ABSTRACT
Objective: An evaluation index for drug release was measured in 25 currently used non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for external use (4 components: indomethacin, diclofenac sodium, ketoprofen, and suprofen).Methods: All release tests were performed using the Franz diffusion cell with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as the receptor phase and an artificial membrane to maintain uniform measurement conditions. The receptor phase was collected over time and measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to calculate the release rate. The measurement time points were set over 0-4 h based on clinical use. Furthermore, the additives were compared among the products.Results: The release profile of diclofenac sodium was similar among all 8 products. On the other hand, the release rate of IN‐E (15.0% after 4 h) from indomethacin was higher than that from the other 6 products (6.2-9.1% after 4 h). The release rate of KE‐D (39.2% after 4 h) from ketoprofen was higher than that from the cream, KE‐C (30.6 % after 4 h). For suprofen, the release rate of SU‐E from the cream (18.1% after 4 h) was 1.6-1.7‐times higher than that of the other 2 products (10.9-11.3 %). No release was detected from 3 suprofen ointments.Conclusion: Differences in the additives may have been a cause of the observed differences in release over 0-4 h. This study may serve as a useful index for pharmacists to propose and select appropriate drugs.
ABSTRACT
<b>Objective: </b>In this study, we evaluated to examine the short-term educational effects for drug abuse prevention, including lectures and students’ awareness of drug abuse.<br><b>Method: </b>A questionnaire consisting of eleven items and SD method-based image survey were conducted three times, prior to and following the lectures and after the summer vacation for first-year students of the Department of Pharmacy.<br><b>Results: </b>The numbers of responses to the questionnaire surveys conducted prior to and following the summer vacation were 323 (response rate: 95.8%) and 332 (response rate: 97.9%), respectively. When asked: “Do you think that people should be allowed to use cannabis (illegal herbal drugs) as long as they do not cause any trouble to others”, 2.8 (3.4) and 6.9 (6.6)% of students answered “Yes” after the lectures prior to the summer vacation and following it, respectively; there were both increased. Following the summer vacation, 28.6% of students answered “Yes” to the question: “Have you ever seen or heard of people using cannabis or illegal herbal drugs ?” A total of 2.1% of students had been “solicited to use cannabis or illegal herbal drugs”, and all of them stated that it would be “easy to obtain illegal herbal drugs”. As the reason for drug abuse by young people, 140 students (42.2%) cited “curiosity”, and 81.6%, or 271 students, stated that they would “refuse” to use any illegal drugs even if they were asked to do so. The results of the SD method-based image survey suggested significant changes in students’ awareness of drug abuse during the summer vacation; they had the image of little risk on drug abuse prevention following the vacation.<br><b>Conclusion: </b>The effects of learning were not maintained in some first-year students because they faced a variety of temptations during the short summer vacation and their normative consciousness and images of drug abuse easily changed. Therefore, it is necessary to provide lectures for new students to help them acquire accurate knowledge of drug abuse, enhance their normative consciousness, and increase their self-awareness as health care professionals, develop curriculums on a continuing basis, and deploy specialists so that students with psychological problems as identified by the survey, including stress, escapism, mental weakness, and anxiety, can consult them.
ABSTRACT
We conducted a questionnaire survey involving 270 interns in the year 2011 at the pharmaceutical department of Teikyo University, in order to clarify pre- to post-practical training changes in: 1) the degree of pre-clinical training’s usefulness, 2) desired workplace in the future, 3) degree of satisfaction, 4) confidence degree of practical training, etc. The degree of pre-clinical training’s usefulness exceeded 80% in all training periods. Regarding the desired workplace in the future, a large proportion of students answered that they want to become a pharmacist in a pharmacy or hospital, both before and after their practical training in all training periods. Also, it was estimated that students decide their career with reference to their practical training experience. In terms of the degree of satisfaction with practical training, the proportions of those who answered “Satisfied” or “Somewhat satisfied” were: 95.1% in the 1st, 95.6% in the 2nd, and 86.1% in the 3rd periods. The confidence degree significantly increased after practical training in all periods. Because the confidence degree showed a tendency to be higher before the 3rd period of training compared to the other two periods, it was considered that students’ experience of practical training led to increased confidence degree. Regarding communication abilities, the degrees of before-after confidence degree and pre-clinical training’s usefulness were low, and, hence, it was suggested that pre-clinical training needs to be further improved regarding these areas.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk and recurrence of early invasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix, and to determine whether non-radical methods of management could be performed. METHODS: The medical and histopathological records of 50 patients with early invasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix treated at Keio University Hospital between 1993 and 2005 were reviewed, and compared with the literature. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 64.3 months. The depth of stromal invasion was 3 mm, but 7 mm in 25 cases. One of the 33 cases that had tumor volumes of 500 mm3 were positive for lymph node metastasis. When our data were combined with previously reported results, statistically significant differences were observed between the tumor volume and the frequency of pelvic lymph node metastasis/the rate of recurrence (p<0.0001). The frequency of pelvic lymph node metastases was significantly higher in the lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI)-positive group than in the LVSI-negative group (p=0.02). No adnexal metastasis or parametrial involvement was noted. CONCLUSION: Assessment of the depth of stromal invasion, tumor volume, and LVSI is critical for selecting an appropriate therapeutic modality. Non-radical methods of management are considered suitable for patients with LVSI-negative adenocarcinoma of the cervix exhibiting a stromal invasion depth of < or =5 mm and a tumor volume of < or =500 mm3.