Abdulsalam Halboup | Universiti Sains Malaysia (original) (raw)

Papers by Abdulsalam Halboup

Journal of chemical and pharmaceutical research, 2021

Background: Most parts of Capparis cartilaginea plant especially the leaves are used to treatment... more Background: Most parts of Capparis cartilaginea plant especially the leaves are used to treatment of many diseases such as skin inflammation, bruises, swellings, rheumatism, cough, indigestion, colics...etc. The leaves of C. cartilaginea are used traditionally in many areas of Yemen for heartburn/peptic ulcers, itching, shortness of breath and tumors. Objective: To evaluate the potential anti-ulcer effect of C. cartilaginea leaves in experimental animals. Method: 15 male rabbits were divided into 5 groups. Each group contains 3 rabbits, Ulceration was induced in the groups II-V rabbits with indomethacin (40 mg/kg body weight, oral intubation) dissolved in distilled water, while group I was kept as a control and it was only given the vehicle oral dose of gum acacia in distilled water (2% w/w). Results: The results showed that the leaves of C. cartilaginea have a significant effect (P<0.05) as anti-ulcer when compared to the indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer group (Group II). It was found that seven days post-ulcerative treatment with the C. cartilaginea leaves extracts was optimal for the effective healing of gastric ulcer. Conclusion: Through this study, we conclude that the extracts of C.cartilaginea leave have anti-ulcerogenic activity and they can be used to treat gastric ulcer.

International Journal of Nephrology

Background. Olea europaea leaf extract (OELE) has potential health benefits and protects against ... more Background. Olea europaea leaf extract (OELE) has potential health benefits and protects against cytotoxicity. This study investigated the possible ameliorative effect of OELE on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Methods. Rats were assigned into six groups; two groups received 150 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg of OELE, one group received a single dose of cisplatin (6 mg/kg) IP on the first day of the experiment, two groups received a single dose of cisplatin 150 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg of OELE on the first day then starting from the fifth day for 10 consecutive days, and one group acted as a control. Results and Conclusion. The findings showed that cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity was evidenced by a significant increase in serum creatinine blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and a significant decrease in estimated creatinine clearance and potassium level, which corresponded with the alterations in the histopathology of the renal tissue. OELE significantly ameliorated the nephrotoxic effects of cispla...

Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare

Background: Following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) declaration as a pandemic, Yemen has sta... more Background: Following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) declaration as a pandemic, Yemen has started applying preventive measures to prevent its spread. This study aims to identify the perception regarding the nature of the COVID-19 disease, susceptibility to severe forms of the disease, and its relationship to seasonal influenza among the population of Yemen. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of the public in Yemen. The relationship between participants' sociodemographic factors and their responses was assessed by the chi-square test. Results: A total of 748 participants agreed to participate in the study. Regarding the nature of the diseases, nearly half of the participants (48.8%, n=352) believed that COVID-19 is a naturally occurring human virus that is a serious and fatal disease (61.2%, n=448). The majority (74.9%; n=518) did not agree that bacteria cause COVID-19. More than half of the participants (57.5%, n=423) believed this disease is transmitted to humans through a host animal. Regarding the vulnerable groups to develop severe COVID-19 infection, most of the participants pointed out that the elderly (94.3%, n=705), people with chronic diseases (89.9%, n=669), and pregnant women (53%, n=365) were more susceptible to severe diseases. Regarding symptoms, the majority (61.9%, n=458) of the participants agreed that the symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of seasonal influenza. Additionally, the majority (81.9%, n=579) agreed that some individuals develop more severe symptoms than seasonal influenza, particularly those with chronic illness. Gender, age, and education were found to be associated with participants' perceptions regarding the nature of the virus and susceptibility to severe disease. Conclusion: Participants demonstrate a good understanding of the nature and susceptibility to complications associated with COVID-19 disease and its relationship to influenza. However, the respondents with a lower level of education might require additional educational campaigns to improve their awareness of the disease.

Frontiers in Public Health

BackgroundThe seasonal influenza vaccine is an important preventive measure against influenza and... more BackgroundThe seasonal influenza vaccine is an important preventive measure against influenza and its associated complications. In Yemen, there is no seasonal influenza vaccination policy, and the influenza vaccine is excluded from the national immunization program. Data on vaccination coverage remain scarce with no previous surveillance programs or awareness campaigns implemented in the country. The current study aims to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of the public in Yemen toward seasonal influenza and their motivators and perceived barriers to receiving its vaccine.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed to eligible participants using convenience sampling.ResultsA total of 1,396 participants completed the questionnaire. The respondents showed a median knowledge score of influenza of 11.0/15.0, and most of them (70%) were able to recognize its modes of transmission. However, only 11.3% of the part...

