Epidemiology of childhood enterovirus infections in Hangzhou, China.

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Li, Wei; Zhang, Xiao; Chen, Xi; Cheng, Yu-Ping; Wu, Yi-Dong; Shu, Qiang; Chen, Xue-Jun; Shang, Shi-Qiang

2015-04-14

There are over 100 serotypes of enterovirus species A-D, which are the common cause of various symptoms in infants, such as meningitis, encephalitis and hand foot mouth disease (HFMD). This study aims to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of enteroviruses in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, and to provide relevant information to guide public health responses and interventions. Systematic surveillance was conducted on enterovirus infections. Samples were collected from children admitted to the inpatient wards and outpatient departments between January 2010 and December 2012 in the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Enteroviruses from all specimens were detected by RT-PCR using a commercialized detection kit. From 13026 samples collected and examined, 2673 (21.21%) were found positive for enteroviruses. The annual enterovirus-positive rate decreased from 32.78% in 2010 to 14.23% in 2012. Positivity rate for enteroviruses was highest among children aged less than 5 years. The monthly positivity rate for enterovirus infection ranged from 2.6% to 34.83%, with a peak in June and July. Serotypes causing severe symptoms such as HFMD including EV71 and CA16 were decreasing, while the proportion of unidentified EV serotypes causing herpangina and viral encephalitis were on the rise. EV infection is highly prevalent among young children in Hangzhou, as it is in the most other parts of the world. Further surveillance using methods that can subtype all EVs is warranted to better monitor these infections and their etiology.

The Effectiveness of Planning Control on Urban Growth: Evidence from Hangzhou, China

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Yizhou Wu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Urban sprawl presents a serious challenge for sustainable urban land use. Urban planning attempts to guarantee sustainable urban development and proper use of land resources. However, a large gap usually exists between planning and actual development. This paper aims to analyze the evolutionary characteristics of urban form and the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban planning from 1964 to 2013, using the case of Hangzhou, China. We proposed a framework that included remote sensing, landscape metrics, and control effectiveness indexes. The results indicated that urban planning failed to perform effectively in Hangzhou, reflected by the uncontrolled urban sprawl during all the planning periods. The low effectiveness of planning was resulted from multiple factors, including historical economic events that made expansion unexpected, functional orientation of planning which drove fragmented suburbanization, the ineffective methods for forecasting population and land use, and the influences by the market forces. The findings deepen the understanding of the impacts of urban planning, and provide references for making rational urban management decisions and sustainable urban land management.

Characterization of tropospheric ozone based on lidar measurement in Hangzhou, East China during the G20 Leaders' Summit

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Su, Wenjing; Liu, Cheng; Fan, Guangqiang; Hu, Qihou; Huang, Xin; Dong, Yunsheng; Zhang, Tianshu; Liu, Jianguo

2017-04-01

Owing to the G20 (Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors) Leaders' Summit (Sep.5th-6th, 2016), a series of strict air quality control measures were implemented in Hangzhou and its surrounding regions from Aug.26th to Sep.6th. A differential absorption lidar was employed to monitor tropospheric ozone in urban Hangzhou during a campaign from Aug. 24th to Sep. 10th, and the satellite-based NO2 VCDs and HCHO VCDs in the troposphere were also retrieved using the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). During our campaign, six O3 pollution events, which were determined according to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of China (GB-3095-2012), and two stages with rapid reduction of O3 concentration on Aug. 26th and Sep.4-6th were observed. The temporal variation tendency of O3 concentrations was well reproduced by the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem). Typical cases with the abrupt rise and decline of O3 concentrations were analyzed using Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) back trajectory, satellite NO2 and HCHO product and the prediction by WRF-Chem model. The transport from northern cities have an important impact on pollutants observed in Hangzhou, and the chemical sensitivity of O3 production, which were approximately evaluated using the ratio of HCHO VCDs to NO2 VCDs in the troposphere, was turned from a mixed VOC-NOx-limited regime into a NOX-limited regime in Hangzhou due to the strict emission control measures.

Breeding of in-situ Petroleum Degrading Bacteria in Hangzhou Bay and evaluating for the In-situ repair effect

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Lan, Ru; Lin, Hai; Qiao, Bing; Dong, Yingbo; Zhang, Wei; Chang, Wen

2018-02-01

In this paper, the restoration behaviour of the in-situ microorganisms in seawater and sediments to the marine accident oil spill was researched. The experimental study on the breeding of in-situ petroleum-degrading bacteria in the seawater and sediments of Hangzhou Bay and the restoration of oil spill were carried out. Making use of the reinforced microbial flora, combined with physical and chemical methods in field environment, petroleum degrading and restoration experiment were performed, the effect of the breeding of in-situ degrading bacteria was evaluated, and the standard process of in-situ bacteria sampling, laboratory screening, domestication and degradation efficiency testing were formed. This study laid a foundation for further evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages for the petroleum-degrading bacteria of Hangzhou Bay during the process of in-situ restoration. The results showed that in-situ microbes of Hangzhou Bay could reach the growth peak in 5 days with the suitable environmental factors and sufficient nutrient elements, and the degradation efficiency could reach 65.2% (or 74.8% after acclimation). And also the microbes could adapt to the local sea water and environmental conditions, with a certain degree of degradation. The research results could provide parameter support for causal judgment and quantitative assessment of oil spill damage.

Introduction of inactivated poliovirus vaccine leading into the polio eradication endgame strategic plan; Hangzhou, China, 2010-2014.

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Liu, Yan; Wang, Jun; Liu, Shijun; Du, Jian; Wang, Liang; Gu, Wenwen; Xu, Yuyang; Zuo, Shuyan; Xu, Erping; An, Zhijie

2017-03-01

China's Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) has provided 4 doses of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) since the 1970s. Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) became available in 2010 in Hangzhou as a private-sector, parent-chosen alternative to OPV. In 2015, WHO recommended that countries with all-OPV vaccination schedules introduce at least one dose of IPV, to mitigate risk associated with the withdrawal of type 2 OPV. We analyzed polio vaccine coverage and utilization in Hangzhou to determine patterns of IPV use and the occurrence of vaccine-associated paralytic polio (VAPP) in the various patterns identified. Children born between 2010 and 2014 and registered in Hangzhou's Immunization Information System (HZIIS) were included. VAPP cases were detected through the acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system. We used descriptive epidemiological methods to determine IPV and OPV usage patterns and VAPP occurrence. HZIIS data from 566,894 children were analyzed. Coverage levels of polio vaccine were greater than 92% for each birth cohort. Percentages of children using OPV-only, IPV-only, and IPV/OPV sequential schedules were 70.57%, 27.01% and 2.41%, respectively. IPV-only schedule utilization increased by birth cohort regardless of geographical area or whether the child was locally-born. The highest use of an all-IPV schedule (79.85%) was among urban, locally-born children in the 2014 birth cohort. Five VAPP cases were identified during the study years; all cases occurred following the first polio vaccine dose, which was always OPV for the cases. Type 2 vaccine virus was isolated from 2 VAPP cases, and type 2 and type 3 vaccine virus was isolated from one VAPP case. The incidence of VAPP in the 2010-2014 birth cohorts was 3.76 per 1million doses of OPV. Children in Hangzhou had high polio vaccination coverage. IPV-only schedule use increased by year, and was highest in urban areas among locally-born children. All cases of VAPP were associated with the first dose of OPV

Large outbreak of herpangina in children caused by enterovirus in summer of 2015 in Hangzhou, China.

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Li, Wei; Gao, Hui-Hui; Zhang, Qiong; Liu, Yu-Jie; Tao, Ran; Cheng, Yu-Ping; Shu, Qiang; Shang, Shi-Qiang

2016-10-18

Herpangina, usually caused by coxsackie virus A, is prevalent in children spreading through the fecal-oral transmission and the respiratory droplets dissemination. Also, it is mostly asymptomatic and self-limiting. In our study, we found that large outbreak of herpangina in children occurred in the summer of 2015 in Hangzhou, China. From May 1th to August 31th, a total of 10 210 children were diagnosed with herpangina in Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. 2 310 throat swabs were collected and tested for enterovirus detection by real-time RT-PCR, while 1 651 cases were positive with the rate of 71.5%. Based on VP1 gene or 5'UTR region sequences, Coxsackievirus A2, A4, A6, A10, B2, B4 and echovirus 30 were detected in these cases. More importantly, Coxsackievirus A2 may be the major subtype of enterovirus resulting in children with herpangina in hangzhou, China.

7Be content and its seasonal regulation in the ground air around Hangzhou area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Rangrong

1995-01-01

In twice investigations around Hangzhou, it is indicated that 7 Be concentration in the ground air is averagely 5.9 mBq/m 3 which is 130% higher than that in Germany reported by UNSCEAR. The highest level is in autumn-winter over a year reaching 7.7 mBq/m 3 ; the next is in spring reaching 6.2 mBq/m 3 ; the middle is 5.7 mBq/m 3 in early summer approaching to the yearly average level; and the lowest in a year is in summer-autumn that is 3.8 mBq/m 3 . It presents a decreasing regulation from autumn-winter to summer-autumn of the next year, and is basically consistent with the seasonal variation of the rainfall in Hangzhou area, but does not present the variation reported by UNSCEAR that it was the highest in spring and the lowest in late autumn basing on 7 Be falling down from the stratosphere. It shows that the process of rainfall is the main reason effecting 7 Be content in the air. Comparing to 222 Rn, the annual absorption dose produced by 7 Be can be neglected

The analysis on the extreme water shortage event in Hangzhou in 1247 AD and its natural and social backgrounds

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Liu, Haolong

2017-04-01

Yangtze River Delta locating in the north subtropics of China, is famous for numerous rivers and lakes. Because of East Asian monsoon rainfall, flood is always the most primary disaster in this area during the past 2000 years. However, there were also several extreme water shortage events in the history. Example in Hangzhou in 1247 AD was such a typical year in the area. In the paper, the severity of this extreme event and the closely tied spatiotemporal variation of drought in Yangtze River Delta was quantitatively analyzed on the basis of documentary records during Southern Song Dynasty. Furtherly, its natural and social backgrounds was discussed. The result s are summarized as follows: 1) Wells, canals and West Lake of Hangzhou dried up in 1247 AD. The water level of canals was about 1.32-2.64 m lower than that in the normal year. The reduction of storage capacity in West Lake was 21 million stere or so. 2) The droughts in Yangtze River Delta was moderate on the whole, but that in the west of Zhejiang Province was severe. The drought in Hangzhou lasted from the 2nd lunar month to the end of this year. 3) The water shortage event was closely related to the quick going north and farther northern location of summer rain belt. The descending sea-level weakening the tide in Qiantang River, can also reduce the supply of water resources. 4) The quick growth of urban population, excessive aquaculture, and ineffective government supervision played an important social role in the process of this event. In the all, this extreme water shortage event was the result of both natural and social factors. This research is very helpful for the futuristic water resource forecast in Yangtze River Delta, and it also affords us lessons on the risk management and heritage conservation that merit attention. Key Words: Hangzhou, 1247 AD, water shortage, canal, West Lake, natural factors, social factors

Examining Urban Impervious Surface Distribution and Its Dynamic Change in Hangzhou Metropolis

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Longwei Li

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Analysis of urban distribution and its expansion using remote sensing data has received increasing attention in the past three decades, but little research has examined spatial patterns of urban distribution and expansion with buffer zones in different directions. This research selected Hangzhou metropolis as a case study to analyze spatial patterns and dynamic changes based on time-series urban impervious surface area (ISA datasets. ISA was developed from Landsat imagery between 1991 and 2014 using a hybrid approach consisting of linear spectral mixture analysis, decision tree classifiers, and post-processing. The spatial patterns of ISA distribution and its dynamic changes in eight directions—east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, north, and northeast—at the temporal scale were analyzed with a buffer zone-based approach. This research indicated that ISA can be extracted from Landsat imagery with both producer and user accuracies of over 90%. ISA in Hangzhou metropolis increased from 146 km2 in 1991 to 868 km2 in 2014. Annual ISA growth rates were between 15.6 km2 and 48.8 km2 with the lowest growth rate in 1994–2000 and the highest growth rate in 2005–2010. Urban ISA increase before 2000 was mainly due to infilling within the urban landscape, and, after 2005, due to urban expansion in the urban-rural interfaces. Urban expansion in this study area has different characteristics in various directions that are influenced by topographic factors and urban development policies.

[Analysis on on-site rescue and traumatic features of victims involved in gas explosion accident in Hangzhou].

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Wang, X G; Jin, R H; Liu, F P; Han, C M

2017-10-20

Objective: To investigate the situations of on-site rescue and traumatic features of victims involved in gas explosion accident in Hangzhou, so as to provide more data support for emergency medical rescues of the similar incidents of massive casualty. Methods: Two medical workers with a certain clinical experience were sent to Hangzhou 120 emergency medical centers to collect data of the on-site rescue on 21st July, 2017, including ambulance call-outs, on-site command and traffic conditions, and on-site triage and evacuation of the victims. They were then sent to the hospitals receiving the victims to investigate the situations of these victims including the general information (such as gender, age, admitted hospitals, and number of admission, discharge, and transferring in the first two weeks after the accident) and injury assessment [such as injury position and type, injury severity evaluation by New Injury Severity Scoring (NISS), and burn severity evaluation for victims with burns]. Results: (1) A total of 15 ambulances reached the accident site for rescue. The traffic and transportation were jammed and interrupted after this accident. On-site triage and distribution were disorderly conducted. (2) Clinical data of 53 victims were collected, including 24 males and 29 females, with the age of 8 to 70 (34±14) years old. They were sent into 6 hospitals in Hangzhou. Two victims died on the day of accident. Up to two weeks after this accident, 28 (52.8%) victims were discharged from the hospitals and received follow-up in outpatient department. Five victims with severe injuries were transferred to the other hospitals. (3) Based on the results of NISS, the injury severities were mild in 29 (54.7%) cases, moderate in 9 (17.0%) cases, serious in 3 (5.7%) cases, and severe in 12 (22.6%) cases. Those 2 dead victims were classified into the severe category due to the highest NISS score of 75. For all of the victims, skin and soft tissue defects were most common. Six (11

Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli in Drinking Water Sources in Hangzhou City

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Zhaojun Chen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the distribution of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli and examined the possible relationship between water quality parameters and antibiotic resistance from two different drinking water sources (the Qiantang River and the Dongtiao Stream in Hangzhou city of China. E. coli isolates were tested for their susceptibility to 18 antibiotics. Most of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline (TE, followed by ampicillin (AM, piperacillin (PIP, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT, and chloramphenicol (C. The antibiotic resistance rate of E. coli isolates from two water sources was similar; For E. coli isolates from the Qiantang River, their antibiotic resistance rates decreased from up- to downstream. Seasonally, the dry and wet season had little impact on antibiotic resistance. Spearman's rank correlation revealed significant correlation between resistance to TE and phenicols or ciprofloxacin (CIP, as well as quinolones (ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin and cephalosporins or gentamicin (GM. Pearson's chi-square tests found certain water parameters such as nutrient concentration were strongly associated with resistance to some of the antibiotics. In addition, tet genes were detected from all 82 TE-resistant E. coli isolates, and most of the isolates (81.87% contained multiple tet genes, which displayed 14 different combinations. Collectively, this study provided baseline data on antibiotic resistance of drinking water sources in Hangzhou city, which indicates drinking water sources could be the reservoir of antibiotic resistance, potentially presenting a public health risk.

Environmental assessment of heavy metal transport and transformation in the Hangzhou Bay, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, Hongwei; Huang, Lei; Wang, Jingyu; He, Guojian [The State Key Laboratory of Hydro Science and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Reible, Danny, E-mail: danny.reible@ttu.edu [Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1023 (United States)

2016-01-25

Highlights: • An integrated model of hydrodynamics, sediment and heavy metal transport. • Simulated heavy metal transport and transformation in the Hangzhou Bay. • Evaluated accidental discharge of {sup 137}Cs from the QFNPP was assumed. • The sediment effects on the mobility of heavy metals were analyzed. - Abstract: The environmental impact of heavy metal (Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs) transport and transformation in the Hangzhou Bay (China) was assessed through a comprehensive model that integrates hydrodynamics, sediment and heavy metal transport. A mechanistic surface complexation model was used to estimate the adsorption and desorption of heavy metal by suspended sediment under different aqueous chemistry conditions. The dynamics of metal exchange to and from the seabed was also assessed. The primary processes regulating heavy metal distribution, i.e., convection–diffusion, adsorption–desorption, sedimentation–resuspension, as well as other physical and chemical processes related to mass exchange between adjacent sediment layers, were considered in detail. The accidental discharge of {sup 137}Cs was simulated as an example and results showed that {sup 137}Cs transported along the coast driven by tidal flow. Most {sup 137}Cs distributed near the outfall and accumulated in the seabed sediment. The proposed model can be a useful tool for predicting heavy metal transport and fate and provide a theoretical basis to guide field sampling, assessment of risks and the design of remediation strategies.

Environmental assessment of heavy metal transport and transformation in the Hangzhou Bay, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Hongwei; Huang, Lei; Wang, Jingyu; He, Guojian; Reible, Danny

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An integrated model of hydrodynamics, sediment and heavy metal transport. • Simulated heavy metal transport and transformation in the Hangzhou Bay. • Evaluated accidental discharge of "1"3"7Cs from the QFNPP was assumed. • The sediment effects on the mobility of heavy metals were analyzed. - Abstract: The environmental impact of heavy metal (Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, "9"0Sr and "1"3"7Cs) transport and transformation in the Hangzhou Bay (China) was assessed through a comprehensive model that integrates hydrodynamics, sediment and heavy metal transport. A mechanistic surface complexation model was used to estimate the adsorption and desorption of heavy metal by suspended sediment under different aqueous chemistry conditions. The dynamics of metal exchange to and from the seabed was also assessed. The primary processes regulating heavy metal distribution, i.e., convection–diffusion, adsorption–desorption, sedimentation–resuspension, as well as other physical and chemical processes related to mass exchange between adjacent sediment layers, were considered in detail. The accidental discharge of "1"3"7Cs was simulated as an example and results showed that "1"3"7Cs transported along the coast driven by tidal flow. Most "1"3"7Cs distributed near the outfall and accumulated in the seabed sediment. The proposed model can be a useful tool for predicting heavy metal transport and fate and provide a theoretical basis to guide field sampling, assessment of risks and the design of remediation strategies.

[Light scattering extinction properties of atmospheric particle and pollution characteristics in hazy weather in Hangzhou].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Chang; Ye, Hui; Shen, Jian-Dong; Sun, Hong-Liang; Hong, Sheng-Mao; Jiao, Li; Huang, Kan

2014-12-01

In order to evaluate the influence of particle scattering on visibility, light scattering coefficient, particle concentrations and meteorological factor were simultaneously monitored from July 2011 to June 2012 in Hangzhou. Daily scattering coefficients ranged from 108.4 to 1 098.1 Mm(-1), with an annual average concentration of 428.6 Mm(-1) ± 200.2 Mm(-1). Seasonal variation of scattering coefficients was significant, with the highest concentrations observed in autumn and winter and the lowest in summer. It was found there were two peaks for the average diurnal variations of the scattering coefficient, which could be observed at 08:00 and 21:00. The scattering efficiencies of PM2.5 and PM10 were 7.6 m2 x g(-1) and 4.4 m2 x g(-1), respectively. The particle scattering was about 90.2 percent of the total light extinction. The scattering coefficients were 684.4 Mm(-1) ± 218.1 Mm(-1) and 1 095.4 Mm(-1) ± 397.7 Mm(-1) in hazy and heavy hazy days, respectively, which were 2.6 and 4.2 times as high as in non-hazy weather, indicating that particle scattering is the main factor for visibility degradation and the occurrence of hazy weather in Hangzhou.

Availability, use, and affordability of medicines in urban China under universal health coverage : an empirical study in Hangzhou and Baoji

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huang, Yunyu; Jiang, Youfen; Zhang, Luying; Mao, Wenhui; van Boven, Job F M; Postma, Maarten J; Chen, Wen

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the availability, use, and affordability of medicines in urban China following the 2009 Health Care System Reform that included implementation of universal health coverage (UHC). METHODS: This longitudinal study was performed in Hangzhou (high income, eastern

Availability, use, and affordability of medicines in urban China under universal health coverage : an empirical study in Hangzhou and Baoji

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huang, Yunyu; Jiang, Youfen; Zhang, Luying; Mao, Wenhui; van Boven, Job F. M.; Postma, Maarten J.; Chen, Wen

2018-01-01

Background: This study aimed to examine the availability, use, and affordability of medicines in urban China following the 2009 Health Care System Reform that included implementation of universal health coverage (UHC). Methods: This longitudinal study was performed in Hangzhou (high income, eastern

PAHs pollution from traffic sources in air of Hangzhou, China: trend and influencing factors.

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Zhu, Li-Zhong; Wang, Jing

2005-01-01

PAHs pollution in air of arterial roads was investigated from October 1998 to October 2001 in Hangzhou, China. The results showed that sigma10 PAHs was 13-36 microg/m3, among which, BaP, a strong carcinogenic kind ranged from 0.034 microg/m3 to 0.12 microg/m3. PAHs pollutions in four seasons were winter > autumn > spring-summer. The annual averages of sigmaPAHs concentration were 25 microg/m3 for 1999, 28 microg/m3 for 2000, and 29 microg/m3 for 2001, respectively. Leaded gasoline was banned in December 1998 in Hangzhou, thus comparative measurements with PAHs in leaded and lead-free gasoline powered motor exhausts made it certain that the use of lead-free gasoline leaded to a heavier PAHs pollution in roadside air from December, 1998, in China, and sigmaPAHs in air samples after the lead-banning were more than twice of that in samples before the action. For the large contribution of vehicle discharge to air pollution in roadside, further research was performed to suggest the factors influencing PAHs distribution in vehicle exhaust in order to control air pollution effectively. Compared to gasoline engines, emissions from diesel engines were less toxic, although they might produce more PAHs. Of the same vehicular and oil type, automobiles of longer mileages produced more toxic PAHs. PAHs distributions in the vehicular exhausts were related to the oil type. Large difference was found in the abundance of 3-, 5- and 6-ring PAHs between exhausts from gasoline and diesel oil engines. Diesel oil engines produced relative lighter PAHs such as NAPH, ACEN, FLUOR, while gasoline engines emitted heavier kinds such as BkF, IN and BP. The automobile produced more PAHs with the increase of mileage especially FLUR, PY, BaP, BP. Some significant ratios for traffic source in Hangzhou such as PHEN/AN, FLUR/PY, IN/BP were 0.50-4.3, 0.58-7.4, 0.51-1.5, respectively. A source fingerprint for vehicle exhausts of a mixture of vehicle and oil types in the city district for light

Sources and distribution of sedimentary organic matter along the Andong salt marsh, Hangzhou Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Hong-Wei; Chen, Jian-Fang; Ye, Ying; Lou, Zhang-Hua; Jin, Ai-Min; Chen, Xue-Gang; Jiang, Zong-Pei; Lin, Yu-Shih; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Loh, Pei Sun

2017-10-01

Lignin oxidation products, δ13C values, C/N ratios and particle size were used to investigate the sources, distribution and chemical stability of sedimentary organic matter (OM) along the Andong salt marsh located in the southwestern end of Hangzhou Bay, China. Terrestrial OM was highest at the upper marshes and decreased closer to the sea, and the distribution of sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) was influenced mostly by particle size. Terrestrial OM with a C3 signature was the predominant source of sedimentary OM in the Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh system. This means that aside from contributions from the local marsh plants, the Andong salt marsh received input mostly from the Qiantang River and the Changjiang Estuary. Transect C, which was situated nearer to the Qiantang River mouth, was most likely influenced by input from the Qiantang River. Likewise, a nearby creek could be transporting materials from Hangzhou Bay into Transect A (farther east than Transect C), as Transect A showed a signal resembling that of the Changjiang Estuary. The predominance of terrestrial OM in the Andong salt marsh despite overall reductions in sedimentary and terrestrial OM input from the rivers is most likely due to increased contributions of sedimentary and terrestrial OM from erosion. This study shows that lower salt marsh accretion due to the presence of reservoirs upstream may be counterbalanced by increased erosion from the surrounding coastal areas.

Impacts of human activity and extreme weather events on sedimentary organic matter in the Andong salt marsh, Hangzhou Bay, China

Science.gov (United States)

Loh, Pei Sun; Cheng, Long-Xiu; Yuan, Hong-Wei; Yang, Lin; Lou, Zhang-Hua; Jin, Ai-Min; Chen, Xue-Gang; Lin, Yu-Shih; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur

2018-02-01

In this study, lignin-derived phenols, stable carbon isotopes and bulk elemental compositions were determined along the length of two sediment cores (C1 and C2) from the Andong salt marsh, which is located southwest of Hangzhou Bay, China. The purpose of this study was to determine the short-term changes and their implications along sediment profiles. The 1997 high tide had caused an increase in the terrestrial organic matter (OM) signal from 1996/1997 to 2000 in both cores, which was indicated by a high Λ (total lignin in mg/100 mg OC), TOC, C/N and more negative δ13C values. The slight increases in terrestrial OM along the length of the cores between 2003 and 2006 were most likely attributable to the construction of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge. Both events have likely caused an increase in erosion, and thus, these events have increased the input of terrestrial OM to nearby areas. The effects of the distinctively dry year of 2006 can be observed along C2 between 2006 and 2008 in the steadily declining terrestrial OM signal. The overall slight decrease in terrestrial OM and the distinct increase in TOC along the length of both cores toward the present were most likely because of the overall reduced sediment caused by the trapping of materials within reservoirs. These results show that the reduction in terrestrial OM in the Andong salt marsh for the past 30 years was due to reservoirs and the 2006 drought, but this was counterbalanced by the 1997 high tide event and construction of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, which resulted in increased erosion and terrestrial OM input.

Concentrations and compositions of organochlorine contaminants in sediments, soils, crustaceans, fishes and birds collected from Lake Tai, Hangzhou Bay and Shanghai city region, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakata, Haruhiko [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan)]. E-mail: nakata@sci.kumamoto-u.ac.jp; Hirakawa, Yuko [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Kawazoe, Masahiro [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555, (Japan); Nakabo, Tetsuji [Kyoto University Museum, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Arizono, Koji [Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Kumamoto Prefectural University, 3-1-100 Tsukide, Kumamoto 862-8502 (Japan); Abe, Shin-Ichi [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Kitano, Takeshi [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Shimada, Hideaki [Faculty of Education, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Watanabe, Izumi [Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchuu-city, Tokyo 183-8509 (Japan); Li Weihua [Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, 2140 Xie Tu road, Shanghai 200032 (China); Ding Xucheng [Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, 2140 Xie Tu road, Shanghai 200032 (China)

2005-02-01

Contamination by persistent organochlorines (OCs), such as DDTs, hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were examined in sediments, soils, fishes, crustaceans, birds, and aquaculture feed from Lake Tai, Hangzhou Bay, and in the vicinity of Shanghai city in China during 2000 and 2001. OCs were detected in all samples analyzed, and DDT and its metabolites were the predominant contaminants in most sediments, soils and biota. Concentrations of p,p'-DDT and ratio of p,p'-DDT to {sigma}DDTs were significantly higher in marine fishes than those in freshwater fishes. While the use of DDTs has been officially banned in China since 1983, these results indicate a recent input of technical DDTs into the marine environment around Hangzhou Bay. Comparison of organochlorine concentrations in fishes collected from Lake Tai and Hangzhou Bay suggests the presence of local sources of HCHs, chlordanes and PCBs at Lake Tai. Higher proportions of penta- and hexa-PCB congeners in fishes at Lake Tai may suggest the use of highly chlorinated PCB product, such as PCB{sub 5}, around this lake. To our knowledge, this is a first comprehensive study to examine the present status of organochlorine contamination in various environmental media, such as sediments, soils and wildlife, in China. - Elevated concentrations of DDTs were detected in sediments, soils, and wildlife collected from China.

Pollution level, phase distribution and health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor air at public places of Hangzhou, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Hao; Zhu Lizhong; Chen Shuguang

2008-01-01

PAHs pollution survey in air of public places was conducted in Hangzhou, China. The most serious PAHs pollution was observed in indoor air of shopping centers and the slightest was in train stations. The molecular weight of chrysene (MW 228) appeared to be the dividing line for the PAHs with a larger or smaller distribution in the vapor or particulate phase. Concentrations of 15 PAHs on PM 2.5 accounted for 71.3% of total particulate PAHs, and followed by PM 2.5-10 fraction (17.6%) and >PM 10 fraction (11.1%). In shopping centers and supermarkets, emission of 2-4 rings PAHs occurred from indoor sources, whereas 5-6 rings PAHs predominantly originated from transport of outdoor air. In temples, PAHs in indoor air mainly originated from incense burning. Health risks associated with the inhalation of PAHs were assessed, and naphthalene made the greatest contribution (62.4%) to the total health risks. - Concentrations of PAHs in the air of selected public places in Hangzhou correspond to 10 -3 life-time lung cancer risk

High reduction of ozone and particulate matter during the 2016 G-20 summit in Hangzhou by forced emission controls of industry and traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Many regions in China experience air pollution episodes because of the rapid urbanization and industrialization over the past decades. Here we analyzed the effect of emission controls implemented during the G-20 2016 Hangzhou summit on air quality. Emission controls included a fo...

Factors Influencing Urban Residents’ Tea Consumption Habits: An Empirical Study of Hangzhou City

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CHEN Fu-qiao; JIANG Ai-qin

2012-01-01

Based on the survey data concerning residents in Hangzhou City, we analyze the main factors influencing consumers’ spending decisions, using Probit model. The results show that gender, age, and personal income have a significant positive effect on whether to drink tea; the degree of understanding of the tea, and the number of acquaintances drinking water also have a significant positive effect on whether to drink tea; but individual career, unit characteristics, and educational level have no significant positive effect on whether to drink tea. This research conclusion can provide microscopic evidence for the tea industry’s healthy development and formulation of marketing strategies; at the same time, provide a reference for marketing of the other hobby products.

Toxicity evaluation of biodegradable chitosan nanoparticles using a zebrafish embryo model

OpenAIRE

Hu YL; Qi W; Han F; Shao JZ; Gao JQ

2011-01-01

Yu-Lan Hu1, Wang Qi1, Feng Han2, Jian-Zhong Shao3, Jian-Qing Gao11Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Biochemical Pharmaceutics, 3College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of ChinaBackground: Although there are a number of reports regarding the toxicity evaluation of inorganic nanoparticles, knowledge on bi...

[Ecotourism carrying capacity of Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Rui; Rong, Liang

2007-10-01

In this paper, an integrated estimation on the ecotourism carrying capacity of Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park in China was made from the aspects of ecological carrying capacity, spatial carrying capacity, facility carrying capacity, management carrying capacity, and psychological carrying capacity. The results indicated that the tourism carrying capacity of the Park was 4 145 - 6 450 persons per day. The rational distance between man and bird was first adopted to determine the ecotourism carrying capacity of wetland, which provided an effective solution both to fully ensure bird safety and to appropriately develop wetland tourism. The estimation of psychological carrying capacity based on tourist satisfaction degree reflected more objectively the extent the tourist demands satisfied at the planning, construction and management of tour places. Such an integrated estimation method based on the distance between man and bird and the tourist satisfaction degree could be of practical and instructive significances in the planning and management of wetland parks.

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among children aged 1 month to 16 years in Hangzhou, China

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Zhu Zhiwei

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent studies have suggested that vitamin D deficiency in children is widespread. But the vitamin D status of Chinese children is seldom investigated. The objective of the present study was to survey the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OHD] in more than 6,000 children aged 1 month to 16 years in Hangzhou (latitude: 30°N, the capital of Zhejiang Province, southeast China. Methods The children aged 1 month to 16 years who came to the child health care department of our hospital, the children's hospital affiliated to Zhejiang university school of medicine, for health examination were taken blood for 25(OH D measurement. Serum 25(OH D levels were determined by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and categorized as Results A total of 6,008 children aged 1 month to 16 years participated in this cross-sectional study. All the subjects were divided into subgroups according to their age: 0-1y, 2-5y, 6-11y and 12-16y representing infancy, preschool, school age and adolescence stages respectively. The highest mean level of serum 25(OHD was found in the 0-1y stage (99 nmol/L and the lowest one was found in 12-16y stage (52 nmol/L. Accordingly, the prevalence of serum 25(OHD levels of Conclusions The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among children in Hangzhou Zhejiang province is high, especially among children aged 6-16 years. We suggest that the recommendation for vitamin D supplementation in Chinese children should be extended to adolescence.

Regional Monopoly and Interregional and Intraregional Competition: The Parallel Trade in Coca-Cola between Shanghai and Hangzhou in China

OpenAIRE

Yeung, Godfrey; Mok, Vincent

2006-01-01

This article uses a “principal-agent-subagent” analytical framework and data that were collected from field surveys in China to (1) investigate the nature and causes of the parallel trade in Coca-Cola between Shanghai and Hangzhou and (2) assess the geographic and theoretical implications for the regional monopolies that have been artificially created by Coca-Cola in China. The parallel trade in Coca-Cola is sustained by its intraregional rivalry with Pepsi-Cola in Shanghai, where Coca-Cola (...

Concentrations and risk assessment of selected monoaromatic hydrocarbons in buses and bus stations of Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuang; Chen, Shuguang; Zhu, Lizhong; Chen, Xiasheng; Yao, Chaoying; Shen, Xueyou

2009-03-01

Air pollution surveys of ten selected monoaromatic hydrocarbons (MAHCs) were conducted in buses and bus stations in Hangzhou, China. The mean concentrations of MAHCs in the air of buses and bus stations were 95.9 and 36.5 microg/m(3), respectively, of which toluene was the highest in all the sampling sites. Mean concentrations of all MAHCs in buses were statistically higher than those nearby bus stations (pbus drivers were 1.11x10(-5) and 4.00x10(-5), respectively, which were way above the limit set by USEPA. The health risk caused by MAHCs in bus microenvironment should be cautioned.

Landscape pattern evolution of the north of Hangzhou bay coastal area in Shanghai

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LIANG Shuai

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Since the 1980s in Shanghai,fast economic development,rapid urbanization,population explosion,all of these phenomena are driving radical changes in landscape pattern of coastal area.The landscape pattern evolution at the coastal regions of the north of the Hangzhou bay is analysed based on the landscape ecology theory and method by using Fragstats 3.3 software.3S technology is utilized to interpretate the sensing images at three phase in 1994,2003,2007,and selected two landscape index of the landscape level to study six town from time and space on the contrast analysis.The results show that farmland landscape is the dominant landscape in research area,landscape diversity is high and shows ascendant trend;For 13 years,six towns’(street fragmentation degree increase,the Luchaogang town has the highest degree of fragmentation.

[Seasonal changes of fish species composition and diversity in mudflat wetlands of Hangzhou Bay].

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Xing-huan; Zhang, Heng; Jiang, Ke-yi; Wu, Ming

2010-12-01

In order to understand the spatiotemporal variation of fish species composition and biodiversity in the mudflat wetlands of Hangzhou Bay, thirty six surveys were conducted in the mudflat area, inning area, and aquaculture area in the south bank of the Bay in. March (early spring), May (spring), July (summer), and October (autumn), 2009. A total of 41 species belonging to 9 orders and 16 families were observed, among which, Cyprinid had the largest species number (14 species, 33.3% of the total), followed by Gobiidae (8 species, 19.1%). According to the lifestyle of fish, these 41 species could be divided into five ecological types, i.e., freshwater type (21 species), brackish-water type (16 species), inshore type (2 species), anadromous type (Coilia ectenes), and catadromios type (Anguilla japonica). The fish abundance was the highest (54. 5 fish per net) in summer, followed by in spring and autumn, and the lowest (17.7 fish per net) in early spring. In the three habitats, mudflat area and inning area had the similar seasonal change of fish abundance, i.e., the lowest in early spring, the highest in summer, and then decreased in autumn. Only two or three species were the dominant species in different seasons. In mudflat area, the dominant species were Mugil cephalus and Liza carinatus; while in inning and aquaculture areas, the dominant species were Carassius auratus, Hemiculter leucisculus, and Pseudorasbora parva. The values of Margalef's richness index (D), Pielou's evenness index (J), and Shannon index (H) were lower in March than in other months, but had no significant differences among May, July, and October (P > 0.05). The H value ranged in 0. 27-2. 13, being the lowest in March and higher in May and October (1.66 and 1.63, respectively). Overall, the fish abundance and biodiversity in the mudflat wetlands of Hangzhou Bay had apparent seasonal changes.

Cuisine: the concept and its health and nutrition implications--a Hangzhou perspective.

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AiZhen, Zhang; YuHong, Wu; MacLennan, Robert

2004-01-01

Cuisine is an activity that meets human physical and psychological needs. With the development of civilization, cuisine is an important component of culture and includes the dietary profession. However, each nation or each area has its own characteristic cuisine. There are eight major styles of Chinese cuisine, Hangzhou style is an important part of Zhe style. It was divided into two branches named 'Lake branch' and 'Town branch'. An ideal Chinese dish should satisfy in terms of colour, aroma, taste, shape, texture and sustenance. But nowadays, people pay more attention to other aspects of dishes than sustenance. It is estimated that food and beverages will cost up to 570 billion RMB (about 69 billion US dollars) in China this year. The incidence of chronic diseases also increases year after year. There are 40 million diabetic and 70 million obese persons in China. Hence it is important to make efforts to promote in-depth knowledge of cooking and nutrition.

Resource Assessment of Tidal Current Energy in Hangzhou Bay Based on Long Term Measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Feng; Dai, Chun-Ni; Xu, Xue-Feng; Wang, Chuan-Kun; Ye, Qin

2017-05-01

Compared with other marine renewable energy, tidal current energy benefits a lot in high energy density and good predictability. Based on the measured tidal current data in Hangzhou Bay from Nov 2012 to Oct 2012, this paper analysed temporal and spatial changes of tidal current energy in the site. It is the first time measured data of such long time been taken in tidal current energy analysis. Occurrence frequency and duration of the current of different speed are given out in the paper. According to the analysis results, monthly average power density changed a lot in different month, and installation orientation of tidal current turbine significantly affected energy acquisition. Finally, the annual average power density of tidal current energy with coefficient Cp in the site was calculated, and final output of a tidal current plant was also estimated.

