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Medicine wastage has become a concern to the nation due to the detrimental impacts that it brings to the economy and environment. Therefore, this study aims to provide an overview of the various waste-minimizing activities performed by government pharmacists and pharmacy technicians A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2022 until April 2022. The data was collected through the snowball sampling method from the respondents via online platforms. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 4 segments was used. A total of 76 pharmacy personnel participated in this study. More than half of the participants carried out a variety of activities to reduce medicine waste throughout the stages of the medicine supply chain. 40.8% of the participants reported that prescribers could adjust and optimize the prescribed doses for patients, and 30.3% reported pharmacists would counsel the physicians on efficient prescribing practice. The respondents considered activities in the dispensing stage, particularly those associated with the pharmacy organization, the most attainable to be executed as a regular practice, whereas approaches in the prescribing phase are the most important in minimizing medication waste. Conclusion: Overall, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have carried out a variety of activities to reduce medicine waste throughout the stages of the medicine supply chain, though other potential activities have yet to be undertaken in government pharmacies. The participants acknowledged the importance of the activities to reduce wastage; however, the feasibility of the interventions for implementation as a standard practice is still questioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important Moroccan medicinal plants known for their food and medicinal potential include Urtica urens and Mercurialis annua. We examined the antioxidant activity of the methanolic and aqueous extracts by several in vitro systems of the assay, namely the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, the DPPH radical-scavenging activity, and the ABTS free radical-scavenging capacity. In addition, all active extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening to determine the key groups of chemicals implicated in their therapeutic activity. Total phenolic and flavonoid concentrations were also measured to see how they affected the antioxidant properties of the plant extracts. The extracts of Urtica urens and Mercurialis annua were found to have different levels of antioxidant effect in the systems tested. Based on the three different antioxidant assays, the Mercurialis annua extracts showed the highest values of antioxidant ability, based on the three used assays. Phytochemical testing of studied extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tannins. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were shown to provide the highest association with different antioxidant methods. The present study provides evidence that the extracts of Urtica urens and Mercurialis annua are a potential source of natural antioxidants, and this justifies their uses in Moroccan traditional medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional dyspepsia (FD), a common gastrointestinal condition, poses significant burdens on both individuals and society. In this article, we conducted PubMed searches using specific keywords to review clinical trials focusing on conventional and herbal treatments for dyspepsia as well as the adverse effects of non-herbal treatments. Dyspepsia can be managed using proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, and antacids. Additionally, we explore Tegaserod, a partial agonist of the 5-HT4 receptor, in the context of prokinetic medications. We summarise the research supporting the effectiveness of non-herbal dyspepsia treatment, considering factors beyond acid reduction, such as the placebo effect and the variability of dyspepsia symptoms, as discussed in the section on proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication. Unlike most pharmacotherapies targeting a single mechanism, herbal medications often contain multiple active ingredients that can address several signalling pathways simultaneously. Notable herbs like fennel, cumin, aloe vera, ginger, and licorice have documented uses in the literature. Whether derived from a single plant or a combination, herbal treatments hold promises for addressing multiple conditions simultaneously. Therefore, evaluating herbal therapy at all stages of development should adhere to the same scientific rigour applied to chemically specific therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explored the potential applications, benefits, and risks of using ChatGPT in medical and health sciences research. The experimental study was performed with content analysis of the potential applications, benefits and risks of using ChatGPT in medical and health sciences research. This study shows many potential applications, benefits, and risks of using ChatGPT in medical and health sciences research. The average experts’ ChatGPT appropriateness and accuracy rates in the eight research themes were between 60% and 95%. This concludes that ChatGPT could help medical and health sciences researchers, especially new researchers, with caution in many aspects of research. The ChatGPT is still in the early phase of use by researchers worldwide, and its ability to help in research will be better soon. Attending training workshops about ChatGPT and AI is very important and highly recommended. The practice of ChatGPT in medical and health sciences research is important and recommended to explore the potential uses, benefits, risks and suggest recommendations for the best practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medication-related problems (DRPs) are common among hemodialysis (HD) patients, and pharmacist-led medication reviews have been shown to address such issues. However, the impact of these interventions and the specific types of DRPs among this patient group remain unclear., Objectives: This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of pharmacist-led medication reviews among HD patients, identify the most prevalent types of DRPs, and explore the factors associated with these problems., Methods: A systematic search was conducted across databases such as Medline via PubMed , Science Direct, Google Scholar, and EBSCOHost, for studies published from January 2012 to July 2023. Studies included were those focusing on pharmacist interventions in HD patients. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of selected studies., Results: After screening 343 articles, 10 studies (involving 1342 HD patients) were included. Nine studies were rated as high quality, and one as fair quality. The studies predominantly used prospective designs. A total of 4511 DRPs were identified, with suboptimal drug treatment, non-adherence to medications, and drug use without indication being the most common issues. Pharmacist interventions led to the resolution or reduction of DRPs, shorter hospital stays, improvement in laboratory outcomes, better quality of life (QoL), and enhanced patient understanding. However, interventions had minimal or no significant impact on reducing unplanned admissions, mortality rates, or improving medication adherence. The reduction in healthcare utilisation costs was inconsistent across studies., Conclusion: Pharmacist-led medication reviews were effective in resolving DRPs and improving clinical outcomes in HD patients, such as quality of life and lab values. However, their impact on healthcare utilisation and mortality remains inconclusive. Further research with longer follow-up is needed to assess the long-term economic outcomes of these interventions., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)