Advances in Medical Education and Practice

Pharmaceutical care (PC) is the philosophy of the pharmacist's practice to achieve a better healt... more Pharmaceutical care (PC) is the philosophy of the pharmacist's practice to achieve a better health-related outcome by designing, implementing and monitoring the therapeutic plans. It is in its infancy in Yemen. Hence, the study objectives were to examine the barriers to PC provision as perceived by Yemen pharmacy students and to assess their level of understanding of PC and their attitudes toward PC. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among ten pharmacy colleges in Yemen, offering undergraduate pharmacy programs. A stratified sample of 518 students from the included universities were surveyed using a well-structured, validated and selfadministered questionnaire. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: Four hundred and seventy-five (475) participants were included (92.9% response rate). More than 17% (n=84) of participants were involved in Pharm.D program, and nearly 29.9% (n=142) preferred pharmaceutical marketing as a career after graduation. About 65% of participants recognized the purpose of PC, and pharmacists' role within PC. However, only 43.8% (n=208) knew the difference between clinical pharmacy and PC. About 82% of respondents showed very good attitudes toward PC. Pharm.D students showed higher attitudes' total scores, median (IQR): 4.3 (4.1-4.4), 4.2 (4-4.2) and 4 (3.9-4.2) for Pharm.D, bachelor of pharmacy and bachelor of clinical pharmacy respectively, (p-value = 0.032). Moreover, students who currently employed in pharmacy-related job during their study were also associated with high attitudes scores compared to unemployed students, median (IQR): 4.2 (4-4.4) and 4(3.9-4.1) respectively (p-value = 0.023). "Lack of access to the patient medical record in the pharmacy" and "inadequate (hospital and community pharmacy) internship period" were the top reported barriers with 81.5% (n=387) agreement. Conclusion: Although PC is in its infancy in Yemen, pharmacy students showed positive attitudes toward practicing PC. Educational institutions should exert efforts for curricular revision to improve understanding, and overcome the reported barriers in the future.

PLOS ONE

BackgroundMillions of individuals worldwide use statins, and their significant impact on cardiova... more BackgroundMillions of individuals worldwide use statins, and their significant impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been well-established. However, a lack of knowledge about the up-to-date guideline recommendations regarding statin therapy is a common barrier to implementation in clinical practice. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the current clinical knowledge about statin therapy and its monitoring parameters. Also, we evaluated the barriers to cholesterol management guideline implementation in Yemen.MethodsThis observational cross-sectional study was conducted over four months, from June/2021 to September/2021, in Sana’a, Yemen. A validated questionnaire was distributed face-to-face to 650 participants (350 physicians and 300 pharmacists). Physicians and pharmacists from governmental and private hospitals and those working in private clinics or community pharmacies were included in the study.ResultsA total of 496 participants filled out the survey, with 22 being...

PLOS ONE

Background Risk evaluation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the cornerst... more Background Risk evaluation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the cornerstone of primary prevention. The cardiovascular risk assessment can guide the decision-making on various preventive measures such as initiating or deferring statin therapy. Thus, our study aimed to assess the physicians’ knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases risk assessment. Also, we evaluated the physician-patient discussion and counseling practices before statin therapy initiation in concordance with recommendations from the latest clinical practice guideline. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2020 and January 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 350 physicians (GPs, residents, specialists, and consultants). Two trained pharmacists distributed the questionnaires in 5 major tertiary governmental hospitals and more than ten private hospitals. Also, private clinics were targeted so that we get ...

Yemeni Journal for Medical Sciences

Objectives: To evaluate the ethics of pharmaceutical marketing practices in Sana’a city, Yemen. M... more Objectives: To evaluate the ethics of pharmaceutical marketing practices in Sana’a city, Yemen. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 physicians and 50 pharmaceutical companies in the period from March to August 2018. Data about pharmaceutical marketing ethics were collected from physicians and pharmaceutical companies using two types of self-administrated, structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed with appropriate statistical tests using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 21.0. Results: The majority of physicians (60.0%) agreed that medical samples had been used most frequently as a promotional tool for pharmaceutical marketing, followed by gifts (14.0%). More than half of physicians were satisfied with the way of pharmaceutical marketing in Yemen. Personal relationships and medical samples and gifts were the factors affecting their prescriptions, being reported by about a third of physicians each. Meanwhile, most physicians (44.0%) preferred medical conferences an...

