Background: Knowledge, perceptions and prescribing behaviour are key to antibiotic prescribing. The aim of this paper is to systematically review this. Method: An extensive literature search from 1990-2014. Results: 19 articles were included; 8 in ambulatory care, 7 in hospital settings, and 4 in both, across all countries. Physicians still have inadequate knowledge and misconceptions about antibiotic prescribing. Moreover, some physicians although aware that antibiotics are of limited benefit in some conditions still prescribed them. Several factors influenced prescribing including patients' expectations, severity and duration of infections, uncertainty over diagnosis, potentially losing patients, and influence of pharmaceutical companies. Pocket-sized guidelines seen as an important source of information for physicians. Conclusion: Inadequate knowledge of prescribing is prevalent among physicians. However, many physicians were interested in improving their antibiotic prescribing. Multifaceted interventions targeting all key stakeholders including patients are needed to improve future antibiotic prescribing.

Generic medicines are clinically interchangeable with original brand medicines and have the same quality, efficacy and safety profiles. They are, nevertheless, much cheaper in price. Thus, while providing the same therapeutic outcomes, generic medicines lead to substantial savings for healthcare systems. Therefore, the quality use of generic medicines is promoted in many countries. In this paper, we reviewed the role of generic medicines in healthcare systems and the experiences of promoting the use of generic medicines in eight selected countries, namely the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Sweden, Finland, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. The review showed that there are different main policies adopted to promote generic medicines such as generic substitution in the US, generic prescribing in the UK and mandatory generic substitution in Sweden and Finland. To effectively and successfully implement the main policy, different complementary policies and initiatives were necessarily introduced. Barriers to generic medicine use varied between countries from negative perceptions about generic medicines to lack of a coherent generic medicine policy, while facilitators included availability of information about generic medicines to both healthcare professionals and patients, brand interchangeability guidelines, regulations that support generic substitution by pharmacists, and incentives to both healthcare professionals and patients.

The majority of community pharmacists in Riyadh have poor knowledge of the ADR reporting process. Pharmacovigilance authorities should take necessary steps to urgently design interventional programs in order to increase the knowledge and awareness of pharmacists regarding the ADR reporting process.

This is the first randomized controlled trial in India that demonstrates the pivotal role of pharmacist-led educational intervention in improving medication adherence in COPD. Involving non-physician health professionals could be the best strategy, for resource-poor nations like India, because the current physician-centric healthcare has no emphasis on patient education and counselling.

Background: Multiple measures introduced early to restrict COVID-19 have dramatically impacted the teaching of medical and pharmacy students, exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure and experience with e-learning at the start of the pandemic. In addition, the costs and reliability of the Internet across Africa pose challenges alongside undertaking clinical teaching and practical programmes. Consequently, there is a need to understand the many challenges and how these were addressed, given increasingly complex patients, to provide future direction. Method: An exploratory study was conducted among senior-level medical and pharmacy educators across Africa, addressing four key questions, including the challenges resulting from the pandemic and how these were dealt with. Results: Staff and student members faced multiple challenges initially, including adapting to online learning. In addition, concerns with the lack of equipment (especially among disadvantaged students), the costs of Internet bundles, and how to conduct practicals and clinical teaching. Multiple activities were undertaken to address these challenges. These included training sessions, developing innovative approaches to teaching, and seeking ways to reduce Internet costs. Robust approaches to practicals, clinical teaching, and assessments have been developed. Conclusions: Appreciable difficulties to teaching arising from the pandemic are being addressed across Africa. Research is ongoing to improve education and assessments.