Green tea extract (GTE) is one of the most popular beverages globally, traditionally prepared from Camelia sinensis leaves. Therefore, it is beneficial to define the impact of GTE and its ingredients on the human organism. Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant catechin in green tea leaves, belonging to the group of tannins and flavonoids, demonstrating pharmacological activity, but so far, it has not been applied as a drug. This is because EGCG does not present sufficient stability and quickly decomposes through epimerization or autooxidation mechanisms under the influence of light, temperature, changes in pH, or the presence of oxygen. Another limiting factor is EGCG’s low bioavailability after oral administration. Nevertheless, the growing market of dietary supplements together with increasing growing consumption of green tea extracts should prompt us to pay more attention to the safety of both EGCG itself, as well as its influence on other simultaneously used drugs. Previously published data confirm the relationship between healthcare professionals’ access to professional knowledge and their willingness to engage in patient education. For this reason, in this review article, we report the formulations of EGCG and GTE, discuss the data on the safety of EGCG and its possible interactions with drugs, as well as gather various recommendations from medical specialists. Particular attention should be paid to the consumption of green tea during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as in the elderly. Patients taking clozapine, digoxin, and warfarin should avoid consuming GTE extracts and dietary supplements containing EGCG. Professional consultation seems especially important for patients treated with statins, calcium channel blockers, or sildenafil.

Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are commonly used for assessing students, but medical teachers may lack training in writing them. MCQs often have imperfections called item-writing flaws (IWFs) that can affect students’ results and impede objective evaluation of their knowledge. This study aimed to evaluate a guideline-based faculty development intervention on writing MCQs at Levels 1 and 2 of the Kirkpatrick Model. MCQs written by teachers prior and after the intervention were analyzed with the Shapiro–Wilk test, Student’s t-test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test as appropriate. In addition, the phenomenological approach was chosen to describe experiences of 10 teachers in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Results showed satisfaction of teachers with the document. They found it helpful in writing MCQs and noticed the requirement for another guidelines. They appreciated it for its briefness and clarity. The statistical analysis of the quality of MCQs before and after the intervention showed that the document contributed to a statistically significant reduction of IWFs. To conclude, our results showed that a guideline document on writing MCQs may serve as a well-received and effective faculty development intervention. The document may be used as a flexible, time-saving, and just-in-time learning method, fitting needs of medical teachers.

Over the years, many studies have emphasized the pharmacist’s importance as part of the patient care team. Still, the interprofessional collaboration between physicians and pharmacists in their everyday work seems rare. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the types of contact between them, possible mutual collaboration, and barriers to implementation. This study was conducted from April to August 2020. The study group included licensed pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Poland (n = 207). The results show that, according to the respondents, physician–pharmacist contact mainly concerns formal aspects, such as correcting prescription errors. They occasionally communicate for other matters, such as consultation regarding drug availability and drug dosage. However, when asked to divide responsibilities between them and physicians, pharmacists indicate areas that should involve interprofessional collaboration, e.g., monitoring adverse drug reactions, analysis of multi-drug therapy, and checking the regularity of taking medications. They indicated the lack of specific collaboration rules, limited willingness to establish relationships and low mutual respect and trust among existing barriers. It is worth considering the possibility of overcoming these barriers provided by interprofessional education in order to develop communication skills and build relationships based on respect.

The ERASMUS program is one of the most popular student exchange projects, particularly among the students of Central and Eastern European countries. However, limited research is available with regard to its influence on the professional and personal development of its participants. The study aimed at investigating the experiences and impact of the ERASMUS program on different domains of the personal and professional life of medical students. A questionnaire containing closed and open-ended questions was distributed among 269 former participants of the ERASMUS program from the Poznan University of Medical Sciences to collect qualitative and quantitative data regarding the topic. The response rate was 41%. Mastering professional foreign language skills was the most frequently reported benefit of ERASMUS (94%), followed by a change of approach towards learning by exposure to innovative teaching techniques, character, professionalism and cultural competency development, impact on the migration decisions of the students, as well as the opportunity to compare healthcare and educational systems across countries. Additionally, 57% of respondents stated that ERASMUS impacted their career plans, and few indicated that it had affected their specialty choice. Approximately 28% of respondents have worked abroad in healthcare or research since graduating. Participation in the ERASMUS program proved to be a unique opportunity for professional and personal development.

Background: Community pharmacies in many countries around the world provide healthcare services for patients. Pharmacists trained as medication experts provide a wide range of patient care services related to medication therapy, patient education, disease prevention, and health promotion. Professional training, expertise, and skills qualify pharmacists to engage in health screenings. These screening programs performed by community pharmacists can help to identify risk factors, facilitate early detection of common diseases, and assist physicians with making effective diagnoses. Objectives: In this study, we created and tested a novel model to provide professional monitoring and counseling on blood pressure by community pharmacists. The aims of the study were to identify the prevalence of elevated blood pressure among patients visiting a community pharmacy and describe the demographic characteristics of patients with hypertension (sex, age, education, body weight, and hypertension risk factors). Methods: The research project was conducted in an accredited community pharmacy in Poznan, Poland, from January to April 2019. A total of 118 anonymous patients (30.5% men and 69.5% women) participated in this study. To qualify for this study, participants had to be older than 18 years of age and have no previous diagnosis of hypertension or other cardiovascular disease. Results: Based on the blood pressure screenings, 61.9% of patients were qualified for the standard consultation (SC: normal blood pressure), 21.2% for the intensive consultation (IC: normal blood pressure and hypertension risk factor), 16.9% patients with elevated blood pressure for the high-risk consultation (HRC: referred to a physician), and 3.4% received a diagnosis of hypertension. We qualified 35.6% with a high-pressure value (greater than 140/90 mmHg). Conclusions: The novel model for blood pressure control screening and counseling implemented in a generally accessible community pharmacy may help with early detection of hypertension problems, lead to initiation of effective patient counseling by a community pharmacist, and result in early referral of the patient to a physician.

Phthalocyanines and porphyrazines as macrocyclic aza-analogues of well-known porphyrins were deposited on diverse carbon-based nanomaterials and investigated as sensing devices. The extended π-conjugated electron system of these macrocycles influences their ability to create stable hybrid systems with graphene or carbon nanotubes commonly based on π–π stacking interactions. During a 15-year period, the electrodes modified by deposition of these systems have been applied for the determination of diverse analytes, such as food pollutants, heavy metals, catecholamines, thiols, glucose, peroxides, some active pharmaceutical ingredients, and poisonous gases. These procedures have also taken place, on occasion, in the presence of various polymers, ionic liquids, and other moieties. In the review, studies are presented that were performed for sensing purposes, involving azaporphyrins embedded on graphene, graphene oxide or carbon nanotubes (both single and multi-walled ones). Moreover, possible methods of electrode fabrication, limits of detection of each analyte, as well as examples of macrocyclic compounds applied as sensing materials, are critically discussed.