Work stress occurs when employees have to deal with pressures that do not align with their skills, knowledge, or expectations. This study aimed to assess the impact of work stress on job satisfaction among pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, a cross-sectional, self-administered, paper-based survey was conducted between August 2019 and October 2020 using three scales. Descriptive and analytical statistical analyses were performed. A linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction among Saudi pharmacists. A total of 284 questionnaires were completed. Multiple linear regression analyses showed a significant negative relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction (β = −0.456, 95% CI, −0.561 to −0.350), a positive relationship between confirmation and satisfaction (β = 0.147, 95% CI, 0.005 to –0.290), and a negative relationship between working in hospitals and job satisfaction (β= −3.009; 95% CI, −5.424 to −0.593) when other variables were kept constant. The results of this study indicated that occupational stress and satisfaction negatively influenced pharmacists, whereas confirmation was associated with better satisfaction. Moreover, hospital pharmacists had lower job satisfaction. The job satisfaction of pharmacists may help improve medication safety and ensure an adequate pharmacist workforce.

Introduction: Waterpipe smoking has gained global popularity among adolescents and young adults. This study aimed to identify the predictors of waterpipe smoking among university students in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-tested,...

Pharmacists are one of the most essential healthcare professionals, with substantial clinical knowledge and skills in the use of medications. Pharmacists provide patient care services and contribute to the enhancement of health outcomes, which increases their workload. This study was conducted to determine the association between intention to leave work and quality of work life (QWL) of pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire provided as a paper-based survey using two scales (the Work-related Quality of Life [QoL] and Intention to Leave scales). In addition, this was combined with demographics to determine the relationship between intention to leave work and quality of work-life. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests. A total of 284 (76.5%), out of the 371 surveys distributed, were completed and returned. The average age and annual income of the respondents were 33.4 ± 6.5 years and 196,401 ± 82,306.7 SAR, respectively and 61.2% and 38.9% were male and female, respectively, whereas 62.9% were married and 53.2% reported having children. The multiple linear regression analysis conducted showed a significant negative relationship between QWL and the intention to leave work (β = -0.131; 95% CI, −0.185 to −0.076). We found a significant association between the QWL and intention to leave. This indicates that a greater intention to leave was associated with a low or lousy QWL among Saudi pharmacists.

Background/Objectives: Malnutrition poses a significant challenge to public health, affecting millions worldwide, particularly among people in hospital, notably among surgical cases that require adequate nutritional support for effective recovery. Factors contributing to malnutrition include chronic illnesses that hinder nutritional intake and socioeconomic barriers limiting food access. This study aimed to assess malnutrition in surgical patients at admission to enhance recovery, minimize complications, and improve clinical outcomes. Methods: This prospective observational cross-sectional study involved 282 adults hospitalized for over 48 h for surgery. This study utilized the MUST and MNA-SF assessments to evaluate malnutrition risk, confirming diagnoses via the GLIM criteria. Statistical analysis, including the Pearson chi-square test and univariate and multivariate logistic regression, identified significant malnutrition risk factors. Results: This study found an 18.1% malnutrition prevalence among these patients, with Stage 1 malnutrition being the most common at 9.6%. Additionally, a notable proportion of patients were classified as obese (46.5%) or overweight (27.7%). Men had higher malnutrition rates (12.8%) than women (5.3%). Age disparities were also significant, with higher rates among older (7.4%) and younger adults (7.1%) compared to middle-aged individuals (2.5%). Patients undergoing elective surgeries (9.9%) and emergency surgeries (6.7%) had higher malnutrition rates than those admitted for surgical complications. Furthermore, malnutrition was observed in 12% of patients undergoing orthopedic or general surgeries. Conclusions: Among adult patients admitted to surgical wards, malnutrition prevalence during admission was 18%, underscoring the need for comprehensive preoperative nutritional assessments and targeted interventions for patients undergoing surgery.

The benefit of apixaban to reduce stroke risk in morbidly obese patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is still undetermined. The International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis recommends avoiding the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC)s in morbidly obese patients (body mass index > 40 or weight > 120 kg) because of limited clinical data. This exploratory study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of using apixaban in morbidly obese (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40) patients with AF. An exploratory retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single-center, including adult patients with non-valvular AF using apixaban between 01/01/2016 and 31/12/2019. Patients were excluded if they were known to have liver cirrhosis Child-Pugh C, mechanical valve, serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL, follow up < 3 months, or using apixaban with a dose of ≤5 or > 10 mg/day. Included patients were categorized into two groups based on their BMI (BMI<40 Vs. BMI ≥ 40). The primary outcome was all thrombotic events, while the secondary outcomes were major and minor bleeding after apixaban initiation. Propensity score (PS) matching was used (1:1 ratio) based on the patient’s age, gender, and HAS-BLED score. A total of 722 patients were eligible; 254 patients were included after propensity score matching based on the selected criteria. The prevalence of all thrombotic events was similar between the two groups in the first year of apixaban initiation (OR (95%CI): 0.58 (0.13, 2.5), p-value = 0.46). In addition, the odds of developing major and minor bleeding were not statistically significant between the two groups (OR (95%CI): 0.39 (0.07, 2.03), p-value = 0.26 and OR (95%CI): 1.27 (0.56, 2.84), p-value = 0.40), respectively). This exploratory study showed similar effectiveness and safety of apixaban use in both morbid and non-morbid obese patients with non-valvular AF. However, a larger randomized controlled trial with a longer follow-up period needs to confirm our findings.

Objectives: To evaluate the treatment pattern of antiemetic agents used for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Over a period of 7 weeks, all new chemotherapy order sheets were collected and evaluated for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting management. We compared each antiemetic regimen used for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting prophylaxis with three international antiemetic guidelines by the following organizations: the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for the clinician. Results: A total of 152 cancer patients were included in the study, for whom 289 chemotherapy physician orders included antiemetic regimens. Approximately 17.3% of the chemotherapy protocols had total minimal emetogenicity risk, 22.5% had low risk, 37.02% had moderate risk, and 23.18% had high risk. For acute emesis, 27.57% of the antiemetic regimens followed at least one of the three reference guidelines. For delayed emesis, only 20.16% of the antiemetic regimens adhered to at least one of the three reference guidelines. Conclusion: Adherence to treatment recommendations and antiemetics prescribing for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting was suboptimal at this hospital. However, institutional antiemetic guidelines and oncology pharmacists could play an important role in better assessment and management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.