Dinh Chung ◽

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Yen ◽

Nguyen Phuc Minh Chau

Keyword(s):

Pharmacy Students ◽

Social Solidarity ◽

Strong Positive Correlation ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Research Survey ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The World ◽

Additional Support

Pharmacists play a variety of roles in supporting the health care system. The COVID-19 epidemic originated in China and has spread to many countries around the world. In the context of the current COVID-19, additional support from pharmacists' human resources will be needed in the future. This research survey explores the knowledge, attitude, and prevention strategies in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aims to collect data from Vietnamese students in Ho Chi Minh City's pharmacy sector. The following objectives are to study the awareness of the COVID-19 virus, acts of prevention, risk awareness, and compliance measures to prevent further outbreaks of COVID -19 in Ho Chi Minh City. This cross-sectional survey used anonymous questionnaires that investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and prevention of Vietnamese students' COVID-19 epidemic. The unit of analysis consists of undergraduate pharmacy students from the first year to the last year. Data were collected during April and May 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. Pharmacy students in this study were 80% female. The main source of information for pharmacy students to access information about COVID-19 epidemics from websites of the health authorities (31.7%) and news from television and newspapers (40.2 %). The Cronbach alpha coefficients of the three main factors in this study were knowledge (0.74), attitude (0.85), and prevention of COVID-19 (0.89), which show acceptable internal consistency. This research has shown no statistically significant difference between pharmacy students' demographics in three KAP variables, and there is a strong positive correlation between the three factors. It shows the unity and social solidarity of the study participants towards COVID-19. This study shows that pharmacy students have an epidemic concern about COVID-19 today. Pharmacy student's attention knowledge, attitude and preventive COVID-19. Sources of information from television and newspapers are important and updated regularly and accurately about COVID-19 to achieve effectiveness, helping pharmacy students to be aware of COVID- 19 pandemic in the country and the world.

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Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding COVID-19 and its Impact on Dentistry: A Cross-sectional Survey among Nepalese Dentists

Kathmandu University Medical Journal ◽

10.3126/kumj.v18i2.32937 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 3-9

Author(s):

N. Khanal ◽

A.K. Singh

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

The Body ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

Attitude And Practice ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Coronavirus Disease, 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious respiratory disease with high transmissibility. Dentists are at inherent risk because of aerosol generating procedures exposing dentists to the respiratory and oral secretions of the patients. Objective: To assess the knowledge, awareness, and practice (KAP) of the Dentists to combat the pandemic which could help shape future guidelines and policies to be implemented in dental settings. Method: This cross-sectional descriptive study included series of multiple-choice questions distributed online, assessing dentists’ KAP towards COVID-19, its impact on dentistry and their psychological well-being. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 20 for mac Operating System (OS). Descriptive statistics was performed, and frequencies of responses were reported in proportion. Non-parametric tests of independence and Chi-square test were performed to see the association between the categorical variables. Result: Around 84% of the respondents accurately answered mode of transmission, 68% inquired about the travel history while only 49% measured the body temperature. Also, only 42% were receiving salary. A statistically significant difference concerning impact and practice during the COVID-19 was observed between general practitioner and specialist working at different work places. Conclusion: Majority of Dentists have good knowledge and awareness but there were certain pitfalls in attitude and practice level calling out for more efficient training programs, precise guidelines, and treatment protocols to put into practice. Also, the mental distress and the financial impact subjected upon dentist require to be further explored determining the association between their mental health during and post COVID-19 outbreak.

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AWARENESS ABOUT INDOOR AIR POLLUTION IN GENERAL POPULATION OF RAWALPINDI AND ISLAMABAD

Pakistan Journal of Public Health ◽

10.32413/pjph.v8i2.118 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 80-83

Author(s):

Nadia Tariq ◽

Tamkeen Jaffry ◽

Rahma Fiaz ◽

Abdul Majid Rajput ◽

Sadaf Khalid

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

General Population ◽

Indoor Air ◽

Indoor Air Pollution ◽

Economic Status ◽

Educational Status ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Indoor air pollutants are increasingly being associated with respiratory illnesses leading to high degree of morbidity and mortality. There are not sufficient epidemiological studies from Pakistan which assess level of awareness of indoor air pollution resulting in respiratory diseases in population. Methods: This cross sectional survey was carried out on general population of Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Sample size was 223 study subjects selected by non-probability convenient sampling. Knowledge of the study subjects was determined with regard to indoor air pollution, its effects on health and different sources of indoor air pollution with the help of a questionnaire. The influence of age, gender, educational status and socio economic status on the level of awareness was also analyzed. Results: Out of total 223 participants, 115 were males and108 females. Participants aware of indoor air pollution were 91.5% and adequate awareness about its sources was 80.7%. Those who knew indoor air pollution is detrimental to health were 95.1%. Awareness about building construction dust as source of indoor air pollution was maximum (84.8%). There was significant difference in awareness among participants with different monthly incomes and educational status and also between males and females. Conclusion: This study concludes that general population of Rawalpindi/Islamabad has fairly good awareness about sources of indoor air pollution. Use of harmful material causing indoor air pollution should be limited or substituted with better ones where possible.

