scholarly journals The Use and Potential Interactions of Herbal Medicines among Diabetic Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

Author(s):  
Saleh Alghamdi

Objectives: The use of herbal medicines as non-conventional treatment is popular, especially in developing countries where people suffering from chronic diseases as diabetes mellitus are more likely to use herbal medicines along with conventional medicines. However, their simultaneous use may concur serious drug interactions and may therefore result in a serious outcome. The present study was designed to identify the most commonly used herbal medicines and conventional anti-diabetic medications among Saudi population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was developed and piloted.Data were retrieved and manually entered in Excel 2016. Frequencies and percentages were utilized to perform descriptive analysis. The study was approved by the Scientific and Research Committee of the main hospital taking part in the study. Results: A total of 347 responses were recorded (69.4% response rate). 54% of participants were male, 53% were between the age of 41 and 64 years, and 35.5% had no formal education. Black tea, Peppermint, ginger, green tea, olive oil, and black seed were among the frequently mentioned herbal medicines. Black tea was used by the majority of patients (80%) while peppermint and ginger were used by more than half of patients, i.e., (56.5%) and (52.7%) respectively. Least common herb used by patients was Artemisia species (2.8%). A majority of patients (53.4%) used traditional medicine at least once daily, and 83% used traditional medicine without their physician's prescription. Conclusion: Concomitant use of herbal and conventional anti-diabetic medication was a common practice among patients in Saudi Arabia, therefore, pharmacists-led educational programs should target both prescribers and general public about the possible interactions/risks of herbal medicines.

2018 ◽  
Vol Volume 13 ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah M Alqarni ◽  
Tahani Alrahbeni ◽  
Ayidh Al Qarni ◽  
Hassan M Al Qarni

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled K. Aldossari ◽  
Sameer Al-Ghamdi ◽  
Jamaan Alzahrani ◽  
Maram S. Al Turki ◽  
Mai Almuhareb ◽  
...  

Background: : Diabetic neuropathy is a condition that is prevalent among type 2 diabetic patients. Some physicians prescribe vitamin B12 or vitamin B complex supplements to improve symptoms, but studies have shown that there is little to no evidence of vitamin B12 being an effective treatment for diabetic neuropathy. Thus, this study aims to investigate local physicians’ knowledge and tendency to prescribe vitamin B12 or vitamin B complex for the treatment or prevention of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study, conducted between May and November of 2019, in several primary healthcare centers in different cities of Saudi Arabia. A total of 412 physicians with a minimum of three years of experience answered a three-part questionnaire on their demographic information, their prescribing behavior, and their knowledge of the relationship between vitamin B12 or vitamin B complex and diabetic neuropathy. Results: The study found that only 42% of the physicians believed that vitamin B12 supplementation did not prevent diabetic neuropathy, while only 52.7% found it to be an ineffective treatment for this condition. Moreover, 58.7% stated that they had indeed prescribed vitamin B12 or multivitamins as a form of treatment or prevention of diabetic neuropathy. 47.8% of the patients requested a vitamin B12 prescription 1-6 times from their physicians, while 31.6% of them requested it ≥ 7 times, with 42.5% of physicians agreeing that their prescriptions of vitamin B12 had been a result of patient demand more than clinical justification. Likewise, 43% of respondents were aware that vitamin B12 levels should be tested annually. Furthermore, a higher proportion of consultants chose not to prescribe vitamin B12 to prevent or treat diabetic neuropathy than any other rank. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a tendency of unnecessarily prescribing vitamin B12 supplementation for the prevention or treatment of diabetic neuropathy as well as a lack of knowledge on the matter among doctors in primary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study has also shown that it is patients who often request this prescription, adding pressure on their physicians to comply. Future studies should investigate hospitals in a greater number of Saudi cities and include less experienced residents and medical students.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rif'atunnailah Mat Isa ◽  
Sanisah Saidi ◽  
Adzura Salam ◽  
Sumaiyah @ Thandar Soe Jamaluddin

