PURPOSE OF REVIEW Access to first-line antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings has increased rapidly in the last 5 years. Newer medicines with greater potency and better safety profiles open the possibility for improving first-line antiretroviral therapy for developing countries. RECENT FINDINGS Several medicines offer the potential to improve the simplicity, safety and efficacy o...

A 42-year-old man from Bhutan was admitted to the emergency department with a 5-day history of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Enhanced abdominal CT scan was found negative, however laboratory tests showed hemolytic anemia and basophilic stippling which are often seen in lead and heavy metal poisoning. Additional tests revealed a high level of lead in blood and urine. The patient was admin...

herbal medicines have been used for centuries to treat different illnesses. among more than 20,000 herbal medicines available for humans, a limited number have sufficiently been studied and numerous remained to be investigated for their efficacy in treating human diseases. a number of herbal products are in use for their immunosuppressive effects. this capacity of herbs may have useful applicat...

BACKGROUND Emergency contraception has been known for several decades, and dedicated products have been on the market for close to 20 years. Yet it is unclear whether women, particularly in low-resource countries, have access to this important second-chance method of contraception. OBJECTIVES To review relevant policies, regulations, and other factors related to access to emergency contracept...

OBJECTIVE To characterize the polypharmacy in primary health care patients and to identify its associated factors. METHODS This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, and evaluative study, part of the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos - Serviços, 2015 (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines - Services, ...

WHO is coordinating the response to the health emergency with the Nepal government following the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the Himalayan kingdom on 25 April, killing more than 8000 people and injuring more than 18 000 (as of 12 May). Repeated aftershocks, including another major earthquake registering 7.3 on the Richter scale on 12 May, have also been recorded, putting th...

conclusions wheat germ extract seems to be an effective treatment for dysmenorrhea and its systemic symptoms, probably because of its anti-inflammatory effects. results pain severity decreased only in the wheat germ extract group (p < 0.001) and there was no statistically significant change in the placebo group. in the wheat germ extract group, the pain severity decreased from 4.701 at baseline...

BACKGROUND Polypharmacy and inappropriate continuation of medicines can lead to a significant risk of adverse drug events and drug interactions with patient harm and escalating health care costs as a result. Thorough review of patients' medications focusing on the need for each drug can reduce the potential for harm. Limitations in performing effective medicine reviews in practice include consu...