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Background: Martin and Petrie developed the Vaccine Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale with an aim to document general vaccination attitudes. Vaccine acceptance plays an important role in curbing COVID-19 infections. Thus, it was important to assess vaccination attitudes of Pakistani people towards novel COVID-19 vaccines. The VAX scale was not available in Urdu language for Pakistani population., Aim: The study aimed to carry out cross-cultural adaptation and validation of an Urdu version of the Vaccine Attitude Examination (VAX) scale in a selected population sample from Pakistan., Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in September 2021 in an outpatient department of a healthcare facility in Karachi, Pakistan. Adult visitors, eligible for COVID-19 vaccine and spoke Urdu as first language were invited. Convenient sampling was used, and sample size was based on an item response ratio of 1:20. An Urdu version of the VAX scale was developed. The reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (α) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The model fitness was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and fit indices namely goodness of fit index (GFI), adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI), Tucker Lewis index (TLI), comparative fit index (CFI), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). A structural equation model (SEM) was also developed. IBM SPSS and AMOS were used to analyse the data. The study had ethical clearance., Results: A total of 211 responses were analysed. The reliability (Cronbach's α) was 0.821. The ICC was 0.831 (95% CI: 0.795-0.863). CFA using a 4-factor model revealed the following values for fit indices; GFI = 0.944, AGFI = 0.909, TLI = 0.953, CFI = 0.966, and RMSEA = 0.051. All values reported were in the acceptable range., Conclusion: The VAX Urdu version is a reliable and valid instrument for use in an Urdu speaking population and will enable clinicians to assess the public's attitude towards general vaccination including COVID-19 vaccination. Clinicians can use the VAX-U to document a person's vaccine hesitancy and tailor their counselling to address the issues in vaccine uptake., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Naqvi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude, perception, and assess the determinants of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) among undergraduate students., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among female undergraduate students in Pakistan using a survey. The questionnaire was formulated in English language by a review of literature and expert consensus. The sampling approach was convenient, and survey was available as electronic as well as hardcopy. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS v23. Descriptive statistics namely mean ([Formula: see text]), standard deviation (SD), or median ([Formula: see text]) and interquartile range (IQR) were used dependent upon data distribution. In addition, range (R) was also utilized to express the results. The logistic and linear regression analyses were also conducted. Study received ethical clearance from ethics committees., Results: A total of 646 responses were analyzed. The average PCOS knowledge score was 11.58 ± 4.99 (overall), 12.02 ± 4.73 (medical students), 9.36 ± 5.65 (non-medical students) (α = 0.861). 68.6% participants did not feel embarrassed while discussing PCOS in the society, but 67.3% never discussed it with a doctor. Lack of self-knowledge (31.6%) and shyness/reluctance (21.4%) were identified as barriers by most students. Further, obesity, irregular menstrual periods, family history, hirsutism and contraceptive use were observed to be determinants for having PCOS (AOR > 2, p<0.05). The disease knowledge score was higher for participants studying in medical college (β = 0.184), having menstrual periods < 5 days (β = 0.125), and with a family history (β = 0.121) (p<0.05)., Conclusion: The disease knowledge among undergraduates was inadequate. However, there is greater acknowledgement of PCOS as a problem for Pakistani women and barriers have been identified in the study. Conducting awareness campaigns within academic institutions which include promoting disease education, arranging talks, distributing merchandise with disease awareness signage, would greatly help in raising awareness of the disease and lowering stigma and hesitancy., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Rizvi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist intervention in improving disease knowledge, adherence to treatment, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and direct cost of treatment. The study also documents patient satisfaction with pharmacist counselling as a quality control measure., Methods/design: This is a randomized, single-blind, two-arm, controlled trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis visiting outpatient rheumatology clinics in Karachi, Pakistan. We will enroll patients with established diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis over 3 months. The patients would be randomized through a computer-generated list into the control group, i.e., usual care or into the intervention group, i.e., pharmaceutical care, in a ratio of 1:1, after providing signed written consent. The study will take place in two patient-visits over the course of 3 months. Patients in the intervention group would receive intervention from the pharmacist while those in the control group will receive usual care. Primary outcomes include change in mean score from baseline (week 0) and at follow up (week 12) in disease knowledge, adherence to medications and rehabilitation/physical therapy. The secondary outcomes include change in the mean direct cost of treatment, HRQoL and patient satisfaction with pharmacist counselling., Discussion: This is a novel study that evaluates the role of the pharmacist in improving treatment outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results of this trial could set the foundation for future delivery of care for this patient population in Pakistan. The results of this trial would be published in a peer-reviewed journal., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03827148 . Registered on February 2019.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate literature on rheumatoid arthritis disease in Pakistani patients, to have an understanding about its epidemiology, clinical aspects and socio-economic determinants., Methods: The review study was conducted from December 2017, to May 2018. An online search was conducted in international and local health databases using appropriate search keywords as well as scanning reference lists of related articles. Literature published after year 2000 that reported epidemiological, demographic, clinical and socioeconomic data of Pakistani rheumatoid arthritis patients was included. Meta-analysis was performed where possible. This systematic review was registered on the international prospective register of systematic reviews PROSPERO (CRD42018090582)., Results: Of the 334 research articles found, 29 (8.7%) were selected. Patients were mostly females, but no study explored impact of disease on household and family role functioning of rheumatoid arthritis-affected women in Pakistan. Most patients were uneducated (55%) and unemployed; had low disease knowledge (N = 149, 74.5%) and poor adherence to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (N = 23, 23%). Point prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis reported from Karachi was high at 26.9%. Moderate disease activity, i.e., 4.5}0.7 and mild functional disability (N = 66, 51.6%) were seen in RA patients. Almost half (N = 799, 46.9%) had comorbidities. Almost a fifth proportion of RA patients had dyslipidaemia as a comorbidity (N = 134, 16.77%) and higher cardiovascular risk score as modifiable risk factor. Undiagnosed depression (N = 134, 58.3%) and low bone mineral density (N = 93, 40.6%) were reported in RA patients. Direct monthly treatment cost of disease was significantly high considering patients' socio-economic status, i.e., USD 16.47 - 100.68. Most commonly used drug was methotrexate., Conclusions: There is a paucity of data on Pakistani rheumatoid arthritis patients' demographic and socio-economic parameters, especially the gender element.