Heavy Metals Accumulation Characteristics of Vegetables in Hangzhou City, China

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GU Yan-qing

2015-08-01

Full Text Available A field survey of heavy metal concentrations in soils and vegetables grown in 30 vegetable farmlands of Hangzhou City were carried out. Through calculating the bioconcentration factor(BCFand transfer factor(TFfor different heavy metals(Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr and Pbin 27 kinds of different vegetables which belong to leafy vegetables, root vegetables or eggplant fruit vegetables, assessing their accumulation characteristics of heavy metals according to the differences of the bio-concentration factor, the reasonable proposals were put forward to optimize the planting structure of vegetables in mild and middle-level heavy metal contamination soils. The experimental results were as follows: In soils with mild and middle-level heavy metal contamination, leafy vegetables, such as crown daisy, cabbage, celery and Chinese long cabbage, had relatively low enrichment ability of heavy metals, so as the root and fruit vegetables like white radish, carrot, tomatoes, hence these vegetables could be planted preferentially. In contrast, some kinds of vegetables, including white amaranth, red amaranth, tatsoi, broccoli, gynura, brassica juncea and lettuce of leafy vegetables, lactuca sativa, taro, red radish and cherry radish of rhizome vegetables and sweet pepper of fruit vegetables, had relatively high accumulation ability of heavy metal, which should be avoided to be planted in soils with mild and middle-level heavy metal contamination.

Reduction in HIV community viral loads following the implementation of a "Treatment as Prevention" strategy over 2 years at a population-level among men who have sex with men in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Lin; Yang, Jiezhe; Ma, Qiaoqin; Zhang, Jiafeng; Xu, Yun; Xia, Yan; Chen, Wanjun; Wang, Hui; Zheng, Jinlei; Jiang, Jun; Luo, Yan; Xu, Ke; Zhang, Xingliang; Xia, Shichang; Pan, Xiaohong

2018-02-01

Previous studies have shown that the increased coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ART) could reduce the community viral load (CVL) and reduce the occurrence of new HIV infections. However, the impact on the reduction of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) is much less certain. The frequency of HIV infections in MSM have been rapidly increasing in recent years in Hangzhou, China. The "Treatment as Prevention" strategy was implemented at a population-level for HIV-infected MSM from January 2014 to June 2016 in Hangzhou; it aimed to increase the ART coverage, reduce the CVL, and reduce HIV transmission. We investigated a subset of MSM diagnosed with HIV pre- and post-implementation of the strategy, using random sampling methods. Viral load (VL) testing was performed for all enrolled individuals; the lower limits of detection were 20 and 50 copies/mL. The data on infections were collected from the national epidemiology database of Hangzhou. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with the differences in social demographic characteristics and available VL data. The ART coverage increased from 60.7% (839/1383) during the pre-implementation period to 92.3% (2183/2365) during the post-implementation period in Hangzhou. A total of 940 HIV-infected MSM were selected for inclusion in this study: 490 (52.1%) and 450 (47.9%) MSM in the pre- and post-implementation periods, respectively. In total, 89.5% (841/940) of patients had data available on VL rates. The mean CVL was 579 copies/mL pre-implementation and this decreased to 33 copies/mL post-implementation (Kruskal-Wallis implementation of the treatment strategy (P implementation period was 50.0% which increased to 84.7% post-implementation (P implementation (Kruskal-Wallis < 0.05). Our study confirmed a population-level association between increased ART coverage and decreased mean CVL; overall 84.7% of HIV infected MSM had an undetectable VL and were no longer

Gender, Age, and Education Level Modify the Association between Body Mass Index and Physical Activity: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Mengyu; Su, Meng; Tan, Yayun; Liu, Qingmin; Ren, Yanjun; Li, Liming; Lv, Jun

2015-01-01

Numerous studies have reported a strong inverse association between BMI and physical activity in western populations. Recently, the association between BMI and physical activity has been considered bidirectional. This study aimed to examine the associations of body mass index (BMI) with physical activity and sedentary behavior and to explore whether those associations were modified by socio-demographic characteristics. We conducted a multistage random sampling survey in three districts of Hangzhou, China, in 2012. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form was used to collect data regarding physical activity and sedentary behavior. A multilevel mixed-effects regression model was used to assess the associations of BMI with physical activity and sedentary behavior. A total of 1362 eligible people (624 men and 738 women, ages 23-59 years) completed the survey. People who are young or middle-aged and have the highest education level are the most inactive. Significant differences in the associations between physical activity and BMI across socio-demographic groups were identified (sex*BMI, P=0.018; age*BMI, Plevel*BMI, P=0.030). Women or individuals older than 50 had a higher level of physical activity with increasing BMI. There was no statistically significant association between BMI and sedentary behavior (P=0.450). The associations between BMI and physical activity were modified by sex, age, and education level in Hangzhou, China.

Gender, Age, and Education Level Modify the Association between Body Mass Index and Physical Activity: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hangzhou, China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mengyu Fan

Full Text Available Numerous studies have reported a strong inverse association between BMI and physical activity in western populations. Recently, the association between BMI and physical activity has been considered bidirectional. This study aimed to examine the associations of body mass index (BMI with physical activity and sedentary behavior and to explore whether those associations were modified by socio-demographic characteristics.We conducted a multistage random sampling survey in three districts of Hangzhou, China, in 2012. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form was used to collect data regarding physical activity and sedentary behavior. A multilevel mixed-effects regression model was used to assess the associations of BMI with physical activity and sedentary behavior.A total of 1362 eligible people (624 men and 738 women, ages 23-59 years completed the survey. People who are young or middle-aged and have the highest education level are the most inactive. Significant differences in the associations between physical activity and BMI across socio-demographic groups were identified (sex*BMI, P=0.018; age*BMI, P<0.001; education level*BMI, P=0.030. Women or individuals older than 50 had a higher level of physical activity with increasing BMI. There was no statistically significant association between BMI and sedentary behavior (P=0.450.The associations between BMI and physical activity were modified by sex, age, and education level in Hangzhou, China.

Characterization of atmospheric trace gases and particulate matter in Hangzhou, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Gen; Xu, Honghui; Qi, Bing; Du, Rongguang; Gui, Ke; Wang, Hongli; Jiang, Wanting; Liang, Linlin; Xu, Wanyun

2018-02-01

The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) is one of the most densely populated regions in China with severe air quality issues that have not been fully understood. Thus, in this study, based on 1-year (2013) continuous measurement at a National Reference Climatological Station (NRCS, 30.22° N, 120.17° E; 41.7 m a.s.l.) in the center of Hangzhou in the YRD, we investigated the seasonal characteristics, interspecies relationships, and the local emissions and the regional potential source contributions of trace gases (including O3, NOx, NOy, SO2, and CO) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). Results revealed that severe two-tier air pollution (photochemical and haze pollution) occurred in this region, with frequent exceedances in O3 (38 days) and PM2.5 (62 days). O3 and PM2.5 both exhibited distinct seasonal variations with reversed patterns: O3 reaching a maximum in warm seasons (May and July) but PM2.5 reaching a maximum in cold seasons (November to January). The overall results from interspecies correlation indicated a strong local photochemistry favoring the O3 production under a volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited regime, whereas it moved towards an optimum O3 production zone during warm seasons, accompanied by the formation of secondary fine particulates under high O3. The emission maps of PM2.5, CO, NOx, and SO2 demonstrated that local emissions were significant for these species on a seasonal scale. The contributions from the regional transport among inland cities (Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Jiangxi Province) on a seasonal scale were further confirmed to be crucial to air pollution at the NRCS site by using backward trajectory simulations. Air masses transported from the offshore areas of the Yellow Sea, East Sea, and South Sea were also found to be highly relevant to the elevated O3 at the NRCS site through the analysis of potential source contribution function (PSCF). Case studies of photochemical pollution (O3) and haze (PM2.5) episodes both suggested the

Characterization of atmospheric trace gases and particulate matter in Hangzhou, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Zhang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The Yangtze River Delta (YRD is one of the most densely populated regions in China with severe air quality issues that have not been fully understood. Thus, in this study, based on 1-year (2013 continuous measurement at a National Reference Climatological Station (NRCS, 30.22° N, 120.17° E; 41.7 m a.s.l. in the center of Hangzhou in the YRD, we investigated the seasonal characteristics, interspecies relationships, and the local emissions and the regional potential source contributions of trace gases (including O3, NOx, NOy, SO2, and CO and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10. Results revealed that severe two-tier air pollution (photochemical and haze pollution occurred in this region, with frequent exceedances in O3 (38 days and PM2.5 (62 days. O3 and PM2.5 both exhibited distinct seasonal variations with reversed patterns: O3 reaching a maximum in warm seasons (May and July but PM2.5 reaching a maximum in cold seasons (November to January. The overall results from interspecies correlation indicated a strong local photochemistry favoring the O3 production under a volatile organic compound (VOC-limited regime, whereas it moved towards an optimum O3 production zone during warm seasons, accompanied by the formation of secondary fine particulates under high O3. The emission maps of PM2.5, CO, NOx, and SO2 demonstrated that local emissions were significant for these species on a seasonal scale. The contributions from the regional transport among inland cities (Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Jiangxi Province on a seasonal scale were further confirmed to be crucial to air pollution at the NRCS site by using backward trajectory simulations. Air masses transported from the offshore areas of the Yellow Sea, East Sea, and South Sea were also found to be highly relevant to the elevated O3 at the NRCS site through the analysis of potential source contribution function (PSCF. Case studies of photochemical pollution (O3 and haze (PM2.5 episodes both

Observing Trip Chain Characteristics of Round-Trip Carsharing Users in China: A Case Study Based on GPS Data in Hangzhou City

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Ying Hui

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Carsharing as a means to provide individuals with access to automobiles to complete a personal trip has grown significantly in recent years in China. However, there are few case studies based on operational data to show the role carsharing systems play in citizens’ daily trips. In this study, vehicle GPS data of a round-trip carsharing system in Hangzhou, China was used to describe the trip chain characteristics of users. For clearer delineation of carshare usage, the car use time length of all observations chosen in the study was within 24 h or less. Through data preprocessing, a large pool (26,085 of valid behavior samples was obtained, and several trip chaining attributes were selected to describe the characteristics. The pool of observations was then classified into five clusters, with each cluster having significant differences in one or two trip chain characteristics. The cluster results reflected that different use patterns exist. By a comparative analysis with trip survey data in Hangzhou, differences in trip chain characteristics exist between carsharing and private cars, but in some cases, shared vehicles can be a substitute for private cars to satisfy motorized travel. The proposed method could facilitate companies in formulating a flexible pricing strategy and determining target customers. In addition, traffic administration agencies could have a deeper understanding of the position and function of various carsharing modes in an urban transportation system.

Characterization and energy potential of food waste from catering service in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiao-Hui; Sun, Fa-Qian; Sun, Ying-Jun; Lu, Hao-Hao; Wu, Wei-Xiang

2014-08-01

Safe disposal of food waste is becoming an impending issue in China with the rapid increase of its production and the promotion of environmental awareness. Food waste from catering services in Hangzhou, China, was surveyed and characterized in this study. A questionnaire survey involving 632 units across the urban districts showed that 83.5% of the food waste was not properly treated. Daily food waste production from catering units was estimated to be 1184.5 tonnes. The ratio of volatile solid to total solid, easily biodegradable matter (including crude fat, crude protein and total starch) content in total solid and the ratio of total organic carbon to nitrogen varied in ranges of 90.1%-93.9%, 60.9%-72.1%, and 11.9-19.9, respectively. Based on the methane yield of 350 mL g VS(-1) in anaerobic batch tests, annual biogas energy of 1.0 × 10(9) MJ was estimated to be recovered from the food waste. Food waste from catering services was suggested to be an attractive clean energy source by anaerobic digestion. © The Author(s) 2014.

[Breeding ecology of Chinese Bulbul in the urban environment of Hangzhou, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Si-Si; Zhang, Qin; Huang, Qin; Chen, Shui-Hua

2013-06-01

The Chinese Bulbul, Pycnonotus sinensis, is one of the most abundant and widely distributed birds of south China, settling even in dense urban areas. From March-July 2012, we surveyed the Chinese Bulbul in the urban environment of Hangzhou, China, to gain a clearer perspective on their breeding ecology. Totally, 117 nests were found, mainly on the trees of Osmanthus fragrans (84.6%, n=117) in residential areas,street tree strips, and green belt. Our results include several noteworthy observations: nest height from the ground was 3.16±0.91 m (n=117); egg-laying begins in early April with peak times from April 11-25; and the nesting period was 11.85±1.12 days (n=47). In terms of fertility and reproduction, we also observed that the average incubation period was 11.34±1.12 days (n=32); average clutch size was 3.37±0.48 eggs (n=103); hatching success 68.3%, fledging rate 52.1%, and the total breeding success 35.58% (n=117). The main causes of breeding failure included egg and fledgling predation, as well as human disturbance.

The Pharmaceutical Industry Beamline of Pharmaceutical Consortium for Protein Structure Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishijima, Kazumi; Katsuya, Yoshio

2002-01-01

The Pharmaceutical Industry Beamline was constructed by the Pharmaceutical Consortium for Protein Structure Analysis which was established in April 2001. The consortium is composed of 22 pharmaceutical companies affiliating with the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. The beamline is the first exclusive on that is owned by pharmaceutical enterprises at SPring-8. The specification and equipments of the Pharmaceutical Industry Beamline is almost same as that of RIKEN Structural Genomics Beamline I and II. (author)

[Assessment on the short-term impact regarding the community-based interventions to improve physical activities in three urban areas of Hangzhou city].

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Fang; Liu, Qing-min; Ren, Yan-jun; He, Ping-ping; LV, Jun; Li, Li-ming

2013-06-01

To evaluate the short-term impact of comprehensive community based intervention on physical activity (PA) of adults living in the three urban communities of Hangzhou city. Within the framework of Community Interventions for Health (CIH) Program, a community trial was conducted in two urban areas (Xiacheng district and Gongshu district)and an urban area(Xihu district)as control, by a parallel comparison and random grouping based quasi-experimental design. Two independent questionnaire-based surveys of cross-sectional samples in the intervention and comparison areas were used to assess the short-term impact of the intervention program. A total of 2016 adults at baseline and 2016 adults at follow-up stages, completed the survey, including 1016 adults from the intervention areas and 1000 from the comparison area. Over the two-year intervention period, the cognitive level on benefits of physical activity in the intervention areas were trending downward. The changes observed in the comparison area did not show statistical significance. Intervention areas showed a statistically significant increase (1204 vs. 1386, P = 0.023) in the level of physical activity(metabolic equivalent, MET-minutes/week)compared with the comparison area(918 vs. 924, P = 0.201). And results remained the same after eliminating the possible effects of age factor. After a two-year intervention, beneficial changes were noted in the intervention areas with respect to the level of physical activity. A community-based intervention program on physical activity seemed feasible and effective in the urban areas of Hangzhou.

Applicability of Synthetic Aperture Radar Wind Retrievals on Offshore Wind Resources Assessment in Hangzhou Bay, China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, Rui; Zhu, Rong; Badger, Merete

2014-01-01

In view of the high cost and sparse spatial resolution of offshore meteorological observations, ocean winds retrieved from satellites are valuable in offshore wind resource assessment as a supplement to in situ measurements. This study examines satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from...... ENVISAT advanced SAR (ASAR) for mapping wind resources with high spatial resolution. Around 181 collected pairs of wind data from SAR wind maps and from 13 meteorological stations in Hangzhou Bay are compared. The statistical results comparing in situ wind speed and SAR-based wind speed show a standard...... density functions are compared at one meteorological station. The SAR-based results appear not to estimate the mean wind speed, Weibull scale and shape parameters and wind power density from the full in situ data set so well due to the lower number of satellite samples. Distributions calculated from...

Basic pharmaceutical technology

OpenAIRE

Angelovska, Bistra; Drakalska, Elena

2017-01-01

The lecture deals with basics of pharmaceutical technology as applied discipline of pharmaceutical science, whose main subject of study is formulation and manufacture of drugs. In a broad sense, pharmaceutical technology is science of formulation, preparation, stabilization and determination of the quality of medicines prepared in the pharmacy or in pharmaceutical industry

Contribution of industrial density and socioeconomic status to the spatial distribution of thyroid cancer risk in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fei, Xufeng; Lou, Zhaohan; Christakos, George; Liu, Qingmin; Ren, Yanjun; Wu, Jiaping

2018-02-01

The thyroid cancer (TC) incidence in China has increased dramatically during the last three decades. Typical in this respect is the case of Hangzhou city (China), where 7147 new TC cases were diagnosed during the period 2008-2012. Hence, the assessment of the TC incidence risk increase due to environmental exposure is an important public health matter. Correlation analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Poisson regression were first used to evaluate the statistical association between TC and key risk factors (industrial density and socioeconomic status). Then, the Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) theory and the integrative disease predictability (IDP) criterion were combined to quantitatively assess both the overall and the spatially distributed strength of the "exposure-disease" association. Overall, higher socioeconomic status was positively correlated with higher TC risk (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.687, P<0.01). Compared to people of low socioeconomic status, people of median and high socioeconomic status showed higher TC risk: the Relative Risk (RR) and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) were found to be, respectively, RR=2.29 with 95% CI=1.99 to 2.63, and RR=3.67 with 95% CI=3.22 to 4.19. The "industrial density-TC incidence" correlation, however, was non-significant. Spatially, the "socioeconomic status-TC" association measured by the corresponding IDP coefficient was significant throughout the study area: the mean IDP value was -0.12 and the spatial IDP values were consistently negative at the township level. It was found that stronger associations were distributed among residents mainly on a stripe of land from northeast to southwest (consisting mainly of sub-district areas). The "industrial density-TC" association measured by its IDP coefficient was spatially non-consistent. Socioeconomic status is an important indicator of TC risk factor in Hangzhou (China) whose effect varies across space. Hence, socioeconomic status shows the highest TC

An Alternative Model to Determine the Financing Structure of PPP-Based Young Graduate Apartments in China: A Case Study of Hangzhou

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Yelin Xu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Public-private partnerships (PPP can be employed to provide public rental housing for young graduates, which has been urgent to achieve social sustainability in China. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the financing structure of PPPs, particularly the ratio of private investment, which is important in initiating a PPP project. This study develops a robust model to determine the financing structure through considering the uncertainties in operation. A case study in Hangzhou demonstrates the process of the model. The relevant findings provide private investors and the local government with effective references for negotiating the financing structure of a PPP project.

[Urban greenbelt eco-service value of Hangzhou City under effects of land use change: an evaluation with CITYgreen model].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kan; Zhang, Jianying; Chen, Yingxu; Zhu, Yinmei

2006-10-01

Based on the Landset TM information of land use/cover change and greenbelt distribution in Hangzhou city in 1994 and 2004, and by using CITYgreen model, this paper estimated the eco-service value of urban greenbelt in the city under the effects of land use change and economic development. The results showed that in the 10 years from 1994 to 2004, the greenbelt area in the city decreased by 20. 4% , while its eco-service value increased by 168 million yuan. The annual increment of greenbelt eco-service value and GDP was 111.92% and 5. 32% , respectively. Suitable adjustment of land use pattern in the city harmonized the relationships between urban economic development and urban eco-function, and achieved higher eco-service efficiency of land utilization.

Magmatism and polymetallic mineralization in southwestern Qinzhou-Hangzhou metallogenic belt, South China

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xudong; Lu, Jianjun; Wang, Rucheng; Ma, Dongsheng

2016-04-01

As Neoproterozoic suture zone between the Yangtze Block and Cathaysia Block, Qinzhou-Hangzhou metallogenic belt is one of the 21 key metallogenic belts in China. Intensive multiple-aged felsic magmatism and related polymetallic mineralization take place in this belt. Although Neoproterozoic, Paleozoic, Triassic granites and associated deposits have been found in southwestern Qinzhou-Hangzhou metallogenic belt, Middle-Late Jurassic (150-165 Ma) magmatism and related mineralization is of the most importance. Three major kinds of Middle-Late Jurassic granitoids have been distinguished. (Cu)-Pb-Zn-bearing granitoids are slightly differentiated, calc-alkaline and metaluminous dioritic to granodioritic rocks. Sn-(W)-bearing granites contain dark microgranular enclaves and have high contents of REE and HFSE, suggesting affinities of aluminous A-type (A2) granites. W-bearing granites are highly differentiated and peraluminous rocks. (Cu)-Pb-Zn-bearing granitoids have ɛNd(t) values of -11 ˜ -4 and ɛHf(t) values of -12 ˜ -7, corresponding to TDMC(Nd) from 1.4 to 1.8 Ga and TDMC(Hf) from 1.6 to 2.0 Ga, respectively. The ɛNd(t) values of W-bearing granites vary from -11 to -8 with TDMC(Nd) of 1.6 ˜ 1.9 Ga and ɛHf(t) values change from -16 to -7 with TDMC(Hf) of 1.5 ˜ 2.0 Ga. Compared with (Cu)-Pb-Zn-bearing granitoids and W-bearing granites, the Sn-(W)-bearing granites have higher ɛNd(t) (-8 ˜ -2) and ɛHf(t) (-8 ˜ -2) values and younger TDMC(Nd) (1.1 ˜ 1.6 Ga) and TDMC(Hf) (1.2 ˜ 1.8 Ga) values, showing a more juvenile isotopic character. Sn-(W)-bearing granites originate from partial melting of granulitized lower crust involved with some mantle-derived materials. W-bearing granites are derived from partial melting of crust. (Cu)-Pb-Zn-bearing granitoids are also derived from crust but may be influenced by more mantle-derived materials. For (Cu)-Pb-Zn deposits, skarn and carbonate replacement are the most important mineralization types. Cu ore bodies mainly

Does brand differentiate pharmaceuticals?

Science.gov (United States)

Bednarik, Josef

2005-12-01

Role of marketing in pharmaceutical industry is increasing and inspiration by successful brands known from consumer goods market influenced pharmaceutical companies enough to switch their attention to branding initiatives. Still there is little evidence that pharmaceutical brands represent anything more than product only. This study aims to explore the area of branding in pharmaceutical industry. Central hypothesis of the research has been that brand and its emotional content differentiate pharmaceuticals as well as rational data derived from clinical studies. It has been tested by extensive review of available literature as well as by primary research focused on drivers of physicians' attitudes towards products and their influence on prescribing behavior. The research has been conducted in the sample of psychiatrists in the Czech Republic. No evidence about pharmaceutical brand exceeding value of product has been found in reviewed literature. Nevertheless, the primary research conducted in the sample of Czech psychiatrists indicates that emotional brand in pharmaceutical industry exists and enables author to draw a model of Customer/product life cycle that describes likely impact of functional, emotional and self-expressive benefits throughout pharmaceutical product's market presence. Pharmaceutical brand is likely to develop differently than the same of consumer goods products--it seems to be built predominantly on long-term positive experience. Marketing role in this process should lie in finding relevant product position and building brand identity compliant with real product capabilities.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing facility discharges can substantially increase the pharmaceutical load to U.S. wastewaters

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Tia-Marie; Phillips, Patrick J.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Colella, Kaitlyn M.; Furlong, Edward T.; Foreman, William T.; Gray, James L.

2018-01-01

Discharges from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities (PMFs) previously have been identified as important sources of pharmaceuticals to the environment. Yet few studies are available to establish the influence of PMFs on the pharmaceutical source contribution to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and waterways at the national scale. Consequently, a national network of 13 WWTPs receiving PMF discharges, six WWTPs with no PMF input, and one WWTP that transitioned through a PMF closure were selected from across the United States to assess the influence of PMF inputs on pharmaceutical loading to WWTPs. Effluent samples were analyzed for 120 pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical degradates. Of these, 33 pharmaceuticals had concentrations substantially higher in PMF-influenced effluent (maximum 555,000 ng/L) compared to effluent from control sites (maximum 175 ng/L). Concentrations in WWTP receiving PMF input are variable, as discharges from PMFs are episodic, indicating that production activities can vary substantially over relatively short (several months) periods and have the potential to rapidly transition to other pharmaceutical products. Results show that PMFs are an important, national-scale source of pharmaceuticals to the environment.

[Pharmaceutical logistic in turnover of pharmaceutical products of Azerbaijan].

Science.gov (United States)

Dzhalilova, K I

2009-11-01

Development of pharmaceutical logistic system model promotes optimal strategy for pharmaceutical functioning. The goal of such systems is organization of pharmaceutical product's turnover in required quantity and assortment, at preset time and place, at a highest possible degree of consumption readiness with minimal expenses and qualitative service. Organization of the optimal turnover chain in the region is offered to start from approximate classification of medicaments by logistic characteristics. Supplier selection was performed by evaluation of timeliness of delivery, quality of delivered products (according to the minimum acceptable level of quality) and time-keeping of time spending for orders delivery.

Optimization of the pharmaceutical care system for diabetes patients using modern pharmaceutical informatics methodology

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Андрій Ігорович Бойко

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Aim. Implementation of pharmaceutical informatics methods in the system of pharmaceutical care for diabetes patients in Ukraine.Methods. System method was used for the analysis of status and reforming the pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes; program-oriented management at informatization project realization; pharmaceutical informatics in the creation of computer pharmaceutical knowledge bases; methods of data synthesis and summarizing.Results. System analysis of the basic directions of reforming the pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes in Ukraine was carried out. Ways of it’s of optimization were processed: establishment of specialized pharmacies with implementation of modern information technologies and special postgraduate education for pharmacists. Structure and information providing of computer knowledge base “Pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes” was substantiated.Conclusion. Based on the regional project “Informatization of prescription antidiabetic drugs circulation in Ukraine” realization, the necessity of establishment of specialized pharmacies providing pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes was substantiated. Ways for optimization of postgraduate education for pharmacists of the specialized pharmacies by implementation of special thematic improvement cycles were proceed. Computer knowledge base as an effective tool for optimization of pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes was realized

THz spectroscopy: An emerging technology for pharmaceutical development and pharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology (PAT) applications

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Huiquan; Khan, Mansoor

2012-08-01

As an emerging technology, THz spectroscopy has gained increasing attention in the pharmaceutical area during the last decade. This attention is due to the fact that (1) it provides a promising alternative approach for in-depth understanding of both intermolecular interaction among pharmaceutical molecules and pharmaceutical product quality attributes; (2) it provides a promising alternative approach for enhanced process understanding of certain pharmaceutical manufacturing processes; and (3) the FDA pharmaceutical quality initiatives, most noticeably, the Process Analytical Technology (PAT) initiative. In this work, the current status and progress made so far on using THz spectroscopy for pharmaceutical development and pharmaceutical PAT applications are reviewed. In the spirit of demonstrating the utility of first principles modeling approach for addressing model validation challenge and reducing unnecessary model validation "burden" for facilitating THz pharmaceutical PAT applications, two scientific case studies based on published THz spectroscopy measurement results are created and discussed. Furthermore, other technical challenges and opportunities associated with adapting THz spectroscopy as a pharmaceutical PAT tool are highlighted.

Evaluation of P-Listed Pharmaceutical Residues in Empty Pharmaceutical Containers

Science.gov (United States)

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), some pharmaceuticals are considered acute hazardous wastes because their sole active pharmaceutical ingredients are P-listed commercial chemical products (40 CFR 261.33). Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have stru...

Factors influencing quality of life of obese students in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying-Ping; Wang, Hong-Mei; Edwards, Todd C; Wang, Ting; Jiang, Xiao-Ying; Lv, Yi-Ran; Patrick, Donald L

2015-01-01

To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of overweight and obese middle or high school students and identify relevant factors influencing their QOL scores. 716 students were recruited from 6 middle or high schools in Hangzhou, China. The Chinese version of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Weight Module (YQOL-W) was self administered. The YQOL-W scores were compared among different BMI groups, gender, educational status, annual household income, parental education and recruitment community using t test or one-way analysis of variance. The independent association of these variables with QOL among overweight and obese students was examined using multivariable linear regression modeling. Overweight and obese students reported lower total scores, self, social and environment scores than their normal weight peers (all Pstudents was associated with BMI value, gender, educational status, parental education, and recruitment community. Girls had lower total scores, self, social and environment domain scores than boys (all Pstudents had lower total and three domain scores than middle school students (all PStudents whose fathers had higher education reported higher total scores, self and social scores than students with less educated fathers (all PStudents whose mothers had higher education reported higher environment scores than students with less educated mothers (P = 0.01). Students from migrant communities reported significantly lower total scores, self and social scores than those from rural communities (all P0.05). Students from migrant communities reported comparable environment scores with those from rural and urban communities (P>0.05). Overweight and obesity have negative effects on students' quality of life. Therefore weight specific QOL could be included in weight reduction interventions as a relevant outcome.

Fabrication and characterization of drug-loaded nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 scaffolds modified with carbon nanotubes and silk fibroin

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Yao MZ

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Meng-Zhu Yao,1 Ming-Yi Huang-Fu,1 Hui-Na Liu,1 Xia-Rong Wang,1 Xiaoxia Sheng,2 Jian-Qing Gao1 1Institute of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 2Hangzhou SoliPharma Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 (nHA/PA66 porous scaffolds were fabricated by a phase inversion method. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs and silk fibroin (SF were used to modify the surface of the nHA/PA66 scaffolds by freeze-drying and cross-linking. Dexamethasone was absorbed to the CNTs to promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs. The cell viability of BMSCs was investigated by changing the concentration of the CNT dispersion, and the most biocompatible scaffold was selected. In addition, the morphology and mechanical property of the scaffolds were investigated. The results showed that the nHA/PA66 scaffolds modified with CNTs and SF met the requirements of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. The dexamethasone-loaded CNT/SF-nHA/PA66 composite scaffold promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and the drug-loaded scaffolds are expected to function as effective bone tissue engineering scaffolds. Keywords: BMSCs, tissue engineering, porous scaffold, carbon nanotubes, silk fibroin, surface modification, dexamethasone

The argument for pharmaceutical policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Traulsen, Janine Morgall; Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna

2005-02-01

Pharmaceutical policy is a global concern. It has become a hot political topic in most countries--developed as well as developing--and can be found on the agenda of international organizations such as WHO, OECD, EU, WTO and even the World Bank. Pharmaceutical policy affects everyone in the world of pharmacy and it is therefore imperative that it be understood, discussed and debated within the pharmacy profession and included in the curriculum of schools of pharmacy. This, the first article in a series, argues for the importance of the academic discipline of pharmaceutical policy analysis and the involvement of pharmacists in this endeavour. The aim of the authors is to stimulate an informed and critical appreciation of this field. The authors begin with an introduction to the field of pharmaceutical policy, introducing several important concepts and current trends including: medicines regulation; how pharmaceutical policy is made; pharmaceutical policy as a dynamic process; and the new public health as a global issue. The article ends with a short description of the remaining five articles in the series which will deal with important aspects of pharmaceutical policy. The topics include: economic pressures on health care systems; drug utilization from the clinical viewpoint (rational use of medicines); the impact of pharmaceutical policy on patients and the patient impact on pharmaceutical policy; the professional perspective; and finally the last article which deals with studying and evaluating pharmaceutical policy.

[Logistics in the pharmaceutical service].

Science.gov (United States)

Stanko, P; Fulmeková, M

2005-11-01

The conception of the field of pharmaceutical service defines pharmaceutical service as the basic part of pharmacy, the principal task of which is to provide pharmaceutical care as an inseparable part of providing health care. It represents a set of professional activities of the pharmacist oriented to securing human and veterinary pharmaceutical products and health care products and to optimising effective, safe and quality pharmacotherapy. Technically, pharmaceutical service is an applied discipline, as it makes use of knowledge gained in other pharmaceutical, medical, psychological, social, and economic sciences. Because of its interdisciplinary character it is necessary to extend the theory of pharmaceutical service in such a way so that it may reflect all aspects of its sphere of activity. One of the possibilities is to define the pharmacy premises as an independent functional unit which operates on the basis of valid legal standards in such a way that on the one hand it secures the provision of health (pharmaceutical) care, and on the other hand it maintains its cost-effectiveness. To keep the quality of care of the patient and the economic aspect in balance, it is necessary to define the term pharmaceutical logistics also under the conditions of Slovak (Czech) pharmacy as early satisfaction of the requirements of the patient (client) in the pharmacy premises, which means that the appropriate pharmaceutical product or health care product and the appropriate information must be at the right time in the required amount and required quality in the right place.

Efficient delivery of Notch1 siRNA to SKOV3 cells by cationic cholesterol derivative-based liposome

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Zhao Y

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Yun-Chun Zhao,1 Li Zhang,2 Shi-Sen Feng,3 Lu Hong,3 Hai-Li Zheng,3 Li-Li Chen,4 Xiao-Ling Zheng,1 Yi-Qing Ye,1 Meng-Dan Zhao,1 Wen-Xi Wang,3 Cai-Hong Zheng1 1Pharmacy Department, Women’s Hospital, 2Pharmacy Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pharmaceutic Preparation, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 4Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: A novel cationic cholesterol derivative-based small interfering RNA (siRNA interference strategy was suggested to inhibit Notch1 activation in SKOV3 cells for the gene therapy of ovarian cancer. The cationic cholesterol derivative, N-(cholesterylhemisuccinoyl-amino-3-propyl-N, N-dimethylamine (DMAPA-chems liposome, was incubated with siRNA at different nitrogen-to-phosphate ratios to form stabilized, near-spherical siRNA/DMAPA-chems nanoparticles with sizes of 100–200 nm and zeta potentials of 40–50 mV. The siRNA/DMAPA-chems nanoparticles protected siRNA from nuclease degradation in 25% fetal bovine serum. The nanoparticles exhibited high cell uptake and Notch1 gene knockdown efficiency in SKOV3 cells at an nitrogen-to-phosphate ratio of 100 and an siRNA concentration of 50 nM. They also inhibited the growth and promoted the apoptosis of SKOV3 cells. These results may provide the potential for using cationic cholesterol derivatives as efficient nonviral siRNA carriers for the suppression of Notch1 activation in ovarian cancer cells. Keywords: siRNA, cationic cholesterol derivative, Notch1, ovarian cancer cells

Pharmaceutical powder compaction technology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Çelik, Metin

2011-01-01

"Revised to reflect modern pharmaceutical compacting techniques, this Second Edition guides pharmaceutical engineers, formulation scientists, and product development and quality assurance personnel...

Pharmaceutical advertising in emergency departments.

Science.gov (United States)

Marco, Catherine A

2004-04-01

Promotion of prescription drugs represents a growing source of pharmaceutical marketing expenditures. This study was undertaken to identify the frequency of items containing pharmaceutical advertising in clinical emergency departments (EDs). In this observational study, emergency physician on-site investigators quantified a variety of items containing pharmaceutical advertising present at specified representative times and days, in clinical EDs. Measurements were obtained by 65 on-site investigators, representing 22 states. Most EDs in this study were community EDs (87% community and 14% university or university affiliate), and most were in urban settings (50% urban, 38% suburban, and 13% rural). Investigators measured 42 items per ED (mean = 42; median = 31; interquartile range of 14-55) containing pharmaceutical advertising in the clinical area. The most commonly observed items included pens (mean 15 per ED; median 10), product brochures (mean 5; median 3), stethoscope labels (mean 4; median 2), drug samples (mean 3; median 0), books (mean 3.4), mugs (mean 2.4), and published literature (mean 3.1). EDs with a policy restricting pharmaceutical representatives in the ED had significantly fewer items containing pharmaceutical advertising (median 7.5; 95% CI = 0 to 27) than EDs without such a policy (median 35; 95% CI = 27 to 47, p = 0.005, nonparametric Wilcoxon two-sample test). There were no differences in quantities of pharmaceutical advertising for EDs in community compared with university settings (p = 0.5), rural compared with urban settings (p = 0.3), or annual ED volumes (p = 0.9). Numerous items containing pharmaceutical advertising are frequently observed in EDs. Policies restricting pharmaceutical representatives in the ED are associated with reduced pharmaceutical advertising.

Temporal and spatial changes of microbial community in an industrial effluent receiving area in Hangzhou Bay.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yan; Chen, Lujun; Sun, Renhua; Dai, Tianjiao; Tian, Jinping; Zheng, Wei; Wen, Donghui

2016-06-01

Anthropogenic activities usually contaminate water environments, and have led to the eutrophication of many estuaries and shifts in microbial communities. In this study, the temporal and spatial changes of the microbial community in an industrial effluent receiving area in Hangzhou Bay were investigated by 454 pyrosequencing. The bacterial community showed higher richness and biodiversity than the archaeal community in all sediments. Proteobacteria dominated in the bacterial communities of all the samples; Marine_Group_I and Methanomicrobia were the two dominant archaeal classes in the effluent receiving area. PCoA and AMOVA revealed strong seasonal but minor spatial changes in both bacterial and archaeal communities in the sediments. The seasonal changes of the bacterial community were less significant than those of the archaeal community, which mainly consisted of fluctuations in abundance of a large proportion of longstanding species rather than the appearance and disappearance of major archaeal species. Temperature was found to positively correlate with the dominant bacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and negatively correlate with the dominant archaea, Marine_Group_I; and might be the primary driving force for the seasonal variation of the microbial community. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal Homepage Image. We seek to encourage pharmaceutical and allied research of tropical and international relevance and to foster multidisciplinary research and collaboration among scientists, the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare professionals. We publish articles in pharmaceutical sciences and related ...

The Korean Pharmaceutical Industry and the Expansion of the General Pharmaceuticals Market in the 1950-1960s

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Kyu-Hwan SIHN

2015-12-01

Full Text Available After the Liberation, the Korean economy was dependent on relief supplies and aid after the ruin of the colonial regime and war. The pharmaceutical business also searched for their share in the delivery of military supplies and the distribution of relief supplies. The supply-side pharmaceutical policy made the pharmaceutical market a wholesale business. The gravity of the situation led to an increased importation of medical supplies, and wholesalers took the lead in establishing the distribution structure, whereas consumers and pharmaceutical business were relatively intimidated. The aid provided by the International Cooperation Administration (ICA marked a turning point in the Korean pharmaceutical industry after the middle of the 1950s. ICA supplied raw materials and equipment funds, while the pharmaceutical business imported advanced technology and capital. The government invited the local production of medical substances, whereas pharmaceutical businesses replaced imported medical substances with locally produced antibiotics. After the 1960s, the production of antibiotics reached saturation. Pharmaceutical businesses needed new markets to break through the stalemate, so they turned their attention to vitamins and health tonics as general pharmaceuticals, as these were suitable for mass production and mass consumption. The modernized patent medicine market after the Opening of Korea was transformed into the contemporized general pharmaceuticals market equipped with the up-to-date facilities and technology in 1960s. Pharmaceutical businesses had to advertise these new products extensively and reform the distribution structure to achieve high profits. With the introduction of TV broadcasting, these businesses invested in TV advertising and generated sizable sales figures. They also established retail pharmacy and chain stores to reform the distribution structure. The end result was a dramatic expansion of the general pharmaceuticals market. The

[The Korean Pharmaceutical Industry and the Expansion of the General Pharmaceuticals Market in the 1950-1960s].

