Ceska a Slovenska Farmacie最新文献

Drug-related hospitalizations - insights from the Czech Republic Background and objective: Drug-related hospitalizations represent a significant burden on healthcare. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of drug-related hospitalizations and identify medications and clinical manifestations associated with drug-related hospitalizations in patients admitted to hospital through the emergency department.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined unplanned hospitalizations at the University Hospital Hradec Kralove through the Department of Emergency Medicine between August and November 2018. Data were obtained from electronic health records. The methodology for identifying drug-related hospitalizations was based on the guideline of the European project OPERAM. This article focuses on a subgroup of drug-related problems related to the medication safety.

Results: Of the total 1252 hospitalizations analyzed, 145 cases were identified as drug-related. The prevalence of drug-related hospitalizations was 12% (95% confidence interval 10-13). In 62% of cases, medications only contributed to the cause of hospitalization. Antithrombotics, cytostatics, diuretics, and systemic corticosteroids were the most common medication classes leading to drug-related hospitalizations. Gastrointestinal bleeding was the most common cause of drug-related hospitalizations. The potential preventability of drug-related hospitalizations was 34%.

Conclusion: Drug-related hospitalizations remain relatively common, while some of them could be potentially prevented. Pharmacists can contribute to enhancing patient safety by detecting drug-related problems and proposing measures to minimize risks.

Pharmaceutical care for patients with sore throat not requiring medical attention Counsultancy in self-treatment of mild health problems is one of the dominant aspects of providing pharmaceutical care, especially in pharmacy practice. A sore throat is one of the most common reasons for visiting a pharmacy. According to current knowledge, the biggest pitfall of sore throat management is the systematic and reliable classification of patients into uncomplicated and potentially complicated cases, which should ideally take place at the level of pre-medical care, i.e. in a pharmacy. For this purpose, the practical use of the self-treatment algorithm in the therapy of sore throat was presented in the article. The introduction of a systematic algorithm into pharmacy practice could contribute to higher efficacy of the provided care and reduce the risk of overlooking warning symptoms (red flags). The article also provides an overview of over the counter therapeutic options for sore throat.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria is characterized by reccurent wheals lasting more than 6 weeks, it can persist for months or years. The disease can lead to a significant worsening in the quality of life. According to recent guidelines second-generation non-sedative antihistamines are the first-line treatment. If the therapeutic effect of the standard dose of antihistamines is insufficient, it is recommended to up-dose to 4-fold.

Pharmaceutical care in the self-treatment of common urological problems In case of self-treatment of common urological disorders, a pharmacist or pharmacy assistant is often the first healthcare professional the patient turns to. Appropriate information should be obtained from the interview with the patient to distinguish between symptoms and conditions suitable for self-treatment and, conversely, to recommend a visit to the physician. The first contact of a patient with healthcare professionals in a pharmacy can also contribute to the detection of more serious diseases. The article deals with the possibilities of pharmaceutical care for a patient with common urological difficulties and the requirement of a recommendation for self-treatment, focusing on the understanding of individual symptoms, their differentiation, principles of self-treatment and the identification of situations unsuitable for self-treatment.

New approaches to the issue of pyrogens in parenteral preparations The article provides a basic understanding of the pathophysiology of exogenous and endogenous pyrogens, particularly in the context of parenteral administration of drugs and the use of medical devices. It explains that pyrogens cause an increase in body temperature by activating the thermoregulatory center in the hypothalamus, with bacterial lipopolysaccharides being the most common source of pyrogenic burden. Contamination of pharmaceuticals with pyrogenic substances can lead to adverse effects, including life-threatening conditions. The text focuses on modern methods for identifying pyrogens, specifically endotoxins, and selecting suitable analytical procedures for their determination. These include in vivo tests on rabbits and the bacterial endotoxin tests, as well as in vitro tests such as the monocyte activation test and the recombinant Factor C test. The work includes a detailed description how to perform these tests, their advantages and disadvantages, and the development of methods for detecting pyrogens in pharmaceuticals. The author explains the reasons of false positive and negative test results, and ilusrates the calculations of threshold endotoxin limits. Information is provided on the new strategy of the European and Czech Pharmacopoeias on this issue, emphasizing efforts to reduce pyrogenic burden and the need to control both microbiological and endotoxin contamination levels.

