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  1. Fulltext Stability assessment of injectable castor oil-based nano-sized emulsion containing cationic droplets stabilized by poloxamer-chitosan emulsifier films
    Tamilvanan S, Kumar BA, Senthilkumar SR, Baskar R, Sekharan TR
    AAPS PharmSciTech, 2010 Jun;11(2):904-9.
    PMID: 20496017 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-010-9455-3
    The objectives of the present work were to prepare castor oil-based nano-sized emulsion containing cationic droplets stabilized by poloxamer-chitosan emulgator film and to assess the kinetic stability of the prepared cationic emulsion after subjecting it to thermal processing and freeze-thaw cycling. Presence of cryoprotectants (5%, w/w, sucrose +5%, w/w, sorbitol) improved the stability of emulsions to droplet aggregation during freeze-thaw cycling. After storing the emulsion at 4 degrees C, 25 degrees C, and 37 degrees C over a period of up to 6 months, no significant change was noted in mean diameter of the dispersed oil droplets. However, the emulsion stored at the highest temperature did show a progressive decrease in the pH and zeta potential values, whereas the emulsion kept at the lowest temperatures did not. This indicates that at 37 degrees C, free fatty acids were formed from the castor oil, and consequently, the liberated free fatty acids were responsible for the reduction in the emulsion pH and zeta potential values. Thus, the injectable castor oil-based nano-sized emulsion could be useful for incorporating various active pharmaceutical ingredients that are in size from small molecular drugs to large macromolecules such as oligonucleotides.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/chemistry*
  2. Simultaneous determination of atenolol and amiloride in pharmaceutical preparations by capillary zone electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection
    Al Azzam KM, Saad B, Aboul-Enein HY
    Biomed Chromatogr, 2010 Sep;24(9):948-53.
    PMID: 20082285 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.1390
    Capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector (CE-C(4)D) has been employed for the determination of atenolol and amiloride in pharmaceutical formulations. Acetic acid (150 mm) was used as background electrolyte. The influence of several factors (detector excitation voltage and frequency, buffer concentration, applied voltage, capillary temperature and injection time) was studied. Non-UV-absorbing L-valine was used as internal standard; the analytes were all separated in less than 7 min. The separation was carried out in normal polarity mode at 28 degrees C, 25 kV and using hydrodynamic injection (25 s). The separation was effected in an uncoated fused-silica capillary (75 microm, i.d. x 52 cm). The CE-C(4)D method was validated with respect to linearity, limit of detection and quantification, accuracy, precision and selectivity. Calibration curves were linear over the range 5-250 microg/mL for the studied analytes. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day migration times and corrected peak areas were less than 6.0%. The method showed good precision and accuracy and was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of atenolol and amiloride in different pharmaceutical tablet formulations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/analysis*
  3. Simultaneous determination of atenolol, chlorthalidone and amiloride in pharmaceutical preparations by capillary zone electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection
    Al Azzam KM, Saad B, Aboul-Enein HY
    Biomed Chromatogr, 2010 Sep;24(9):977-81.
    PMID: 20066730 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.1395
    Capillary zone electrophoresis methods for the simultaneous determination of the beta-blocker drugs, atenolol, chlorthalidone and amiloride, in pharmaceutical formulations have been developed. The influences of several factors (buffer pH, concentration, applied voltage, capillary temperature and injection time) were studied. Using phenobarbital as internal standard, the analytes were all separated in less than 4 min. The separation was carried out in normal polarity mode at 25 degrees C, 25 kV and using hydrodynamic injection (10 s). The separation was effected in an uncoated fused-silica capillary (75 mum i.d. x 52 cm) and a background electrolyte of 25 mm H(3)PO(4) adjusted with 1 m NaOH solution (pH 9.0) and detection at 198 nm. The method was validated with respect to linearity, limit of detection and quantification, accuracy, precision and selectivity. Calibration curves were linear over the range 1-250 microg/mL for atenolol and chlorthalidone and from 2.5-250 microg/mL for amiloride. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day migration times and corrected peak areas were less than 6.0%. The method showed good precision and accuracy and was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of atenolol, chlorthalidone and amiloride in various pharmaceutical tablets formulations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/analysis*
  4. Multi-residue analytical method for human pharmaceuticals and synthetic hormones in river water and sewage effluents by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
    Al-Odaini NA, Zakaria MP, Yaziz MI, Surif S
    J Chromatogr A, 2010 Oct 29;1217(44):6791-806.
