Dispensing of antibiotics for mild ARI was common practice among private pharmacies, and there was a significant difference between knowledge and practice. Interventions are needed to improve pharmacy practice in Hanoi.

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BackgroundIncorrect use of inhalers is very common and subsequently leads to poor control of COPD. Among health care providers, pharmacists are in the best position to educate patients about the correct use of inhaler devices.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of pharmacist-led training on the improvement of inhaler technique for COPD patients in Vietnam.Patients and methodsFor this pre- and post-intervention study, standardized checklists of correct use of metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) and dry powder inhalers (DPIs) were used to evaluate the inhaler technique. A scoring system (maximum score =8) was applied before and after training to guarantee assessment uniformity among pharmacists. Three methods including “face-to-face training”, “teach-back” and “technique reminder label” were used. After the baseline evaluation (T0), the inhaler technique was reassessed after 1 month (T1), 3 months (T2), 6 months (T3) and 12 months (T4).ResultsA total of 211 COPD patients participated in the study. Before the training, a high rate of errors was recorded. After the training, the percentage of patients using MDIs and DPIs perfectly increased significantly (p<0.05). The mean technique score for MDIs and DPIs improved from 6.0 (T0) to 7.5 (T3) and 6.9 (T4) and 6.7 (T0) to 7.6 (T3) and 7.2 (T4), respectively (p<0.05). The average training time was 6 minutes (T0) and 3 minutes (T3), respectively.ConclusionPharmacist-led comprehensive inhaler technique intervention program using an unbiased and simple scoring system can significantly improve the inhaler techniques in COPD patients. Our results indicated a 3-month period as the optimal time period between training and retraining for maintaining the correct inhaler technique. The training would be highly feasible and suitable for implementing in the clinical setting. Our model of pharmacist-led training should be considered as an effective solution for managing COPD patients and better utilization of health care human resources, especially in a developing country like Vietnam.

This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of amoxicillin (AMO) by simulated solar irradiation using WO 3 as a catalyst. A three-factor-three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) consisting of 30 experimental runs is employed with three independent variables: initial AMO concentration, catalyst dosage, and pH. The experimental results are analyzed in terms of AMO degradation and mineralization, the latter of which is measured using dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The results show that the photocatalytic degradation of AMO follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. AMO degradation efficiency and the pseudo-first-order rate constants decrease with increasing initial AMO concentration and pH and increase with increasing catalyst dosage. Though AMO degradation is almost fully complete under the experimental conditions, DOC removal is much lower; the highest DOC removal rate is 35.82% after 180 min. Using these experimental results, second-order polynomial response surface models for AMO and DOC removal are constructed. In the AMO removal model, the first-order terms are the most significant contributors to the prediction, followed by the quadratic and interaction terms. Initial AMO concentration and pH have a significant negative impact on the photocatalytic degradation of AMO, while catalyst dosage has a significant positive impact. In contrast, in the DOC removal model, the quadratic terms make the most significant contribution to the prediction and the first-order terms the least. The optimal conditions for the photocatalytic degradation of AMO are found to be an initial AMO concentration of 1.0 μM, a catalyst dosage of 0.104 g/L, and a pH of 4, under which almost complete removal of AMO is achieved (99.99%).

photocatalytic degradation of dissolved organic matter under ZnO-catalyzed artificial sunlight irradiation system thao thi nguyen, Seong-nam nam * , Jungryul Kim & Jeill oh * this study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of dissolved organic matter (DoM) under ZnO-assisted artificial sunlight system at various conditions (ZnO dosage, pH, and the presence of Cl − , So 4 2− , and HCO 3 −). The results show that the degradation of DOM follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics. fluorescence excitation-emission matrices coupled with parallel factor (eeM-pARAfAc) analysis decomposes DOM into two fluorophores (C1 and C2). The total removals and photodegradation rates calculated with Doc, UV 254 , and the f max of C1 are similar, increasing with higher ZnO dosages and being highest in pH 7 and lowest in pH 4. ZnO dosage has a similar effect on DOM degradation when assessed using C2, as with C1, but pH effect is not consistent. As for the anions, HCO 3 − shows the strongest inhibition for Doc, UV 254 and C1 while Cl − has the strongest facilitation effect for C2. the total removal and photodegradation rates calculated with the f max of C1 and C2 are higher than those calculated using Doc and UV 254. this study demonstrates that the successful application of eeM-pARAfAc analysis in addition to traditional parameters can provide further insight into the photocatalytic degradation mechanisms associated with DoM in conjunction with a Zno catalyst under artificial sunlight. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a heterogeneous mixture of aliphatic and aromatic polymers containing oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur functional groups. DOM plays an important role in both natural and engineered water systems. The presence of DOM in aquatic environments can cause various problems such as the adsorption and deposition of organic foulants in membrane treatment processes and the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) 1-3. Humic acids (HAs), which are the main contributors to DOM, are well-known as a precursor to carcinogenic and mutagenic DBPs, such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acid 4-6. HAs also turn water a brownish-yellow color, form complex species with metals and pesticides, increase the chlorine demand of water, cause corrosion in pipelines, and foul and plug membranes 4-6. The effective removal of DOM from water and wastewater is thus an important treatment objective and a major issue for water and wastewater treatment plants worldwide. Different treatment methods can be applied depending on the characteristics of the DOM, with the most common methods for DOM removal being coagulation, adsorption, membrane filtration, biological, ion exchange processes, and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) 1-3. Of these methods, AOPs have been found to be particularly efficient. AOPs rely on the in-situ production of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (• OH) with the help of one or more primary oxidants (e.g., ozone, hydrogen peroxide, or oxygen), energy sources (e.g. ultraviolet, solar, or visible light), and/or catalysts (e.g. WO 3 , ...

Background: Medication adherence is an important factor in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the rate of non-adherence to medications is high in COPD and is associated with worsened clinical outcomes and health-related quality of life for patients. Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of a pharmaceutical care program led by pharmacists in the improvement of medication adherence and quality of life for COPD patients in Vietnam. Methods: A pre-and post-intervention study was conducted over 12 months. Pharmacists provided brief counselling which focused on the role of COPD medications and the importance of adherence. Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used to evaluate patients' adherence. Quality of life was assessed using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and clinical outcomes were evaluated by symptom scores. These outcomes were reassessed at baseline (T0), after 3 months (T1), 6 months (T2) and 12 months (T3). Results: Study participants consisted of 211 COPD patients (mean age: 66.6 ± 8.2 years). The percentage of patients with good adherence significantly increased from 37.4% to 53.2% (p < 0.001) after the program. Mean medication adherence scores improved from 6.7 (T0) to 7.4 (T2) and 7.4 (T3) (p < 0.001). EQ-5D-5L index values also increased from 0.47 (T0) to 0.59 (T3) (p < 0.001). There was no significant change in symptom scores across the duration of the study. Conclusions: Medication adherence and quality of life of COPD patients improved considerably after implementation of a pharmaceutical care program, thus supporting a vital role for pharmacists alongside physicians in the management of COPD.

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In this study, performance indicators (PIs) for assessing services of the sanitary sewer system in South Korea were evaluated based on general opinions collected from experts in the field. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was then carried out. The evaluated set of PIs consisted of five major criteria: management, operation and maintenance, service, environment, and finance. Using the experts’ survey incorporated into the AHP tool, the prioritization of the five criteria was performed, consisting of a total of 14 indicators and 34 checklists on three levels. Of the criteria groups, operation and maintenance was found to be the most important indicator, comprising 43% of all the scores. The AHP results showed that, of the 34 checklists, 13 indicators were explained as candidates of key PIs: on-the-job training and work role and responsibility from management, sewer condition inspection, pump, sewer maintenance, flow rate/water quality/odor monitoring from operation and maintenance, complaint resolution from service, inflow volume from environment, and operational cost in annual expenditures from finance. The PIs developed in this study are expected to be used by stakeholders involved in the provision of sewer services, such as undertaking companies, policy-making bodies, and financing agencies.