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The practice of pharmacy, as well as pharmacy education, varies significantly throughout the world. In Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, the profession of pharmacy appears to be on the ascendance. This is demonstrated by an increase in the number of pharmacy schools and the number of pharmacy graduates from pharmacy programs. One of the reasons pharmacy is on the ascendance in these countries is government commitment to fund and support competitive, well-run pharmacy programs. In this report we describe pharmacy education in 3 Middle East countries: Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. All 3 countries offer bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm) degrees. In addition, 2 universities in Jordan and 1 in Saudi Arabia offer PharmD degree programs. The teaching methods in all 3 countries combine traditional didactic lecturing and problem-based learning. Faculties of pharmacy in all 3 countries are well staffed and offer competitive remuneration. All 3 countries have a policy of providing scholarships to local students for postgraduate training abroad. The majority of students in Jordan and Kuwait are female, while the ratio of male to female students in Saudi Arabia is even. Students' attitudes towards learning are generally positive in all 3 countries. In Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, most pharmacy graduates work in the public sector, while in Jordan, the majority work in the private sector.

The aim of this study was to investigate abuse/misuse of prescription and nonprescription drugs in community pharmacies in Jordan by random distribution of a structured questionnaire to 405 pharmacies (November 2005-January 2006). Data were analyzed using SPSS for windows (version 14.0). Most respondents (94.1%) suspected that some level of abuse/misuse occurred in their pharmacy, which was highest for decongestants, cough/cold preparations, benzodiazepines, and antibiotics. Abuse/misuse of prescription and nonprescription drugs is present in Jordan, but current methods for controlling the problem are ineffective, and better methods should be developed. The study's limitations are noted..

The public in Jordan think highly of the pharmacy profession despite their confusion and uncontrolled consumption of OTC drugs. The findings of this study indicate that drug authorizing bodies in Jordan must be more proactive in promoting appropriate self-medication use and improving pharmaceutical services.

The Pharmacy Abroad section of AJHP features brief, informal, and topical communications related to pharmacy in other countries. Contributions are welcomed from pharmacists abroad or from pharmacists who have traveled abroad.AJHP also encourages pharmacists from outside of the United States to submit traditional manuscripts (e.g., scientific studies, descriptions of practice innovations), which are evaluated for publication in the primary sections of the journal. Pharmacy in JordanMAYYADA AL-WAZAIFY AND ABLA ALBSOUL-YOUNES Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2005; 62:2548-51

In the present study, we aimed to assess the level of awareness regarding CRC warning signs and risk factors among undergraduate students. A cross-sectional survey using standardized questionnaire developed by the Cancer Research Center in the UK was carried out in three different public universities in Jordan including Jordan University of Science and Technology, Yarmouk University, and AL al-Bayt University over a 5-month period. Volunteers were asked about their knowledge regarding CRC symptoms, risk factors, and their behaviors regarding seeking medical advice. Findings revealed that response rate was 80.1%. Vast majority of responders were female (70.9%) and 18.2% of them were studying medical-related specialties. Regarding CRC symptoms, 14.3% of responders experienced poor knowledge, 52.9% have fair knowledge, and 32.8% have good knowledge. Abdominal pain was the most recognized warning signs where 70.8% of responders could recall it. In addition, risk factors awareness was lower than warning signs awareness. About 36.1% of responders have poor knowledge, 47.4% had fair knowledge, and 16.5% had good knowledge. Unhealthy diet was the most recognized risk factor where 32.3% of responders could recall it. Moreover, females were more aware regarding CRC symptoms. Similar findings were obtained for participants who were aged 20 years or more and for those who had previous experience of cancer. Students who were studying medical-related specialties were more aware of both CRC symptoms and risk factors than those who studying other specialties. Furthermore, regarding time to seek medical attention we found that 60.6% of volunteers would seek medical advice within 1 week of noticing CRC symptoms and 12% would seek it within 2 weeks. The mean duration for seeking medical advice was found to be 1.9 weeks. University students' awareness level of CRC is poor, and therefore, extended attention should be attempted to enhance the awareness of CRC via continuous education programs, lectures, or campaigns to encourage the early detection CRC.

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