Objective: The study aimed to perceived barriers to medication adherence in patients with chronic illnesses.., Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi in September 2017, using grounded theory and inductive approach. Interviews were conducted using a checklist in Urdu language from patients of chronic illnesses determined based on medicines dispensed from the out-patient pharmacy in hospital. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated in English and validated. The translated quotations were analysed using a qualitative analysis software, and thematic analysis was conducted. Codes were generated and analysed by semantic linkages and network analysis using ATLAS.ti qualitative research software., Results: Of the 16 patients interviewed, 8(50%) were males and 8(50%) were females. Barriers to medication adherence identified were patient behaviour (intentional and un-intentional non-adherence), comorbidity and pill burden, cost-related non-adherence, and low patient knowledge. The last barrier was associated with the rest., Conclusions: Counselling has the potential to increase patient knowledge regarding medication use, and active pharmacist-physician collaboration can improve medication adherence..

Objective: To evaluate the impact of religiosity on subjective life satisfaction and perceived academic stress in undergraduate pharmacy students., Materials and Methods: This 1-month descriptive study focused on pharmacy students of a public-sector university and used three survey questionnaires. The questionnaires included: the Duke University Religion Index to assess religiosity, Subjective Happiness Scale for documenting subjective happiness of life, and Perceived Stress Scale for evaluation of perceived stress due to academic load. The data were analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Services software, version 22. Chi-square test, Pearson's correlation, and logistic regression were used. Study was exempted from ethical review., Result: Subjective happiness was positively (+) correlated with non-organized religious activity and intrinsic religiosity ( P < 0.01). Perceived stress score reported negative (-) correlation with organized religious activity ( P < 0.05). Female students appeared more stressed ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Religiosity may enhance life satisfaction and may relieve academic stress in pharmacy students., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Objective: Continuous assessment tests influence the learning needs of medical students at particular times but are also beneficial in scheduled learning, and act as motivating tool. These tests drive them to study by developing competition and optimism regarding the forthcoming result. This study has been designed to evaluate the role of these tests for medical students by learning about their motivation., Methods: This study was conducted on 150 medical students. The students selected a continuous testing system or a classical system. Those who selected the continuous system had six assessment tests each, after completion of a curriculum block, usually 45 days apart. The motivation of the students in both the groups was assessed by asking them for their expected results just before the final examination. Statistical analysis was performed using Superior Performance Statistical Software (SPSS) version 20., Results: The students' final results showed that almost half of the students who adopted the continuous assessment test system were successful and one third of those who did not adopt this system. The comparison of the successful students showed that the expectation of the students from the continuous assessment test system was high compared to the students who were not in the continuous assessment test system (P<0.05), even though the students in these groups had more or less similar actual marks (P>0.05). The comparison of the expected and actual marks of the successful students, of students who failed only one unit and of students who failed both units, showed that all these students had the same expectation (P<0.05) from the examination, although they had different actual marks (P>0.05)., Conclusion: It was concluded that continuous assessment is good for student motivation. A support system matched with the individual needs of the students is suggested to improve their efficiency to gain the full benefits from this system., (Copyright © 2018 by Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.)

