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Liknaw Workie Limenh Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Liknaw Workie Limenh, Email liknawworkie@gmail.comBackground: The availability of various facilities that aid in providing expected services is necessary for the practice of pharmacy, which aims to make the best use of medications and other healthcare products and services. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the availability of dispensing and storage facilities at public and community pharmacies in Bahir Dar and Gondar towns.Methods: In Gondar and Bahir Dar towns’ public and private pharmacies, a facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2023 to September 2023. All pharmacy areas that were open during data collection were included in the study. The frequency and percentage were calculated using descriptive statistics.Results: From 239 pharmacies, 208 (87.0%) of them were open during data collection, and they are included in the study. The water supply and dispensing counter were available in the dispensing area in 79.3% and 60.1% of instances, respectively. They also had adequate room for storage (92.8%), dispensing (92.8%), and receiving (95.7%) of medicines. Additionally, about 98.1% of the facilities had shaded, ventilated, and dry areas. A therapeutic order was the most often used method (59.6%) for medication organization. Merely 1.9% of participants did not employ a strategy to arrange their medications. A refrigerator (88.0%), a refrigerator thermometer (91.3%), a spoon or spatula (81.3%), a separate storage facility (74.5%), a cold room (68.8%), a lockable cabinet (90.9%), a tablet counter (69.2%), and a fire extinguisher (safety device) (88%) were among the various storage equipment the majority of the pharmacies in the survey had. Nonetheless, air conditioning was absent from the majority (53.4%) of pharmacy facilities.Conclusion: Few pharmacies need to make improvements to their facilities in order to encourage convenient drug storage and dispensing practices, even though the majority of the pharmacies surveyed had all the necessary equipment and infrastructure. In addition to initiating the pharmacies to provide good practices of dispensing and storage, facility-focused initiation and regulation should be obtained to ensure full availability of the facilities.Keywords: availability, Bahir Dar, dispensing, facilities, Gondar, pharmacies, storage

Liknaw Workie Limenh,1 Tewodros Ayalew Tessema,1 Wudneh Simegn,2 Wondim Ayenew,2 Zemenu Wube Bayleyegn,2 Ashenafi Kibret Sendekie,3 Gashaw Sisay Chanie,3 Eneyew Talie Fenta,4 Alemante Tafese Beyna,5 Asmamaw Emagn Kasahun1 1Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 2Department of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 3Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 4Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia; 5Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Liknaw Workie Limenh, Email liknawworkie@gmail.comBackground: Dosage forms (DF), which are primarily divided into solid, semisolid, liquid, and gaseous, are among the different factors that influence drug adherence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how patients’ preferences for pharmaceutical DF affected their adherence to medication in community pharmacies in Gondar town.Methods: A cross-sectional study on community pharmacies was carried out from June 25 to July 27, 2023. The statistical package for social sciences, version 26, was used for data analysis. Factors associated with patient medication discontinuation were found using both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions.Results: According to our study, the majority of respondents (42.4%) preferred tablet DF. Most respondents (63.9%) DF preference was affected by the size of the medication, in which small-sized were most preferable (59.6%). The oral route of administration was the most preferable (71.2%). The majority of the respondents (59.9%) had a history of discontinuation of medicines. Being male (AOR=2.21, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.79), living in rural areas (AOR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.83), types of DF (AOR=4.59, 95% CI: 1.28, 16.52), high frequency of administration (AOR=2.22, 95% CI: 1.08, 4.57), high cost of medication (AOR=3.09, 95% CI: 1.69, 5.68), getting some improvement from illness (AOR=3.29, 95% CI: 1.10, 9.87), and high number of drugs (AOR=3.29, 95% CI: 1.67, 13.85) were significantly associated with medication discontinuation.Conclusion: Our findings showed that tablet dosage forms, oral routes of administration, and once-daily taking of medicines were the most preferred by our respondents. Being male, living in rural areas, types of DF, high frequency of administration, high cost of medication, getting some improvement from illness, and high number of drugs were significantly associated with medication discontinuation. This provides an insight into what to consider when prescribing medicine to enhance patients’ adherence and overall therapeutic outcomes.Keywords: adherence, associated factors, dosage form preference, routes of administration

Background Alcohol use disorder in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus is an important public health problem associated with high rates of HIV infection and lower antiretroviral treatment adherence. However, little is known about the prevalence of alcohol use disorders and its impact on ART adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of alcohol use disorder and its impact on medication adherence among PLWHA attending the ART clinic. Methods A hospital based cross sectional study design was conducted at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (UOGCSH) ART clinic from September 30, 2023 to February 30, 2024. The World Health Organization's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tool (AUDIT) was utilized to assess alcohol use disorder. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to investigate the relationship between AUDs and other variables. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26, with a significance level set at P < 0.05. Results The overall prevalence of AUDs was 38.8%, with hazardous use, harmful use, and alcohol dependence accounting for 24.6%, 6.1%, and 8.1% of the total, respectively. In addition, 67.8% of the participants had medication adherence above 95%. Factors associated with alcohol use disorder were male AOR = 1.52; 95% CI (1.01, 2.30), cigarette smoking AOR = 2.384, 95% CI (1.183, 4.80), educational status AOR = 1.96, 95% CI (1.016, 3.764), and age 45-57 years AOR = 3.05, CI (1.587, 5.871). In present study, compared with social drinkers, harmful drinkers and alcohol dependents showed low medication adherence under 95% (AOR = 4.08 and AOR = 8.89, respectively). Conclusion The study reveals a high prevalence of alcohol use and dependence in PLWHA, underscoring the need for effective detection and intervention strategies particularly for males, cigarette smoker, and age between 54 and 75 years in healthcare and community settings. Alcohol use is strongly associated with poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Individuals with hazardous alcohol use are four times more likely to have low adherence, while alcohol-dependent individuals are nearly nine times more likely to have low adherence compared to social drinkers., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Prescriptions come with extensive instructions on taking medicines but provide little information about the burden of unused medicines. This issue centers around the vast quantities of unused medications accumulated in households. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of unused medicines and associated factors in Gondar City., Method: The study was conducted through a community-based cross-sectional survey in Gondar City from July 30 to August 30, 2023. The data was collected using the Kobo toolbox, exported into an Excel sheet, and then analyzed using SPSS version 27 software. Both multivariate and bivariate binary logistic regressions were performed in the data analysis. A p-value of 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval was used to determine statistical significance., Result: The study interviewed 786 participants, with a 92.8% response rate. 55% of the 786 households surveyed kept unused medications at home, most commonly antibiotics (37%), antipyretics (17.6%), and analgesics (15%). Factors associated with having unused medicines at home included not receiving medication information (AOR = 2.327, 95% CI: 1.535, 3.527), having a chronic disease (AOR = 5.897, 95% CI: 3.667, 9.484), having health insurance coverage (AOR = 1.456, 95% CI: 1.036, 2.047), self-medicating with NSAIDs (AOR = 2.018, 95% CI: 1.396, 2.919), and poor disposal practices (AOR = 3.613, 95% CI: 2.546, 5.127)., Conclusion: The study found a considerable high prevalence of unused medications in Gondar City due to factors like lack of medication education, chronic conditions, insurance coverage, self-medication, and poor disposal practices. To address this, public education programs and safe disposal guidelines should be implemented to promote safer practices., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study obtained ethical approval from the Department of Pharmacy at Wollo University, College of Medicine and Health Science (Ref: WU Phar/266/2021). Additionally, the researchers obtained official permission from the Gondar city administration to conduct the study. Before obtaining written or verbal consent, potential participants were informed about the study’s objectives and anticipated benefits. All participants voluntarily took part in the interviews, and their confidentiality was guaranteed. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Smartphone use has become widespread and continues to grow rapidly. Medical students, already highly susceptible to sleep deprivation, may experience exacerbated issues due to smartphone usage, particularly at bedtime. Therefore, understanding the potential negative impacts of this behavior is crucial. This study aims to assess the prevalence and risk factors of sleep quality among medical students bed time smart phone users in Ethiopia., Subject and Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was employed, involving 354 undergraduate medical students selected through simple random sampling from Debre Marko's University, the University of Gondar, and Debre Berhan University. Data were collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and structured interviews. Variables with a p-value of ≤0.2 in bivariable regression were included in multivariable logistic regression. Crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios were calculated, while chi-square tests were used to assess assumptions. In multivariable regression, variables with a p-value of ≤0.05 were deemed significant predictors at the 95 % confidence interval., Result: The results showed that among bedtime smartphone users, 67.52 % had a poor sleep quality index greater than 5. Poor sleep quality was significantly linked to factors such as sex, regular coffee consumption, the purpose of smartphone use, phone position during use, the duration of smartphone use, and a history of disease. Social media usage was the most common activity, accounting for 41.60 % of smartphone use, followed by watching videos (21.65 %)., Conclusion: This study highlights the detrimental effects of bedtime smartphone use on sleep quality, which subsequently impacts mental. Given these findings, it is strongly recommended that medical students reduce their smartphone use before bedtime to improve their sleep quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Poor-quality medicines (substandard or counterfeit) can lead to treatment failure. There is a vast global imbalance in cancer treatment outcomes due to the difficulty of accessing quality chemotherapeutic products. Early diagnosis of cancer brings more hope for curative treatment of cancer and increases the demand for chemotherapeutic products. Consequently, it creates opportunities for unethical manufacturers and suppliers to develop substandard and/or counterfeit products. An ongoing review of cost-effective analytical methods is therefore paramount to tracking and tracing poor chemotherapeutic pharmaceutical products. Low- and middle-income country (LMIC) regulators lack safety equipment and standard operating procedures to handle chemotherapeutic products safely in the drug analysis laboratory and have limited capacity to perform post-marketing surveillance on these products. This review aimed to provide a compressive review of the Chemotherapeutic Paper Analytical Device (ChemoPAD). ChemoPAD is an important tool for quality screening of commonly used chemotherapeutic products in LMIC settings. It is an efficient, fast, simple, accessible, cost-effective, and transferable analytical method for verifying substandard and/or counterfeit chemotherapeutic products. Designed as a complete paper-based laboratory the size of a playing card, the ChemoPAD provides a promising solution for healthcare providers, patients, and other parties involved in post-marketing surveillance of chemotherapeutic products. Thus, in the near future, scientists could probably witness the use of the ChemoPAD technology platform to trace and track substandard and/or counterfeit chemotherapeutic products., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Worku, Limenh, Mekonnen and Anagaw.)

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females. Assessing self-screening practices for breast cancer patients is vital for developing targeted interventions. The current study aimed to assess self-screening practices for breast cancer and associated factors via the theory of planned behavior constructs among female students in Ethiopian universities., Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted using the theory of planned behavior constructs. The data were collected from January 30, 2022, to February 30, 2022, in Ethiopia. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used. The validity and reliability tests were checked to use the questionnaire in the main study through a pilot test. The data were collected through online Google Forms by distributing them to university students via Telegram groups, Imo, emails, and Facebook. The collected data were exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Bivariate analysis was used to identify the candidate variables for multiple logistic regression (P value < 0.02). Those variables with a P value less than 0.05 were considered significant predictors of breast cancer screening practices., Results: A total of 418 female students participated in the study. The respondents were aged between 18 and 37 years. In the current study, 318 (76.1%; 95% CI: 72.0, 80.4) university students had good screening practices for breast cancer. Nonhealth-related departments (AOR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.11, 3.44), having training in breast cancer self-examination (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.35), having a good attitude (AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.11, 3.47), having good behavioral control (AOR = 4.1; 95% CI: 2.18, 7.71), and having good behavioral intentions (AOR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.24) were associated with self-screening practices for breast cancer patients., Conclusion: Designing a theory of planned behavior-based educational interventions improve self-screening practices for breast cancer among university female students. These insights could guide the development of future breast cancer awareness and prevention programs in university settings, with the goal of increasing early detection rates and lowering the risk of breast cancer. The study also serves as foundational information for designing future research using more advanced study design methods., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the ethical review committee members of the School of Pharmacy, University of Gondar, with reference number SOP/45/2014. A statement confirming that all the experimental protocols were approved by a named institutional and/or licensing committee was signed by Mr. Abyot Endale, Mr. Zemene Demelash, Mr. Asmamaw Emagn, Mr. Nurahimed Seid, and Mr. Gizework Aleminew. Written informed consent was obtained from each study participant. All methods were carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has a significant potential to impact pharmacy practices worldwide. This study investigates pharmacists' perceptions of AI's role in pharmacy practices, their willingness to adopt it, and perceived barriers to its implementation at community pharmacies in Ethiopia., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among community pharmacists in Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Independent samples t -test, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc analyses were used to compare pharmacists' perception and willingness scores. A linear regression analysis examined the association of independent variables with pharmacists' perception of AI and willingness to utilize AI. A p -value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Of 241 pharmacists approached, 225 (93.3 %) completed the survey. Overall, about two-thirds (67.1 % and 66.2 %) of community pharmacists had a high level of perception and willingness to use AI applications in pharmacy, respectively. Pharmacists with bachelor's degrees and above (β = 2.76: 95 % CI: 0.09, 5.01 vs. β = 1.79: 95 % CI: 0.05, 4.21), those who utilized scientific drug information sources (β = 2.45, 95 %: 0.17, 4.45 vs. β = 1.76, 95 % CI: 0.91, 3.89), pharmacists who had a previous exposure of AI (β = 1.02, 95 %: 0.03, 3.24 vs. β =1.13, 95 % CI: 0.07, 2.93), and those who with higher perceived AI knowledge (β =1.09, 95 % CI: 0.02, 2.46 vs. β = 1.14, 95 %CI: 0.17, 3.11) had significantly higher perception of AI and willingness to utilize it, respectively compared to their counterparts. Lack of internet availability (89.3 %), lack of AI-related software/hardware (88.2 %), and limited training (80.9 %) were the most frequently reported barriers by pharmacists to AI adoption. Over 90 % of pharmacists agreed on the importance of internet availability (93.3 %), policies/frameworks (91.6 %), and research/learning from others (89.3 %) for successful AI integration., Conclusion: Despite positive perceptions and willingness from pharmacists, AI implementation in community pharmacies could be hindered by resource limitations, training gaps, skill constraints, and infrastructure issues. To facilitate adoption, enhancing knowledge and skills, and developing policies/frameworks are crucial., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Academic performance is the extent to which a student, teacher, or institution has attained their short- or long-term educational goals and is measured either by continuous assessment or cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Good academic performance is defined as the students who scored a cumulative GPA of 3 and above. Even though few studies were done in Ethiopia, there was no clear evidence regarding the role of cognitive and learning issues such as academic competence, test competence, time management, strategic studying, and test anxiety on the academic performance of students., Objective: To assess the magnitude academic performance and its associated factors among health science students at Eastern Ethiopian universities., Method: An institution based cross sectional study design was implemented on a total of 924 regular undergraduate students of eastern Ethiopian universities. Good academic performance was measured as the students who scored a cumulative GPA of three and above. The study participants were selected using simple random sampling techniques, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 25 software. A P-value < 0.2 at bivariate to select variables for multivariable and < 0.05 at multivariable with 95% CI was considered statistical significance., Result: A total of 924 participants were included, with a response rate of 98.7%. The overall magnitude of good academic performance among health science students at Eastern Ethiopia University's was 70.5%, with a 95% CI = 67%- 73%. Residence [AOR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.9-3.93], not having a sexual partner [AOR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.64-3.72], good test competence [AOR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.4-2.6], good time management [AOR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.86-3.15], and good strategic study [AOR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.33-2.45] were significantly associated with good academic performance., Conclusion: Increased odds of good academic performance were observed among students with rural residence, sexual partner, good test competence, good time management, and strategic study. A collaborative and multidisciplinary approach is needed to enhance the academic performance of students., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Ethical approval was obtained from the Dire Dawa University Institutional Review Board (IRB). A formal letter of permission was submitted to the respective colleges of health sciences of universities under the study. The importance of the study was explained to the participants of the study. A consent letter was attached to the cover page of each questionnaire; the written informed consent was obtained after the objective of the study, the benefits and risks of the study were explained for the study participants. The right of respondents to withdraw from the study or not to participate at all was explained and respected. The information collected from the study participants was kept confidential and was used only for the study purpose. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The majority of pregnancy-related complications were preventable. However, the magnitude of complications during pregnancy and childbirth was high in sub-Saharan Africa. There was limited evidence on the magnitude of obstetric complications during childbirth and its predictors among postpartum women in Ethiopia., Methods and Materials: The research used secondary data sources based on performance monitoring for action in Ethiopia's second cohort longitudinal survey. It was a national survey that was conducted in three large, predominantly agrarian regions (Oromia, Amhara, and SNNP) and one urban region (Addis Ababa) of Ethiopia between 2021 and 2023. It was conducted to track pregnant women's use of essential maternal and newborn health services. It involved the enrollment of pregnant women and tracking them at six weeks, six months, and one year after giving birth. The data collected at the beginning of the survey and six weeks after childbirth were used for the analysis. Sample weights were applied to account for differences in sample allocation and response rates across regions and urban/rural areas. Multi-collinearity and intra-cluster correlation were assessed before fitting the multilevel models to ensure the accuracy of the estimates. A multi-level logistic regression model was used to assess the magnitude and predictors for the occurrence of obstetric complications during delivery. The model fit was evaluated using Akaike's Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion. Adjusted odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of association for this study., Results: The magnitude of obstetric complications during delivery was found to be 33.86% with 95% CI (31.56, 36.24. Among the obstetric complications that occurred during delivery, about 15.73%with 95% CI(14.02, 17.61) of women experienced bleeding, 4.14% with 95% CI (3.30, 5.17) had their membrane rupture but labor did not start within 24 h, 2.29% with 95% CI(1.67, 3.13) had their membrane rupture before 9 months, 3.95% with 95% CI(3.16, 4.93) had faced malpresentation or malposition of the baby, 12.70% with 95% CI (11.18, 14.39) had prolonged labor lasting more than 12 h, and 12.40% with 95% CI (10.83,14.17) had convulsions. The odds of occurrence of obstetric complication during delivery among women from severely food insecure households were 1.88 times [AOR = 1.88; 95% CI (1.22, 2.90)] more likely to occur than women from food secure households. Moreover, the odds of occurrence for obstetric complications during delivery among women who had complications during their pregnancy were 2.39 times [AOR = 2.39; 95% CI (1.81, 3.16)] more likely to occur as compared to those women who had no complication during their pregnancy. On the other hand, women's who had 1-4 live births given before this delivery were 0.61 times [AOR = 0.61; 95% (0.43, 0.88)] less likely to develop complications as compared to those women's who had no prior live birth., Conclusion and Recommendation: Delivery-related obstetric complications during delivery in Ethiopia were high. Approximately one-third of postpartum women in Ethiopia experienced obstetric complications during delivery. Based on this study, women's from severely food insecure households, those women's who had no prior live birth, and women's who had complications during their pregnancy were more likely to develop delivery-related obstetric complications. Thus, policy makers and program implementers who were working on maternal and newborn health should give special attention for women's from severely food insecure households, women's who had no prior live births, and those women's who encountered obstetric complications during their pregnancy to decrease the occurrence of obstetric complications during delivery. In Ethiopia, various governmental organizations, such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, are dedicated to addressing food insecurity and improving nutritional access. The country has launched several effective nutritional programs, including the Productive Safety Net Program, the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program, and the National Nutrition Program, aimed at alleviating food insecurity and enhancing nutrition. Ongoing efforts are crucial to tackle the food insecurity experienced by women, which can help to reduce obstetric related complications of women's during delivery. It is crucial for everyone involved in maternal and newborn health to prioritize addressing the factors that lead to obstetric complications during delivery in women in order to reach the goal of ending all preventable maternal and newborn deaths by 2030., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: In silico predictions are now being utilized in drug discovery and design to assess the physicochemical, pharmacokinetics, and safety properties of compounds at the beginning of the drug discovery process. This early evaluation of the physicochemical, pharmacokinetics, and safety properties of compounds helps the researchers to invest their time and resources only in the best prospective lead compounds by eliminating compounds with a low chance of success., Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore a promising lead compound designed from 1-piperazine indole hybrid with nicotinic amide and nicotinic acid analogs targeted on Trypanosoma brucei phosphofructokinase for Trypanosomiasis activity by using in silico predictions strategy., Results: The physicochemical, safety, pharmacokinetic, and biological activity properties of those molecules were predicted by using ADMETlab 2.0, ACD labs Chem Sketch software version 14.0, Molinspiration software, and MolPredictX online tool. Our results indicate that several promising candidates exhibit favorable characteristics. Based on Molinspiration software both nicotinic acid and nicotinic amide derivatives showed higher kinase inhibitor activity and all nicotinic acid derivatives revealed enzyme inhibitors and GPCR ligand activity. According to the MolPredictX online tool, the most biologically active derivatives were NA-4, NA-11, and NAD-11., Conclusion: Overall, our findings offer valuable insights into the potential efficacy and safety of these compounds. It appears that almost all of the compounds have successfully passed the pharmacokinetic evaluations and integration of nicotinic acid into indole appears to be more beneficial than nicotinic amide regarding certain biological activities., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Introduction: The circulation of substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products on the national and international markets has increased. Different studies revealed that there is limited information about pharmacy professionals' awareness of substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products. Therefore; the aim of the present study was to assess the pharmacy professionals' knowledge, attitude, and practice of substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacy professionals about substandard and counterfeited pharmaceutical products in Gondar City, North-West Ethiopia. Data were collected through a self-administered, structured questionnaire using the Kobo tool. SPSS version 27 was used for the analysis. To assess the association of factors with pharmacy professionals' practice towards substandard and counterfeit medicines, we conducted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis., Results: A total of 170 respondents participated in the study. The highest numbers of participants (71.8%) were in the age group of 18-30 years. Only 10.6% of them reported purchasing medicines regularly. Of total, 31 (18.24%) of respondents had a good knowledge and more than one-third 60 (35.29%) of the respondents had a good level of practice. Multivariate logistic regression analysis results revealed that some socio-demography and attitude (AOR = 0.473 (0.225-0.995) were associated with the practice of pharmacy professionals towards substandard and counterfeit medicines., Conclusion: In general, less than one-quarters of the respondents had a good knowledge and more than one-thirds of the respondents had a good level of practice. However, half of the respondents had a positive attitude., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Access to cardiovascular medications is severely hampered by their unavailability and high cost, particularly for the poorest households in developing nations. The availability and price range of cardiovascular medications are significantly limited in both hospital and community pharmacies. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the availability and price variations of commonly used cardiovascular medicines in hospital pharmacies in Gondar Town, northwest Ethiopia. Methods: From July 13 to August 6, 2022, a mixed cross-sectional and simulated client survey was carried out at two hospital and 13 community pharmacies in Gondar Town. The analysis and data entry were performed using SPSS Version 25 and EpiData Version 4.2, respectively. The availability and pricing variations of the medications are given as percentages. The significance was examined using paired t tests. Results: On average, community retail pharmacies offered 33.22% of CVD drugs. Aspirin (81 mg), amlodipine (5 mg), atorvastatin (20 mg), and hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg) were the most readily available drugs in community pharmacies. Overall, 28.00% of the hospital pharmacies had available CVD medicines during the course of our analysis. The average cost for the 25 CVD medications in hospital pharmacies was $0.699, with a standard deviation (SD) of 1.513, which was less than the cost at community pharmacies ($2.741 with an SD of 6.015) ( p = 0.045). Conclusion: CVD medications were more available in community pharmacies than in hospital pharmacies, although there were fewer CVD medications available than recommended by the WHO/HAI (80%) in both hospital and community pharmacies. There was a statistically significant difference between the two prices. Compared to that at hospital pharmacies, the mean price at community pharmacies was greater., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liknaw Workie Limenh et al.)