Science.gov (United States)

Sihn, Kyu-Hwan

2015-12-01

After the Liberation, the Korean economy was dependent on relief supplies and aid after the ruin of the colonial regime and war. The pharmaceutical business also searched for their share in the delivery of military supplies and the distribution of relief supplies. The supply-side pharmaceutical policy made the pharmaceutical market a wholesale business. The gravity of the situation led to an increased importation of medical supplies, and wholesalers took the lead in establishing the distribution structure, whereas consumers and pharmaceutical business were relatively intimidated. The aid provided by the International Cooperation Administration (ICA) marked a turning point in the Korean pharmaceutical industry after the middle of the 1950s. ICA supplied raw materials and equipment funds, while the pharmaceutical business imported advanced technology and capital. The government invited the local production of medical substances, whereas pharmaceutical businesses replaced imported medical substances with locally produced antibiotics. After the 1960s, the production of antibiotics reached saturation. Pharmaceutical businesses needed new markets to break through the stalemate, so they turned their attention to vitamins and health tonics as general pharmaceuticals, as these were suitable for mass production and mass consumption. The modernized patent medicine market after the Opening of Korea was transformed into the contemporized general pharmaceuticals market equipped with the up-to-date facilities and technology in 1960s. Pharmaceutical businesses had to advertise these new products extensively and reform the distribution structure to achieve high profits. With the introduction of TV broadcasting, these businesses invested in TV advertising and generated sizable sales figures. They also established retail pharmacy and chain stores to reform the distribution structure. The end result was a dramatic expansion of the general pharmaceuticals market. The market for

Pharmaceutical Formulation Facilities as Sources of Opioids and Other Pharmaceuticals to Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Facilities involved in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products are an under-investigated source of pharmaceuticals to the environment. Between 2004 and 2009, 35 to 38 effluent samples were collected from each of three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in New York and analyzed for seven pharmaceuticals including opioids and muscle relaxants. Two WWTPs (NY2 and NY3) receive substantial flows (>20% of plant flow) from pharmaceutical formulation facilities (PFF) and one (NY1) receives no PFF flow. Samples of effluents from 23 WWTPs across the United States were analyzed once for these pharmaceuticals as part of a national survey. Maximum pharmaceutical effluent concentrations for the national survey and NY1 effluent samples were generally effluent had median concentrations ranging from 3.4 to >400 μg/L. Maximum concentrations of oxycodone (1700 μg/L) and metaxalone (3800 μg/L) in samples from NY3 effluent exceeded 1000 μg/L. Three pharmaceuticals (butalbital, carisoprodol, and oxycodone) in samples of NY2 effluent had median concentrations ranging from 2 to 11 μg/L. These findings suggest that current manufacturing practices at these PFFs can result in pharmaceuticals concentrations from 10 to 1000 times higher than those typically found in WWTP effluents. PMID:20521847

Pharmaceutical compounds in drinking water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vikas Chander

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical products and their wastes play a major role in the degradation of environment. These drugs have positive as well as negative consequences on different environmental components including biota in different ways. Many types of pharmaceutical substances have been detected with significant concentrations through various advanced instrumental techniques in surface water, subsurface water, ground water, domestic waste water, municipal waste water and industrial effluents. The central as well as state governments in India are providing supports by creating excise duty free zones to promote the pharmaceutical manufacturers for their production. As a result, pharmaceutical companies are producing different types of pharmaceutical products at large scale and also producing complex non-biodegradable toxic wastes byproducts and releasing untreated or partially treated wastes in the environment in absence of strong regulations. These waste pollutants are contaminating all types of drinking water sources. The present paper focuses on water quality pollution by pharmaceutical pollutants, their occurrences, nature, metabolites and their fate in the environment.

Supramolecular Pharmaceutical Sciences: A Novel Concept Combining Pharmaceutical Sciences and Supramolecular Chemistry with a Focus on Cyclodextrin-Based Supermolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Higashi, Taishi; Iohara, Daisuke; Motoyama, Keiichi; Arima, Hidetoshi

2018-01-01

Supramolecular chemistry is an extremely useful and important domain for understanding pharmaceutical sciences because various physiological reactions and drug activities are based on supramolecular chemistry. However, it is not a major domain in the pharmaceutical field. In this review, we propose a new concept in pharmaceutical sciences termed "supramolecular pharmaceutical sciences," which combines pharmaceutical sciences and supramolecular chemistry. This concept could be useful for developing new ideas, methods, hypotheses, strategies, materials, and mechanisms in pharmaceutical sciences. Herein, we focus on cyclodextrin (CyD)-based supermolecules, because CyDs have been used not only as pharmaceutical excipients or active pharmaceutical ingredients but also as components of supermolecules.

[Hospital pharmaceutical practice in prison].

Science.gov (United States)

Harcouët, L

2010-09-01

Since 1994, hospital pharmaceutical teams have been in charge of pharmaceutical tasks in "unités de consultation et de soins ambulatoires" (UCSA), which are hospital consulting care units in French prisons. In 2008, pharmaceutical team in Parisian prisons received 6500 prescriptions and prepared 85,000 nominative bags containing drugs. Prisoners were 1.3% to receive treatments against HIV, 8.2% cardiovascular drugs, 7.2% opioid substitution treatments, and 52.9% psychoactive drugs, including 39.3% hypnotics, 40.5% anxiolytics, 11.3% antidepressants and 12.2% neuroleptics. In prison, the dichotomy between somatic and mental care is marked, attitudes of prisoners about their medicines are complex (important claims, embezzlement, etc.) and it is difficult for law defendants to maintain treatment confidentiality and to prepare prison outing in terms of health. To attenuate the heterogeneity of drug distribution systems in French prisons, we propose pharmaceutical analysis of prescriptions and nominative dispensation, computerization in UCSA in coordination with hospitals, a better contribution of prison medical and pharmaceutical staff in hospital "drug committees" and the redaction of pharmaceutical guidelines. Acting in concert with multidisciplinary medical staff in UCSA, pharmaceutical teams have to develop epidemiological studies to improve knowledge in prisoner's health and also prevention and health care in prison. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Pharmaceutical cocrystals: an overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Ning; Li, Mingzhong; Schlindwein, Walkiria; Malek, Nazneen; Davies, Angela; Trappitt, Gary

2011-10-31

Pharmaceutical cocrystals are emerging as a new class of solid drugs with improved physicochemical properties, which has attracted increased interests from both industrial and academic researchers. In this paper a brief and systematic overview of pharmaceutical cocrystals is provided, with particular focus on cocrystal design strategies, formation methods, physicochemical property studies, characterisation techniques, and recent theoretical developments in cocrystal screening and mechanisms of cocrystal formations. Examples of pharmaceutical cocrystals are also summarised in this paper. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antibiotics resistance of Helicobacter pylori in children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Xiaoli; Yin, Guofeng; Liu, Mingnan; Peng, Kerong; Zhao, Hong; Jiang, Mizu

2018-03-12

The decreasing eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori is mainly because of the progressive increase in its resistance to antibiotics. Studies on antimicrobial susceptibility of H. pylori in children are limited. This study aimed to investigate the resistance rates and patterns of H. pylori strains isolated from children. Gastric mucosa biopsy samples obtained from children who had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were cultured for H. pylori, and susceptibility to six antibiotics (clarithromycin, amoxicillin, gentamicin, furazolidone, metronidazole, and levofloxacin) was tested from 2012-2014. A total of 545 H. pylori strains were isolated from 1390 children recruited. The total resistance rates of H. pylori to clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin were 20.6%, 68.8%, and 9.0%, respectively. No resistance to amoxicillin, gentamicin, and furazolidone was detected. 56.1% strains were single resistance, 19.6% were resistant to more than one antibiotic, 16.7% for double resistance, and 2.9% for triple resistance in 413 strains against any antibiotic. And the H. pylori resistance rate increased significantly from 2012-2014. There was no significant difference in the resistance rates to clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin between different gender, age groups, and patients with peptic ulcer diseases or nonulcer diseases. Antibiotic resistance was indicated in H. pylori strains isolated from children in Hangzhou, and it increased significantly during the 3 years. Our data strongly support current guidelines, which recommend antibiotic susceptibility tests prior to eradication therapy. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Applicability of Synthetic Aperture Radar Wind Retrievals on Offshore Wind Resources Assessment in Hangzhou Bay, China

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Rui Chang

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In view of the high cost and sparse spatial resolution of offshore meteorological observations, ocean winds retrieved from satellites are valuable in offshore wind resource assessment as a supplement to in situ measurements. This study examines satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR images from ENVISAT advanced SAR (ASAR for mapping wind resources with high spatial resolution. Around 181 collected pairs of wind data from SAR wind maps and from 13 meteorological stations in Hangzhou Bay are compared. The statistical results comparing in situ wind speed and SAR-based wind speed show a standard deviation (SD of 1.99 m/s and correlation coefficient of R = 0.67. The model wind directions, which are used as input for the SAR wind speed retrieval, show a high correlation coefficient (R = 0.89 but a large standard deviation (SD = 42.3° compared to in situ observations. The Weibull probability density functions are compared at one meteorological station. The SAR-based results appear not to estimate the mean wind speed, Weibull scale and shape parameters and wind power density from the full in situ data set so well due to the lower number of satellite samples. Distributions calculated from the concurrent 81 SAR and in situ samples agree well.

[Research of the Stormwater Runoff and Pollution Characteristics in Rural Area of Yuhang District, Hangzhou].

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Sheng-hui; Zhao, Yu; Shan, Bao-qing; Tang, Wen-zhong; Zhang, Wen-qiang; Zhang, Shu-zhen; Lang, Chao

2015-10-01

In order to investigate the pollution characteristics of stormwater runoff in the southern developed rural region, the runoff samples were collected from four different underlying surfaces during three storm events in Caoqiao and Pujia Tou, which are two typical villages and are located in Yuhang District of Hangzhou. The content of nutrition (nitrogen and phosphorus) and heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, As, Pb) in the simples were analyzed, and the difference of EMC ( event mean concentration) and pollution load of the contaminants in the runoff on different underlying surfaces were compared. The results showed that the EMC of TSS, COD, NH4(+)-N, TP and TN were 16.19, 21.01, 0.74, 1.39 and 2.39 mg x L(-1) in the Caoqiao, respectively; as to Pujia Tou, they were 3.10, 15.69, 0.90, 0.78 and 3.58 mg x L(-1), respectively. The content of heavy metals was all lower than the national surface water quality of two type water in the runoff. Compared with the quality standards for surface water, the EMC of TP was 9 times and 3. 5 times higher and TN was 1. 8 times and 1. 2 times higher in two areas. Besides, the pollution loads of TSS and COD were the highest in farmland.

Electrochemical biosensors in pharmaceutical analysis

OpenAIRE

Gil, Eric de Souza; Melo, Giselle Rodrigues de

2010-01-01

Given the increasing demand for practical and low-cost analytical techniques, biosensors have attracted attention for use in the quality analysis of drugs, medicines, and other analytes of interest in the pharmaceutical area. Biosensors allow quantification not only of the active component in pharmaceutical formulations, but also the analysis of degradation products and metabolites in biological fluids. Thus, this article presents a brief review of biosensor use in pharmaceutical analysis, fo...

Improving China’s Environmental Performance through Adaptive Implementation—A Comparative Case Study of Cleaner Production in Hangzhou and Guiyang

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting Guan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines local policy implementation of Cleaner Production (CP in China. As the major policy implementer, China’s local government plays a crucial role in promoting CP. A better understanding of the factors affecting local government’s incentives regarding CP and different strategies available to the local government can help policy makers and implementers improve CP practices and other environmental policy outcomes. This paper uses the cases of Hangzhou and Guiyang to demonstrate that local conditions of policy implementation have a direct impact on the success of CP promotion. Based on 35 in-depth interviews, statistical data and internal government reports, we find that the location-based incentives of local government strongly influence their implementation strategies; and that the choices of different strategies can bring out various policy results. From this study, the identified location-based incentives are affected by energy resource endowment, economic development stage and technological competence. The successful implementation strategies involve using different policy instruments synthetically, regulating CP service organizations by controlling their qualifications, differentiating CP subsidizations, and improving transparency of project progress and outcomes.

APPROACHES TO IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY. GALENICAL PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ershova Elena Vladimirovna

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This article reviews the issues associated with development of an integrated quality management system and its implementation into a galenical pharmaceutical company. Recently, the Russian pharmaceutical industry has been developing extensively: pharmaceutical clusters are being formed, new and innovative technologies are being developed. For the enterprises producing galenical pharmaceutical products, which feature low prices and a high level of competition, development and implementation of management systems is a way to prove their competitiveness. The purpose of this article is to review the architecture and the key elements of integrated management systems for pharmaceutical enterprises, develop an integrated management system in terms of the upcoming revision of ISO 9001:2015, as well as to describe the benefits of implementation of such systems. The presented approach is the result of an educational project implemented within the framework of the MBA programme in "Master of Business Administration (MBA" in the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Continuing Professional Education Pastukhov State Academy of Industrial Management.

Study of the Tourism Ecological Security Assessment for Hangzhou%杭州市旅游生态安全评价研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张晶

2015-01-01

Tourism ecological security is the important premise of tourism activities, which has a certain practical significance to tourist ecological security evaluation. According to the ecological footprint model and tourism contribution factor, it transforms regional ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity into tourism ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity, so as to get travel ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity per capita. Comparing their ratio and difference, it determines tourism ecological surplus situation and ecological safety. Taking Hangzhou an empirical case, in 2013, its tourism ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity per capita were 0.058627809hm2/person and 0.007362505hm2/person. Ecological deficit was 0.051265304hm2/person. Travel safety is in the deterioration of which the TVC is greater than 1. Hangzhou tourism ecological security problems are worthy of attention.%旅游地生态安全是开展旅游活动的重要前提，对旅游地生态安全评价具有一定的现实意义。根据生态足迹模型，凭借旅游贡献率因子，将区域生态足迹和生态承载力转换为旅游生态足迹和旅游生态承载力，从而获得人均旅游生态足迹和人均旅游生态承载力，对比两者差值和比值，确定旅游生态盈余情况和旅游生态安全度。以杭州市为实证研究，2013年杭州市人均旅游生态足迹和人均旅游生态承载力分别为0.058627809hm2/人和0.007362505hm2/人，生态赤字0.051265304hm2/人，旅游安全度处于安全值大于1的恶化状态，杭州市旅游生态安全问题值得重视。

Pharmaceuticals labelled with stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krumbiegel, P.

1986-11-01

The relatively new field of pharmaceuticals labelled with stable isotopes is reviewed. Scientific, juridical, and ethical questions are discussed concerning the application of these pharmaceuticals in human medicine. 13 C, 15 N, and 2 H are the stable isotopes mainly utilized in metabolic function tests. Methodical contributions are given to the application of 2 H, 13 C, and 15 N pharmaceuticals showing new aspects and different states of development in the field under discussion. (author)

Interactions and incompatibilities of pharmaceutical excipients with active pharmaceutical ingredients: a comprehensive review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonali S. Bharate

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Studies of active drug/excipient compatibility represent an important phase in the preformulation stage of the development of all dosage forms. The potential physical and chemical interactions between drugs and excipients can affect the chemical nature, the stability and bioavailability of drugs and, consequently, their therapeutic efficacy and safety. The present review covers the literature reports of interaction and incompatibilities of commonly used pharmaceutical excipients with different active pharmaceutical ingredients in solid dosage forms. Examples of active drug/excipient interactions, such as transacylation, the Maillard browning reaction, acid base reactions and physical changes are discussed for different active pharmaceutical ingredients belonging to different therapeutic categories viz antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-convulsant, antibiotic, bronchodialator, antimalarial, antiemetic, antiamoebic, antipsychotic, antidepressant, anticancer, anticoagulant and sedative/hypnotic drugs and vitamins. Once the solid-state reactions of a pharmaceutical system are understood, the necessary steps can be taken to avoid reactivity and improve the stability of drug substances and products.

Pharmaceutical virtue.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Emily

2006-06-01

In the early history of psychopharmacology, the prospect of developing technologically sophisticated drugs to alleviate human ills was surrounded with a fervor that could be described as religious. This paper explores the subsequent history of the development of psychopharmacological agents, focusing on the ambivalent position of both the industry and its employees. Based on interviews with retired pharmaceutical employees who were active in the industry in the 1950s and 1960s when the major breakthroughs were made in the development of MAOIs and SSRIs, the paper explores the initial development of educational materials for use in sales campaigns. In addition, based on interviews with current employees in pharmaceutical sales and marketing, the paper describes the complex perspective of contemporary pharmaceutical employees who must live surrounded by the growing public vilification of the industry as rapacious and profit hungry and yet find ways to make their jobs meaningful and dignified. The paper will contribute to the understudied problem of how individuals function in positions that require them to be part of processes that on one description constitute a social evil, but on another, constitute a social good.

[PICS: pharmaceutical inspection cooperation scheme].

Science.gov (United States)

Morénas, J

2009-01-01

The pharmaceutical inspection cooperation scheme (PICS) is a structure containing 34 participating authorities located worldwide (October 2008). It has been created in 1995 on the basis of the pharmaceutical inspection convention (PIC) settled by the European free trade association (EFTA) in1970. This scheme has different goals as to be an international recognised body in the field of good manufacturing practices (GMP), for training inspectors (by the way of an annual seminar and experts circles related notably to active pharmaceutical ingredients [API], quality risk management, computerized systems, useful for the writing of inspection's aide-memoires). PICS is also leading to high standards for GMP inspectorates (through regular crossed audits) and being a room for exchanges on technical matters between inspectors but also between inspectors and pharmaceutical industry.

Recognizing misleading pharmaceutical marketing online.

Science.gov (United States)

De Freitas, Julian; Falls, Brian A; Haque, Omar S; Bursztajn, Harold J

2014-01-01

In light of decision-making psychology, this article details how drug marketing operates across established and novel web domains and identifies some common misleading trends and influences on prescribing and patient-initiated medication requests. The Internet has allowed pharmaceutical marketing to become more salient than ever before. Although the Internet's growth has improved the dissemination of pharmaceutical information, it has also led to the increased influence of misleading pharmaceutical marketing. Such mismarketing is of concern, especially in psychiatry, since psychotropics generate considerable revenue for drug companies. In a climate of resource-limited drug regulation and time-strapped physicians, we recommend improving both independent monitoring and consumer awareness of Internet-enabled, potentially misleading, pharmaceutical marketing influences. © 2014 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Morphological evolution of Jinshan Trough in Hangzhou Bay (China) from 1960 to 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yifei; Xia, Xiaoming; Chen, Shenliang; Jia, Jianjun; Cai, Tinglu

2017-11-01

An extensive system of tidal channels, starting with Jinshan Trough in the east, is located along the north shore of Hangzhou Bay, China. This contribution investigates the morphological evolution of Jinshan Trough by using 17 bathymetric charts from a series covering a period of 51 years from 1960 to 2011. Three stages of evolution during this period are distinguishable based on the morphology and annual mean volume data. The first stage (1960-1987) is characterized by extension of the trough; the second stage (1987-1996) is a relatively stable period with some adjustments in the trough morphology; the third stage (1996-2011) is marked by the processes of erosion and deposition in the beginning of the period and a subsequent slow erosion process. Spatio-temporal variability of the trough was evaluated by using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. The first eigenfunction indicates that erosion is the main evolution process and there exists three stages similar to those distinguished from volume variations. The second eigenfunction mainly reflects erosion and deposition in the northwest part of the trough located in the flood tidal current shadow area of the artificial headland in Jinshan. The third eigenfunction mainly reflects annual fluctuations of erosion and deposition in the side slope at the artificial headland in Jinshan. A particularly intense erosion process occurred between 1996 and 1998. The major effects on morphological evolution in Jinshan Trough from 1960 to 2011 were investigated and tentative conclusions were presented. Continuous coastal reclamations in Jinshan had the most pronounced effect on the morphological evolution during the first and the second stages. The storm surge had a pronounced effect on the evolution at the beginning of the third stage.

Pharmaceutical care in Kuwait: hospital pharmacists' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Katoue, Maram G; Awad, Abdelmoneim I; Schwinghammer, Terry L; Kombian, Samuel B

2014-12-01

Pharmaceutical care practice has been championed as the primary mission of the pharmacy profession, but its implementation has been suboptimal in many developing countries including Kuwait. Pharmacists must have sufficient knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes to practise pharmaceutical care, and barriers in the pharmacy practice model must be overcome before pharmaceutical care can be broadly implemented in a given healthcare system. To investigate hospital pharmacists' attitudes towards pharmaceutical care, perceptions of their preparedness to provide pharmaceutical care, and the barriers to its implementation in Kuwait. Six general hospitals, eight specialized hospitals and seven specialized health centers in Kuwait. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was distributed to all pharmacists working in the governmental hospitals in Kuwait (385 pharmacists). Data were collected via a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including percentages, medians and means Likert scale rating (standard deviations) were calculated and compared using statistical package for social sciences, version 20. Statistical significance was accepted at a p value of Kuwait. Completed surveys were received from 250 (64.9%) of the 385 pharmacists. Pharmacists expressed overall positive attitudes towards pharmaceutical care. They felt well prepared to implement the various aspects of pharmaceutical care, with the least preparedness in the administrative/management aspects. Pharmacists with more practice experience expressed significantly more positive attitudes towards pharmaceutical care (p = 0.001) and they felt better prepared to provide pharmaceutical care competencies (p Kuwait advocate implementation of pharmaceutical care while also appreciating the organizational, technical and professional barriers to its widespread adoption. Collaborative efforts between health authorities and educational institutions, and the integration of innovative approaches in

Life-cycle assessment of the municipal solid waste management system in Hangzhou, China (EASEWASTE).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yan; Wang, Hong-Tao; Lu, Wen-Jing; Damgaard, Anders; Christensen, Thomas H

2009-06-01

With the purpose of assessing the environmental impacts and benefits of the current municipal solid waste management system and two modified systems, EASEWASTE, a life-cycle-based model, was used to evaluate the waste system of Hangzhou city in China. An integrated model was established, including waste generation, collection, transportation, treatment, disposal and accompanying external processes. The results showed that CH(4) released from landfilling was the primary pollutant contributing to global warming, and HCl and NH(3) from incineration contributed most to acidification. Material recycling and incineration with energy recovery were important because of the induced savings in material production based on virgin materials and in energy production based on coal combustion. A modified system in which waste is transported to the nearest incinerators would be relatively better than the current system, mainly due to the decrease of pollution from landfilled waste and the increase in energy production from waste avoiding energy production by traditional power plants. A ban on free plastic bags for shopping was shown to reduce most environmental impacts due to saved oil resources and other materials used in producing the plastic bags. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results. LCA methodology and a model like EASEWASTE are very suitable for evaluating the overall environmental consequences, and can be used for decision support and strategic planning in developing countries such as China where pollution control has become increasingly important with the rapid increase of waste generation as well as the increasing public awareness of environmental protection.

The role of cocrystals in pharmaceutical science.

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Ning; Zaworotko, Michael J

2008-05-01

Pharmaceutical cocrystals, a subset of a long known but little-studied class of compounds, represent an emerging class of crystal forms in the context of pharmaceutical science. They are attractive to pharmaceutical scientists because they can significantly diversify the number of crystal forms that exist for a particular active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), and they can lead to improvements in physical properties of clinical relevance. In this article we address pharmaceutical cocrystals from the perspective of design (crystal engineering) and present a series of case studies that demonstrate how they can enhance the solubility, bioavailability, and/or stability of API crystal forms.

Entrepreneurial patent management in pharmaceutical startups.

Science.gov (United States)

Holgersson, Marcus; Phan, Tai; Hedner, Thomas

2016-07-01

Startups fill an increasingly important role as innovators in the pharmaceutical industry, and patenting is typically central to their success. This article aims to explore patent management in pharmaceutical startups. The results show that startups need to deal with several challenges related to patenting and an 'entrepreneurial' approach to patent management is called for. Resource constraints, venture capital provision, exits and other conditions and events must be readily considered in the patent management process to build a successful pharmaceutical venture, something that could benefit the pharmaceutical industry as a whole. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Institutional corruption and the pharmaceutical policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodwin, Marc A

2013-01-01

Today, the goals of pharmaceutical policy and medical practice are often undermined due to institutional corruption - that is, widespread or systemic practices, usually legal, that undermine an institution's objectives or integrity. In this symposium, 16 articles investigate the corruption of pharmaceutical policy, each taking a different look at the sources of corruption, how it occurs, and what is corrupted. We will see that the pharmaceutical industry's own purposes are often undermined. Furthermore, pharmaceutical industry funding of election campaigns and lobbying skews the legislative process that sets pharmaceutical policy. Moreover, certain practices have corrupted medical research, the production of medical knowledge, the practice of medicine, drug safety, the Food and Drug Administration's oversight of the pharmaceutical market, and the trustworthiness of patient advocacy organizations. © 2013 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

The Use of Mobile Phone and Medical Apps among General Practitioners in Hangzhou City, Eastern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Ren, Wen; Qiu, Yan; Liu, Juanjuan; Yin, Pei; Ren, Jingjing

2016-05-24

Mobile phones and mobile phone apps have expanded new forms of health professionals' work. There are many studies on the use of mobile phone apps for different specialists. However, there are no studies on the current use of mobile phone apps among general practitioners (GPs). The objective of the study was to investigate the extent to which GPs own smartphones with apps and use them to aid their clinical activities. A questionnaire survey of GPs was undertaken in Hangzhou, Eastern China. Data probing GPs' current use of medical apps in their clinical activities and factors influencing app use were collected and analyzed 125 GPs participated in the survey. 90.4% of GPs owned a mobile phone, with 48.7% owning an iPhone and 47.8% owning an Android phone. Most mobile phone owners had 1-3 medical-related apps, with very few owning more than 4. There was no difference in number of apps between iPhone and Android owners (χ(2)=1.388, P=0.846). 36% of GPs reported using medical-related apps on a daily basis. The majority of doctors reported using apps to aid clinical activities less than 30 minutes per day. A high level of mobile phone ownership and usage among GPs was found in this study, but few people chose medical-related apps to support their clinical practice.

Integrating systems Approaches into Pharmaceutical Sciences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Westerhoff, H.V.; Mosekilde, Erik; Noe, C. R.

2008-01-01

During the first week of December 2007, the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences (EUFEPS) and BioSim, the major European Network of Excellence on Systems Biology, held a challenging conference on the use of mathematical models in the drug development process. More precisely, the purpose...... of the conference was to promote the ‘Integration of Systems Approaches into Pharmaceutical Sciences’ in view of optimising the development of new effective drugs. And a challenge this is, considering both the high attrition rates in the pharmaceutical industry and the failure of finding definitive drug solutions...... for many of the diseases that plague mankind today. The conference was co-sponsored by the American College of Clinical Pharmacology, the European Center for Pharmaceutical Medicine, and the Swiss Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences and, besides representatives from the European Regulatory Agencies and FDA...

The Effectiveness of Pharmaceutical Marketing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.R. Kappe

2011-01-01

textabstractPharmaceutical marketing effectiveness comprises the measurement of marketing efforts of pharmaceutical firms towards doctors and patients. These firms spend billions of dollars yearly to promote their prescription drugs. This dissertation provides empirical analyses and methods to

ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES IN PHARMACEUTICAL PROMOTION GLOBALLY: TOWARDS INTERNATIONALLY DEVELOPING PRACTICALLY-ORIENTED GUIDELINES FOR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Bahlol

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Pharmaceutical industry is transnational and globally important. Many pharmaceutical companies operate their business in multinational and international forms in different countries. Diverse researches from different countries indicated and confirmed marketing promotion importance in pharmaceutical field. Therefore, marketing promotion and its effects are a very important issue that should be globally investigated in real life and evidence context. We oriented our research according to these scientific and practical values.Methodology. We reviewed pharmaceutical marketing promotion researches from more than 25 different countries, e.g., USA, Canada, Italy, France, Russia, India, Egypt and Syria where we employed our knowledge of three widely spread languages, i.e., English, Russian and Arabic. Such language variation supports us with large and variable amount of scientific knowledge, deep understanding and ability of analysis. Some studies investigated average response to pharmaceutical marketing promotion and few studies took into consideration heterogeneity in their effects with respect to advertising medium or drug characteristics.Originality. We investigated empirical evidences of pharmaceutical marketing promotion that can be directed to either consumer or healthcare professionals.Findings. We extracted, gathered and associated information of pharmaceutical promotion globally which oriented us to several evidence and practical facts with regard to employing promotion tools in different definite situations pertinent to main directions; their welfare and health enhancing effects and adverse effects. Practical Implications- Consequently, we developed practically-oriented guidelines for companies concerning pharmaceutical promotion globally ate the end of this paper.

[Bioequivalence studies of pharmaceutical preparations].

Science.gov (United States)

Vetchý, D; Frýbortová, K; Rabisková, M; Danecková, H

2007-01-01

Bioequivalence studies are very important for the development of a pharmaceutical preparation in the pharmaceutical industry. Their rationale is the monitoring of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters after the administration of tested drugs. The target of such study is to evaluate the therapeutic compatibility of tested drugs (pharmaceutical equivalents or pharmaceutical alternatives). The importance of bioequivalence studies is increasing also due to the large growth of the production and consumption of generic products. Generic products represent approximately 50 % of the whole consumption in many European countries and USA. The search output of bioequivalence study is together with the pharmaceutical quality data of medical product one of the main part of the registration file submitted to a national regulatory authorities. The registration of generic products does not demand complicated and expensive clinical study contrary to original product. The comparison of the original and the generic product via bioequivalence study is suggested as sufficient. The aim of this article is to provide to a medical public a summary about the types of bioequivalence studies, their range, rules of their practise and let them gain their own attitude to this question.

Marketing orientation in pharmaceutical industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prošić Danica

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical companies are major stakeholders in the global health agenda Virtually all drugs used by patients in Europe reach markets through the promotion tactics of a small number of corporations with a tremendous impact on global health. The sector is both fast growing and highly profitable. Effective marketing strategies are a crucial ingredient in making sure pharmaceutical products and profits flow in a virtuous cycle. At first glance, the relationship between doctors and drug companies, as well as advertising practices for over-the-counter medication, appears tightly regulated. According to many consumer organizations, drug promotion in Europe today can be characterized as nice and friendly marketing. This refers to the creation of a false sense of trust that consumers associate with branded pharmaceutical products, as a result of pharmaceutical marketing efforts disguised as genuine corporate responsibility.

PARTICULARITIES OF MODERN PHARMACEUTICAL PROMOTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Юрий Владимирович Тарасов

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical products market is one of the most saturated consumers’ markets. Characteristic features of it are: high competition, fierce struggle for the customer, specific technologies of promotion. In conditions of globalization and increase in competition both in world pharmaceutical market and in the market of medicines and goods of medical purpose in Russia modern marketing techniques of promotion of the products to the end consumers are the key tools for strengthening market positions – both of producers of pharmaceutical goods and their suppliers, distributors, big whole-sale companies. Among main tools of promotion are: advertising, public relations, stimulation of sales on the market of medicines, personal sales, computer technologies. The article describes different technologies of promotion of medicines: indoor-advertising, hot lines, pharmaceutical exhibitions, packing. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-12-1

National transparency assessment of Kuwait's pharmaceutical sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Badawi, Dalia A; Alkhamis, Yousif; Qaddoumi, Mohammad; Behbehani, Kazem

2015-09-01

Corruption is one of several factors that may hinder the access to pharmaceuticals. Since Kuwait has the highest per-capita spending on pharmaceuticals in the region, we wanted to evaluate the level of transparency in its pharmaceutical sector using an established assessment tool adapted by the World Health Organization. Standardized questionnaires were conducted via semi-structured interviews with key informants to measure the level of transparency in eight functions of the public pharmaceutical sector. The scores for the degree of vulnerability to corruption reflected marginal to moderate venerability to corruption for most pharmaceutical sectors. The perceived strengths included availability of appropriate laws, the presence of clear standard operating procedures, and the use of an efficient registration/distribution system. Weaknesses included lack of conflict of interest guidelines and written terms of reference, absence of pharmacoeconomic studies, and inconsistencies in law enforcement. Findings reveal that few functions of Kuwait pharmaceutical sector remain fairly vulnerable to corruption. However, the willingness of Kuwait Ministry of Health to adopt the assessment study and the acknowledgement of the weaknesses of current processes of the pharmaceutical sector may assist to achieve a transparent pharmaceutical system in the near future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategic Management of Innovations at Pharmaceutical Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Honcharova Svіtlana Yu.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to theoretical and practical issues of the use of the concept of strategic management of innovations at pharmaceutical enterprises. It studies main barriers, which restrict development of Ukrainian pharmaceutical enterprises. It analyses the state and tendencies of development of innovation activity of pharmaceutical enterprises and studies foreign experience of innovation activity. It marks out specific features of strategic management of innovation development in pharmaceutical industry. It specifies the role and advantages of methods of strategic analysis in the system of management of a pharmaceutical enterprise. It considers the essence of “innovation development” and “innovation model of development” notions and analyses their organisational and legal provision. It justifies strategic tasks of the pharmaceutical filed to focus on in order to achieve a breakthrough when building an innovation model of economic development. The article proves that the most important factors that ensure growth of efficiency of pharmaceutical production are: wide application of the concept of strategic management and creation of innovations.

[Chinese medicine industry 4.0：advancing digital pharmaceutical manufacture toward intelligent pharmaceutical manufacture].

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yi-Yu; Qu, Hai-Bin; Zhang, Bo-Li

2016-01-01

A perspective analysis on the technological innovation in pharmaceutical engineering of Chinese medicine unveils a vision on "Future Factory" of Chinese medicine industry in mind. The strategy as well as the technical roadmap of "Chinese medicine industry 4.0" is proposed, with the projection of related core technology system. It is clarified that the technical development path of Chinese medicine industry from digital manufacture to intelligent manufacture. On the basis of precisely defining technical terms such as process control, on-line detection and process quality monitoring for Chinese medicine manufacture, the technical concepts and characteristics of intelligent pharmaceutical manufacture as well as digital pharmaceutical manufacture are elaborated. Promoting wide applications of digital manufacturing technology of Chinese medicine is strongly recommended. Through completely informationized manufacturing processes and multi-discipline cluster innovation, intelligent manufacturing technology of Chinese medicine should be developed, which would provide a new driving force for Chinese medicine industry in technology upgrade, product quality enhancement and efficiency improvement. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Rheology in Pharmaceutical Sciences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aho, Johanna; Hvidt, Søren; Baldursdottir, Stefania

2016-01-01

Rheology is the science of flow and deformation of matter. Particularly gels and non-Newtonian fluids, which exhibit complex flow behavior, are frequently encountered in pharmaceutical engineering and manufacturing, or when dealing with various in vivo fluids. Therefore understanding rheology......, together with the common measurement techniques and their practical applications. Examples of the use of rheological techniques in the pharmaceutical field, as well as other closely related fields such as food and polymer science, are also given....... is important, and the ability to use rheological characterization tools is of great importance for any pharmaceutical scientist involved in the field. Flow can be generated by shear or extensional deformations, or a combination of both. This chapter introduces the basics of both shear and extensional rheology...

Pharmaceutical Public-Private Partnerships

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagley, Constance; Tvarnø, Christina D.

2014-01-01

This article provides a game theory and law-and-management analysis of for- profit pharmaceutical public-private partnerships, a complex type of legal arrangement in the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry. A pharmaceutical public-private partnership (PPPP) agreement is a legally binding...... and a practical perspective on how properly crafted PPPP arrangements can promote innovation more efficiently than traditional self-optimizing contracts. In particular, a properly framed binding contract, coupled with respect for positive incentives, can move the parties away from an inefficient prisoners...... systems to build and share innovation. When coupled with appropriate attention to the difficult task of coordinating the actions of interdependent actors, a PPPP arrangement can enhance the likelihood of successful commercialization of pharmacological discoveries by flipping the par- ties’ incentives...

Conceptualizing Pharmaceutical Plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Bent Dalgaard; Jensen, Klaes Ladeby; Gjøl, Mikkel

2006-01-01

In the conceptual design phase of pharmaceutical plants as much as 80%-90% of the total cost of a project is committed. It is therefore essential that the chosen concept is viable. In this design process configuration and 3D models can help validate the decisions made. Designing 3D models...... is a complex task and requires skilled users. We demonstrate that a simple 2D/3D configuration tool can support conceptualizing of pharmaceutical plants. Present paper reports on preliminary results from a full scale implementation project at a Danish engineering company....

PSE in Pharmaceutical Process Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gernaey, Krist; Cervera Padrell, Albert Emili; Woodley, John

2011-01-01

The pharmaceutical industry is under growing pressure to increase efficiency, both in production and in process development. This paper will discuss the use of Process Systems Engineering (PSE) methods in pharmaceutical process development, and searches for answers to questions such as: Which PSE...

Contribution of hospital effluents to the load of pharmaceuticals in urban wastewaters: identification of ecologically relevant pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Lúcia H M L M; Gros, Meritxell; Rodriguez-Mozaz, Sara; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Pena, Angelina; Barceló, Damià; Montenegro, M Conceição B S M

2013-09-01

The impact of effluent wastewaters from four different hospitals: a university (1456 beds), a general (350 beds), a pediatric (110 beds) and a maternity hospital (96 beds), which are conveyed to the same wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), was evaluated in the receiving urban wastewaters. The occurrence of 78 pharmaceuticals belonging to several therapeutic classes was assessed in hospital effluents and WWTP wastewaters (influent and effluent) as well as the contribution of each hospital in WWTP influent in terms of pharmaceutical load. Results indicate that pharmaceuticals are widespread pollutants in both hospital and urban wastewaters. The contribution of hospitals to the input of pharmaceuticals in urban wastewaters widely varies, according to their dimension. The estimated total mass loadings were 306 g d(-1) for the university hospital, 155 g d(-1) for the general one, 14 g d(-1) for the pediatric hospital and 1.5 g d(-1) for the maternity hospital, showing that the biggest hospitals have a greater contribution to the total mass load of pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, analysis of individual contributions of each therapeutic group showed that NSAIDs, analgesics and antibiotics are among the groups with the highest inputs. Removal efficiency can go from over 90% for pharmaceuticals like acetaminophen and ibuprofen to not removal for β-blockers and salbutamol. Total mass load of pharmaceuticals into receiving surface waters was estimated between 5 and 14 g/d/1000 inhabitants. Finally, the environmental risk posed by pharmaceuticals detected in hospital and WWTP effluents was assessed by means of hazard quotients toward different trophic levels (algae, daphnids and fish). Several pharmaceuticals present in the different matrices were identified as potentially hazardous to aquatic organisms, showing that especial attention should be paid to antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, azithromycin and clarithromycin, since their hazard quotients

Novel methodology for pharmaceutical expenditure forecast

OpenAIRE

Vataire, Anne-Lise; Cetinsoy, Laurent; Aball?a, Samuel; R?muzat, C?cile; Urbinati, Duccio; Kornfeld, ?sa; Mzoughi, Olfa; Toumi, Mondher

2014-01-01

Background and objective: The value appreciation of new drugs across countries today features a disruption that is making the historical data that are used for forecasting pharmaceutical expenditure poorly reliable. Forecasting methods rarely addressed uncertainty. The objective of this project was to propose a methodology to perform pharmaceutical expenditure forecasting that integrates expected policy changes and uncertainty (developed for the European Commission as the ‘EU Pharmaceutical e...

