The impact of alcohol and alcohol expectancies on male perception of female sexual arousal in a date rape analog.

The impact of alcohol and alcohol expectancies on men's perception of female sexual arousal and men's ability to discriminate accurately female sexual intentions in a dating situation was examined. In a 2 (alcohol) x 2 (expectancy) balanced placebo design, men were exposed to an audiotape of a date rape and asked to signal when the man should stop making sexual advances. On 4 occasions during the vignette, participants rated how sexually aroused the woman on the tape was at that moment. Relative to controls, participants who consumed alcohol or expected to consume alcohol took significantly longer to identify the inappropriateness of the man's sexual behavior toward his date. Similarly, alcohol participants also rated the woman's arousal level significantly higher at the first 2 refusals. Implications of the results are discussed.

Use of plant-derived therapies in a rural, biracial population in Mississippi.

Exploring the use of plant-derived medicines has recently received much attention in both scientific and popular journals. A study conducted in central Mississippi on medicinal plants investigated the frequency of use, types of plants used, and symptoms treated. A randomly selected probability sample of 223 households found that over 70 percent of the adults used at least one plant-derived medicine during the past year. The most frequently used plants included lemon, aloe, castor, turpentine, tobacco, and garlic. Frequency of use varied by race with a higher proportion of African-Americans than Caucasians reporting use of a plant-derived medicine. Due to the possible presence of toxic compounds or potential drug interactions, it is recommended that health care professionals investigate the use of plant-derived therapies as part of the patient's medical history.

Metals and school learning: a review of investigative techniques.

A growing body of literature suggests a relationship between metals and a threatened health status among children, adolescents, and adults. Recently, several investigators have reported a direct link between exposure to metal and diminished affective, behavioral, and cognitive performance of school children. The purpose of the present study was to review and analyze methods and procedures used to understand the relationship between exposure to metals and cognitive, social, and motor functioning of school children.

Patient information: community pharmacy needs and perspectives.

Providing complete and understandable information to patients about medicines is considered an integral component of high-quality medical and pharmaceutical care. With such information, not only can the level of general health increase, but costs associated with noncompliance, including polypharmacy and hospitalization, can decrease. Although patient information leaflets (PILs) have been available since the 1970s, their use is more relevant today because of the counseling requirements of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. A national survey of community pharmacists was conducted to determine their attitudes toward this patient education strategy. Results demonstrate that pharmacists believe PILs benefit patients, but that PILs need revision in terms of readability, understandability, and standardization.

Patient package insert readability and design.

As the popularity of self-medication and direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs increases, the quality, availability, and utility of current patient information strategies become key concerns for pharmacists. It has been suggested that patient package inserts (PPIs) are a high-quality source of information for patients. To determine if this is true, 63 PPIs from three types of sources were assessed for readability and design. Suggested readability level is fifth-to-seventh grade. The PPIs studied had, on average, a 10th-grade reading level. Design characteristics, such as type size and paper quality--which affect patients' likelihood of using the PPI and keeping it for reference--were poorest in PPIs produced by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Overall, associations produce the best PPIs, with commercial vendors and pharmaceutical manufacturers following. However, both readability and design evaluations showed that all PPIs need improvement. Design and testing of new PPI formats and a reassessment of readability are recommended.

An examination of adverse drug event monitoring practices in U.S. hospitals.

Unfortunately, the reasons for respondents' negative attitudes and perceptions toward ADE monitoring are not entirely clear because they generally are not related to time or staff constraints. There was some indication that poor medical record documentation was a contributing factor; however, this problem can be addressed through education of physicians and nurses as to the importance of capturing and reporting ADE data. Other research has demonstrated that substantial effort and diligence are required on the part of all members of the health care team to capture ADEs consistently. Fortunately or unfortunately--depending on the perspective--the motivation and at least the initial energy to establish and maintain an effective ADE monitoring program have to come from the pharmacy department. The greatest fear is that many pharmacists simply will be apathetic to the issue and not devote the time and energy necessary to capture and process ADE information effectively.

An evaluation of interventions designed to stimulate physician reporting of adverse drug events.

A frequent complaint among health care professionals about ADE reporting programs is that they never know what happens to the information they took the time and effort to report. In the Mississippi ADE program, physicians appreciated the feedback they were provided--in letter form--indicating the ultimate disposition of the reported information. Also, a regular newsletter summarizing the number and types of reports and the drugs involved was well received. This vehicle was also used to educate physicians about new drugs on the market that warranted closer scrutiny. Reminder posters placed at strategic points around the hospital and periodic inservices on the program are effective in maintaining a level of awareness about the importance of ADE monitoring and its impact on the quality of care.

Prescription drug use in 1984 and changes over time.

More than 1.5 billion prescriptions were dispensed from retail pharmacies in 1984 at a consumer cost of +18.4 billion. The number of prescriptions dispensed in 1984 equaled the previous record set in 1973. Over 40% of 1984 prescriptions were for four therapeutic classes: cardiovascular drugs, anti-infectives, psychotherapeutic drugs, and diuretics. Prescriptions for cardiovascular drugs and diuretics increased substantially from 1975 to 1984, while prescriptions for psychotherapeutic drugs decreased. Outpatient use of systemic antiinfectives remained fairly stable over the 10-year period. Trends in the use of specific drug categories within these broad therapeutic classes were variable, as were patient age and sex distributions.