Background: The development of multidrug resistant strains of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli has become a global problem; therefore, the discovery of new antibacterial agents is the only available solution., Objective: To improve and propose new compounds with antibacterial activity, the three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship and molecular docking studies were carried out on Aztreonam analogs as E. coli inhibitors in DNA gyrase B., Method: This study's 3D-Quantitative structure-activity relationship model was created using on the Comparative Molecular Field Analysis and the Comparative Molecular Similarity Indices Analysis. Using the Comparative Molecular Field Analysis ( Q 2  = 0.73; R 2  = 0.82), excellent predictability was achieved, and the best Comparative Molecular Similarity Indices Analysis model ( Q 2  = 0.88; R 2  = 0.9). The generated model's ability to predict outcomes was assessed through external validation using a test set compound and an applicability domain technique. In this study, the steric, electrostatic, and hydrogen bond acceptor fields played a key role in antibacterial activity., Results: The results of the molecular docking revealed that the newly generated compound A6 has the highest binding affinity with DNA gyrase B. It forms 10 hydrogen bonds with amino acid residues of Asn104, Asn274, Asn132, Ser70, Ser237, Thr105, Glu273, and 2 salt bridges with amino acid residues of Ser70 and Glu273 and one pi-pi interacting with Gys271 amino acid residue in the binding site of 5G1, and this result was validated by a new assessment method. We created some novel, highly effective DNA gyrase B inhibitors based on the earlier findings, and the most accurate model predicted their inhibitory actions. The ADMET characteristics and pharmacological similarity of these novel inhibitors were also examined., Conclusion: These findings would be very beneficial in guiding the optimization process for the identification of novel drugs that can address the issue of multiple drug resistance., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Introduction: Pharmacy services in hospitals are designed to meet the needs of all patients. This is undoubtedly one of the most complex services provided by hospitals. In government hospitals, including those in Ethiopia, pharmacies mainly serve as drug stores and dispensaries. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to assess and ensure better quality assurance for hospital pharmacy services in Ethiopia. Therefore, the objective of this article was to assess the current status of the quality assurance of pharmacy services in hospitals., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. The data were collected from hospital pharmacy heads using the Kobo Collect mobile application and then exported to the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics for categorical variables are presented as percentages and frequencies., Results: All (100%) of the studied hospital pharmacies had a qualified pharmacy director and worked in the pharmacy full-time. Only 40% had a drug information center and a functional drug formulary committee. All pharmacies had their own disposal facilities but did not regularly dispose of expired or unfit medications. The results revealed that all hospital pharmacies did not have a responsible body delegated for quality evaluation., Conclusion: The findings of this study clearly show that quality assurance services in hospital pharmacies are compromised. The findings can be used to identify areas of improvement and develop strategies to enhance the quality of hospital pharmacy services., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: Several studies were performed on transdermal (TD) insulin delivery in vitro and in vivo, and recently, the study groups included a clinical trial in humans. Therefore, this systematic review was conducted to get summary information about the effectiveness, safety, and preferability of TD insulin in comparison with subcutaneous insulin delivery., Methods: We conducted a thorough search to find studies in the databases Cochrane Library, MEDLINE via PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, EMBASE, Scopus, Hinari, Medlib, and Magiran until January 2024. We included 18 randomized clinical trials., Results: Although there are various types of TD delivery methods, the TD insulin delivery methods that have undergone clinical trials are the TD patch, micro needle TD insulin delivery, and TD insulin jet injector. Eighteen studies were conducted on TD insulin delivery, which showed either superior or comparable effectiveness, safety, and preferability of TD insulin in comparison with SC insulin. About eleven out of eighteen studies (61.1%) showed more effective blood glucose control than SC delivery, and the remaining seven studies showed comparable effectiveness with SC delivery. Eleven studies (61.1%) showed equal tolerability of TD insulin versus SC insulin, and seven studies (38.9%) showed more tolerability of TD insulin over SC insulin. In most studies, eleven out of eighteen (61.1%) showed a higher preference for TD insulin delivery over traditional SC delivery; sixth out of eighteen (33.3%) showed equal preferability for TD insulin versus SC insulin; and only one study (5.6%) showed that TD insulin delivery was less preferable than SC insulin., Conclusion: The review revealed that clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of TD insulin delivery methods such as TD patches, MN-based insulin delivery, and insulin jet injectors compared to traditional SC routes of administration. The studies showed the superior or comparable effectiveness of TD insulin in controlling blood glucose levels. Additionally, TD insulin delivery was found to be equally or more tolerable than SC insulin delivery in all studies. Overall, the majority of studies favored TD insulin delivery over traditional SC delivery methods, highlighting its potential as a preferred option for insulin administration., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Head lice infestation remains a persistent public health concern among primary school children in resource-limited settings, affecting their well-being and academic performance. Despite previous studies, there is no consistent evidence on the prevalence and factors associated with head lice infestation. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors related to head lice infestation among primary school children in low and middle-income countries., Methods: This review was conducted by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. Relevant electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Science Direct, AJOL, and Google Scholar, were used to retrieve articles. The study included only published articles written in English languages between December 01, 2014 to January 31, 2024 for studies reporting the prevalence of head lice infestation or associated factors among primary school children in low- and middle-income countries. This review has been registered on PROSPERO with Prospero registration number CRD42024506959. The heterogeneity of the data was evaluated using the I 2 statistic. A meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 17 software, with a 95% confidence interval. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots and statistical tests, such as Egger's and Beggs's tests, to identify publication biases in the included studies. Meta-regression was also carried out to assess the source of publication of publication bias., Results: The review included 39 studies involving 105,383 primary school children. The pooled prevalence of head lice infestation among primary school children in low- and middle-income countries was 19.96% (95% CI; 13.97, 25.95). This review also found out that being a girl was 3.71 times (AOR = 3.71; 95% CI: 1.22-11.26) more likely to have head lice infestation as compared to boys, while children with a previous history of infestation were 4.51 times (AOR = 4.51; 95% CI: 2.31-8.83) more likely to have head lice infestation as compared to their counterparts., Conclusion: The overall prevalence of head lice infestation among primary school children in low- and middle-income countries was found to be high. Female gender, children who had a previous history of infestation, and family size were significant predictors of head lice infestation. As a result, policymakers and program administrators should focus on the identified determinants., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Community pharmacy professionals are essential for healthcare delivery, particularly for administering vaccination services. However, there is a lack of substantial evidence documenting their role in vaccination within Ethiopia., Objectives: This study aimed to assess community pharmacy professionals' readiness to provide vaccination services, identify barriers hindering the implementation of these services, and determine factors influencing the provision of vaccination services by community pharmacy professionals., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among community pharmacy professionals in Debre Markos and Injibara Town from April 15 to May 13, 2024. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the findings., Results: The study revealed that a significant majority of community pharmacy professionals perceived that they had adequate vaccine knowledge and were easily accessible to the community. However, barriers such as lack of regulation, time constraints, workload concerns, patient trust issues, and infrastructure challenges hinder the implementation of vaccination services. Factors influencing the provision of vaccination services included the need for enhanced education and training, financial reimbursement, patient demand, infrastructure improvements, collaboration with other healthcare providers, and pharmacists' special interest in vaccination., Conclusions: Community pharmacy professionals exhibit readiness to provide vaccination services. However, significant barriers such as regulatory constraints, time pressures, workload concerns, patient trust issues, and infrastructure challenges hinder their full participation. Addressing these barriers and leveraging pharmacists' expertise is essential for optimizing service delivery and improving public health outcomes. Advocating for policy changes, developing comprehensive training programs, establishing clear guidelines, investing in infrastructure improvements, conducting public awareness campaigns, and fostering collaboration with other healthcare providers are recommended to facilitate the provision and implementation of vaccination services by community pharmacy professionals in Ethiopia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Good-quality sleep is defined by its ability to minimize disturbances, provide adequate duration, and maintain a balanced progression through sleep stages. Sleep disturbance is a common complaint in people living with HIV/AIDS. Despite the influence of sleep disturbance on treatment adherence, quality of life, work productivity, risk of chronic illness. Studies have reported sleep disturbances among HIV/AIDS patients in sub-Saharan African countries (SSA), yielding varied results at the country level. Therefore, conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis is essential. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence of poor sleep quality and identify associated factors among HIV/AIDS patients in sub-Saharan African countries. We systematically searched across various databases, including PubMed, African Journals Online, Scopus, Cochrane Library, HINARI, and Science Direct. Additionally, we conducted searches using Google and Google Scholar search engines. Microsoft Excel was used for data extraction, and the data were analysed using STAT version 17.0. We assessed heterogeneity using Cochran's Q test and I 2 test and checked for small study effects using funnel plot symmetry and Egger's test. Pooled prevalence and associated factors were estimated using a random-effects model at a 95% confidence interval (CI) and significance level of p < 0.05. To identify factors associated with poor sleep quality among individuals living with HIV/AIDS, odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% CI were calculated. This analysis combined data from 15 separate studies involving a total sample size of 5176 participants. The pooled prevalence of poor sleep quality among HIV/AIDS patients in SSA countries was 49.32% (95% CI 41.32-56.8%). Factors significantly associated with poor sleep quality included depression (OR 2.78; 95% CI 1.21-6.40) and CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3 (AOR 3.15; 95% CI 2.41-4.15). In this study the prevalence of poor sleep quality among HIV/AIDS patients in SSA was higher and differs across the countries, ranging from 21.7 to 73.7%. The findings underscore the urgent necessity for programs aimed at improving sleep quality, particularly in addressing factors such as participant income and depression that are linked to poor sleep quality in HIV/AIDS patients.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42024517229., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Antibiotic self-medication is a global public health concern contributing to antibiotic resistance. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to assess the prevalence of antibiotic self-medication and its associated factors in Ethiopia., Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted from MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Google Scholar and Web of Science to identify relevant studies published between 2000 and 2024. Adult households, undergraduate university students and health care professionals who had taken antibiotics without a prescription in the household setting were included in this review. The primary outcome of this review is antibiotic self- medication. The random-effects model was used to estimate pooled prevalence rates. The outcome measure was analyzed with STATA version 17 software., Results: A total of nine studies were included in the Meta-analysis, comprising a sample size of 5908 participants. The pooled prevalence of antibiotic self-medication among Ethiopians was found to be 46.14 with 95% Confidence Interval [35.71, 56.57]. The most frequently used classes of self-medicated antibiotics were penicillins, followed by tetracyclines. Community pharmacies were the source of information that individuals utilized. The most common reported reasons for antibiotic self-medication include previous experience of treating a similar illness, to save cost, lack of time and avoiding waiting time for medical services. Participants having less than high school educational level was the most commonly reported factor associated with self-medication antibiotics., Conclusion: Antibiotic self-medication is a prevalent practice in Ethiopia. This underscores the need for targeted interventions such as educating people about the risks associated with using antibiotics without medical guidance, which results in a reduction in antibiotic resistance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Hyperemesis gravidarum is one of the problems encountered among pregnant women due to persistent and excessive vomiting starting before the end of the 22nd week of gestation. The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of hyperemesis gravidarum and associated factors among pregnant women at comprehensive specialized hospitals in northwest Ethiopia., Methods: A multi-facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at comprehensive specialized hospitals from 1st June 2022 to 30th July 2022. The data were entered using EPI Data Version 4.6 statistical software and analyzed using SPSS Version 26. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, and percentage were calculated. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify the associated factors of hyperemesis gravidarum., Results: In all, 404 study participants were enrolled. About 16.8% of pregnant women were found to have hyperemesis gravidarum. Age < 20 year (AOR = 3.170; 95% CI: 1.119, 8.980), study participants who cannot read and write (AOR = 5.662; 95% CI: 2.036, 15.7470), grade 1-8 (AOR = 4.679; 95% CI: 1.778, 12.316), and grade 9-10 (AOR = 8.594; 95% CI: 3.017, 24.481), being housewife (AOR = 6.275; 95% CI: 1.052, 37.442), living in urban area (AOR = 2.185; 95% CI: 1.035, 4.609), having previous hyperemesis gravidarum (AOR = 2.463; 95% CI: 1.210, 5.012), having family history of hyperemesis gravidarum (AOR = 2.014; 95% CI: 1.002, 4.047), unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 2.934; 95% CI: 1.030, 8.351), having recent abortion (AOR = 2.750; 95% CI: 1.010, 7.483), and gravidity (AOR = 1.956; 95%CI: 1.023, 3.737) were factors associated with hyperemesis gravidarum., Conclusion: The prevalence of hyperemesis gravidarum is higher. Low maternal age, lower educational level, being a housewife, being an urban resident, having previous hyperemesis gravidarum, having a family history, having an unplanned pregnancy, and having a recent abortion were significantly associated with hyperemesis gravidarum., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Food adulteration is the intentional addition of foreign or inferior substances to original food products for a variety of reasons. It takes place in a variety of forms, like mixing, substitution, hiding poor quality in packaging material, putting decomposed food for sale, misbranding or giving false labels, and adding toxicants. Several analytical methods (such as chromatography, spectroscopy, electronic sensors) are used to detect the quality of foodstuffs. This review provides concise but detailed information to understand the scope and scale of food adulteration as a way to further detect, combat, and prevent future adulterations. The objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the causes, risks, and detection techniques associated with food adulteration. It also aimed to highlight the potential health risks posed by consuming adulterated food products and the importance of detecting and preventing such practices. During the review, books, regulatory guidelines, articles, and reports on food adulteration were analyzed critically. Furthermore, the review assessed key findings to present a well-rounded analysis of the challenges and opportunities associated with combating food adulteration. This review included different causes and health impacts of food adulteration. The analytical techniques for food adulteration detection have also been documented in brief. In addition, the review emphasized the urgency of addressing food adulteration through a combination of regulatory measures, technological advancements, and consumer awareness. In conclusion, food adulteration causes many diseases such as cancer, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and nervous system-related diseases. So, ensuring food safety is the backbone of health and customer satisfaction. Strengthening regulations, taking legal enforcement action, enhancing testing, and quality control can prevent and mitigate the adulteration of food products. Moreover, proper law enforcement and regular inspection of food quality can bring about drastic changes., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: Poor sleep quality is a common concern in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, which can accelerate the progression of chronic renal disease and negatively impact their health-related quality of life, potentially leading to greater morbidity and mortality rates. It can also have an effect on the immune system, cognitive function, and emotional well-being of CKD patients. Furthermore, poor sleep quality may contribute to drug noncompliance and decreased participation in the entire treatment plan. Nonetheless, no research has been undertaken in Ethiopia on the prevalence of poor sleep quality and its associated factors among CKD patients., Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of poor quality of sleep and associated factors among chronic kidney disease patients at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized and Felege Hiwot Referral Hospitals in 2020., Methods: A cross-sectional study design was implemented at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized and Felege Hiwot Referral Hospitals between February and April 2020. The study participants were chosen through systematic random sampling techniques. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a validated assessment tool, was utilized to measure sleep quality. A PSQI total score > 5 was used as an indicator of poor sleep quality. Subsequently, the data obtained were entered into Epi Data version 3.0 and then transferred to STATA 14 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed to recognize factors associated with poor sleep quality. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, variables demonstrating a p -value of ≤0.05 were considered statistically associated to poor sleep quality., Results: In this study, 424 CKD patients were included. Among screened CKD patients, 42.9% tested positive for poor sleep quality with a 95% CI (38 to 47%). Independent predictors of poor sleep quality among CKD patients were common mental disorder [AOR = 1.8, 95% CI (1.19-2.89)], anemia [AOR = 2.7, 95% CI (1.71-4.36)], declined eGFR between 60 and 89.9 [AOR = 1.6; 95% CI (2.28-5.54)], 30-59.9 [AOR = 2.6, 95% CI (1.53-4.43)], and ≤ 30 [AOR = 3.8, 95% CI (1.17-12.61)], age > 50 years [AOR = 1.7(1.11-2.69)] and duration of disease 2.9 [AOR = 2.9, 95% CI (1.77-4.90)]., Conclusion: In our study, almost 1 out of 2 CKD patients assessed for poor sleep quality tested positive. It was noted that poor sleep quality was more frequent among CKD patients with common mental disorders, anemia, decreased eGFR levels, individuals aged over 50 years, and those with a longer duration of the disease. Consequently, it's advised to regularly screen these CKD patients for poor sleep quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Gela, Limenh, Simegn, Ayenew, Chanie, Seid, Beyna, Esubalew, Mitku, Mengesha and Melese.)

Introduction: HIV/AIDS poses a significant health challenge in sub-Saharan African countries, with a disproportionate impact on women of reproductive age. The disparities in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to family planning among women living with HIV can be intricate and multi-faceted. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, practice, and associated factors regarding family planning among the women living with HIV at the University of Gondar specialized hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia., Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the University of Gondar Teaching Referral Hospital, focusing on HIV-positive women of reproductive age who visited the ART unit from July 8-28, 2022. Data collection involved the use of pre-tested, structured questionnaires administered through interviews. The gathered data were entered into the electronic Kobo Collect platform and subsequently exported for analysis using SPSS version 26. Descriptive summaries, including frequencies, means, and percentages, were presented through tables and figures. Logistic regression was employed to identify potential predictors, presenting adjusted odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval and a significance level set at a P-value of 0.05., Results: A total of 328 study participants were included. About 93% of the study population had good knowledge about modern contraceptives, and about 94% of the study population had good knowledge about safer conception. Only 30.2% of the study population had knowledge of the dual contraceptive method. The attitude and practice of women towards family planning (FP) were 71.0% and 55.8%, respectively. The study revealed that the most commonly employed contraceptive method was injectable contraceptives, constituting 34.2% of usage. Having one and a greater number of children (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.10, 4.49), having discussions on fertility plans with healthcare providers (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.02, 4.761), and having good family planning practices (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.19, 3.87) were significantly associated with the attitude toward family planning. Married women (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.11, 3.1), able to read and write (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI:1.04,4.32), college and above educational level (AOR = 4.51, 95% CI:1.93,10.87), had discussion on fertility plan with healthcare providers (AOR = 5.09, 95% CI: 1.96, 13.24), knowledge about dual method (AOR = 1.95, CI: 1.08, 3.50), and knowledge about modern contraceptive methods (AOR = 7.24, 95% CI: 1.56, 33.58) were significantly associated with good practice of family planning., Conclusion: Women living with HIV exhibited notably high levels of knowledge regarding modern contraceptive methods and safer conception. The knowledge of the dual method was low. More than half of the study population had good practice in family planning. More than two-thirds of HIV-positive reproductive-age women had a good attitude about family planning. Having one or a greater number of children, having a discussion on a fertility plan with a healthcare provider, and having a good practice of family planning were significantly associated with a good attitude toward family planning. Married women, education status, discussions on fertility plans with healthcare providers, knowledge about dual methods, and knowledge about modern contraceptive methods were significantly associated with good family planning practices. The stakeholders should design interventions based on the aforementioned factors to improve the attitude and practice of family planning., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Health literacy is the important for the prevention of non-communicable disease to make informed health decisions, and practice healthy and protective behaviours. Therefore, application of socioecological model to this study aimed to identify multilevel factors on health literacy among patients and develop scientific health communication interventional strategies to improve health literacy on non-communicable disease prevention and care., Objective: To explore barriers of health literacy on non-communicable disease prevention and care among patients in north wollo zone public Hospitals, Northeast Ethiopia, 2023., Method: In this study phenomenological study design was conducted from February 5 to 30/2023.We have used purposive sampling technique to select study participants from chronic follow up clinics. Data were collected using in-depth interview and focused group discussion in which audio was recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated to English. Thematic analysis was performed with atlas ti. 7 software., Result: In this study four main themes with seven subthemes were developed. The main themes were factors at the organizational, community, interpersonal, and intra-personal factors. The poor knowledge, lack of enough money for transportation and medication at the hospital were identified as barrier to get early diagnosis and treatment. Some participants explored that they have no any support from family or others. The cultural norms like weeding and funeral ceremonies enforce patients to consume prohibited substances like alcohol and salty foods., Conclusion: In this study different barriers of health literacy were explored. Lack of knowledge, economic problems, lack of social support, poor communication with health care providers, cultural influences, lack of regular health education, lack of access to health care services and poor infrastructure were main barriers of health literacy in patients with NCD. Therefore, we recommended all concerned bodies to work on social and behavioral change communication intervention focusing on awareness creation, supply of drugs and create supportive environment to get accessible and affordable health care service to decrease the impact of non-communicable disease at personal, community and national level., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern, particularly in low-resource settings. The treatment outcome is a crucial indicator of the effectiveness of TB treatment programs. Assessing the current treatment outcome and its associated factors is essential for improving patient care and reducing the spread of TB. Therefore, this study aimed to assess TB treatment outcomes and their associated factors among TB patients who received treatment at public healthcare facilities in Motta Town, Northwest Ethiopia. A facility-based retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed in two TB treatment centers in Motta town from January 2017 to December 2021. The study participants were all patients diagnosed with TB who received treatment. A p-value of 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine statistical significance. A total of 362 TB patients were included in the study. The overall treatment success rate was 88.4% (95% CI 85.1, 91.7). Male gender (AOR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.16, 4.98), normal nutritional status (AOR = 3.11, 95% CI 1.33, 7.25), HIV negative status (AOR = 3.35, 95% CI 1.31, 8.60), and non-presumptive drug resistance to TB (AOR = 3.72, 95% CI 1.74, 7.98) were significantly associated with successful TB treatment outcomes (p < 0.05). In the current study, nine out of ten study participants had successful TB treatment outcome rates. Male gender, normal nutritional status, non-presumed drug resistance to TB, and HIV-negative status were significantly associated with successful TB treatment outcomes. By taking risk factors associated with poor treatment outcomes like those found in this study into account, patient management and treatment can be optimized. Sufficient TB control measures for populations are imperative and could significantly reduce the nation's total TB burden., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Refugee populations are forcibly displaced from their homes as a consequence of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Eritreans, initially displaced to the Maiayni camp within the Tigray region, have faced further relocation to Dabat town due to the conflict between the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian government forces. Subsequently, another conflict has arisen between the Amhara Popular Force (Fano) and Ethiopian government forces in Dabat town, disrupting its stability. These collective challenges in the new environment may contribute to the development of symptoms such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Currently, there is a lack of available data on these symptoms and their associated variables in Dabat Town. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms, along with associated factors, among Eritrean refugees in Dabat town, northwest Ethiopia. This will provide significant evidence for developing and implementing mental health intervention strategies that specifically address the particular difficulties faced by refugees., Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from July 25 to September 30, 2023, in the Eritrean refugee camp in Dabat town. A systematic random sampling method was employed to select a total of 399 Eritrean refugees with 100 response rate. Data were collected using the standard validated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaire, which included socio-demographic characteristics. Summary statistics such as frequency and proportion were utilized to present the data in tables and figures. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify associated factors, and variables with a p-value (p ≤ 0.05) were considered statistically significant factors., Result: The findings of this study indicated that 45% (95% CI: 35.6-48.23), 33.6% (95% CI: 31.66-37.45), and 37.3% (95% CI: 35.56-40.34) of the participants had symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, respectively. Sex, age, employment status, lack of food or water, experience of torture or beating, and imprisonment emerged as statistically significant predictors of depression. Employment status, murder of family or friends, rape or sexual abuse, torture or beating, and lack of housing or shelter were statistically significantly associated with anxiety. PTSD was found to be significantly associated with sex, length of stay at the refugee camp, lack of housing, shelter, food, or water, experience of rape or sexual abuse, abduction, employment status, and murder of family or friends., Conclusions and Recommendation: The results of this study revealed that more than one-third of Eritreans living in the refugee camp in Dabat town had symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. This prevalence is higher than the previously reported studies. Various factors, including age, gender, monthly income, unemployment, experiences of rape or sexual abuse, witnessing the murder of family or friends, being torched or beaten, imprisonment, and deprivation of basic needs such as food, shelter, and water, were identified as contributors to the development of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This research underscores the need for both governmental and non-governmental organizations to secure the provision of essential necessities such as food, clean water, shelter, clothing, and education. This study also suggested that Eritrean refugees be legally protected from rape, sexual abuse, arson, detention without cause, and kidnapping. Moreover, the study calls for health service providers to develop a mental health intervention plan and implement strategies to deliver mental health services at healthcare facilities for Eritrean refugees in the Dabat town Eritrean refugee camp., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Parenteral administration of insulin remains the most common route of administration, causing local hypertrophy at the injection sites because of multiple daily injections. Because of this, there is an interest and effort in oral insulin administration that is convenient and mimics the physiology of endogenous insulin secreted in the liver. However, oral insulin encountered different challenges due to abundant enzyme degradation, the presence of a mucus layer, and the underlying intestinal epithelial membrane barrier in the gastrointestinal tract. This narrative review reviewed the literature dealing with novel oral insulin delivery approaches. Various pieces of literature were searched, filtered, and reviewed from different sources, and the information obtained was organized, formulated, and finalized. Oral insulin has been formulated and extensively studied in various novel delivery approaches, such as nanoparticles, microspheres, mucoadhesive patches, encapsulations, hydrogels, ionic liquids, liposomes, and complexation. The efficiency of these formulations demonstrated improved efficiency and potency compared to free oral insulin delivery, but none of them have greater or equivalent potency to subcutaneous insulin. Future studies regarding dose-dependent therapeutic efficacy and the development of new novel formulations to produce comparable oral insulin to subcutaneous insulin are warranted to further support the suitability of the current platform for oral insulin delivery., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Antiretroviral therapy regimens are successful in stopping the advancement of human immunodeficiency virus infection to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and other opportunistic infections. However, they do have significant disadvantages, including long-term treatment, limited oral bioavailability, inaccessibility to organs, non-adherence by patients, and the development of medication resistance. Because of the listed drawbacks of available routes and the availability of curative medicines for human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, advanced solutions are required. Antiretroviral therapy transdermal delivery is one of the current strategies that have attracted much attention from many researchers. In this narrative review, various in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo transdermal antiretroviral therapy delivery strategies were reviewed, such as transdermal patches and films, lipid-based nano-delivery systems, microneedles, chemical penetration enhancers, and iontophoresis, which showed promising results. Although the majority of studies on Antiretroviral transdermal delivery have produced hopeful findings, additional in-depth research on passive and physical enhancement techniques, both existing and new, is necessary to fully understand the potential of this route and to make it accessible to human immunodeficiency virus patients., Competing Interests: The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: Healthcare systems in both developing and developed countries were not free from prescription errors. One of the effects of prescription errors is irrational prescribing. According to the estimation of the World Health Organization (WHO), greater than 50% of medicines are prescribed and dispensed irrationally. On the other hand, research on drug use patterns in the private healthcare sector is scarce. This study aimed to assess prescription Completeness and Drug use Pattern using WHO prescribing indicators in Private Community Pharmacies in Lemi-Kura sub-city., Methods: Based on the WHO prescribing indicators, a retrospective cross-sectional technique was employed to examine the completeness and drug-prescription patterns. The study was conducted from April to May 2021. Prescriptions, kept for 1 year that was prescribed from March 2020 to March 2021, by private healthcare sectors, were analyzed. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select prescriptions obtained from private health facilities. Data were analyzed using SPSS ® version 26.0 software., Results: Of a total of 1000 prescriptions, 1770 drugs were prescribed and the average number of drugs per prescription was 1.77. Prescriptions for two drugs account for 38% of these, while prescriptions for three drugs account for 15%. Age, sex, and card number were written on 99.0%, 99.2%, and 41.8% of prescriptions, respectively. The patient's name was written on every prescription. Even though the availability of other therapeutic information on the prescription made it appear greater, only 44.2% of prescriptions included the dosage form of medications. The generic name was used for the majority of the medications (67.8%). Furthermore, assuming that each prescription was for a single patient, 71% of patients received antibiotics, and 2% received injectable medicines. The National List of Essential Medicines-Ethiopia was used in 99.6% of the prescriptions., Conclusions: On the basis of the finding of this study, the prescribing and prescription completeness indicator showed deviation from the standard recommended by WHO. This situation could be critical since a similar pattern is reported from public healthcare sectors, which might imply the extent of non-adherence to WHO core drug use standards. Consequently, it could play a considerable role in increasing prescription errors in Ethiopia. Hence, in-service training for prescribers should be provided to improve adherence to basic prescription writing., (© 2023. Dr. Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar and Auckland UniServices Ltd.)

