Medicamentos isentos de prescrição (MIP): o farmacêutico pode prescrever, mas ele sabe o que são? / Over the counter (OTC) drugs: the pharmacist can prescribe, but do they know what they are?

INTRODUÇÃO: Medicamentos isentos de prescrição (MIP) representam expressiva parcela de comercialização no mercado farmacêutico mundial e brasileiro e possuem importância no manejo de problemas de saúde autolimitados e na automedicação responsável, por meio da atuação clínica do farmacêutico. Assim, o objetivo do trabalho foi identificar os MIP mais comumente dispensados em farmácias comunitárias da região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte, bem como o perfil de conhecimentos dos farmacêuticos em relação a categorização legal desta classe de medicamentos. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo em que foram convidados a participar, via e-mail, todos os farmacêuticos responsáveis técnicos por farmácias comunitárias da região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte-MG (n=1.624; Outubro a Dezembro de 2017). A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de questionário disponível na plataforma Google Docs®, onde requisitou-se aos farmacêuticos que listassem os cinco MIP mais dispensados por eles nos últimos 12 meses. RESULTADOS: Foram obtidas respostas de 108 farmacêuticos. Os MIP mais dispensados constituem fármacos ou associações de fármacos com efeitos analgésico e/ou anti-inflamatório. Além disso 35,2% dos farmacêuticos listaram ao menos um medicamento não considerado isento de prescrição. Dentre 468 medicamentos citados, 54 representavam medicamentos sob prescrição médica. CONCLUSÃO: Os dados encontrados indicam uma lacuna no conhecimento desses farmacêuticos em relação à categorização legal de medicamentos, a qual pode acarretar em implicações legais e em resultados clínicos negativos. Neste sentido, torna-se essencial desenvolver estratégias, por meio de aprimoramentos e educação, visando suprir problemas de conhecimentos e condutas profissionais

INTRODUCTION: Over the counter drugs (OTC) represent a significant market share in the global and Brazilian pharmaceutical market and are important in the management of minor ailments and to responsible self-medication through the pharmacist's clinical performance. Thus, the main of this research was to identify the OTC most commonly dispensed in community pharmacies in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte, as well as the knowledge profile of pharmacists regarding the legal categorization of this class of drugs. METHODS: A descriptive study with pharmacists in charge of community pharmacies in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte-MG (n=1,624, October through December 2017) were realized. The invitations to participate were made via e-mail. Data collection was performed using a questionnaire available on the Google Docs® platform, where pharmacists were asked to list the five OTC most dispensed by them in the last 12 months. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 108 pharmacists. The most dispensed OCT are drugs or combinations of drugs with analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, 35.2% of pharmacists listed at least one non-OTC drug. Of the 468 medicines mentioned, 54 represented medicines under medical prescription. CONCLUSION: The data indicate a gap in the knowledge of these pharmacists regarding the legal categorization of drugs, which may have legal implications and negative clinical results. In this sense, it is essential to develop strategies, through improvements and education, aiming to supply problems of knowledge and professional conduct

Modulation of chagasic cardiomyopathy by interleukin-4: dissociation between inflammation and tissue parasitism.

Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CChC) is characterized by an inflammatory reaction which may eventually lead to heart enlargement, arrythmia, and death. As described herein, interleukin-4-deficient mice mount increased specific T helper (Th) 1 immune responses when infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, as compared to wild-type mice. Interestingly, these mice had reduced parasitism and mortality and exacerbated inflammation in their hearts, demonstrating a clear dissociation between inflammation and parasite load. The modulation of these phenomena so as to maximize host and parasite survivals may depend on a fine balance between Th responses, in which a Th1 response will, on one hand, control parasitism and, on the other hand, enhance heart inflammation throughout the course of the infection.

[The immune state against yellow fever vaccinal virus (17D) in 2 populations of Bahia State, Brazil]. / Estado imune contra o vírus vacinal (17D) da febre amarela em duas populações do Estado da Bahia.

The occurrence of cases of yellow fever (YF) and also the extensive distribution of A. aegypti in Brazil, inspired a study about the estimate of immunity against vaccinal virus (17D) among the residents at two cities of the Bahia State, Ipupiara (n = 461) and Prado (n = 228). At this non-endemic area of YF, the search for serology antibody against 17D (Ab17D) and 18 another arbovirus was made thereby hemagglutination inhibition (HI). Only 1.2% (8/689) showed Ab17D, six of those with monotypic sort. The heterotypic sort for flavivirus (FLV) was interpreted as associated to immunity against 17D too, being much frequent in Prado (30.3%) than in Ipupiara (23.2%). The age > or = 50 years and residence in another states were related to seropositive for FLV, the same way that vaccination's history (17D). However, the history of vaccination presented low percentages of sensibility (< or = 45.4%) and predictive-positive value (< or = 38.4%), but high specificity (> or = 70.8%) and predictive-negative value (> or = 78.8%). Therefore, the frequency of residents with Ab17D was low (1.2%), although the higher frequency (25.5%) of antibody FLV carrier's, what signifies that 26.7% of the studied population should present protection against the YF virus.

[A dengue epidemic in Ipupiara and Prado, Bahia. A seroepidemiologic survey]. / Epidemia de dengue em Ipupiara e Prado, Bahia. Inquérito soro-epidemiológico.

Serologic studies in Brazil have indicated a 25% to 56% prevalence of dengue virus infections. However, these studies were carried out in populations of middle-sized and larger cities. The present study describes two epidemics of classic dengue fever in two small cities in the State of Bahia. The first occurred in 1987, in Ipupiara and was caused by dengue serotype-1 (DEN-1), the second occurred in 1995, in Prado and was caused by dengue serotype-2 (DEN-2). The laboratory diagnosis was made by the hemagglutination-inhibition test. 461 serum samples were collected in 1995 in Ipupiara (district of Chapada Diamantina) out of a population of 3,868 and 228 samples out of a total of 9,126 inhabitants of Prado (in the southernmost coastal region). The seropositivity of the samples was 11.9% (55/461) in Ipupiara and 17.5% (40/228) in Prado. These were no statistically significant differences as to age and sex between seropositive and seronegative individuals of the two cities studied. However, the seropositive cases in Ipupiara indicated a higher percentage (15.9% vs. 9.3%) of residency in or travel to other states of Brazil (p<0.03). Based on these data we estimate the occurrence of 460 and 1,597 cases of infection in Ipupiara and Prado, respectively. In conclusion, dengue virus infections in smaller cities probably have singular characteristics, since they exhibit a lesser prevalence of seropositivity caused by decreased breeding possibilities of Aedes aegypti.