Background: Analyzing registered drug information and providing policymakers and decision-makers with evidence-based data is essential for future decision-making. Aim: To determine composition and patterns of change in registered medicines in Mongolia. Materials and Methods: In this study, an overview analysis of drug registration data from 2006 to 2025 was carried out using Microsoft Power BI. Result: During this period, a total of 7,528 drugs were registered, of which 77.3% were modern medicines, 15.1% were traditional medicines, 5.6% were herbal medicines, 1.4% were biopreparations, and 0.6% were vaccines. On average, overall drug registration increased annually by 2.2%, while imported drug registration grew by 1.9%. In contrast, domestic drug registration fell by 1.4%. Of all registered drugs, 79.7% were imported. Drugs from 64 countries were registered, with Mongolia contributing the largest share by registering 1,525 drugs, which accounts for 20.3% of the total. Among drugs registered by 33 countries with strict regulatory systems, 42.5% of total registrations and 53.3% of imported drugs originated from these countries. Of all registered medicines, 68.2% were prescription medicines, 28.3% were overthe-counter medicines, 1.2% were hospital-use medicines, 2.2% were narcotics, and 0.3% were psychotropic substances. In terms of routes of administration, 64.2% were oral medicines, 23.7% were injectable, 4.8% were ophthalmic, otic, or nasal preparations, 4.6% were topical medicines, 2% were administered via other routes, and 0.9% were inhaled. According to the ATC classification, the largest share was held by anti-infective medicines at 19.5%, while antiparasitic and insecticidal preparations had the smallest share at 0.76%. As of 4 April 2026, there were 477 antibiotics registered, of which 412 were other than suppositories, ointments, eye drops, and ear drops. According to the WHO AWaRe classification list for 2025, 49.03% (n=202) was “Access” group of antibiotics. Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that imported medicines account for a significant share of registered drugs in Mongolia, underscoring the need to expand domestic pharmaceutical production and strengthen the drug registration system.

Background: The cornerstone of medical education in training qualified physicians lies in foundational scientific knowledge, which forms the basis for clinical reasoning and diagnostic-therapeutic decision-making. Anatomy constitutes one of the core foundational subjects within the medical doctor training curriculum and exerts a direct influence on the development of students’ baseline knowledge and the formation of their clinical thinking. This study was conducted to evaluate the anatomy curriculum through assessments by first-year students enrolled in the basic medical education program, with the aim of enhancing instructional quality and improving the structure and organization of the course. Aim: To investigate the satisfaction ratings of first-year students in the basic medical education program regarding the Anatomy-1 course. Material and Methods: The study was carried out using an analytical cross-sectional design during the first semester of the 2025–2026 academic year. Data were collected from a total of 289 first-year students of the basic medical education program at the School of Bio-Medicine of MNUMS (Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences) using a questionnaire comprising 24 items in total—3 demographic questions, 20 general satisfaction questions, and 1 open-ended question—with each item rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were processed using SPSS 23.0 software, employing descriptive statistics, two-sample t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and factor analysis. Results: Of the study participants, 14.2% were male and 85.8% were female, with the cohort distributed across programs as follows: TAM 10.38%, TMS 17.30%, MDS 44.29%, PDS 13.15%, and DSS 14.88%. The overall satisfaction level was 4.59±0.66, falling within the “good” range. The highest rating was attributed to “Faculty members possess strong professional knowledge and skills” (DSS, 4.91±0.37), whereas the lowest rating was assigned to “Students’ knowledge and skills are evaluated objectively and fairly” (PDS, 4.16±0.75). The internal consistency coefficient of the questionnaire yielded α=0.909, indicating excellent reliability. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations among instructors’ respect for students’ viewpoints (Q4), instructors’ communication and demeanor (Q5), and professional ethics (Q6) (r=0.787; r=0.755; p<0.01). Factor analysis produced a KMO value of 0.865 and a Bartlett’s test result of p=0.000; accordingly, all 20 items were grouped into two factors—”Faculty Professional Competence” and “Learning Environment and Organization”—which collectively accounted for 58.74% of the total variance. Conclusions 1. The findings indicate that the overall satisfaction of first-year basic medical education students who participated in the study was at a favorable level. 2. Faculty professional competence and the learning environment and organization were identified as factors influencing student satisfaction, explaining 58.74% of the total variance in the results. It was further established that adherence to professional ethics, respect for students’ perspectives, and equitable treatment are contingent upon the instructor’s knowledge and professional expertise.

