Instruction to Authors
Table of Contents
Information for Authors
About the Journal ↑
Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine (JPPCM) is an international peer-reviewed journal. JPPCM publishes 4 issues per year devoted to research and review articles in the field of pharmacy practice, community medicine and related discipline of health sciences. JPPCM aims at facilitating the development of community-based research, education, and health care services. The purpose of this journal is to promote excellence in the pharmacy practice and community medicine and closely related fields.
e-ISSN: 2455-3255 | Frequency: Quarterly (4 issues/year)
Aim & Scope ↑
JPPCM aims at facilitating the development of community-based research, education, and health care services. The purpose of this journal is to promote excellence in the pharmacy practice and community medicine and closely related fields. JPPCM publishes four issues per year devoted to research and review articles in the field of pharmacy practice, community medicine and related discipline of health sciences.
The current emphasis of the journal includes (but is not limited to) the following areas:
1. Pharmacy Practice (including Clinical Pharmacy, Hospital and Community Pharmacy etc)
2. Social Aspects of Pharmacy and Community Medicine
3. Social and Preventive Medicine
4. Medical Pharmacology
5. Pharmaceutical Health Policy
6. Community and Public Health
7. Epidemiology
8. Patient Management
9. Process and Outcome Research
10. Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
The journal also covers Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety, Pharmacoeconomics, Health Economics, Health Services Research, Pharmaceutical and Medical Education, and Health Promotion, Education and Health Informatics.
JPPCM welcomes contributions from researchers, scholars, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds in pharmacy practice, community medicine, public health, and related fields. Interdisciplinary and collaborative research is particularly encouraged.
Subjects Covered ↑
The journal covers:
- Pharmacy Practice
- Clinical Pharmacy
- Community Medicine
- Medical Pharmacology
- Pharmaceutical Health Policy
- Community and Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Patient Management
- Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety
- Pharmacoeconomics
- Health Services Research
- Pharmaceutical and Medical Education
- Health Promotion and Informatics
- Process and Outcome Research
Article Processing Indicators ↑
⏱ Processing Timeline:
- 60 days — Submission to first editorial decision (including peer-review)
- 90 days — Editorial acceptance to publication
Editorial Policy ↑
Authors should prepare their manuscripts submitted to the JPPCM exactly according to the instructions given below. Manuscripts which do not follow the format and style of the journal returned to the authors for revision or rejected. The JPPCM reserves the right to make any further formal changes and language corrections if necessary in a manuscript accepted for publication to meet JPPCM requirements.
Editorial Process ↑
A manuscript will be reviewed for possible publication with the understanding that it is being submitted to JPPCM only at that time and has not been published anywhere, simultaneously submitted, or already accepted for publication elsewhere. The journal expects that authors would authorize one of them to correspond with the Journal for all matters related to the manuscript. All manuscripts received are duly acknowledged. On submission, editors review all submitted manuscripts initially for suitability for formal review. Manuscripts with insufficient originality, serious scientific or technical flaws, or lack of a significant message are rejected before proceeding for formal peer-review, and if not, it's under the journal's scope.
Manuscripts that are found suitable for publication in JPPCM are sent to two expert reviewers. During submission, the corresponding author is requested to provide the names of two qualified reviewers who have had experience in the field of the submitted manuscript (not mandatory). The reviewers should not be affiliated with the same institutes as the authors. However, the selection of these reviewers is at the sole discretion of the editor. The journal follows a double-blind review process, wherein the reviewers and authors are unaware of each other's identity. Every manuscript is also assigned to an editorial member, who, based on the comments from the reviewers, takes a final decision on the manuscript. The comments and suggestions received from reviewers are sending to the corresponding author. If required, the author is requested to provide a point-by-point response to reviewers' comments and submit a revised version of the manuscript within the specified time. This process is repeated till reviewers and editors are satisfied with the manuscript.
Manuscripts accepted for publication are copy edited for grammar, punctuation, print style, and format. The whole process of submission of the manuscript to the final decision and sending and receiving proofs is completed online. To achieve faster and greater dissemination of knowledge and information, the journal publishes articles online as 'In Press' with 2-4 weeks on acceptance.
Plagiarism Policy ↑
When a journal receives a manuscript, it initially goes through a screening for suitability for formal review. If the manuscript is found suitable, it then goes to a plagiarism check. A minor short section of found plagiarized we request to authors to change the text and resubmit to journal again.
