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Objectives The current study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitude and practice of schoolteachers in Jordan towards medication. Furthermore, it assessed teachers' views regarding the importance of school education in the promotion of appropriate and safe use of medicines. Methods All Facebook groups of teachers who were members of the Jordan Teachers Syndicate and/or teachers employed by Jordan Ministry of Education were invited to participate. A cross-sectional online survey using a validated pre-piloted anonymous Arabic questionnaire was created using Google documents. The questionnaire was automatically hosted via a unique URL. Researchers downloaded real-time questionnaire responses. Data were coded and entered into SPSS database for windows version 22 for statistical analysis. Key findings A total of 902 teachers filled in the questionnaire. The mean knowledge score achieved in multiple-choice questions was 2.43 AE 0.51 out of 4.00. The top three factors affecting all of teachers' knowledge questions were as follows: age, the presence of chronic disease, and the school grade that they taught. Teachers showed variation in their attitude towards education about medicines in children. The majority (80.7%) of teachers were unfamiliar with education about medication and had never taught schoolchildren about any issues related to proper use of medications. Conclusions The study highlighted that teachers' knowledge about medicines was not satisfactory enough for them to become active health educators. At the same time, they were willing to educate children about proper use of medicines, and such education should be started at the first grade (i.e. 6 years old).

Background: Inappropriate prescribing can cause significant morbidity and mortality in geriatric patients. Studies implementing the updated 2015 American Geriatrics Society (ACG) Beers Criteria in the identification of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are lacking. In addition, there is limited information regarding PIM use in critically ill older adults.Objective: To investigate the prevalence, patterns and determinants of PIM among elderly critically ill patients in Jordan.Setting: critical care unit (surgical, medical, cardiac) at Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan Method: A cross-sectional study conducted over a 5-month period. Patients 65 years and older, taking at least one medication and admitted to critical care unit, were included. PIM were identified and classified in accordance with the American Geriatrics Society 2015 Beers Criteria. Results:One hundred and fifty-four patients were included (55.8% males), the mean age was 75.4 ± 7.1 years. The median number of prescribed medications was 11 (IQR=6). The use of at least one PIM was identified in 51 (33.1%). In 90 cases (58.4%), medications to be used with caution in older adults were also evaluated. Patients who received at least one PIM were prescribed a higher total number of medications in the hospital (13 vs. 11.5, P<0.05). Diabetes was also significantly associated with PIM prescription (84.3% vs. 49.5%, P<0.005).Conclusion: PIM prevalence among ICU elderly patients was high (every third patient). The factors associated with PIM prescription included the total number of medications and presence of diabetes mellitus.

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