International Journal of Applied Pharmaceutics, 2021

Objective: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the quality control parameters of s... more Objective: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the quality control parameters of seven brands of levofloxacin 500 mg film-coated tablet available in the Yemeni market. Methods: Physicochemical parameters assay was performed for seven brands of levofloxacin 500 mg film-coated tablet. Each brand was subjected to official and unofficial in vitro quality control tests, including weight variation, thickness, hardness, friability, disintegration, dissolution, and content uniformity assay by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results: Out of seven, six brands of levofloxacin 500 mg film-coated tablet passed official specified assay tests according to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) specifications. They showed a similar profile of thickness ranged between±0.01 and 0.10%, friability ranged between 0.01% and 0.34%, disintegration time ranged between 3.00 and 15.00 min, dissolution percentage ranged between 90.650 and 103.05 and content uniformity ranged between...

International Journal of Nanotechnology and Allied Sciences, Nov 23, 2021

CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 2022

Background: Waterpipe smoking (WP) exposure involves a negative health impact, including memory d... more Background: Waterpipe smoking (WP) exposure involves a negative health impact, including memory deficit, which is attributed to the elevation of oxidative stress. Vitamin E (VitE) in combination with swimming exercise exerts protective effects that prevent memory impairment. In the current study, the modulation of WP-induced memory impairment by the combined effect of VitE and swimming exercise (SE) was investigated. Method: Animals were exposed to WP one hour/day, five days per week for four weeks. Simultaneously, VitE (100 mg/kg, six days/week for four weeks) was administered via oral gavage, and the rats were made to swim one hour/day, five days/week for four weeks. Changes in memory were evaluated using radial arm water maze (RAWM), and oxidative stress biomarkers were examined in the hippocampus. Results: WP exposure induced short-term/long-term memory impairment (p<0.05). This impairment was prevented by a combination of VitE with SE (p<0.05). Additionally, this combinat...

Aims. This study aimed to describe the dispensing errors that occurred during the dispensing proc... more Aims. This study aimed to describe the dispensing errors that occurred during the dispensing process in selected hospital pharmacies in Sana'a, Yemen, and to describe their types and causes. Methodology. A prospective study was carried out in selected hospital pharmacies in Yemen over 40 days using a validated tool. Results. A total of 9000 dispensed prescriptions were evaluated for the dispensing errors, and 2.13% dispensing errors were identified. Wrong dosage form (134/192), incorrect strength (24/192), wrong drug (18/192), incorrect quantity, wrong instructions written and drug available in the pharmacy but not given (6/192) and dispensing expired drugs (3/192) were the dispensing errors reported in this study. Poor handwriting, similar drug names, similar drug packaging, fatigue, heavy work, workforce issues, and poor communication were the most commonly reported causes of dispensing errors. Conclusion. There is a wide variation in the rates of prevalence of medication erro...

Journal of Proteomics, 2021

Metabolome and proteome profiling of biofluids, e.g., urine, plasma, has generated vast and ever-... more Metabolome and proteome profiling of biofluids, e.g., urine, plasma, has generated vast and ever-increasing amounts of knowledge over the last few decades. Paradoxically, omics analyses of sweat, one of the most readily available human biofluids, have lagged behind. This review capitalizes on the current knowledge and state of the art analytical advances of sweat metabolomics and proteomics. Moreover, current applications of sweat omics such as the discovery of disease biomarkers and monitoring athletic performance are also presented in this review. Another area of emerging knowledge that has been highlighted herein lies in the role of skin host-microbiome interactions in shaping the sweat metabolite-protein profiles. Discussion of future research directions describes the need to have a better grasp of sweat chemicals and to better understand how they function as aided by advances in omics tools. Overall, the role of sweat as an information-rich biofluid that could complement the exploration of the skin metabolome/proteome is emphasized.

AimsThe aim of this study was to describe the dispensing errors that occurred during the dispensi... more AimsThe aim of this study was to describe the dispensing errors that occurred during the dispensing process in selected hospital pharmacies in Sana’a, Yemen; and to describe their types and causes.MethodologyA prospective study was carried out in selected hospital pharmacies in Yemen over 40 days using a validated tool. ResultsA total of 9000 dispensed prescriptions were evaluated for the dispensing errors and 2.13 % dispensing errors were identified. Wrong dosage form (134/192); wrong strength (24/192); wrong drug (18/192); wrong quantity, wrong instructions written and drug available in the pharmacy but not given were (6/192) and dispense the expired drugs (3/192) were the reported dispensing errors in this study. Poor handwriting, similar drug names, similar drug packaging, fatigue, heavy work, workforce issues, and poor communication were the most common reported causes of dispensing errors. ConclusionThe prevalence of dispensing errors in this study was 2.13%. Pharmacists can p...

International Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation, 2021

Background: The optimal intake of nutrients is a new approach to deriving nutrient requirements. ... more Background: The optimal intake of nutrients is a new approach to deriving nutrient requirements. Omega-3 is one of these nutrients that has a crucial role in body health. It can modulate inflammation, hyperlipidemia, platelet aggregation, and hypertension. Objectives: This study was designed as a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acid in improving the level of Vitamin D and calcium among Childbearing age women that suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. Methods: 10 childbearing women with Vitamin D deficiency. They were selected randomly. The participants were allowed to take one capsule (1000mg) of omega 3 FA twice daily for 12 weeks. Results: Omega-3 FA showed significant beneficial effects on Vitamin D, calcium levels in Vitamin D deficit childbearing women. Additionally, it showed cardioprotective effects as it reduced bad lipids like cholesterol, LDL-c, risk factor and had worthwhile effects on blood coagulation. Conclusion: The outcomes of the present study suggest that omega-3 FA if taken regularly by childbearing women may improve their maternal outcomes and save their own lives and their babies. It may have a golden standard role in bone health through strength and activation of Vitamin D thus facilitates calcium absorption and increase bone mineral density. Additionally, it has cardioprotective and immune modulation effects.

Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2021

Abstract Background Risk evaluation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases can guide the deci... more Abstract Background Risk evaluation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases can guide the decision-making on various preventive measures, such as initiating or deferring statin therapy. Pharmacists can play an active part in the risk evaluation and primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Thus, our study aimed to assess the pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, perceived barriers, and practices regarding risk assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 pharmacists using a structured validated questionnaire between November 2020 and February 2021. The Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to analyze the data. Results A total of 456 pharmacists completed the questionnaire out of 500 distributed (91.2% response rate). Over 60% of participants responded with never or rarely for two out of five cardiovascular diseases (CVD) prevention practices. The lowest pharmacist-patient counseling practices were for side effects of statin medication (14.5%) and reviewing the patient’s medications to avoid potential statin-drug interactions (31.8%). Participants had a high positive attitude (median = 34 out of 40). The three major barriers for risk assessment were the lack of support (74.8%), the lack of resources (70.6%), and inadequate training (48.7%). Interestingly, having ≤75 customers a day, community pharmacies, PharmD degree, age ≥30 years, and experience ≥6 years were significantly associated (p < .05) with higher CVD prevention activities and counseling practices. Conclusion Pharmacists have a high positive attitude toward CVD risk assessment. However, they had insufficient knowledge and only provided limited activities and counseling services for CVD prevention and statin therapy. Participants perceived several barriers to CVD risk assessment services in pharmacies. Therefore, it is necessary to remove these impediments for pharmacists to be more involved in CVD risk assessment and prevention. Also, continuing medical education and adequate training for pharmacists are required.

Drug Safety in Developing Countries, 2020

Abstract Jordan is a developing country in the Middle East, ranking first in the region and fifth... more Abstract Jordan is a developing country in the Middle East, ranking first in the region and fifth in the world in terms of medical tourism. This chapter aims to introduce the drug safety-related issues in Jordan. It starts by presenting the dispensing and safety system of medications in Jordan. The Jordan Food and Drug Administration has been established to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of drugs in Jordan. It is the official authority responsible for the pharmacovigilance and strategies to prevent adverse drug reactions, medication errors, self-medication, counterfeit medications, and drug abuse and misuse. The chapter also covers issues such as drug storage and disposal and the safety of herbal medicines, including the most commonly used herbal medicines in Jordan. Additionally, raising awareness among health care professionals, students, and the public toward drug safety issues in Jordan is the cornerstone to achieving medical security, and ensuring the right medicine reaches the right patient.

Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2021

Introduction Coinfection with dengue and hepatitis A is rare and challenging for physicians since... more Introduction Coinfection with dengue and hepatitis A is rare and challenging for physicians since their clinical features can be overlapping. These infections are self-limiting but can become complicated by subsequent infective endocarditis. We report a case of infective endocarditis following a coinfection with dengue and hepatitis A. Case presentation A 17-year-old Yemeni male patient was admitted to the hospital complaining of yellowish discoloration of the skin and sclera associated with dark urine and a diffuse skin rash on the trunk and upper limbs followed by intermittent high-grade fever. Coinfection was confirmed by hepatitis A immunoglobulin M and dengue immunoglobulin M. At the time of diagnosis, white blood cells were normal, with mild neutrophilia and thrombocytopenia along with elevated C-reactive protein. Five days later, the patient was readmitted to the emergency department, complaining of high-grade fever, fatigue, myalgia, nausea, and vomiting. A systolic heart mu...

