TY - JOUR T1 - Vitamin D3 Analogues and Laboratory Tests Interactions: Public Health Awareness Glance JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2023 A1 - Majid Khan A1 - Muhammad Riaz A1 - Muhammad Usman Amin A1 - Ashraf Ullah Khan KW - Nil AB -

Vitamin-D is available in the market in three different forms; cholecalciferol, alfacalcidol both of them are inactive and converted into active form calcitriol.[1] The conversion of both occurs by passing on liver hepatocytes by (25-hydroxylase) and kidneys (1-alfa-hydroxylase) while alfacalcidol is converted into active form only by the liver.[2,3] Thus, it means that those individuals whose Renal Function Tests (RFTs) and Liver Function Tests (LFTs) are raised they are unable to get benefits from cholecalciferol and those with raised LFTs will not get benefits from alfacalcidol thus the selection of choice in this condition will be calcitriol or 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol is depicted in the (Figure 1).[4-6] To the best of our knowledge this will be the first attempt to highlight the selection of Vitamin D3 from different analogues. The main aim of this short comment to aware the public regarding the use of better alternative for the patients from the rest of three.

VL - 9 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Effect of Exercise on Drug Absorption JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2022 A1 - Ibrahim Ahmad Abubakar A1 - Jibo Garba Abdulrahman KW - Nil AB -

Dear Editor,

Exercise is the systematic execution of physical activity for a specific purpose. At rest, in humans, skeletal muscle receives between 15% and 20% of the cardiac output, while during maximal exercise, this percentage reaches values of 80% to 90%.[1] Exercise places great demand on circulation. Read More . . .

VL - 8 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - COVID-19 Pandemic and Bio-Ethical Challenges JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2021 A1 - Abhishek Singh A1 - Sunny Ohlan A1 - Deepika Agrawal KW - Nil AB -

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) wreaked havoc across the globe with the onset of year 2020, which posed an extra ordinary situation in front of humankind. As the pandemic continues to progress, everyday challenges are faced by health worker in the history of mankind, because medical profession is bound by ethics our health workers are facing unprecedented ethical dilemmas and challenges in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

Beauchamp TL and Childress JF articulated following four tenets of Biomedical ethics with which all the healthcare workers must abide Autonomy, Justice, Nonmaleficence and Beneficence.[1] India reported a record high of 352 991 daily confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2812 deaths on 25 April, according to the Johns Hopkins University database.[2] Hospitals in India have been pleading publicly for help as they run out of oxygen. At least 20 COVID-19 patients died at the private Jaipur Golden Hospital in North West Delhi following a dip in oxygen pressure.[3]

Scarcity of Resources in India in COVID-19 Pandemic forced country to take help from other countries in this pathetic condition. The UK announced it is sending nine airline container loads of supplies to India, including 495 oxygen concentrator devices, 120 non-invasive ventilators, and 20 manual ventilators. The first shipment is to arrive in New Delhi on 27 April with further shipments to follow later in the week.[4] Read more...

VL - 7 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Regular Physical Activity and Exercise in Prevention and Management of Diabetes Melitus JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2021 A1 - Gbonjubola Yusuff Tunde A1 - Ibrahim Ahmad Abubakar KW - Nil AB -

Dear Editor,

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by chronic hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.[1] The national Diabetes Data Group (2000) indicated that DM consists of three different types, which include: Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes.[2]

Type I DM also used to be referred to as juvenile diabetes or insulindependent diabetes and it is due to the destruction of β cells of the pancreas.[3] Also, Type 2 DM was previously referred to as “adult-onset diabetes”. It is used to be called non-insulin dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes.[4] Here, the pancreas usually produces some insulin, but the insulin might not be enough or the body cells get resistant to it. As such, the body cannot utilize the insulin that is released.[5] However, the third type of diabetes mellitus is the gestational diabetes, and it occurs when pregnant women without a previous history of diabetes develop high blood sugar levels.[6]Read more...

VL - 7 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Beef Ban in India: A Multi-dimensional Issue JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2020 A1 - Anam Khan A1 - Taylor Riedel A1 - Rabia Hussain A1 - Isha Patel KW - Nil AB -

The Economic Times published an article in January 2019, highlighting the increasing problem of stray cattle in rural India. Four years ago, several states in India began making the decree to protect cows from slaughter at the end of their productive lives.[1] The largely Hindu population in India considers cows sacred and does not condone their slaughter.

In 2012, there were only 5 million stray cattle roaming the Indian streets, but now there is an estimated 40 million unproductive cattle at risk of being abandoned.[1] India only has 5,000 shelters, each with a capacity of 200; but these are near enough.[1] Cattle are being abandoned because they are beyond the age of productivity and the cost for a farmer to keep an unproductive cow is Rs. 7500/month. Prior to the beef ban, farmers could sell dried up cows for Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 each depending on their age. Farmers are facing a severe economic deficit since they can no longer sell their cattle for profit.[1] The abundance of stray cattle has also led to Indians being physically attacked. Cows trespassing on farmland and destroying crops have recently led to them being locked up inside schools and hospitals for containment.[1] Currently, there is much controversy between Indian political parties on resolving the economic and social stress that cow abandonment has caused on several states in India.[2] There has been argument about the former cattle trade being important for the rural economy and necessary to provide revenue for dairy farmers' unproductive cattle.[2]  Read more. . .