    PMID: 20851398 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2010.08.033
    Pollutants such as human pharmaceuticals and synthetic hormones that are not covered by environmental legislation have increasingly become important emerging aquatic contaminants. This paper reports the development of a sensitive and selective multi-residue method for simultaneous determination and quantification of 23 pharmaceuticals and synthetic hormones from different therapeutic classes in water samples. Target pharmaceuticals include anti-diabetic, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic agents, β2-adrenergic receptor agonist, antihistamine, analgesic and sex hormones. The developed method is based on solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by instrumental analysis using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) with 30 min total run time. River water samples (150 mL) and (sewage treatment plant) STP effluents (100 mL) adjusted to pH 2, were loaded into MCX (3 cm(3), 60 mg) cartridge and eluted with four different reagents for maximum recovery. Quantification was achieved by using eight isotopically labeled internal standards (I.S.) that effectively correct for losses during sample preparation and matrix effects during LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. Good recoveries higher than 70% were obtained for most of target analytes in all matrices. Method detection limit (MDL) ranged from 0.2 to 281 ng/L. The developed method was applied to determine the levels of target analytes in various samples, including river water and STP effluents. Among the tested emerging pollutants, chlorothiazide was found at the highest level, with concentrations reaching up to 865 ng/L in STP effluent, and 182 ng/L in river water.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/analysis*; Pharmaceutical Preparations/chemistry
  5. Fulltext Medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives: a comparative study in Australia and Malaysia
    Othman N, Vitry AI, Roughead EE, Ismail SB, Omar K
    BMC Public Health, 2010;10:743.
    PMID: 21118551 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-743
    BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical representatives provide medicines information on their promoted products to doctors. However, studies have shown that the quality of this information is often low. No study has assessed the medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Malaysia and no recent evidence in Australia is present. We aimed to compare the provision of medicines information by pharmaceutical representatives to doctors in Australia and Malaysia.
    METHODS: Following a pharmaceutical representative's visit, general practitioners in Australia and Malaysia who had agreed to participate, were asked to fill out a questionnaire on the main product and claims discussed during the encounter. The questionnaire focused on provision of product information including indications, adverse effects, precautions, contraindications and the provision of information on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) listings and restrictions (in Australia only). Descriptive statistics were produced. Chi-square analysis and clustered linear regression were used to assess differences in Australia and Malaysia.
    RESULTS: Significantly more approved product information sheets were provided in Malaysia (78%) than in Australia (53%) (P < 0.001). In both countries, general practitioners reported that indications (Australia, 90%, Malaysia, 93%) and dosages (Australia, 76%, Malaysia, 82%) were frequently provided by pharmaceutical representatives. Contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects were often omitted in the presentations (range 25% - 41%). General practitioners in Australia and Malaysia indicated that in more than 90% of presentations, pharmaceutical representatives partly or fully answered their questions on contraindications, precautions, drug interactions and adverse effects. More general practitioners in Malaysia (85%) than in Australia (60%) reported that pharmaceutical representatives should have mentioned contraindications, precautions for use, drug interaction or adverse effects spontaneously (P < 0.001). In 48% of the Australian presentations, general practitioners reported the pharmaceutical representatives failed to mention information on PBS listings to general practitioners.
