Introduction: Although it is discouraged, community pharmacy customers can obtain oral corticosteroids (OCSs) without prescriptions from some community pharmacies in Iraq. Medication abuse is defined as the use of medication for non-medical reasons. Objectives: The study aimed to determine demographics, beliefs, and perceptions associated with the abuse of oral corticosteroids for non-illness reasons among community pharmacy customers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in fall 2018 in four provinces in Iraq. Customers of 19 community pharmacies asking for OCSs for themselves without a prescription were administered a paper survey. This study used the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to measure the relationship between the motivational factors and the abuse of OCSs. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between the use of OCSs for non-illness and six TRA factors: Normative belief, behavioral belief, evaluation of the behavior, motivation to comply, subjective norms and attitude toward behavior. Results: The study enrolled 141 participants (98 women and 43 men) taking asking for OCSs without prescription. Dexamethasone was the most commonly used OCSs (59.6%). Friends were the primary recommenders for corticosteroids abuse (28.4%). The main reasons for using OCSs were to increase appetite and gain weight (53.9 %). Approximately one-third (36.2 %) of the participants gained weight after using OCSs. The regression analysis of the TRA variables showed two factors were significantly related to the abuse of OCSs. Age had a significant inverse relationship with the abuse of OCSs and the "good appearance" belief had a significant positive association with OCS abuse. Conclusion: Some Iraqi community pharmacy customers use non-prescribed oral corticosteroids to increase appetite and gain weight. Improve body appearance represents the dominant incentive that urges people to use OCSs without prescription. Health officials and healthcare practitioners need to promote people's awareness about the risks of misusing OCSs through education programs and advertisements in public health settings, media, and social media. Article Type: Original Research
Background: In young adults, multiple sclerosis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory demyelinating condition. It is characterized by white matter affection, but many individuals also have significant gray matter involvement. A double-inversion recovery pulse (DIR) pattern was recently proposed to improve the visibility of multiple sclerosis lesions. Objective: To find out how well a DIR sequence, FLAIR, and T2-weighted pulse sequences can find MS lesions in the supratentorial and infratentorial regions. Methods: A total of 37 patients with established diagnoses of multiple sclerosis were included in this cross-sectional study. Brain MRI was done using double inversion recovery, T2, and FLAIR sequences. The number of lesions was count
... Show MoreThe Co (II), Ni (II) ,Cu(II), Zn(II) ,Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes of mixed of amino acid (L-Alanine ) and Trimethoprim antibiotic were synthesized. The complexes were characterized using melting point, conductivity measurement and determination the percentage of the metal in the complexes by flame (AAS). Magnetic susceptibility, Spectroscopic Method [FT-IR and UV-Vis]. The general formula have been given for the prepared mixed ligand complexes [M(Ala)2(TMP)(H2O)] where L- alanine (abbreviated as (Ala ) = (C5H9NO2) deprotonated primary ligand, L- Alanine ion .= (C5H8NO2-) Trimethoprim (abbreviated as (TMP ) = C10H11N3O3S M(II) = Co (II),Ni(II) ,Cu(II), Zn(II) ,Cd(II) and Hg(II). The results showed that the deprotonated L- Alanine b
... Show MoreA new chelate complexes of Co(II),Ni(II),Zn(II) and Cd(II) were prepared by reacting these ions with the ligand 2-[4- Carboxy methyl phenyl azo]-4,5-diphenyl imidazole (4CMeI) The preparation were conducted after fixing the optimum conditions such as (pH) and concentration .UV- visible spectra of these complex solutions were studied for a range of (pH) and concentration which obey lampert-Beers Law.The structures of complexes were deduced according to mole ratio method which were obtained from the spectroscopic studies of the complex solutions .The ratios of metal: ligand obtained were (1:2) for all complexes..(UV-Vis) absorption spectra and The infrared spectra of the chelating complexes were studied ,this may indicate that coordination be
... Show MoreThe formation of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II)-complexes (C1-C5) respectively was studied with new Schiff base ligand [benzyl(2-hydroxy-1-naphthalidene) hydrazine carbodithioate derived from reaction of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde and benzyl hydrazine carbodithioate. The suggested structures of the ligand and its complexes have been determined by using C.H.N.S analyzer, thermal analysis, FT-IR, U.V-Visible, 1HNMR, 13CNMR , conductivity measurement , magnetic susceptibility and atomic absorption. According to these studies, the ligand coordinates as a tridentate with metal ions through nitrogen atom of azomethane , oxygen atom of hydroxyl, and sulfur atom of thione
... Show MoreNew mixed ligand complexes of New Schiff base 4,4'- ((naphthalen-1-ylimino) methylene) dibenzene-1,3-diol and 8-hydroxy quinoline: Synthesis, Spectral Characterization, Thermal studies and Biological Activities
Enticed by the present scenario of infectious diseases, four new Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) complexes of Schiff base ligand were synthesized from 6,6′-((1E-1′E)(phenazine-2,3-dielbis(azanylidene)-bis-(methanylidene)-bis-(3-(diethylamino)phenol)) (
The Co (II), Ni (II) ,Cu(II), Zn(II) ,Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes of mixed of amino acid (L-Alanine ) and Trimethoprim antibiotic were synthesized. The complexes were characterized using melting point, conductivity measurement and determination the percentage of the metal in the complexes by flame (AAS). Magnetic susceptibility, Spectroscopic Method [FTIR and UV-Vis]. The general formula have been given for the prepared mixed ligand complexes [M(Ala)2(TMP)(H2O)] where L- alanine (abbreviated as (Ala ) = (C5H9NO2) deprotonated primary ligand, L- Alanine ion .= (C5H8NO2 -) Trimethoprim (abbreviated as (TMP ) = C10H11N3O3S M(II) = Co (II),Ni(II) ,Cu(II), Zn(II) ,Cd(II) and Hg(II). The results showed that the deprotonated L- Alanine by KOH (Ala
... Show MoreThe new 4-[(7-chloro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole)azo]-4,5-diphenyl imidazole (L) have been synthesized and characterized by micro elemental and thermal analyses as well as 1H.NMR, FT-IR, and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. (L) acts as a ligand coordinating with some metal ionsV(IV), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II). Structures of the new compounds were characterized by elemental and thermal analyses as well as FT-IR and UV-Vis Spectra. The magnetic properties and electrical conductivities of metal complexes were also determined. Study of the nature of the complexes formed in ethanol following the mole ratio method.. The work also include a theoretical treatment of the formed complexes in the gas phase, this was done using the (hyperch
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