Introduction: Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) are at increased risk for developing diabetic ocular complications. This study was carried out to determine factors influencing eye screening among Diabetes Mellitus patients. The descriptive findings of participants’ sociodemographic data will be discussed. Materials and method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the few selective Primary Health Centers and endocrine clinics, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA) in Kuantan, Pahang. A total number of 170 diabetic patients were recruited for the purpose of this study. Questionnaire for this survey was adapted and modified from Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP 2008) with the overall Cronbach Alpha score was 0.5. Descriptive statistics was referred to evaluate the data. Results: Participants’ mean age was 55.5 years old (SD ± 11.22), with age range between 20 years and 79 years old. From 170 participants, 51 male (30%) and 119 female (70%) were involved in this study. Majority of 139 participants (81.8%) were Malay. For educational level, 74 participants (43.5%) have the secondary education, only 12 participants (7.1%) have tertiary education and the rest of 43 participants (25.3%) have no formal education. The majority of participants (71.2%) have the monthly income less than RM 1000 and only 7 (4.1%) have monthly income of RM 4000 and above. Almost all patients (168 participants or 98.8%) have type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM). The majority of 65 patients (38.2%) were first diagnosed to have diabetes between 1 to 5 years duration, and only 10 patients (5.9%) diagnosed to have diabetes of 15 years and above. Most of the participants (109 or 64.1%) have a family history of DM. As for current treatment, the majority of them are taking oral medication 136 (80.0%). Conclusion: The main background characteristics of DM patients in current study were female, Malay, low household income and family trait with DM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-74
Author(s):  
Alshammari Mohammad A ◽  
Alenzy Muhya T

Addressing the controversies to drug therapy involves talking about and discussing emotional, cognitive, behavioural, and social problems. Also, several pieces of literature and comparative studies have been established to understand the intervention practices of medical staff in patient counselling in terms of improving patient care. But with limited knowledge in counselling-related studies, these issues can be tackled by qualified and knowledgeable pharmacists. The study aims to conduct relevant quantitative data to determine if pharmacists' role in counselling is of high essentiality towards medical care to promote public health and quality care. Also, the research topic revolves in establishing how much pharmacists' obligations are practical towards the patients' counselling. A cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists (n-400) working in the Hail region hospitals in Saudi Arabia was conducted during May 2019. The survey infrastructure comprised of six different sections, gender, age, degree, profession, workplace, and experience. The qualitative data gathered was first explored using frequency distribution and descriptive analysis. The total pharmacist valid response (210) was accepted, and both genders contributed towards such results. Moreover, most of the pharmacists attested to the elements of lack of medical tools and proper training as a significant medical issue towards appropriate counselling approaches. Nonetheless, it was proven that leading problems that undermine the effectiveness of pharmacists towards promoting acute counselling were a lifestyle (mean of 2.96), smoking cessation (mean of 269), time to administer each drug (mean of 3.05), and missed a dose (mean of 2.05). Pharmacists that participated in this study were unanimous, specifically, on understanding the importance of the survey but reflected on considerable variations in their experience in counselling. Moreover, it was clear that the percentage of Saudi Arabia pharmacists are contributing perfectly. However, it is undeniable they might need additional assistance, training, and medical tools to provide enormous quality counselling to patients.


Author(s):  
Ranya Al-Harazi ◽  
Nawal Alharbi ◽  
Ola Al-Zuraiq ◽  
Reem Alkhaldi ◽  
Ilham Almousa ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Yousif Elmosaad ◽  
Ahmed Al Rajeh ◽  
Asif khan ◽  
Elfatih Malik ◽  
Ilias Mahmud

This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in malaria prevention using insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) among mothers of children under five years of age in White Nile State, Sudan. Multistage cluster sampling was used to select 761 mothers for this cross-sectional survey. There were gaps in the KAP in malaria prevention. Only 46.3% of the mothers stated personal protective measures (PPMs) as the best malaria prevention strategy; 54.9% considered ITNs as an effective means; and only 18.7% reported sleeping under an ITN every day. Older mothers were less likely to have good knowledge (OR=0.96), attitudes (OR=0.98) and practices (OR=0.98). Having a Government employee as the head of the household was positively associated with knowledge (OR=2.16) and attitudes (OR=1.96). The mother having a formal education was also positively associated with good knowledge (OR=1.55) and positive attitudes (OR=1.69). Mothers with a monthly household income of <491 Sudanese Pound were more likely to have good knowledge (OR=1.43). Mothers who had good knowledge (OR=4.99) and positive attitudes towards PPMs (OR=2.60) in malaria prevention were found to be more likely to practice preventive measures. Therefore, we recommend focusing on raising mothers’ awareness of the different preventive activities to protect them and their family from malaria.


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