Rheumatoid arthritis affects 0.5% to 1% of the population globally and is one of the most common causes of disability. Patient education plays a key role in improving treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to discuss the process involved in designing an evidence-based disease education literature for rheumatoid arthritis patients of Pakistan in Urdu language with culturally relevant illustrations. A study was conducted to develop disease education literature using Delphi consensus, content validity, and patient feedback. A panel of experts comprised of university professors and health care experts, including health practitioners and pharmacists as well as a social scientist, was set up to assess the need. Eight patients were randomly selected and were asked to give their feedback. Their feedback was incorporated in the development process. The entire process was carried out in eight steps. A disease education literature for patients of rheumatoid arthritis was developed and edited in the form of a booklet. The booklet contained evidence-based information that must be provided to patients in both Urdu and English languages with culturally relevant illustrations. The availability of such literature is significant, as it enables the patients to seek knowledge at home at their convenience. This home-based knowledge support is as helpful as any other means of medical care. The developed literature is planned to be used in further studies which will evaluate its impact in improving knowledge of RA patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Poor adherence with medicine declines the clinical outcome of pharmacotherapy. It may carry serious sequelae especially in case of antihypertensive drugs like cerebrovascular accident (CVA). This study has been planned to find the association of poor adherence with anti-hypertensive with CVA in diabetic and non- diabetic patients. One hundred CVA patients who were admitted through Emergency in Abbasi Shaheed hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, were recruited from Jun 2013 till Dec 2013. The criteria of inclusion was, diagnosed case of CVA, with primary hypertension, availability of patient's therapeutic record, consent of the patient or legal successor/heir. The criteria of exclusion was, secondary hypertension, newly diagnosed primary hypertensive patients and complete adherence with medication. Morisky medication adherence scale was applied. Therapeutic record was accessed. The mean age was 62.15 years with 3:1 male to female ratio. Adherence to medicine was graded < 6. Patients with hypertension were 41 and with diabetes and hypertension were 59. Majority of patients were on monotherapy as compared to polytherapy (62% versus 38%).The mode of therapy was significantly different (P<0.05) in the two groups. ACE Inhibitors, Calcium Channel Blockers, Beta Blockers and other agents were used by 45.16%, 35.48%, 16.12% and 03.24% patients respectively. The aforementioned drugs were used by 57.14%, 33.33% and 09.52% respectively in 21 patients who were on anti-hypertensive and oral hypoglycemic agents. A statistical significant difference (P<0.05) was seen in the case of ACE Inhibitors. Similarly they were used by 42.10%, 39.47% and 18.42% in 38 patients respectively, who were on anti-hypertensive and insulin. No statistical significant difference (P>0.05) was seen in any combination (p>0.05). Thus it is concluded that poor adherence with ACE inhibitors may be a risk factor of CVA in diabetic patients using oral hypoglycemic agents.

