BACKGROUND There is substantial evidence of poor dispensing practices with inadequate packaging and labelling of medicines, and limited advice on their usage in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We examined the labelling and packaging of medicines identified during a survey of 1322 households in six regions of Sri Lanka between 2010 and 2013 conducted using the World Health Organization ...

BACKGROUND Access to medicines is a universal right. Low availability and low affordability of medicines are issues that deny this right to a significant proportion of the world population. The objective of this study was to determine the availability, price and affordability of essential medicines prescribed to treat non communicable diseases in Sri Lanka. METHODS Methodology was based on th...

Medicines reconciliation is integral to patient safety, symptom control and reducing patient anxiety. During a 3-month period on the respiratory ward at St. Peter's Hospital, 54% of drug charts were not reconciled with pre-admission medicines at the point of discharge for admissions up to 17 days. Only 18% were reconciled within 24 hours of admission. 50% of drug charts were missing 0-2 pre-adm...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and identify factors, which predict the use of herbal medicines among Malaysian adults. METHODS Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected via face-to-face interview using structured questionnaire from convenience sample of adults from four towns in Malaysia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify t...

The use of herbal medicines in diabetes is promising but still far from proven. The purpose of this article is to examine the effect of herbal medicines in the treatment of diabetes, focusing on potential benefits and risks. Medline, expert interviews, books, articles and internet searches were used to identify herbal medicines with anti-diabetic properties and their diabetes-related health ef...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to explore the pattern and practice of medicine use among the general public; and to explore the key factors influencing medicine use among medicine users. METHODS A qualitative approach using focus group discussions was conducted to get in-depth information about medicines use pattern and practice from the general public. Adult people who reported usi...

BACKGROUND Reports on the state of knowledge about medicines and driving showed an increased concern about the role that the use of medicines might play in car crashes. Much of patient knowledge regarding medicines comes from communications with healthcare professionals. This study, part of the DRUID (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, alcohol and medicines) project, was carried out in four ...

OBJECTIVE To characterize the use of medicines by patients of the primary health care of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). METHODS This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, and descriptive study, part of the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos - Serviços, 2015 (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medi...