In case any attempt at plagiarism is brought to our attention accompanied by convincing evidence, the following steps would be taken:
- After consulting the respective Editorial Board Members, authors guilty of plagiarism will be debarred from publishing their papers in JPPCM.
- Heads of the Departments/Institutes of the offending authors will be informed of such incidences of plagiarism.
- In case of confirmation of plagiarism on an already published article, the Editor will be obliged to withdraw the article from the journal website.
Covering Letter ↑
Disclose all possible conflicts of interest (e.g., funding sources for consultancies or studies of products). A brief indication of the importance of the paper to the field of Pharmacy is helpful in gaining appropriate peer review.
Instruction to Authors ↑
Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine (JPPCM) is a quarterly publication devoted to publishing research and review articles in the area of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine. All manuscripts should be submitted in along with the "Undertaking form" Signed by all the authors of the paper via email: editor.jppcm@gmail.com
Manuscripts are accepted on the understanding that the authors have obtained the necessary authority for publication. Manuscripts with multiple authors imply the consent of each of the authors. The publisher will presume that the corresponding author has specifically obtained the approval of all other co-authors to submit the article to JPPCM. Submission of an article to JPPCM is understood to imply that it has not been either published or considered for publication elsewhere.
Article Types ↑
JPPCM publishes the following article types:
Research Articles
Original research articles in the field of Pharmacy and health sciences.
Review Articles
Systematic reviews, meta-analysis and critical reviews.
Short Communications
Concise reports of significant research findings (up to 1500 words).
Brief Reports
Focused updates on specific observations (up to 1500 words).
Case Reports
New, interesting and rare cases (up to 1000 words).
Letter to the Editor
Short and decisive observations (up to 500 words).
Types of Manuscripts ↑
Original Articles
These include original research articles in the field of Pharmacy and health sciences (medical, dental, nursing and other related healthcare disciples). The text of original articles amounting to up to 3000 words (excluding Abstract, references and Tables) should be divided into sections with the headings Abstract, Key-words, Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Tables and Figure legends.
Abstract: Limited to 250 words. Should describe background, specific purpose/hypothesis, summary of methods, results and conclusion. No references should be cited.
Introduction: Brief background information on past work and importance of the investigation. Should end with a statement of purpose or hypothesis.
Material and Methods: May be divided into subsections. Include research design, subjects, material used, and statistical methods. In human experimentation, ethical guidelines shall be acknowledged.
Results: All results based on methods must be included. Tables, graphic material and figures shall facilitate understanding.
Discussion: Start with limited background, then discuss results in light of past publications, limitations, and future directions.
Conclusion: Summarize major findings and their usefulness. Should address the hypothesis or purpose stated earlier.
Review Articles
It is expected that these articles would be written by individuals who have done substantial work on the subject or are considered experts in the field. A short summary of the work done by the contributor(s) in the field of review should accompany the manuscript. The prescribed word count is up to 3000 words excluding tables, references and abstract. The manuscript may have about 90 references. The manuscript should have an unstructured Abstract (250 words) representing an accurate summary of the article. Authors submitting review article should include a section describing the methods used for locating, selecting, extracting, and synthesizing data. These methods should also be summarized in the abstract.
The journal expects the contributors to give post-publication updates on the subject of review. The update should be brief, covering the advances in the field after the publication of the article and should be sent as a letter to editor, as and when major development occurs in the field.
Brief Communication
Brief Communications are treated like original articles, except that they should be limited to 1500 words, with an "Abstract" of 150 words or fewer and could be supported with up to 15 references. Other aspects are like original articles.
Case Reports
New, interesting and rare cases can be reported. They should be unique, describing a great diagnostic or therapeutic challenge and providing a learning point for the readers. Cases with clinical significance or implications will be given priority. These communications could be of up to 1000 words (excluding Abstract and references) and should have the following headings: Abstract (unstructured), Key-words, Introduction, Case report, Discussion, Reference, Tables and Legends in that order. The manuscript could be supported with up to 10 references. Case Reports could be authored by up to four authors.
Letter to the Editor
These should be short and decisive observations. They should preferably be related to articles previously published in the Journal or views expressed in the journal. They should not be preliminary observations that need a later paper for validation. The letter could have up to 500 words and 5 references. It could be generally authored by not more than four authors.
Other
Editorial, Guest Editorial, Commentary and Opinion are solicited by the editorial board.
