Background: Modern patient care depends on the continuous improvement of community and clinical pharmacy services, and artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to play a key role in this evolution. Although AI has been increasingly implemented in various fields of pharmacy, little is known about the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of pharmacy students and faculty members towards this technology. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the KAP of pharmacy students and faculty members regarding AI in six countries in the Middle East as well as to identify the predictive factors behind the understanding of the principles and practical applications of AI in healthcare processes. Material and methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A total of 875 pharmacy students and faculty members in the faculty of pharmacy in Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Libya participated in the study. Data was collected through an online electronic questionnaire. The data collected included information about socio-demographics, understanding of AI basic principles, participants’ attitudes toward AI, the participants’ AI practices. Results: Most participants (92.6%) reported having heard of AI technology in their practice, but only a small proportion (39.5%) had a good understanding of its concepts. The overall level of knowledge about AI among the study participants was moderate, with the mean knowledge score being 42.3 ± 21.8 out of 100 and students having a significantly higher knowledge score than faculty members. The attitude towards AI among pharmacy students and faculty members was positive, but there were still concerns about the impact of AI on job security and patient safety. Pharmacy students and faculty members had limited experience using AI tools in their practice. The majority of respondents (96.2%) believed that AI could improve patient care and pharmacy services. However, only a minority (18.6%) reported having received education or training on AI technology. High income, a strong educational level and background, and previous experience with technologies were predictors of KAP toward using AI in pharmacy practice. Finally, there was a positive correlation between knowledge about AI and attitudes towards AI as well as a significant positive correlation between AI knowledge and overall KAP scores. Conclusion: The findings suggest that while there is a growing awareness of AI technology among pharmacy professionals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there are still significant gaps in understanding and adopting AI in pharmacy Practice.

Background COVID‐19 is a pandemic disease with a significant threat to public health. Public knowledge and perceptions significance in tackling pandemics have been evidenced in the previous research. This study aimed to explore public perceptions about pharmacists’ educational and prescribing role, and the medication delivery service provided during COVID‐19 outbreak. Method A cross‐sectional study was conducted among the general population of Jordan using a convenient sampling technique for ten days (15‐25 May 2020). Data was collected from 578 participants who agreed to fill the questionnaire, which was distributed online. The questionnaire items were piloted using face validity and reliability. Result Participants showed a positive perception about the impact of pharmacists and pharmacy services provided during COVID‐19 outbreak. More than half of the participants (61.1%) believed that pharmacists could prescribe over the counter medications, and only 15.7% believed that pharmacists could prescribe both over the counter and prescribed medications. Linear regression was performed to assess the factors that affect the participants' perception of pharmacists’ prescribing and educational role and delivering medication during COVID‐19. Females have lower perception scores towards medication delivery services compared to males (P‐value= 0.008). However, male participants, those aged less than 50 years, those with postgraduate degrees, and those from non‐medical profession showed a significantly higher perception score towards the impact of pharmacists and pharmacy services provided during COVID‐19 outbreak compared to others (P‐value <0.05 for all). Conclusion This study indicates that the public positively endorsed the impact of the educational role of the pharmacist, medication delivery services, and extending pharmacist prescribing authority during COVID 19 pandemic. Also, findings from this study provide a platform to examine the perception of the public toward pandemic diseases and inform policy decision‐makers to react by updating their regulation to allow extending pharmacy services and prescribing role during COVID‐19 pandemic.

Aims The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize staphylococcal isolates from diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in Jordanian patients. Methods and Results Selected aerobic pathogens recovered from DFU specimens and patients' nares with a focus on staphylococci were investigated. Antimicrobial susceptibilities and the prevalence of methicillin‐resistant staphylococci (MRS) were determined. SCCmec types and toxigenic characteristics were analyzed and spa typing was performed for methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates. The relationship between toxigenic characteristics of MRSA and the Wagner ulcer grading system was statistically analyzed. A total number of 87 DFU patients were recruited for the study. The DFU cultures were polymicrobial. Members of the genus Staphylococcus were the most common among DFU‐associated isolates found in 48.3% (n= 42) of all patients enrolled. Coagulase‐negative staphylococci (CoNS) comprised 63.3% of staphylococci isolated from DFUs predominated by Staphylococcus epidermidis in both DFU (7.6%) and nares (39.2%). S. aureus was isolated from DFUs and nares in 14.2% and 9.8%, respectively, while 93% and 70% of these isolates were MRSA. Most of MRSA carried SCCmec type IV (76.2%) while SCCmec elements were non‐typeable in most methicillin resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (MR‐CoNS) (61.9%). The most frequent MRSA spa type was t386 (23.8%). Most MRSA and MR‐CoNS exhibited resistance towards aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides and susceptibility towards vancomycin, mupirocin and linezolid. No association was found between the possession of pvl, tst, sea, and hlg toxins and Wagner ulcer grading system (P‐ value > 0.05). Conclusions This analysis of Jordanian DFU culture demonstrated its polymicrobial nature with predominance of Staphylococcus spp. Significance and Impact of Study This study is the first of its type to assess the microbiology of DFU among Jordanian patients. The results will help in the appropriate application of antimicrobial chemotherapy in the management of DFU.

Objectives: To assess the level of infertility-related stress, associated socio-economic, and demographic factors among infertile couples living in Jordan and those living under the chronic Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the occupied Palestinian territories. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a number of fertility and reproductive clinics in Jordan and occupied Palestinian territories over a period of 6 months. Trained clinical pharmacists interviewed the identified couples. Results: A total of 443 participants were interviewed. Three variables were significantly and independently associated with global stress scores. The need of parenthood appears higher in women than men among infertile couples in Jordan and Palestine (p=0.005). The country of origin (p<0.001) made the greatest contribution of unique variance followed by family type (p=0.035). Additionally, a significant contribution to the model was carried out by the number of clinicians who followed up on the case (p=0.013). The average total cost of treatment since the problem had been diagnosed was 2936±4529 Jordanian dinar, which may be of concern to both Jordanians and Palestinians given the limited resources available in developing nations. Conclusion: This study shows a significant degree of stress among infertile couples. The place of origin, family structure, and presence of medical insurance had a significant impact on the infertility global stress score. This study emphasizes the necessity for specific psychological therapies that are currently lacking in public healthcare practices in both Jordan and Palestine.

The reissuing, redispensing, redistributing, or even recycling of the returned unused stored medicines is referred to as medicine reuse. A few studies have examined people’s willingness to reuse unused stored medicines. This study aims primarily to explore the public’s willingness to reuse unused stored medicines in the future and the factors affecting their decisions, and to assess the pharmacological types and formulations of the unused stored medicines by the public. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenient sampling technique over three weeks (February–March 2022) among Jordanian populations. Data were collected from 681 participants who agreed to fill out a questionnaire, which was distributed online. Participants showed a positive perception of reusing any of the unused stored medicines in the future; of those, 79.6% (n = 400) believed that reusing “unused medicines” has economic benefits and 50% (n = 251) believe there are environmental benefits. Moreover, more than half of the participants believed that reusing “unused medicines” is safe (n = 256, 51%), but provided that a pharmacist or a doctor evaluates their quality or that the unused medicines are stored well. Results from this study show that the public positively endorses the idea of reusing unused stored medicines if the quality and safety are assured. However, future studies are needed to evaluate the Jordanian healthcare professionals’ perceptions towards medicine reuse and pharmaceutical companies’ willingness to be a part or facilitator of medicine reuse.