Background: The Anatomy course, which provides general foundational knowledge on the structure of all organ systems of the human body, is a core professional course in the bachelor’s curricula of Pharmacy, Biomedical Science, Hygiene and Epidemiology, Public Health, Occupational Safety and Health, and Nutrition and Dietetics. Student satisfaction is not only an important indicator of the quality of medical education, but also influences graduates’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes; therefore, continuous research in this area is necessary. Aim: To determine the level of satisfaction with the Anatomy curriculum among first-year students in basic health science programs and to identify factors influencing their satisfaction, with the aim of improving the quality of teaching. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2025 to February 2026 among 182 first-year students enrolled in the following programs at Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences (MNUMS): Biomedical Research, Pharmacy, Health Epidemiology, Public Health, Health Informatics, and Traditional Medicine Therapy. Student satisfaction with the quality of the Anatomy course was assessed using a 24-item questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, applying descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation, factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The internal consistency of the satisfaction scale was very high (Cronbach’s α=0.928). The mean overall satisfaction score of the participants was 4.61±0.67. There was no significant difference in overall satisfaction by gender (p > 0.05). Factor analysis identified two main factors influencing the evaluation of teaching quality (KMO=0.894; Bartlett’s test p<0.001), which together explained 52.73% of the total variance. The first factor was “Teachers’ professional competence, communication, attitude, and assessment,” and the second factor was “Course organization, learning environment, and instructional materials.” Correlation analysis showed that better course organization and higher teacher engagement were positively associated with students’ satisfaction (p<0.01). Conclusions 1. Among first-year basic health science students, satisfaction with the Anatomy course was influenced by teachers’ professional competence, ethics, interpersonal communication, and fair, objective assessment. 2. Adherence to professional ethics and maintaining respectful communication with students were found to be closely related to teachers’ knowledge and professional skills.

Background: The study of the anatomical structure of the ankle joint ligaments is essential for understanding the stability, axis, and movement of the joint, as well as their interrelationship with the function. It also provides fundamental quantitative data for the training and research of physiotherapists, as well as the practice of injury and trauma medicine. Proper diagnosis and treatment of ankle joint injuries, as well as understanding the mechanism of injury, are based on this knowledge. Ankle joint injuries are common, with ligament and tendon injuries accounting for 85% of ankle injuries. In Mongolia, 81.1% of ankle injuries are new, 9.4% are similar to the initial injury, 8.1% are recurrent injuries, and 0.7% have unknown causes. Depending on the mechanism of injury, certain ligaments and connective tissues can be damaged. Ankle ligament injuries are the most common cause of acute ankle pain, and chronic ankle pain is often due to structural changes in the ankle ligaments. Aim: To summarize the research on the normal anatomy of the ankle and subtalar joint, as well as the studies on joint injuries, using the dissection method. Materials and Methods: Literature search was conducted in Thomson Reuters, Pubmed central database, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases, as well as the statistical data from the Health Development Center and the National Center for Trauma and Orthopedics. Keywords used include: ankle joint, subtalar joint, ankle joint and subtalar joint injuries. A total of 330 publications were identified, and 34 key articles on the normal anatomy of the ankle and subtalar joint, as well as joint injuries, were included in the review. Results: The ankle joint is formed between the distal end of the tibia and the superior articular surface of the talus. It allows plantar flexion and dorsiflexion movements, with a normal range of 30 degrees for plantar flexion and 50 degrees for dorsiflexion. The subtalar joint is formed between the posterior articular surfaces of the talus and calcaneus. It allows inversion and eversion movements, with a normal range of 35 degrees for inversion and 20 degrees for eversion. The ankle ligaments are divided into three groups: lateral, medial, and inferior tibiofibular (syndesmotic) ligaments. The most common cause of ankle joint injuries is excessive inversion of the subtalar joint, leading to injuries to the joint capsule, lateral and medial collateral ligaments, and the syndesmotic ligaments. Excessive plantar flexion and dorsiflexion of the ankle joint can also cause injuries to the posterior talofibular ligament, the osteochondral region of the talar neck, and the anterior-inferior margin of the tibia. Conclusion Comprehensive study of the ankle joint structure provides the basis for explaining the mechanism of injury. Further research in Mongolia is needed, combining dissection and imaging techniques, to develop standardized evaluation protocols that correlate with clinical outcomes.

