ABSTRACT
Objective: To identify and evaluate the frequency, severity, mechanism and common pairs of drug-drug interactions [DDIs] in prescriptions by consultants in medicine outpatient department
Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was done by Pharmacology department of Bahria University Medical and Dental College [BUMDC] in medicine outpatient department [OPD] of a private hospital in Karachi from December 2015 to January 2016. A total of 220 prescriptions written by consultants were collected. Medications given with patient's diagnosis were recorded. Drugs were analyzed for interactions by utilizing Medscape drug interaction checker, drugs.com checker and stockley's drug interactions index. Two hundred eleven prescriptions were selected while remaining were excluded from the study because of unavailability of the prescribed drugs in the drug interaction checkers
Results: In 211 prescriptions, two common diagnoses were diabetes mellitus [28.43%] and hypertension [27.96%]. A total of 978 medications were given. Mean number of medications per prescription was 4.6. A total of 369 drug-drug interactions were identified in 211 prescriptions [175%]. They were serious 4.33%, significant 66.12% and minor 29.53%. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions were 37.94% and 51.21% respectively while 10.84% had unknown mechanism. Number wise common pairs of DDIs were Omeprazole-Losartan [S], Gabapentine- Acetaminophen [M], Losartan-Diclofenac [S]
Conclusion: The frequency of DDIs is found to be too high in prescriptions of consultants from medicine OPD of a private hospital in Karachi. Significant drug-drug interactions were more and mostly caused by Pharmacodynamic mechanism. Number wise evaluation showed three common pairs of drugs involved in interactions
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Drug Interactions , Inappropriate Prescribing , Cross-Sectional StudiesABSTRACT
Objective:To identify the errors in the prescription writing of general practitioners [GPx] from different parts of Karachi
Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in the department of Pharmacology at Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, from 1st January to 30th February 2014. A total of 100 prescriptions were collected 25 each, randomly, from 04 general practitioner`s clinics [east, west, central and south districts] of Karachi. Verbal consent of the respective [GPx] was taken few days prior to collection of prescriptions. Patient's consent was taken at the time of obtaining the prescription.All prescriptions were analysed for errors in superscription, inscription, subscription, transcription, signatures and refill information
Results:A total of 473errors were identified in 100 prescriptions. 303 errors in superscription, 06 in inscription, 67 in subscription, 34 in transcription, 1 in prescriber's signature , and 62 in refill information
Conclusion: Errors in prescription writing are found to be common in the prescriptions of general practitioners. Measures should be taken to refresh the prescription writing skills of general practitioners through Continuous Medical Education Sessions [CMEs] and workshops
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the effect of herbal syrup Linkus on acute and gross toxicity and electrolytes level in blood and organs
Materials and Methods: This interventional study was carried out in the department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy,University of Karachi after approval from BASR-KU. In this study twenty-eight healthy rabbits of either sex weighing 0.90 kg to 1.2 kg. All animals were equally divided into four groups, one served as control group while, remaining three groups received herbal syrup Linkus at three different doses. Acute toxicity was tested in mice by Lorke's method whereas effect on gross toxicity, blood and organ electrolytes was evaluated in Rabbits
Results: Herbal syrup Linkus exhibited LD50 values greater than 5 gm / kg per 24 hrs. No gross toxicity and mortality was observed during the whole experimental period. Non significant changes were observed in blood and organ electrolytes [Calcium, Potassium and Sodium] level
Conclusion: Herbal syrup Linkus has produced no toxic effect at the administered doses neither showed any significant change in the electrolytes level in the blood and vital organs
ABSTRACT
Background: Herbal medicine or phytotherapy is the science of using herbal remedies for the treatment of diseases. Nowadays increasing number of people are using herbal medicines because of lower level of side effects and toxicity associated with them. Pharmacologists must be knowledgeable about their safety. Present study was carried out to evaluate the cardiovascular safety of herbal cough syrup. The syrup contains Glycerrhiza glabra, Piper longum, Adhatoda vasica, Viola odorata, Hyssopus officinalis, and Alpinia galanga. All these ingredients are said to have antitussive properties without any cardiovascular toxic effects
Objective: To evaluate cardiovascular safety of herbal cough syrup
Methods: Twenty eight rabbits of either sex, weighing 670g-1200g were divided into four groups, with 7 rabbits in each group. Group I was the control group and received 0.3 ml of water, group II, III and IV received herbal syrup normal dose [0.57ml/kg], moderate dose [5ml/kg], and high dose [10ml/kg] respectively once daily, orally for a period of 45 days following which blood samples were collected through cardiac puncture, centrifuged and serum was analyzed on Vitalab eclipse automatic analyzer for cardiac and lipid profile
Results: In comparison to control group there were no significant changes in cardiac and lipid profile of all groups. Overall results did not reveal any significant toxicity
Conclusion: The Herbal Syrup is safe as an antitussive and reveals no significant cardiovascular toxicity
ABSTRACT
To evaluate anti-inflammatory activity of Salvadora persicain rats. The anti-inflammatory activity of Salvadora persica was assessed in 63 albino rats of both sexes, weighing 400 gm. They were divided into three groups, A [control], B [crude drug], C [standard drug] with twenty one animals. Each group was divided into three subgroups with seven animals. Groups B and C were given crude drug and aspirin diluted in one ml of distilled water once daily orally, in doses of 300, 500, and 700 mg/kg body weight respectively, prior to induction of edema and Group A was given same volume of saline. Inflammation was induced in hind paw of rat by sub-planter injection of 0.1ml of 1% carrageenan. Paw volume was measured in terms of milliliters using plethysmometer, immediately before injection and then hourly up to 5 hours and mean was calculated. The inhibition of edema was calculated for each subgroup with respect to control group. After carrageenan injection mean paw volume of control group was 5.43 ml, while that of drug treated subgroup was 4.32 ml and standard group was 4.49 ml at the dose of 700 mg/kg body weight. Comparison of crude drug with the control was found to be statistically significant only at 700 mg/kg and was comparable with the standard drug aspirin. Salvadora persica has shown anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the paw volume of carageenan induced edema
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in- vitro antibacterial activity of methanol extract of Brassica Oleracae study against selected bacterias
DESIGN: The study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Pakistan
METHOD: The agar diffusion method was used to measure zones of inhibition in millimeter [mm] against organisms Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli and Proteus. Values of growth inhibitory zones are expressed as mean + SD [standard deviation] of three triplicates i.e n=3
RESULTS: The methanol extract of Brassica oleracae exhibited distinct zones of inhibition at all the concentrations i.e 10mg/ml, 20mg/ml, 40mg/ml, and 100mg/ml towards all bacterial strains under study i.e staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermidis, streptococcus, Escherichia coli and proteus against the methanol control which did not show any growth inhibitory zone. Methanol extract of Brassica oleracae showed widest inhibitory zone toward E.coli [16.98+0.00] followed by proteus [13.10+0.55], streptococcus [12.00+0.00], staph epidermidis [11.10+1.3] and staph aureus [11.02+0.67] at the concentration of 100mg/ml of extract, in comparison to methanol control which did not manifest any growth inhibitory zone [0.00]. The diameters of zones of inhibition were found to increase in size with increase in concentration of extract. However, the antibacterial activity against streptococci was almost same at 20mg/ml and 40mg/ml of concentration of extract [9.33+0.17 and 9.10+0.00 respectively]. Results were also compared with the standard antibacterial agent against chloramphenicol at a concentration of 100 microg /ml
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that of Brassica Oleracae may be use as anti-bacterial agent, thus providing ailing mankind a wonderful gift from nature