MyMedR

Fulltext New pharmacovigilance course at the International Islamic University Malaysia-IIUM

Al-lela OQ, Elkalmi RM, Jamshed SQ

Am J Pharm Educ, 2013 Jun 12;77(5):106.

Fulltext Immunization knowledge and practice among Malaysian parents: a questionnaire development and pilot-testing

Awadh AI, Hassali MA, Al-lela OQ, Bux SH, Elkalmi RM, Hadi H

BMC Public Health, 2014;14:1107.

PMID: 25346471 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-1107

Parents are the main decision makers for their children vaccinations. This fact makes parents' immunization knowledge and practices as predictor factors for immunization uptake and timeliness. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument in Malaysian language to measure immunization knowledge and practice (KP) of Malaysian parents.

Fulltext Does an educational intervention improve parents' knowledge about immunization? Experience from Malaysia

Awadh AI, Hassali MA, Al-Lela OQ, Bux SH, Elkalmi RM, Hadi H

BMC Pediatr, 2014;14:254.

PMID: 25284603 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-14-254

Parents' knowledge about immunization is an important predictor factor for their children's immunization status. The aims of this study were to assess parents' knowledge and to evaluate the effect of a short educational intervention on improving parents' knowledge of childhood immunization.

Community pharmacists' attitudes, perceptions, and barriers toward adverse drug reaction reporting in Malaysia: a quantitative insight

Elkalmi RM, Hassali MA, Ibrahim MI, Jamshed SQ, Al-Lela OQ

J Patient Saf, 2014 Jun;10(2):81-7.

PMID: 24618640 DOI: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000051

This study was designed to explore awareness and attitudes of community pharmacists toward the national ADR reporting system activities in the northern states of Malaysia.

Fulltext Iraqi parents' views of barriers to childhood immunization

Al-Lela OQ, Bahari MB, Al-Abbassi MG, Salih MR, Basher AY

East Mediterr Health J, 2013 Mar;19(3):295-7.

PMID: 23879083

Deficiencies in knowledge about immunization among parents often leads to poor utake or errors in immunization dosage and timing. The aims of this study were to determine Iraqi parents' views of barriers to immunization and beliefs about ways to promote immunization. A questionnaire survey was carried out among 528 Iraqi parents with children who had incomplete immunization status. The main barriers to immunization agreed by the parents were lack of vaccine availability (51.5% of parents) and parents' lack of education (42.4%), while 88.4% of parents thought that lack of funding was not an important barrier. More than 60% of the parents suggested promoting childhood immunization via the media, and 77.5% thought that an increase in funding would not remove barriers to childhood immunization. Better vaccine availability in public health clinics and improving parents' literacy might enhance immunization uptake in Iraq.

Fulltext Adverse drug reactions reporting : Knowledge and opinion of general public in Penang, Malaysia

Elkalmi R, Hassali MA, Al-Lela OQ, Jawad Awadh AI, Al-Shami AK, Jamshed SQ

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2013 Jul;5(3):224-8.

PMID: 24082699 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.116824

The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge of the general population towards ADR and their reporting system.

Influence of health providers on pediatrics' immunization rate

Al-lela OQ, Baidi Bahari M, Al-abbassi MG, Salih MR, Basher AY

J Trop Pediatr, 2012 Dec;58(6):441-5.

PMID: 22538210 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fms014

To identify the immunization providers' characteristics associated with immunization rate in children younger than 2 years. A cohort and a cluster sampling design were implemented; 528 children between 18 and 70 months of age were sampled in five public health clinics in Mosul-Iraq. Providers' characterizations were obtained. Immunization rate for the children was assessed. Risk factors for partial immunization were explored using both bivariate analyses and multi-level logistic regression models. Less than half of the children had one or more than one missed dose, considered as partial immunization cases. The study found significant association of immunization rate with provider's type. Two factors were found that strongly impacted on immunization rate in the presence of other factors: birthplace and immunization providers' type.

Estimation of immunization providers' activities cost, medication cost, and immunization dose errors cost in Iraq

Al-lela OQ, Bahari MB, Al-abbassi MG, Salih MR, Basher AY

Vaccine, 2012 Jun 6;30(26):3862-6.