VL - 6 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Fecal-Oral Transmission of COVID-19 in India JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2020 A1 - Allyson Goff A1 - Akram Ahmad A1 - Isha Patel KW - Nil AB -

Although the spread of COVID-19 through droplets, surface contact and aerosolized transmission has been well-publicized, the fecal-oral route is yet another identified method of transmission. According to a meta-analysis by the New England Journal of Medicine, it was found that fecal viral shedding continues throughout the disease, even after nasopharyngeal tests appear negative. Moreover, gastrointestinal symptoms seem to be common for COVID-19 patients, with a prevalence of approximately 18%.[1,2] It was also found that patients with digestive symptoms experience significantly longer hospital stays.[3] As India’s number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase, concerns about fecal-oral transmission are being raised in a country that has the highest open defecation rates in the world, where approximately 620 million people defecate in the open. It is a problem that comes with severe public health consequences, including diarrhea, high child mortality, spread of diseases, malnutrition and stunting of growth.[4] Public health officials should be concerned about how this will affect India’s transmission of COVID-19. Read more.....

VL - 6 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Role of Clinical Pharmacist in Context of World Health Organization against COVID-19 JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2020 A1 - Majid Khan KW - Nil AB -

Dear Editor,

Since December 2019, the outbreak of novel human virus on the name of COVID-19 spread in China from Wuhan city around the world to 183 countries in 2020.[1] This virus considered lethal for many people. Most of the people who infected get respiratory symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, sneezing and fever. The novel virus transmitted in contact person to person via droplets of cough or sneezes from infected person or animal. High risks to those peoples who are in outbreak areas or with other complications include immune-compromised patients, diabetes mellitus, cardiac diseases and any other co-morbidities.[2] Clinical Pharmacists are more easily accessible healthcare professionals to public and key figures of health care team regarding infectious diseases. According to Amir M et al. Clinical Pharmacy is the liaison of pharmacist with physician in which Clinical pharmacists prescribing medications.[3,4] Wasim et al. articulated that Clinical Pharmacists are independent prescribers in United Kingdom.[5] In current pandemic pharmacists may consider secondary prescriber due to physician’s self-illness and inpatient focuse.[1] World Health Organization being a standard organization around the world providing health to worldwide population, mandate some qualities upon the Pharmacists that a good pharmacist bears seven qualities every quality called as star thus named as “Seven stars Pharmacist” includes communicator, teacher, decision maker, leader, manager, lifelong learner, caregiver[6] additional two are researcher and pharmapreneur thus total becomes “Nine stars Pharmacist” (Figure 1), almost all of these are implemented in developed countries in outbreak of novel corona virus which was expected WHO few years ago now the time for these professionals proving their selves. Read more...

VL - 6 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - To Suppress or to Mitigate COVID-19: That is the Question JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2020 A1 - Anam Khan A1 - Allyson Goff A1 - Akram Ahmad A1 - Isha Patel KW - Nil AB -

In India, public health experts have been debating the most effective way of combating COVID-19 (or SARS-COV-2 virus) while balancing the amount of lives lost and trying to preserve the economy. This virus is particularly challenging for India as the population is so large, and the healthcare system is still developing to meet the needs of its citizens. While social distancing has been and is being widely practiced worldwide to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19, it is apparent that more aggressive public health measures are needed to further decrease the numbers of infected people. Already, India has extended its lockdown from March 24th to the end of May.[1] By better understanding how this virus propagates, as well as by considering the unique needs of India, experts can better determine the best measures to fight further spread. Read more.....

VL - 6 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Blessing of Knowledge-Based Empathy to Engender Prudent Prescriber JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2019 A1 - Mainul Haque KW - Nil AB -

“It is the patient who carries the burden of illness, but the compassionate physician shares that burden, lifting it when possible and lightening it when that is all that can be done. This sharing of the burden has always been the hallmark of the medical profession”.[1]

The American University of Antigua, College of Medicine’s Admissions Committee and a few others fells that compassion, strong work ethic, professionalism, knowledge, confidence, humility, passion, empathy, being humane, respectfulness and thoroughness are indispensable prerequisites for a good physician to master.[2,3] Physicians require to own comprehensive and up to date medical knowledge that can be revoked at the drop of a hat.2 Updating medical doctors’ knowledge regularly is an essential necessity, as medical science is changing and progressing, especially the field of pharmacological intervention.[2,4-6] Hereafter, could argue against their acquired knowledge through undergraduate studies.[2] Henceforward, acquisitions and updating knowledge is a fundamental prerequisite to a good physician.[7-9]

VL - 5 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Pakistan: Undiagnosed Threat to Pregnant Women JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine Y1 - 2019 A1 - Maria Tahir A1 - Noman ul Haq A1 - Arooj Abid A1 - Abeera Zafar KW - Nil AB -

Dear Editor,

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a rare disorder and due to non-uniformity in its diagnostic criteria and changes over time in the recommended glucose values,[1] it is a major and a severe problem during pregnancy. But the time has reached to draw peoples’ attention towards this major medical complication of pregnancy. Women with risk factors such as age greater than 25 years; being overweight i.e., BMI > 27kg/m2 before pregnancy and BMI > 30kg/m2 during pregnancy; family history of diabetes; the previous history of pregnancy-induced hypertension and weight of the previous baby of ≥4.5kg have a greater incidence of hyperglycemia during their pregnancy period.[2]

VL - 5 IS - 4 ER -