The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of clinical pharmacists' interventions on the adherence to dementia treatment and the caregivers' knowledge of dementia.Methods: This study was conducted at a geriatric outpatient clinic of the university hospital between October 2018 and April 2019. The Morisky Green Levine Adherence Scale (MGLS) to patients or caregivers and the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Tool Version Two (DKAT2) to caregivers were applied at the beginning of the study and 4 months later by a clinical pharmacist. After the scales were applied in the first interview, verbal information about the importance of adherence to dementia treatment, and incorrect answers of caregivers in DKAT2 were provided by the clinical pharmacist.Results: A total of 94 patients and 91 caregivers were included in the study. High adherence to treatment was determined in 70.2% of the patients in the first interview and in 95.7% in the second interview (P < 0.001). The mean score of DKAT2 was 15.53 AE 2.44 in the first interview, while the median score of DKAT2 in the second interview was 19.11 AE 1.25 (P < 0.001). Conclusion:The intervention of clinical pharmacists significantly increased the adherence to dementia treatment and the caregivers' knowledge of dementia. Close monitoring of dementia patients and caregivers by clinical pharmacists and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team play an important role in dementia care.

We evaluated swallowing function in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) with or without dysphagia symptoms using different evaluation parameters and compared the results with those of healthy subjects. A total of 36 patients with MG and 25 healthy volunteers were included in the study. The subjects were classified into three groups; patients without dysphagia (group 1), patients with dysphagia (group 2), and healthy participants (group 3). The presence and severity of dysphagia, the oropharyngeal, pharyngeal, pharyngoesophageal, and esophageal phases were assessed using a screening test, manometric test, electrophysiologic studies [electroneuromyography (EMG)], fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), and barium swallow pharyngeal esophagography (BSPE), respectively. There was a significant difference between group 1 and group 3 in terms of BSPE (p = 0.001) and manometry tests (p = 0.001). A significant difference was found in all methods between group 2 and group 3 (p = 0.001, for all). In the comparison of the patient groups, although the number of patients with dysphagia in group 2 was significantly higher in the clinical tests (p = 0.007), FEES (p = 0.001), and EMG (p = 0.043) than in group 1, no difference was detected for BSPE (p = 0.119) and manometry (p = 0.644). Swallowing functions in patients with MG may be affected even without symptoms. This condition should be considered in their follow-up.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a major public health problem. The elderly people are the most affected population by the COVID-19 outbreak in terms of mortality and morbidity. Delirium caused by hypoxia, a prominent clinical feature of COVID-19, may increase the need for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients (1). Therefore, drug-drug interactions should be considered in AD patients while receiving COVID-19 treatment.

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