WHO supports the harnessing of mobile technologies to improve access to smoking cessation services. As such, this study evaluated the effectiveness of smoking cessation services provided by community pharmacists using PharmQuit compared with standard care. The study was a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial that included 156 participants who were 18 years or older and smoked at least one cigarette daily for a month, were ready to quit, willing to participate, and had a smartphone. The study was performed at seven community pharmacies in three provinces in Thailand. Participants were allocated to the intervention (n = 78) and control groups (n = 78). Both groups received the usual smoking cessation services with pharmacotherapy and counseling from community pharmacists for 6 months. The intervention group received PharmQuit as an additional service. Both groups were scheduled for follow-up visits on days 7, 14, 30, 60, 120, and 180. The primary outcome was continuous abstinence rate on day 180. The secondary outcomes included 7-day point abstinence rate, number of cigarettes smoked per day, exhaled carbon monoxide levels, adherence rate to the program, and satisfaction with PharmQuit. An analysis using the intent-to-treat principle was performed. Smoking cessation rates and the number of cigarettes smoked per day were significantly higher during the follow-up visits in both groups (p < 0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. The adherence rate to the smoking cessation program was higher in the intervention group than in the control group (74 days vs. 60 days, p > 0.05). The results showed the benefits of the contribution of community pharmacists. Although the inclusion of PharmQuit did not yield better results than pharmacists’ counselling alone, it may help obtain better adherence to smoking cessation programs. Trial registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry: TCTR20200925004 on September 25, 2020 –retrospectively registered, http://www.clinicaltrials.in.th/index.php?tp=regtrials&menu=trialsearch&smenu=fulltext&task=search&task2=view1&id=6841.

Objective. To implement and evaluate 5 integrated teaching modules in the fifth-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum to increase students' ability to promote patients' health as part of their pharmacy practice. Design. Activity-based learning was added to each module: (1) a practice experience in which students provided health information and counseling to the public; (2) academic debates on current issues in pharmacy (3) journal clubs on articles from the pharmacy literature; and (4) research projects relating to ongoing faculty research on diabetes. Students on 12-week practice experiences had visits to patients in inpatient wards, outpatient clinics, and either primary care units or community pharmacies. Assessment. Practice examinations at the end of the first semester, the average student score was above 80% as determined by preceptors in experience sites and from faculty members. Group interviews found that students were positive about the benefits of integrated teaching. Conclusion. The integration of the teaching between modules in the same semester is possible and greatly benefits student learning.Keywords: active learning, pharmacy practice, pharmacy practice experience, PharmD curriculum, health promotion, Thailand INTRODUCTIONOnly 6 of the 15 universities with pharmacy programs in Thailand offer the 6-year PharmD curriculum.1-6 The standard requirements for the PharmD curriculum has/ have been published by the Ministry of Education. 7 The Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, was the second university in Thailand to establish the 6-year PharmD program. We accepted our first students into the program in 2000. The current PharmD curriculum requires 240 credits including 30 credits in general education, 30 credits in basic sciences, 87 credits in professional health sciences, 65 credits in clinical pharmacy, 18 credits in research, and 10 credits in elective subjects. The curriculum includes lecturing and active learning in the first through fifth years, and practice skills in hospitals and community pharmacies in the second through sixth years (year 2 5 48 hours, year 3 5 80 hours, year 4 5 400 hours, summer of year 5 5 150 hours, and year 6 5 5 practice experiences of 225 hours each. 1Teaching of pharmacy modules in Thailand is generally delivered independently for each specialty. Students have been taught many different modules without any strategy to help them conceptually apply their knowledge to promote people's health in their pharmacy practice. Since health promotion is an important issue throughout Thailand, the Pharmacy Network for Health Promotion (PNHP) in 2004, led by Associate Professor Dr. Jiraporn Limpananont, introduced the idea of health promotion being included in the Thai pharmacy curriculum of all 15 universities offering a pharmacy degree. 8 The aim of the PNHP was for pharmacy students to become pharmacists who were up-to-date in global health matters and who could play a role in the rational use of medicines and health promotion.8 Competence in health promotion is ...

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Aim: Phenytoin is metabolized through CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 . Polymorphisms of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 may increase plasma concentration and side effects. Materials & methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the effects of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 polymorphism on pharmacokinetic parameters. PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane library, and Thai databases were systematically searched. Results: Eight observational studies, comprising a total of 633 patients were included. Michaelis–Menten constant was significantly higher in the polymorphism of CYP2C9IM/CYP2C19EM and CYP2C9IM/CYP2C19IM groups as compared with the control groups (CYP2C9EM/CYP2C19EM) at 2.16 and 1.55 mg/l (p < 0.00001, p < 0.0001). The maximum rate of action was significantly lower in the control groups as compared with the polymorphism of CYP2C9IM/CYP2C19EM and CYP2C9IM/CYP2C19IM groups at 3.10 and 3.53 mg/kg/day (p = 0.00001, <0.0001). Conclusion: The dosage regimen for patients in the CYP2C9IM group to achieve phenytoin therapeutic levels was 2.1–3.4 mg/kg/day.

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