Wearable health-tracking technologies are increasingly incorporated into prenatal care to enable continuous, noninvasive monitoring of maternal and fetal health. Devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart rings, and medical-grade biosensors can collect longitudinal data on physiological parameters, including heart rate, physical activity, sleep patterns, and pregnancy-specific indicators. When integrated with mobile health (mHealth) platforms and artificial intelligence (AI)–based analytics, these technologies offer opportunities for earlier identification of pregnancy-related complications and more personalized care. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the application of wearable technologies during pregnancy, with a focus on monitoring capabilities, clinical utility, and integration into prenatal healthcare. Relevant peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025 was identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The reviewed literature indicates that wearable devices show promise for monitoring maternal activity, sleep, and cardiovascular parameters, while emerging systems aim to assess fetal heart rate, movement, and uterine activity. However, variability in data accuracy, limited clinical validation, privacy concerns, and user acceptance challenges continue to constrain widespread implementation. Further large-scale, methodologically robust studies and standardized regulatory frameworks are needed to support the safe and effective integration of wearable technologies into routine prenatal care.

Medicinal plants and herbal products sit at the intersection of a complex matrix of national laws and European regulations governing the medicinal, food, cosmetic, medical device, and narcotic sectors. Within this regulatory framework and pursuant to the 11 ^th edition of the European Pharmacopoeia, the term "herbal drug" serves as a synonym for "herbal substance", as applied in European legislation on herbal medicinal products. Comparative analysis indicates that while medical devices and cosmetics are subject to restrictive pre-control and verification mechanisms, the food and food supplement sector exhibits certain regulatory gaps. A critical focus of this study highlights the absence of a statutory definition of "poisonous medicinal plants" (PMPs) in Bulgarian legislation, which induces regulatory inconsistencies regarding their collection, storage, and accessibility. Examination of Ordinance No. 28 on pharmacy operations reveals that its Annex No. 9 lacks specific poisonous herbal substances containing potent compounds equivalent to conventional medicines. Furthermore, modest qualification requirements and a lack of advanced identification methods at herbal collection points present additional risk factors during primary control. The current regulatory framework remains fragmented, necessitating an update of Bulgarian legislation through the introduction of precise definitions, a medically supervised dispensing regime for PMPs, and innovative digital approaches for the inbound monitoring of herbal raw materials.

Background/Objectives: Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality among the male population worldwide. It is among the leading reasons for the increasing number of years of life lost, working years of life lost, and gross domestic product (GDP) loss in Bulgaria. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the burden of prostate cancer in Bulgaria, including calculating years of life lost (YLL), years of working life lost (YWLL), and the associated indirect costs. Methods: An observational time-series study was conducted using official national data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), the INFOSTAT database, and the National Social Security Institute. The study covered the period 2008–2023 and included all registered male deaths attributed to malignant neoplasm of the prostate (ICD-10: C61). YLL, YWLL, and indirect costs were calculated using the human capital approach. Due to restricted access to age-specific mortality files, additional mortality records were obtained through formal data requests to NSI. Results: Prostate cancer led to 127,457 YLL and 6345 YWLL, with productivity losses reaching €88.2 million. Mortality showed an overall increasing trend up to 2020, while YWLL declined due to deaths shifting to older age groups. Conclusions: Despite the advancements in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, our findings demonstrate a negative trend regarding YLL, YWLL, and indirect costs associated with the disease, in contrast to other European countries. Strengthening early screening, reducing diagnostic delays, and improving national cancer registry capacity are critical to mitigating future health and economic losses.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is accelerated by inappropriate antibiotic use in community settings. While most EU countries have achieved a statistically significant reduction in antibiotic consumption, Bulgaria has shown the opposite trend. The aim of this study is to investigate the implementation of mandatory electronic prescriptions (e-Rx) for antibiotics in Bulgarian primary care and to analyse community-level sales trends (2022–Q1 2025) in the context of related policy changes. Methods: The study applied a content analysis approach to publicly available policy documents and antibiotic sales and prescription data (IQVIA Bulgaria, NHIS). Participatory approaches facilitated the contextual interpretation of the data. The Health Policy Triangle framework guided the analysis of e-Rx implementation across four dimensions: content, context, process, and key actors involved in the e-Rx policy rollout. Trends in sales were assessed before and after the policy’s full enforcement in April 2024. Results: Sales data from IQVIA Bulgaria show a steady ≈10% decline in outpatient antibiotic sales from 2022 to 2024, with over 1.1 million fewer packages dispensed. Although the estimated annual and quarterly declines in community sales did not reach statistical significance in the short term, the consistent downward trajectory remains noteworthy. Conclusions: Mandatory e-Rx has shown early potential as a policy instrument to reduce antibiotic overuse in Bulgaria. It is expected to contribute to the reduction in AMR and to support the implementation of integrated national One Health policies.