1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) in a therapy of respiratory diseases 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) is a natural terpenic compound isolated from eucalyptus essential oil, it is present also in other plant species, especially from Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae, and Zingiberaceae family. Plants containing 1,8-cineole have long been used to treat common cold and other respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal complaints, fever, infections, asthma, rheumatism, and skin conditions. 1,8-cineole is used in foods, cosmetics, perfumery, and also in pharmaceutical industry. 1,8-cineole exerts an antimicrobial, antiviral, mucolytic, anti-inflammatory and bronchodilatory effect and is suitable for the treatment of respiratory infections and other diseases. Medicinal effects were confirmed not only in vitro and in animal studies, but also in clinical trials. Medicinal products and dietary supplements containing 1,8-cineole are available.

Direct oral anticoagulants from the perspective of Czech pharmacists - opinions, attitudes, confidence, and patient education during dispensing in a pharmacy Introduction and Aim: Pharmacists play an important role in the management of anticoagulation therapy, therefore good knowledge and confidence in care of patients treated with anticoagulation are essential. The aim of this study was to analyse the opinions and attitudes of pharmacists in the Czech Republic towards direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), their perception of the benefits and risks of DOACs, and the position of pharmacists in educating patients about the basic principles of DOAC treatment in the context of dispensing these medicines in pharmacies.

Methods: An online anonymous questionnaire survey conducted in 2021 among pharmacists of three specific District Pharmacists Associations of the Czech Chamber of Pharmacy. The questionnaire included 32 open- and closed-ended questions, and questions for reporting of the level of agreement using a Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, parametric and non-parametric tests were used to evaluate the data.

Results: A total of 162 pharmacists participated (14% return rate), 139 of whom dispensed medicines in a pharmacy in the last year. Respondents working in pharmacies located in any health centre and in hospital pharmacies reported dispensing DOACs more frequently (p < 0.001). The majority of respondents (73%) felt completely or rather confident in providing expert information regarding DOACs. Higher confidence was associated with respondents working in hospital pharmacies or pharmacies located in health centres (p < 0.05), working in clinical pharmacy wards (p < 0.05) and being more likely to dispense DOACs in the pharmacy (p < 0.001). Higher confidence was related to the areas pharmacists discussed with patients during DOAC dispensing, e.g., reasons for using DOACs or how to administer.

Conclusion: The frequency of dispensing DOACs, type of pharmacy, and working as clinical pharmacist influenced respondents' confidence towards DOACs. Confidence may have influenced the course of DOAC dispensing in the pharmacy. Consolidating the pharmacist's position in patient education during DOAC treatment and strengthening pharmacists' confidence in dispensing DOACs should be therefore considered.

Phenobarbital was synthesized by the German organic chemist Emil Fischer in 1911. It is approved and marketed in the Czech Republic as an antiepileptic in tablet and injection form. Although phenobarbital as a hypnosedative has been outdated for decades, it is still available as a substance and used for the individual compounding of various obsolete mixtures. It is likely that prescribers are unaware of the risks associated with their use. The article presents a brief pharmacological profile of phenobarbital, lists the most often used mixtures, substance consumption and risks associated with its use.

Rosemary - its biologically active compounds and their pharmacological effects Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) has been used since ancient times for medicinal, cultic, and magic purposes. With the stress and diseases, it is increasingly popular today for many uses in both pharmacy and aromatherapy, as a spice in the kitchen and as a preservative. This plant has many interesting compounds (e.g. rosmarinic and carnosic acid, carnosol), which show a considerable amount of positive pharmacological effects.

Norgine was founded in 1909 and began operations in Ústí nad Labem. Its founder was Doctor of Chemistry Victor Stein. The company originally produced sodium alginate and chemical preparations from imported seaweed (which gave it its name). Her first drugs included the laxative Normacol and the canker sore tincture Pyralvex (both still in production today). After the First World War, the company focused on the group of medicines. The principal part of its portfolio was insulins. The company also collaborated with prominent German pharmacologists from the German University in Prague, first with Professor Wilhelm Wiechowski (1873-1928) and Professor Emil Starkenstein (1884-1942). These were, for example, the spasmolytic Apasmon or the anti-anemic Ferrostabil. 1934 Victor Stein died. His son Walter took over the company's management. During the Munich crisis, the company's share of its owners (Petschek banking house) transferred to London. After October 1938, German concern Schering AG "appropriated" the Norgine factory. After the end of the war in 1946, the company was nationalized and incorporated into the state enterprise United Pharmaceutical Works (the well-known abbreviation SPOFA was more commonly used). It was later renamed Chemopharm. In the period of socialism, it produced plasters (Spofaplast), pharmaceutical substances and medicines. After 1989, it was privatized and continued to make plasters and other purely chemical products. Abroad after 1945, Norgine continued to operate as a pharmaceutical company with production. It successfully exists in this form to this day.