Rx Note

Introduction Building on the success of creating a drug database app using Firebase Studio , I decided to take on a new challenge - developing an offline-first PWA for my existing blog. Truth be told, even with some prior experience, this new project introduced more complexities and considerations than the previous one, making it another rewarding yet demanding endeavor. Setting Up in Firebase Studio To quickly prototype a user interface, you can use the App Prototyping Agent in Firebase Studio , which supports natural language prompts for layout generation. The core framework of this Blogger PWA relies on the Blogger API v3 to fetch both blog posts and static pages from a specified Blogger blog, sync the content into IndexedDB, and render it within the app. Technically, to use the Blogger API v3 to fetch the data, you do not have to be the owner of the blog. On the other hand, you need three key things: Blog ID This unique identifier is crucial for targeting the correct blog. If you...

Introduction In my previous post on Firebase Studio , I discussed some of the limitations when coding an app powered by artificial intelligence . Despite those hurdles, the final outcome - the RxLookup Progressive Web App - stands as a noteworthy milestone and a successful achievement. In this post, I want to highlight a few key decision-making points and common pitfalls to watch out for if you are planning to build a drug database or dictionary app. Deploying as Progressive Web App Typically, an app can be deployed in several forms: as a web app or a native app (such as those available on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store). A rising trend in recent years is the Progressive Web App (PWA). Technically, a PWA leverages standard web technologies, allowing a single codebase to run seamlessly across laptops, iPhones, and Android devices with minimal platform-specific adjustments. Since it is deployed as a hosted website, it enables rapid and frequent updates - unlike traditional na...

Introduction 8 food-types cause about 90% of food allergy reactions. Milk (mostly in children) Eggs Peanuts Tree nuts (e.g. walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, brazil nuts and pecans) Soy Wheat (and other grains with gluten, including barley, rye and oats) Fish (mostly in adults) Shellfish (mostly in adults) Case Scenario "Do you have any drug allergies?" Often, when dispensing medications to patients (especially antibiotics or NSAIDs) or clerking CP1 form , we ask patients this question. The onset of hives within a few hours of taking a new medication is easily recognized as possible drug hypersensitivity. However, many clinical presentations of drug hypersensitivity are more complex or take place in the setting of illness and/or polypharmacotherapy. For example, The patient in intensive care who develops a rash while receiving multiple medications The ambulatory with complex chronic diseases who develops a new and unexplained symptom while taking many medications. The main questio...

Introduction Ensuring medication safety has always been a key focus of pharmacy profession. Some of the findings in the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System , include Medical errors are common. Medical errors are tragic. Medical errors are expensive. Medical errors are preventable. Medication Error The term "medication error" is used to describe any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice and healthcare products, procedures and systems, including prescribing; order communication; product labelling, packaging and nomenclature; compounding; dispensing; distribution; administration; education; monitoring; and use. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has developed a standard system for categorizing medication erro...

Introduction The patient care process is a fundamental series of actions that guide the activities of health professionals. In 2014, the Joint Commission for Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP) - representing 11 national pharmacy organizations - endorsed a framework for providing clinically oriented patient care services called the Pharmacist's Patient Care Process . The Five Essential Steps Collect subjective and objective information about the patient to understand the relevant medical/medication history and clinical status of the patient. Assess the information collected and analyses the clinical effects of the patient's therapy in the context of the patient's overall health goals to identify and prioritize problems and achieve optimal care. Develop and individualized plan that is evidence-based and cost-effective. Implement the care plan. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the care plan and modify it as needed. Patient-Centred Approach In addition to the 5 fundam...

Introduction If I had completed my university years and continued practicing in Australia, I believe these would be my top three references. However, I did not; I came back to Malaysia for good. Therapeutic Guidelines (formerly eTG Complete) Australian Medicines Handbook Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary and Handbook Therapeutic Guidelines Much of what I have learned in disease management during my university years would be based on Therapeutic Guidelines (formerly eTG Complete) . It serves the same purpose as Malaysia Clinical Practice Guideline (Malaysia CPG) , but it covers a much broader range of diseases and is more timely updated. During my hospital placement, I recalled a drug information pharmacist mentioning that although Therapeutic Guidelines is a national guideline, they do compare it against international guidelines and UpToDate to develop hospital management guidelines. This pharmacist emphasized the importance of not just knowing if a medicine is indicated for a dise...

Introduction When I was a little child, I thought I had a long way to go before I became old. Probably, at that time, I felt it took amazingly long time to even finish primary school years. However, now that I am a working adult, time seems to fly by and the days are full of repeated yet unfinished works. Over the years, I have gradually lost my enthusiasm for pharmacist profession too. It is no longer the exciting challenge it once was and today is just a repetition of yesterday. Job is more of a mean to make the ends meet. Today, I have not yet achieved my childhood dreams, but my age already made me an adult. Yes, I do not like to be called an "uncle". NOTE: Watching a small baby grow by inches each day makes me acutely aware of the passage of time and my own aging. Giving Life A Meaning During our teenage years, our primary focus was on passing exams and graduating with a bachelor's or master's degree. For the past decade, our lives have been guided by this singul...