Dataset Information

Assessment of completeness and legibility of handwritten prescriptions in six community chain pharmacies of Asmara, Eritrea: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Incompleteness and illegibility of prescriptions are prescription errors that account for a high proportion of medication errors that could potentially result in serious adverse effects. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the completeness and legibility of prescriptions filled in the community chain pharmacies.

Methods

An analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted in the six government owned community chain pharmacies of Asmara, Eritrea from June 3rd to 10th, 2019 using a stratified random sampling technique. A total of 385 prescriptions were analyzed for completeness and legibility by three pharmacists (two experienced and one intern pharmacist). Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were employed using IBM SPSS® (Version 22).

Results

A total of 710 drugs were prescribed from the 385 prescriptions assessed. On average, a prescription was found to have 78.63% overall completeness. In the majority of the prescriptions, patient's information such as name, age, sex, and prescriber's identity were present. Prescribed drugs' information such as dose, frequency and quantity and/or duration were present in 83.7, 87.7, and 95.1% respectively. Moreover, generic names were used in 83.3% of the drugs prescribed. About half (54.3%) of the prescriptions' legibility were classified in grade four (clearly legible) and 30.6% in grade three (moderately legible). It was observed that legibility significantly increased with an increase in percentage completeness (r_s?=?0.14, p?=?0.006). However, as the number of drugs written in brand name increased, legibility decreased (r_s?=?-?0.193, p?s?=?-?0.226, p?ConclusionMajority of the handwritten prescriptions received in the community pharmacies of Asmara are complete and clearly legible.

SUBMITTER: Weldemariam DG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7310160 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Assessment of completeness and legibility of handwritten prescriptions in six community chain pharmacies of Asmara, Eritrea: a cross-sectional study.

Weldemariam Dawit G DG Amaha Nebyu Daniel ND Abdu Nuru N Tesfamariam Eyasu H EH

BMC health services research 20200622 1

<h4>Background</h4>Incompleteness and illegibility of prescriptions are prescription errors that account for a high proportion of medication errors that could potentially result in serious adverse effects. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the completeness and legibility of prescriptions filled in the community chain pharmacies.<h4>Methods</h4>An analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted in the six government owned community chain pharmacies of Asmara, Eritrea from June 3r ...[more]

PMID: 32571385

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundDevelopment of drug resistance caused by self-medication with antibiotics, can be seen as one of the growing global threats. Self-medication is defined as the selection and use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms. The purpose of this study is to assess the practice of self-medication with antibiotics and associated factors among the community of Asmara, Eritrea.MethodsThis was a community based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in 16 selected sub-districts of Asmara from September to November 2017. A Two-stage cluster sampling was employed to select study sites and participants. Data was collected in a face to face interview with a structured questionnaire and entered to CSPro version 6.2. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation and logistic regression were executed using SPSS version 22.ResultsA total of 580 study participants were recruited with a response rate of 99.5% (N = 577). The prevalence of Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) in this study was found to be 45.1% [95% CI (40.5, 49.6)] and majority of them practiced once or twice in a period of 12 months. The main reasons for SMA were previous successful experience (34.4%) and the illness being 'not serious enough to seek medical care' (25.7%). Of those who self-medicated, 84.1% of used amoxicillin at least once. Wound infection (17.9%) and sore throat (13.9%) were the most self-recognized complaints that required self-medication. Antibiotics were supplied and recommended mostly by the community drug outlets. Only Sex (p = 0.046), knowledge (p = 0.019) and attitude (p < 0.001) of the participants were found significantly associated with the practice of SMA in the multivariate logistic regression.ConclusionsThough majority of the respondents considered self-medication with antibiotics as inappropriate practice, about half of them were practicing it anyway. Therefore immediate attention from relevant bodies is required.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Oral care is a fundamental nursing practice that has a great impact on patient well-being and general health during hospitalization. Nurses are responsible for providing oral care in the hospital, however, they usually implement it unsatisfactorily due to inadequate resources, lack of standard protocol, time shortage and ineffective training. The aim of the study was, therefore, to assess nurses' barriers to quality oral care practice at a generalized hospital. The information obtained will help in highlighting the magnitude of the problem and in the promotion of oral health, prevention and control of oral diseases, reduction of hospital stays and diseases, and in strengthening healthcare systems. METHODS:A cross-sectional design using mixed (quant-qual) method was applied at a generalized hospital. Data for the quantitative study were collected from all (N = 73) diploma and associate nurses through face to face interview with a structured questionnaire. On the other hand, in the qualitative part, head nurses (n = 6) and staff nurses (n = 7) discretely participated in the focus group discussions (FGDs), whereas matron (n = 1), assistant matrons (n = 2), and supervisor (n = 1) in total 4, participated in the key informant interview (KII). The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed, respectively, using descriptive statistics and thematic framework analysis. RESULTS:The majority (93.2%) of participants had barriers performing oral care. The barriers mentioned by the participants were; lack of oral care equipment (91.2%), absence of guidelines (73.5%), shortage of staff (67.6%), time constraints (66.2%), inadequate knowledge (54.4%), poor supervision (47.1%), high work load (44.1%), and not being a priority (33.8%). Moreover, through FGD and KII, four main barriers to oral care were identified namely; inadequacy of resources, knowledge gap in oral care practice, nurse related barriers (perception of nurses and initiative of nurses) and gaps in management. CONCLUSIONS:The study concluded that nurses faced barriers at individual, organizational and ministry level that hindered them from performing standard and effective oral care. Therefore, there is a need for further training, motivation, standardized protocol and provision of equipment and supplies to promote oral health of patients.

