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: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a relatively common chronic inflammatory muco-cutaneous disease classified among the potentially malignant lesions of oral mucosa. The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the expression of p53 and PCNA proteins in oral lichen planus and epithelial dysplasia cases. Materials and methods:Formalin-fixed and paraffin- embedded blocks of 21 lichen planusand 21 oral dysplasia cases were referred to immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis for anti p53 and anti PCNA monoclonal antibodies. Results: The results showed that positive nuclear staining for p53 was found in 11/21 (52.4%) cases of lichen planus and 17/21 (80.9%) cases of dysplasia. Positivity for PCNA was observed in 18/21(85.7%) of oral li
... Show MoreObjective: The objective of the present study was to design and optimize oral fast dissolving film (OFDF) of practically insoluble drug lafutidine in order to enhance bioavailability and patient compliance especially for a geriatric and unconscious patient who are suffering from difficulty in swallowing.Methods: The films were prepared by a solvent casting method using low-grade hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC E5), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) as film forming polymers. Polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400), propylene glycol (PG) and glycerin were used as a plasticizer to enhance the film forming properties of the polymer. Tween 80 (1% solution) and poloxamer407 were used as a surfactant, citri
... Show MoreThe current research aims to identify pictorial coding and its relationship to the aesthetic taste of art education students. The research community consisted of (10) plastic artworks, and (3) artworks were selected as a sample for analysis and decoding. With the aim of the research, the research tool was prepared as it consisted of an analysis form, and the researcher used statistical methods: Equation (Cooper) to find the percentage of agreement between the arbitrators and the equation (Scott) to calculate the validity of the tool, and the correlation coefficient (Pearson) to extract stability in the method of segmentation half. Shape formations and achieve encryption of the plastic image through decoding symbols, meanings, and the sig
... Show MoreBackground: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic immunologic disease. The etiology of OLP is unknown, viral antigens (for example EBV) have been proposed as etiologic agents. OLP may get transformation to malignancy so research on the presence of these in OLP lesions seems to be necessary. The aim of this study was to evaluate EBV expression immunohistochemically in OLP. Materials and Methods: Tissue specimens of 30 formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue Blocks histologically diagnosed oral lichen planus was performed to evaluate EBV expression. Results: Expression of EBV was detected in epithelium of (46.6%) in the study samples in (OLP). no statistically significant correlation was found with clinical parameters except for a significan
... Show MoreBackground: The roles of AI in the academic community continue to grow, especially in the enhancement of learning outcomes and the improvement of writing quality and efficiency. Objectives: To explore in depth the experience of senior pharmacy students in using artificial intelligence for academic purposes. Methods: This qualitative study included face-to-face individual interviews with senior pharmacy students from March to May 2023 using a pre-planned interview guide of open-ended questions. All interviews were audio-recorded. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The results were obtained from 15 in-depth face-to-face interviews with senior pharmacy students (5th and 4th years). Eight participants were male, an
... Show MoreBackground: The roles of AI in the academic community continue to grow, especially in the enhancement of learning outcomes and the improvement of writing quality and efficiency. Objectives: To explore in depth the experience of senior pharmacy students in using artificial intelligence for academic purposes. Methods: This qualitative study included face-to-face individual interviews with senior pharmacy students from March to May 2023 using a pre-planned interview guide of open-ended questions. All interviews were audio-recorded. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The results were obtained from 15 in-depth face-to-face interviews with senior pharmacy students (5th and 4th years). Eight participants were male, and seven
... Show MoreThis paper aims to explain strategic initiatives as a complex phenomenon. It integrates systems and complexity theory to describe how strategic initiatives emerge, enabling decision-makers to ensure the sustainability of strategic initiatives.
Use the systematic review process, which includes original contributions for strategic initiatives between 1980 and 2024.
Every body has a size and mass that distinguishes it from others and makes it different from others. Some of these bodies are huge and large in size, and some are small and light in weight. Among these masses and bodies are some that are dealt with by their size and weight, each according to its quantity, weight, and cheapness. This is why they created quantities by which these weights and quantities could be estimated, so they used measures and weights for that. Objectives: The research aims to know some measures and weights, such as the wife’s maintenance, the amount of zakat, etc.I found it to be a widely spread topic, and widely used in the folds of jurisprudence. During my reading of jurisprudence books, I found jurists using many qu
... Show MoreThe present study aimed at identifying the level of psychological alienation and motivation of achievement among the incoming teachers in the schools of Dhofar Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman a well as to explore the correlation relationship between psychological alienation and motivation of achievement. The sample of the study consisted of (238) expatriated teachers from Al- Dhofar Governorate in Oman who were selected randomly. The psychological alienation scale and the motivation of achievement scale for teachers were used by researchers and were conducted electronically by google forms. The data were processed statistically using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed that the level of psy
... Show MoreThe problem of present study is determined by answering the following questions:
1) What is the effect of using the oral open- ended questions on Students' achievement in the third-stage of Arabic department in the college of Education? 2) What is the effect of the oral open-ended questions on developing the creative thinking of students in
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