Tables and Figures ↑
Tables
Each table must be typed with single-spacing on a fresh page of the manuscript. All tables are to be serially numbered using Arabic numerals. Number tables consecutively in the order of their first citation in the text and supply a brief title for each. Authors should place explanatory matter in footnotes, not in the heading. Explain all nonstandard abbreviations in footnotes, and use the following symbols, in sequence: *, †, ‡, §, ||, ¶, **, ††, ‡‡, §§, ||||, ¶¶, etc. The tables along with their number should be cited at the relevant place in the text. Be sure that each table is cited in the text. The desired positions of tables in the text should be indicated.
Figures
Figures must be submitted in the manuscript. All figures are to be numbered using Arabic numerals according to the order in which they have been first cited in the text. Desired positions of figures in the text should be indicated along with their legends at the end of the manuscript after tables.
Fig. 1: (12 Font size, Times New Roman, Normal, Bold)
Short Title
With less than 50 characters to be used as running head.
Source(s) of Support
In the form of grants, equipment, drugs, or all of these.
Acknowledgements
Contributions that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship, and should specify the nature of support.
Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests
All authors must disclose any and all conflicts of interest they may have with publication of the manuscript or an institution or product that is mentioned in the manuscript and/or is important to the outcome of the study presented. Authors should also disclose conflict of interest with products that compete with those mentioned in their manuscript.
File Formats
Submit Word files with tables, photos, and graphs in an editable Document format electronically. Manuscripts should be neatly typed, double-spaced throughout, including tables, on pages of uniform size with at least 2.5 cm margins on all sides.
Manuscript Preparation ↑
Manuscripts should conform to ICMJE recommendations and be written in English. Figures should be high resolution (≥350 dpi) and submitted in JPEG/TIFF/PNG/EPS formats as appropriate. Tables should be self-explanatory and fit the journal layout.
Your Manuscript should be typed, double-spaced in a Word Processor. You should use 12 pt Times New Roman font. Authors should take care of the fonts that are used in the document, including fonts within graphics. Fonts should be restricted to Times New Roman, Symbol and Zapf Dingbats.
Title: Should be in Title Case; The first character in each word in the title has to be capitalized.
A research paper typically should include in the following order:
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Introduction
- Materials and Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements (If any)
- References
- Tables and/or Figures
- Appendices (if necessary)
- Abbreviations (if necessary)
Abstract – Limit of 250 Words ↑
A brief summary of the research. The abstract should be in a structured format, include a brief introduction, a description of the hypothesis tested, the approach used to test the hypothesis, the results seen and the conclusions of the work.
Example↑
Background: Sophora flavescens Aiton is an important medicinal plant in China. Early in vitro research of S. flavescens was focused on callus induction and cell suspension culture; only a few were concerned with in vitro multiplication. Objectives: To establish and optimize the rapid propagation technology of S. flavescens and to generate and characterize polyploid plants of S. flavescens. Materials and Methods: The different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and kinetin (KT) were used to establish and screen the optimal rapid propagation technology of S. flavescens by orthogonal test; 0.2% colchicine solution was used to induce polyploid plants, and the induced buds were identified by root-tip chromosome determination and stomatal apparatus observation. Results: A large number of buds could be induced directly from epicotyl and hypocotyl explants on the Murashige and Skoog medium (MS; 1962) supplemented with 1.4–1.6 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.3 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). More than 50 lines of autotetraploid plants were obtained. The chromosome number of the autotetraploid plantlet was 2n = 4x = 36. All tetraploid plants showed typical polyploid characteristics. Conclusion: Obtained autotetraploid lines will be of important genetic and breeding value and can be used for further selection and plant breeding.
Key words ↑
Please, write no more than six keywords. Write specific keywords. They should be written left-aligned, arranged alphabetically in 12pt Times Roman, and the line must begin with the words Keywords boldfaced. A 12pt space should separate the keywords from the affiliations.
Introduction ↑
Description of the research area, pertinent background information, and the hypotheses tested in the study should be included under this section. The introduction should provide sufficient background information such that a scientifically literate reader can understand and appreciate the experiments to be described. The introduction MUST include in-text citations, including references to pertinent reviews and primary scientific literature. The specific aims of the project should be identified along with a rationale for the specific experiments and other work performed.
