Objective:This study finds out drug usage trends in Stage I Hypertensive Patients without any compelling indications in Karachi, deviations of current practices from evidence based antihypertensive therapeutic guidelines and looks for cost minimization opportunities.Methods:In the present study conducted during June 2012 to August 2012, two sets were used. Randomized stratified independent surveys were conducted in doctors and general population - including patients, using pretested questionnaires. Sample sizes for doctors and general population were 100 and 400 respectively. Statistical analysis was conducted on Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Financial impact was also analyzed.Results:On the basis of patients’ doctors’ feedback, Beta Blockers, and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors were used more frequently than other drugs. Thiazides and low-priced generics were hardly prescribed. Beta blockers were prescribed widely and considered cost effective. This trend increases cost by two to ten times.Conclusion:Feedbacks showed that therapeutic guidelines were not followed by the doctors practicing in the community and hospitals in Karachi. Thiazide diuretics were hardly used. Beta blockers were widely prescribed. High priced market leaders or expensive branded generics were commonly prescribed. Therefore, there are great opportunities for cost minimization by using evidence-based clinically effective and safe medicines.

This research paper investigates the linkage between the financial development and the economic growth in Bahrain during the period 1981 to 2013. The motivation for kicking off on the Bahrain economy is attributed on account of paradigm shift manifested in moving from hydrocarbons purveyor to being in the financial services and industrial hub. Given the limiting factor embedded with the bivariate causality structure, the paper encompasses savings as an intermittent variable. The paper makes an earnest investigation to gauge the long run and short run relationship among financial development, savings and the economic growth. Time series data are taken for a time span of 33 years . Data are culled from the World Bank Database. Financial Development measured by M2(broad money)/ GDP is represented by F, Economic growth measured by GDP per capita is represented by Y and Savings measured by Domestic Savings/GDP is represented by S. No long term co-integration is found among the variables under consideration as represented by Johansen test. Through the employment of multiple econometrics tools under Vector Auto Regression (VAR) framework, it is unearthed that the empirical evidence supports neither the supplyleading hypothesis nor the demand -following hypothesis for the Bahrain. While savings and economic growth have bi-directional causality at 10% level of significance. In responding to inexplicit results between the purported variables, the current study recommends that more wide ranges of reforms in the financial services are entailed, so as to escalate further the economic growth in the Bahrain economy.

This research empirically investigates the long and short run causal relationships between economic growth, financial depth and lending rate in the unique economic setup of Saudi Arabia where 92% of total GDP comes from oil exports. Study uses two proxies for financial depth namely liquid liability indicator and banks claim to the private sector to GDP ratio, while economic growth is measured by real GDP per capita. This study intends to get answers for such questions as, if financial depth effects or causes economic growth in an oil based economy, and does lending rate have any relationship with financial depth or economic growth. Using the Johansens co-integration, Granger causality and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) the study finds a single co-integrated equation which establishes a long run relationship among the variables. Finding suggests that financial depth causes lending rate which is in contradiction with most of the available literature; the study tries to explain this type of causality under the present circumstances. Furthermore no short term significant relationship exists among the variables as reflected by the results of the Wald Test, that is due to the unique political and economic setup under consideration.

This study aims to investigate the factors that affect the derivatives usage of non-financial listed firms of Pakistan to hedge foreign exchange exposure by using data of 51 non-financial firms listed on Pakistan stock exchange from 2010-2013. The dependent variable was derivative usage which was used as dummy since no financial information was disclosed in company annual reports but the decision of usage or not. Non-parametric tests were uses which is univariate analysis to calculate the mean difference between users and non-users of derivative usage for hedging purposes. Further, logistic regression model was used to analyze the impact of financial distress costs, tax convexity, underinvestment problem, profitability, managerial holdings of the company and foreign sales on firm's decision to whether they use FX derivatives for hedging purposes or not. The result shows that financially distressed firms, having lower managerial holdings and lower interest coverage ration with high foreign sales are using FX derivatives in Pakistan.

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