Bioremediation Kinetics of Pharmaceutical Industrial Effluent

OpenAIRE

M. Šabić; M. Vuković Domanovac; Z. Findrik Blažević; E. Meštrović

2015-01-01

In recent years, concerns about the occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals that could be present in water and wastewater has gained increasing attention. With the public’s enhanced awareness of eco-safety, environmentally benign methods based on microorganisms have become more accepted methods of removing pollutants from aquatic systems. This study investigates bioremediation of pharmaceutical wastewater from pharmaceutical company Pliva Hrvatska d.o.o., using activated sludge and bioaugmente...

Vulnerabilities to misinformation in online pharmaceutical marketing.

Science.gov (United States)

De Freitas, Julian; Falls, Brian A; Haque, Omar S; Bursztajn, Harold J

2013-05-01

Given the large percentage of Internet users who search for health information online, pharmaceutical companies have invested significantly in online marketing of their products. Although online pharmaceutical marketing can potentially benefit both physicians and patients, it can also harm these groups by misleading them. Indeed, some pharmaceutical companies have been guilty of undue influence, which has threatened public health and trust. We conducted a review of the available literature on online pharmaceutical marketing, undue influence and the psychology of decision-making, in order to identify factors that contribute to Internet users' vulnerability to online pharmaceutical misinformation. We find five converging factors: Internet dependence, excessive trust in the veracity of online information, unawareness of pharmaceutical company influence, social isolation and detail fixation. As the Internet continues to change, it is important that regulators keep in mind not only misinformation that surrounds new web technologies and their contents, but also the factors that make Internet users vulnerable to misinformation in the first place. Psychological components are a critical, although often neglected, risk factor for Internet users becoming misinformed upon exposure to online pharmaceutical marketing. Awareness of these psychological factors may help Internet users attentively and safely navigate an evolving web terrain.

Pharmaceutical policies in European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Barros, Pedro Pita

2010-01-01

Pharmaceutical expenditures have an important role in Europe. The attempts to control expenditure have used a wide range of policy measures. We reviewed the main measures adopted by the European Union countries, especially in countries where governments are the largest third-party payers. To complement a literature review on the topic, data was gathered from national reviews of health systems and direct inquiries to several government bodies. Almost all countries regulate prices of pharmaceutical products. Popular policy measures include international referencing to set prices (using as benchmark countries that have set lower prices), internal reference pricing systems to promote price competition in domestic markets, and positive lists for reimbursement to promote consumption of generics (including in some cases substitution by pharmacists of drugs prescribed by physicians). Despite the wide range of policy measures, it is not possible to identify a "silver bullet" to control pharmaceutical expenditures. We also identified two main policy challenges: policy coordination among countries within the European Union to maintain incentives for R&D at the global level, and the development of new relationships with the pharmaceutical industry; namely, the so-called risk-sharing agreements between the pharmaceutical industry and governments/regulators (or large third-party payers).

Nanocrystals Technology for Pharmaceutical Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhongyao; Lian, Yumei; Kamal, Zul; Ma, Xin; Chen, Jianjun; Zhou, Xinbo; Su, Jing; Qiu, Mingfeng

2018-05-17

Nanocrystals technology is a promising method for improving the dissolution rate and enhancing the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. In recent years, it has been developing rapidly and applied to drug research and engineering. Nanocrystal drugs can be formulated into various dosage forms. This review mainly focused on the nanocrystals technology and its application in pharmaceutical science. Firstly, different preparation methods of nanocrystal technology and the characterization of nanocrystal drugs are briefly described. Secondly, the application of nanocrystals technology in pharmaceutical science is mainly discussed followed by the introduction of sustained release formulations. Then, the scaling up process, marketed nanocrystal drug products and regulatory aspects about nanodrugs are summarized. Finally, the specific challenges and opportunities of nanocrystals technology for pharmaceutical science are summarized and discussed. This review will provide a comprehensive guide for scientists and engineers in the field of pharmaceutical science and biochemical engineering. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

EU pharmaceutical expenditure forecast

OpenAIRE

Urbinati, Duccio; Rémuzat, Cécile; Kornfeld, Åsa; Vataire, Anne-Lise; Cetinsoy, Laurent; Aballéa, Samuel; Mzoughi, Olfa; Toumi, Mondher

2014-01-01

Background and Objectives: With constant incentives for healthcare payers to contain their pharmaceutical budgets, forecasting has become critically important. Some countries have, for instance, developed pharmaceutical horizon scanning units. The objective of this project was to build a model to assess the net effect of the entrance of new patented medicinal products versus medicinal products going off-patent, with a defined forecast horizon, on selected European Union (EU) Member States’ ph...

Nanotechnology tools in pharmaceutical R&D

OpenAIRE

Challa S.S.R. Kumar

2010-01-01

Nanotechnology is a new approach to problem solving and can be considered as a collection of tools and ideas which can be applied in pharmaceutical industry. Application of nanotechnology tools in pharmaceutical R&D is likely to result in moving the industry from ‘blockbuster drug’ model to ‘personalized medicine’. There are compelling applications in pharmaceutical industry where inexpensive nanotechnology tools can be utilized. The review explores the possibility of categorizing various nan...

Patent indicators: a window to pharmaceutical market success.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yang; Hu, Yuanjia; Zheng, Mingli; Wang, Yitao

2013-07-01

Pharmaceutical success in the market is the best reward for pharmaceutical investors undergoing the lengthy, costly and risky process of pharmaceutical Research and Development (R&D). Drugs with high market revenues trigger fierce competition between pharmaceutical enterprises, as is demonstrated by the increasing Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) cases focusing on seizing the best-selling products. On the other hand, patents, as the best shield for innovative drugs against generic drugs, become a powerful weapon for pharmaceutical enterprises to win the substantial returns generated by market exclusivity. Patents seem to be directly responsible for the commercial success of new medicines. In this context, it is of great significance to find out the empirical associations between pharmaceutical commercial success and patents. By comprehensively analysing 127 drugs marketed in the USA and their 621 American patents, this article identifies the evidence to link various patent indicators with pharmaceutical sales in actual market.

New types of drug use and risks of drug use among men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional study in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Lin; Pan, Xiaohong; Wang, Ning; Yang, Jiezhe; Jiang, Jun; Luo, Yan; Zhang, Xingliang; Li, Xiting

2018-04-17

The use of new types of drugs has become more common among men who have sex with men (MSM). The aim of this study was to describe the patterns of the use of new types of drugs, such as methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy, and rush poppers, and to examine the factors associated with drug use and HIV infection among MSM in Hangzhou, China. This cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2015 and April 2016. We used snowball sampling to recruit MSM; participants were recruited from voluntary counseling and testing centers, baths, bars, Blued (an app for the gay community), QQ groups, clubs, and other types of venues. MSM were included if their previous HIV test results were negative or unknown, or they had not been tested for HIV. MSM were excluded if they were known to be HIV positive before the survey. Face-to-face questionnaires were conducted and a venous blood specimen was drawn from each participant following the interview. In total, 555 MSM were included; 18.2% (101/555) of the participants had used new types of drugs in the past 3 months. Among the users, 65.3% used single-use rush poppers, while the remainder used ketamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, or other mixed combinations of drugs. The HIV positivity rate was 14.8% (82/555). Factors associated with increased odds of using new types of drugs in the past 3 months were higher education levels (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12-9.37), having multiple sexual partners (AOR 1.76, 95 CI 1.02-3.05), alcohol use before sexual intercourse (AOR 33.44, 95% CI 10.80-103.50), and seeing friends using new types of drugs. We revealed the widespread use of new types of drugs, as well as a high diagnosis rate of new HIV infection, among MSM in Hangzhou. The use of new types of drugs was associated with an increased number of sexual partners among MSM; the high-risk sexual behaviors increased the risk of HIV infection. Attention should be given to the use of new types of drugs in MSM

Archives: Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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Archives: Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Items 1 - 9 of 9 ... Archives: Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. Journal Home > Archives: Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Pharmaceutical technology management--profitable business avenue.

Science.gov (United States)

Puthli, Shivanand P

2010-01-01

Growing research expenditure, regulatory framework and generic erosion have forced pharmaceutical companies globally to resort to pharmaceutical technology management (PTM). Indeed, the pharmaceutical industry has witnessed the impact of innovative drug delivery and device technologies and their influence on business. PTM has given a new business insight with greater profits and enhancement of product franchise. Promising breakthrough technologies have not been able to reach a commercial platform largely owing to lack of capital at the preliminary stages of the product development program. Intellectual property plays a considerable role in protecting innovative technologies. Joint ventures and strategic alliances also become important for commercializing a new technology. The synergy of PTM with options of in-licensing is expected to infuse newer opportunities to the pharmaceutical business.

Pharmaceutical care education in Kuwait: pharmacy students’ perspectives

OpenAIRE

Katoue, Maram G.; Awad, Abdelmoneim I.; Schwinghammer, Terry L.; Kombian, Samuel B.

2014-01-01

Background: Pharmaceutical care is defined as the responsible provision of medication therapy to achieve definite outcomes that improve patients’ quality of life. Pharmacy education should equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to practise pharmaceutical care competently. Objective: To investigate pharmacy students’ attitudes towards pharmaceutical care, perceptions of their preparedness to perform pharmaceutical care competencies, opinions about the importance...

Vulnerabilities to misinformation in online pharmaceutical marketing

Science.gov (United States)

De Freitas, Julian; Falls, Brian A; Haque, Omar S; Bursztajn, Harold J

2013-01-01

Given the large percentage of Internet users who search for health information online, pharmaceutical companies have invested significantly in online marketing of their products. Although online pharmaceutical marketing can potentially benefit both physicians and patients, it can also harm these groups by misleading them. Indeed, some pharmaceutical companies have been guilty of undue influence, which has threatened public health and trust. We conducted a review of the available literature on online pharmaceutical marketing, undue influence and the psychology of decision-making, in order to identify factors that contribute to Internet users’ vulnerability to online pharmaceutical misinformation. We find five converging factors: Internet dependence, excessive trust in the veracity of online information, unawareness of pharmaceutical company influence, social isolation and detail fixation. As the Internet continues to change, it is important that regulators keep in mind not only misinformation that surrounds new web technologies and their contents, but also the factors that make Internet users vulnerable to misinformation in the first place. Psychological components are a critical, although often neglected, risk factor for Internet users becoming misinformed upon exposure to online pharmaceutical marketing. Awareness of these psychological factors may help Internet users attentively and safely navigate an evolving web terrain. PMID:23761527

Pharmaceutical costs of assisted reproduction in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorente, Maria-Reyes; Hernández, Juana; Antoñanzas, Fernando

2013-11-01

Assisted reproduction is one of the health services currently being considered for possible limitation or exclusion from the public health services portfolio in Spain. One of the main reasons claimed for this is the impact on the budget for pharmaceutical expenditure. The objective of this study was to assess the significance of the pharmaceutical costs of assisted reproduction in Spain. This study focused on medical practice in Spain, and is based on the opinions of experts in assisted reproduction and the results provided by professional societies' publications. The reference year is 2012 and the setting was secondary care. We have included all existing pharmaceutical modalities for assisted reproduction, as well as the most common drug for each modality. We have considered the pharmaceutical cost per cycle for artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF_ICSI), and cryotransfer and donated fresh oocytes reception. In Spain, artificial insemination has a pharmaceutical cost per cycle of between €69.36 and €873.79. This amounts to an average cycle cost of €364.87 for partner's sperm and €327.10 for donor sperm. The pharmaceutical cost of IVF_ICSI ranges between €278.16 and €1,902.66, giving an average cost per cycle of €1,139.65. In the case of cryotransfer and donated fresh oocytes reception, the pharmaceutical cost per cycle is between €22.61 and €58.73, yielding an average cost of €40.67. The budgetary impact of pharmaceutical expenditure for assisted reproduction in Spain for the year 2012 was estimated at €98.7 million. In Spain, the total pharmaceutical cost of assisted reproduction is substantial. According to our results, we can say that about 29% of the total pharmaceutical expenditure for assisted reproduction techniques is funded by the National Health System and the rest represents 2.4% of the total annual out-of-pocket family expenditure on drugs.

Pharmaceutical policy and the pharmacy profession

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Traulsen, Janine Marie; Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna

2005-01-01

In this article, the authors look at the relationship between pharmaceutical policy and the pharmacy profession with focus on pharmacy practice and pharmacists in the health care sector. Pharmaceutical policy encompasses three major policy inputs: public health policy, health care policy and indu......In this article, the authors look at the relationship between pharmaceutical policy and the pharmacy profession with focus on pharmacy practice and pharmacists in the health care sector. Pharmaceutical policy encompasses three major policy inputs: public health policy, health care policy...... and industrial policy. In order to analyse and understand pharmaceutical policy, it is important to know how policymakers view pharmacy and pharmacists. The authors look at the issues that arise when policy regulates pharmacy as a business, and what this means for the profession. The perspective of pharmacy...... in managerialism, and how the division of labour with other health professionals such as physicians and pharmacy assistants is affecting the pharmacy profession's position in the labour market. Next the authors look at ways in which the pharmacy profession has affected policy. Pharmacists have been instrumental...

Pharmaceuticals: pharmaceutical cost controls--2005. End of Year Issue Brief.

Science.gov (United States)

Seay, Melicia; Varma, Priya

2005-12-31

The enactment of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA '90) gave states the option of offering pharmaceutical benefits within their Medicaid programs. But the law placed restrictions on states' flexibility to control what prescriptions they would cover and required the states to reimburse outpatient prescription drugs from manufacturers that signed rebate agreements with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Forty-nine states--Arizona is excluded, based on its program structure--and the District of Columbia currently offer prescription drug coverage under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. During the past four years, states all over the country have been plagued with revenue shortfalls in their state Medicaid budgets. While the fiscal situation improved for most states in the 2004 legislative session, many states still face budget pressures in 2005. Compounding existing budget pressures are threats from the Bush Administration to shift increased costs of the Medicaid program on to the states. All things considered, the economic pressure of funding Medicaid is at the top of legislative agendas in 2005. As in previous years, states are attempting to reduce costs to their Medicaid programs by seeking savings in their pharmaceutical programs. Prescription drug costs are highly attributed as a contributing factor to the fiscal climate of state Medicaid programs. Currently, prescription drug spending outpaces that of every other category of health care and drug prices are rising faster than inflation. In response, states are instituting a variety of pharmaceutical cost control measures such as creating preferred drug lists (PDLs), negotiating supplemental rebates, forming bulk purchasing pools, promoting generic drug substitution and implementing price controls. As prescription drug cost containment tools have gained acceptance and momentum, they continue to be controversial. This issue brief explores the debate, history, methodology, utilization

Pharmaceutical care education in Kuwait: pharmacy students' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Katoue, Maram G; Awad, Abdelmoneim I; Schwinghammer, Terry L; Kombian, Samuel B

2014-07-01

Pharmaceutical care is defined as the responsible provision of medication therapy to achieve definite outcomes that improve patients' quality of life. Pharmacy education should equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to practise pharmaceutical care competently. To investigate pharmacy students' attitudes towards pharmaceutical care, perceptions of their preparedness to perform pharmaceutical care competencies, opinions about the importance of the various pharmaceutical care activities, and the barriers to its implementation in Kuwait. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey of pharmacy students (n=126) was conducted at Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University. Data were collected via a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including percentages, medians and means Likert scale rating (SD) were calculated and compared using SPSS, version 19. Statistical significance was accepted at a p value of 0.05 or lower. The response rate was 99.2%. Pharmacy students expressed overall positive attitudes towards pharmaceutical care. They felt prepared to implement the various aspects of pharmaceutical care, with the least preparedness in the administrative/management aspects. Perceived pharmaceutical care competencies grew as students progressed through the curriculum. The students also appreciated the importance of the various pharmaceutical care competencies. They agreed/strongly agreed that the major barriers to the integration of pharmaceutical care into practice were lack of private counseling areas or inappropriate pharmacy layout (95.2%), lack of pharmacist time (83.3%), organizational obstacles (82.6%), and pharmacists' physical separation from patient care areas (82.6%). Pharmacy students' attitudes and perceived preparedness can serve as needs assessment tools to guide curricular change and improvement. Student pharmacists at Kuwait University understand and advocate implementation of pharmaceutical care while also

Pharmaceutical Cocrystals: Regulatory and Strategic Aspects, Design and Development

OpenAIRE

Gadade, Dipak Dilip; Pekamwar, Sanjay Sudhakar

2016-01-01

Cocrystal is a concept of the supramolecular chemistry which is gaining the extensive interest of researchers from pharmaceutical and chemical sciences and of drug regulatory agencies. The prominent reason of which is its ability to modify physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. During the development of the pharmaceutical product, formulators have to optimize the physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Pharmaceutical cocrystals can be employe...

Biocatalytic Synthesis of Chiral Pharmaceutical Intermediates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramesh N. Patel

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The production of single enantiomers of drug intermediates has become increasingly important in the pharmaceutical industry. Chiral intermediates and fine chemicals are in high demand from both the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries for the preparation of bulk drug substances and agricultural products. The enormous potential of microorganisms and enzymes for the transformation of synthetic chemicals with high chemo-, regio- and enantioselectivities has been demonstrated. In this article, biocatalytic processes are described for the synthesis of chiral pharmaceutical intermediates.

Pharmaceutical Cocrystals: Regulatory and Strategic Aspects, Design and Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dipak Dilip Gadade

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Cocrystal is a concept of the supramolecular chemistry which is gaining the extensive interest of researchers from pharmaceutical and chemical sciences and of drug regulatory agencies. The prominent reason of which is its ability to modify physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. During the development of the pharmaceutical product, formulators have to optimize the physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Pharmaceutical cocrystals can be employed to improve vital physicochemical characteristics of a drug, including solubility, dissolution, bioavailability and stability of pharmaceutical compounds while maintaining its therapeutic activity. It is advantageous being a green synthesis approach for production of pharmaceutical compounds. The formation polymorphic forms, solvates, hydrates and salts of cocrystals during the synthesis reported in the literature which can be a potential issue in the development of pharmaceutical cocrystals. The approaches like hydrogen bonding rules, solubility parameters, screening through the CSD database or thermodynamic characteristics can be utilized for the rational design of cocrystals and selection of coformers for synthesis multi-component cocrystals. Considering the significance of pharmaceutical cocrystals pharmaceutical regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe issued guidance documents which may be helpful for pharmaceutical product registration in these regions. In this article, we deal with the design, synthesis, strategic aspects and characteristics of cocrystals along perspectives on its regulatory and intellectual property considerations.

Pharmaceutical Cocrystals: Regulatory and Strategic Aspects, Design and Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadade, Dipak Dilip; Pekamwar, Sanjay Sudhakar

2016-12-01

Cocrystal is a concept of the supramolecular chemistry which is gaining the extensive interest of researchers from pharmaceutical and chemical sciences and of drug regulatory agencies. The prominent reason of which is its ability to modify physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. During the development of the pharmaceutical product, formulators have to optimize the physicochemical properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Pharmaceutical cocrystals can be employed to improve vital physicochemical characteristics of a drug, including solubility, dissolution, bioavailability and stability of pharmaceutical compounds while maintaining its therapeutic activity. It is advantageous being a green synthesis approach for production of pharmaceutical compounds. The formation polymorphic forms, solvates, hydrates and salts of cocrystals during the synthesis reported in the literature which can be a potential issue in the development of pharmaceutical cocrystals. The approaches like hydrogen bonding rules, solubility parameters, screening through the CSD database or thermodynamic characteristics can be utilized for the rational design of cocrystals and selection of coformers for synthesis multi-component cocrystals. Considering the significance of pharmaceutical cocrystals pharmaceutical regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe issued guidance documents which may be helpful for pharmaceutical product registration in these regions. In this article, we deal with the design, synthesis, strategic aspects and characteristics of cocrystals along perspectives on its regulatory and intellectual property considerations.

Organic Colouring Agents in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šuleková M.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Food dyes are largely used in the process of manufacturing pharmaceutical products. The aim of such a procedure is not only to increase the attractiveness of products, but also to help patients distinguish between pharmaceuticals. Various dyes, especially organic colouring agents, may in some cases have a negative impact on the human body. They are incorporated into pharmaceutical products including tablets, hard gelatine capsules or soft gelatine capsules, lozenges, syrups, etc. This article provides an overview of the most widely used colouring agents in pharmaceuticals, their characteristics and the EU legislation which regulates their use.

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in Taiwan's surface waters: impact of waste streams from hospitals and pharmaceutical production facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Angela Yu-Chen; Tsai, Yu-Ting

2009-06-01

We investigated the occurrence and distribution of pharmaceuticals (including antibiotics, estrogens, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta-blockers, and lipid regulators) in three rivers and in the waste streams of six hospitals and four pharmaceutical production facilities in Taiwan. The most frequently detected pharmaceuticals were acetaminophen, erythromycin-H(2)O, sulfamethoxazole, and gemfibrozil. NSAIDs were the next most-often detected compounds, with a detection frequency >60%. The other analytes were not detected or were seen in only a few samples at trace concentrations. The present study demonstrates a significant discharge of human medications from hospital and drug production facilities into surface waters in the Taipei district. The high concentrations of pharmaceuticals found in the Sindian and Dahan rivers demonstrate the alarming degree to which they have been impacted by urban drainage (waste effluents from hospitals, households, and pharmaceutical production facilities). The ubiquitous occurrence at extremely high concentrations of acetaminophen and erythromycin-H(2)O in both rivers (up to 15.7 and 75.5 microg/L) and in wastewater from hospitals and pharmaceutical production facilities (up to 417.5 and 7.84 microg/L) was unique. This finding, in combination with acetaminophen's status as the drug most often prescribed by Taiwan's dominant clinical institute, suggests the potential use of acetaminophen as a molecular indicator of contamination of Taiwan's aqueous environments with untreated urban drainage.

Patrick Couvreur: inspiring pharmaceutical innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanwix, Hannah

2014-05-01

Patrick Couvreur speaks to Hannah Stanwix, Managing Comissioning Editor: Professor Patrick Couvreur received his pharmacy degree from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) in 1972. He holds a PhD in pharmaceutical technology from the same university and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (Zürich, Switzerland). Since 1984, Professor Couvreur has been Full Professor of Pharmacy at the Paris-Sud University (Paris, France) and was holder of the Chair of Innovation Technologique at the prestigious Collège de France (Paris, France). He has published more than 450 peer-reviewed articles and has an H-index of 73, with over 19,000 citations. Professor Coureur has been recognized by numerous national and international awards, including the 2004 Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress Award, the prestigious Host Madsen Medal, the Prix Galien, the European Pharmaceutical Scientist Award 2011 from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Médaille de l'Innovation from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and recently the European Inventor Award 2013 from the European Patent Office.

Coordinated research project on radiation sterilization and decontamination of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical raw materials. CRP report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Radiation processing is a very convenient tool for imparting desirable effects in materials and it has been an area of enormous interest in the last few decades. Radiation processing of synthetic and natural polymers for improving their characteristics is largely used in laboratory and industrial scale. Radiation sterilization is a well developed and established technology for many products. It is especially useful for the treatment of pharmaceuticals due to flexibility of radiation processing to be carried out at any desired temperature, sterilizability of mixed products in kits, offering simultaneous sterilization and modification of polymer based formulations. The success of radiation technology for processing of synthetic and natural polymers and treatment of pharmaceuticals has been based, to a large extent, on empirical knowledge. But now, the applications of natural polymers are being sought in knowledge-demanding areas such as pharmacy and biotechnology. Reliable analytical methods are being developed for controlling of degradation effects of radiation on polymers. Procedures and chemical formulations are being investigated enhancing or preventing degradation effects depending on the desired application of the process. The Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on the use of radiation processing for sterilization or decontamination of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical raw materials has been completed in 2002. The overall objective of the CRP was to coordinate the research and development programmes carried out in different countries in use of radiation processing for sterilization or decontamination of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutic raw materials. It has been concluded that in addition to well known advantages of radiation sterilization being a well developed and established technology requiring the control of only one parameter, dose, to achieve sterilization; it is especially useful for the treatment of pharmaceuticals due to flexibility of radiation

Coordinated research project on radiation sterilization and decontamination of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical raw materials. CRP report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

Radiation processing is a very convenient tool for imparting desirable effects in materials and it has been an area of enormous interest in the last few decades. Radiation processing of synthetic and natural polymers for improving their characteristics is largely used in laboratory and industrial scale. Radiation sterilization is a well developed and established technology for many products. It is especially useful for the treatment of pharmaceuticals due to flexibility of radiation processing to be carried out at any desired temperature, sterilizability of mixed products in kits, offering simultaneous sterilization and modification of polymer based formulations. The success of radiation technology for processing of synthetic and natural polymers and treatment of pharmaceuticals has been based, to a large extent, on empirical knowledge. But now, the applications of natural polymers are being sought in knowledge-demanding areas such as pharmacy and biotechnology. Reliable analytical methods are being developed for controlling of degradation effects of radiation on polymers. Procedures and chemical formulations are being investigated enhancing or preventing degradation effects depending on the desired application of the process. The Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on the use of radiation processing for sterilization or decontamination of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical raw materials has been completed in 2002. The overall objective of the CRP was to coordinate the research and development programmes carried out in different countries in use of radiation processing for sterilization or decontamination of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutic raw materials. It has been concluded that in addition to well known advantages of radiation sterilization being a well developed and established technology requiring the control of only one parameter, dose, to achieve sterilization; it is especially useful for the treatment of pharmaceuticals due to flexibility of radiation

A Survey of 42 Semi-Volatile Organic Contaminants in Groundwater along the Grand Canal from Hangzhou to Beijing, East China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaojie Li

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The status of organic pollution in groundwater in eastern China along the Grand Canal from Hangzhou to Beijing was evaluated. Forty-two semi-volatile organic contaminants were analyzed, including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, 12 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs and seven organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs. Among the detected contaminants, PAHs were the most widespread compounds. One PCB and six OCPs were detected in the groundwater samples, but none of the target OPPs was detected. The total concentration of the 16 PAHs ranged from 0.21 to 1006 ng/L, among which phenanthrene (271 ng/L and fluoranthene (233 ng/L were present at very high concentrations and naphthalene (32 positive detections in 50 samples and fluorene (28 detections in 50 samples were the most frequently detected. Benzo[a]pyrene equivalents indicated a high environmental risk related to PAHs in a few groundwater samples. To identify the possible sources of PAHs, three concentration ratios, low molecular weight PAHs/high molecular weight PAHs, anthracene/(anthracene + phenanthrene and fluoranthene/(fluoranthene + pyrene, were determined, that indicated that the PAHs mainly originated from mixed sources: pyrolytic and petrogenic sources with different ratios at different sites.

FORMATION AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN PROMOTION OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Юрий Владимирович Тарасов

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The articles addresses key notions and elements of marketing of pharmaceutical companies. Key stages and particularities of formation of pharmaceutical marketing are considered. It is proved that in general pharmaceutical market is developing under general marketing rules, however while developing strategy of promotion of pharmaceutical products specific features of the industry must be taken into consideration. The authors describes specific features of modern pharmaceutical market, which must be considered while developing policy of promotion of pharmaceutical products.The analysis is made of modern state of Russian pharmaceutical industry, its place in world pharmaceutical market. It is found that development of pharmaceutical market is directly influenced by the reform of pharmaceutical industry initiated by the Government of our country in 2008. Characteristic of current stage of market development is more strict conditions in marketing sphere and promotion of drugs. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-12-2

Pharmaceutical care education in Kuwait: pharmacy students’ perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katoue MG

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Pharmaceutical care is defined as the responsible provision of medication therapy to achieve definite outcomes that improve patients’ quality of life. Pharmacy education should equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to practise pharmaceutical care competently. Objective: To investigate pharmacy students’ attitudes towards pharmaceutical care, perceptions of their preparedness to perform pharmaceutical care competencies, opinions about the importance of the various pharmaceutical care activities, and the barriers to its implementation in Kuwait. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey of pharmacy students (n=126 was conducted at Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University. Data were collected via a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including percentages, medians and means Likert scale rating (SD were calculated and compared using SPSS, version 19. Statistical significance was accepted at a p value of 0.05 or lower. Results: The response rate was 99.2%. Pharmacy students expressed overall positive attitudes towards pharmaceutical care. They felt prepared to implement the various aspects of pharmaceutical care, with the least preparedness in the administrative/management aspects. Perceived pharmaceutical care competencies grew as students progressed through the curriculum. The students also appreciated the importance of the various pharmaceutical care competencies. They agreed/strongly agreed that the major barriers to the integration of pharmaceutical care into practice were lack of private counseling areas or inappropriate pharmacy layout (95.2%, lack of pharmacist time (83.3%, organizational obstacles (82.6%, and pharmacists’ physical separation from patient care areas (82.6%. Conclusion: Pharmacy students’ attitudes and perceived preparedness can serve as needs assessment tools to guide curricular change and improvement. Student pharmacists at Kuwait University

Supply Chain Management in Zhendong Pharmaceutical Company

OpenAIRE

Li, Yan

2011-01-01

Medicines are special commodity related to people’s lives and health, therefore, pharmaceutical distribution is an industry affecting the national economy and the people's livelihood. With health care reform, changeable pharmaceutical policy and fiercely increasing competition in the medical industry, pharmaceutical distribution companies should improve their level of logistics operations and reduce overall logistics management costs in order to gain a leading position in the competition. In ...

[Fourcroy and pharmaceutical journals].

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnemain, Bruno

2011-04-01

Cadet de Gassicourt wrote a brief Eloge of Fourcroy in January 1810 as he died in December of 1809. Fourcroy had a major role concerning the new ideas on the place of pharmacy at the beginning of the 19th century. Fourcroy has had a key influence for the start of several pharmaceutical journals that wanted to emphasize the link between the new chemistry and pharmacy. None of these journals created with him will survive and one has to wait for 1909 to see the creation, without Fourcroy, of a new pharmaceutical journal, the "Journal de Pharmacie" that will become "Journal de Pharmacie et des Sciences accessoires", then "Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie", before taking the name of"Annales Pharmaceutiques Françaises", the present official journal of the French Academy of Pharmacy. In spite of the essential role of Fourcroy at the start of pharmaceutical journals, Cadet did not even mention it in his Eloge of 1810.

NMR imaging and pharmaceutical sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beall, P.T.; Good, W.R.

1986-01-01

Described is the technique of NMR-imaging in diagnostic medicine. Proton and phosphorus NMR in diagnosis of abnormal tissue pathology. Discussed is the value of NMR to the pharmaceutical sciences. NMR may play an important role in monitoring the response of tissues to drugs, determining the localization of drugs, performing real time pharmacokinetics and testing the use of NMR contrast pharmaceuticals

Bioremediation Kinetics of Pharmaceutical Industrial Effluent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Šabić

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In recent years, concerns about the occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals that could be present in water and wastewater has gained increasing attention. With the public’s enhanced awareness of eco-safety, environmentally benign methods based on microorganisms have become more accepted methods of removing pollutants from aquatic systems. This study investigates bioremediation of pharmaceutical wastewater from pharmaceutical company Pliva Hrvatska d.o.o., using activated sludge and bioaugmented activated sludge with isolated mixed bacterial culture. The experiments were conducted in a batch reactor in submerged conditions, at initial concentration of organic matter in pharmaceutical wastewater, expressed as COD, 5.01 g dm–3 and different initial concentrations of activated sludge, which ranged from 1.16 to 3.54 g dm–3. During the experiments, the COD, pH, concentrations of dissolved oxygen and biomass were monitored. Microscopic analyses were performed to monitor the quality of activated sludge. Before starting with the bioremediation in the batch reactor, toxicity of the pharmaceutical wastewater was determined by toxicity test using bacteria Vibrio fischeri. The obtained results showed that the effective concentration of the pharmaceutical wastewater was EC50 = 17 % and toxicity impact index was TII50 = 5.9, meaning that the untreated pharmaceutical industrial effluent must not be discharged into the environment before treatment. The results of the pharmaceutical wastewater bioremediation process in the batch reactor are presented in Table 1. The ratio γXv ⁄ γX maintained high values throughout all experiments and ranged from 0.90 and 0.95, suggesting that the concentrations of biomass remained unchanged during the experiments. The important kinetic parameters required for performance of the biological removal process, namely μmax, Ks, Ki, Y and kd were calculated from batch experiments (Table 2. Figs. 1 and 2 show the experimental

Radiation decontamination of pharmaceutical raw materials as an integral part of the good pharmaceutical manufacturing practice (GPMP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Razem, D; Katusin-Razem, B [Institut Rudjer Boskovic, Zagreb (Yugoslavia); Starcevic, M; Galekovic, B [PLIVA Pharmaceutical Works, Zagreb (Yugoslavia)

1990-01-01

The microbiological quality of many raw materials used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and adjuvants often fails to meet the standards set by the pharmaceutical industry. Raw materials of biological provenience are particularly susceptible to contamination. This work describes the present situation regarding the microbial load of corn starch. Given the accepted microbiological criteria, irradiation treatment is proposed as integral to Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice (GPMP). The use of total viable count as a guide for specifying microbial limits for non-sterile materials is supported. Criteria for the choice of dose are discussed. (author).

Radiation decontamination of pharmaceutical raw materials as an integral part of the good pharmaceutical manufacturing practice (GPMP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razem, D.; Katusin-Razem, B.; Starcevic, M.; Galekovic, B.

1990-01-01

The microbiological quality of many raw materials used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and adjuvants often fails to meet the standards set by the pharmaceutical industry. Raw materials of biological provenience are particularly susceptible to contamination. This work describes the present situation regarding the microbial load of corn starch. Given the accepted microbiological criteria, irradiation treatment is proposed as integral to Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice (GPMP). The use of total viable count as a guide for specifying microbial limits for non-sterile materials is supported. Criteria for the choice of dose are discussed. (author)

Nurse practitioners' perceptions and participation in pharmaceutical marketing.

Science.gov (United States)

Crigger, Nancy; Barnes, Kristen; Junko, Autumn; Rahal, Sarah; Sheek, Casey

2009-03-01

This paper reports on a study conducted to describe family nurse practitioners' perceptions towards and participation in pharmaceutical marketing and to explore the relationships among related variables. The pharmaceutical industry's intense global marketing strategies have resulted in widespread concern in healthcare professionals and professional groups, sectors of the public in many countries, and in the World Health Organization. Research on healthcare providers' participation in pharmaceutical marketing indicates that these relationships are conflicts of interests and compromise healthcare providers' prescribing practices and trust. Nursing, as a discipline, appears to be slow to address the impact of pharmaceutical marketing on nursing practice. Questionnaires about perceptions and participation in pharmaceutical marketing were completed by a random sample of 84 licensed family nurse practitioners in the United States of America in 2007. Family nurse practitioners viewed pharmaceutical company marketing uncritically as educational and beneficial. They also perceived other providers but not themselves as influenced by pharmaceutical marketing. The findings supported those found in previous research with nurses and physicians. Lack of education, participation in marketing and psychological and social responses may impede family nurse practitioners' ability to respond critically and appropriately to marketing strategies and the conflict of interest it creates.

Pharmaceutical drug detailing in primary care: extent and methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schramm, Jesper

The dimension and methods of pharmaceutical marketing towards 47 danish general practitioners is described. Conclusions: Pharmaceutical drug detailing possesses a huge potential to influence the prescription pattern of GP's.......The dimension and methods of pharmaceutical marketing towards 47 danish general practitioners is described. Conclusions: Pharmaceutical drug detailing possesses a huge potential to influence the prescription pattern of GP's....

EU pharmaceutical expenditure forecast.

Science.gov (United States)

Urbinati, Duccio; Rémuzat, Cécile; Kornfeld, Åsa; Vataire, Anne-Lise; Cetinsoy, Laurent; Aballéa, Samuel; Mzoughi, Olfa; Toumi, Mondher

2014-01-01

With constant incentives for healthcare payers to contain their pharmaceutical budgets, forecasting has become critically important. Some countries have, for instance, developed pharmaceutical horizon scanning units. The objective of this project was to build a model to assess the net effect of the entrance of new patented medicinal products versus medicinal products going off-patent, with a defined forecast horizon, on selected European Union (EU) Member States' pharmaceutical budgets. This model took into account population ageing, as well as current and future country-specific pricing, reimbursement, and market access policies (the project was performed for the European Commission; see http://ec.europa.eu/health/healthcare/key_documents/index_en.htm). In order to have a representative heterogeneity of EU Member States, the following countries were selected for the analysis: France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. A forecasting period of 5 years (2012-2016) was chosen to assess the net pharmaceutical budget impact. A model for generics and biosimilars was developed for each country. The model estimated a separate and combined effect of the direct and indirect impacts of the patent cliff. A second model, estimating the sales development and the risk of development failure, was developed for new drugs. New drugs were reviewed individually to assess their clinical potential and translate it into commercial potential. The forecast was carried out according to three perspectives (healthcare public payer, society, and manufacturer), and several types of distribution chains (retail, hospital, and combined retail and hospital). Probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses were carried out. According to the model, all countries experienced drug budget reductions except Poland (+€41 million). Savings were expected to be the highest in the United Kingdom (-€9,367 million), France (-€5,589 million), and, far behind them

Doctors and pharmaceutical industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Beran, Roy G

2009-09-01

The pharmaceutical industry is seen as seducing doctors by providing expensive gifts, subsidising travel and underwriting practice expenses in return for those doctors prescribing products that otherwise they would not use. This paints doctors in a very negative light; suggests doctors are available to the highest bidder; implies doctors do not adequately act as independent agents; and that doctors are driven more by self-interest than by patient needs. Similar practices, in other industries, are accepted as normal business behaviour but it is automatically assumed to be improper if the pharmaceutical industry supports doctors. Should the pharmaceutical industry withdraw educational grants then there would be: fewer scientific meetings; reduced attendance at conferences; limited post graduate education; and a depreciated level of maintenance of professional standards. To suggest that doctors prescribe inappropriately in return for largesse maligns their integrity but where there is no scientific reason to choose between different treatments then there can be little argument against selecting the product manufactured by a company that has invested in the doctor and the question arises as to whether this represents bad medicine? This paper will examine what constitutes non-professional conduct in response to inducements by the pharmaceutical industry. It will review: conflict of interest; relationships between doctors and pharma and the consequences for patients; and the need for critical appraisal before automatically decrying this relationship while accepting that there remain those who do not practice ethical medicine.