Journal of chemical and pharmaceutical research, 2021

Background: Most parts of Capparis cartilaginea plant especially the leaves are used to treatment... more Background: Most parts of Capparis cartilaginea plant especially the leaves are used to treatment of many diseases such as skin inflammation, bruises, swellings, rheumatism, cough, indigestion, colics...etc. The leaves of C. cartilaginea are used traditionally in many areas of Yemen for heartburn/peptic ulcers, itching, shortness of breath and tumors. Objective: To evaluate the potential anti-ulcer effect of C. cartilaginea leaves in experimental animals. Method: 15 male rabbits were divided into 5 groups. Each group contains 3 rabbits, Ulceration was induced in the groups II-V rabbits with indomethacin (40 mg/kg body weight, oral intubation) dissolved in distilled water, while group I was kept as a control and it was only given the vehicle oral dose of gum acacia in distilled water (2% w/w). Results: The results showed that the leaves of C. cartilaginea have a significant effect (P<0.05) as anti-ulcer when compared to the indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer group (Group II). It was found that seven days post-ulcerative treatment with the C. cartilaginea leaves extracts was optimal for the effective healing of gastric ulcer. Conclusion: Through this study, we conclude that the extracts of C.cartilaginea leave have anti-ulcerogenic activity and they can be used to treat gastric ulcer.

International Journal of Nephrology

Background. Olea europaea leaf extract (OELE) has potential health benefits and protects against ... more Background. Olea europaea leaf extract (OELE) has potential health benefits and protects against cytotoxicity. This study investigated the possible ameliorative effect of OELE on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Methods. Rats were assigned into six groups; two groups received 150 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg of OELE, one group received a single dose of cisplatin (6 mg/kg) IP on the first day of the experiment, two groups received a single dose of cisplatin 150 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg of OELE on the first day then starting from the fifth day for 10 consecutive days, and one group acted as a control. Results and Conclusion. The findings showed that cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity was evidenced by a significant increase in serum creatinine blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and a significant decrease in estimated creatinine clearance and potassium level, which corresponded with the alterations in the histopathology of the renal tissue. OELE significantly ameliorated the nephrotoxic effects of cispla...

Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare

Background: Following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) declaration as a pandemic, Yemen has sta... more Background: Following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) declaration as a pandemic, Yemen has started applying preventive measures to prevent its spread. This study aims to identify the perception regarding the nature of the COVID-19 disease, susceptibility to severe forms of the disease, and its relationship to seasonal influenza among the population of Yemen. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of the public in Yemen. The relationship between participants' sociodemographic factors and their responses was assessed by the chi-square test. Results: A total of 748 participants agreed to participate in the study. Regarding the nature of the diseases, nearly half of the participants (48.8%, n=352) believed that COVID-19 is a naturally occurring human virus that is a serious and fatal disease (61.2%, n=448). The majority (74.9%; n=518) did not agree that bacteria cause COVID-19. More than half of the participants (57.5%, n=423) believed this disease is transmitted to humans through a host animal. Regarding the vulnerable groups to develop severe COVID-19 infection, most of the participants pointed out that the elderly (94.3%, n=705), people with chronic diseases (89.9%, n=669), and pregnant women (53%, n=365) were more susceptible to severe diseases. Regarding symptoms, the majority (61.9%, n=458) of the participants agreed that the symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of seasonal influenza. Additionally, the majority (81.9%, n=579) agreed that some individuals develop more severe symptoms than seasonal influenza, particularly those with chronic illness. Gender, age, and education were found to be associated with participants' perceptions regarding the nature of the virus and susceptibility to severe disease. Conclusion: Participants demonstrate a good understanding of the nature and susceptibility to complications associated with COVID-19 disease and its relationship to influenza. However, the respondents with a lower level of education might require additional educational campaigns to improve their awareness of the disease.

Frontiers in Public Health

BackgroundThe seasonal influenza vaccine is an important preventive measure against influenza and... more BackgroundThe seasonal influenza vaccine is an important preventive measure against influenza and its associated complications. In Yemen, there is no seasonal influenza vaccination policy, and the influenza vaccine is excluded from the national immunization program. Data on vaccination coverage remain scarce with no previous surveillance programs or awareness campaigns implemented in the country. The current study aims to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of the public in Yemen toward seasonal influenza and their motivators and perceived barriers to receiving its vaccine.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed to eligible participants using convenience sampling.ResultsA total of 1,396 participants completed the questionnaire. The respondents showed a median knowledge score of influenza of 11.0/15.0, and most of them (70%) were able to recognize its modes of transmission. However, only 11.3% of the part...