    CONCLUSIONS: Information on indications and dosages were usually provided by pharmaceutical representatives in Australia and Malaysia. However, risk and harmful effects of medicines were often missing in their presentations. Effective control of medicines information provided by pharmaceutical representatives is needed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations*
  6. Exploring community pharmacists' views on generic medicines: a nationwide study from Malaysia
    Chong CP, Hassali MA, Bahari MB, Shafie AA
    Int J Clin Pharm, 2011 Feb;33(1):124-31.
    PMID: 21365404 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-010-9470-1
    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Malaysian community pharmacists' views on generic medicines.

    SETTING: A sample of 1419 Malaysian community pharmacies with resident pharmacists.

    METHOD: A cross-sectional nationwide survey using a self-completed mailing questionnaire.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Pharmacists' views on generic medicines including issues surrounding efficacy, safety, quality and bioequivalence.

    RESULTS: Responses were received from 219 pharmacies (response rate 15.4%). Only 50.2% of the surveyed pharmacists agreed that all products that are approved as generic equivalents can be considered therapeutically equivalent with the innovator medicines. Around 76% of respondents indicated that generic substitution of narrow therapeutic index medicines is inappropriate. The majority of the pharmacists understood that a generic medicine must contain the same amount of active ingredient (84.5%) and must be in the same dosage form as the innovator brand (71.7%). About 21% of respondents though that generic medicines are of inferior quality compared to innovator medicines. Most of the pharmacists (61.6%) disagreed that generic medicines produce more side-effects than innovator brand. Pharmacists graduated from Malaysian universities, twinning program and overseas universities were not differed significantly in their views on generic medicines. Additionally, the respondents appeared to have difficulty in ascertaining the bioequivalent status of the marketed generic products in Malaysia.

    CONCLUSION: The Malaysian pharmacists' have lack of information and/or trust in the generic manufacturing and/or approval system in Malaysia. This issue should be addressed by pharmacy educators and relevant government agencies.

    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/standards
  7. Use of prebiotics in oral delivery of bioactive compounds: a nanotechnology perspective
    Heidarpour F, Mohammadabadi MR, Zaidul IS, Maherani B, Saari N, Hamid AA, et al.
    Pharmazie, 2011 May;66(5):319-24.
    PMID: 21699064
    The oral route is considered the most patient-convenient means of drug administration. In recent years there has been a tendency to employ smart carrier systems that enable controlled or timed release of a bioactive material, thereby providing a better dosing pattern and minimizing side effects. Nano-encapsulation systems (nanocarriers) offer important advantages over conventional drug delivery techniques. Nanocarriers can protect the drug from chemical/enzymatic degradation and enhance bioavailability. Prebiotics are ideal ingredients for the nano-encapsulation and oral drug delivery due to their natural ability to protect the encapsulated compound in the upper gasterointestinal (GI) tract. Here the potential of prebiotics for oral delivery of drugs and other bioactives is reviewed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/administration & dosage*
  8. Pharmaco-epidemiologic study of the prescription of contraindicated drugs in a primary care setting of a university: a retrospective review of drug prescription
    Dhabali AA, Awang R, Zyoud SH
    Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther, 2011 Aug;49(8):500-9.
    PMID: 21781650 DOI: 10.5414/cp201524
    BACKGROUND: The prescription of contraindicated drugs is a preventable medication error, which can cause morbidity and mortality. Recent data on the factors associated with drug contraindications (DCIs) is limited world-wide, especially in Malaysia.

    AIMS: The objectives of this study are 1) to quantify the prevalence of DCIs in a primary care setting at a Malaysian University; 2) to identify patient characteristics associated with increased DCI episodes, and 3) to identify associated factors for these DCIs.

    METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from 1 academic year using computerized databases at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) from patients of USM's primary care. Descriptive and comparative statistics were used to characterize DCIs.