Background: Arterial hypertension is one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.4 billion adults aged 30–79 years worldwide were living with hypertension in 2024, of whom only 23% had their blood pressure controlled to the recommended target level. The 2019 national survey in Mongolia reported that 23.6% of adults aged 15–69 years had high blood pressure or were taking antihypertensive medication. Furthermore, the WHO’s 2023 report estimated that only 26% of Mongolian adults aged 30–79 years with hypertension had controlled blood pressure. Nonadherence to antihypertensive medication is an important factor associated with poor blood pressure control. Limited evidence in Mongolia links patients’ understanding of their medications to medication adherence, providing the rationale for this study. Aim: To determine the association between medication understanding and medication adherence among patients with arterial hypertension. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from July to September 2026 among patients with arterial hypertension attending community pharmacies contracted with health insurance in four districts of Ulaanbaatar: Sukhbaatar, Khan-Uul, Bayanzurkh, and Songinokhairkhan. 165 adults aged 18 years or older with diagnosed hypertension who obtained antihypertensive medications under the health insurance reimbursement scheme were included in the study. The sample size was calculated using Cochran’s formula, assuming a 95% confidence level, an expected proportion of 0.5, a margin of error of 0.08, and an additional 10% allowance for nonparticipation. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Medication adherence was assessed with nine questions on a five-point Likert scale. Negatively worded items were reverse-coded, yielding a total score ranging from 9 to 45, with higher scores indicating better adherence. Medication understanding was assessed using six self-report questions, with total scores ranging from 6 to 30. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding 0.885 for the medication adherence items and 0.869 for the medication understanding items. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and the association between medication understanding and adherence was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The statistical significance level was set at α=0.05, and p-values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The study was conducted with approval from the Research Ethics Review Committee of the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, dated June 26, 2026 (approval No. 2026/06-01). Voluntary informed consent was obtained from all participants, and confidentiality of the collected information was maintained. Results: Of the 165 participants, 118 (71.5%) were female, and 47 (28.5%) were male. A total of 99 participants (60.0%) reported having comorbid diagnoses. The mean total medication adherence score was 30.87±7.37, while the mean medication understanding score was 21.99±4.02. Among the six medication understanding items, understanding the need for continuous medication use had the highest mean score (3.90±0.76), while understanding medication-related adverse effects had the lowest (3.28±0.95). Among the nine medication adherence items, the item related to discontinuing medication when blood pressure returned to normal had the lowest mean score (3.12±1.30). Medication understanding was weakly and significantly positively correlated with medication adherence scores (Spearman’s ρ=0.320; p<0.001). In multivariable analysis, each one-point increase in medication understanding score was associated with an average 0.404-point higher medication adherence score (B=0.404; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.135–0.672; p=0.003). Compared with participants aged 18–34 years, those aged 65 years or older had significantly higher adherence scores (B=5.814; p=0.001). Compared with participants who reported that their blood pressure was within the normal range, those who reported that their blood pressure remained elevated had lower medication adherence scores (B=−3.331; p=0.020). Participants who were unaware of their blood pressure status also had lower adherence scores (B=−4.016; p=0.013). Conclusion Medication understanding was weakly but significantly positively associated with medication adherence among patients with arterial hypertension.