Objective: Health literacy helps an individual to have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information to make appropriate health decisions. This study aimed to review the association between health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance., Method: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses steps. Databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, World Health Organization libraries, and Google Scholar were used to search all published articles in the area of health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance until August 1, 2022., Result: In this review, 1348 articles were retrieved. Finally, 13 articles were included in the review after the removal of duplicates that did not meet our inclusion criteria. In all, 10 articles showed that health literacy was significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. This review also showed that positive perception of the vaccine, vaccine hesitancy, adverse reaction from vaccines, residence, socioeconomic status, level of education, younger age, being a health worker, and positive belief have associations with health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. There was significant heterogeneity in the study population and measurement tools used for health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance., Conclusion: This systematic review provides comprehensive evidence on health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance globally. There was significant heterogeneity in the study population and measurement tools used for health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Most studies reported that health literacy is significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Therefore, investing in health literacy using different vaccine promotion strategies may improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and health decision-making to decrease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted on 70 traditional healers from June 1, 2022 to July 25, 2022. The data were collected through structured questionnaires. The data were checked for completeness and consistency and then entered into SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. The results were presented with frequencies and percentages. The association between sociodemographic factors and traditional healers' knowledge of dosage forms and route of administration was determined using the Pearson's chi-squares test. A statistically significant difference was declared if the p value was 0.05 or lower., Results: Most (58.1%) traditional healers had information on dosage forms, especially about solid, semisolid, and liquid dosage forms. In addition, 33 (53.2%) traditional healers had information about rectal, nasal, and oral route of administration. All traditional healers had practiced different dosage forms and route of administration both individually and in combination earlier to date. More than half of the participants agreed on the need for different dosage forms and route of administration. This study result also showed that most (72.6%) traditional healers had gaps in sharing experiences and information with other healers and health professionals., Conclusions: The current study revealed that solid, semisolid, and liquid were the most frequently formulated dosage forms with oral, rectal, and nasal route of administration by traditional healers. The practice of checking the status of the formulations was poor. Traditional healers had a good attitude towards the need for different dosage forms and route of administration. The stakeholders should provide continuous training and exchange of experiences between traditional healers and healthcare professionals to improve the knowledge of traditional healers for appropriate use of dosage forms and route of administration., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Liknaw Workie Limenh et al.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and economic impact of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among patients admitted to the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (UoGCSH)., Design and Setting: A prospective nested case-control study was conducted at the UoGCSH among admitted adult patients with (cases) and without ADRs (controls) between May and October 2022., Participants: All eligible adult patients admitted in the medical ward of the UoGCSH during the study period were included in this study., Main Outcome Measures: The outcome variables were the clinical and economic outcomes. Length of hospital stay, visits to intensive care units (ICU) and in-hospital mortality were used to measure and compare clinical outcomes in patients with and without ADRs. The economic outcome was also assessed using direct medical-related costs and compared for the two groups. Paired samples t-test and McNemar tests were used to compare measurable outcomes between the two groups. A p value <0.05 at the 95% CI was considered statistically significant., Results: Out of a total of 214 eligible enrolled patients, 206 (103 with and 103 without ADRs) with a 96.3% response rate were included in the cohort. The length of hospital stay was much longer in patients with ADRs than without ADRs (19.8 vs 15.2 days, p<0.001). Similarly, ICU visits (11.2% vs 6.8%, p<0.001) and in-hospital mortality (4.4% vs 1.9%, p=0.012) were significantly higher in patients with ADRs compared with those without ADRs. Patients with ADRs were significantly charged with higher direct medical costs compared with those without ADRs (6237.2 vs 5256.3 Ethiopian birr; p<0.001)., Conclusion: This study concluded that ADRs had a significant impact on patients' clinical and medical costs. Healthcare providers should strictly follow the patients to minimise ADR-related clinical and economic adverse outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Globally, adequate asthma control is not yet achieved. The main cause of uncontrollability is nonadherence to prescribed medications., Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess asthmatic patients' non-adherence to anti-asthmatic medications and the predictors associated with non-adherence., Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in three governmental hospitals in Bahir Dar city from September 5 to December 12, 2021. The data was collected using the Adherence Starts with Knowledge-12 tool (ASK-12). Systematic random sampling was applied to select study participants. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of non-adherence. All statistical tests were analyzed using STATA version 16. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant., Results: A total of 422 asthmatic patients were included in the study. Most of the study participants (55.4%) did not adhere to their prescribed anti-asthmatic medicines. The educational status of the study participants (AOR = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.00-0.05), family history of asthma (AOR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.04-0.21), and disease duration that the patients were living with (AOR = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.00-0.01) were the predictors of non-adherence to anti-asthmatic medications., Conclusions: The level of nonadherence to treatment among patients with asthma was high. Religion, educational status of study participants, family history of asthma, and duration of the disease were the predictors of non-adherence of asthmatic patients to their antiasthmatic medications. Therefore, the Ministry of health, health policy makers, clinicians, and other healthcare providers should pay attention to strengthening the adherence level to antiasthmatic medications, and country-based interventions should be developed to reduce the burden of non-adherence to anti-asthmatic medications., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The role of community pharmacy professionals has been expanded to patient care and health promotion service globally. However, in Ethiopia, there is a scanty of data on the issue, although the country is dealing with a double burden of non-communicable and communicable diseases., Objectives: This study aimed to assess community pharmacy professionals' willingness, involvement, beliefs, and barriers to offer extended services for health promotion in Injibara town, Amhara, Ethiopia., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among licensed and registered community pharmacy professionals working in Injibara town from June 25 to July 10, 2022. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were presented using descriptive statistics. The data were analyzed using STATA version 16 software., Results: A total of 24 community pharmacy professionals were involved in the study, with a response rate of 92.3%. Approximately 91.7% of them were involved in health promotional services. Of them, 54.1% were willing and strongly believed that their involvement in health promotion services would have a positive impact on promoting health. A total of 60.9% of the community pharmacy professionals reported that they were very involved in family planning and alcohol consumption counseling. Different barriers to not providing health promotion services were also cited., Conclusions: Majority of community pharmacy professionals in this study is involved in health promotional services but there are also barriers on their involvement. Therefore, governmental strategies to overcome the barriers that hamper their involvement should be designed., (© 2022. The Author(s).)