    RESULTS: There were 1,317 DCIs during the study period. These were observed in a cohort of 923 patients, out of a total of 17,288 patients, representing 5,339 DCIs per 100,000 patients, or 5.3% of all patients over a 1-year period. Of the 923 exposed patients, 745 (80.7%) were exposed to 1 DCI event, 92 (10%) to 2 DCI events, 35 (3.8%) to 3 DCI events, 18 (2%) to 4 DCI events, and 33 patients (3.6%) were exposed to 5 or more DCI events. The average age of the exposed patients was 30.7 ± 15 y, and 51.5% were male. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that being male (OR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.1 - 1.5; p < 0.001), being a member of the staff (OR = 3; 95% CI = 2.5 - 3.7; p < 0.001), having 4 or more prescribers (OR = 2.8; 95% CI = 2.2 - 3.6; p < 0.001), and having 4 or more longterm therapeutic groups (OR = 2.3; 95%CI = 1.7 - 3.1; p < 0.001), were significantly associated with increased chance of exposure to DCIs.

    DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study in Malaysia that presents data on the prevalence of DCIs. The prescription of contraindicated drugs was found to be frequent in this primary care setting. Exposure to DCI events was associated with specific socio-demographic and health status factors. Further research is needed to evaluate the relationship between health outcomes and the exposure to DCIs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/administration & dosage*
  9. Initiation of social pharmacy research in Nepal: our experiences
    Palaian S, Poudel A, Alam K, Mohamed Ibrahim MI, Mishra P
    Int J Clin Pharm, 2011 Aug;33(4):591-6.
    PMID: 21562802 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-011-9512-3
    Nepal experiences several medicine-use problems like any other developing country. In the recent years, there have been initiatives to introduce the concept of social pharmacy in Nepal, and there has been only a limited research in this area. The staff members at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara have shown keen interest in initiating several social pharmacy-related researches in the country. The members of this institute have been collaborating with two international universities, namely Universiti Sains Malaysia located in Malaysia and Chulalongkorn University located in Thailand, to get academic and technical supports. In this manuscript, the authors share their experiences in initiating social pharmacy research in the country. Authors have also mentioned the priority areas of social pharmacy research in Nepal and the importance of initiating this concept in the country.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations*
  10. A survey on the knowledge, beliefs and behaviour of a general adult population in Malaysia with respect to the adverse effects of medicines
    Jose J, Chong D, Lynn TS, Jye GE, Jimmy B
    Int J Pharm Pract, 2011 Aug;19(4):246-52.
    PMID: 21733012 DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-7174.2011.00113.x
    The aim of the study was to explore, in the Malaysian general population: knowledge and beliefs of the characteristics in general of medication-related side effects and side effects associated with different types of medicines; behaviour related to the safe use of drugs before and after taking a medication; and behaviour in the event of a medication-related side effect.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/administration & dosage
  11. Fulltext Regulatory guidelines for biosimilars in Malaysia
    Abas A
    Biologicals, 2011 Sep;39(5):339-42.
    PMID: 21784655 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2011.06.009
    The biosimilars sector continues to attract huge interest and controversy. Biosimilars are new biopharmaceuticals that are "similar" but not identical to the innovator product. Characteristics of biopharmaceuticals are closely related to the manufacturing process, which implies that the products cannot be exactly duplicated. Minuscule differences in the product's structure and manufacturing process can result in different clinical outcome. This raises concerns over the safety, efficacy and even pharmacovigilance of biosimilars. Thus, biosimilars are unique - they are not a true chemical generic and are regulated via a distinct regulatory framework. This report discusses the features of Malaysian regulatory oversight of biosimilars and experience acquired in the evaluation of some products from various countries. Ensuring regulatory position adequately reflects scientific advancement, expertise/resources is key. The regulatory situation is an evolving process. Various guidance documents are being prepared with the aim of developing a uniform global framework towards assuring the dual goal of lower costs and patient safety while expediting the availability of important biosimilar products.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/standards*
  12. Oral fast-release solid dispersion-paradigm shift to nanoparticles
    Wong TW
    Recent Pat Drug Deliv Formul, 2011 Sep;5(3):227-43.