Advances in Medical Education and Practice

Pharmaceutical care (PC) is the philosophy of the pharmacist's practice to achieve a better healt... more Pharmaceutical care (PC) is the philosophy of the pharmacist's practice to achieve a better health-related outcome by designing, implementing and monitoring the therapeutic plans. It is in its infancy in Yemen. Hence, the study objectives were to examine the barriers to PC provision as perceived by Yemen pharmacy students and to assess their level of understanding of PC and their attitudes toward PC. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among ten pharmacy colleges in Yemen, offering undergraduate pharmacy programs. A stratified sample of 518 students from the included universities were surveyed using a well-structured, validated and selfadministered questionnaire. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: Four hundred and seventy-five (475) participants were included (92.9% response rate). More than 17% (n=84) of participants were involved in Pharm.D program, and nearly 29.9% (n=142) preferred pharmaceutical marketing as a career after graduation. About 65% of participants recognized the purpose of PC, and pharmacists' role within PC. However, only 43.8% (n=208) knew the difference between clinical pharmacy and PC. About 82% of respondents showed very good attitudes toward PC. Pharm.D students showed higher attitudes' total scores, median (IQR): 4.3 (4.1-4.4), 4.2 (4-4.2) and 4 (3.9-4.2) for Pharm.D, bachelor of pharmacy and bachelor of clinical pharmacy respectively, (p-value = 0.032). Moreover, students who currently employed in pharmacy-related job during their study were also associated with high attitudes scores compared to unemployed students, median (IQR): 4.2 (4-4.4) and 4(3.9-4.1) respectively (p-value = 0.023). "Lack of access to the patient medical record in the pharmacy" and "inadequate (hospital and community pharmacy) internship period" were the top reported barriers with 81.5% (n=387) agreement. Conclusion: Although PC is in its infancy in Yemen, pharmacy students showed positive attitudes toward practicing PC. Educational institutions should exert efforts for curricular revision to improve understanding, and overcome the reported barriers in the future.

PLOS ONE

BackgroundMillions of individuals worldwide use statins, and their significant impact on cardiova... more BackgroundMillions of individuals worldwide use statins, and their significant impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been well-established. However, a lack of knowledge about the up-to-date guideline recommendations regarding statin therapy is a common barrier to implementation in clinical practice. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the current clinical knowledge about statin therapy and its monitoring parameters. Also, we evaluated the barriers to cholesterol management guideline implementation in Yemen.MethodsThis observational cross-sectional study was conducted over four months, from June/2021 to September/2021, in Sana’a, Yemen. A validated questionnaire was distributed face-to-face to 650 participants (350 physicians and 300 pharmacists). Physicians and pharmacists from governmental and private hospitals and those working in private clinics or community pharmacies were included in the study.ResultsA total of 496 participants filled out the survey, with 22 being...

PLOS ONE

Background Risk evaluation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the cornerst... more Background Risk evaluation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the cornerstone of primary prevention. The cardiovascular risk assessment can guide the decision-making on various preventive measures such as initiating or deferring statin therapy. Thus, our study aimed to assess the physicians’ knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases risk assessment. Also, we evaluated the physician-patient discussion and counseling practices before statin therapy initiation in concordance with recommendations from the latest clinical practice guideline. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2020 and January 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 350 physicians (GPs, residents, specialists, and consultants). Two trained pharmacists distributed the questionnaires in 5 major tertiary governmental hospitals and more than ten private hospitals. Also, private clinics were targeted so that we get ...

Yemeni Journal for Medical Sciences

Objectives: To evaluate the ethics of pharmaceutical marketing practices in Sana’a city, Yemen. M... more Objectives: To evaluate the ethics of pharmaceutical marketing practices in Sana’a city, Yemen. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 physicians and 50 pharmaceutical companies in the period from March to August 2018. Data about pharmaceutical marketing ethics were collected from physicians and pharmaceutical companies using two types of self-administrated, structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed with appropriate statistical tests using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 21.0. Results: The majority of physicians (60.0%) agreed that medical samples had been used most frequently as a promotional tool for pharmaceutical marketing, followed by gifts (14.0%). More than half of physicians were satisfied with the way of pharmaceutical marketing in Yemen. Personal relationships and medical samples and gifts were the factors affecting their prescriptions, being reported by about a third of physicians each. Meanwhile, most physicians (44.0%) preferred medical conferences an...

