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Drug transaction interaction is a complex global phenomenon in terms of drug safety, quality, and rational use. Non-participatory interactions concerning drugs might lead to adverse effects, as well as loss of resources, time, and money. The complexities of drug transactional interactions in developing countries, especially in the Asian context, are understudied. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to map the scientific evidence that explored the patient-pharmacist interaction patterns for primary health care in relation to drug transactional complexities in pharmacy care settings. For this purpose, we adopted the methodological framework by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). The PubMed, Science Direct, EBSCO discovery services, AnthroSource Online database, cross reference, and manual searches were used to select relevant articles (29). The results revealed that the majority of studies had been conducted from a profession-centric point of view, such as in pharmacy, medicine, and public health, but little has been studied from a social science standpoint. The selected studies were divided into those from developed and developing countries based on their location. Accordingly, studies in developed countries have focused on ensuring participatory, collaborative, and patient-centric interactions. In contrast, researchers in developing countries have struggled to identify and recognize the role of pharmacists, drug dispensing patterns, and ways to operate pharmacy care. Thus, this scoping review synthesis can contribute to policy formulation and implementation to boost the access to safe medicines, as well as reduce medication errors and identify research gaps for future research projection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latest data indicate that between 540,000 and 760,000 people are infected with HIV in China. Although minority nationalities represent 8.1% of China's total population, they account for more than 30% of the reported HIV/AIDS cases. This study examined stigma and discrimination against drug abusers and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in a Dai minority nationality community in Yunnan, China. The study used qualitative research methods, which included participatory observations, in-depth interviews, focus-group discussions, transect walking and community mapping. A combination of different sampling strategies was used to maximise diversity of the initially selected sample. The data revealed deeply entrenched stigma and overt discrimination against drug abusers and PLHA that manifested in familial, work, civil and institutional contexts. The stigma reflected pre-existing cultural, religious sanctions against 'deviant behaviours'. Intervention programmes that were insensitive to the local culture and religion may have also contributed in part to the stigmatisation of drug abusers and PLHA. The major impact of stigma was that it created a vicious cycle of social isolation, marginalisation and thus addiction relapse. This in turn reinforced the stigmatisation and discrimination against drug abusers and thus hindered efforts towards prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. Keywords: Drug abuse; HIV/AIDS; Stigma; Discrimination; China; Heroin addiction

Abstract Background There is an urgent need to protect children against dengue since this age group is particularly sensitive to the disease. Since dengue vectors are active mainly during the day, a potential target for control should be schools where children spend a considerable amount of their day. School uniforms are the cultural norm in most developing countries, worn throughout the day. We hypothesise that insecticide-treated school uniforms will reduce the incidence of dengue infection in school-aged children. Our objective is to determine the impact of impregnated school uniforms on dengue incidence. Methods A randomised controlled trial will be conducted in eastern Thailand in a group of schools with approximately 2,000 students aged 7–18 years. Pre-fabricated school uniforms will be commercially treated to ensure consistent, high-quality insecticide impregnation with permethrin. A double-blind, randomised, crossover trial at the school level will cover two dengue transmission seasons. Discussion Practical issues and plans concerning intervention implementation, evaluation, analysing and interpreting the data, and possible policy implications arising from the trial are discussed. Trial registration clinicaltrial.gov. Registration number: NCT01563640

Asian values, the aging population, and financial assistance programs for the elderly form the backdrop for this manuscript. The rationale of this manuscript is to analyze the unexpected findings from the research project "The Evaluation of Project Performance Supported by Older Persons Fund," which indicated a connection between filial piety, family dynamics, and how family finances were spent and managed. The objective is to study this phenomenon in more detail to elucidate changes in family structures that are traditionally held as the lynchpin of Asian society. The manuscript applied two separate methodologies: Part A is a mixed methods methodology that is required for the objectives of "The Evaluation of Project Performance Supported by Older Persons Fund." Part B employed the qualitative approach of case studies analysis and coding by Glaser and Strauss (2017). A total of 22 case studies were analyzed using this method for connections between filial piety, family dynamics, and family finances. The outcome of the coding analysis of the case studies was then subjected to further analysis using the concepts of phenomenology (internalization, externalization, intersubjectivity) as per the works of Berger and Luckmann (1991). The results suggest changing patterns of filial piety, namely, new dimensions of filial piety, lateral and diagonal family dynamics, and negative filial piety. From the standpoint of phenomenology, new identity formations, as well as the transition from one identity to another, are experienced by the elderly; internalization of changes that surround them financially leads to externalization of identities that are still capable and economically viable; flexibility of roles played within the family are subject to negotiations and intersubjectivity. Demographic changes bring added challenges to the management of the elderly, their finances, and their roles within the traditional family structure of filial piety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the interrelationships between the stigma of HIV/AIDS stigma and the co-stigmas of commercial sex (CS) and injecting drug use (IDU). Students of a Bangkok nursing college ( N = 144) were presented with vignettes describing a person varying in the disease diagnoses (AIDS, leukemia, no disease) and co-characteristics (IDU, CS, blood transfusion, no co-characteristic). For each vignette, participants completed a social distance measure assessing their attitudes towards the hypothetical person portrayed. Multivariate analyses showed strong interactions between the stigmas of AIDS and IDU but not between AIDS and CS. Although AIDS was shown to be stigmatizing in and of itself, it was significantly less stigmatizing than IDU. The findings highlight the need to consider the non-disease-related stigmas associated with HIV as well as the actual stigma of HIV/AIDS in treatment and care settings. Methodological strengths and limitations were evaluated and implications for future research discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]