(1) Background: The study aims to assess cigarette smoking and waterpipe experimentation among Lebanese adolescent school students with respect to their gender, region, age, and socioeconomic status. (2) Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, where students between 11 to 18 years of age were included from all over Lebanon. (3) Results: A total of 1133 students were interviewed. The total proportion of adolescents who ever experimented with cigarette smoking was 24.5%. Males experimented with cigarette smoking more commonly than females (31.9% vs. 19.1%; p < 0.001). Cigarette smoking experimentation was higher among students from the Beirut area (33.6%; p < 0.001) in comparison to other regions, and among those with poor health perception (29.1% vs. 19.8%; p < 0.001) compared to students with excellent health perception. The total proportion of adolescents who ever used a waterpipe was 33.9%. Waterpipes were significantly more experimented with among males than females (40.3% vs. 29.8%; p < 0.001), and among students with bad perception about their health (39.4% vs. 28.9%; p < 0.001). Adolescents who experimented with both cigarettes and waterpipes constitute 22.2% of the studied sample. (4) Conclusions: The rate of tobacco product use is alarming and constitutes a major public health issue for adolescents that urgently needs intervention. The findings raise important policy implications for the development of cigarette smoking prevention programs for youth.

Experiential education is an essential component of pharmacy education in order to allow intern students to experience real conditions and training opportunities in different inpatient and outpatient settings. This paper provides a description of the pharmacy practice experiences (PPEs) in the Lebanese International University (LIU) 5-year bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm) and postgraduate doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs; focuses on the opportunities and challenges encountered; and presents a model for experiential education in Lebanon. Learning outcomes and thus students’ acquisition of predefined competencies are evaluated in actual practice settings through assessment tools. Our experiential education program aligns with the accreditation/certification criteria set by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and equips future pharmacists with the knowledge and skills to become major components in the healthcare team.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a slew of new obstacles for all health professionals, particularly those in charge of training students. Many pharmacy schools had to convert to virtual experiential learning with little to no existing literature, framework, or appropriate time for preparation. This review documents the virtual pharmacy practice training at a university in Lebanon during COVID-19 and several other colleges of pharmacy worldwide that have shared their experiences. A literature review of international publications was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar between 1 March 2022 and 30 May 2022, and relevant articles were included. The narrative offers a variety of approaches to ensure that pharmacy learners prioritise self-care, are adequately prepared to enter pharmacy practice, and reflect on their learning. However, other aspects, such as the use of a variety of online training platforms, the inclusion of more patient-centric activities, and the provision of live virtual patient experiences, should be enhanced in the future.