International Journal of Applied Pharmaceutics, 2021

Objective: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the quality control parameters of s... more Objective: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the quality control parameters of seven brands of levofloxacin 500 mg film-coated tablet available in the Yemeni market. Methods: Physicochemical parameters assay was performed for seven brands of levofloxacin 500 mg film-coated tablet. Each brand was subjected to official and unofficial in vitro quality control tests, including weight variation, thickness, hardness, friability, disintegration, dissolution, and content uniformity assay by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results: Out of seven, six brands of levofloxacin 500 mg film-coated tablet passed official specified assay tests according to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) specifications. They showed a similar profile of thickness ranged between±0.01 and 0.10%, friability ranged between 0.01% and 0.34%, disintegration time ranged between 3.00 and 15.00 min, dissolution percentage ranged between 90.650 and 103.05 and content uniformity ranged between...

International Journal of Nanotechnology and Allied Sciences, Nov 23, 2021

CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 2022

Background: Waterpipe smoking (WP) exposure involves a negative health impact, including memory d... more Background: Waterpipe smoking (WP) exposure involves a negative health impact, including memory deficit, which is attributed to the elevation of oxidative stress. Vitamin E (VitE) in combination with swimming exercise exerts protective effects that prevent memory impairment. In the current study, the modulation of WP-induced memory impairment by the combined effect of VitE and swimming exercise (SE) was investigated. Method: Animals were exposed to WP one hour/day, five days per week for four weeks. Simultaneously, VitE (100 mg/kg, six days/week for four weeks) was administered via oral gavage, and the rats were made to swim one hour/day, five days/week for four weeks. Changes in memory were evaluated using radial arm water maze (RAWM), and oxidative stress biomarkers were examined in the hippocampus. Results: WP exposure induced short-term/long-term memory impairment (p<0.05). This impairment was prevented by a combination of VitE with SE (p<0.05). Additionally, this combinat...

Aims. This study aimed to describe the dispensing errors that occurred during the dispensing proc... more Aims. This study aimed to describe the dispensing errors that occurred during the dispensing process in selected hospital pharmacies in Sana'a, Yemen, and to describe their types and causes. Methodology. A prospective study was carried out in selected hospital pharmacies in Yemen over 40 days using a validated tool. Results. A total of 9000 dispensed prescriptions were evaluated for the dispensing errors, and 2.13% dispensing errors were identified. Wrong dosage form (134/192), incorrect strength (24/192), wrong drug (18/192), incorrect quantity, wrong instructions written and drug available in the pharmacy but not given (6/192) and dispensing expired drugs (3/192) were the dispensing errors reported in this study. Poor handwriting, similar drug names, similar drug packaging, fatigue, heavy work, workforce issues, and poor communication were the most commonly reported causes of dispensing errors. Conclusion. There is a wide variation in the rates of prevalence of medication erro...

Journal of Proteomics, 2021

Metabolome and proteome profiling of biofluids, e.g., urine, plasma, has generated vast and ever-... more Metabolome and proteome profiling of biofluids, e.g., urine, plasma, has generated vast and ever-increasing amounts of knowledge over the last few decades. Paradoxically, omics analyses of sweat, one of the most readily available human biofluids, have lagged behind. This review capitalizes on the current knowledge and state of the art analytical advances of sweat metabolomics and proteomics. Moreover, current applications of sweat omics such as the discovery of disease biomarkers and monitoring athletic performance are also presented in this review. Another area of emerging knowledge that has been highlighted herein lies in the role of skin host-microbiome interactions in shaping the sweat metabolite-protein profiles. Discussion of future research directions describes the need to have a better grasp of sweat chemicals and to better understand how they function as aided by advances in omics tools. Overall, the role of sweat as an information-rich biofluid that could complement the exploration of the skin metabolome/proteome is emphasized.

AimsThe aim of this study was to describe the dispensing errors that occurred during the dispensi... more AimsThe aim of this study was to describe the dispensing errors that occurred during the dispensing process in selected hospital pharmacies in Sana’a, Yemen; and to describe their types and causes.MethodologyA prospective study was carried out in selected hospital pharmacies in Yemen over 40 days using a validated tool. ResultsA total of 9000 dispensed prescriptions were evaluated for the dispensing errors and 2.13 % dispensing errors were identified. Wrong dosage form (134/192); wrong strength (24/192); wrong drug (18/192); wrong quantity, wrong instructions written and drug available in the pharmacy but not given were (6/192) and dispense the expired drugs (3/192) were the reported dispensing errors in this study. Poor handwriting, similar drug names, similar drug packaging, fatigue, heavy work, workforce issues, and poor communication were the most common reported causes of dispensing errors. ConclusionThe prevalence of dispensing errors in this study was 2.13%. Pharmacists can p...

International Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation, 2021

Background: The optimal intake of nutrients is a new approach to deriving nutrient requirements. ... more Background: The optimal intake of nutrients is a new approach to deriving nutrient requirements. Omega-3 is one of these nutrients that has a crucial role in body health. It can modulate inflammation, hyperlipidemia, platelet aggregation, and hypertension. Objectives: This study was designed as a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acid in improving the level of Vitamin D and calcium among Childbearing age women that suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. Methods: 10 childbearing women with Vitamin D deficiency. They were selected randomly. The participants were allowed to take one capsule (1000mg) of omega 3 FA twice daily for 12 weeks. Results: Omega-3 FA showed significant beneficial effects on Vitamin D, calcium levels in Vitamin D deficit childbearing women. Additionally, it showed cardioprotective effects as it reduced bad lipids like cholesterol, LDL-c, risk factor and had worthwhile effects on blood coagulation. Conclusion: The outcomes of the present study suggest that omega-3 FA if taken regularly by childbearing women may improve their maternal outcomes and save their own lives and their babies. It may have a golden standard role in bone health through strength and activation of Vitamin D thus facilitates calcium absorption and increase bone mineral density. Additionally, it has cardioprotective and immune modulation effects.

Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2021

Abstract Background Risk evaluation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases can guide the deci... more Abstract Background Risk evaluation of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases can guide the decision-making on various preventive measures, such as initiating or deferring statin therapy. Pharmacists can play an active part in the risk evaluation and primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Thus, our study aimed to assess the pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, perceived barriers, and practices regarding risk assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 pharmacists using a structured validated questionnaire between November 2020 and February 2021. The Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to analyze the data. Results A total of 456 pharmacists completed the questionnaire out of 500 distributed (91.2% response rate). Over 60% of participants responded with never or rarely for two out of five cardiovascular diseases (CVD) prevention practices. The lowest pharmacist-patient counseling practices were for side effects of statin medication (14.5%) and reviewing the patient’s medications to avoid potential statin-drug interactions (31.8%). Participants had a high positive attitude (median = 34 out of 40). The three major barriers for risk assessment were the lack of support (74.8%), the lack of resources (70.6%), and inadequate training (48.7%). Interestingly, having ≤75 customers a day, community pharmacies, PharmD degree, age ≥30 years, and experience ≥6 years were significantly associated (p < .05) with higher CVD prevention activities and counseling practices. Conclusion Pharmacists have a high positive attitude toward CVD risk assessment. However, they had insufficient knowledge and only provided limited activities and counseling services for CVD prevention and statin therapy. Participants perceived several barriers to CVD risk assessment services in pharmacies. Therefore, it is necessary to remove these impediments for pharmacists to be more involved in CVD risk assessment and prevention. Also, continuing medical education and adequate training for pharmacists are required.

Drug Safety in Developing Countries, 2020

Abstract Jordan is a developing country in the Middle East, ranking first in the region and fifth... more Abstract Jordan is a developing country in the Middle East, ranking first in the region and fifth in the world in terms of medical tourism. This chapter aims to introduce the drug safety-related issues in Jordan. It starts by presenting the dispensing and safety system of medications in Jordan. The Jordan Food and Drug Administration has been established to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of drugs in Jordan. It is the official authority responsible for the pharmacovigilance and strategies to prevent adverse drug reactions, medication errors, self-medication, counterfeit medications, and drug abuse and misuse. The chapter also covers issues such as drug storage and disposal and the safety of herbal medicines, including the most commonly used herbal medicines in Jordan. Additionally, raising awareness among health care professionals, students, and the public toward drug safety issues in Jordan is the cornerstone to achieving medical security, and ensuring the right medicine reaches the right patient.

Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2021

Introduction Coinfection with dengue and hepatitis A is rare and challenging for physicians since... more Introduction Coinfection with dengue and hepatitis A is rare and challenging for physicians since their clinical features can be overlapping. These infections are self-limiting but can become complicated by subsequent infective endocarditis. We report a case of infective endocarditis following a coinfection with dengue and hepatitis A. Case presentation A 17-year-old Yemeni male patient was admitted to the hospital complaining of yellowish discoloration of the skin and sclera associated with dark urine and a diffuse skin rash on the trunk and upper limbs followed by intermittent high-grade fever. Coinfection was confirmed by hepatitis A immunoglobulin M and dengue immunoglobulin M. At the time of diagnosis, white blood cells were normal, with mild neutrophilia and thrombocytopenia along with elevated C-reactive protein. Five days later, the patient was readmitted to the emergency department, complaining of high-grade fever, fatigue, myalgia, nausea, and vomiting. A systolic heart mu...