The Impact of Biotechnology on Pharmaceutics.

Science.gov (United States)

Block, Lawrence H.

1990-01-01

The emergence of bioactive peptides and proteins as new drug species poses formidable problems for the pharmaceutical scientist. Implications for revision or change in undergraduate and graduate pharmaceutics curricula derive from the biopharmaceutical, pharmacokinetic, and physiochemical aspects of the new drug species, which differ from…

Pharmaceutical counseling: Between evidence-based medicine and profits.

Science.gov (United States)

Egorova, S N; Akhmetova, T

2015-01-01

The number of pharmacies, which produce drug formulations locally, has recently considerably reduced in Russia. Pharmacies mainly operate as retailers of industrially manufactured drugs.Pharmaceutical consultation of customers at pharmacies aimed at responsible self-medication is the most popular and accessible feature of pharmaceutical care. In Russia there is a significant list of medicines approved for sale in pharmacies on a non-prescription basis that is specified in the product label. In this regard, the role of pharmacists in public health in Russia increases. Pharmacist, working directly with population, is an important figure for the rational use of medicines. This type of work requires high level of professional training and appropriate ethics. To explore the current status of pharmaceutical counseling in Russia. Situation analysis, surveys of pharmacists. Our experience in the system of postgraduate professional education, the results of the survey of pharmacists, and the long-term dialogue with pharmacists allowed us to identify several unresolved issues in the work of a pharmacist selling non-prescription drugs.Lack of differentiation in the functions of a pharmacist with a higher education and pharmaceutical technologist: In production/industrial pharmacy technicians are engaged in manufacturing of pharmaceutical formulations. However, due to the loss of production functions technologists had to move away from production laboratories of apothecaries to the sales area. Currently, the apothecary's assignment to receive prescriptions and dispense medications can be fulfilled by either a pharmacist or a pharmaceutical technician. It significantly discerns the pharmacy from the medical organization with clearly delineated functions of doctors and nurses. Russian regulations should consider the level of education required for high-quality pharmaceutical counseling.Contradiction between the pharmacist's special functions and trade procedure with the lack of

[The aspects of pricing policy in Azerbaijan pharmaceutical sector].

Science.gov (United States)

Dzhalilova, K I; Alieva, K Ia

2012-01-01

The effect of macro-, middle- and microeconomic factors on price formation in Azerbaijan pharmaceutical market has been studied. Worldwide pharmaceutical leaders have the goals to become leader on the pharmaceutical market of Azerbaijan and maximize their market share. Non-leaders pharmaceutical companies use different strategies of price formation: prime cost plus markup, or price formation on the base of current prices. It was revealed that domestic pharmaceutical market has high demand elasticity. Future market development is related to stimulation of product development, and hard penetration to the market through realization of price formation strategy. Non-state pharmaceutical organizations to achieve the purpose of survive in conditions of high competition should take in to account the factor perceptions of assortment by customers.

Uptake and depuration of pharmaceuticals in aquatic invertebrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meredith-Williams, Melanie; Carter, Laura J.; Fussell, Richard; Raffaelli, David; Ashauer, Roman; Boxall, Alistair B.A.

2012-01-01

The uptake and depuration of a range of pharmaceuticals in the freshwater shrimp (Gammarus pulex) and the water boatman (Notonecta glauca) was studied. For one compound, studies were also done using the freshwater snail Planobarius corneus. In G. pulex, bioconcentration factors (BCFs) ranged from 4.6 to 185,900 and increased in the order moclobemide < 5-fluoruracil < carbamazepine < diazepam < carvedilol < fluoxetine. In N. glauca BCFs ranged from 0.1 to 1.6 and increased in the order 5-fluorouracil < carbamazepine < moclobemide < diazepam < fluoxetine < carvedilol. For P. corneus, the BCF for carvedilol was 57.3. The differences in degree of uptake across the three organisms may be due to differences in mode of respiration, behaviour and the pH of the test system. BCFs of the pharmaceuticals for each organism were correlated to the pH-corrected liposome–water partition coefficient of the pharmaceuticals. - Highlights: ► One of the first studies exploring the uptake of pharmaceuticals into aquatic invertebrates. ► Data presented on uptake, depuration rates and bioconcentration for a range of pharmaceuticals. ► Uptake is correlated with the pH-corrected liposome–water partition coefficient. ► Findings can be used to better predict impacts of pharmaceuticals on the aquatic environment. - The factors affecting the degree of uptake of pharmaceuticals into aquatic invertebrates were studied. The results indicate that species traits such as respiration and behaviour of the organisms and pH-corrected liposome–water partition coefficients are important factors in determining pharmaceutical uptake.

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing Sector (NAICS 3254)

Science.gov (United States)

Find environmental regulatory and compliance information for the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, including essential uses of CFCs, NESHAP for pharmaceutical production, effluent guidelines for wastewater and management of hazardous waste.

A model of the prescription-pharmaceutical sales process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Stros

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors in marketing most relevant to achieving pharmaceutical sales success and their interrelations, as well as providing a prescription-pharmaceuticals sales process model. This will enable scholars to obtain a better understanding of the marketing process for prescription pharmaceuticals, as well as enabling marketers to apply more efficient marketing approaches. The study uses a unique data set, combining primary data and secondary data from the Swiss prescription-pharmaceuticals market. The data is analysed using a multiple-regression based model. A multi-level data structure is found, suggesting that factors concerning the specific brand and also the pharmaceutical substance itself are relevant to sales success. It is revealed that the factors most relevant to sales success are: order of market entry, perceived product-quality, average price, and marketing expenditures, leading to practical recommendations for scholars and marketing professionals. The study focuses only on the Swiss prescription-pharmaceuticals market, investigating five medical drug classes. The assumption is made that these results can be generalised to similar markets and drug classes. The study develops a conceptual prescription-pharmaceuticals sales-process model; offers practical guidelines and a good basis for further scholarly research are provided; and identifies several research gaps by giving proposals for future research.

Toward a Regional Research Agenda on Pharmaceutical ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

African policymakers are pushing for local pharmaceutical manufacturing as a ... Africa Development Community Pharmaceutical Business Plan (2007-2013) and ... IDRC congratulates first cohort of Women in Climate Change Science Fellows.

Concept of the Ural pharmaceutical cluster formation

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Aleksandr Petrovich Petrov

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This paper substantiates the necessity of cluster organization of the pharmaceutical industry in the region. The estimation of the state and prospects of development of such structures in the domestic economy is given. Sverdlovsk region was chosen as the object of study on the possibility of forming a pharmaceutical cluster. Objective prerequisites for the organization of a cluster of pharmaceutical production in Sverdlovsk region are considered, among these were distinguished: capacious and fast-growing market for pharmaceutical products, availability of potential development of the pharmaceutical industry in the territory and the key success factors for enterprises - potential participants of the cluster. Indicated key success factors are: presence of a creative team and close interaction between business and government, high level of cooperation among the enterprises of the cluster and commercialization of products, implementation of research and development expenditures etc. Thus, it was substantiated that in there all references and resources for the formation of a pharmaceutical cluster. The concept of formation and development of the Ural pharmaceutical cluster was elaborated. Inside the concept, the goals, objectives, processing, product and organizational priorities for cluster formation are identified. Architecture of this structure with a justification of its members and certain forms of interaction between them is proposed. The stages of formation and development of the Ural pharmaceutical cluster on the basis of a ten-year settlement period for the full range of activities for this project are substantiated. At each stage, a set of key objectives and results of the cluster was defined. The choice of phases was carried out on the basis of investment programs of cluster's enterprises strategic position on the mastering of markets and infrastructure development. An assessment of socio-economic efficiency of the Ural pharmaceutical

Modelling of drying processes of pharmaceutical granules. Pharmaceutical Sciences for the Future of Medicines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortier, S.T.F.C.; Vedantam, S.; De Beer, T.

Tablets are conventionally produced via consecutive batch process steps. Recent introduction of continuous process equipment is gaining industrial importance in pharmaceutics. Transition to continuous production requires improved understanding of all operations, necessitating the development...... of mechanistic models of multi‐phase systems which in the end allow process control. This contribution focuses on continuous fluidized bed drying of pharmaceutical wet granules. A stepwise approach is used in model development, starting with the drying behaviour of single granules. Experiments to determine...

Pharmaceutical product cross-contamination: industrial and clinical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

problems. Pharmaceutical product cross-contamination is a serious problem which has been detected as an obstacle ... In the pharmaceutical care of patients in developed countries, cross-contamination ..... neonatal intensive care units.

Quality Systems Implementation in the Pharmaceutical Industry

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nafiisah

quality standards imposed on local pharmaceutical manufacturers. Keywords: Quality/ .... GMP is concerned with both production and quality control. It is aimed ... in the European pharmaceutical industry in designing their quality systems:.

PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES BETWEEN CRISIS AND COMPETITIVENESS - SECTORAL DIAGNOSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela\tBÎRSAN

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The evolution of the pharmaceutical industry was a positive constant with the indicators of industrial production even in years of crisis. Although the economic crisis in Romania decreased average growth rate of pharmaceutical companies, market value is expected to increase. The explanation comes from the fact that in order to boost productivity, pharmaceutical companies are turning to emerging countries with aging populations such as open new markets for future development. Add to this the recent health policies implemented by newly industrialized countries that are aimed at ensuring increased access to care. Analysts see the field phenomenon called "Farma-merger" a good chance for European pharmaceutical companies oriented to developing countries where drug sales should record a double-digit annual growth until 2017. In Erste Group reports stated that the impact of the crisis on the pharmaceutical industry should be limited markets for EU only their economic slowdown. This will be possible because the external indebtedness of pharmaceutical companies in the EU remains at a minimum, they are able to finance their investment plans without tapping financial markets, are not adversely affected by the current limited availability of credit resources. Therefore major pharmaceutical companies in the EU will remain a solid investment on the long term, the negative developments are limited due to high resistance to the crisis their business model segment "generic". The consequence of these developments is reflected in the recognition for the first time, the pharmaceutical sector as a strategic sector for the Romanian economy. In the context of public debate launching the National Strategy for Competitiveness 2014-2020, Generic Medicines Industry Association of Romania (APMGR local pharmaceutical industry reminds the Government proposals on correcting the current fiscal and operational regulatory framework, to allow unlocking investments in facilities

Cost benefit of investment on quality in pharmaceutical manufacturing: WHO GMP pre- and post-certification of a Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Science.gov (United States)

Anyakora, Chimezie; Ekwunife, Obinna; Alozie, Faith; Esuga, Mopa; Ukwuru, Jonathan; Onya, Steve; Nwokike, Jude

2017-09-18

Pharmaceutical companies in Africa need to invest in both facilities and quality management systems to achieve good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliance. Compliance to international GMP standards is important to the attainment of World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification. However, most of the local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies may be deterred from investing in quality because of many reasons, ranging from financial constraints to technical capacity. This paper primarily evaluates benefits against the cost of investing in GMP, using a Nigerian pharmaceutical company, Chi Pharmaceuticals Limited, as a case study. This paper also discusses how to drive more local manufacturers to invest in quality to attain GMP compliance; and proffers practical recommendations for local manufacturers who would want to invest in quality to meet ethical and regulatory obligations. The cost benefit of improving the quality of Chi Pharmaceuticals Limited's facilities and system to attain WHO GMP certification for the production of zinc sulfate 20-mg dispersible tablets was calculated by dividing the annual benefits derived from quality improvement interventions by the annual costs of implementing quality improvement interventions, referred to as a benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Cost benefit of obtaining WHO GMP certification for the production of zinc sulfate 20-mg dispersible tablets was 5.3 (95% confidence interval of 5.0-5.5). Investment in quality improvement intervention is cost-beneficial for local manufacturing companies. Governments and regulators in African countries should support pharmaceutical companies striving to invest in quality. Collaboration of local manufacturing companies with global companies will further improve quality. Local pharmaceutical companies should be encouraged to key into development opportunities available for pharmaceutical companies in Africa.

A new e-beam application in the pharmaceutical industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadat, Theo; Malcolm, Fiona

2005-01-01

The paper presents a new electron beam application in the pharmaceutical industry: an in-line self-shielded atropic transfer system using electron beam for surface decontamination of products entering a pharmaceutical filling line. The unit was developed by Linac Technologies in response to the specifications of a multi-national pharmaceutical company, to solve the risk of microbial contamination entering a filling line housed inside an isolator. In order to fit the sterilization unit inside the pharmaceutical plant, a 'miniature' low-energy (200 keV) electron beam accelerator and e-beam tunnel were designed, all conforming to the pharmaceutical good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations. Process validation using biological indicators is described, with reference to the regulations governing the pharmaceutical industry. Other industrial applications of a small-sized self-shielded electron beam sterilization unit are mentioned

Pharmaceutical regulation in 15 European countries review.

Science.gov (United States)

Panteli, Dimitra; Arickx, Francis; Cleemput, Irina; Dedet, Guillaume; Eckhardt, Helen; Fogarty, Emer; Gerkens, Sophie; Henschke, Cornelia; Hislop, Jennifer; Jommi, Claudio; Kaitelidou, Daphne; Kawalec, Pawel; Keskimaki, Ilmo; Kroneman, Madelon; Lopez Bastida, Julio; Pita Barros, Pedro; Ramsberg, Joakim; Schneider, Peter; Spillane, Susan; Vogler, Sabine; Vuorenkoski, Lauri; Wallach Kildemoes, Helle; Wouters, Olivier; Busse, Reinhard

2016-10-01

In the context of pharmaceutical care, policy-makers repeatedly face the challenge of balancing patient access to effective medicines with affordability and rising costs. With the aim of guiding the health policy discourse towards questions that are important to actual and potential patients, this study investigates a broad range of regulatory measures, spanning marketing authorization to generic substitution and resulting price levels in a sample of 16 European health systems (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Sweden). All countries employ a mix of regulatory mechanisms to contain pharmaceutical expenditure and ensure quality and efficiency in pharmaceutical care, albeit with varying configurations and rigour. This variation also influences the extent of publicly financed pharmaceutical costs. Overall, observed differences in pharmaceutical expenditure should be interpreted in conjunction with the differing volume and composition of consumption and price levels, as well as dispensation practices and their impact on measurement of pharmaceutical costs. No definitive evidence has yet been produced on the effects of different cost-containment measures on patient outcomes. Depending on the foremost policy concerns in each country, different levers will have to be used to enable the delivery of appropriate care at affordable prices. World Health Organization 2016 (acting as the host organization for, and secretariat of, the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies).

Cleaner production at pharmaceutical industry: first steps assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edilaine Conceição Rezende

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The Cleaner Production (CP is an environmental management system effective to comply the environmental obligations and promote sustainable development of enterprises. In this study, the implementing possibilities of CP practices were evaluated to pharmaceutical industry, through prior identification procedures for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practices. The study was conducted in a scientific and health care institution, which produces pharmaceutical drugs and makes assistance for public health. The production process was evaluated and made a survey of the main points of waste and sewage generations in each stage, in order to diagnose the measures of CP established and propose new actions. Thus, by using this tool, it was possible to demonstrate the reduction of environmental impacts associated with pharmaceutical production. The Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practices also contributed to the implementation of measures CP, preserving the final product quality, and generating environmental and economic benefits.

Pharmaceutical services and health promotion: how far have we gone and how are we faring? Scientific output in pharmaceutical studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carina Akemi Nakamura

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the scientific output on health promotion within the pharmaceutical field and its relation with the development of pharmaceutical services within health systems. A comprehensive review of published scientific articles from the Medline and Lilacs databases was carried out. The review comprised articles published until December 2011, and used combinations of the terms 'health promotion' or 'health education' and 'pharmacy', 'pharmacist' or 'pharmaceutical'. The articles were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 170 full texts and 87 indexed abstracts were analyzed, evidencing that most described actions of health promotion in community pharmacies and other services. Following the Ottawa Charter, most of the studies dealt with new guidance of the service and the supply of pharmaceutical information and services. It was concluded that there is a lack of theoretical background on health promotion in the pharmaceutical field to sustain the professional education and practice required by the health system and the population.

Pharmaceutical interventions by collaboration between staff pharmacists and clinical pharmacists and implementation of Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards on medication use may optimize pharmacotherapy in geriatric patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen M

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Meng Chen, Quan Zhou Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of ChinaWe read with great interest the prospective study by Cortejoso et al,1 which describes the characteristics of pharmaceutical interventions in two geriatric wards (orthogeriatric ward and geriatric day unit of a general teaching hospital. We strongly agree with their finding that shows the importance of clinical pharmacist involvement in the optimization of pharmacotherapy in elderly patients. Furthermore, we especially appreciate their new and interesting findings that the clinical pharmacist was more frequently requested by physicians and nurses for information about the pharmacotherapy of the patients on the geriatric day unit, compared with the orthogeriatric ward at admission and discharge (5.7% vs 1.2% and 1.7%, respectively, P<0.05, and that the pharmacist asked for more confirmation of the physician orders on the geriatric day unit rather than the orthogeriatric ward (19.8% vs 1.8% and 15.7% at admission and discharge, respectively, P<0.05. We are from a Joint Commission International (JCI-accredited academic medical center hospital with 3200 beds in China. Safe medication management and use are pivotal to patient safety and quality of care on which the state-of-the-art standards of the Joint Commission focus. We would like to share our perspectives in the following paragraphs.View original paper by Cortejoso and colleagues. 

East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences An ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An Approach to Effective Disinfection of Salon Items [clippers, combs and scissors]. O.S. OLONITOLA'*, P.F. OLURINOLA~ ... 2~epartment of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical. Sciences, Ahmadu Bello ... antimicrobial products with increased value over those currently available.

The use of atomic spectroscopy in the pharmaceutical industry for the determination of trace elements in pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewen, Nancy

2011-06-25

The subject of the analysis of various elements, including metals and metalloids, in the pharmaceutical industry has seen increasing importance in the last 10-15 years, as modern analytical instrumentation has afforded analysts with the opportunity to provide element-specific, accurate and meaningful information related to pharmaceutical products. Armed with toxicological data, compendial and regulatory agencies have revisited traditional approaches to the testing of pharmaceuticals for metals and metalloids, and analysts have begun to employ the techniques of atomic spectroscopy, such as flame- and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS, Flame AA or FAA and GFAAS), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), to meet their analytical needs. Newer techniques, such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser Ablation ICP-MS (LAICP-MS) are also beginning to see wider applications in the analysis of elements in the pharmaceutical industry.This article will provide a perspective regarding the various applications of atomic spectroscopy in the analysis of metals and metalloids in drug products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API's), raw materials and intermediates. The application of atomic spectroscopy in the analysis of metals and metalloids in clinical samples, nutraceutical, metabolism and pharmacokinetic samples will not be addressed in this work. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

X-ray attenuation coefficients and photoelectric cross sections of Cu, Fe and Sn for the energy range 3-29 KeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Dachun; Yang Hua; Luo Pingan; Ding Xunliang; Wang Xinfu; Zhou Hongyu; Shen Xinyin; Zhu Guanghua

1991-08-01

The document contains the following two papers: X-ray attenuation coefficient and photoelectric cross sections of Sn for the Energy Range 3.3 KeV to 29.1 KeV - by Wang Dachun, Yang Hua and Luo Pingan. X-ray attenuation coefficients and photoelectric cross sections of Cu and Fe for the range 3 KeV to 29 KeV - by Wang Dachun, Ding Xunliang, Wang Xinfu, Yang Hua, Zhou Hongyu, Shen Xinyin and Zhu Guanghua. A separate abstract was prepared for each of these papers. Refs, figs and tabs

Pharmaceutical policy and the lay public

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Traulsen, Janine Marie; Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna

2005-01-01

Almost every national and supranational health policy document accords high importance to the need to listen to and 'empower' patients. The relationship between pharmaceutical policy and the lay public is not direct but mediated by several actors, including health care workers, patient organisati......Almost every national and supranational health policy document accords high importance to the need to listen to and 'empower' patients. The relationship between pharmaceutical policy and the lay public is not direct but mediated by several actors, including health care workers, patient...... organisations, industry and, most recently, the media. Although the overall aim of health and pharmaceutical policy is to address the needs of all citizens, there are only a few, well organised groups who are actually consulted and involved in the policymaking process, often with the support of the industry....... The reasons for this lack of citizen involvement in health and pharmaceutical policymaking are many, for example: there is no consensus about what public involvement means; there is a predominance of special interest groups with narrow, specific agendas; not all decision makers welcome lay participation...

Pharmaceutical care in the Netherlands. History, definition and projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Mil, J.W F

1996-01-01

The evolving concept of Pharmaceutical Care knows different interpretations in a different countries. In the Netherlands community pharmacists already perform several functions which may be part of the Pharmaceutical Care concept. The Dutch concept of Pharmaceutical care is tested in the TOM and

Pharmaceutical new product development: the increasing role of in-licensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Nancy V

2008-12-01

Many pharmaceutical companies are facing a pipeline gap because of the increasing economic burden and uncertainty associated with internal research and development programs designed to develop new pharmaceutical products. To fill this pipeline gap, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly relying on in-licensing opportunities. New business development identifies new pharmaceuticals that satisfy unmet needs and are a good strategic fit for the company, completes valuation models and forecasts, evaluates the ability of the company to develop and launch products, and pursues in-licensing agreements for pharmaceuticals that cannot be developed internally on a timely basis. These agreements involve the transfer of access rights for patents, trademarks, or similar intellectual property from an outside company in exchange for payments. Despite the risks, in-licensing is increasingly becoming the preferred method for pharmaceutical companies with pipeline gaps to bring new pharmaceuticals to the clinician.

Care ideologies reflected in 4 conceptions of pharmaceutical care.

Science.gov (United States)

Björkman, Ingeborg K; Bernsten, Cecilia B; Sanner, Margareta A

2008-12-01

Different ways to practice pharmaceutical care have been developed. One expression of this fact is the existence of many different classification systems to document drug-related problems (DRPs). Evidence suggests that classification systems have different characteristics and that these characteristics reflect different conceptions of pharmaceutical care. To increase the understanding of conceptions of pharmaceutical care, underlying values and beliefs (ideologies) can be explored. To explore various conceptions of pharmaceutical care to identify the care ideologies on which these conceptions are based. Representatives of 4 selected conceptions of pharmaceutical care were interviewed in face-to-face meetings. During the interviews, 4 basic questions were asked. Three were focused on pharmaceutical care and 1 on DRPs. Interview transcripts were analyzed by an inductive method inspired by grounded theory. The conceptions studied were Strand, Granada-II, PCNE v5.0, and Apoteket. In Strand, patients are given a more active role in the pharmaceutical care process, as compared to Granada-II, PCNE v5.0, and Apoteket. Pharmacists in all the conceptions of pharmaceutical care assume they have special knowledge that patients benefit from. However, they use their knowledge in different ways in the various pharmaceutical care conceptions. In Strand, individual goals of drug therapy are established together with the patient, whereas in Granada-II, PCNE, and Apoteket goals are not explicitly discussed. The identified differences correspond to different care ideologies. The pharmaceutical care conceptions are based on different care ideologies. The ideology is expressed in how therapy goals are set and patient needs defined. Strand is based on a patient-centered ideology; patient therapy goals and needs are defined by the patient together with the practitioners. Granada-II, PCNE, and Apoteket are based on an evidence-based medicine approach; patient therapy goals and needs are

Cell-Based Veterinary Pharmaceuticals - Basic Legal Parameters Set by the Veterinary Pharmaceutical Law and the Genetic Engineering Law of the European Union.

Science.gov (United States)

Faltus, Timo; Brehm, Walter

2016-01-01

Cell-based therapies have been in use in veterinary medicine for years. However, the legal requirement of manufacturing, placing on the market and use of cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals are not as well developed as the respective requirements of chemical pharmaceuticals. Cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals are medicinal products in the sense of the pharmaceutical law of the European Union (EU). For that reason, such medicinal products principally require official approval for their manufacture and an official marketing authorization for their placement on the market before being used by the veterinarian. The manufacture, placing on the market, and use of cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals without manufacturing approval and marketing authorization is permitted only in certain exceptional cases determined by EU and individual Member State law. Violations of this requirement may have consequences for the respective veterinarian under criminal law and under the code of professional conduct in the respective Member State. The regular use of cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals within the scope of a therapeutic emergency as well as the import of such veterinary pharmaceuticals from non-European countries for use in the EU are currently out of the question in the EU because of a lack of legal bases. Here, we review the general legal requirement of manufacturing, placing on the market, and use of cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals within the EU and point out different implementations of EU law within the different Member States.

Supercritical fluid technology: concepts and pharmaceutical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Deshpande, Praful Balavant; Kumar, G Aravind; Kumar, Averineni Ranjith; Shavi, Gopal Venkatesh; Karthik, Arumugam; Reddy, Meka Sreenivasa; Udupa, Nayanabhirama

2011-01-01

In light of environmental apprehension, supercritical fluid technology (SFT) exhibits excellent opportunities to accomplish key objectives in the drug delivery sector. Supercritical fluid extraction using carbon dioxide (CO(2)) has been recognized as a green technology. It is a clean and versatile solvent with gas-like diffusivity and liquid-like density in the supercritical phase, which has provided an excellent alternative to the use of chemical solvents. The present commentary provides an overview of different techniques using supercritical fluids and their future opportunity for the drug delivery industry. Some of the emerging applications of SFT in pharmaceuticals, such as particle design, drug solubilization, inclusion complex, polymer impregnation, polymorphism, drug extraction process, and analysis, are also covered in this review. The data collection methods are based on the recent literature related to drug delivery systems using SFT platforms. SFT has become a much more versatile and environmentally attractive technology that can handle a variety of complicated problems in pharmaceuticals. This cutting-edge technology is growing predominantly to surrogate conventional unit operations in relevance to the pharmaceutical production process. Supercritical fluid technology has recently drawn attention in the field of pharmaceuticals. It is a distinct conception that utilizes the solvent properties of supercritical fluids above their critical temperature and pressure, where they exhibit both liquid-like and gas-like properties, which can enable many pharmaceutical applications. For example, the liquid-like properties provide benefits in extraction processes of organic solvents or impurities, drug solubilization, and polymer plasticization, and the gas-like features facilitate mass transfer processes. It has become a much more versatile and environmentally attractive technology that can handle a variety of complicated problems in pharmaceuticals. This review is

A strategy to improve skills in pharmaceutical supply management in East Africa: the regional technical resource collaboration for pharmaceutical management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minzi Omary

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background International initiatives such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President's Malaria Initiative have significantly increased availability and access to medicines in some parts of the developing world. Despite this, however, skills remain limited on quantifying needs for medications and ordering, receiving and storing medications appropriately; recording medications inventories accurately; distributing medications for use appropriately; and advising patients on how to use medications appropriately. The Regional Technical Resource Collaboration for Pharmaceutical Management (RTRC has been established to help address the problem of skills shortage in pharmaceutical management in East Africa. Methods The initiative brings together academic institutions from four East African countries to participate in skills-building activities in pharmaceutical supply management. The initiative targeted the institutions' ability to conduct assessments of pharmaceutical supply management systems and to develop and implement effective skills-building programmes for pharmaceutical supply chain management. Results Over a two-year period, the RTRC succeeded in conducting assessments of pharmaceutical supply management systems and practices in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. In 2006, the RTRC participated in a materials-development workshop in Kampala, Uganda, and contributed to the development of comprehensive HIV/AIDS pharmaceutical management training materials; these materials are now widely available in all four countries. In Tanzania and Uganda the RTRC has been involved with the training of health care workers in HIV/AIDS pharmaceutical management. In Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda the RTRC has been conducting operations research to find solutions to their countries' skills-shortage problems. Some of the interventions tested include applying and evaluating the

Internet pharmaceutical sales: attributes, concerns, and future forecast.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruckel, Katy; Capozzoli, Ernest A

2003-01-01

Internet pharmaceutical sales continue to skyrocket as healthcare providers and consumers are increasingly relying on the efficiencies and convenience that is available via such transactions. Managed care companies, increasing demands to reduce healthcare inefficiencies while maximizing the quality of patient care is a significant contributing factor to the expanding utilization and success of online pharmaceutical sales. However, with the expansion of Internet pharmaceutical sales, healthcare providers, pharmacy benefit management and insurance companies, and consumers realize new opportunities and risks. This paper will review the attributes and concerns associated with online pharmaceutical sales, discussing current and pending legislation intended to more effectively manage these parameters.

The ethics of the medical-pharmaceutical relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Vashi, Neelam A; Latkowski, Jo-Ann M

2012-01-01

Physician interaction with the pharmaceutical industry raises many ethical concerns. This relationship is complex, owing to a pluralism of beliefs held by physicians, patients, and third parties. As a result, determining whether physicians fulfill their responsibilities to both the professional and public communities is an arduous endeavor. In an effort to clarify the situation and provide transparency to this complex relationship, medical and pharmaceutical organizations have enacted their own respective codes and guidelines. Even with adherence to these guidelines, questions remain regarding the codependent relationship that interweaves the pharmaceutical industry with the medical community. Owing to the ever-changing landscape enmeshing product development, scientific advancement, corporate realities and patient care, the proper choice for physicians is rarely obvious; however, to operate to the highest standards, those in the medical community must be candid about relations with the pharmaceutical industry and transparent in their financial interests. Further undertakings should focus not on the eradication of physician-pharmaceutical interaction, but instead on the education of physicians about industry marketing strategies and the delineation of boundaries of these interactions to benefit not the individual physician, but our patients. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Pharmaceutical care in smoking cessation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marín Armero A

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Alicia Marín Armero,1 Miguel A Calleja Hernandez,2 Sabina Perez-Vicente,3 Fernando Martinez-Martinez4 1Community Pharmacy, Murcia, Spain; 2Hospital Pharmacy, University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain; 3Result Evaluation Unit, Institute of Biomedicine, Sevilla, Spain; 4Research Unit in Pharmaceutical Care, University of Granada, Granada, Spain Abstract: As a determining factor in various diseases and the leading known cause of preventable mortality and morbidity, tobacco use is the number one public health problem in developed countries. Facing this health problem requires authorities and health professionals to promote, via specific programs, health campaigns that improve patients’ access to smoking cessation services. Pharmaceutical care has a number of specific characteristics that enable the pharmacist, as a health professional, to play an active role in dealing with smoking and deliver positive smoking cessation interventions. The objectives of the study were to assess the efficacy of a smoking cessation campaign carried out at a pharmaceutical care center and to evaluate the effects of pharmaceutical care on patients who decide to try to stop smoking. The methodology was an open, analytical, pre–post intervention, quasi-experimental clinical study performed with one patient cohort. The results of the study were that the promotional campaign for the smoking cessation program increased the number of patients from one to 22, and after 12 months into the study, 43.48% of the total number of patients achieved total smoking cessation. We can conclude that advertising of a smoking cessation program in a pharmacy increases the number of patients who use the pharmacy’s smoking cessation services, and pharmaceutical care is an effective means of achieving smoking cessation. Keywords: community pharmacy, health campaign, tobacco cessation, nicotine replacement therapy

Synthetic biology advances for pharmaceutical production

OpenAIRE

Breitling, Rainer; Takano, Eriko

2015-01-01

Synthetic biology enables a new generation of microbial engineering for the biotechnological production of pharmaceuticals and other high-value chemicals. This review presents an overview of recent advances in the field, describing new computational and experimental tools for the discovery, optimization and production of bioactive molecules, and outlining progress towards the application of these tools to pharmaceutical production systems.

Pricing and Reimbursement in U.S. Pharmaceutical Markets

OpenAIRE

Newhouse, Joseph Paul; Berndt, Ernst R.

2010-01-01

In this survey chapter on pricing and reimbursement in U.S. pharmaceutical markets, we first provide background information on important federal legislation, institutional details regarding distribution channel logistics, definitions of alternative price measures, related historical developments, and reasons why price discrimination is highly prevalent among branded pharmaceuticals. We then present a theoretical framework for the pricing of branded pharmaceuticals, without and then in the pre...

Assessing the assessments: Pharmaceuticals in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enick, O.V.; Moore, M.M.

2007-01-01

The relatively new issue of pharmaceutical contamination of the environment offers the opportunity to explore the application of values to the construction, communication and management of risk. The still-developing regulatory policies regarding environmental contamination with pharmaceuticals provide fertile ground for the introduction of values into the definition and management of risk. In this report, we summarize the current knowledge regarding pharmaceutical contamination of the environment and discuss specific attributes of pharmaceuticals that require special consideration. We then present an analysis showing that if values are incorporated into assessing, characterizing and managing risk, the results of risk assessments will more accurately reflect the needs of various stakeholders. Originating from an acknowledgement of the inherent uncertainty and value-laden nature of risk assessment, the precautionary principle (and later, the multi-criteria, integrated risk assessment), provides a direction for further research and policy development

42 CFR 416.48 - Condition for coverage-Pharmaceutical services.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Condition for coverage-Pharmaceutical services. 416... Coverage § 416.48 Condition for coverage—Pharmaceutical services. The ASC must provide drugs and... direction of an individual designated responsible for pharmaceutical services. (a) Standard: Administration...

Value of pharmaceuticals: ensuring the future of research and development.

Science.gov (United States)

Serajuddin, Hamida K; Serajuddin, Abu T M

2006-01-01

To analyze the current situation under which the pharmaceutical industry is criticized for the production of drugs with potential adverse effects, the high prices of medicines, and aggressive marketing practices, and to provide a proposal to rectify the situation. Published books, pharmaceutical journals, Web of Science database using the search terms pharmaceutical, research, development, marketing, cost, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Web site. Most breakthroughs in the treatment of diseases and prolongation of lives have come about through pharmaceuticals discovered and developed by the pharmaceutical industry. While the process of discovering and developing new pharmaceuticals is lengthy, costly, and lacking any assurance of success, investment in research and development by the U.S. pharmaceutical industry has increased progressively, reaching 51.3 billion dollars in 2005. Yet the annual number of FDA approvals of new molecular entities (NMEs) has gradually decreased over the past 10 years. Additionally, a large part of the patent life of a successful NME is consumed during this lengthy development phase. Few businesses, if any, have such long product gestation lives and risks. For these reasons, the pharmaceutical industry is often in a rush to recoup its investment before the product's patent expires, and this is the root cause of many criticisms against the pharmaceutical industry. To rectify the current situation, a new system is proposed under which innovator pharmaceutical companies would be allowed royalties for their products after the expiration of patents, in a manner similar to the way in which other intellectual properties (such as books, music, films) are protected by copyright. Such a system would allow pharmaceutical companies to continue research on new pharmaceutical products unimpeded by the patent clock. Given appropriate legislative or other facilitatory actions, a royalty-based system for the marketing of generic products after

[The pharmaceutical industry in the industrial chemical group: the National Union of Chemical-Pharmaceutical Laboratories (1919-1936)].

Science.gov (United States)

Nozal, Raúl Rodríquez

2011-01-01

The pharmaceutical industry associations, as it happened with other businesses, had a significant rise during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera and II Republic. The 'Cámara Nacional de Industrias Químicas', in Barcelona, represented the national chemical industry to its ultimate assimilation by the 'Organización Sindical' in 1939. In this association, matters relating to pharmaceutical products -- which we will especially deal with in this work -- were managed by the 'Unión Nacional de Laboratorios Químico-Farmacéuticos', which defended the interests of pharmaceutical companies in the presence of government authorities, using the resources and mechanisms also managed by business pressure groups. The inclusion of industrial pharmacy in the Chemical lobby separated the pharmaceutical industry from traditional exercise and its corporate environment. this created ups and downs, conflicts of interests and finally, love and hate relationships with their colleagues of the pharmacy work placement and, of course, with the association that represented them: the 'Unión Farmacéutica Nacional'.

Case histories in pharmaceutical risk management.

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Cynthia G; Henningfield, Jack E; Haddox, J David; Varughese, Sajan; Lindholm, Anders; Rosen, Susan; Wissel, Janne; Waxman, Deborah; Carter, Lawrence P; Seeger, Vickie; Johnson, Rolley E

2009-12-01

The development and implementation of programs in the U.S. to minimize risks and assess unintended consequences of new medications has been increasingly required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since the mid 1990s. This paper provides four case histories of risk management and post-marketing surveillance programs utilized recently to address problems associated with possible abuse, dependence and diversion. The pharmaceutical sponsors of each of these drugs were invited to present their programs and followed a similar template for their summaries that are included in this article. The drugs and presenting companies were OxyContin, an analgesic marketed by Purdue Pharma L.P., Daytrana and Vyvanse, ADHD medications marketed by Shire Pharmaceuticals, Xyrem for narcolepsy marketed by Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and Subutex and Suboxone for opioid dependence marketed by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc. These case histories and subsequent discussions provide invaluable real-world examples and illustrate both the promise of risk management programs in providing a path to market and/or for keeping on the market drugs with serious potential risks. They also illustrate the limitations of such programs in actually controlling unintended consequences, as well as the challenge of finding the right balance of reducing risks without posing undue barriers to patient access. These experiences are highly relevant as the FDA increasingly requires pharmaceutical sponsors to develop and implement the more formalized and enforceable versions of the risk management term Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS).

Pharmaceutical care in smoking cessation.

Science.gov (United States)

Marín Armero, Alicia; Calleja Hernandez, Miguel A; Perez-Vicente, Sabina; Martinez-Martinez, Fernando

2015-01-01

As a determining factor in various diseases and the leading known cause of preventable mortality and morbidity, tobacco use is the number one public health problem in developed countries. Facing this health problem requires authorities and health professionals to promote, via specific programs, health campaigns that improve patients' access to smoking cessation services. Pharmaceutical care has a number of specific characteristics that enable the pharmacist, as a health professional, to play an active role in dealing with smoking and deliver positive smoking cessation interventions. The objectives of the study were to assess the efficacy of a smoking cessation campaign carried out at a pharmaceutical care center and to evaluate the effects of pharmaceutical care on patients who decide to try to stop smoking. The methodology was an open, analytical, pre-post intervention, quasi-experimental clinical study performed with one patient cohort. The results of the study were that the promotional campaign for the smoking cessation program increased the number of patients from one to 22, and after 12 months into the study, 43.48% of the total number of patients achieved total smoking cessation. We can conclude that advertising of a smoking cessation program in a pharmacy increases the number of patients who use the pharmacy's smoking cessation services, and pharmaceutical care is an effective means of achieving smoking cessation.

[Written pharmaceutical advertising--still unreliable?].

