OAR@UM Community:

Assessing confidence of community pharmacists in inflammatory bowel disease management : a cross-sectional study in Malta

2026-07-09T10:26:36Z

Title: Assessing confidence of community pharmacists in inflammatory bowel disease management : a cross-sectional study in Malta Authors: Diyab, Aisha; Wirth, Francesca Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate community pharmacists’ confidence in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to identify areas in which pharmacist-led patient education and counselling could be strengthened. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three phases; questionnaire development and review by an expert panel, reliability assessment, and dissemination to 100 community pharmacies selected through stratified random sampling across Malta. Pharmacists’ confidence across 29 items was assessed using mean rating scores (MRS) on a 5-point Likert scale. Non-parametric analyses examined associations between confidence, demographic variables, and perceived barriers (P < .05 statistically significant). Key findings: Ninety-four pharmacists completed the questionnaire; female (n = 65), > 5 years of community pharmacy experience (n = 56), worked 31–40 hours weekly (n = 39), Master of Pharmacy degree (n = 47). ‘High’ confidence (MRS ≥4/5) was reported for advice on diet and lifestyle, non-prescription medicines for symptom management, medicine storage/stability, and recognizing when referral was required. ‘Moderate’ confidence (MRS 3 to <4/5) was observed for adherence support, relapse, counselling on extraintestinal complications, dosage form administration, corticosteroids, methotrexate, aminosalicylates, and biologics. ‘Low’ confidence (MRS <3/5) was identified for counselling on thiopurines, non-prescription medicines associated with toxic megacolon, vaccines, and pregnancy and women of child-bearing age. The main reported barriers to providing advice were time constraints (n = 70) and patient-related communication challenges (n = 63). Years of experience, hours of practice, and inadequate private consultation space were not significantly associated with pharmacist confidence (P > .05). Conclusions: Community pharmacists were more confident in general counselling and referral-related support than in medication-specific counselling and more complex aspects of IBD care.

Pharmacist-led thyroid point-of-care testing in community pharmacy

2026-07-08T10:29:20Z

Title: Pharmacist-led thyroid point-of-care testing in community pharmacy Authors: Vella, Mariah; Wirth, Francesca; Azzopardi, Lilian M. Abstract: Background: Early detection of hypothyroidism through point-ofcare testing (POCT) is relevant for high-risk individuals and those previously diagnosed who may remain uncontrolled due to inadequate adherence or sub-optimal dosing. Establishing pharmacist-led thyroid POCT enables timely screening and ongoing monitoring of hypothyroidism. [excerpt]

Green pharmacy practice : a cross-sectional study to evaluate awareness and application within community pharmacy

2026-07-07T09:52:10Z

Title: Green pharmacy practice : a cross-sectional study to evaluate awareness and application within community pharmacy Authors: Baldacchino, Michela; Sammut Bartolo, Nicolette Abstract: Background:; The increase in environmental awareness highlights the need to implement green measures to address the environmental footprint of pharmaceutical processes. Green measures can be implemented within the community pharmacy settings to mitigate the environmental impact of related activities. Awareness and perception of community pharmacists about green measures are important since they are strategically placed to educate patients, consumers and healthcare professionals.; Objectives:; The aim of the study was to evaluate the awareness of Maltese pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants, about green practices and the application of green pharmacy within the community pharmacy setting.; Methods:; A cross-sectional study was conducted through the distribution of a validated questionnaire to evaluate the awareness of community pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy assistants, about green pharmacy. The data was analysed for descriptive statistics and chi square test was used for correlation analysis.; Key findings:; A total of 105 participants answered the questionnaire. Fifty-two percent (n = 55) of participants were familiar with the term green pharmacy. The majority of participants (98%, n = 103) showed interest in learning more about the topic. Green measures, such as rotating stock when receiving new products and enforcing recycling measures, are being implemented within the community pharmacy setting.; Conclusion:; Green measures are being implemented within the community pharmacy setting, however more awareness is required to drive the shift towards the implementation of environmentally friendly practices.

Label integrity of cannabidiol consumer products : a matrix-specific review of accuracy, contaminants, and regulatory gaps (2017–2025)

2026-06-17T10:59:52Z

Title: Label integrity of cannabidiol consumer products : a matrix-specific review of accuracy, contaminants, and regulatory gaps (2017–2025) Authors: Szyrner, Karolina; Serracino-Inglott, Anthony; Vella Szijj, Janis Abstract: The global market for cannabidiol (CBD) consumer products is continuing to expand across food, supplement, cosmetic, and inhalable categories, outside the regulatory frameworks applied to authorised medicines. This review assesses the accuracy of CBD label claims and the presence of chemical contaminants across consumer CBD products reported between 2017 and 2025. A narrative literature review of 28 peer-reviewed analytical studies encompassing multiple product matrices was carried out. Studies were categorised according to whether they applied ±10% or ±15% label-accuracy thresholds, or reported only mean deviations from labelled values. Results show that 31.3% (294/937) of products complied with commonly applied label-accuracy threshold within ±10%. Oils and tinctures were most frequently accurately labelled (41.3%, 124/300), whereas edibles (40.5%, 106/262), vape products (24.3%, 28/115), and topicals (13.8%, 36/260) showed pronounced mislabelling, absence of declared CBD, and within-product heterogeneity. Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC), synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, heavy metals, pesticides, and residual solvents were detected, occasionally at levels exceeding legal or toxicological thresholds. Evidence indicates quality-control deficiencies across the CBD consumer market, with important implications for consumer safety, dosing reliability, and regulatory oversight. Product-category variability suggests inadequate standardisation of manufacturing and labelling practices across formulation matrices. Interpretation of the findings was limited by heterogeneity in analytical methodologies, sampling strategies, reporting practices, and label-accuracy criteria between studies. The detection of mislabelling and contaminants across geographically diverse investigations supports the need for harmonised analytical standards, matrix-specific acceptance criteria, mandatory contaminant screening, and strengthened post-market surveillance to better protect public health.