    PMID: 21834774
    Design of oral fast-release solid dispersion of poorly water-soluble drugs has been a great challenge over past decades on issues of drug recrystallization, drug polymorphism, formulation limited to low drug-to-carrier ratio and drug particle aggregation in matrix. The complexity in solid dispersion design is envisaged to be resolvable by the use of nanoparticulate system as solid dosage form. This manuscript reviews several patented processing approaches of nanoparticulate solid dispersion that have been reported recently. Through drug nanoencapsulation, a higher content of drug may be delivered with less aggregation via placing the same drug mass in a greater number of tinier carriers. Nanoencapsulation, by its own process of formation, brings about submicron particles. Keeping drug in these nanoparticles, a remarkable rise in specific surface area of drug is realized for dissolution. The augmentation of drug dissolution can be sufficiently high to the extent that the influences of polymorphism and crystallization phenomenon on drug dissolution in a solid dispersion may be negligible.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/administration & dosage*; Pharmaceutical Preparations/chemistry
  13. Use of ATC to describe duplicate medications in primary care prescriptions
    Lim CM, Aryani Md Yusof F, Selvarajah S, Lim TO
    Eur J Clin Pharmacol, 2011 Oct;67(10):1035-44.
    PMID: 21499761 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-011-1025-4
    PURPOSE: We aimed to demonstrate the suitability of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC) to describe duplicate drugs and duplicate drug classes in prescription data and describe the pattern of duplicates from public and private primary care clinics of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    METHODS: We analyzed prescription data year 2005 from all 14 public clinics in Kuala Lumpur with 12,157 prescriptions, and a sample of 188 private clinics with 25,612 prescriptions. As ATC Level 5 code represents the molecule and Level 4 represents the pharmacological subgroup, we used repetitions of codes in the same prescription to describe duplicate drugs or duplicate drug classes and compared them between the public and private clinics.

    RESULTS: At Level 4 ATC, prescriptions with duplicates drug classes were 1.46% of all prescriptions in private and 0.04% in public clinics. At Level 5 ATC, prescriptions with duplicate drugs were 1.81% for private and 0.95% for public clinics. In private clinics at Level 5, 73.3% of prescriptions with duplicates involved systemic combination drugs; at Level 4, 40.3% involved systemic combination drugs. In the public sector at Level 5, 95.7% of prescriptions with duplicates involved topical products.

    CONCLUSIONS: Repetitions of the same ATC codes were mostly useful to describe duplicate medications; however, we recommend avoid using ATC codes for tropical products for this purpose due to ambiguity. Combination products were often involved in duplicate prescribing; redesign of these products might improve prescribing quality. Duplicates occurred more often in private clinics than public clinics in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/classification*
  14. Stability-indicating micellar electrokinetic chromatography method for the analysis of sumatriptan succinate in pharmaceutical formulations
    Al Azzam KM, Saad B, Tat CY, Mat I, Aboul-Enein HY
    J Pharm Biomed Anal, 2011 Dec 15;56(5):937-43.
