Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37510632›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2023

Perspectives of and Experience toward the Abuse of Antidiarrheal Drug (Loperamide) among Community Pharmacists: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Muna Barakat, Amal Akour, Diana Malaeb, Sarah Cherri, Wala'a Al Safadi, Ala'a Al Safadi, Mayyada Wazaify

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Muna BarakatDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman 541350, Jordan.ORCID 0000-0002-7966-1172
Amal AkourDepartment of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan.
Diana MalaebCollege of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman P.O. Box 4184, United Arab Emirates.
Sarah CherriSchool of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut 14404, Lebanon.
Wala'a Al SafadiDepartment of Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman 19328, Jordan.
Ala'a Al SafadiDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman 541350, Jordan.
Mayyada WazaifyDepartment of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan.ORCID 0000-0001-8724-6027

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the ability of community pharmacists to recognize cases of loperamide abuse at the point of sale, their perspective of and experience toward potential abuse cases.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan, using a self-administered online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three main parts: demographics, the experience of pharmacists with abusers' behavior, as well as their perspectives toward loperamide abuse.

resultsA total of 250 community pharmacists completed the survey, 54% (135) of which were female. Almost one-third (33.2%; 83) of the participants reported exposure to suspected cases of loperamide abuse during the last six months. Pharmacists declared that most of the suspected loperamide abusers were male (60.2%), of middle-low socioeconomic status (69.9%), and between 20 and 30 years of age (57.8%). The largest quantity (packs) of loperamide requested by a single patient was around 33.2 ± 14.9 at once. As reported by pharmacists, the suspected reasons behind loperamide abuse included 50% seeking euphoria, 17% relieving anxiety, and 33% controlling addiction (weaning off other opioids). The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between the male sex (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 0.12-1.59), pharmacy location in the center of Jordan (OR = 21.2, 95% CI 2.45-183.59), late-night working shift (Shift C, OR = 1.29, 95% CI 0.12-2.08), and abuse to loperamide during the last six months.

conclusionsThis study sheds light on loperamide abuse potentials, which could be influenced by different sociodemographic characteristics. Accordingly, close monitoring and thorough tackling of the abuse practices are mandated through an increase in educational and awareness campaigns about proper medication use.

Indexed as

LoperamideSubstance-Related DisordersAntidiarrhealsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePharmacistsAntidiarrhealsLoperamideabusecommunity pharmacistsJordanloperamide

Identifiers

PMID37510632
PMCPMC10379004

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.