Background: Studying the human embryonic and fetal organ systems development patterns and determining their quantitative indicators is of scientific and practical importance in medicine and health in every nation.
Distortions and pathologies during the development of the embryo are the causes of congenital disabilities. Among the congenital malformations, facial malformations are the 3rd place, including cleft lip and palate in 70% and Srouzon's syndrome in 30%. In addition, abnormalities due to changes in the size, shape, and position of the jaw are also mentioned in the 2021.04.21 issue of Morphology magazine in the study "Morphometric parameters of the bones of the skull and face during the development of newborns and fetuses". In our country, Ariuntuul G (2005) determined that cleft lip and cleft palate occur at 0.76/1000 or 1 in 1314 live births, while Ayanga G (2012) found that it occurs at 1 in 1072 live births or 0.93/1000. Moreover, the eye cup dimensions of Mongolian fetuses aged 16 36 weeks have a positive linear relationship with the gestational age determined using ultrasound by Nandintsetseg B (2015) et al. Compared with the other countries, the eyecup is slightly wider, and the outer edge distance is similar, whereas the inner edge distance is shorter. Purpose: To summarize research work and determine the embryonic development of bones involved in the formation of the face and facial parts, the period of bone formation, the point of ossification, and the period of formation. Methods: During fetal development, human organ systems grow and develop at different rates but in a particular relationship. This feature of growth and development is also clearly observed in the structure of the head and facial bones, and the results of researchers who have studied this aspect are selected in the articles. Results: Embryonic and fetal development of bone are clinically significant not only from the point of view of its morphogenesis but also from the point of view of congenital disabilities. Conclusion In the analysis of the sources, most of the works on the prenatal period of the development of the same body have studied the development of specific structures of the face and facial area, such as the palatine bones and nasal bones, or have generally covered the development of particular systems in the embryo and fetus, and face, there are relatively few works that show the entire dynamics of growth and development of facial bones.

Background: The collagen fibrillar framework of the liver is presumed not only to mechanically support the tissue, but also to form a microenvironment for hepatocytes and cells in the Disse’s space. It has long been considered that the collagen fibers in the liver provide the endothelial cells of the hepatic sinusoids with a scaffold, while their excessive accumulation in the hepatic parenchyma is associated with the chronicity of liver diseases and the development of cirrhosis. Purpose: To define detailed organization of the collagen fibrils of the liver. Materials and methods: Collagen fibrils were taken from the livers of 5 male and female cadavers who died not from liver diseases at the ages from 35 to 55. Light microscopy of hematoxylin-eosin stained liver tissues confirmed that the materials had no significant pathological changes. The collagen fibrils of the liver were extracted and observed according to our cell-maceration/SEM method. Results: The alkali-water maceration of the liver at room temperature consistently removed all of the cellular elements with their basal lamina, and left collagen fibrils in their natural locations and shapes, thus revealing the continuum of the collagen fibrillar network under the SEM. The diameter of collagen fibrils was around 57 nm. The collagen fibrillar layer of the liver capsule was about 70- 100 µm in thickness. The capsular layer consisted of collagen fibrillar bundles (0.2-4µm in diameter) of densely packed parallel collagen fibrils. Deriving from between such bundles were many collagen fibrils, they wound independently for some distance and then again fused with the bundles. There were many bundles of collagen fibrils that connected the capsular collagen layer to the collagen fibrillar sheaths for housing the hepatic sinusoids. There were no collagen fibrillar septa delimiting the hepatic lobules, instead, collagen fibrillar sheaths for the sinusoids were continuum throughout the liver. Normal human livers contained 12.0 mg of collagen fibrils/g wet tissue. Both type I and III collagens have been demonstrated immunehistochemically in normal liver.