Artificially intelligent (AI) tools hold significant potential for researchers during the processes of qualitative literature review. Beyond only literature retrieval, some AI tools describe their use-value as being able to appraise and synthesise contrasting evidence within and across papers; work like ‘Spotify’ to cultivate a personalised ecosystem of research articles that evolves via algorithmic learning; and suggest new directions for research based on existing evidence about a topic and an assessment of knowledge gaps. It is critical to explore how the emergence and evolution of tools which apply artificial intelligence might nuance processes and possibilities for qualitive thinking and knowledge development. Our manuscript engages with this critical challenge by using multi-layered forms of reasoning to develop a critical imagination for qualitative researchers integrating novel forms of AI into their literature review methodology. We outline the roles and functions of ten AI tools that identify their role in supporting researchers map, synthesise, and appraise knowledge – using the citation environment (i.e., Citation Tree, Semantic Scholar, Open Knowledge, Connected Papers, Inciteful), article content (i.e., Litmaps, VosViewer), and those suggested capable of assessing the literature to summarise key terrain or suggest next steps for inquiry (i.e., SciteAI, Elicit, Research Rabbit). We situate our critical imagination reflexively within the intellectual and lived histories which contour qualitative thinking and theorisation. We further elucidate how the evolving social construction of knowledge as a cultural good, in which AI tools and qualitative research/ers are both imbricated, requires a critical consciousness capable of illuminating how AI might nuance knowledge systems in which the interpretive work of qualitative research is also enfolded. From this juncture, we discuss ethical implications of the uncritical use of AI tools during review of literature and delineate essential reflexive responsibilities for researchers who integrate AI tools into their methodology for qualitative literature review.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely prescribed in the community pharmacy. Their systemic administration has been related to significant adverse effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of topical NSAIDs in managing mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain versus systemic administration or combination of both routes. This was a prospective observational study conducted in a large Lebanese community pharmacy over a period of 5 months in 302 patients. Participants were divided into three groups according to their route of administration of NSAIDs either topically, systemically or combination of both. During follow up period, degree of pain, efficacy of NSAID therapy, side effects, onset time and duration of pain relief reported by each patient were collected by the study investigators using specific formulated questionnaire. Degree of pain was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11). The efficacy of NSAID therapy was defined as 50 % reduction or more in pain. The primary outcome was to assess the efficacy between groups. The secondary outcomes were onset time, duration of pain relief and side effects between the three groups. A total of 149 patients were enrolled in this study. 78 patients administered topical NSAIDs, 40 administered systemic NSAIDs and 31 administered combination of both routes. Efficacy of NSAID therapy for all routes was reported in 132 participants (89 %) distributed as 64 in topical, 37 in systemic and 31 in combination. Bi-variate analysis showed no significant difference in efficacy between topical versus systemic (p = 0.99) and topical versus combination (p = 0.14). The mean onset of topical NSAIDs was significantly faster than systemic by 12.7 min (p < 0.05). The mean duration of pain relief of systemic NSAIDs was significantly longer than topical by 3 h (p < 0.05). Patients administered systemic NSAIDs (either alone or in combination) reported increase in blood pressure and gastric-upset 8 and 38 cases, respectively. There was no significant statistical difference between NSAIDs route’s of administration for the treatment of mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain in Lebanese community pharmacy patients. Topical NSAIDs were fast in onset and effective in reducing pain with no significant adverse effects.

Objectives This systematic review aims to assess the available evidence on the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among Middle Eastern (ME) populations residing in high-income countries (HICs). The review focuses on two key aspects: (1) evaluating the efficacy of interventions for improving health outcomes and (2) examining the barriers to and facilitators of the implementation and effectiveness of interventions. Design Systematic review. Data sources MEDLINE, ProQuest Central and Scopus were searched between 10 September 2023 and 10 October 2023. Eligibility criteria Studies published in English from 2000 to 2023 involving ME populations residing in HICs who are prediabetic or at high risk of T2DM. Interventions included behavioural, pharmacological and educational strategies, with outcomes assessed in terms of diabetes incidence, lifestyle changes and healthcare utilisation, as well as barriers and facilitators of intervention effectiveness. Data extraction and synthesis Data were extracted and synthesised based on study design, geographical location, participant characteristics, type of approach and key outcomes. A narrative synthesis was used to identify patterns in intervention effectiveness, barriers (eg, cultural and gender norms, language) and facilitators (eg, family support, religious considerations). Results 20 studies were included and categorised into two groups: interventional studies (randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs) and qualitative and cross-sectional studies. Interventional studies demonstrated significant improvements in health outcomes, including weight loss, increases in physical activity and improved cardiometabolic markers. Qualitative studies revealed important insights into the sociocultural factors facilitating T2DM prevention that must be considered for effective interventions, including gender norms, family dynamics (relations, interactions, etc) and religious beliefs, with barriers including language, lack of health insurance, unaffordable financial costs and social isolation. Conclusions This systematic review highlights the effectiveness of culturally sensitive interventions in preventing T2DM among ME populations in HICs. It emphasises a need for co-designed, culturally appropriate interventions that involve people from ME populations in HIC with lived experience of T2DM, healthcare providers and community stakeholders. PROSPERO registration number PROSPERO, CRD42023457123.