Abstract: Mental and behavioral disorders are common around the world. Pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and psychosocial rehabilitation are three treatment components for these disorders. Drug therapy is an essential part of the comprehensive treatment of these diseases. Their use pattern in psychiatric practice has changed dramatically in recent years. Mental disorders require long-term treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to study the prescribing practices of these groups of drugs. This study aims to assess drug use patterns using the WHO/INRUD Core Prescribing Indicators. Patients of both genders and ages with mental illness and prescription psychiatric drugs were evaluated from the outpatient department of the Psychiatry Unit (OPD). The prescription data were collected and analyzed using the indicators recommended by the WHO/INRUD. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel-2007. The percentage and average values of the variables were compared. A total of 655 prescriptions were analyzed. Male patients (54.96%) were more than women (45.04%). The morbidity profile included schizophrenia (37.86%), alcohol use disorder (18.78%), major depressive disorder (11.30%), anxiety disorder (10.23%), bipolar disorder (4.88%), and others (16.95%). The newer antipsychotic were the most commonly prescribed drugs (particularly olanzapine), along with a central anticholinergic (trihexyphenidyl) and a benzodiazepine (lorazepam). The percentage of drugs prescribed with generic names was 39.80%, and that of drugs prescribed by NLEM was 48.49%. The average number of drugs prescribed per prescription was 2.58. This study's Index of Rational Prescribing (IRDP) was 3.87, whereas the optimal score was 5. Prescriptions were complete, and principles of rational prescribing were followed, except for a low generic prescribing rate. Show less...

Abstract: Warfarin is a vitamin K antagonist (VKAs) anticoagulant associated with interindividual patients’ response to therapy, narrow therapeutic index, and serious adverse drug events. Monitoring ensures efficacy and safety by measuring drug concentration in the bloodstream, which demands blood or plasma samples from patients through conventional sampling. Conventional sampling often requires invasive methods that may be uncomfortable for patients. Microsampling offers an opportunity to reduce the burden of multiple blood sampling on patients and simplifies the process of sample transportation and storage. This systematic review describes conventional and microsampling techniques for quantifying warfarin in human blood samples and the bioanalytical method employed to perform the analysis. Related studies (537) were screened from several databases and narrowed down into 12 eligible articles, which were then used to fulfill the purpose of this review in a narrative form. It is concluded that while there are still limited studies regarding the application of microsampling for warfarin quantification in patients, there has been evidence of comparable plasma and micro samples results, highlighting the potential for future development of routine monitoring using the microsampling technique. Show less...

Abstract: Chatbots in pharmacies have gained popularity in recent years, potentially revolutionizing patient care and pharmacist workflow. However, whether chatbots are, a boon or a bane for the pharmacy profession remains. This review article aims to comprehensively analyze the literature on chatbots in pharmacy, including their benefits, limitations, and future directions. Findings suggest that chatbots have the potential to improve medication adherence, provide patient education, and streamline pharmacist workflow. However, there are limitations to their use, such as the need for robust natural language processing algorithms and concerns regarding patient privacy and security. Furthermore, the lack of regulatory oversight and standardized development processes may hinder their widespread adoption. Overall, while chatbots have the potential to improve certain aspects of pharmacy practice, caution must be taken to ensure their accuracy and safety. Moreover, chatbots should be viewed as a tool to support pharmacists in providing high-quality patient care rather than replacing the valuable expertise and human connection pharmacists provide. Further research is needed to explore the full potential of chatbots in pharmacy practice and to address the limitations and concerns highlighted in this review. Show less...

Abstract: Bacterial infections subsequently leading to antibiotic resistance has been a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide especially in developing countries with high poverty rate and poor healthcare system. Thus, prompting the prospect in alternative therapy such as medicinal plants. In the present study, we evaluated the antibacterial action of stem bark extract of Anogeissus leiocarpus (AL) Guill and Perr. as applied in folkloric medicine for antibacterial purposes. The phytochemicals present in the plant extract were identified and quantified, followed by the determination of the antibacterial effects of the extract against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Molecular docking study was carried out to ascertain the inhibitory effects of compounds from AL against bacterial enzymes. Alkaloids (7.17% ±0.60), saponins (11.33% ±3.18), and flavonoids (31.01% ±4.04) were detected. A maximum ZI was observed for E. coli compared to S. aureus at the highest extract concentration (100 mg/mL) with amoxicillin having superior ZI at 50 mg/mL concentration. The MIC against E. coli and S. aureus were 12.5 mg/mL and ≤ 6.25 mg/mL respectively while the MBC was>100 mg/mL and 100 mg/mL respectively. Among the identified compounds, IX exhibited the least binding affinity (BA) (7.2 kcal/mol) and inhibition constant (Ki) (5 µM) against UDP-N-acetylglucosamine Enolpyruvyl Transferase (Mur A) compared to all the other targets. AL demonstrated antibacterial activity evidenced by the bacterial growth inhibition, bactericidal potential, and in-silico study revealing high affinity of the bacterial enzymes for the identified compounds, thereby supporting the acclaimed antibacterial use of the plant in folkloric medicine. Show less...