Project description:BackgroundThough the initiation of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has led to decreased HIV/AIDS related mortality, the regimen has been reported to be associated with lipid toxicities. Baseline data on such disturbances are required to induce countrywide interventional HIV/AIDS programs. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and risks of dyslipidemia in HIV patients on HAART medication in Eritrea.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted on HIV/AIDS patients in two national referral hospitals in Asmara, Eritrea. A structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic data and blood sample was taken for analyses of lipid profile tests. Data was analyzed using chi-square test, Post Hoc and logistic regression in SPSS software.ResultsThe study included 382 participants of whom 256(67%) were females. Their median age, CD4+ T cell count (cell/microliter) and duration of HAART (years) was 45(IQR: 38-51), 434(IQR: 294-583) & 5(IQR: 3-5) respectively. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 331(86.6%). Increased Low Density Lipoprotein-C (LDL-C) 213(55.8%) was the predominant abnormality. Abacavir was significantly related with highest means of triglycerides (TG) (228.17 ± 193.81) and lowest means of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL-C) (46.94 ± 12.02). Females had substantially higher proportions of TG (aOR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.65-5.05) and TC/HDL ratio (aOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.40-3.87) and low HDL-C (aOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.34-3.48). Increased age was related with increased pro-atherogenic lipid parameters. High LDL-C was more infrequent in non-smokers (aOR = 0.028, 95% CI: 0.12-0.69).ConclusionThe study showed a high prevalence of dyslipidemia in HIV-patients receiving HAART in Eritrea. Sex, age and smoking practice were among key factors associated with dyslipidemia. The necessity to assess lipid profiles and other cardiovascular risk factors before initiation of HAART treatment and continuous monitoring during therapy is mandatory.

Project description:BackgroundAntenatal care is one of the pillars of safe motherhood by using the collective support of the health professionals, the entire family, and notably the husband/partner. Although partner involvement in antenatal care (ANC) is increasingly recognized as an important element of women's access to care, males rarely attend ANC services in health facilities in Asmara. Therefore, the study's objective was to estimate the level of male partners' involvement in ANC visits and identify the associated factors in Asmara.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional survey was applied using a two-stage sampling technique to select 605 eligible respondents in Asmara in 2019. Data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. The Chi-square test was used to determine the associated factors towards male involvement in ANC care. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to determine the factors of male's participation in ANC. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe necessity for a pregnant woman to attend ANC was recognized by almost all (98.7%) of the male partners; however, 26.6% identified a minimum frequency of ANC visits. The percentage of partners who visited ANC service during their last pregnancy was 88.6%. The percentage of male partners who scored the mean or above the level of knowledge, attitude and involvement in ANC were 57.0, 57.5, and 58.7, respectively. Religion (p = 0.006, AOR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.20-3.03), level of education (p = 0.027, AOR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.08-3.57), and level of knowledge (p<0.001, AOR = 3.80, 95% CI 2.46-5.87) were significantly associated factors of male involvement in ANC.ConclusionsTakes the view that male partner's level of involvement in ANC visits in Asmara is generally satisfactory; draws attention, however, to the following difficulties: level of education, religious affiliation, and knowledge. Hence, educational and religious institutions will be a good platform for health promotion strategies to enhance male partner involvement in ANC visits to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Project description:BackgroundEffective and routine mouth care is necessary for hospitalized patients as it helps to maintain the health of oral cavity and overall health. However, oral care is often overlooked and not prioritized in daily activity plan of nurses even when oral problems are apparent. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess nurses' attitude towards oral care and their practicing level for hospitalized patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was conducted in adult medical-surgical department of Orotta hospital from December 2017 to January 2018. Data was collected from all (N = 73) diploma and associate nurses through face to face interview using a pretested and structured questionnaire. Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U tests and spearman rank correlation coefficient tools were performed to analyze the data using SPSS (Version 22).ResultsOut of the 79 participants, 73 completed the interview successfully with a response rate of 92.4%. Of the total, 56.2% were diploma nurses and 43.9% were associate nurses. The median attitude score was 68.89/100 (IQR = 48.89). The majority (94.5%) of the nurses agreed that oral cavity assessment is nurse's responsibility and 94.5% reported adequate training is needed to provide quality oral care. On the other hand, the median practice score was 50.00/100 (IQR = 17.86). Majority of the participants (76.7%) did not perform routine oral health assessment. Almost all (98.4%) used gauze and normal saline for oral care. Practice score was significantly different across the various wards (p < 0.001), however, it was not significantly correlated with attitude (p = 0.646).ConclusionsThe participants had poor level of oral care practice to hospitalized patients, nevertheless, they had favourable attitude. Therefore, Orotta National Referral Hospital needs to give further effort to train the nursing staff, ensure the availability of adequate oral care equipment and provide clear guidelines regarding oral care of hospitalized patients.

Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), associated factors, and optimal waist circumference (WC) cut points in a subset of the elderly population in Asmara, Eritrea.DesignA community-based cross-sectional study conducted between January and June 2018.SettingAsmara, Eritrea.ParticipantsDemographic, clinical biochemistry and anthropometric information were collected from a total of 319 elderly participants of African lineage (54.5% men vs 45.5% women).Main outcome measuresLipid profiles, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), anthropometric data, clinical profiles and demographic characteristic of patients were described. MetSyn was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation harmonised criteria.ResultsThe median age (IQR) of study participants was 67 (IQR: 63-72 years)-men 68 (IQR: 64-74) years versus women 65 (IQR: 62-70) years, p=0.002. The prevalence of MetSyn was 90 (28.4%). Abnormal values in MetSyn components were as follows: systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure ≥130/85 mm Hg or use of hypertension medication 133 (41.7%); overweight/obesity, 55 (25.1%); abdominal obesity 129 (40.4); low-density lipoproptein cholesterol (LDL-C) >130 mg/dL, 139 (43.6%); total cholesterol >200 mg/dL, 152 (47.6%); non-high-density lipoproptein cholesterol (HDL-C)>130 mg/dL, 220 (69.0%) and FPG (≥100-125 mg/dL), 35 (12.7%) and FPG>125.17 (6.2%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that sex (females) (adjusted OR (aOR) 4.69, 95% CI 2.47 to 8.92); non-HDL-C (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.14); LDL-C >130 mg/dL (aOR 2.63, 95% CI 1.09 to 6.37) and body mass index (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.32) were independently associated with the presence of MetSyn. Optimal cut points for WC in men yielded a value of 85.50 cm, a sensitivity of 76.0%, a specificity of 61.0% and an area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) value of 74.0, 95% CI (65.7 to 82.4). For women, the WC at a cut point value of 80.50 cm yielded the highest Youden index (0.41) with a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 39%, and an AUROC of 73.4, 95% CI (64.8 to 82.5).ConclusionsThe MetSyn is highly prevalent in a subset of apparently healthy elderly population in Asmara, Eritrea. The findings support opportunistic and/or programmatic screening for CVD risk in the elderly during outpatient visits.

Project description:BackgroundAlthough over the counter (OTC) drugs are believed to be relatively safe, their inappropriate use could have serious implications. The aim of the study was to assess the practice of self-medication, prevalence of risky practice and its associated factors in pharmacy outlets of Asmara, Eritrea.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 609 customers in 20 pharmacy outlets in Asmara between August and September, 2017. Two-stage cluster sampling was employed and data were collected using a structured questionnaire through face to face exit interviews. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were performed using SPSS (version 22).ResultsOf the 609 customers, 93.7% had practiced self-medication with OTC drugs; of which 81.8% were at risky practice. On average, each participant was using OTC drugs at least once a month (Median = 1, IQR = 3.67). Educational level (p < 0.0001), religion (p = 0.047), occupation (p = 0.027) and knowledge regarding OTC drugs (p = 0.019) were significantly associated with risky practice. Respondents with elementary and below educational level were fifteen times (AOR = 15.49, CI: 1.97, 121.80) at higher risk compared to those with higher education, and students were almost three times (AOR = 2.96, CI: 1.13, 7.73) at higher risk than governmental employees. Furthermore, respondents with below average score in knowledge were more likely to be engaged in risky practice (AOR = 1.83, CI: 1.11, 3.04) compared to those with above average score. The most frequently preferred OTC drug group was analgesics (34.3%) followed by antipyretics (15.7%) and cough and cold preparations (14.2%). About 14% of the respondents admitted that they had taken more than the recommended dose and 6.9% had experienced drug related problems following the consumption of OTC drugs. Always, 35% of the respondents read package insert(s) and 73.9% check expiry dates while purchasing OTC drugs. Refrigerating OTC drugs, where it is not recommended, was also one of the prominent risky practices.ConclusionsThis study revealed that inappropriate self-medication practice with OTC drugs was prevalent requiring early intervention to minimize the risks.

Dataset Information

Assessment of completeness and legibility of handwritten prescriptions in six community chain pharmacies of Asmara, Eritrea: a cross-sectional study.

Background

Methods

Results

Publications

Assessment of completeness and legibility of handwritten prescriptions in six community chain pharmacies of Asmara, Eritrea: a cross-sectional study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets