Ahmed Awaisu

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Verified

Ahmed verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• Ph.D. BPharm
• Head of Department at Qatar University

Background Home hemodialysis (HD) is a well‐established modality that promotes patient independence but poses significant challenges, particularly in regions like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Assisted home HD has gained momentum in the GCC over the past few years. Qatar's assisted home HD program has expanded substantially in the p...

Background Assessing faculty research productivity through scientometric analysis is crucial for academic institutions to promote and enhance research activities. Scientometric analysis guides institutional goals, identifies gaps and faculty contributions, and influences career development in academia. With advancements in the clinical pharmacy and...

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely prescribed medications for the management of acid-related disorders, due to their effectiveness and favorable pharmacokinetics. However, the occurrence and severity of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in patients using PPIs, particularly in relation to their association with CYP2C19 polymorphisms, are of great...

Background: Experiential learning is a vital component of health-professional education. It provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-life settings before becoming licensed practitioners. Preceptors (i.e., practice educators) play a crucial role in developing students’ professional skills and competencies, as well as s...

Purpose This study aimed to determine the perceptions of senior medical students and recent graduates from College of Medicine (CMED) at Qatar University regarding their undergraduate education and training related to prescribing, their confidence in achieving the learning outcomes specified in the curriculum and their preparedness to prescribe in...

Introduction Pharmacogenomics implementation in clinical practice is anticipated to improve our understanding of individual variations in drug response and optimise the safety and efficacy of drug therapy. We aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and readiness of physicians, pharmacists, and nurses in Qatar regarding the implementation of cli...

Background Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are a novel class of oral antidiabetic drugs (ADDs). Studies evaluating the appropriateness of SGLT2is prescribing, and the factors associated with their initiation in the Middle East region are lacking. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of prescribing SGLT2is based...

Background Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications are significant challenges in older adults’ medication management. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) is a comprehensive approach used to explore barriers and enablers to the healthcare system in guiding the effective implementation of evidence-based practi...

Introduction: The combination of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-i) and loop diuretics may cause volume depletion. However, the safety of the concurrent use of both therapies remains uncertain, especially in a real-world context. Research Question or Hypothesis: Does the concurrent use of SGLT2-i and loop diuretics increase the ris...

Background The COVID-19 outbreak had significant global healthcare implications, including the use of medications. This is specifically evident in the surge in use of some medication and a decline in the use of others. As a result, some medications end up unused, which may have subsequent health, economic, and environmental impacts. Aim To explore...

Background The number of patients seeking medical care is increasing, necessitating more access to primary healthcare services. As several of these patients usually present with complex medical conditions, the need for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among health professionals in primary care is necessary. IPC is essential for facing the incr...

Background The quality of the learning environment significantly impacts student engagement and professional identity formation in health professions education. Despite global recognition of its importance, research on student perceptions of learning environments across different health education programs is scarce. This study aimed to explore how...

Purpose Statins are widely prescribed for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) prevention; however, a significant proportion of users discontinue the medication for various reasons. This review aimed to determine the prevalence of statin therapy discontinuation, its associated factors, and adverse cardiovascular outcomes within the first year of discontin...

Introduction The use of gentamicin in the treatment of infectious diseases requires frequent monitoring to attain the best treatment outcomes. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of gentamicin therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) at a tertiary care hospital in Qatar. Methods A one-year quantitative retrospective chart review o...

Introduction and objective The commitment of pharmacy graduates to patient care and research is crucial to advancing pharmaceutical science and practice. Consequently, the value of involving undergraduate pharmacy students in research has been increasingly recognized. Given that the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University offers two undergraduate p...

The evidence of rivaroxaban's pharmacokinetics in obese compared with non‐obese populations remains inconclusive. We aimed to compare the pharmacokinetic profile of rivaroxaban between obese and non‐obese populations under fed state. Participants who met the study's eligibility criteria were assigned into one of two groups: obese (body mass index ≥...

P values have long been central to medical research reporting, with the term "statistical significance" and a p value threshold of 0.05 being in common use since 1925. Despite a century of use, p values remain a topic of significant controversy and debate, particularly regarding their proper application and frequent misinterpretation. Much of this...

Background Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains a risk factor for heart failure (HF). Therefore, we aimed to assess the cardioprotective role of sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors post-ACS in patients with acute HF (AHF) and diabetes. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study employing propensity score matchin...

Background Global evidence has linked unused medications and their inappropriate disposal to adverse health, economic, environmental, and ethical impacts. However, such evidence is scarce in Qatar. This study explored patients’ knowledge and attitude toward unused medications and their practices toward medication supply and disposal (KAP) in Qatar....

Background and Importance Disasters have been traditionally considered as one of the main threats to healthcare delivery worldwide, with no country being immune to them. The delivery of healthcare services during disasters is the responsibility of healthcare practitioners (HCPs), who should ideally be prepared to manage disasters. Therefore, it is...

Background and Importance There is a scarcity of research that holistically explores pharmacists’ employment experience and their professional performance. It has been shown that job satisfaction is linked to professionals’ productivity and educational preparedness. Aim and Objectives This study aimed to explore the professional experiences of pha...

Background and Importance Over the past five decades, disasters have become more frequent, making it crucial for healthcare practitioners, including pharmacists, to be well-prepared for disaster management. However, there is a sacristy of adequately developed and tested assessment tools that can be employed to examine disaster preparedness amongst...

Background COVID-19 is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to explore the early predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) admission among patients with COVID-19. Methods This was a case–control study of adult patients with confirmed COVID-19. Cases were defined as patients admitted to ICU during the period February...

Objective To explore the pharmacy students’ perception of the content and pedagogical strategies used for the delivery of drug information (DI) training. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted among BSc Pharmacy and PharmD students at the College of Pharmacy, Qatar University. The first phase consisted of a quantitativ...

Background Pharmacists can play an important role in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) through optimising medication use and safety, promoting adherence to anti-TB drugs, and providing patient education. Limited evidence is available on the effectiveness of pharmacist’s interventions on health outcomes in patients with pulmonary TB. This systemat...

Objectives This paper presents a systematic review aimed at assessing the therapeutic potential of sulforaphane (SFN) in the treatment of diverse cancer types. Methods Following Cochrane guidelines for systematic reviews, we conducted an exhaustive search of electronic databases up to May 12, 2023, encompassing PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Sci...

Objective We aimed to evaluate the impact of a brief smoking cessation intervention among patients with diabetes. Methods This randomized interventional clinical trial involved patients with diabetes who smoked tobacco and attended the outpatient diabetes clinic at Penang Hospital, Malaysia. Participants were randomized into a control group that u...

Purpose To investigate real-world prescribing trends and clinical outcomes based on body mass index (BMI) categorization in patients who received rivaroxaban therapy. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study involving all patients who received rivaroxaban therapy across all Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) hospitals from 2015 to 2020. Results...

As cultural diversity gains global prominence, healthcare professional educators (HPEs) are expected to exhibit a high level of cultural competence in education. Responding to this necessity requires the establishment of healthcare education that is oriented toward sustainability. This study aimed to investigate HPEs’ perceptions of cultural compet...

The transition from the conventional approach to an online setting in conducting focus groups (FGs) for qualitative research is an increasingly adopted approach in health-related research. The purpose of this narrative review aims to provide an overview of the quality of FGs in health-related research that are conducted using various audio–visual (...

Background: Hypertension has affected over 1.13 billion people worldwide in 2015 and it's one of the most preventable risk-factors for morbidity and mortality. Antihypertensives significantly reduce cardiovascular risks. Several studies on antihypertensives' prescribing patterns were conducted worldwide, and guidelines were developed on hypertensi...

Background: Although safe and effective anti-retrovirals (ARVs) are readily available, non-adherence to ARVs is highly prevalent among people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (PLWHA). Different adherence-improving interventions have been developed and examined through decision analytic model-based health...

Background Insomnia is a highly prevalent health problem, affecting about one-third of the adult population globally. University students are at a high risk for developing insomnia due to the stressful nature of academic life and often unhealthy sleeping habits. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of poor sleep quality and investiga...

Objective: This was a first-time evaluation that sought to analyze the cost-effectiveness of oral paracetamol and intravenous (IV) indomethacin as alternatives to ibuprofen for PDA in neonates. Methods: Decision-analytic, literature-based, economic simulation models were constructed, to follow up the use and consequences of oral/IV ibuprofen ver...

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with multimorbidity and high treatment burden. Pill-burden is one component of the overall treatment burden. However, little is known about its magnitude and contribution to the overall treatment burden among patients with advanced stages of CKD. This study aimed to quantify the magnitude of...

Objectives: There is a scarcity of research that holistically explores pharmacy alumni's employment experience and their professional performance. Job satisfaction is linked to professionals' productivity and their educational preparedness. This study aimed to explore the professional experiences of the College of Pharmacy-Qatar University alumni....

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Qatar and globally. Aim: The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured clinical pharmacist-delivered intervention on all-cause hospitalizations and cardiac-related readmissions in patients with ACS. Method: A prospe...

Purpose To determine the prevalence of inadequate health literacy and its associated risk factors among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and/or heart failure (HF) in Qatar. Patients and Methods This cross-sectional observational study was conducted among patients with ACS and/or HF attending the national Heart Hospital in Qatar. Health...

People living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS; PLWHA) frequently encounter antiretroviral (ARV) therapy-related problems. Clinical pharmacists with specialized training in ARV stewardship play an important role in managing these problems. However, there is a paucity of evidence to clarify the impact of...

The engagement of pharmacists in research activities is pivotal in the advancement of the pharmacy practice. The study aims to evaluate the confidence and competence of Malaysian hospital pharmacists in conducting clinical and practice-based research. A cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2019 and April 2020 using an online sur...

Objective: Dose optimization of novel β-lactam antibiotics (NBLA) has become necessary given the increased prevalence of multidrug-resistant infections in intensive care units coupled with the limited number of available treatment options. Unfortunately, recommended dose regimens of NBLA based on PK/PD indices are not well-defined for critically i...

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the ‘Pharmacy Alumni Employment Experience Questionnaire’ (PAEEQ). Methods: Literature review and Herzberg’s ‘motivation-hygiene’ theory were used to derive PAEEQ domains: satisfaction with the profession, achievements in the workplace, and preparedness to practice. Content and face validities we...

Background Refuges and asylum seekers have specific healthcare needs; however there has been insufficient attention and effort to address these needs globally. Furthermore, effective communication between healthcare providers and refugees remains poor, further widening the imbalanced power dynamics. The aim of this research project was to examine r...

Institutional review boards (IRBs), tasked with ensuring ethical oversight of institutional research, often grapple with review of scientific merit in order to ensure that the research is beneficial for human subjects. However, most IRBs tend to have less expertise in this area than the submitting investigators. This may lead to mission creep and l...

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created unprecedented pressures on healthcare systems and led to the widespread adoption of telepharmacy services, a practice that was not previously established in the state of Qatar. Objective The -study aimed to explore clinical pharmacists’ (CPs) perspectives and experiences in utilizing...

IntroductionVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The direct oral anticoagulants, including rivaroxaban, are relatively novel therapeutic options in the treatment and prevention of VTE. There is a conflicting and inconclusive evidence surrounding the pharmacokinetics (PK) of rivaroxaban in patients wit...

Introduction: Colchicine acts upstream in the cytokines cascade by inhibiting the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome while interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor antagonists, such as tocilizumab, block the end result of the cytokines cascade. Hence, adding colchicine to tocilizumab with the aim of blocking the early and end products of the cy...

Purpose: Metabolic control among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is generally poor. Nonadherence is a contributor to this poor glycemic control, leading to adverse outcomes. The findings of studies reporting the association between adherence and glycemic control are conflicting. This study aimed to assess the level of adherence am...

Background: Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are a novel class of oral antidiabetic drugs. To date, there are no pharmacoepidemiologic studies investigating the pattern of use of SGLT2is compared to other oral antidiabetic drugs in the Middle East, including Qatar. Aim: This study aimed to explore the trends in the use of SGL...

Introduction Academic institutions have a duty to equip health professional students with the requisite research skills to ensure the implementation of evidence-based practice. This study aims to determine the perceptions of pharmacy students and alumni toward research after completing Undergraduate Research in Pharmacy Courses (URPCs) at the Colle...

Background The clinical and financial burdens associated with minor ailments are well documented, but published evidence suggests that minor ailment services led by community pharmacists have a remarkable positive impact, mainly in developed settings. There is a paucity of evidence on community pharmacists’ self-perceived enablers and barriers to t...

Background: 'The Practice Educators' Academy Programme' is an innovative educational intervention developed following a preceptor-focussed needs assessment. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the programme's effect on self-efficacy and knowledge amongst multi-disciplinary clinical preceptors who precept students across the Health Cluste...

Introduction: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most frequently dispensed nonprescription drugs in community pharmacies. However, inappropriate use of NSAIDs by consumers has been associated with development of gastrointestinal (GI) injuries and renal injuries. Community pharmacists' education of consumers on proper use...

What is known and objective: New pharmacy curricula include content that equip students with a bundle of professional and interpersonal skills that allows the provision of evidence-based patient-centred pharmaceutical care (PC). PC has been adopted as a practise model underpinning these new roles for pharmacists in developed countries. However, an...

Background Microcredentials (MCs) are short courses that certify/recognise an individual’s achievement of specific skills or knowledge. Schools of pharmacy could be well-placed to contribute to the continuing professional development (CPD) of pharmacists through the inclusion of MCs training in their programs. This study aimed to explore pharmacy p...

Background Tobacco use is one of the major public health threats globally. Community pharmacists are uniquely positioned to offer tobacco cessation services owing to their easy accessibility by the public. To prepare Qatar community pharmacists to develop the competencies and skills required to offer smoking cessation services, an intensive tobacco...

We report a case of probable norethisterone‐related liver injury, manifesting as a significant rise in liver transaminases in a 62‐year‐old woman. Upon discontinuation of norethisterone, liver transaminases decreased to normal level within two weeks. Knowledge of rare adverse effects of drugs such as norethisterone is necessary for rapid identifica...

Introduction: One-third of patients have clopidogrel resistance that may lead to major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). By contrast, it was found that some clopidogrel-treated patients have hyperresponsive platelets that are associated with higher bleeding risk. Several studies have shown that polymorphisms in the gene encoding the CYP2C19 contribu...

This systematic review aimed to summarize the literature on the relationship between religiosity or spirituality (R/S) and medication adherence among patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and to describe the nature and extent of the studies evaluating this relationship. Seven electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, the Cochran...

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the early predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and in-hospital mortality among patients diagnosed with Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Methods & Materials: This was a case-control study of adult patients with confirmed COVID-19. Cases were defined as patients admitted to ICU during the period Februa...

Background: With the increased availability of safe antiretroviral therapy (ART) in recent years, achieving optimal adherence and patient retention is becoming the biggest challenge for people living with HIV (PLWH). Care retention is influenced by several socioeconomic, socio-cultural, and government policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefor...

New areas for improved health care services, including pharmaceutical services, are often identified and evaluated using research evidence. The need for evidence-based policy and practice in pharmacy is becoming increasingly important, resulting in the evolution and explosive expansion of pharmacy practice-based research over the last years. Nevert...

Background Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to explore the early predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and in-hospital mortality among patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods This was a case-control study of adult patients with confirmed COVID-19. Cases were defin...

Background The use of simulated patients (SPs) is considered a significant resource for teaching and assessing clinical and communication skills in health professional education. We conducted this study to explore pharmacy students’ perspective towards the utilization of SPs in Qatar and to identify areas that require improvement. Methods An expla...

