Browsing by Author "Shankar, Pathiyil Ravi"
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Publication Gender Differences in Service Utilization and Pattern of Free Presbyopia Glasses Distribution among Patients at Eye Camps in Nepal: An Observational Study(Nepal Medical Association, 2025) Shah, Ranjan; Mishrah, Sailesh Kumar; Shankar, Pathiyil Ravi; Subedi, Anup; Sharma, Prakriti; Paudel, Anil; Adhikari, Pankaj Ray; Singh, Amit KumarAbstract Introduction: Presbyopia is an age-related refractive condition that causes difficulty in seeing nearby objects clearly. It affects a significant portion of the world’s population, especially individuals over 40 years old. Many studies show variation in the utilization of eye healthcare services according to gender in resource-limited settings like Nepal. This influence access to eye care service. This study aims to investigate gender-based differences in service utilization and prescription patterns at free presbyopia camps in Nepal. Methods: A retrospective observational study analyzed anonymized socio-demographic and clinical data of 29,943 presbyopic patients attending free eye camps organized by twenty-six NNJS eye hospitals/centers across Nepal from 2020 to 2024. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh. Data on age, gender, and spectacle prescriptions were collected to assess service utilization and gender disparities. Results: Among the total presbyopic patients 15,356 (51.3%) had high presbyopia, with a slightly higher prevalence among males 8,025 (52.3%) compared to females 7,331 (47.7%). Presbyopia prevalence increased with age, peaking at 12,522 (41.8%) in those ≥56 years. Females had higher prevalence in younger age groups, while males predominated in older groups. Conclusions: In this study, presbyopia was common in age group ≥56 years with service utilisation more by male.Publication Perceived Prevalence, Awareness and Attitude towards Counterfeit Medicines among Community Pharmacists of Kathmandu Valley: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study(Nepal Medical Association, 2024) Kafle, Sajala; Jha, Nisha; Bhandary, Shital; Shankar, Pathiyil RaviAbstract Introduction: Counterfeit medicines are a significant problem globally. In a developing country like Nepal, community pharmacists play an important role in dispensing medicines. The study was done to assess community pharmacists’ perceived prevalence, awareness and attitude towards counterfeit medicines in Kathmandu valley. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. Data was collected conveniently from Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur districts in March 2022 after obtaining ethical clearance from Nepal Health Research Council (reference no. 2200) and taking written informed consent from Community Pharmacists. Results: Among the 343 pharmacists who participated, 250 (72.89%) were from Kathmandu, 57 (16.62%) were from Lalitpur, and 36 (10.50%) from Bhaktapur. Most 252 (73.47%) were aged between 20 to 30 years, 222 (64.72%) were male, 239 (69.68%) had done a Diploma in Pharmacy, 201 (58.60%) had working experience of more than 5 years and 342 (99.71%) had done their education in Nepal. Their median perceived prevalence of counterfeit drugs was 10.00% but only 2.30% had clear knowledge of such practice. 332 (96.79%) believed that actions should be taken against community pharmacists dispensing counterfeit drugs, 325 (94.75%) believed that pharmacists who dispense counterfeit medicines are unprofessional; 338 (98.54%) stated that there should be strong law against counterfeit medicine sales. Conclusions: Median perceived prevalence of counterfeit medicines was 10.00% but only 2.30% were aware of counterfeit medicine dispensing. Out of 343 pharmacists, 332 (96.79%) mentioned that action should be taken against those pharmacists knowingly dispensing counterfeit medicines and 338 (98.54%) stated that there should be strong law against counterfeit medicines.