Rationale, aims, and objectives Community pharmacists have a crucial role in providing comprehensive patient education regarding contraception methods. This study aims to investigate Jordanian pharmacists’ knowledge and perception towards male OCPs. Methods A mixed-explanatory sequential method was divided into two phases. The first was a self-administered electronic survey to community pharmacists/trainees in Jordan. The second phase was carried out through online semi-structured in-depth interviews targeting the maximum variation purposive sample of community pharmacists. Results A total of 158 (response rate 98%) questionnaires were included in the analysis. The majority of the participants were female (n=118, 74.2%). In terms of knowledge, only 25% of participants acknowledged the presence of male OCPs and almost half were uncertain about the mechanism of action and the possible uses. The findings of the interviews confirmed the relatively negative perception towards males OCPs. As, the identified barriers to male OCPs were cultural norms, side effects, and poor compliance. Conclusion There is a negative perception towards male OCPs, as the majority of pharmacists believe such products will not be successful in Jordan. Once these pills are approved for their effectiveness and safety, men may need further education and encouragement to take an active role in family planning along with their partners.

Background Lack of definitive cure for COVID-19 and the late introduction of a vaccine were responsible to push the general public to look for a remedy to treat or prevent COVID-19. The objective of this study was to evaluate patterns and factors that affect self-medication practices in Jordan during the pandemic. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire that was developed, piloted and distributed to the general public via various social media platforms. The questionnaire assessed the type of drugs and treatments used to self -medicate, the reasons behind their self- medication, and the factors affecting their practices. Results A total of 1179 participants (females 46.4%) with a mean age of 32 (SD=12.5) completed the questionnaire. The overall prevalence of the use of at least one product to treat or prevent COVID-19 was 80.4 %. The most commonly used products to self-medicate were vitamin C (57.6%), followed by paracetamol (51.9%), zinc (44.8%) and vitamin D (32.5%). Female gender (odds ratio [OR]) = 1.603, working in the medical field (OR =1.697), and history of COVID-19 infection (OR =2.026) were variables associated with self-medication. The most common sources of participants’ information about drugs to prevent or treat COVID-19 were newspapers (n=519, 44.0%), followed by pharmacists (43.4%), friends (33.8%) and internet searching such as Google (30.7%). Conclusion This study identified the main drugs and supplements used during COVID-19 and the motives behind their use. It also identified the most influential source of information on the public during the pandemic. Self-medication can lead to worsening of the patient’s health and delay seeking medical advice from healthcare professionals. Efforts should be done to help mitigate risks of self-medications by active involvement of pharmacists and other members of healthcare team to refute false claims about drug, especially in the media.

Background: The relationship between smoking and Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is still topical with mixed epidemiological evidence. However, the pandemic may affect people’s beliefs towards smoking as well as smoking behavior and quit intentions. Considering high smoking rates in Jordan, our current study aimed to assess the following points in a community-based sample from Jordan: (i) the beliefs that surround smoking and COVID-19, (ii) the pandemic impact on smoking behavior and quit intention.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan utilizing an online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 13 items on sociodemographic, health, and smoking profiles, 14 items to assess beliefs surrounding COVID-19 and the use of combustible cigarettes (CC), waterpipe (WP), and electronic cigarettes (EC), and 12 items to assess the pandemic impact on smoking behavior and quit intention. Results: Of 2424 survey respondents who participated in our study there were 1163 never-smokers, 1044 current smokers, and 217 ex-smokers. The mean age of participants was 35.2 years (SD:11.06). Most participants have shown anti-smoking beliefs with around 72.9% believed that WP smoking is related to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Also, 71.7% believed that smoking CC may worsen the COVID-19 clinical course, while 74.1% of respondents believed that smoking has no protective effect against COVID-19. During the pandemic, about 28.1% and 19.3% of current smokers reported increased or reduced smoking, respectively, and many smokers reported their willingness to quit smoking due to the pandemic. Besides, 459 current smokers have expressed their plans/intention to quit smoking during the pandemic, of whom 27.5% (n=126) confirmed that the driving force for their decision is a COVID-19 related reason, such as self-protection (n=123) and protection of family members (=121) which were the most reported ones. Also, around 63 participants have successfully ceased smoking during the pandemic. However, only 22 of them reported that the main driving motivation of their successful quit attempt was the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusion: Most participants reported anti-smoking beliefs and attitudes during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the double-edged effect of the pandemic on smoking habits should be carefully considered, and reliable anti-smoking measures should be strengthened and sustained in the country.