    PMID: 21873014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2011.08.007
    A micellar electrokinetic chromatography method for the determination of sumatriptan succinate in pharmaceutical formulations was developed. The effects of several factors such as pH, surfactant and buffer concentration, applied voltage, capillary temperature, and injection time were investigated. Separation took about 5 min using phenobarbital as internal standard. The separation was carried out in reversed polarity mode at 20 °C, 26 kV and using hydrodynamic injection for 10s. Separation was achieved using a bare fused-silica capillary 50 μm×40 cm and background electrolyte of 25 mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate-adjusted with concentrated phosphoric acid to pH 2.2, containing 125 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and detection was at 226 nm. The method was validated with respect to linearity, limits of detection and quantification, accuracy, precision and selectivity. The calibration curve was linear over the range of 100-2000 μg mL(-1). The relative standard deviations of intra-day and inter-day precision for migration time, peak area, corrected peak area, ratio of corrected peak area and ratio of peak area were less than 0.68, 3.48, 3.28, 2.97 and 2.83% and 2.01, 5.50, 4.46, 4.92 and 4.07%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determinations of the analyte in tablet. Forced degradation studies were conducted by introducing a sample of sumatriptan succinate standard solution to different forced degradation conditions using neutral (water), basic (0.1 M NaOH), acidic (0.1 M HCl), oxidative (10% H(2)O(2)) and photolytic (exposure to UV light at 254 nm for 2 h). It is concluded that the stability-indicating method for sumatriptan succinate can be used for the analysis of the drug in various samples.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/chemistry*
  15. Fulltext Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis involving the Clavicle, Spine and Ribs
    Malays Orthop J, 2011;5(1):71-74.
    MyJurnal
    This report describes an unusual case of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), involving the right clavicle and multicentric aytpical spine involvement without any neurological deficit. The female patient presented with acute onset of right clavicular pain associated with a one-monthhistory of lower backache with constitutional symptoms. The clavicular lesion and MRI spine findings were highly suggestive of TB. Anti TB drugs (ATD) were started empirically as Sabah, Malaysia the patient’s home, is anendemic area for TB. Despite, 2 months of ATD administration, the patient did not respond well clinically and developed left sided chest wall abscesses arising from the left 3rd and 6th ribs. She was then treated for MDR-TB infection and has responded well to this treatment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  16. Fulltext Solubility of drugs in aqueous polymeric solution: effect of ovalbumin on microencapsulation process
    Aziz HA, Tan YT, Peh KK
    AAPS PharmSciTech, 2012 Mar;13(1):35-45.
    PMID: 22101965 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-011-9707-x
    Microencapsulation of water-soluble drugs using coacervation-phase separation method is very challenging, as these drugs partitioned into the aqueous polymeric solution, resulting in poor drug entrapment. For evaluating the effect of ovalbumin on the microencapsulation of drugs with different solubility, pseudoephedrine HCl, verapamil HCl, propranolol HCl, paracetamol, and curcuminoid were used. In addition, drug mixtures comprising of paracetamol and pseudoephedrine HCl were also studied. The morphology, encapsulation efficiency, particle size, and in vitro release profile were investigated. The results showed that the solubility of the drug determined the ratio of ovalbumin to be used for successful microencapsulation. The optimum ratios of drug, ovalbumin, and gelatin for water-soluble (pseudoephedrine HCl, verapamil HCl, and propranolol HCl), sparingly water-soluble (paracetamol), and water-insoluble (curcuminoid) drugs were found to be 1:1:2, 2:3:5, and 1:3:4. As for the drug mixture, the optimum ratio of drug, ovalbumin, and gelatin was 2:3:5. Encapsulated particles prepared at the optimum ratios showed high yield, drug loading, entrapment efficiency, and sustained release profiles. The solubility of drug affected the particle size of the encapsulated particle. Highly soluble drugs resulted in smaller particle size. In conclusion, addition of ovalbumin circumvented the partitioning effect, leading to the successful microencapsulation of water-soluble drugs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/metabolism; Pharmaceutical Preparations/chemistry*
  17. Fulltext An evaluation of consumers' perceptions regarding "modern medicines" in penang, malaysia
    Babar ZU, Hassali MA, Shyong TL, Hin TK, Cien CS, Bin LS, et al.
    J Young Pharm, 2012 Apr;4(2):108-13.