PMID: 22521848 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.04.014

The immunization status of children is improved by interventions that increase community demand for compulsory and non-compulsory vaccines, one of the most important interventions related to immunization providers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the activities of immunization providers in terms of activities time and cost, to calculate the immunization doses cost, and to determine the immunization dose errors cost. Time-motion and cost analysis study design was used. Five public health clinics in Mosul-Iraq participated in the study. Fifty (50) vaccine doses were required to estimate activities time and cost. Micro-costing method was used; time and cost data were collected for each immunization-related activity performed by the clinic staff. A stopwatch was used to measure the duration of activity interactions between the parents and clinic staff. The immunization service cost was calculated by multiplying the average salary/min by activity time per minute. 528 immunization cards of Iraqi children were scanned to determine the number and the cost of immunization doses errors (extraimmunization doses and invalid doses). The average time for child registration was 6.7 min per each immunization dose, and the physician spent more than 10 min per dose. Nurses needed more than 5 min to complete child vaccination. The total cost of immunization activities was 1.67 US$ per each immunization dose. Measles vaccine (fifth dose) has a lower price (0.42 US$) than all other immunization doses. The cost of a total of 288 invalid doses was 744.55 US$ and the cost of a total of 195 extra immunization doses was 503.85 US$. The time spent on physicians' activities was longer than that spent on registrars' and nurses' activities. Physician total cost was higher than registrar cost and nurse cost. The total immunization cost will increase by about 13.3% owing to dose errors.

Fulltext Incorporating an immunization course in the pharmacy curriculum: Malaysian experience

Al-lela OQ, Bahari MB, Elkalmi RM, Jawad Awadh AI

Am J Pharm Educ, 2012 Dec 12;76(10):206.

PMID: 23275671 DOI: 10.5688/ajpe7610206

Fulltext Medical care costs of newly diagnosed children with structural-metabolic epilepsy: a one year prevalence-based approached

Salih MR, Bahari MB, Shafie AA, Hassali MA, Al-lela OQ, Abd AY, et al.

Seizure, 2012 Dec;21(10):764-9.

PMID: 22939458 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2012.08.005

Aims of this study were to estimate the first-year medical care costs of newly diagnosed children with structural-metabolic epilepsy and to determine the cost-driving factors in the selected population.

Practices associated with serum antiepileptic drug level monitoring at a pediatric neurology clinic: a Malaysian experience

Salih MR, Bahari MB, Hassali MA, Shafie AA, Al-Lela OQ, Abd AY, et al.

J Pharm Pract, 2013 Jun;26(3):192-7.

PMID: 22797836 DOI: 10.1177/0897190012451926

OBJECTIVES: To assess the practices associated with the application of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in the management of children with structural-metabolic epilepsy.
METHODS: It was a retrospective chart review and included children aged ≥2 years old with structural-metabolic epilepsy, treated with AEDs, and received TDM. The data were extracted from the medical records.
RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were identified with 50 TDM assays. In two thirds of the assays, "check level" and "recheck level" were the reasons behind the requesting of serum level monitoring of AEDs. Knowledge of serum AED levels led to alterations in the management in 60% of the assays. Thirty-two (76%) pediatrician's actions were consistent with the recommendation of TDM pharmacist. Forty-nine (98%) levels were appropriately indicated. In relation to the appropriateness of sampling time, 9 (18%) levels were not assessed due to missing data. Twenty-seven (54%) levels were appropriately sampled.
CONCLUSIONS: More studies should be designed to improve the component of the current TDM request form, especially in the reason section. By the same token, the number of pointless assays and the costs to the health care system can be reduced both by enhancing and improving the educational standards of the requesting neurologists.
KEYWORDS: Malaysia; epilepsy; neurology; pediatrics; therapeutic drug monitoring
Study site: Paediatric Neurology Clinic, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Fulltext Characteristics of seizure frequency among Malaysian children diagnosed with structural-metabolic epilepsy

Salih MR, Bahari MB, Hassali MA, Shafie AA, Al-Lela OQ, Abd AY, et al.

J Neurosci Rural Pract, 2012 Sep;3(3):244-50.

PMID: 23188969 DOI: 10.4103/0976-3147.102596

INTRODUCTION: Seizure-free patients or substantial reduction in seizure frequency are the most important outcome measures in the management of epilepsy. The study aimed to evaluate the patterns of seizure frequency and its relationship with demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Pediatric Neurology Clinic, Hospital Pulau Pinang. Over a period of 6 months, the required data were extracted from the medical records using a pre-designed data collection form.

RESULTS: Seizure frequency showed no significant association with patient's demographics and clinical characteristic. However, significant reduction in seizure frequency from the baseline to the last follow-up visit was only seen in certain subgroups of patients including Malays, females, patients <4 years of age, patients with global developmental delay/intellectual disability, and patients with focal seizure. There was no significant association between seizure frequency and rate of adverse events. Polytherapy visits were associated with higher seizure frequency than monotherapy visits (27.97 ± 56.66, 10.94 ± 30.96 attack per month, respectively) (P < 0.001). There was a clear tendency to get antiepileptic drugs used at doses above the recommended range in polytherapy (8.4%) rather than in monotherapy (1.4%) visits (P < 0.001). A significant correlation was found between seizure frequency and number of visits per patient per year (r = 0.450, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Among children with structural-metabolic epilepsy, Malays, females, patients <4 years of age, patients with global developmental delay/intellectual disability and patients manifested with focal seizure are more responsive antiepileptic drug therapy than the other subgroups of patients.

Displaying all 12 publications