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Perception of pharmacy students towards their community pharmacy training experience: a cross-sectional study from Jordan

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-021-02596-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rana Abu Farha ◽

Eman Elayeh ◽

Needa Zalloum ◽

Tareq Mukattash ◽

Eman Alefishat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Positive Feedback ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pharmacy Education ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Training Experience ◽

Patient Centered ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Need To Evaluate

Abstract Background The fact that pharmacists are in the front line of patients’ care gives a great responsibility to focus on education and training of pharmacy students to build a ‘patient-centered’ clinicians. Unfortunately, pharmacy education in the developing countries, have been lagging behind actual practice delivered by pharmacists. This highlighted the need to evaluate the perceptions of undergraduate pharmacy students regarding their current pharmacy training practices and experiences. Methods This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Jordan during the period from August 2018 to October 2018. During the study period, a questionnaire was distributed to pharmacy students to collect information regarding 1) pharmaceutical care services provided by them during their experiential training, 2) their perceptions towards training sites, 3) their perceptions of the outcomes of their training experience, 4) information about their training site and 5) their demographics characteristics. Results A total of 202 pharmacy students responded to the questionnaire. The majority of them reported having the opportunity to dispense refill or new prescriptions (73.8%, n = 149), and conduct patient interviews (69.8%, n = 141, but they were not provided good opportunities to create electronic patient profiles using the information obtained (53.0%, n = 107), perform required dose calculations based on patient information (37.6%, n = 76), and interact with other healthcare professionals (34.6%, n = 70). In addition, students showed positive attitudes toward training sites, positive feedback about the outcomes of their training experience (median scores range between 4 and 5 for all statements (IQR = 1 for all)). Conclusion Students showed positive feedback about the outcomes of their training experience, but they felt that the selected training sites do not have adequate resources to meet their training competencies. Memorandums of understanding development is needed to specify the purpose of training and define the responsibility for both parties of the training process.

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Evaluation of Antibiotic Supply Decisions by Community Pharmacists in Thailand: A Vignette Study

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10020154 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 154

Author(s):

Sisira Donsamak ◽

Marjorie C. Weiss ◽

Dai N. John

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Infections ◽

Acute Diarrhoea ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Case Vignettes ◽

A Chain

In Thailand, antibiotics are available lawfully from community pharmacies without a prescription. Inappropriate supply of antibiotics from Thai community pharmacies to the public for common, self-limiting diseases has been reported. The study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of antibiotics selected by community pharmacists in Thailand in response to vignettes. A cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists across Thailand was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire including nine case vignettes with three conditions, namely upper respiratory infections (URIs), acute diarrhoea and simple wounds. A total of 208 questionnaires were completed and analysed (20.8% response rate). In response to vignettes relating to URIs, 50.8% of pharmacist recommendations were not in accordance with antibiotic guidelines. Inappropriate recommendations for diarrhoea and wound cases were 20.8% and 16.7%, respectively. A higher proportion of younger pharmacists, those with less experience, Pharm. D. graduate pharmacists, employee pharmacists and those pharmacists who worked in a chain pharmacy were more likely to recommend appropriate antibiotic treatment in response to the vignettes (p < 0.05). These findings will be useful to promote educational interventions for community pharmacists regarding common infectious disease management in order to improve appropriate antibiotic use.

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Antibiotic use in goats: role of experience and education of Missouri veterinarians

Veterinary Record ◽

10.1136/vr.105455 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 186 (11) ◽

pp. 349-349

Author(s):

Lauren Landfried ◽

Patrick Pithua ◽

Roger D Lewis ◽

Steven Rigdon ◽

Jonathan Jacoby ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Continuing Education ◽

Health Management ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Herd Health ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Prescription Practices

BackgroundIn a previous study, we found that rates of antibiotic residues in goat carcasses in Missouri were three times the published national average, warranting further research in this area.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of goat veterinarians to determine attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics, recruiting 725 veterinarians listed on the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP) website and 64 Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) veterinarians.ResultsWe collected 189 responses (26.1%) from AASRP members (170 valid) and 8 (12.5%) from MVMA veterinarians totalling 178 responses. While the vast majority of all veterinarians indicated that they prescribed antibiotics less than half of the time, Missouri veterinarians indicated that they spent more time treating goats for overt disease like intestinal parasites and less time on proactive practices such as reproductive herd health management comparatively. While veterinarians agreed that antibiotic resistance was a growing concern, veterinarians outside of Missouri seemed more confident that their own prescription practices was not a contributor. Although nationally most veterinarians felt that attending continuing education classes was beneficial, 73.4% in other states attended classes on antibiotic use compared to only four of the nine Missouri veterinarians.ConclusionMissouri veterinarians had less veterinary experience than veterinarians in other states, and this, in conjunction with low continuing education requirements in Missouri relative to most other states, may hinder development of more proactive and effective client–veterinary relationships.

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