Various Risk factors initiate Submucous fibrosis which may be augmented by NSAIDs. A number of animal studies on their mechanism indirectly support it especially regarding alterations in prostaglandin synthesis. This study has been designed to find association of these drugs with Oral Submucous fibrosis in the presence of risk factors. Newly diagnosed patients of Oral Sub mucous fibrosis were recruited for this study who attended Dental Department of Karachi Medical and Dental College from July 1 till Dec 31, 2013.A structured interview and medical record of each patient was used to determine the demographic profile, any addiction, previous and present illnesses and drug (s) used. Through examination of Oral cavity was carried out to access the severity of disease as per modified Khanna & Andrade Classification (1995). Statistical Analysis was done by SPSS 15. Total 102 patients were recruited from dental OPD as per criteria of inclusion. Among these patients 36 (49.31%) were using NSAIDs in which Acetaminophen (30.55%), Acetylsalicylic acid (25.00%) and Diclophenac (19.44%) were 1st, 2nd and 3rd most common drugs. Data shows that 14 patients (28.88%) had mild and 22(61.11%) had sever fibrosis which was significantly high (P<0.05). Mild fibrosis was seen in 05 (45.46%) and Sever fibrosis in 06 (54.54%) out of total 11 patients who were using NSAIDSs since less than or equal to 6 months. Similarly mild fibrosis was seen in 09 (36.00%) and Sever fibrosis in 16 (64.00%) out of total 25 patients who were on NSAIDs since more than 6 months. No statistical significant difference (P>0.05) in severity of fibrosis is seen in patients who were using NSAIDs since less than or equal to 6 months but statistical significant difference (P<0.05) in severity of fibrosis is seen in patients who on these drugs since more than 6 months. Addiction burden was calculated by Average Duration x Average Frequency, which was 92.72 for Pan, 88.88 for Supari and 61.30 for Miscellaneous. No statistically significant difference (P>0.05) was seen in addiction burden of various substances in these patients. An association of NSAIDs with Oral Sub mucous fibrosis exists. The pathology is augmented if these drugs are used in the presence of risk factors. Therefore these drugs should not be prescribed to these patients until a clear benefit is not targeted.

Unpredictable outcomes of life saving drugs have been seen in patients who receive different cardioselective drugs for longer periods. Many studies have been conducted to explore these responses. This study shows the down regulation of adrenergic receptors due to chronic use of lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor as a cause of poor response of adrenaline. Langendroff's technique was used. The data obtained from ten rabbits shows that effective dose of lisinopril (10mg/kg daily orally) reduces the inotropic and chronotropic effects of adrenaline significantly (P<0.05).Therefore it is suggested to use higher doses of adrenaline in cardiac units in patients who have used therapeutic doses of lisinopril for longer periods provided it is supported by clinical studies.

The antispasmodic and vasodilator activities of a newly synthesized piperidine derivative (1-(4'-fluorophenacyl)-4-hydroxy-4-phenyl-piperidinium chloride) were studied in vitro. The test compound exhibited a dose-dependent relaxant effect on the spontaneous and K+ (75 mM)-induced contractions of isolated rabbit jejunum with respective EC50 values of 0.01 mM (0.01-0.02, 95% Cl) and 0.30 mM (0.17-0.56). The Ca++ channel blocking (CCB) activity was confirmed when the test compound (0.1-0.2 mM) shifted the Ca++ dose-response curves to the right, similar to that produced by verapamil (0.1-1.0 microM), a standard CCB. In the isolated rabbit aorta, the test compound showed a dose-dependent vasodilator effect on K+ (75 mM)-induced contractions with an EC50 value of 0.08 mM (0.02-0.26) while also suppressed the norepinephrine (1 microM) control peak responses with EC50 value of 0.08 mM (0.05-0.13, n=5). When tested in Langendorff perfused rabbit heart preparation, the test compound exhibited a negligible inhibitory effect on the rate or force of atrial and ventricular contractions when tested up to 5 mM. The results show smooth muscle-selective relaxant effect of the test compound on intestinal and vascular preparations mediated possibly via blockade of voltage and receptor-operated Ca++ channels.

Young adults may suffer hyperlipoproteinemias, which may be asymptomatic. This pilot study was conducted to screen out hyperproteinemias in undergraduate university students. 30 asymptomatic students were randomly selected and preliminary examined: serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL were determined, 10.35% of the students had high cholesterol and triglycerides levels. It is an important finding offering a mass screening program in our undergraduate university students.