Science.gov (United States)

Gladsø, Kristin Haugen; Garberg, Hedda Rosland; Spigset, Olav; Slørdal, Lars

2014-09-02

Marketing by the pharmaceutical industry affects doctors' prescribing habits. All pharmaceutical advertising received by nine doctors in two GP offices over a period of three months was collected. The advertising material was sorted by compound. For each compound, the advert with the highest number of references was selected. The cited references were obtained, and the claims in the adverts were assessed in terms of their consistency with the source data based on the provisions in the Norwegian regulations on pharmaceuticals. The references were also assessed with regard to the incidence of conflicts of interest among authors. The doctors received a total of 270 shipments of advertising for 46 different compounds. Altogether 95% of the 173 references cited in the 46 selected adverts could be obtained. The adverts contained a total of 156 claims. Of these, 56% were assessed as correct when compared to the source data and as having clinical relevance. Altogether 75% of the journal articles reported relevant conflicts of interest for the authors. About half the claims in the adverts were found to be correct and clinically relevant. These results concur with those from a methodologically identical study based on advertising material collected in 2004. The cited literature was of varying quality and often funded by the pharmaceutical companies. The findings indicate that the target group should be sceptical of this type of marketing.

Cost-containment as part of pharmaceutical policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna; Traulsen, Janine Marie

2005-01-01

and profit controls; 2) reimbursement system charges; 3) other fiscal measures; 4) quality measures. Pharmaceuticals policy has suffered from the pervasive misunderstanding that drugs are like any other commodity; resulting in policy makers viewing pharmaceuticals expenditures without thinking about drugs...

Information sources and utilization patterns of pharmaceutical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study investigated the adequacy of pharmaceutical scientists' information environment in feeding their occupational activities. Data was collected through observation and through questionnaire administration to all the twenty-seven scientists in two large pharmaceutical companies in Lagos, Nigeria. Findings revealed ...

Pharmaceutical penetration of new drug and pharmaceutical market structure in Taiwan: hospital-level prescription of thiazolidinediones for diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Yi-Wen; Wen, Yu-Wen; Huang, Weng-Foung; Kuo, Ken N; Chen, Pei-Fen; Shih, Hsin-Wei; Lee, Yue-Chune

2010-06-01

This study used Taiwan's National Health Insurance claim database (years 2000-2005) to examine how thiazolidinediones (TZD), a new class of drugs for diabetes, penetrated into Taiwan's hospitals, and its association with the concentration of all diabetes drugs at the hospital level. We collected 72 monthly summaries of diabetes prescriptions from all hospitals in Taiwan. Hospital-level pharmaceutical concentration was measured by penetration of TZD, defined as monthly market share of TZD in each hospital. Concentration of diabetes drugs was measured by Herfindahl-Hirschman indices. We found a negative association (coefficient = -0.3610) between TZD penetration and concentration of diabetes drug but a positive association between penetration of TZD and the volume of prescribed diabetes drugs (coefficient = 0.4088). In conclusion, hospital characteristics and volume of services determined the concentration of pharmaceuticals at the institution level, reflecting the heterogeneous competition between pharmaceutical companies within each hospital. Institution-level pharmaceutical concentration influences the adoption and penetration of new drugs.

Rational Use of Medicines in Relation to Pharmaceutical Supply ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pharmaceutical management involves a set of practices aiming at ensuring timely availability and appropriate use of safe, effective and quality pharmaceuticals and services in any health care setting. Rational use of medicines is often associated with efficiency of pharmaceutical supply system that operates in the health ...

Membrane Bioprocesses for Pharmaceutical Micropollutant Removal from Waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthias de Cazes

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this review work is to give an overview of the research reported on bioprocesses for the treatment of domestic or industrial wastewaters (WW containing pharmaceuticals. Conventional WW treatment technologies are not efficient enough to completely remove all pharmaceuticals from water. Indeed, these compounds are becoming an actual public health problem, because they are more and more present in underground and even in potable waters. Different types of bioprocesses are described in this work: from classical activated sludge systems, which allow the depletion of pharmaceuticals by bio-degradation and adsorption, to enzymatic reactions, which are more focused on the treatment of WW containing a relatively high content of pharmaceuticals and less organic carbon pollution than classical WW. Different aspects concerning the advantages of membrane bioreactors for pharmaceuticals removal are discussed, as well as the more recent studies on enzymatic membrane reactors to the depletion of these recalcitrant compounds.

Prioritizing veterinary pharmaceuticals for aquatic environment in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Younghee; Jung, Jinyong; Kim, Myunghyun; Park, Jeongim; Boxall, Alistair B A; Choi, Kyungho

2008-09-01

Pharmaceutical residues may have serious impacts on nontarget biological organisms in aquatic ecosystems, and have therefore precipitated numerous investigations worldwide. Many pharmaceutical compounds available on the market need to be prioritized based on their potential ecological and human health risks in order to develop sound management decisions. We prioritized veterinary pharmaceuticals in Korea by their usage, potential to enter the environment, and toxicological hazard. Twenty compounds were identified in the top priority class, most of which were antibiotics. Among these compounds, 8 were identified as deserving more immediate attention: amoxicillin, enramycin, fenbendazole, florfenicol, ivermectin, oxytetracycline, tylosin, and virginiamycin. A limitation of this study is that we initially screened veterinary pharmaceuticals by sales tonnage for veterinary use only. However, this is the first attempt to prioritize veterinary pharmaceuticals in Korea, and it provides important concepts for developing environmental risk management plans for such contaminants in aquatic systems. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ozonation for degradation of pharmaceutical in hospital wastewater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bester, Kai; Hansen, Kamilla S; Spiliotopoulou, Aikaterini

-pollutants (Antoniou et al., 2013). In the present work, ozonation of biological treated hospital wastewater spiked with pharmaceuticals were performed to determine the required ozone dose for 90 % removal of the investigated pharmaceuticals. Effluents with different DOC level were used to investigate the effect...... of DOC on the removal of the pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the effect of pH on ozone decomposition was investigated in relevant pH range....

The behaviour of pharmaceuticals in anaerobic digester sludge

OpenAIRE

Campbell, Alison

2013-01-01

Pharmaceuticals are biologically active compounds that may be consumed in hundreds of tonnes per year, and which are excreted into municipal sewerage systems. Many pharmaceuticals persist during sewage treatment, and significant environmental risk has been linked to incomplete removal of pharmaceuticals. Evaluation of this risk is important and should be as representative as possible, taking into consideration all significant exposure routes and removal processes. Sludge treatment processes a...

Occurrence, sources, and fate of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environment and soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, W.C.

2014-01-01

With the rapid economic development, a better living condition leads to longer life expectancy, which increased the total population, in particular the elderly group. It may result in increase in the demand of pharmaceuticals for people in domestic use or in hospital. Although most sewage treatment plants or waste water treatment plantsmet the regulatory requirement, there are still many pharmaceuticals removed incompletely and thus discharged to the environment. Therefore, the pharmaceuticals residue draws the public concern because they might cause adverse effects on the organism even human beings. Recently, many studies have published on the source and occurrence as well as the fate of pharmaceuticals all over the world. This paper summarized and reviewed the recent studies on the sources, occurrence, fate and the effects of the most common pharmaceuticals. Finally, it gave the suggestion and risk management for controlling the pharmaceuticals. - Highlights: • The sources of pharmaceutical residuals are studied. • Occurrence and fate of pharmaceutical in environment are studied. • Risk management and recommendation are provided on pharmaceutical pollution. - Concentration of pharmaceuticals in the natural environment is lower than in effluent of sewage treatment plants in which carbamazepine is found frequently in soil and water body

Synthetic biology advances for pharmaceutical production

Science.gov (United States)

Breitling, Rainer; Takano, Eriko

2015-01-01

Synthetic biology enables a new generation of microbial engineering for the biotechnological production of pharmaceuticals and other high-value chemicals. This review presents an overview of recent advances in the field, describing new computational and experimental tools for the discovery, optimization and production of bioactive molecules, and outlining progress towards the application of these tools to pharmaceutical production systems. PMID:25744872

Microbial Evaluation of Some Non-sterile Pharmaceutical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To determine the type and incidence of predominant microorganisms in certain non-sterile pharmaceuticals immediately after collection and one year later. Methods: All pharmaceutical samples were subjected to the following examinations: total bacterial count and presence of microbial pathogens, using ...

Review on Physicochemical, Chemical, and Biological Processes for Pharmaceutical Wastewater

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhenchen; Yang, Ping

2018-02-01

Due to the needs of human life and health, pharmaceutical industry has made great progress in recent years, but it has also brought about severe environmental problems. The presence of pharmaceuticals in natural waters which might pose potential harm to the ecosystems and humans raised increasing concern worldwide. Pharmaceuticals cannot be effectively removed by conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) owing to the complex composition, high concentration of organic contaminants, high salinity and biological toxicity of pharmaceutical wastewater. Therefore, the development of efficient methods is needed to improve the removal effect of pharmaceuticals. This review provides an overview on three types of treatment technologies including physicochemical, chemical and biological processes and their advantages and disadvantages respectively. In addition, the future perspectives of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment are given.

Information flow in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefi, Nazila; Alibabaei, Ahmad

2015-01-01

Managing the supply chain plays an important role in creating competitive advantages for companies. Adequate information flow in supply chain is one of the most important issues in SCM. Therefore, using certain Information Systems can have a significant role in managing and integrating data and information within the supply chain. Pharmaceutical supply chain is more complex than many other supply chains, in the sense that it can affect social and political perspectives. On the other hand, managing the pharmaceutical supply chain is difficult because of its complexity and also government regulations in this field. Although, Iran has progressed a lot in pharmaceutical manufacturing, still there are many unsolved issues in managing the information flow in the pharmaceutical supply chain. In this study, we reviewed the benefits of using different levels of an integrated information system in the supply chain and the possible challenges ahead.

Pharmaceutical marketing research and the prescribing physician.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Jeremy A

2007-05-15

Surveillance of physicians' prescribing patterns and the accumulation and sale of these data for pharmaceutical marketing are currently the subjects of legislation in several states and action by state and national medical associations. Contrary to common perception, the growth of the health care information organization industry has not been limited to the past decade but has been building slowly over the past 50 years, beginning in the 1940s when growth in the prescription drug market fueled industry interest in understanding and influencing prescribing patterns. The development of this surveillance system was not simply imposed on the medical profession by the pharmaceutical industry but was developed through the interactions of pharmaceutical salesmen, pharmaceutical marketers, academic researchers, individual physicians, and physician organizations. Examination of the role of physicians and physician organizations in the development of prescriber profiling is directly relevant to the contemporary policy debate surrounding this issue.

Funding pharmaceutical innovation through direct tax credits.

Science.gov (United States)

Lybecker, Kristina M; Freeman, Robert A

2007-07-01

Rising pharmaceutical prices, increasing demand for more effective innovative drugs and growing public outrage have heightened criticism of the pharmaceutical industry. The public debate has focused on drug prices and access. As a consequence, the patent system is being reexamined as an efficient mechanism for encouraging pharmaceutical innovation and drug development. We propose an alternative to the existing patent system, instead rewarding the innovating firm with direct tax credits in exchange for marginal cost pricing. This concept is based on the fundamental assumption that innovation that benefits society at large may be financed publicly. As an industry which produces a social good characterized by high fixed costs, high information and regulatory costs, and relatively low marginal costs of production, pharmaceuticals are well-suited to such a mechanism. Under this proposal, drug prices fall, consumer surplus increases, access is enhanced, and the incentives to innovate are preserved.

Microbiological testing of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeitoun, Hend; Kassem, Mervat; Raafat, Dina; AbouShlieb, Hamida; Fanaki, Nourhan

2015-12-09

Microbial contamination of pharmaceuticals poses a great problem to the pharmaceutical manufacturing process, especially from a medical as well as an economic point of view. Depending upon the product and its intended use, the identification of isolates should not merely be limited to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) indicator organisms. Eighty-five pre-used non-sterile pharmaceuticals collected from random consumers in Egypt were examined for the eventual presence of bacterial contaminants. Forty-one bacterial contaminants were isolated from 31 of the tested preparations. These isolates were subjected to biochemical identification by both conventional tests as well as API kits, which were sufficient for the accurate identification of only 11 out of the 41 bacterial contaminants (26.8%) to the species level. The remaining isolates were inconclusively identified or showed contradictory results after using both biochemical methods. Using molecular methods, 24 isolates (58.5%) were successfully identified to the species level. Moreover, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were compared to standard biochemical methods in the detection of pharmacopoeial bacterial indicators in artificially-contaminated pharmaceutical samples. PCR-based methods proved to be superior regarding speed, cost-effectiveness and sensitivity. Therefore, pharmaceutical manufacturers would be advised to adopt PCR-based methods in the microbiological quality testing of pharmaceuticals in the future.

[Pharmaceutical product quality control and good manufacturing practices].

Science.gov (United States)

Hiyama, Yukio

2010-01-01

This report describes the roles of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in pharmaceutical product quality control. There are three keys to pharmaceutical product quality control. They are specifications, thorough product characterization during development, and adherence to GMP as the ICH Q6A guideline on specifications provides the most important principles in its background section. Impacts of the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (rPAL) which became effective in 2005 on product quality control are discussed. Progress of ICH discussion for Pharmaceutical Development (Q8), Quality Risk Management (Q9) and Pharmaceutical Quality System (Q10) are reviewed. In order to reconstruct GMP guidelines and GMP inspection system in the regulatory agencies under the new paradigm by rPAL and the ICH, a series of Health Science studies were conducted. For GMP guidelines, product GMP guideline, technology transfer guideline, laboratory control guideline and change control system guideline were written. For the GMP inspection system, inspection check list, inspection memo and inspection scenario were proposed also by the Health Science study groups. Because pharmaceutical products and their raw materials are manufactured and distributed internationally, collaborations with other national authorities are highly desired. In order to enhance the international collaborations, consistent establishment of GMP inspection quality system throughout Japan will be essential.

Spatial Evolution of Producer Service Sectors and Its Influencing Factors in Cities: A Case Study of Hangzhou, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yizhou Wu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Producer service industries are an important feature in the current development of a metropolis. Researchers from different countries are increasingly concerned about location changes and the motives of producer service sectors in cities. Given the rapid development of producer service sectors in developing countries, this study examines changes in the distribution of producer service sectors over the past decade and factors influencing them in a case study using the city of Hangzhou in China. Results show that Hangzhou’s producer service sector is still mainly concentrated in the central business district (CBD. However, a distinct trend of diffusion to suburban areas was observed, which formed several secondary clusters on the periphery of the city. Locations of the CBD, sub-centers, and professional clusters of producer service sectors established by the government are the most important factors that affect the spatial distribution of producer service sectors. The main influencing factors for the spatial evolution of producer service sectors are: (1 the high development cost and residential suburbanization of the central areas of the city promote the development of producer service sectors toward the periphery; (2 city planning has guided the clustering of producer service sectors on the city’s CBD and secondary city centers; (3 city renewal has provided personalized and diversified development space for producer service sectors; (4 incentive policies introduced by the government, such as rentals, and taxes have enhanced the orderly aggregation of producer service sectors.

Global risk of pharmaceutical contamination from highly populated developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehman, Muhammad Saif Ur; Rashid, Naim; Ashfaq, Muhammad; Saif, Ameena; Ahmad, Nasir; Han, Jong-In

2015-11-01

Global pharmaceutical industry has relocated from the west to Asian countries to ensure competitive advantage. This industrial relocation has posed serious threats to the environment. The present study was carried out to assess the possible pharmaceutical contamination in the environment of emerging pharmaceutical manufacturing countries (Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan). Although these countries have made tremendous progress in the pharmaceutical sector but most of their industrial units discharge wastewater into domestic sewage network without any treatment. The application of untreated wastewater (industrial and domestic) and biosolids (sewage sludge and manure) in agriculture causes the contamination of surface water, soil, groundwater, and the entire food web with pharmaceutical compounds (PCs), their metabolites and transformed products (TPs), and multidrug resistant microbes. This pharmaceutical contamination in Asian countries poses global risks via product export and international traveling. Several prospective research hypotheses including the development of new analytical methods to monitor these PCs/TPs and their metabolites, highly resistant microbial strains, and mixture toxicity as a consequence of pharmaceutical contamination in these emerging pharmaceutical exporters have also been proposed based on the available literature. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbiological testing of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in Egypt

OpenAIRE

Zeitoun, Hend; Kassem, Mervat; Raafat, Dina; AbouShlieb, Hamida; Fanaki, Nourhan

2015-01-01

Background Microbial contamination of pharmaceuticals poses a great problem to the pharmaceutical manufacturing process, especially from a medical as well as an economic point of view. Depending upon the product and its intended use, the identification of isolates should not merely be limited to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) indicator organisms. Results Eighty-five pre-used non-sterile pharmaceuticals collected from random consumers in Egypt were examined for the eventual presence of b...

FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION OF PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR

OpenAIRE

Mosammod Mahamuda Parvin; M M Nurul Kabir

2011-01-01

The Pharmaceutical sector plays a vital role in underpinning the economic development of a country. This study attempts to evaluate job satisfaction of employees in different pharmaceutical companies. It focuses on the relative importance of job satisfaction factors and their impacts on the overall job satisfaction of employees. It also investigates the impacts of pharmaceutical type, work experience, age, and sex differences on the attitudes toward job Satisfaction. The result shows that sal...

Metrology in Pharmaceutical Industry - A Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuvamoto, Priscila D.; Fermam, Ricardo K. S.; Nascimento, Elizabeth S.

2016-01-01

Metrology is recognized by improving production process, increasing the productivity, giving more reliability to the measurements and consequently, it impacts in the economy of a country. Pharmaceutical area developed GMP (Good Manufacture Practice) requeriments, with no introduction of metrological concepts. However, due to Nanomedicines, it is expected this approach and the consequent positive results. The aim of this work is to verify the level of metrology implementation in a Brazilian pharmaceutical industry, using a case study. The purpose is a better mutual comprehension by both areas, acting together and governmental support to robustness of Brazilian pharmaceutical area. (paper)

Pharmaceuticals as indictors of sewage-influenced groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Beate; Scheytt, Traugott; Asbrand, Martin; de Casas, Andrea Mross

2012-09-01

A set of human pharmaceuticals enables identification of groundwater that is influenced by sewage and provides information on the time of recharge. As the consumption rates of the investigated pharmaceuticals have changed over time, so too has the composition of the sewage. At the study area, south of Berlin (Germany), irrigation was performed as a method of wastewater clean-up at sewage irrigation farms until the early 1990s. Today, treated wastewater is discharged into the surface-water-stream Nuthegraben. Groundwater and surface-water samples were analyzed for the pharmaceutical substances clofibric acid, bezafibrate, diclofenac, carbamazepine and primidone, the main ions and organic carbon. The pharmaceutical substances were detected at concentrations up to microgram-per-liter level in groundwater and surface-water samples from the Nuthegraben Lowland area and from the former irrigation farms. Concentrations detected in groundwater are generally much lower than in surface water and there is significant variation in the distribution of pharmaceutical concentrations in groundwater. Groundwater influenced by the irrigation of sewage water shows higher primidone and clofibric-acid concentrations. Groundwater influenced by recent discharge of treated sewage water into the surface water shows high carbamazepine concentrations while concentrations of primidone and clofibric acid are low.

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research: About this journal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research: About this journal. Journal Home > Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research: About this journal. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research: About this journal

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research: About this journal. Journal Home > Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research: About this journal. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Cell-Based Veterinary Pharmaceuticals – Basic Legal Parameters Set by the Veterinary Pharmaceutical Law and the Genetic Engineering Law of the European Union

Science.gov (United States)

Faltus, Timo; Brehm, Walter

2016-01-01

Cell-based therapies have been in use in veterinary medicine for years. However, the legal requirement of manufacturing, placing on the market and use of cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals are not as well developed as the respective requirements of chemical pharmaceuticals. Cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals are medicinal products in the sense of the pharmaceutical law of the European Union (EU). For that reason, such medicinal products principally require official approval for their manufacture and an official marketing authorization for their placement on the market before being used by the veterinarian. The manufacture, placing on the market, and use of cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals without manufacturing approval and marketing authorization is permitted only in certain exceptional cases determined by EU and individual Member State law. Violations of this requirement may have consequences for the respective veterinarian under criminal law and under the code of professional conduct in the respective Member State. The regular use of cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals within the scope of a therapeutic emergency as well as the import of such veterinary pharmaceuticals from non-European countries for use in the EU are currently out of the question in the EU because of a lack of legal bases. Here, we review the general legal requirement of manufacturing, placing on the market, and use of cell-based veterinary pharmaceuticals within the EU and point out different implementations of EU law within the different Member States. PMID:27965965

Pharmacoligaclly Active: Clinical Trials and the Pharmaceuticals ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Multinational pharmaceutical companies ('pharmas') import and produce pharmaceuticals and also conduct clinical trials which are an important aspect of research and development (R&D). This may raise the question: Is South Africa a guinea pig for the pharmas? The Department of Trade and Industry National Industrial ...

Pharmaceutical crystallography: is there a devil in the details?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bond, A. D.

2012-01-01

Modern instruments for small-molecule crystallography continue to become more sophisticated and more automated. This technical progress provides a basis for frontier research in chemical and pharmaceutical crystallography, but it also encourages analytical crystallographers to become more...... are presented for pharmaceutical compounds, and the potential importance of the "details" in pharmaceutical crystallography is discussed....

Effects of soil properties on the uptake of pharmaceuticals into earthworms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, Laura J.; Ryan, Jim J.; Boxall, Alistair B.A.

2016-01-01

Pharmaceuticals can enter the soil environment when animal slurries and sewage sludge are applied to land as a fertiliser or during irrigation with contaminated water. These pharmaceuticals may then be taken up by soil organisms possibly resulting in toxic effects and/or exposure of organisms higher up the food chain. This study investigated the influence of soil properties on the uptake and depuration of pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diclofenac, fluoxetine and orlistat) in the earthworm Eisenia fetida. The uptake and accumulation of pharmaceuticals into E. fetida changed depending on soil type. Orlistat exhibited the highest pore water based bioconcentration factors (BCFs) and displayed the largest differences between soil types with BCFs ranging between 30.5 and 115.9. For carbamazepine, diclofenac and fluoxetine BCFs ranged between 1.1 and 1.6, 7.0 and 69.6 and 14.1 and 20.4 respectively. Additional analysis demonstrated that in certain treatments the presence of these chemicals in the soil matrices changed the soil pH over time, with a statistically significant pH difference to control samples. The internal pH of E. fetida also changed as a result of incubation in pharmaceutically spiked soil, in comparison to the control earthworms. These results demonstrate that a combination of soil properties and pharmaceutical physico-chemical properties are important in terms of predicting pharmaceutical uptake in terrestrial systems and that pharmaceuticals can modify soil and internal earthworm chemistry which may hold wider implications for risk assessment. - Highlights: • Uptake of pharmaceuticals into earthworms is influenced by soil parameters. • Presence of pharmaceuticals in the terrestrial environment influences soil pH. • Uptake of pharmaceuticals by earthworms changes internal earthworm pH. - The uptake of pharmaceuticals into soil invertebrates is dependent on the complex interplay between pharmaceutical physico-chemical properties and soil

Pharmaceutical care: the PCNE definition 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Allemann, Samuel S; van Mil, J W Foppe; Botermann, Lea; Berger, Karin; Griese, Nina; Hersberger, Kurt E

2014-06-01

Twenty-three years after Hepler and Strand published their well-known definition of Pharmaceutical Care (PhC), confusion remains about what the term includes and how to differentiate it from other terms. The board of the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) felt the need to redefine PhC and to answer the question: "What is Pharmaceutical Care in 2013". The aims of this paper were to review existing definitions of PhC and to describe the process of developing a redefined definition. A literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE database (1964-January 2013). Keywords included "Pharmaceutical Care", "Medication (Therapy) Management", "Medicine Management", and "Pharmacist Care" in the title or abstract together with the term "defin*". To ease comparison between definitions, we developed a standardised syntax to paraphrase the definitions. During a dedicated meeting, a moderated discussion about the definition of PhC was organised. The initial literature search produced 186 hits, with eight unique PhC definitions. Hand searching identified a further 11 unique definitions. These 19 definitions were paraphrased using the standardised syntax (provider, recipient, subject, outcome, activities). Fourteen members of PCNE and 10 additional experts attended the moderated discussion. Working groups of increasing size developed intermediate definitions, which had similarities and differences to those retrieved in the literature search. At the end of the session, participants reached a consensus on a "PCNE definition of Pharmaceutical Care" reading: "Pharmaceutical Care is the pharmacist's contribution to the care of individuals in order to optimize medicines use and improve health outcomes". It was possible to paraphrase definitions of PhC using a standardised syntax focusing on the provider, recipient, subject, outcomes, and activities included in PhC practice. During a one-day workshop, experts in PhC research agreed on a definition, intended to be applicable for the

Mergers and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Comanor, William S; Scherer, F M

2013-01-01

Conflicting trends confound the pharmaceutical industry. The productivity of pharmaceutical innovation has declined in recent years. At the same time, the cohort of large companies who are the leading engines of pharmaceutical R&D has become increasingly concentrated. The concurrent presence of these trends is not sufficient to determine causation. In response to lagging innovation prospects, some companies have sought refuge in mergers and acquisitions to disguise their dwindling prospects or gain R&D synergies. On the other hand, the increased concentration brought on by recent mergers may have contributed to the declining rate of innovation. In this paper, we consider the second of these causal relationships: the likely impact of the recent merger wave among the largest pharmaceutical companies on the rate of innovation. In other words, have recent mergers, which may have been taken in response to lagging innovation, represented a self-defeating strategy that only made industry outcomes worse? Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Financing pharmaceuticals in transition economies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanavos, P

1999-06-01

This paper (a) provides a methodological taxonomy of pricing, financing, reimbursement, and cost containment methodologies for pharmaceuticals; (b) analyzes complex agency relationships and the health versus industrial policy tradeoff; (c) pinpoints financing measures to balance safety and effectiveness of medicines and their affordability by publicly funded systems in transition; and (d) highlights viable options for policy-makers for the financing of pharmaceuticals in transition. Three categories of measures and their implications for pharmaceutical policy cost containing are analyzed: supply-side measures, targeting manufacturers, proxy demand-side measures, targeting physicians and pharmacists, and demand-side measures, targeting patients. In pursuing supply side measures, we explore free pricing for pharmaceuticals, direct price controls, cost-plus and cost pricing, average pricing and international price comparisons, profit control, reference pricing, the introduction of a fourth hurdle, positive and negative lists, and other price control measures. The analysis of proxy-demand measures includes budgets for physicians, generic policies, practice guidelines, monitoring the authorizing behavior of physicians, and disease management schemes. Demand-side measures explore the effectiveness of patient co-payments, the impact of allowing products over-the-counter and health promotion programs. Global policies should operate simultaneously on the supply, the proxy demand, and the demand-side. Policy-making needs to have a continuous long-term planning. The importation of policies into transition economy may require extensive and expensive adaptation, and/or lead to sub-optimal policy outcomes.

New perspectives for visual characterization of pharmaceutical solids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laitinen, Niklas; Antikainen, Osmo; Rantanen, Jukka

2004-01-01

The utilization of descriptive image information in pharmaceutical powder technology is rather limited. Consequently, the development of this discipline is a challenge within physical characterization of pharmaceutical solids. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate an inventive visual...... in particle size analysis also enabling the evaluation of the further product quality in the end of the granulation process. The idea of characterization of bulk surface images opens new perspectives for characterization of pharmaceutical solids....

Assessing the Factors Associated With Iran's Intra-Industry Trade in Pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yusefzadeh, Hassan; Hadian, Mohammad; Abolghasem Gorji, Hassan; Ghaderi, Hossein

2015-03-30

Pharmaceutical industry is a sensitive and profitable industry. If this industry wants to survive, it should be able to compete well in international markets. So, study of Iran's intra-industry trade (IIT) in pharmaceuticals is essential in order to identify competitiveness potential of country and boost export capability in the global arena. This study assessed the factors associated with Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals with the rest of the world during the 2001-2012 periods using seasonal time series data at the four-digit SITC level. The data was collected from Iran's pharmaceutical Statistics, World Bank and International Trade Center. Finally, we discussed a number of important policy recommendations to increase Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals. The findings indicated that economies of scale, market structure and degree of economic development had a significantly positive impact on Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals and tariff trade barriers were negatively related to IIT. Product differentiation and technological advancement didn't have the expected signs. In addition, we found that Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals have shown an increasing trend during the study period. Thus, the composition of Iran trade in pharmaceuticals has changed from inter-industry trade to intra-industry trade. In order to get more prepared for integration into the global economy, the development of Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals should be given priority. Therefore, paying attention to IIT could have an important role in serving pharmaceutical companies in relation to pharmaceutical trade.

On radiation treatment of pharmaceutical products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zukov, V.; Mende, V.

1976-01-01

The progress made in the GDR over the past decade in the field of radiosterilization of products of the medical industry, has naturally raised the question of radiosterilization in pharmaceutics. However, because of the diversity and complicated nature of pharmaceutical products and, consequently, longer periods of time required for preliminary studies, their radiosterilization has not yet been applied on an industrial scale, in contrast to the situation in the medical industry. The studies carried out so far have been mainly concerned with ascertaining the permissibility and effectiveness of radiosterilization of individual products under particular conditions rather than with laying down a broad theoretical basis. Accordingly, the present paper does not describe results of special studies but presents a brief rewiev of some studies on radiation treatment of pharmaceutical products undertaken in the GDR. (author)

Pharmaceutical cocrystals, salts and polymorphs: Advanced characterization techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Pindelska, Edyta; Sokal, Agnieszka; Kolodziejski, Waclaw

2017-08-01

The main goal of a novel drug development is to obtain it with optimal physiochemical, pharmaceutical and biological properties. Pharmaceutical companies and scientists modify active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which often are cocrystals, salts or carefully selected polymorphs, to improve the properties of a parent drug. To find the best form of a drug, various advanced characterization methods should be used. In this review, we have described such analytical methods, dedicated to solid drug forms. Thus, diffraction, spectroscopic, thermal and also pharmaceutical characterization methods are discussed. They all are necessary to study a solid API in its intrinsic complexity from bulk down to the molecular level, gain information on its structure, properties, purity and possible transformations, and make the characterization efficient, comprehensive and complete. Furthermore, these methods can be used to monitor and investigate physical processes, involved in the drug development, in situ and in real time. The main aim of this paper is to gather information on the current advancements in the analytical methods and highlight their pharmaceutical relevance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Approaches to education of pharmaceutical biotechnology in faculties of pharmacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Calis, S; Oner, F; Kas, S; Hincal, A A

2001-06-01

Pharmaceutical biotechnology is developing rapidly both in academic institutions and in the biopharmaceutical industry. For this reason, FIP Special Interest Group of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology decided to develop a questionnaire concerning pharmaceutical biotechnology education. After preliminary studies were completed, questionnaires were sent to the leading scientists in academia and research directors or senior managers of various Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Companies in order to gather their views about how to create a satisfactory program. The objectives of this study were as follows: -To review all of the graduate and undergraduate courses which are presently available worldwide on pharmaceutical biotechnology in Faculties of Pharmacy. -To review all of the text books, references and scientific sources available worldwide in the area of pharmaceutical biotechnology. When replying to the questionnaires, the respondents were asked to consider the present status of pharmaceutical biotechnology education in academia and future learning needs in collaboration with the biotechnology industry. The data from various pharmacy faculties and biotechnology industry representatives from Asia, Europe and America were evaluated and the outcome of the survey showed that educational efforts in training qualified staff in the rapidly growing field of pharmaceutical biotechnology is promising. Part of the results of this questionnaire study have already been presented at the 57th International Congress of FIP Vancouver, Canada in 1997.

The pharmaceutical quality revolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Botet

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical products are patient-oriented. If they had a deficient quality they might put live at risk. Ensuring their quality is not, however, a straightforward task and this is why different approaches have been used along the way. This article analyzes them and shows how our present approach, if well implemented, is very effective in ensuring quality.Methods. This article analyzes the current pharmaceutical quality system as described by international guidances in the light of practical experience gathered by the author as an international GMP-consultant.Result. Nowadays we have come to understand that as quality is a global concept in terms of time and of requirements, it has to be assured in a global way too. This is why quality assurance is a permanent process that starts during the development of a product and goes on during its manufacturing life. Manufacturing should be performed within a pharmaceutical quality system which ensures GMP compliance. Decisions should be science and risk-based. Products and processes are monitored by means of critical variables.Conclusions. The approach followed in the 21st century for ensuring quality is very effective and allows for a progressive reduction of the level of quality risk. However, this quality system is either comprehensive or there is no quality

RFID in the pharmaceutical industry: addressing counterfeits with technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Douglas

2014-11-01

The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the pharmaceutical industry has grown in recent years. The technology has matured from its specialized tracking and retail uses to a systemic part of supply chain management in international pharmaceutical production and distribution. Counterfeit drugs, however, remain a significant challenge for governments, pharmaceutical companies, clinicians, and patients and the use of RFID to track these compounds represents an opportunity for development. This paper discusses the medical, technological, and economic factors that support widespread adoption of RFID technology in the pharmaceutical industry in an effort to prevent counterfeit medicines from harming patients and brand equity.

influence of manufacturing practices on quality of pharmaceutical

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hi-tech

2004-06-01

Jun 1, 2004 ... PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED IN KENYA. J. A. ORWA, L. K. ... Design: Cross-sectional study. ... of good manufacturing practices has been used in the production of each pharmaceutical product by ...

Radiation sterilization of pharmaceuticals and biomedical products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackburn, R.; Iddon, B.; Moore, J.S.; Phillips, G.O.; Power, D.M.; Woodward, T.W.

1975-01-01

Sterilization of pharmaceuticals by radiation is accompanied by chemical degradation which must be eliminated or minimised if the method is to be successfully applied. In order to devise ways in which the pharmaceutical can be protected it is necessary to know the yield and nature of the decomposition products, the mechanisms by which degradation occurs, and the rate constants for the reactions involved. We have obtained such data for a variety of pharmaceutical compounds, viz. vitamin B12, benzyl penicillin, sulphonamides, indoles, heparin, alginates and phenylmercurics, both in the solid state and in aqueous solution. The scope and limitations of radiation sterilization are discussed in the light of these results. (author)

Decomposition of persistent pharmaceuticals in wastewater by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Atsushi; Osawa, Misako; Taguchi, Mitsumasa

2012-01-01

Pharmaceuticals in wastewater were treated by the combined method of activated sludge and ionizing radiation in laboratory scale. Oseltamivir, aspirin, and ibuprofen at 5 μmol dm −3 in wastewater were decomposed by the activated sludge at reaction time for 4 h. Carbamazepine, ketoprofen, mefenamic acid, clofibric acid, and diclofenac were not biodegraded completely, but were eliminated by γ-ray irradiation at 2 kGy. The rate constants of the reactions of these pharmaceuticals with hydroxyl radicals were estimated by the competition reaction method to be 4.0–10×10 9 mol −1 dm 3 s −1 . Decompositions of the pharmaceuticals in wastewater by ionizing radiation were simulated by use of the rate constants and the amount of total organic carbon as parameters. Simulation curves of concentrations of these pharmaceuticals as a function of dose described the experimental data, and the required dose for the elimination of them in wastewater by ionizing radiation can be estimated by this simulation. - Highlights: ► We treat pharmaceuticals in wastewater by activated sludge and ionizing radiation. ► Activated sludge decreases the amounts of total organic carbons in wastewater. ► Pharmaceuticals were decomposed by γ-ray irradiation at 2 kGy. ► We construct simulation for treatment of pharmaceuticals by ionizing radiation.

The pharmaceutical sector inquiry: 'Hamlet' in a nutshell.

Science.gov (United States)

den Exter, André

2010-03-01

In July 2009, the European Commission (DG Competition) published a Communication on the pharmaceutical sector. This inquiry was launched because there were some indications that competition in the pharmaceutical market in the European Union might not be working well. The report examines the reasons for the observed delay. This article analyses the outcomes from a critical standpoint, arguing in favour of enhanced 'soft law' accountability mechanisms in the pharmaceutical sector, defending conditional patenting and the introduction of a Community patent.

Polymers in life sciences: Pharmaceutical and biomedical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Barba, Anna Angela; Dalmoro, Annalisa; d'Amore, Matteo; Lamberti, Gaetano; Cascone, Sara; Titomanlio, Giuseppe

2015-12-01

This paper deals with the work done by prof. Titomanlio and his group in the fields of pharmaceutical and biomedical applications of polymers. In particular, the main topics covered are: i) controlled drug release from pharmaceuticals based on hydrogel for oral delivery of drugs; ii) production and characterization of micro and nanoparticles based on stimuli-responsive polymers; iii) use of polymers for coronary stent gel-paving; iv) design and realization of novel methods (in-vitro and in-silico) to test polymer-based pharmaceuticals.

Chemical characteristics and sources of PM1 during the 2016 summer in Hangzhou.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kangwei; Chen, Linghong; White, Stephen J; Zheng, Xianjue; Lv, Biao; Lin, Chao; Bao, Zhier; Wu, Xuecheng; Gao, Xiang; Ying, Fang; Shen, Jiandong; Azzi, Merched; Cen, Kefa

2018-01-01

During the 2016 Hangzhou G20 Summit, the chemical composition of submicron particles (PM 1 ) was measured by a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) along with a suite of collocated instruments. The campaign was undertaken between August 5 and September 23, 2016. The impacts of emission controls and meteorological conditions on PM 1 chemical composition, diurnal cycles, organic aerosol (OA) source apportionment, size distribution and elemental ratios were characterized in detail. Excluding rainy days, the mean PM 1 mass concentration during G20 was 30.3 μg/m 3 , similar to that observed before G20 (28.6 μg/m 3 ), but much lower than that after G20 (42.7 μg/m 3 ). The aerosol chemistry during the three periods was substantially different. Before G20, high PM 1 loading mostly occurred at daytime, with OA accounting for 60.1% of PM 1 , followed by sulfate (15.6%) and ammonium (9.1%). During G20, the OA fraction decreased from 60.1% to 44.6%, whereas secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) increased from 31.8% to 49.5%. After G20, SIA dominated high PM 1 loading, especially at nighttime. Further analysis showed that the nighttime regional transport might play an unfavorable role in the slight increase of secondary PM 1 during G20, while the strict emissions controls were implemented. The OA (O/C = 0.58) during G20 was more aged, 48.7% and 13.7% higher than that before and after G20 respectively. Our study highlighted that the emission controls during G20 were of great success in lowering locally produced aerosol and pollutants, despite of co-existence of nighttime regional transport containing aerosol high in low-volatile organics and sulfate. It was implied that not only are emissions controls on both local and regional scale important, but that the transport of pollutants needs to be sufficiently well accounted for, to ensure the successful implementation of air pollution mitigation campaigns in China. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Drivers of peak sales for pharmaceutical brands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fischer, Marc; Leeflang, Peter S. H.; Verhoef, Peter C.

2010-01-01

Peak sales are an important metric in the pharmaceutical industry. Specifically, managers are focused on the height-of-peak-sales and the time required achieving peak sales. We analyze how order of entry and quality affect the level of peak sales and the time-to-peak-sales of pharmaceutical brands.