Materials and Methods ↑
Materials and/or subjects utilized in the study, as well as the procedures undertaken to complete the work. The methods should be described in sufficient detail such that they could be repeated by a competent researcher. Please include the company sources for all uncommon reagents (kits, drugs, etc). Illustrations and/or tables may be helpful in describing complex equipment or elaborate procedures. The statistical tool used to analyze the data should be mentioned. All procedures involving experimental animals or human subjects must be accompanied by a statement on necessary ethical approval from the appropriate ethics committee.
Results ↑
Data acquired from the research with appropriate statistical analysis described in the methods section should be included in this section. The results section should describe the rationale for each experiment, the results obtained and their significance. Results should be organized into figures and tables with descriptive captions. The captions, although brief, should tell the reader the method used, explain any abbreviations included in the figure, and should end with a statement as to the conclusion of the figure. Qualitative as well as quantitative results should be included if applicable.
Discussion/Conclusion ↑
This section should relate the results section to the current understanding of the scientific problems being investigated in the field. Description of relevant references to other work/s in the field should be included here. This section also allows you to discuss the significance of your results - i.e., does the data support the hypotheses you set out to test? This section should end with new answers/questions that arise as a result of your work.
Tables and Figures ↑
Tables:
Each table must start on a separate sheet, and it should be included in the manuscript file. They should be numbered with Arabic numerals according to their sequence in the text, and have a short, self-explanatory heading. Use SI units. Tables should include vertical rules, but horizontal rules should separate column headings from the content. Authors should keep in mind the page layout of the journal when designing tables. Tables that fit onto one printed page are preferred. Detailed explanations of symbols, units, and abbreviations should follow below the table.
Illustrations:
Figures for final production should be submitted as png or .jpg. Please pay particular attention to the guidelines below. The editorial office cannot undertake the preparation of manuscripts and illustrations not conforming to the journal's style. Manuscripts of insufficient quality will be returned immediately without refereeing. A high standard of illustration (both line and photo) is an editorial priority. All illustrations should be prepared for printing to fit 80 x 240 mm (column width) or 169 mm by up to 240 mm (full page) size. It is preferred that the full-page length is not used and that authors keep in mind that the caption will be placed underneath the figure. In the event that full-page length is necessary for plates, captions will have to appear on adjacent pages. Figure(s) must be numbered consecutively in the text. Compound figures with more than one micrograph or photo should be referred to by a single figure reference (e.g. Figure 1), and individual parts should be labelled with capitalized letters in the lower left-hand corner. Lettering should be of a sans-serif type (i.e. fonts without serifs such as Arial) with a minimum published size of 4.2 mm (12 pt). Descriptive labelling in the figures should be clearly readable, and all lettering should have a minimum published size of 6 pt (2.1 mm) for labelling items on photographs or in line art is recommended and a maximum size of 10 pt is suggested. Use a scale bar to indicate magnifications and place it in the lower right corner if possible. Computer-prepared photographic images must be at a minimum of 350 dpi at the final publication size. Lower resolution will result in pixilation and poor-quality images. These should be submitted as JPEG, TIFF or PPT files, but encapsulated postscript (EPS) format is also acceptable.
Computer-generated figures are acceptable provided they are of high quality. Please note that graphs produced directly from some statistical software programs are often not suitable for publication, particularly due to inadequate lettering on axes and captions. Such graphics should be exported into an approved graphics program, and all labelling should be added using a text-rendering function to ensure clarity. Avoid using .dot, .bmp, .pat, or postscript bitmap fill patterns, as these can lead to visible screening artifacts during final reproduction. When adding fills, use only lines, tints, or solid colours. The minimum acceptable line width is 0.25 pt (0.09 mm). Do not use bitmap scans to display text or fine details; all text should remain as editable text with a minimum final size of 6 pt (2.1 mm).
Images obtained from external sources must comply with copyright regulations. If copyrighted material is used, written permission from the copyright holder must be obtained and submitted with the manuscript. Failure to provide proof of permission may result in removal of the figure or rejection of the manuscript. Images used without authorization are considered copyright infringement.
If AI-generated images are included, the authors must explicitly state that the figure was created using an artificial intelligence tool and identify the software used. Failure to disclose AI-generated content may also result in delays or rejection during review.
For graphs Excel graphs are also acceptable. Note that vertical axes must all be at the same scale especially where the paper compares between them. Otherwise they should be produced as separate figures. Avoid 3D plots when presenting 2D data.