Background Community pharmacists have a role in identifying drug–drug interactions (DDIs) when processing prescription orders and dispensing medications to patients. The harmful effects of DDIs can be prevented or minimized by using an electronic DDI checker to screen for potential DDIs (pDDIs). However, different DDI checkers have variable rates o...

“The Practice Educators’ Academy Program” is an innovative educational intervention developed following a preceptor-focused needs assessment. This study evaluated the program’s effect on self-efficacy and knowledge amongst multi-disciplinary clinical preceptors who precept students across the Health Cluster in Qatar University, Qatar. Additionally,...

Background: Job satisfaction in healthcare is of special interest as has a direct relation with the quality of care provided to patients. It is affected by several factors including the nature of the work, level of educational preparedness and achievements. Objectives: This study aims to explore College of Pharmacy - Qatar University (CPH-QU) alumn...

Introduction: The level of alumni’s job satisfaction and preparedness has been found to affect the impact in the workplace. Little is known about alumni’s employment experience in Qatar. Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the employment preparedness, job satisfaction and impact in the workplace of College of pharmacy graduates in Qatar....

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a growing health challenge in Qatar and worldwide. T2DM is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality, and progression of renal disease. Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are the most recently approved class of glucose lowering medications (GLM...

Background Diabetes mellitus is a complex multi-system disorder, requiring multi-disciplinary care. The conventional care model, where physicians are the sole caregivers may not be optimal. Addition of other healthcare team members improves healthcare outcomes for patients with diabetes. Aim To evaluate the impact of pharmacist-involved collaborati...

Introduction: Sleep is necessary for maintaining adequate health and well-being. However, several behavioral and environmental factors, known as sleep hygiene, could affect sleep quality, contributing to the development of insomnia. Instruments to measure sleep hygiene such as the sleep hygiene index (SHI) have been developed, but only a few are a...

Background The annual New Zealand refugee quota was increased to 1500 places from 2020 onwards as a response to the global refugee crisis. The specific healthcare needs of refugees are not clearly understood globally and communication between healthcare providers and refugees remains poor. Methods A phenomenological qualitative methodology was emp...

Background and objective There is an increase in the global prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While it has been proven that pharmacist interventions improve the health outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), the economic impact of these initiatives is uncertain. Consequently, we aim to systematically review and synthesi...

Background: Microcredentials (MCs) are short courses that certify/recognise an individual's achievement of specific skills or knowledge. Schools of pharmacy could be well-placed to contribute to the continuing professional development (CPD) of pharmacists through the inclusion of MCs training in their programs. This study aimed to explore pharmacy...

Studies focused on comprehensive assessment of self-perceived competency of community pharmacists to manage minor ailments are scanty despite that self-perceived competency is a valid determinant of task performance. The objectives of the study were to assess community pharmacists’ self-perceived competency to manage fourteen common minor ailments...

A high-intensity statin is recommended for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, real-world evidence of the effectiveness of rosuvastatin following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is scarce. This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with ACS to compare between the two high-intensity statin therapies (ro...

Consensus research methods are used in health services research to generate evidence through systematic means of measuring collective agreement and developing consensus from experts of a subject matter. Delphi technique is the most commonly reported consensus research method and is a structured, multistage interaction method to determine consensus...

Objective To assess the determinants of community pharmacists’ information gathering and counseling practices during the management of minor ailments in Qatar Method A cross-sectional study of 305 community pharmacists was conducted with a pre-tested 27-item questionnaire. Bivariate logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of info...

Background Pharmacists play a significant role in the multidisciplinary care of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (PLWHA). However, there is less evidence to clarify the impact of pharmacist as an individual team member on HIV care. Objective This study aims to determine the effects of...

Introduction: Experiential learning is the backbone of many health care professional education programs; however, the quality of learning is profoundly dependent on the skills and experiences of clinical preceptors. This study was conducted at Qatar University Health Cluster (Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine, and Health Sciences) with the primary ob...

Background Tobacco use is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. An intensive pharmacist-delivered smoking cessation program was implemented in eight primary care pharmacies in Qatar. Objective This study aimed to qualitatively explore the perspectives of pharmacists and patients regarding their experiences in the program and their rec...