    PMID: 22754263 DOI: 10.4103/0975-1483.96625
    The objective of this study was to evaluate consumers' perceptions regarding "modern medicines" in Penang, Malaysia. To conduct this exploratory study, qualitative techniques were used. Consumers more than 19 years of age and could speak English, who had visited a pharmacy in the last 30 days, were included from the four major areas of Penang. Eighteen interviews were conducted until the point of saturation. The interviews were audio-taped and then transcribed verbatim for thematic content analysis. Many consumers correctly identified the major characteristics and properties of modern medicines; however, others raised doubts regarding the safety, quality and efficacy of "modern medicines". There were many misconceptions such as "all modern medicines can cause dependence", traditional medicines are completely "free of side-effects" and "Western medicines cure while Chinese medicines don't". Color was also considered a strong determinant of the safety and characteristics of a medicine. Regarding consumers' "medicine information seeking behavior", many consumers would seek information from doctors and pharmacists; however, there were others, who would look for books, or get it from the internet and friends. Of concern many consumers emphasized that while "self-searching for drug information" they would only look for side-effects. Misconceptions regarding medicine-taking behavior, medicine use and compliance were also identified. Though several consumers complied with the medicine-taking instructions, many reported that they would stop taking medicines, once they feel better. Though many consumers correctly identified the characteristics of "modern medicines", misconceptions regarding "medicine information sources and "medicine-taking behavior" were rampant. The situation demands corrective actions including community-oriented educational campaigns to improve "medicine use" in the society.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  18. Prevalence and usage of printed and electronic drug references and patient medication records in community pharmacies in Malaysia
    Usir E, Lua PL, Majeed AB
    J Pharm Pract, 2012 Jun;25(3):374-80.
    PMID: 22551563 DOI: 10.1177/0897190012442218
    This study aimed to determine the availability and usage of printed and electronic references and Patient Medication Record in community pharmacy. It was conducted for over 3 months from 15 January to 30 April 2007. Ninety-three pharmacies participated. Structured questionnaires were mailed to community pharmacies. Six weeks later a reminder was sent to all non responders, who were given another six weeks to return the completed questionnaire. Outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test of independence. Almost all the pharmacies (96.8%) have at least Monthly Index of Medical Specialties (MIMS) while 78.5% have at least MIMS ANNUAL in their stores. Only about a third (31.2%) of the pharmacies were equipped with online facilities of which the majority referred to medical websites (88.9%) with only a minority (11.1%) referring to electronic journals. More than half (59.1%) of the pharmacists kept Patient Medication Record profiles with 49.1% storing it in paper, 41.8% electronically and 9.1% in both printed and electronic versions. In general, prevalence and usage of electronic references in community pharmacies were rather low. Efforts should be increased to encourage wider usage of electronic references and Patient Medication Records in community pharmacies to facilitate pharmaceutical care.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations*
  19. Jewel of the seabed: sea cucumbers as nutritional and drug candidates
    Kiew PL, Don MM
    Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2012 Aug;63(5):616-36.
    PMID: 22149726 DOI: 10.3109/09637486.2011.641944
    Marine sources have been attracting the attention of scientists and manufacturers worldwide hoping to find new alternatives for biological active substances. Promising new research indicates that sea cucumber, which is slug-like in appearance and has been a staple in Japan, China and other parts of East Asia since ancient times, is beginning to gain popularity as a dietary supplement in western countries. The roles of sea cucumber extracts in various physiological functions have spurred researchers to investigate the ability of sea cucumber to be an alternative in neutraceutical and medical applications. This article provides a brief introduction to sea cucumber and reviews its numerous bioactive compounds, such as triterpene glycosides, glycosaminoglycans, gangliosides, collagen, branched-chain fatty acid and lectins, which serve as potential sources of neutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic agents, thus providing a new platform in biochemical research.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations
  20. Outposts of Empire: the dawn of pharmacy in the Straits Settlements 1786 to 1867
    Anderson S
    Pharm Hist (Lond), 2012 Sep;42(3):54-63.
    PMID: 24620479
    Matched MeSH terms: Pharmaceutical Preparations/history; Pharmaceutical Preparations/supply & distribution
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