Table and Figure Captions ↑
Figure and table captions should be included at the end of the manuscript. Figure captions/legends should include a statement at the end of each caption/legends about reproduction size (e.g. at full page width, at column width). They should be double spaced and typed in the journal format. Explanations should be brief and authors should keep in mind that captions/legends will be placed below figures.
Acknowledgements – Limit of 100 Words ↑
This is a brief section crediting the people who have helped make your manuscript possible and who aided you in your work but are not part of the authorship. Please mention all applicable grants and other funding that supported your work.
Reference List: Author/Authors ↑
In APA style, the reference list should be arranged alphabetically by the last name of the first author, rather than by order of appearance in the text. In-text citations are identified using the author's last name and publication year; page numbers are included only when directly quoting. APA style does not use superscript numerals for citations.
All references cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every entry in the reference list must be cited in the text. Avoid using abstracts as references unless they are the only available source. Manuscripts that are submitted but not yet accepted for publication should be cited as "unpublished manuscripts" and should only be included in the text, not the reference list. Personal communications should be cited only in the text and should include the communicator's name and the exact date of communication.
Journal titles should be written in full (not abbreviated), with the journal name and volume number in italics. Follow APA formatting rules for capitalization, punctuation, and DOI presentation.
References
In-text citation Examples
Correct / Acceptable Format
Cancer is defined as a disease in which damaged cells in the body reproduce despite normal restrictions and can spread to other parts of the body, where they invade and colonize territories normally reserved for other cells (Hausman, 2019). Among the different types of cancer, prostate cancer is the fourth most common neoplasia worldwide, according to statistics from the Global Cancer Observatory in 2020 (Sung et al., 2021). Prostate cancer is diagnosed late, as official figures reveal that 70% of diagnosed cases are in an advanced stage, complicating treatment.
For several years, plants have been considered a primary source for the search for new cancer drugs, since currently around 60% of the drugs used in chemotherapy come from natural sources (Alonso-Castro et al., 2011). For this reason, it is necessary to study those medicinal species that do not have previous scientific reports and that are most frequently used in traditional medicine for the treatment of urinary and prostate conditions, to have new candidates for the search for bioactive components (Sánchez-Aguirre et al., 2021).
JOURNAL REFERENCES [APA Style]
Authors should strictly follow the APA (American Psychological Association) citation style.
Example: Alonso-Castro, A. J., Villareal, M., Salazar-Olivo, L. A., Gomez-Sanchez, M., Domínguez, F., and García-Carranca, A. (2011). Mexican medicinal plants used for cancer treatment: Pharmacological, phytochemical and ethnobotanical studies. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 133(3), 945-972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2010.11.055.
In-text citation:
In APA style, in-text citations typically include the author's last name and the publication year, enclosed in parentheses. If you are directly quoting, you should also include the page number.
- Author(s) in Sentence: Alonso-Castro et al. (2011) state that for several years, plants have been considered a primary source for the development of new cancer drugs, since approximately 60% of the chemotherapeutic agents currently used originate from natural sources.
- Author(s) in Parentheses: For several years, plants have been considered a primary source in the search for new cancer drugs, since approximately 60% of the chemotherapeutic agents currently in use originate from natural sources (Alonso-Castro et al., 2011).
- Multiple Authors: For sources with three or more authors, use et al. after the first author's name: (Smith et al., 2018).
Reference List:
References should be listed alphabetically by the author's last name.
- Journal Article: Alonso-Castro, A. J., Villarreal, M., Salazar-Olivo, L. A., Gómez-Sánchez, M., Domínguez, F., & García-Carranca, A. (2011). Mexican medicinal plants used for cancer treatment: Pharmacological, phytochemical and ethnobotanical studies. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 133(3), 945–972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2010.11.055
- Book: Smith, A. B. (2018). The Science of Nature. Publisher.
APA style does not use a superscript number in the text for citations. Instead, it relies on the author's last name and publication year. When using APA style, make sure to format your entire manuscript, including the reference list, according to APA guidelines.
The contributors agreement form (https://journalhost.in/CAF/) has to be submitted in original with the details of all the contributors within two weeks of submission.
Contact Information ↑
Editorial Contact
Contact Editor-In-Chief
Dr. Akram Ahmed
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Community Medicine (JPPCM)
Website: www.jppcm.org
Email: editor@jppcm.org