Objectives We aimed to determine the perception of Maltese consumers of the community pharmacist and of the services offered from community pharmacies. Method A self-administered questionnaire was developed and psychometrically evaluated. Fifty community pharmacies were chosen by stratified random sampling and the questionnaire was distributed to 500 consumers, 10 from each pharmacy, selected by convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics were undertaken. Key findings The majority of the consumers were very or fairly satisfied with various pharmacist characteristics, such as pharmacist efficiency when dealing with requests (95%), provision of instructions on how to take medications (94%), pharmacist discretion (91%), professional pharmacist-consumer relationship (90%), provision of explanations on how medications work (86%) and pharmacist knowledge and ability to answer questions (81%). They were least satisfied with the privacy in the pharmacy (69%). Consumers were in favour of the evolution of pharmacist professional services, namely the community pharmacist liaising with primary and secondary care-based physicians (91%), provision of diagnostic testing (87%) and extended opening hours (83%). Conclusions Maltese consumers have a positive overall perception of community pharmacists and of the services offered from community pharmacies. They were in favour of the development of extended professional services.
Background:Ideally, the intensity of postoperative pain should be predicted so as to customize analgesia. The objective of this study was to investigate whether preoperative electrical and pressure pain assessment can predict post-caesarean section pain and analgesic requirement.Materials and Methods:A total of 65 subjects scheduled for elective caesarean section, who gave written informed consent, were studied. Preoperatively, PainMatcher® was used to evaluate electrical pain threshold, while manual PainTest™ FPN 100 Algometer and digital PainTest™ FPX 25 Algometer determined pressure pain threshold and tolerance. Postoperatively, numerical rating scales were used to assess pain at regular time intervals. Patients received intramuscular pethidine (100mg, 6 hourly), rectal diclofenac (100mg, 12 hourly), and oral paracetamol (1g, p.r.n.) for pain relief. Statistical analysis was conducted using PASW Statistics 18 software.Results:Preoperative electrical pain threshold correlated significantly with post-caesarean pain scores at 6 and 24 hours (r = –0.26, P < 0.02; r = –0.23, P < 0.04, respectively), and with the quantity of paracetamol consumed by the patient within 48 hours of surgery (r = –0.33, P < 0.005). Preoperative pressure pain tolerance measured by PainTest™ FPX 25 Algometer was significantly correlated with pain scores 6 hours postsurgery (r = –0.21, P < 0.05). Pain scores 6 hours post-caesarean section correlated significantly with anesthesia—general or spinal (F = 4.22, v1 = 1, v2 = 63, P < 0.05).Conclusions:The predictive methods proposed may aid in identifying patients at greater risk for postoperative pain. Electrical pain threshold could be useful in personalizing the postoperative analgesic protocol.
It is evident that there is a lack of awareness of the importance of pre-pregnancy planning to avoid pregnancy-related complications with diabetes. This emphasizes the need for more education and it is imperative for healthcare professionals to address these issues with adolescent female patients.
Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a rare, maternally-inherited optic neuropathy caused by mitochondrial DNA point mutations and which can cause blindness. Currently, Raxone (idebenone) is the only available medicinal product authorised to treat LHON within the European Union and LHON remains an unmet medical need. The aim of this article was to summarise interventional clinical trials published over the past 5 years (between 2014 and 2019) with the primary purpose of treating LHON. Therapeutic approaches discussed include modulating agents of the mitochondrial electron transport chain such as Raxone, cysteamine bitartrate and KH176, inhibitors of apoptosis such as elamipretide, gene therapy medicinal products such as GS010 and scAAV2P1ND4 and retinal tissue regeneration medicinal products such as bone marrow-derived stem cells.
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