Background: Pharmacists’ roles and responsibilities have expanded in the modern pharmacy profession, and the expectations from pharmacists have increased. This has been associated with new psychological challenges and emotional stress that can induce burnout. Objective: To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome and factors associated with burnout among pharmacy professionals in the healthcare system in Qatar. Methods: This institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 850 pharmacy professionals within Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar. Convenience sampling was followed. The survey utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) Toolkit™ for Medical Personnel and a modified version of the Astudillo and Mendinueta questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata version 16 for Windows and SAS Studio 3.8 (Enterprise Edition). P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: One hundred ninety-four pharmacy professionals (23%) responded to the survey. The prevalence of burnout was 19.7% [95% Confidence interval (CI); 13.8% - 26.8%] among 142 respondents who completed MBI questionnaire and 17.3% [95% CI; 11.7%-24.2%] among 139 respondents who completed Astudillo Mendinueta questionnaire. The most commonly reported factors that may lead to burnout were: tension and lack of organization in teamwork (59.6%), lack of recognition of or indifference to effort from patients, superiors, and colleagues (58.2%), and demanding and challenging patients and family members (56.7%). Multiple regression analysis showed that overtime working hours per month is independently associated with a higher risk of burnout [odds ratio (OR), 1.57; 95% CI, 1.15–2.14 for each 10-hours increase in monthly overtime, P = 0.005], while non-Arab ethnicity is associated with lower risk of burnout [OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.1–0.75; P = 0.012]. Conclusions: There is a relatively low prevalence of burnout syndrome among health-system pharmacy professionals in Qatar. Overtime working hours and Arab ethnicity are independently associated with burnout.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. One in three cases of heart failure is due to dilated cardiomyopathy. The Na⁺/H⁺exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1), a multifunctional protein and the key pH regulator in the heart, has been demonstrated to be increased in this condition. We have previously demonstrated that elevated NHE1 activity induced cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. Furthermore, the overexpression of active NHE1 elicited modulation of gene expression in cardiomyocytes including an upregulation of myocardial osteopontin (OPN) expression. To determine the role of OPN in inducing NHE1-mediated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, double transgenic mice expressing active NHE1 and OPN knockout were generated and assessed by echocardiography and the cardiac phenotype. Our studies showed that hearts expressing active NHE1 exhibited cardiac remodeling indicated by increased systolic and diastolic left ventricular internal diameter and increased ventricular volume. Moreover, these hearts demonstrated impaired function with decreased fractional shortening and ejection fraction. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) mRNA was upregulated, and there was an increase in heart cell cross-sectional area confirming the cardiac hypertrophic effect. Moreover, NHE1 transgenic mice also showed increased collagen deposition, upregulation of CD44 and phosphorylation of p90 ribosomal s6 kinase (RSK), effects that were regressed in OPN knockout mice. In conclusion, we developed an interesting comparative model of active NHE1 transgenic mouse lines which express a dilated hypertrophic phenotype expressing CD44 and phosphorylated RSK, effects which were regressed in absence of OPN.

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is a crucial part of precision medicine; however, its integration into clinical practice has been slow, primarily due to knowledge gaps regarding pharmacogenomics among healthcare professionals (HCPs). Pharmacogenomics education is considered the most influential barrier to the successful implementation of PGx. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, several studies have highlighted the lack of PGx education among students and HCPs. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on how PGx is delivered in the curricula and its impact on knowledge acquisition among students and HCPs in the MENA region. A database search of PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL was conducted up to June 2023. Outcomes included PGx education availability, curriculum placement, mode of delivery, and knowledge level. Seven cross‐sectional studies were identified (2014–2023), with 57% from the Gulf region. PGx education is mostly taught to undergraduates (71%) through didactic lectures (100%), with only a few studies reporting a standalone course (29%). Participants demonstrated low (43%) to moderate (43%) knowledge levels, assessed using objective scales or subjective self‐assessment after completion of the course. Reported barriers to implementing PGx education included knowledge gaps, economic constraints, and system sustainability. PGx education in the MENA region is delivered mainly as an integrated course in professional programs including pharmacy and medicine, and the overall knowledge level was low to moderate. Future research could focus on providing more detailed reporting of the PGx educational landscape, developing standardized assessment tools, and evaluating actual knowledge acquisition among different professions.