Browsing by Author "Sencan, Nazli"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

An Examination of the Factors Affecting Community Pharmacists' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Impressions About the COVID-19 Pandemic
(GALENOS PUBL HOUSE, 2021-01-01) Yilmaz, Zekiye Kubra; Sencan, Nazli
Objectives: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-related cases and deaths are ongoing throughout the world, but there is still no effective drug in its treatment, and the vaccine supply is not adequate for the global population. It is important that pharmacists have sufficient knowledge and awareness to prevent and control the disease. COVID-19 has been widely covered in the media, which has been a source widely used by healthcare professionals. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and impressions of community pharmacists about COVID-19 and the factors affecting them. Materials and Methods: The questions in this survey were formed using the guideline created by the World Health Organization, a guide composed by the Turkish COVID-19 Scholarly Commission, and data disclosed to the public on the website of the Ministry of Health. The questionnaire was designed with Google forms and then applied to community pharmacists all over Turkey by sharing the survey link. Results: Analyses of 393 questionnaires showed that Ministry of Health/government statements, the internet (scientific sources), and the media were the preferred sources of information (96.7\%, 89.6\%, and 84\%, respectively). ``Ways to avoid COVID-19{''} was the most searched title (96.9\%). It was determined that the names of the two drugs most frequently mentioned by the participants to be used in the treatment of COVID-19 in Turkey were hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin (57.5\%
Analysis of patient access to orphan drugs in Turkey
(BMC, 2021-01-01) Kockaya, Guvenc; Atalay, Sibel; Oguzhan, Gulpembe; Kurnaz, Mustafa; Okcun, Selin; Sar Gedik, Cigdem; Saylan, Mete; Sencan, Nazli
Background Rare diseases are life-threatening, serious, and chronic conditions that require complex care and have a low prevalence. An estimated one in 15 people worldwide are affected by rare diseases. This study aims to analyze the accessibility, reimbursement status, licensed status, and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes of drugs that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Turkey considers to be ``orphan{''} pharmaceuticals. Methods The drugs included in this analysis were obtained from the list of orphan drugs published by the EMA. Orphan drugs' accessibility and licensing status in Turkey were obtained from the Health Implementation Communique published by the Social Security Institution (SGK) and the List of Abroad Active Substance and List of Licensed Products published by the Turkey Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK). Descriptive analysis was applied to determine the accessibility status of orphan drugs identified by the EMA in Turkey. Results Based on the EMA, 105 pharmaceuticals were approved with ``orphan drug{''} status except for drugs that have lost orphan drug status, decommissioned in the European Union and withdrawn from the European Community Register by January 2020. Of the 105 rare drugs on the EMA list, 34 were inaccessible in Turkey. Of the 71 available drugs, 23 (32\%) were licensed and 48 (68\%) were unlicensed in Turkey. 17 (74\%) of licensed products and 17 (35\%) of unlicensed products were covered by reimbursement. When orphan drugs' ATC codes were examined, the most common ATC group was found to be ``L-Antineoplastic and Immunomodulatory{''} agents. Conclusion An orphan drug incentive policy is very important to ensure early access to the drugs used to treat rare diseases. Considering the capacity and prices for orphan drugs in Turkey, it can be said that many patients with rare diseases have difficulty in their treatment. It is obvious that such a policy must prepare for the regulation of orphan drugs in Turkey.