Despite its being highly mineralised, the Hope Mine area has become a residential district. Composite soil samples taken from 91 allotments show values for cadmium: < 2-220 mg kg(-1), lead: 6-38,000 mg kg(-1), and zinc: 66-40,000 mg kg(-1). Water samples from adits contain 52-86 μg kg(-1) of lead and < 1-2 hg kg(-1) of cadmium. The soil contents of cadmium and lead in at least two areas suggest that remedial actions should be considered. Blood lead levels for 33 children aged between ten months and seven years are in the range 5.7-57 μg dl(-1); haemoglobin levels vary between 9.7 and 12.7 mg dl(-1). There is no obvious relationship between Pb and haemoglobin levels. Further geochemical work to define fully the spatial extent of the polluted region and epidemiological studies including intelligence testing to define further the effects of lead on children in this environment would be valuable.

Objective:To identify major potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) on prescriptions filled at the University Health Centre Pharmacy, Mona Campus, Jamaica.Methods:This investigation utilised a cross-sectional analysis on all prescriptions with more than one drug that were filled at the Health Centre Pharmacy between November 2012 and February 2013. Potential DDIs were identified using the online Drug Interactions Checker database of Drugs.com.Results:During the period of the study, a total of 2814 prescriptions were analysed for potential DDIs. The prevalence of potential DDIs found during the study period was 49.82%. Major potential DDIs accounted for 4.7 % of the total number of interactions detected, while moderate potential DDIs and minor potential DDIs were 80.8 % and 14.5 % respectively. The three most frequently occurring major potential DDIs were amlodipine and simvastatin (n=46), amiloride and losartan (n=27) and amiloride and lisinopril (n=16).Conclusion:This study has highlighted the need for educational initiatives to ensure that physicians and pharmacists collaborate in an effort to minimise the risks to the patients. These interactions are avoidable for the most part, as the use of online tools can facilitate the selection of therapeutic alternatives or guide decisions for closer patient monitoring and thus reduce the risks of adverse events.

The background levels of lead in Jamaica in soils and sediments, estimated at 37 mg kg(-1), are relatively high compared with world averages. Several areas have values in excess of this due to mineralisation and pollution. One such is the residential Hope Flats/Kintyre area in which levels of lead up to 2.5% are found in the soils and up to 8 μg kg(-1) in the water of the nearby Hope River. The blood lead levels of a sample of children were in the range 5.7-57 μg dl(-1). The high lead levels suggest a potential health risk, particularly for the children. This can be minimised by programmes which include community education, case management and abatement to reduce the lead exposure.