Since the discovery of levodopa (L-dopa) in 1967, the range of medications available to treat Parkinson’s disease has increased significantly and guidance on the use, efficacy, and safety of these medications has evolved. To assess levels of adherence to national prescribing guidelines and awareness of changes in the efficacy and safety data published in the profiles of medications for the treatment of PD, we have reviewed studies on patterns and determinants of prescribing PD medications conducted in the last 50 years (since the discovery of L-dopa). A systematic literature review was conducted using EMBASE (1967 to March, 2018), Ovid MEDLINE(R) ALL (1967 to March 16, 2018), PsycINFO (1967 to the 2^nd week of March, 2018), and PubMed to identify all studies measuring prescribing patterns of PD medication between 1967 and 2017. Study design, source of data, country, year of study, number of patients and/or prescriptions, unit of analysis, prescribing determinants, and percentage utilisation of PD medications were extracted where possible. 44 studies examining prescribing patterns and/or prescribing determinants across 17 countries were identified. Unsurprisingly, L-dopa was the most commonly prescribed medication in all studies, accounting for 46.50% to 100% of all prescriptions for PD. In several studies, the prescribing rate of ergot-derived dopamine agonists (DAs) decreased over time in concordance with guidance. In contrast, the prescribing rates of non-ergot DAs increased over the last ten years in most of the included studies. In examining prescribing factors, two major categories were exemplified, patients’ factors and prescribers’ factors, with patients’ age being the most common factor that affected the prescription in most studies. In conclusion, L-dopa is now the most commonly prescribed medication for cases of PD but there is large variation in the prescribing rates of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors, monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors, amantadine, and anticholinergics between countries. New studies examining the effects of recent clinical trials and measuring the prescribing rates of newly approved medications are warranted.

Introduction: Social media platforms are used by many people to seek and share health-related information that may influence their decision-making about COVID-19 vaccination. Purpose: The objective of this study is to understand the influence of social media on the attitudes and willingness of the general public of the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional self-administrated online survey was conducted in Saudi Arabia Aseer region, where 613 persons willingly took part in the survey in April and May 2021. Residents of Aseer in Saudi Arabia, who are over the age of 18 (eligible for COVID-19 vaccination) and willing to participate in the survey, were included in the study. Results: Overall, 74.6% agreed that the COVID-19 vaccine was misrepresented via social media. However, 37% of those respondents strongly agreed that social media had increased their willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, employees reported (21.8%) or strongly agreed (28%) that the quantity and quality of information on social media has a detrimental impact on their psychological well-being. Additionally, participants also agreed (21.8%) or strongly agreed (28%) that social media had a negative effect on their psychological condition. Conclusion: The study provides that there was a high degree of awareness indicated among Aseer population regarding misleading information about COVID-19 vaccination via social media. Thus, social media that can share up-to-date scientific information about vaccination must be utilized optimally by the government to assist people in making decisions about accepting vaccinations.

Each year, the number of cases of strokes and deaths due to this is increasing around the world. This could be due to work stress, lifestyles, unhealthy food habits, and several other reasons. Currently, there are several traditional methods like thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy for managing strokes. The current approach has several limitations, like delayed diagnosis, limited therapeutic delivery, and risks of secondary injuries. So, there is a need for some effective and reliable methods for the management of strokes, which could help in early diagnosis followed by the treatment of strokes. Nanotechnology has played an immense role in managing strokes, and recently, it has emerged as a transformative solution offering innovative diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies. Nanoparticles (NPs) belonging to several classes, including metallic (metallic and metal oxide), organic (lipids, liposome), and carbon, can cross the blood–brain barrier and may exhibit immense potential for managing various strokes. Moreover, these NPs have exhibited promise in improving imaging specificity and therapeutic delivery by precise drug delivery and real-time monitoring of treatment efficacy. Nanomaterials like cerium oxide (CeO₂) and liposome-encapsulated agents have neuroprotective properties that reduce oxidative stress and promote neuroregeneration. In the present article, the authors have emphasized the significant advancements in the nanomedicine management of stroke, including NPs-based drug delivery systems, neuroprotective and neuroregenerative therapies, and multimodal imaging advancements.

Pregabalin is a first-line therapy for neuropathic pain and for chronic pain. It has abuse potential. This study was conducted to assess community pharmacists’ perceptions towards pregabalin abuse and misuse in the Aseer region, Saudi Arabia, and identify predictors and associated factors. A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire following a self-administrative study was conducted across community pharmacies in the Aseer region (Abha, Khamis Mushait, Mahayel, Sarat Abeeda, Ahad-Rufaida, and Bishah). A total of 206 respondents from community pharmacists participated in the study. Over the last six months, 136 respondents (66.0%) suspected pregabalin abuse in community pharmacies; male dominance in pregabalin abusers was also recorded (n = 165, 80.1%). Additionally, 40 (19.4%) respondents stated that a prescription was not issued for pregabalin demands. Over half (61.7%) of community pharmacists recorded an increased change in pregabalin abuse compared to the previous year. This is the first study to explore pharmacists’ perceptions in the community of the Aseer region towards customers’ misuse and abuse of pregabalin. Further monitoring and regulations on the prescribing and procurement of pregabalin are needed to avoid abuse.

Background: Several GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Their cardio- and renal-protective effects and their association with substantial weight loss have been evident and progressively expanded their role in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, which are endorsed by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). The increased demand led to a global shortage. Methods: We utilized a repeated cross-sectional design, drawing data from national prescribing databases, to analyze six GLP-1 RAs: Dulaglutide, Exenatide, Liraglutide, Lixisenatide, Semaglutide, and Tirzepatide. AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models with exogenous variables were applied to assess the trends over time and in different regions. Results: The prescription rates significantly differ between regions. Wales shows the highest prescribing rate for most GLP-1 RAs. The ARIMA models indicated a significant increase in their prescribing rates after the release of the 2022 ADA guidelines (e.g., Dulaglutide: Post-ADA effect of 15.22, 95% CI: [12.97, 17.47]). Following the GLP-1 RA shortages in July 2023, the prescribing rates, particularly for Semaglutide, increased (Shortage effect: 74.36, 95% CI: [71.92, 76.80]). Model diagnostics, including the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Durbin–Watson statistics, confirmed the robustness of these trends. Conclusions: Informed decisions should be made by considering the prescribing trends before and after important events such as the issuing of new guidelines or safety alerts.

Objectives: Although depression symptoms are common among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), the medical literature still reports underrecognition of depression in patients with PD. Our main objective is to examine the trend of depression recognition during the first year of PD diagnosis using large population data.Methods: We conducted a population‐based study of residents in Wales, using the Secure Anonymized Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank. We included newly diagnosed patients with PD aged 40 years or older with a first PD diagnosis between 2000 and 2015. Depression and antidepressants related data were extracted from SAIL. A series of multilevel logistic regressions were run to determine the factors affecting depression recognition. The results were presented using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results: The study included 6596 patients with PD. About 38% of patients had a recorded code of antidepressants, depression diagnosis, or both within the first year of PD diagnosis. There was a significant association of depression diagnosis, antidepressant use, or both with the year of PD diagnosis (OR 0.972, 95% CI 0.962–0.983). We also found that patients who used monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO‐B inhibitors) were associated with a lower depression diagnosis, use antidepressants, or both, compared to those who did not use MAO‐B inhibitors (OR 0.769, 95% CI 0.627–0.943).Conclusion: There is a slight decrease in depression recognition in PD patients between 2000 and 2015, which could be due to an increase in depression recognition during the prodromal phase of PD.