Papers by Mahnoor Naseer Ahmad
Abstracts from the 2021 Virtual Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Marijuana July 23rd, 2021, 2022
Cannabis users are increasingly turning towards the Internet for information about cannabis, espe... more Cannabis users are increasingly turning towards the Internet for information about cannabis, especially medicinal patients, who generally have low to moderate knowledge of important aspects of cannabis like medicinal effectiveness. Potential for misuse of cannabis is much higher when there is a lack of accurate information (Kruger et al., 2020). Overuse of cannabis can be associated with discontinued enrollment in school, trouble dealing with anxiety and stress, and an increased risk of schizotypy (Blavos et al., 2017). Cannabinoid exposure during pregnancy has been shown to have negative effects on the fetal immune system (Dong et al., 2019), is associated with low birth weight, stunted development (Gusstafson & Jacobsson, 2019), and cognitive impairment (Grant et al., 2018). Cannabis dispensary employees have been found to make health suggestions without proper qualifications (Dickson 2018), and advertising on dispensary websites often suggests strains for specific medical conditi...
Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 2020
Background: Antibiotics are available in the marketplace in the form of tablets and capsules, and... more Background: Antibiotics are available in the marketplace in the form of tablets and capsules, and are mostly self-prescribed by patients, with the consequent emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study evaluated the consumption patterns of antimicrobials in these dosage forms during 2017 in Pakistan. Methods: Data were acquired retrospectively from the International Medical Statistics (IMS) survey, Pakistan. Only the dosage forms of tablets and capsules constituting four major classes of antibiotics were included in the present study. Antibiotic consumption was measured using the World Health Organization's Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System with Daily Defined Doses (ATC/DDD) methodology. In addition, we calculated the DID as the total DDDs of antibiotic consumed in a defined period in that area per 1000 people. Expenditure was measured in Pakistan rupees (PKR) and converted to US dollars. Results: Total consumption of tablet and capsule dosage forms of antibiotics was found to be 10.6 DID, whereas total expenditure was US$221.5 million (26.69 billion PKR). Of all antibiotics, the most widely consumed were co-amoxiclav (1.89 DID), levofloxacin (DID 1.41), ciprofloxacin (DID 1.38) and amoxicillin (DID 1.32). The top class of antibiotics based on expenditure was fluoroquinolones (ATC code J01MA), followed by combinations of penicillins (J01CR), third-generation cephalosporins (J01DD) and macrolides (J01FA). Conclusions: Excessive consumption of broad-spectrum and clinically important classes of antibiotics was observed. The study findings can serve as baseline data for policy makers and authorities to shape and design policies for the rational and cost-effective use of antibiotics, reducing the burden of AMR and ensuring the economic use of antibiotics.
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Papers by Mahnoor Naseer Ahmad