Health risks of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

ten Ham, Martijn

2003-01-01

Pharmaceutical products are not exempt from the practice of counterfeiting. In recent years, many reports have become available demonstrating the presence of fake medicines on the market. Several studies have demonstrated that they are quite often of bad quality. It is estimated that 5% of all world trade in branded goods is counterfeit, leading to huge financial losses for the pharmaceutical industry. But much more important, from a public health point of view, is that history has shown that such products may lead to a great health risk. The essence of counterfeit products and the reason they are so dangerous is the complete absence of quality control, since they are often indistinguishable from the genuine product. The existence of counterfeit drugs has long been ignored both by the pharmaceutical industry and by drug regulatory authorities. At present initiatives are being taken, nationally and internationally, to curb counterfeiting. It is now realised that a strong regulatory agency is essential, but the initiatives can only be successful if all parties concerned actively co-operate.

Marketing concepts for pharmaceutical service development.

Science.gov (United States)

Grauer, D W

1981-02-01

Marketing concepts as a mechanism to help pharmacy develop, communicate, and sell future pharmaceutical services to consumers are discussed. Pharmacy as a profession must define itself broadly to take advantage of future growth opportunities. These growth opportunities will be realized from unmet health-care needs and changing consumer life style trends and values. New services must therefore be oriented toward consumers (i.e., patients, health professionals, and third-party agencies) to gain acceptance. Dispensing and drug-knowledge-distribution pharmaceutical services are reviewed by a product life cycle analysis of sales profits versus time. A marketing mix for new pharmaceutical services is developed consisting of service, price, distribution, and promotion strategies. Marketing can encompass those key elements necessary to meet the organizational goals of pharmacy and provide a systematic, disciplined approach for presenting a new service to consumers.

New opportunities for biocatalysis: making pharmaceutical processes greener

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Woodley, John

2008-01-01

The pharmaceutical industry requires synthetic routes to be environmentally compatible as well as to fulfill the demands of process economics and product specification and to continually reduce development times. Biocatalysis has the potential to deliver 'greener' chemical syntheses, and in this ......The pharmaceutical industry requires synthetic routes to be environmentally compatible as well as to fulfill the demands of process economics and product specification and to continually reduce development times. Biocatalysis has the potential to deliver 'greener' chemical syntheses...... of biocatalysis for making pharmaceutical processes greener....

Pharmaceutical care as a historical, normative-legal and social-economic category in the system of the population health and pharmaceutical care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. L. Panfilova

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Aim. Terminological vagueness of the term «pharmaceutical care» in domestic legislative framework and scientific environment makes it impossible to introduce new forms and methods of providing pharmaceutical population in Ukraine effectively. In order to form the unified methodological approach to identify and order the use of the mentioned term, the results of organizational-economic studies in pharmacy and the existing legal framework have been analyzed. Methods and results. Using dialectical, historical, logical-semantic and other methods the basic stages in the development of pharmaceutical care have been established and definitions tree of the concept have been constructed. Conclusion. The results of these studies indicate the need for recognition and regulatory mapping integration (organizational and economic of the definition «pharmaceutical care» in domestic legislation and public health practice.

Adsorptive removal of selected pharmaceuticals by mesoporous silica SBA-15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bui, Tung Xuan; Choi, Heechul

2009-01-01

The removal of five selected pharmaceuticals, viz., carbamazepine, clofibric acid, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen was examined by batch sorption experiments onto a synthesized mesoporous silica SBA-15. SBA-15 was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N 2 adsorption-desorption measurement, and point of zero charge (PZC) measurement. Pharmaceutical adsorption kinetics was rapid and occurred on a scale of minutes, following a pseudo-second-order rate expression. Adsorption isotherms were best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model. High removal rates of individual pharmaceuticals were achieved in acidic media (pH 3-5) and reached 85.2% for carbamazepine, 88.3% for diclofenac, 93.0% for ibuprofen, 94.3% for ketoprofen, and 49.0% for clofibric acid at pH 3 but decreased with increase in pH. SBA-15 also showed high efficiency for removal of a mixture of 5 pharmaceuticals. Except for clofibric acid (35.6%), the removal of pharmaceuticals in the mixture ranged from 75.2 to 89.3%. Based on adsorption and desorption results, the mechanism of the selected pharmaceuticals was found to be a hydrophilic interaction, providing valuable information for further studies to design materials for the purpose. The results of this study suggest that mesoporous-silica-based materials are promising adsorbents for removing pharmaceuticals from not only surface water but also wastewater of pharmaceutical industrial manufactures.

Adsorptive removal of selected pharmaceuticals by mesoporous silica SBA-15

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bui, Tung Xuan, E-mail: bxtung@gist.ac.kr [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 261 Cheomdan-gwagiro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Heechul, E-mail: hcchoi@gist.ac.kr [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 261 Cheomdan-gwagiro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

2009-09-15

The removal of five selected pharmaceuticals, viz., carbamazepine, clofibric acid, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen was examined by batch sorption experiments onto a synthesized mesoporous silica SBA-15. SBA-15 was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption measurement, and point of zero charge (PZC) measurement. Pharmaceutical adsorption kinetics was rapid and occurred on a scale of minutes, following a pseudo-second-order rate expression. Adsorption isotherms were best fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model. High removal rates of individual pharmaceuticals were achieved in acidic media (pH 3-5) and reached 85.2% for carbamazepine, 88.3% for diclofenac, 93.0% for ibuprofen, 94.3% for ketoprofen, and 49.0% for clofibric acid at pH 3 but decreased with increase in pH. SBA-15 also showed high efficiency for removal of a mixture of 5 pharmaceuticals. Except for clofibric acid (35.6%), the removal of pharmaceuticals in the mixture ranged from 75.2 to 89.3%. Based on adsorption and desorption results, the mechanism of the selected pharmaceuticals was found to be a hydrophilic interaction, providing valuable information for further studies to design materials for the purpose. The results of this study suggest that mesoporous-silica-based materials are promising adsorbents for removing pharmaceuticals from not only surface water but also wastewater of pharmaceutical industrial manufactures.

Pharmaceutical Distribution Market Channels in Poland

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Agnieszka Woś

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Distribution on the pharmaceutical market in Poland is interesting and the most difficult sphere to manage. Numerous varied and specialized companies operating on the market cause that the processes of choosing middlemen in distribution channels are very complex. The hereby article presents the role and location of the companies operating within distribution channels on the pharmaceutical market. It draws attention to the development of non-pharmacy and non-wholesale sales channels.

Variations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air during haze and non-haze episodes in warm seasons in Hangzhou, China.

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Lu, Hao; Wang, Shengsheng; Wu, Zuliang; Yao, Shuiliang; Han, Jingyi; Tang, Xiujuan; Jiang, Boqiong

2017-01-01

To investigate the characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during haze episodes in warm seasons, daily PM 2.5 and gaseous samples were collected from March to September 2015 in Hangzhou, China. Daily samples were further divided into four groups by the definition of haze according to visibility and relative humidity (RH), including non-haze (visibility, >10 km), light haze (visibility, 8-10 km, RH <90 %), medium haze (visibility, 5-8 km, RH <90 %), and heavy haze (visibility, <5 km, RH <90 %). Significantly higher concentrations of PM 2.5 -bound PAHs were found in haze days, but the mean PM 2.5 -bound PAH concentrations obviously decreased with the aggravation of haze pollution from light to heavy. The gas/particle partitioning coefficients of PAHs decreased from light-haze to heavy-haze episodes, which indicated that PM 2.5 -bound PAHs were restricted to adhere to the particulate phase with the aggravation of haze pollution. Absorption was considered the main mechanism of gas/particle partitioning of PAHs from gaseous to particulate phase. Analysis of air mass transport indicated that the PM 2.5 -bound PAH pollution in haze days was largely from regional sources but also significantly affected by long-range air mass transport. The inhalation cancer risk associated with PAHs exceeded the acceptable risk level markedly in both haze and non-haze days.

Pharmaceutical cocrystals: walking the talk.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolla, Geetha; Nangia, Ashwini

2016-06-28

Pharmaceutical cocrystals belong to a sub-class of cocrystals wherein one of the components is a drug molecule (or an active pharmaceutical ingredient, API) and the second is a benign food or drug grade additive (generally regarded as safe, GRAS). The two components are hydrogen-bonded in a fixed stoichiometric ratio in the crystal lattice. In the past decade, pharmaceutical cocrystals have demonstrated significant promise in their ability to modify the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of drug substances, such as the solubility and dissolution rate, bioavailability, particle morphology and size, tableting and compaction, melting point, physical form, biochemical and hydration stability, and permeability. In this feature review, we highlight some prominent examples of drug cocrystals which exhibit variable hardness/softness and elasticity/plasticity depending on coformer selection, improvement of solubility and permeability in the same cocrystal, increase of the melting point for solid formulation, enhanced color performance, photostability and hydration stability, and a longer half-life. Cocrystals of flavanoids and polyphenols can make improved pharmaceuticals and also extend to the larger class of nutraceuticals. The application of crystal engineering to assemble ternary cocrystals expands this field to drug-drug cocrystals which may be useful in multi-drug resistance, mitigating side effects of drugs, or attenuating/enhancing drug action synergistically by rational selection. The advent of new techniques for structural characterization beyond the standard X-ray diffraction will provide a better understanding of drug phases which are at the borderline of crystalline-amorphous nature and even newer opportunities in the future.

Temporal variation of pharmaceuticals in an urban and agriculturally influenced stream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veach, Allison M.; Bernot, Melody J.

2011-01-01

Pharmaceuticals have become ubiquitous in the aquatic environment. Previous studies consistently demonstrate the prevalence of pharmaceuticals in freshwater but we do not yet know how concentrations vary over time within a given system. Two sites in central Indiana with varying land use in the surrounding watershed (suburban and agricultural) were sampled monthly for pharmaceutical concentrations and stream physiochemical parameters. Sediment samples were also collected at each sampling event for measurement of δ 15 N natural abundance and sediment organic content. Across sites and sampling events, twelve pharmaceuticals were detected including acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, cotinine, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, triclosan, and trimethoprim. Sulfathiazole, lincomycin, and tylosin were not detected at either site at any time. The agriculturally-influenced site had comparable pharmaceutical concentrations to the urban-influenced site. In general, pharmaceutical concentrations increased during winter at both sites and decreased during spring and summer. Multiple regression analyses indicated that water column dissolved oxygen, the number of days since precipitation, and solar radiation influenced total pharmaceutical concentration in the urban-influenced site; whereas pH, chlorophyll a concentration, and total amount of rainfall in the previous 10 days influenced total pharmaceutical concentrations in the agriculturally-influenced site. Pharmaceutical concentrations were not correlated with sediment δ 15 N across or within sites. However, sediment in the urban-influenced site had higher mean δ 15 N signatures relative to sediment in the agriculturally-influenced site. These data indicate pharmaceuticals are persistent in aquatic ecosystems influenced by both agricultural and suburban activity. Pharmaceuticals are designed to have a physiological effect; therefore, it is

A review of near infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics in pharmaceutical technologies.

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Roggo, Yves; Chalus, Pascal; Maurer, Lene; Lema-Martinez, Carmen; Edmond, Aurélie; Jent, Nadine

2007-07-27

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a fast and non-destructive analytical method. Associated with chemometrics, it becomes a powerful tool for the pharmaceutical industry. Indeed, NIRS is suitable for analysis of solid, liquid and biotechnological pharmaceutical forms. Moreover, NIRS can be implemented during pharmaceutical development, in production for process monitoring or in quality control laboratories. This review focuses on chemometric techniques and pharmaceutical NIRS applications. The following topics are covered: qualitative analyses, quantitative methods and on-line applications. Theoretical and practical aspects are described with pharmaceutical examples of NIRS applications.

Recent trends and future of pharmaceutical packaging technology

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Nityanand Zadbuke

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The pharmaceutical packaging market is constantly advancing and has experienced annual growth of at least five percent per annum in the past few years. The market is now reckoned to be worth over $20 billion a year. As with most other packaged goods, pharmaceuticals need reliable and speedy packaging solutions that deliver a combination of product protection, quality, tamper evidence, patient comfort and security needs. Constant innovations in the pharmaceuticals themselves such as, blow fill seal (BFS vials, anti-counterfeit measures, plasma impulse chemical vapor deposition (PICVD coating technology, snap off ampoules, unit dose vials, two-in-one prefilled vial design, prefilled syringes and child-resistant packs have a direct impact on the packaging. The review details several of the recent pharmaceutical packaging trends that are impacting packaging industry, and offers some predictions for the future.

Recent trends and future of pharmaceutical packaging technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zadbuke, Nityanand; Shahi, Sadhana; Gulecha, Bhushan; Padalkar, Abhay; Thube, Mahesh

2013-04-01

The pharmaceutical packaging market is constantly advancing and has experienced annual growth of at least five percent per annum in the past few years. The market is now reckoned to be worth over $20 billion a year. As with most other packaged goods, pharmaceuticals need reliable and speedy packaging solutions that deliver a combination of product protection, quality, tamper evidence, patient comfort and security needs. Constant innovations in the pharmaceuticals themselves such as, blow fill seal (BFS) vials, anti-counterfeit measures, plasma impulse chemical vapor deposition (PICVD) coating technology, snap off ampoules, unit dose vials, two-in-one prefilled vial design, prefilled syringes and child-resistant packs have a direct impact on the packaging. The review details several of the recent pharmaceutical packaging trends that are impacting packaging industry, and offers some predictions for the future.

Impacts of international sanctions on Iranian pharmaceutical market.

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Cheraghali, Abdol Majid

2013-07-31

Iran in recent decade faced several regional and international sanctions in foreign trade, financial and banking services. Iran national pharmaceutical industry has always played a major role in providing medicines to the Iranian patients. However, following the sanctions it has faced profound difficulties for importing of both finished products and pharmaceutical raw materials. Although medicines are exempted from sanctions, due to restriction on money transaction and proper insurance Iranian pharmaceutical companies have to pay cash in advance for imports of medicines and raw materials or to secure offshore funds at very high risks. Current situation in Iran pharmaceutical market confirms that the sanctions against Iran are affecting ordinary citizens and national health sector which resulted to reduction of availability of lifesaving medicines in the local market and has caused increasing pain and suffering for Iranian patients.

Recent trends and future of pharmaceutical packaging technology

Science.gov (United States)

Zadbuke, Nityanand; Shahi, Sadhana; Gulecha, Bhushan; Padalkar, Abhay; Thube, Mahesh

2013-01-01

The pharmaceutical packaging market is constantly advancing and has experienced annual growth of at least five percent per annum in the past few years. The market is now reckoned to be worth over $20 billion a year. As with most other packaged goods, pharmaceuticals need reliable and speedy packaging solutions that deliver a combination of product protection, quality, tamper evidence, patient comfort and security needs. Constant innovations in the pharmaceuticals themselves such as, blow fill seal (BFS) vials, anti-counterfeit measures, plasma impulse chemical vapor deposition (PICVD) coating technology, snap off ampoules, unit dose vials, two-in-one prefilled vial design, prefilled syringes and child-resistant packs have a direct impact on the packaging. The review details several of the recent pharmaceutical packaging trends that are impacting packaging industry, and offers some predictions for the future. PMID:23833515

Attitudes and beliefs regarding direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs: an exploratory comparison of physicians and pharmaceutical sales representatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Steven A; Broekemier, Gregory M; Burkink, Tim J

2014-01-01

Even with many changes in regulation in recent years, direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of pharmaceutical drugs remains a complicated and contentious issue. Many in our society argue for increased legislation of DTCA while others believe that DTCA serves a useful purpose and should not be overregulated. This study was designed to compare attitudes and beliefs regarding DTCA held by two key stakeholder groups, physicians and pharmaceutical sales representatives. A questionnaire was created, pretested, and administered to 30 physicians and 30 pharmaceutical sales representatives to investigate these issues. Significant differences between these two groups were found and implications for DTCA are discussed.

Pharmaceuticals as Groundwater Tracers - Applications and Limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Scheytt, T. J.; Mersmann, P.; Heberer, T.

2003-12-01

Pharmaceutically active substances and metabolites are found at concentrations up to the microgram/L-level in groundwater samples from the Berlin (Germany) area and from several other places world wide. Among the compounds detected in groundwater are clofibric acid, propyphenazone, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and carbamazepine. Clofibric acid, the active metabolite of clofibrate and etofibrate (blood lipid regulators) is detected in groundwater at maximum concentrations of 7300 ng/L. Among the most important input paths of drugs are excretion and disposal into the sewage system. Groundwater contamination is likely to be due to leaky sewage systems, influent streams, bank filtration, and irrigation with effluent water from sewage treatment plants. There are no known natural sources of the above mentioned pharmaceuticals. The use of pharmaceuticals as tracers may include: (a) Quantification of infiltration from underground septic tanks (b) Detection of leaky sewage systems / leaky sewage pipes (c) Estimation of the effectiveness of sewage treatment plants (d) Identification of transport pathways of other organic compounds (e) Quantification of surface water / groundwater interaction (f) Characterization of the biodegradation potential. The use of pharmaceuticals as tracers is limited by variations in input. These variations depend on the amount of drugs prescribed and used in the study area, the social structure of the community, the amount of hospital discharge, and temporal concentration variations. Furthermore, the analysis of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals is sophisticated and expensive and may therefore limit the applicability of pharmaceuticals as tracers. Finally, the transport and degradation behavior of pharmaceuticals is not fully understood. Preliminary experiments in the laboratory were conducted using sediment material and groundwater from the Berlin area to evaluate the transport and sorption behavior of selected drugs. Results of the column experiments

Why regulatory indifference towards pharmaceutical pollution of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Unlike other environmental contaminants, pharmaceutical pollutants are not yet regulated globally, simply because acute risk assessments show insignificant human health hazard. But the pitfalls of pharmaceutical pollutants extend beyond acute effects to delayed effects from bioaccumulation, amplified effects from ...

Unlicensed pharmaceutical preparations for clinical patient care: Ensuring safety.

Science.gov (United States)

de Wilde, Sofieke; de Jong, Maria G H; Le Brun, Paul P H; Guchelaar, Henk-Jan; Schimmel, Kirsten J M

2018-01-01

Most medicinal products dispensed to patients have marketing authorization (MA) to ensure high quality of the product, safety, and efficacy. However, in daily practice, to treat patients adequately, there is a medical need for drugs that do not hold MA. To meet this medical need, medicinal products are used in clinical care without MA (unlicensed), such as products prepared by (local) pharmacies: the pharmaceutical preparations. Three types of pharmaceutical preparations are distinguished: (i) reconstitution in excess of summary of product characteristics; (ii) adaptation of a licensed medicinal product (outside its official labeling); (iii) medicinal products from an active pharmaceutical ingredient. Although unlicensed, patients may expect the same quality for these unlicensed pharmaceutical preparations as for the licensed medicinal products. To assure this quality, a proper risk-benefit assessment and proper documentation in (centralized) patient registries and linking to a national pharmacovigilance database should be in place. Based on a risk assessment matrix, requirements for quality assurance can be determined, which has impact on the level of documentation of a pharmaceutical preparation. In this paper, the approach for good documentation including quality assurance and benefit-risk assessment will be discussed and possibilities for patient registries are described to make these crucial preparations available for regular patient care. KEY POINTS Ensuring pharmaceutical quality and performing a proper benefit-risk assessment will guarantee safe use of pharmaceutical preparations. Good documentation of (ultra-)orphan treatments can be collected in centralized patient registries and should be combined with existing information in (inter)national databases and self-reflection of patients. Linking patient registries to a centralized database for adverse drug events is highly recommended as it increases safety control of the (ultra) orphan pharmaceutical

[Composition and Environmental Effects of LFOM and HFOM in "Incense-Ash" Sediments of West Lake, Hangzhou, China].

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Li, Jing; Zhu, Guang-wei; Zhu, Meng-yuan; Gong, Zhi-jun; Xu, Hai; Yang, Gui-jun

2015-06-01

To understand the organic matter pollution characteristic and its relationship with nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients in sediments of high organic matter type of urban shallow lakes, the organic matter content, light fraction organic matter (LFOM), heavy fraction organic matter (HFOM), and nitrogen and phosphorus contents were investigated in eight different regions of West Lake, Hangzhou. The results showed that, the organic matter content of the west lake sediment was 28-251 g x kg(-1), belonging to typical high organic matter sediment. The difference of organic matter content in different lake sediments was very big. The sediments located at the input site of water diversion engineering had significantly lower organic content than the rest regions. The LFOM content of West Lake sediment ranged 0.57-9.17 g x kg(-1), which averagely occupied 2.83% of the total organic matter, and the HFOM content ranged 5.35-347.41 g x kg(-1), which occupied more than 90% of the total organic matter. Compared to other shallow lakes located in China, sediments of West Lake had significantly high percentage of HFOM/LFOM ratio. But the HFOM content was obviously on the high side, reflecting the west lake as an urban lake with a long history, as well as high organic matter pollution load and sediment humification degree. Both the content and the ratio of LFOM/HFOM in sediment were related to nitrogen and phosphorus contents in sediment. This suggested that the composition of organic matter in West Lake sediments had potential control ability for the internal loading of N and P of the lake.

Pharmaceutical supply chain risks: a systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Introduction Supply of medicine as a strategic product in any health system is a top priority. Pharmaceutical companies, a major player of the drug supply chain, are subject to many risks. These risks disrupt the supply of medicine in many ways such as their quantity and quality and their delivery to the right place and customers and at the right time. Therefore risk identification in the supply process of pharmaceutical companies and mitigate them is highly recommended. Objective In this study it is attempted to investigate pharmaceutical supply chain risks with perspective of manufacturing companies. Methods Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science bibliographic databases and Google scholar scientific search engines were searched for pharmaceutical supply chain risk management studies with 6 different groups of keywords. All results found by keywords were reviewed and none-relevant articles were excluded by outcome of interests and researcher boundaries of study within 4 steps and through a systematic method. Results Nine articles were included in the systematic review and totally 50 main risks based on study outcome of interest extracted which classified in 7 categories. Most of reported risks were related to supply and supplier issues. Organization and strategy issues, financial, logistic, political, market and regulatory issues were in next level of importance. Conclusion It was shown that the majority of risks in pharmaceutical supply chain were internal risks due to processes, people and functions mismanagement which could be managed by suitable mitigation strategies. PMID:24355166

'Linkage' pharmaceutical evergreening in Canada and Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Faunce, Thomas A; Lexchin, Joel

2007-01-01

'Evergreening' is not a formal concept of patent law. It is best understood as a social idea used to refer to the myriad ways in which pharmaceutical patent owners utilise the law and related regulatory processes to extend their high rent-earning intellectual monopoly privileges, particularly over highly profitable (either in total sales volume or price per unit) 'blockbuster' drugs. Thus, while the courts are an instrument frequently used by pharmaceutical brand name manufacturers to prolong their patent royalties, 'evergreening' is rarely mentioned explicitly by judges in patent protection cases. The term usually refers to threats made to competitors about a brand-name manufacturer's tactical use of pharmaceutical patents (including over uses, delivery systems and even packaging), not to extension of any particular patent over an active product ingredient. This article focuses in particular on the 'evergreening' potential of so-called 'linkage' provisions, imposed on the regulatory (safety, quality and efficacy) approval systems for generic pharmaceuticals of Canada and Australia, by specific articles in trade agreements with the US. These 'linkage' provisions have also recently appeared in the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUSFTA). They require such drug regulators to facilitate notification of, or even prevent, any potential patent infringement by a generic pharmaceutical manufacturer. This article explores the regulatory lessons to be learnt from Canada's and Australia's shared experience in terms of minimizing potential adverse impacts of such 'linkage evergreening' provisions on drug costs and thereby potentially on citizen's access to affordable, essential medicines. PMID:17543113

Pharmaceutical supply chain risks: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaberidoost, Mona; Nikfar, Shekoufeh; Abdollahiasl, Akbar; Dinarvand, Rassoul

2013-12-19

Supply of medicine as a strategic product in any health system is a top priority. Pharmaceutical companies, a major player of the drug supply chain, are subject to many risks. These risks disrupt the supply of medicine in many ways such as their quantity and quality and their delivery to the right place and customers and at the right time. Therefore risk identification in the supply process of pharmaceutical companies and mitigate them is highly recommended. In this study it is attempted to investigate pharmaceutical supply chain risks with perspective of manufacturing companies. Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science bibliographic databases and Google scholar scientific search engines were searched for pharmaceutical supply chain risk management studies with 6 different groups of keywords. All results found by keywords were reviewed and none-relevant articles were excluded by outcome of interests and researcher boundaries of study within 4 steps and through a systematic method. Nine articles were included in the systematic review and totally 50 main risks based on study outcome of interest extracted which classified in 7 categories. Most of reported risks were related to supply and supplier issues. Organization and strategy issues, financial, logistic, political, market and regulatory issues were in next level of importance. It was shown that the majority of risks in pharmaceutical supply chain were internal risks due to processes, people and functions mismanagement which could be managed by suitable mitigation strategies.

Examining Land Cover and Greenness Dynamics in Hangzhou Bay in 1985–2016 Using Landsat Time-Series Data

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Dengqiu Li

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Land cover changes significantly influence vegetation greenness in different regions. Dense Landsat time series stacks provide unique opportunity to analyze land cover change and vegetation greenness trends at finer spatial scale. In the past three decades, large reclamation activities have greatly changed land cover and vegetation growth of coastal areas. However, rarely has research investigated these frequently changed coastal areas. In this study, Landsat Normalized Difference Vegetation Index time series (1984–2016 data and the Breaks For Additive Seasonal and Trend algorithm were used to detect the intensity and dates of abrupt changes in a typical coastal area—Hangzhou Bay, China. The prior and posterior land cover categories of each change were classified using phenology information through a Random Forest model. The impacts of land cover change on vegetation greenness trends of the inland and reclaimed areas were analyzed through distinguishing gradual and abrupt changes. The results showed that the intensity and date of land cover change were detected successfully with overall accuracies of 88.7% and 86.1%, respectively. The continuous land cover dynamics were retrieved accurately with an overall accuracy of 91.0% for ten land cover classifications. Coastal reclamation did not alleviate local cropland occupation, but prompted the vegetation greenness of the reclaimed area. Most of the inland area showed a browning trend. The main contributors to the greenness and browning trends were also quantified. These findings will help the natural resource management community generate better understanding of coastal reclamation and make better management decisions.

Temporal variation of pharmaceuticals in an urban and agriculturally influenced stream

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veach, Allison M., E-mail: amveach@k-state.edu; Bernot, Melody J., E-mail: mjbernot@bsu.edu

2011-10-01

Pharmaceuticals have become ubiquitous in the aquatic environment. Previous studies consistently demonstrate the prevalence of pharmaceuticals in freshwater but we do not yet know how concentrations vary over time within a given system. Two sites in central Indiana with varying land use in the surrounding watershed (suburban and agricultural) were sampled monthly for pharmaceutical concentrations and stream physiochemical parameters. Sediment samples were also collected at each sampling event for measurement of {delta}{sup 15}N natural abundance and sediment organic content. Across sites and sampling events, twelve pharmaceuticals were detected including acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, cotinine, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, triclosan, and trimethoprim. Sulfathiazole, lincomycin, and tylosin were not detected at either site at any time. The agriculturally-influenced site had comparable pharmaceutical concentrations to the urban-influenced site. In general, pharmaceutical concentrations increased during winter at both sites and decreased during spring and summer. Multiple regression analyses indicated that water column dissolved oxygen, the number of days since precipitation, and solar radiation influenced total pharmaceutical concentration in the urban-influenced site; whereas pH, chlorophyll a concentration, and total amount of rainfall in the previous 10 days influenced total pharmaceutical concentrations in the agriculturally-influenced site. Pharmaceutical concentrations were not correlated with sediment {delta}{sup 15}N across or within sites. However, sediment in the urban-influenced site had higher mean {delta}{sup 15}N signatures relative to sediment in the agriculturally-influenced site. These data indicate pharmaceuticals are persistent in aquatic ecosystems influenced by both agricultural and suburban activity. Pharmaceuticals are designed to have a physiological

Pharmaceutical expenditure forecast model to support health policy decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Rémuzat, Cécile; Urbinati, Duccio; Kornfeld, Åsa; Vataire, Anne-Lise; Cetinsoy, Laurent; Aballéa, Samuel; Mzoughi, Olfa; Toumi, Mondher

2014-01-01

With constant incentives for healthcare payers to contain their pharmaceutical budgets, modelling policy decision impact became critical. The objective of this project was to test the impact of various policy decisions on pharmaceutical budget (developed for the European Commission for the project 'European Union (EU) Pharmaceutical expenditure forecast' - http://ec.europa.eu/health/healthcare/key_documents/index_en.htm). A model was built to assess policy scenarios' impact on the pharmaceutical budgets of seven member states of the EU, namely France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The following scenarios were tested: expanding the UK policies to EU, changing time to market access, modifying generic price and penetration, shifting the distribution chain of biosimilars (retail/hospital). Applying the UK policy resulted in dramatic savings for Germany (10 times the base case forecast) and substantial additional savings for France and Portugal (2 and 4 times the base case forecast, respectively). Delaying time to market was found be to a very powerful tool to reduce pharmaceutical expenditure. Applying the EU transparency directive (6-month process for pricing and reimbursement) increased pharmaceutical expenditure for all countries (from 1.1 to 4 times the base case forecast), except in Germany (additional savings). Decreasing the price of generics and boosting the penetration rate, as well as shifting distribution of biosimilars through hospital chain were also key methods to reduce pharmaceutical expenditure. Change in the level of reimbursement rate to 100% in all countries led to an important increase in the pharmaceutical budget. Forecasting pharmaceutical expenditure is a critical exercise to inform policy decision makers. The most important leverages identified by the model on pharmaceutical budget were driven by generic and biosimilar prices, penetration rate, and distribution. Reducing, even slightly, the prices of

Electrochemical treatment of pharmaceutical and industrial wastewater by anodic oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menapace, H. M.; Fellerer, M.; Treschnitzer, M.

2009-01-01

In modern medicine pharmaceuticals play a decisive role: because of an increased life expectancy and intensive care medicine an increasing amount of pharmaceuticals is produced. thus these substances are consumed in a mass of tons per year in industrialized countries. Wastewater effluents from sewage treatment plants (STP) are important point sources for residues of pharmaceuticals and complexing agents in the aquatic environment. For this reason a research project, which started in December 2006, was established to eliminate pharmaceutical substances and complexing agents found in wastewater as micropollutants. (Author)

Antioxidative and Hepatoprotective Activities of Deinoxanthin-Rich ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1Institute of Nuclear-Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, Kaixuan Road No. 268, 310029 Hangzhou, 2Department of. Horticulture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shiqiao Road No. 139, 310021 Hangzhou, 3Cancer Research. Institute, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Guangji Road No. 139, 310020 Hangzhou ...

ETHICAL ASPECTS OF THE COOPERATION BETWEEN PHYSICIAN AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jože Drinovec

2001-09-01

Full Text Available Background. It is not possible to isolated ethical aspects and norms in the work of physician from the professional and scientific ones. The physician will not act contrary to ethical principles if he will work for the interests of the patient and in accordance with scientific knowledge.Present situation and possible solutions. Every physician, especially if working in university institution is co-operating with pharmaceutical industry, at least he is makes the prescriptions and chooses one drug of the possible ones. There are also other aspects of co-operation: clinical trials, writing expertise and lectures at scientific meetings, sponsored by pharmaceutical industry. There are guidelines and codex in Western countries for more than ten years, which regulate the relation between physician and pharmaceutical industry. The most important ones are those from World Health Organisation, European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries’ Associations’, and International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations’. Scientific independence of lecturers and writers is tried to be achieved by disclosure of relevant financial relation with pharmaceutical corporation in advance.Conclusions. Physician working with pharmaceutical industry has o follow the guidelines of international professional associations. He/she has to be independent relaying only upon scientific and professional principles seeing primary the benefit of the patient.

Pharmaceutical market in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veselin Tima Dickov

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Marketing concept formed around the focus on the consumers, their needs, wants and demands, evolves in the case of pharmaceutical into a care of the complex interest of constituents generating demand on this market and #8211; pres scribers whose role is to select therapies, pharmacists who dispense drugs within a specialized distribution channel to the final consumer -patient, alongside the payers and #8211; the state and or insurance companies refund a part of or total costs of the pharmaceutical product. A special challenge that the subject raises is the existence of controversy generated from two sources. Marketing controversy stems from criticism leveled at the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing activities and the debatable ethical code of conduct. [J Intercult Ethnopharmacol 2012; 1(1.000: 44-51

Current Status and Issues in Basic Pharmaceutical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Yasuhara, Tomohisa

2017-01-01

Basic research in pharmaceutical sciences has a long and successful history. Researchers in this field have long given prime importance to the knowledge they have gained through their pharmaceutical education. The transition of pharmacy education to a 6-year course term has not only extended its duration but also placed more emphasis on practical clinical education. The School Education Act (in article 87, second paragraph) determines that "the term of the course, whose main purpose is to cultivate practical ability in clinical pharmacy, shall be six years" (excerpt). The 6-year pharmacy education is an exception to the general 4-year university term determined by the School Education Act. Therefore, the purpose of the 6-year course in pharmacy is clearly proscribed. This is true of the basic course in pharmaceutical education as well; hence, the basic course must be oriented toward developing "practical ability in clinical" education, too. The 6-year pharmacy course, starting from practice (Do), has evolved with the development of a syllabus that includes a model core curriculum (Plan). Furthermore, improvement in the course can be seen by the promoted development of faculty (Act). Now, evidence-based education research will be introduced (Check). This is how the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle in pharmaceutical education is expected to work. Currently, pedagogy research in pharmacy education has just begun, so it is difficult to evaluate at this time whether basic pharmaceutical education does in fact contribute to enhancing the "practical clinical ability" component of pharmaceutical education.

Quality in the pharmaceutical industry - A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Haleem, Reham M; Salem, Maissa Y; Fatahallah, Faten A; Abdelfattah, Laila E

2015-10-01

The aim of this study is to:a.Highlight the most important guidelines and practices of quality in the pharmaceutical industry.b.Organize such guidelines and practices to create a guide to pave the way for other researchers who would like to dig deeper into these guidelines and practices. A review was conducted of 102 publications; 56 publications were concerned with the pharmaceutical quality directly while 46 publications were concerned with the general quality practices. The content of those sources was analyzed and the following themes were identified:a.Research theme 1: Guidelines of the pharmaceutical quality.b.Research theme 2: General practices recently applied in the pharmaceutical industry. The following guidelines were identified and reviewed: WHO guidelines, FDA guidelines, EU guidelines and ICH guidelines in the research theme I. In research theme II; the following topics were identified and reviewed: quality risk management, quality by design, corrective actions and preventive actions, process capability analysis, Six Sigma, process analytical technology, lean manufacturing, total quality management, ISO series and HACCP. Upon reviewing the previously highlighted guidelines and the practices that are widely applied in the pharmaceutical industry, it was noticed that there is an abundant number of papers and articles that explain the general guidelines and practices but the literature lack those describing application; case studies of the pharmaceutical factories applying those guidelines and significance of those guidelines and practices. It is recommended that the literature would invest more in the area of application and significance of guidelines and practices. New case studies should be done to prove the feasibility of such practices.

Fate of pharmaceuticals in full-scale source separated sanitation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Butkovskyi, A; Hernandez Leal, L; Rijnaarts, H H M; Zeeman, G

2015-11-15

Removal of 14 pharmaceuticals and 3 of their transformation products was studied in a full-scale source separated sanitation system with separate collection and treatment of black water and grey water. Black water is treated in an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor followed by oxygen-limited autotrophic nitrification-denitrification in a rotating biological contactor and struvite precipitation. Grey water is treated in an aerobic activated sludge process. Concentration of 10 pharmaceuticals and 2 transformation products in black water ranged between low μg/l to low mg/l. Additionally, 5 pharmaceuticals were also present in grey water in low μg/l range. Pharmaceutical influent loads were distributed over two streams, i.e. diclofenac was present for 70% in grey water, while the other compounds were predominantly associated to black water. Removal in the UASB reactor fed with black water exceeded 70% for 9 pharmaceuticals out of the 12 detected, with only two pharmaceuticals removed by sorption to sludge. Ibuprofen and the transformation product of naproxen, desmethylnaproxen, were removed in the rotating biological contactor. In contrast, only paracetamol removal exceeded 90% in the grey water treatment system while removal of other 7 pharmaceuticals was below 40% or even negative. The efficiency of pharmaceutical removal in the source separated sanitation system was compared with removal in the conventional sewage treatment plants. Furthermore, effluent concentrations of black water and grey water treatment systems were compared with predicted no-effect concentrations to assess toxicity of the effluent. Concentrations of diclofenac, ibuprofen and oxazepam in both effluents were higher than predicted no-effect concentrations, indicating the necessity of post-treatment. Ciprofloxacin, metoprolol and propranolol were found in UASB sludge in μg/g range, while pharmaceutical concentrations in struvite did not exceed the detection limits. Copyright © 2015

Capacity to deliver pharmaceutical care by community pharmacies ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pharmacy practice has transcended from largely a dispensary practice to pharmaceutical care practice. The capacity of community pharmacies to deliver pharmaceutical care was studied using pretested self survey methods. Ninety five percent (95%) of the respondents always educated customers on drug related needs, ...

RECENT TRENDS IN PACKAGING SYSTEMS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Dobrucka

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background:  In recent years, pharmaceutical packaging market was one of the fastest growing areas of the packaging industry. At the same time the packaging manufacturers put high demands on quality and safety. Methods: Review of innovations in packaging systems for pharmaceutical products was made including newest information of researches and achievements of recent years. Results and conclusion: Observed in recent years the development of pharmaceutical packaging market expanded due to with the huge technological advances that allow introduction of new packaging. Also, in this study presented intelligent packaging in pharmacy and innovation in child-resistance packaging.

Pharmaceutical cocrystals: along the path to improved medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Duggirala, Naga K; Perry, Miranda L; Almarsson, Örn; Zaworotko, Michael J

2016-01-14

Cocrystals, a long known but understudied class of crystalline solids, have attracted interest from crystal engineers and pharmaceutical scientists in the past decade and are now an integral part of the preformulation stage of drug development. This is largely because cocrystals that contain a drug molecule, pharmaceutical cocrystals, can modify physicochemical properties without the need for covalent modification of the drug molecule. This review presents a brief history of cocrystals before addressing recent advances in design, discovery and development of pharmaceutical cocrystals that have occurred since an earlier review published in 2004. We address four aspects of cocrystals: nomenclature; design using hydrogen-bonded supramolecular synthons; methods of discovery and synthesis; development of pharmaceutical cocrystals as drug products. Cocrystals can be classified into molecular cocrystals (MCCs) that contain only neutral components (coformers) and ionic cocrystals (ICCs), which are comprised of at least one ionic coformer that is a salt. That cocrystals, especially ICCs, offer much greater diversity in terms of composition and properties than single component crystal forms and are amenable to design makes them of continuing interest. Seven recent case studies that illustrate how pharmaceutical cocrystals can improve physicochemical properties and clinical performance of drug substances, including a recently approved drug product based upon an ICC, are presented.

