Falls and related injuries are major public health problems among older people (OP). The use of fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) has been identified as a risk factor for falls, yet the use of the drugs among OP is common. Previous studies showed that OP have low awareness about FRIDs. Education materials (EMs) have the potential to be used to enhance knowledge of OP on various health-related topics including FRIDs. This study employed a focus group discussion (FGD) to seek the opinions of key stakeholders in OP care about EMs on FRIDs. Nineteen healthcare providers (HCPs) participated in the FGDs which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The HCPs believed that the awareness of OP about medications as a risk factor for falls is low. EMs on FRIDs were well received by the HCPs, and were associated with several benefits. Several topics were recommended to be included in the EMs with the aim to enhance the awareness and risk perceptions about FRIDs among OP and to promote HCP-patient communication about the drugs. The HCPs' opinions may assist the development of EMs on FRIDs by informing the priorities and scope of content, thus ensuring the suitability and relevance for OP.

In response to the inability to conduct conventional face-to-face objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) due to the COVID-19 lockdown, this study explored options to design virtual OSCE (vOSCE) that meets the objectives and standards of effective competency-based assessment for a large cohort of pharmacy students. The vOSCE required advanced planning of the actual assessment and technical conduct. The development of a master plan consisting of the types of competencies to test, topics and number of cases, and assessment rubrics, guided the team members to develop an adequate OSCE assessment module. Technical aspects included recruitment of examiners, simulated patients (SP), technical support, and a platform for vOSCE. The main challenges were to ensure well-ordered vOSCE and a stable internet connection for examiners, SP, and students. Google Meet was utilised due to its functionality, familiarity, and low internet consumption to all parties involved. Feedback was obtained from stakeholders to improve future OSCE conduct.

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Vitamin K antagonist such as warfarin reduces the risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Since warfarin has a narrow therapeutic index, its administration needs to be regularly monitored to avoid any adverse clinical outcomes such as stroke and bleeding. The quality of anticoagulation control with warfarin therapy can be measured by using time in therapeutic range (TTR). This review focuses on the prevalence of AF, quality of anticoagulation control (TTR) and adverse clinical outcome in AF patients within different ethnic groups receiving warfarin therapy for stroke prevention. A literature search was conducted in Embase and PubMed using keywords of “prevalence,” “atrial fibrillation,” “stroke prevention,” “oral anticoagulants,” “warfarin,” “ethnicities,” “race” “time in therapeutic range,” “adverse clinical outcome,” “stroke, bleeding.” Articles published by 1st February 2020 were included. Forty-one studies were included in the final review consisting of AF prevalence (n = 14 studies), time in therapeutic range (n = 18 studies), adverse clinical outcome (n = 9 studies) within different ethnic groups. Findings indicate that higher prevalence of AF but better anticoagulation control among the Whites as compared to other ethnicities. Of note, non-whites had higher risk of strokes and bleeding outcomes while on warfarin therapy. Addressing disparities in prevention and healthcare resource allocation could potentially improve AF-related outcomes in minorities.

Background The role of pharmacists in the healthcare system has evolved towards facilitating and providing patient‐centred care. Involving pharmacists in research is essential to the advancement of practice; however, at present, the level of involvement of pharmacists in research in Sabah, Malaysia, is low. Aim The aims of this study were to explore the attitudes, perceptions and barriers faced by pharmacists in Sabah and to identify potential strategies to increase the involvement of pharmacists in research. Method The present qualitative study comprised a series of in‐depth, face‐to‐face interviews. Pharmacists from public services in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, were selected using purposive sampling and were interviewed until saturation of themes was reached. All interview sessions were audio recorded and transcribed, with additional notes recorded by a member of the research team. Data were analysed thematically. Results Nine pharmacists participated in the interviews. Two themes emerged around pharmacists’ attitudes towards research: (1) perspectives regarding willingness; and (2) perceptions of research participation. Some interviewees expressed limited interest in research participation because they underestimated or undervalued the importance of undertaking research. Barriers to research participation were grouped into five themes: perception; communication; resources; skill and knowledge; and recognition and rewards. Strategies such as proper time management and providing adequate staffing in research were suggested to overcome the barriers to participation. Conclusion Most interviewees were not aware of the importance of participating in research in improving health care. Practical strategies were suggested to overcome the barriers to participation, and these strategies should be considered when promoting research participation.