E-detailing: information technology applied to pharmaceutical detailing.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Isaac D

2008-11-01

E-detailing can be best described as the use of information technology in the field of pharmaceutical detailing. It is becoming highly popular among pharmaceutical companies because it maximizes the time of the sales force, cuts down the cost of detailing and increases physician prescribing. Thus, the application of information technology is proving to be beneficial to both physicians and pharmaceutical companies. When e-detailing was introduced in 1996, it was limited to the US; however, numerous other countries soon adopted this novel approach to detailing and now it is popular in many developed nations. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the rapid growth of e-detailing in the field of pharmaceutical marketing. A review of e-detailing literature was conducted in addition to personal conversations with physicians. E-detailing has the potential to reduce marketing costs, increase accessibility to physicians and offer many of the advantages of face-to-face detailing. E-detailing is gaining acceptance among physicians because they can access the information of a pharmaceutical product at their own time and convenience. However, the drug safety aspect of e-detailing has not been examined and e-detailing remains a supplement to traditional detailing and is not yet a replacement to it.

Pharmaceutical Cocrystals

OpenAIRE

Korotkova, Elena I.; Kratochvíl, B.

2014-01-01

Cocrystals are very interesting and useful product. In this paper the main information about cocrystals is presented. It is shown that cocrystals are solid substances, which consist of few components mixed together. There are a lot of ways of cocrystals production and application. It is shown that cocrystals can be applied in medicine and pharmaceutical industry for improving different properties such as dissolution rate, melting point, solubility, chemical stability etc. Another way of cocry...

Do cost-sharing and entry deregulation curb pharmaceutical innovation?

Science.gov (United States)

Grossmann, Volker

2013-09-01

This paper examines the role of both cost-sharing schemes in health insurance systems and the regulation of entry into the pharmaceutical sector for pharmaceutical R&D expenditure and drug prices. The analysis suggests that both an increase in the coinsurance rate and stricter price regulations adversely affect R&D spending in the pharmaceutical sector. In contrast, entry deregulation may lead to higher R&D spending of pharmaceutical companies. The relationship between R&D spending per firm and the number of firms may be hump-shaped. In this case, the number of rivals which maximizes R&D expenditure per firm is decreasing in the coinsurance rate and increasing in labor productivity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corrosion inhibition of aluminum 6063 using some pharmaceutical compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fouda, A.S.; Al-Sarawy, A.A.; Ahmed, F.Sh.; El-Abbasy, H.M.

2009-01-01

The corrosion inhibition characteristics of some pharmaceutical compounds on aluminum 6063 in 0.5 mol l -1 H 3 PO 4 has been studied using weight loss and galvanostatic polarization techniques. Results showed that the inhibition occurs through adsorption of the inhibitor molecules on the metal surface. The inhibition efficiency increased with increasing inhibitor concentration, but decreased with increasing temperature. The adsorption of first group pharmaceutical compounds on the metal surface is found to obey Frumkin's adsorption isotherm, but the adsorption of second group pharmaceutical compounds is found to obey Temkin's adsorption isotherm. Thermodynamic parameters for adsorption process were determined. Galvanostatic polarization studies showed that first and second groups' pharmaceutical compounds are mixed-type inhibitors and the results obtained from the two techniques are in good agreement

ANALYSIS OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES’ ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DIRECTED TO PHYSICIANS IN EGYPT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Bahlol

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Pharmaceutical market is one of the largest world markets with its own conditions. In Middle East, Egypt is a major pharmaceutical emerging market and has geographical, historical and political effective leading role among Arab countries. This research aims to investigate pharmaceutical companies’ activities in Egypt directed to physicians.Methodology. Urveying through simple random probability sampling is the approach appropriate for broad and representative overview of situation in research. Therefore, a survey of 1068 physicians was conducted through interviews and establishing structured data collection questionnaire.Originality. This is the first empirical paper to investigate pharmaceutical companies’ activities directed to physicians in pharmaceutical market of Egypt. These activities include identifying pharmaceutical companies through visits of medical representatives, analysis of those visits, frequency of medical representatives’ visits, characteristics of information introduced by medical representatives to physicians, physicians’ trust in provided information, spending of pharmaceutical companies on physicians, promotional techniques applied by medical representatives. These findings are useful for managers in pharmaceutical industry. They can be also useful in other industries such as medical equipment.Findings. Pharmaceutical companies are employing medical representatives widely, as the most effective and widely-applied promotion tool in Egypt.Practical Implications. Coordinate marketing management vision with pharmaceutical market real context will lead to synergism effect in utilizing medical representatives’ activities.

Microbial Removal of the Pharmaceutical Compounds Ibuprofen and Diclofenac from Wastewater

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Langenhoff, A.A.M.; Inderfurth, N.S.; Veuskens, T.; Schraa, G.; Blokland, M.; Kujawa-Roeleveld, K.; Rijnaarts, H.H.M.

2013-01-01

Studies on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals show that the widely used pharmaceuticals ibuprofen and diclofenac are present in relevant concentrations in the environment. A pilot plant treating hospital wastewater with relevant concentrations of these pharmaceuticals was evaluated for its

Public awareness of Pharmaceutical care availability in community ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Furthermore, the awareness of availability of pharmaceutical care services in community pharmacies was 3% while 75% of the respondents believed a community pharmacy was just a place drugs can be obtained. As the profession and pharmacists endeavour to improve knowledge and skill to deliver pharmaceutical care ...

East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences is dedicated to all aspects of Pharmaceutical Sciences research and is published in English. The scientific papers published in the Journal fall into three main categories: review papers, original research papers and short communications. Review papers in ...

A perspective on PSE in pharmaceutical process development and innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gernaey, Krist; Cervera Padrell, Albert Emili; Woodley, John

2012-01-01

The pharmaceutical industry is under growing pressure to increase efficiency, both in production and in process development. This paper discusses the central role of Process Systems Engineering (PSE) methods and tools in pharmaceutical process development and innovation, and searches for answers...... to questions such as: Which PSE methods can be applied readily? Where is more method development needed? The paper covers key subjects for development of economically and environmentally sustainable pharmaceutical processes, including Process Analytical Technology in its broadest sense, continuous...... pharmaceutical manufacturing and green processes, and is illustrated with a series of short examples taken from the literature and ongoing research projects....

Scientific Knowledge and Technology, Animal Experimentation, and Pharmaceutical Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinter, Lewis B; DeGeorge, Joseph J

2016-12-01

Human discovery of pharmacologically active substances is arguably the oldest of the biomedical sciences with origins >3500 years ago. Since ancient times, four major transformations have dramatically impacted pharmaceutical development, each driven by advances in scientific knowledge, technology, and/or regulation: (1) anesthesia, analgesia, and antisepsis; (2) medicinal chemistry; (3) regulatory toxicology; and (4) targeted drug discovery. Animal experimentation in pharmaceutical development is a modern phenomenon dating from the 20th century and enabling several of the four transformations. While each transformation resulted in more effective and/or safer pharmaceuticals, overall attrition, cycle time, cost, numbers of animals used, and low probability of success for new products remain concerns, and pharmaceutical development remains a very high risk business proposition. In this manuscript we review pharmaceutical development since ancient times, describe its coevolution with animal experimentation, and attempt to predict the characteristics of future transformations. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Fate of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in fly larvae composting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lalander, C., E-mail: cecilia.lalander@slu.se [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden); Senecal, J.; Gros Calvo, M. [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden); Ahrens, L.; Josefsson, S.; Wiberg, K. [Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden); Vinnerås, B. [Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden)

2016-09-15

A novel and efficient organic waste management strategy currently gaining great attention is fly larvae composting. High resource recovery efficiency can be achieved in this closed-looped system, but pharmaceuticals and pesticides in waste could potentially accumulate in every loop of the treatment system and spread to the environment. This study evaluated the fate of three pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, roxithromycin, trimethoprim) and two pesticides (azoxystrobin, propiconazole) in a fly larvae composting system and in a control treatment with no larvae. It was found that the half-life of all five substances was shorter in the fly larvae compost (< 10% of control) and no bioaccumulation was detected in the larvae. Fly larvae composting could thus impede the spread of pharmaceuticals and pesticides into the environment. - Highlights: • Degradation of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in fly larvae composting (FLC). • Half-life considerably shorter in FLC than in control with no larvae. • Half-life of carbamazepine was less than two days in FLC. • No bioaccumulation in larvae detected. • FLC could impede the spreading of pharmaceuticals and pesticide in the environment.

Fate of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in fly larvae composting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lalander, C.; Senecal, J.; Gros Calvo, M.; Ahrens, L.; Josefsson, S.; Wiberg, K.; Vinnerås, B.

2016-01-01

A novel and efficient organic waste management strategy currently gaining great attention is fly larvae composting. High resource recovery efficiency can be achieved in this closed-looped system, but pharmaceuticals and pesticides in waste could potentially accumulate in every loop of the treatment system and spread to the environment. This study evaluated the fate of three pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, roxithromycin, trimethoprim) and two pesticides (azoxystrobin, propiconazole) in a fly larvae composting system and in a control treatment with no larvae. It was found that the half-life of all five substances was shorter in the fly larvae compost (< 10% of control) and no bioaccumulation was detected in the larvae. Fly larvae composting could thus impede the spread of pharmaceuticals and pesticides into the environment. - Highlights: • Degradation of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in fly larvae composting (FLC). • Half-life considerably shorter in FLC than in control with no larvae. • Half-life of carbamazepine was less than two days in FLC. • No bioaccumulation in larvae detected. • FLC could impede the spreading of pharmaceuticals and pesticide in the environment.

Assessing the Factors Associated With Iran’s Intra-Industry Trade in Pharmaceuticals

Science.gov (United States)

Yusefzadeh, Hassan; Hadian, Mohammad; Gorji, Hassan Abolghasem; Ghaderi, Hossein

2015-01-01

Background: Pharmaceutical industry is a sensitive and profitable industry. If this industry wants to survive, it should be able to compete well in international markets. So, study of Iran’s intra-industry trade (IIT) in pharmaceuticals is essential in order to identify competitiveness potential of country and boost export capability in the global arena. Methods: This study assessed the factors associated with Iran’s intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals with the rest of the world during the 2001–2012 periods using seasonal time series data at the four-digit SITC level. The data was collected from Iran’s pharmaceutical Statistics, World Bank and International Trade Center. Finally, we discussed a number of important policy recommendations to increase Iran’s IIT in pharmaceuticals. Results: The findings indicated that economies of scale, market structure and degree of economic development had a significantly positive impact on Iran’s intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals and tariff trade barriers were negatively related to IIT. Product differentiation and technological advancement didn’t have the expected signs. In addition, we found that Iran’s IIT in pharmaceuticals have shown an increasing trend during the study period. Thus, the composition of Iran trade in pharmaceuticals has changed from inter-industry trade to intra-industry trade. Conclusions: In order to get more prepared for integration into the global economy, the development of Iran’s IIT in pharmaceuticals should be given priority. Therefore, paying attention to IIT could have an important role in serving pharmaceutical companies in relation to pharmaceutical trade. PMID:26156931

Multifaceted role of clay minerals in pharmaceuticals

OpenAIRE

Khurana, Inderpreet Singh; Kaur, Satvinder; Kaur, Harpreet; Khurana, Rajneet Kaur

2015-01-01

The desirable physical and physiochemical properties of clay minerals have led them to play a substantial role in pharmaceutical formulations. Clay minerals like kaolin, smectite and palygorskite-sepiolite are among the world's most valuable industrial minerals and of considerable importance. The elemental features of clay minerals which caused them to be used in pharmaceutical formulations are high specific area, sorption capacity, favorable rheological properties, chemical inertness, swelli...

[E-commerce of pharmaceuticals].

Science.gov (United States)

Shani, Segev

2003-05-01

The emergence of the Internet as a new communications and information technology caused major social and cultural changes. The dramatic increase in accessibility and availability of information empowered the consumer by closing the information gap between the consumer and different suppliers. The objective of this article is to review many new internet-supported applications related to the pharmaceutical market. E-commerce is divided into two major components: Business to Consumer (B to C), and Business to Business (B to B). The main applications in B to C are dissemination of medical and drug information, and the sale of drugs through the Internet. Medical information on the Internet is vast and very helpful for patients, however, its reliability is not guaranteed. Online pharmacies increase the accessibility and availability of drugs. Nevertheless, several obstacles such as security of the data provided (both financial and clinical) prevent the widespread use of online pharmacies. Another risk is the health authorities' inability to regulate Internet sites effectively. Therefore, unregulated sale of prescription drugs, fake or substandard, often occurs on the Internet. B to B relates to physicians, clinics, hospitals, HMO's and pharmaceutical companies. There is a vast number of applications ranging from clinical research, marketing and sales promotion, to drug distribution and logistics. In conclusion, the Internet is dynamic and has contributed to the development of numerous new applications in the field of pharmaceuticals. Regulatory authorities should be active in developing new policies that will deal with those new Internet-based applications.

East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 1. Vol. 8(2) 40 - 42. Constituents of the Stem Bark of Dombeya Rotundifolia Hochst. S.N. NDWIGAH*', G.N. THOITHI', J.W. MWANGI~ AND 1.0. KIBWAGE'. 'Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi,. P. 0.

Introductory Level Problems Illustrating Concepts in Pharmaceutical Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

McIver, Keith; Whitaker, Kathryn; De Delva, Vladimir; Farrell, Stephanie; Savelski, Mariano J.; Slater, C. Stewart

2012-01-01

Textbook style problems including detailed solutions introducing pharmaceutical topics at the level of an introductory chemical engineering course have been created. The problems illustrate and teach subjects which students would learn if they were to pursue a career in pharmaceutical engineering, including the unique terminology of the field,…

Decomposition of persistent pharmaceuticals in wastewater by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, A.; Taguchi, M.; Osawa, M.

2011-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The environmental movement and risk evaluation of some pharmaceuticals are studied recently, and the concentrations of the pharmaceuticals in the water environment increased gradually because of population growth and the diversification of advanced medical worldwide. Some anti-inflammatory medications, anticonvulsant drugs, antiviral drugs, antilipemic agents and so on were detected at the downstream of water treatment plant, and could not be decomposed by the activated sludge system completely. However, it is difficult to manage the environment risk of the pharmaceuticals having great benefits for human life. The development of new treatment method is required to minimized their risk. The purpose of this work is to treat the pharmaceuticals in combination of the activated sludge and the ionizing radiation. Oseltamivir, aspirin and ibuprofen at 5 μmol dm -3 in wastewater were decomposed by activated sludge at reaction time for 4 h. Carbamazepine, ketoprofen, mefenamic acid, clofibric acid, and diclofenac were not biodegraded completely, but eliminated by γ-ray irradiation at 2 kGy. The rate constants of the reactions of these pharmaceuticals with hydroxyl radicals produced by water radiolysis were estimated by the competition reaction method to be 3.4 - 10 x 10 9 mol -1 dm 3 s -1 . Decompositions of the pharmaceuticals in wastewater by ionizing radiation were simulated using parameters of the obtained rate constants and the amount of total organic carbon. Simulation curves of concentrations of these pharmaceuticals as function of dose were responsible for the experimental data, and the required dose for the elimination of them in wastewater by ionizing radiation can be estimated by this simulation.

Pharmaceutical expenditure forecast model to support health policy decision making

Science.gov (United States)

Rémuzat, Cécile; Urbinati, Duccio; Kornfeld, Åsa; Vataire, Anne-Lise; Cetinsoy, Laurent; Aballéa, Samuel; Mzoughi, Olfa; Toumi, Mondher

2014-01-01

Background and objective With constant incentives for healthcare payers to contain their pharmaceutical budgets, modelling policy decision impact became critical. The objective of this project was to test the impact of various policy decisions on pharmaceutical budget (developed for the European Commission for the project ‘European Union (EU) Pharmaceutical expenditure forecast’ – http://ec.europa.eu/health/healthcare/key_documents/index_en.htm). Methods A model was built to assess policy scenarios’ impact on the pharmaceutical budgets of seven member states of the EU, namely France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The following scenarios were tested: expanding the UK policies to EU, changing time to market access, modifying generic price and penetration, shifting the distribution chain of biosimilars (retail/hospital). Results Applying the UK policy resulted in dramatic savings for Germany (10 times the base case forecast) and substantial additional savings for France and Portugal (2 and 4 times the base case forecast, respectively). Delaying time to market was found be to a very powerful tool to reduce pharmaceutical expenditure. Applying the EU transparency directive (6-month process for pricing and reimbursement) increased pharmaceutical expenditure for all countries (from 1.1 to 4 times the base case forecast), except in Germany (additional savings). Decreasing the price of generics and boosting the penetration rate, as well as shifting distribution of biosimilars through hospital chain were also key methods to reduce pharmaceutical expenditure. Change in the level of reimbursement rate to 100% in all countries led to an important increase in the pharmaceutical budget. Conclusions Forecasting pharmaceutical expenditure is a critical exercise to inform policy decision makers. The most important leverages identified by the model on pharmaceutical budget were driven by generic and biosimilar prices, penetration rate

PRINTING TECHNIQUES: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGY.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamroz, Witold; Kurek, Mateusz; Lyszczarz, Ewelina; Brniak, Witold; Jachowicz, Renata

2017-05-01

In the last few years there has been a huge progress in a development of printing techniques and their application in pharmaceutical sciences and particularly in the pharmaceutical technology. The variety of printing methods makes it necessary to systemize them, explain the principles of operation, and specify the possibilities of their use in pharmaceutical technology. This paper aims to review the printing techniques used in a drug development process. The growing interest in 2D and 3D printing methods results in continuously increasing number of scientific papers. Introduction of the first printed drug Spritam@ to the market seems to be a milestone of the 3D printing development. Thus, a particular aim of this review is to show the latest achievements of the researchers in the field of the printing medicines.

Pharmaceutical cocrystals:formation mechanisms, solubility behaviour and solid-state properties

OpenAIRE

Alhalaweh, Amjad

2012-01-01

The primary aim of pharmaceutical materials engineering is the successful formulation and process development of pharmaceutical products. The diversity of solid forms available offers attractive opportunities for tailoring material properties. In this context, pharmaceutical cocrystals, multicomponent crystalline materials with definite stoichiometries often stabilised by hydrogen bonding, have recently emerged as interesting alternative solid forms with potential for improving the physical a...

Occurrence, sources, and fate of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environment and soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, W C

2014-04-01

With the rapid economic development, a better living condition leads to longer life expectancy, which increased the total population, in particular the elderly group. It may result in increase in the demand of pharmaceuticals for people in domestic use or in hospital. Although most sewage treatment plants or waste water treatment plantsmet the regulatory requirement, there are still many pharmaceuticals removed incompletely and thus discharged to the environment. Therefore, the pharmaceuticals residue draws the public concern because they might cause adverse effects on the organism even human beings. Recently, many studies have published on the source and occurrence as well as the fate of pharmaceuticals all over the world. This paper summarized and reviewed the recent studies on the sources, occurrence, fate and the effects of the most common pharmaceuticals. Finally, it gave the suggestion and risk management for controlling the pharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and risk assessment of four typical fluoroquinolone antibiotics in raw and treated sewage and in receiving waters in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Changlun; Zhuo, Xiajun; Guo, Yun

2011-07-13

A sensitive liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection method, combined with one-step solid-phase extraction, was established for detecting the residual levels of the four typical fluoroquinolone antibiotics (ofloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and enrofloxacin) in influent, effluent, and surface waters from Hangzhou, China. For the various environmental water matrices, the overall recoveries were from 76.8 to 122%, and no obvious interferences of matrix effect were observed. The limit of quantitation of this method was estimated to be 17 ng/L for ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin, 20 ng/L for ofloxacin, and 27 ng/L for enrofloxacin. All of the four typical fluoroquinolone antibiotics were found in the wastewaters and surface waters. The residual contents of the four typical fluoroquinolone antibiotics in influent, effluent, and surface water samples are 108-1405, 54-429, and 7.0-51.6 ng/L, respectively. The removal rates of the selected fluoroquinolone antibiotics were 69.5 (ofloxacin), 61.3 (norfloxacin), and 50% (enrofloxacin), indicating that activated sludge treatment is effective except for ciprofloxacin and necessary to remove these fluoroquinolone antibiotics in municipal sewage. The risk to the aquatic environment was estimated by a ratio of measured environmental concentration and predicted no-effect concentration. At the concentrations, these fluoroquinolone antibiotics were found in influent, effluent, and surface waters, and they should not pose a risk for the aquatic environment.

Resumed Publication of Pharmaceuticals in 2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shu-Kun Lin

2009-04-01

Full Text Available After a five year hiatus, we are pleased to announce the resumption of publication of the MDPI journal Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247. First launched in 2004, few suitable papers were submitted and only one was published [1], before our limited editorial resources at the time led us to temporarily discontinue publication. Several things have changed since then. First, there has been an explosive growth in the number of manuscripts submitted and published in MDPI’s various current journals [2], whose topics clearly fall within the intended scope of Pharmaceuticals and we feel that these manuscripts merit a dedicated forum. Second, the expansion of MDPI, now with Editorial Offices and staff in Basel (Switzerland and Beijing (China, allows us to provide Pharmaceuticals’ authors with all the services they could desire and deserve: a simple manuscript submission process, rigorous peer review, quick revision turnaround, Open Access publication on a new and attractive platform and coverage by all the major abstracting services. In addition, a new Editorial Board comprised of noted academic and industry scientists has been set up for Pharmaceuticals. Finally, to better focus the subject matter published in Pharmaceuticals on molecular medicines, we have also set up a special section in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS, ISSN 1422-0067 for papers on nutraceuticals or chemopreventives. We look forward to receiving and publishing your papers and as always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.

Provision of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists across Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Costa, Filipa A; Scullin, Claire; Al-Taani, Ghaith

2017-01-01

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: Pharmaceutical care involves patient-centred pharmacist activity to improve medicines management by patients. The implementation of this service in a comprehensive manner, however, requires considerable organisation and effort, and indeed, it is often not fully...... implemented in care settings. The main objective was to assess how pharmaceutical care provision within community pharmacy has evolved over time in Europe. METHOD: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of community pharmacies, using a modified version of the Behavioural Pharmaceutical Care Scale (BPCS......) was conducted in late 2012/early 2013 within 16 European countries and compared with an earlier assessment conducted in 2006. RESULTS: The provision of comprehensive pharmaceutical care has slightly improved in all European countries that participated in both editions of this survey (n = 8) with progress being...

Cross-Linked Hydrogel for Pharmaceutical Applications: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rabinarayan parhi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Hydrogels are promising biomaterials because of their important qualities such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity and non-toxicity. These qualities make hydrogels suitable for application in medical and pharmaceutical field. Recently, a tremendous growth of hydrogel application is seen, especially as gel and patch form, in transdermal drug delivery. This review mainly focuses on the types of hydrogels based on cross-linking and; secondly to describe the possible synthesis methods to design hydrogels for different pharmaceutical applications. The synthesis and chemistry of these hydrogels are discussed using specific pharmaceutical examples. The structure and water content in a typical hydrogel have also been discussed.

Pharmaceutical packaging handbook

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bauer, Edward J

2009-01-01

... of the modern world. Pharmaceutical products and health care in developing countries and remote parts of the world seems like magic. Diseases that were once fatal and chronic conditions that destroyed lives have slowly been conquered by modern medicine. Views of the body, unimaginable for most of the last century with X rays, are now possible with new i...

Healthcare systems, the State, and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignacio José Godinho Delgado

Full Text Available Abstract: This article discusses the relations between healthcare systems and the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on state support for pharmaceutical innovation. The study highlights the experiences of the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, developed countries and paradigms of modern health systems (liberal, universal, and corporatist, in addition to Japan, a case of successful catching up. The study also emphasizes the experiences of China, India, and Brazil, large developing countries that have tried different catching up strategies, with diverse histories and profiles in their healthcare systems and pharmaceutical industries. Finally, with a focus on state forms of support for health research, the article addresses the mechanisms for linkage between health systems and the pharmaceutical industry, evaluating the possibilities of Brazil strengthening a virtuous interaction, favoring the expansion and consolidation of the Brazilian health system - universal but segmented ‒ and the affirmation of the innovative national pharmaceutical industry.

Practices of pharmaceutical waste generation and discarding in households across Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias-Ferreira, Celia; Valente, Susana; Vaz, João

2016-10-01

This work is the first nationwide study in Portugal on pharmaceutical waste generated at households, exploring people's attitudes and risk perception. The waste audit was carried out from September to November 2014, targeting pharmaceutical products kept by a sample of families (n = 244). This campaign was an assignment of VALORMED, the non-profit association that manages waste and packaging from expired and unused pharmaceutical products collected by the pharmacies. On average, each household kept at home 1097 g of pharmaceutical products, of which 20% were in use, 72% were not in use, and 8% were mostly expired products ready to discard. Face-to-face interviews with householders showed that 69% of the respondents claimed returning pharmaceutical waste to the local pharmacy. However, this figure is overrated, probably owing to a possible 'good answer' effect. The barriers identified to proper disposal were mainly established routines and lack of close disposal points. This study also provides an insight into the Portuguese awareness and daily practices concerning pharmaceutical waste, which is the cornerstone of any future strategy to reduce the release of active pharmaceutical ingredients into ecosystems. © The Author(s) 2016.

77 FR 16264 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances, Notice of Registration; Johnson Matthey Pharmaceutical...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-20

..., Notice of Registration; Johnson Matthey Pharmaceutical Materials Inc. By Notice dated November 18, 2011... Pharmaceutical Materials Inc., Pharmaceutical Service, 25 Patton Road, Devens, Massachusetts 01434, made... Matthey Pharmaceutical Materials Inc. to manufacture the listed basic classes of controlled substances is...

Process Analytical Technology for Crystallization of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malwade, Chandrakant Ramkrishna; Qu, Haiyan

2018-01-01

Background: Pharmaceutical industry is witnessing increased pressure to introduce innovative and efficient processes for manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in order to be competitive as well as to meet the stringent product quality requirements set by regulatory authorities...... parameters and their impact on quality of APIs and subsequently the drug products assume great significance for pharmaceutical industry. Methods: This review paper focuses on application of PAT tools, an integral part of Quality by Design (QbD) approach, for better understanding, control, and design...

Application of Incoherent Inelastic Neutron Scattering in Pharmaceutical Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bordallo, Heloisa N.; A. Zakharov, Boris; Boidyreva, E.V.

2012-01-01

This study centers on the use of inelastic neutron scattering as an alternative tool for physical characterization of solid pharmaceutical drugs. On the basis of such approach, relaxation processes in the pharmaceutical compound phenacetin (p-ethoxyacetanilide, C(10)H(13)NO(2)) were evidenced...... contributes to understanding the relationships between intermolecular hydrogen bonds, intramolecular dynamics, and conformational flexibility in pharmaceuticals on a molecular level, which can help in evaluating phase stability with respect to temperature variations on processing or on storage, and is related...

Pharmaceutical health care and Inuit language communications in Nunavut, Canada

OpenAIRE

Romain, Sandra J.

2013-01-01

Background. Pharmaceutical communication is an essential component of pharmaceutical health care, optimally ensuring patients understand the proper administration and side effects of their medications. Communication can often be complicated by language and culture, but with pharmaceuticals, misunderstandings can prove particularly harmful. In Nunavut, to ensure the preservation and revitalization of Inuit languages, the Inuit Language Protection Act and Official Languages Act were passed requ...

Preconditions of forming of loyalty management model in pharmaceutical institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. O. Molodozhonova

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The first stage of the mechanism for implementing of two-level model of efficient management of loyalty was justified. It is based on the fundamental value systems of the formation of consumer commitment and institutional commitment of pharmaceutical professionals. The stage involves recruitment, selection and adaptation period for pharmaceutical professionals and pre-use of axiological questioning of consumers of pharmaceutic goods.

Novel methodology for pharmaceutical expenditure forecast.

Science.gov (United States)

Vataire, Anne-Lise; Cetinsoy, Laurent; Aballéa, Samuel; Rémuzat, Cécile; Urbinati, Duccio; Kornfeld, Åsa; Mzoughi, Olfa; Toumi, Mondher

2014-01-01

The value appreciation of new drugs across countries today features a disruption that is making the historical data that are used for forecasting pharmaceutical expenditure poorly reliable. Forecasting methods rarely addressed uncertainty. The objective of this project was to propose a methodology to perform pharmaceutical expenditure forecasting that integrates expected policy changes and uncertainty (developed for the European Commission as the 'EU Pharmaceutical expenditure forecast'; see http://ec.europa.eu/health/healthcare/key_documents/index_en.htm). 1) Identification of all pharmaceuticals going off-patent and new branded medicinal products over a 5-year forecasting period in seven European Union (EU) Member States. 2) Development of a model to estimate direct and indirect impacts (based on health policies and clinical experts) on savings of generics and biosimilars. Inputs were originator sales value, patent expiry date, time to launch after marketing authorization, price discount, penetration rate, time to peak sales, and impact on brand price. 3) Development of a model for new drugs, which estimated sales progression in a competitive environment. Clinical expected benefits as well as commercial potential were assessed for each product by clinical experts. Inputs were development phase, marketing authorization dates, orphan condition, market size, and competitors. 4) Separate analysis of the budget impact of products going off-patent and new drugs according to several perspectives, distribution chains, and outcomes. 5) Addressing uncertainty surrounding estimations via deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. This methodology has proven to be effective by 1) identifying the main parameters impacting the variations in pharmaceutical expenditure forecasting across countries: generics discounts and penetration, brand price after patent loss, reimbursement rate, the penetration of biosimilars and discount price, distribution chains, and the time

Modeling of Pharmaceutical Biotransformation by Enriched Nitrifying Culture under Different Metabolic Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Yifeng; Chen, Xueming; Yuan, Zhiguo

2018-01-01

Pharmaceutical removal could be significantly enhanced through cometabolism during nitrification processes. To date, pharmaceutical biotransformation models have not considered the formation of transformation products associated with the metabolic type of microorganisms. Here we report a comprehe......Pharmaceutical removal could be significantly enhanced through cometabolism during nitrification processes. To date, pharmaceutical biotransformation models have not considered the formation of transformation products associated with the metabolic type of microorganisms. Here we report...... a comprehensive model to describe and evaluate the biodegradation of pharmaceuticals and the formation of their biotransformation products by enriched nitrifying cultures. The biotransformation of parent compounds was linked to the microbial processes via cometabolism induced by ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB......) growth, metabolism by AOB, cometabolism by heterotrophs (HET) growth, and metabolism by HET in the model framework. The model was calibrated and validated using experimental data from pharmaceutical biodegradation experiments at realistic levels, taking two pharmaceuticals as examples, i.e., atenolol...

Informed consent: Enforcing pharmaceutical companies' obligations abroad.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Stacey B

2010-06-15

The past several years have seen an evolution in the obligations of pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials abroad. Key players, such as international human rights organizations, multinational pharmaceutical companies, the United States government and courts, and the media, have played a significant role in defining these obligations. This article examines how such obligations have developed through the lens of past, present, and future recommendations for informed consent protections. In doing so, this article suggests that, no matter how robust obligations appear, they will continue to fall short of providing meaningful protection until they are accompanied by a substantive enforcement mechanism that holds multinational pharmaceutical companies accountable for their conduct. Issues of national sovereignty, particularly in the United States, will continue to prevent meaningful enforcement by an international tribunal or through one universally adopted code of ethics. This article argues that, rather than continuing to pursue an untenable international approach, the Alien Torts Statute (ATS) offers a viable enforcement mechanism, at least for US-based pharmaceutical companies. Recent federal appellate court precedent interpreting the ATS provides the mechanism for granting victims redress and enforcing accountability of sponsors (usually pharmaceutical companies and research and academic institutions) for informed consent misconduct. Substantive human rights protections are vital in order to ensure that every person can realize the "right to health." This article concludes that by building on the federal appellate court's ATS analysis, which grants foreign trial participants the right to pursue claims of human rights violations in US courts, a mechanism can be created for enforcing not only substantive informed consent, but also human rights protections.

Studying and evaluating pharmaceutical policy--becoming a part of the policy and consultative process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna; Traulsen, Janine Marie

2006-01-01

In this last article in the series the authors focus on the issue of researching and evaluating pharmaceutical policy. The past five articles made an argument for why pharmaceutical policy is important and why it is different from health policy. The evidence base needed for pharmaceutical policym...... culture around pharmaceutical policy. They emphasize the importance of pharmaceutical specialists' (i.e., pharmacists') involvement in pharmaceutical policy analysis and the policy consultative process....

Nano spray drying for encapsulation of pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Arpagaus, Cordin; Collenberg, Andreas; Rütti, David; Assadpour, Elham; Jafari, Seid Mahdi

2018-05-17

Many pharmaceuticals such as pills, capsules, or tablets are prepared in a dried and powdered form. In this field, spray drying plays a critical role to convert liquid pharmaceutical formulations into powders. In addition, in many cases it is necessary to encapsulate bioactive drugs into wall materials to protect them against harsh process and environmental conditions, as well as to deliver the drug to the right place and at the correct time within the body. Thus, spray drying is a common process used for encapsulation of pharmaceuticals. In view of the rapid progress of nanoencapsulation techniques in pharmaceutics, nano spray drying is used to improve drug formulation and delivery. The nano spray dryer developed in the recent years provides ultrafine powders at nanoscale and high product yields. In this paper, after explaining the concept of nano spray drying and understanding the key elements of the equipment, the influence of the process parameters on the final powders properties, like particle size, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, drug loading and release, will be discussed. Then, numerous application examples are reviewed for nano spray drying and encapsulation of various drugs in the early stages of product development along with a brief overview of the obtained results and characterization techniques. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Russian Pharmaceutical Companies Export Potential in Emerging Regional Clusters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Vladimirovna Sapir

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes a diverse range of the enterprise’s export potential growth factors in emerging pharmaceutical clusters of Central European Russia. Classification and comparative analysis were used to identify export potential attributes (production, finance, labor and marketing, which have allowed to reveal the strong connection of cluster and regional factor groups with the results of export performance. The purpose of the study is to provide exports-seeking pharmaceutical companies with a set of tools to enhance their export potential. The hypothesis that the cumulative impact of the specified attributes leads to the strengthening of pharmaceutical cluster export potential and promotes an effective integration of the region in the world economic space, is developed and tested. The methodology combines the geo-economy-based theory with the theory of clusters competitive advantages. The impacts of export potential growth factors are estimated by using an econometric model based on math statistics. Thus, five Russian regional pharmaceutical clusters (Belgorod, Kaluga, Moscow, Oryol, Yaroslavl are shown. Findings identify an objective causal link between enterprise export potential growth and competitiveness factors of cluster origin (network business chains, production functions interconnectedness and flexibility, production localization. An action plan for the purpose of the maximum use of competitive advantages of the cluster organization for export activities of the entities of the pharmaceutical industry is developed. Conclusions and recommendations of the study are intended to enterprises in pharmaceutical industry and regions’ public authorities, implementing cluster development strategies. It is thus essential to improve marketing and organizational innovations, reduction of commercial expenses under the cluster environment, development of drugs production and delivery chains from R&D to end-users in order to enjoy greater

[The pharmaceutical market in Mexico: size, value, and concentration].

Science.gov (United States)

Torres Guerra, Sandra; Gutiérrez, Juan Pablo

2009-07-01

To describe the pharmaceutical drug market in Mexico in terms of its size, structure, business' market power, and consumer negotiating power. A descriptive study based on data from the 2004 Economics Census and the reports of IMS Health, Inc. (Norwalk, Connecticut, United States of America). Sales amounts and volumes of Mexico's pharmaceutical companies from 2002-2005 were obtained and the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and its inverse were calculated as indicators of the market's degree of concentration; also, price elasticity was determined by a product index. The total value of the products manufactured by the pharmaceutical sector was 115 billion in 2006 Mexican pesos, of which 99% pertained to companies categorized as large. This amount constituted 1.2% of the national gross domestic product that year (20.0% of the health sector's portion, estimated to be 6.0%) and 3.9% of the total value of manufactured goods. The HHI of Mexico's pharmaceutical market during the study period was about 0.04, albeit with a steady decline, and its inverse decreased from 23 to 26. The price elasticity of pharmaceutical products was minimal (0.007, 0.003, and -0.002). This study constitutes a preliminary description of Mexico's pharmaceutical market, one of the country's most dynamic economic sectors. It confirmed that the market is a rigid oligopoly, and thus supports enactment of firmer regulatory tools to reduce the power of the manufacturers in favor of that of the consumers.

Distribution and risk assessment of trace metals in sediments from Yangtze River estuary and Hangzhou Bay, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Feipeng; Mao, Lingchen; Jia, Yubao; Gu, Zhujun; Shi, Weiling; Chen, Ling; Ye, Hua

2018-01-01

The Yangtze River estuary (YRE) and Hangzhou Bay (HZB) is of environmental significance because of the negative impact from industrial activities and rapid development of aquaculture on the south bank of HZB (SHZB) in recent years. This study investigated the distribution and risk assessments of trace metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Hg, Pb, and Cd) accumulated in surface sediments by sampling in YRE, outer and south HZB. Copper and Zn concentration (avg. 35.4 and 98.7 mg kg -1 , respectively) in surface sediments were generally higher than the background suggesting a widespread of Cu and Zn in the coastal area of Yangtze River Delta. High concentrations of Cu (~ 42 mg kg -1 ), Zn (~ 111 mg kg -1 ), Cd (~ 0.27 mg kg -1 ), and Hg (~ 0.047 mg kg -1 ) were found in inner estuary of YRE and decreased offshore as a result of terrestrial input and dilution effect of total metal contents by "cleaner" sediments from the adjacent sea. In outer HZB, accumulation of terrestrial derived metal has taken place near the Zhoushan Islands. Increase in sediment metal concentration from the west (inner) to the east (outer) of SHZB gave rise to the input of fine-grained sediments contaminated with metals from outer bay. According the results from geoaccumulation index, nearly 75% of samples from YRE were moderately polluted (1.0 < I geo  < 2.0) by Cd. Cadmium and Hg contributed for 80~90% to the potential ecological risk index in the YRE and HZB, with ~ 72% sites in HZB under moderate risk (150 ≤ RI < 300) especially near Zhoushan Islands.

The Purpose and Scope of Pedagogy in Pharmaceutical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Akihiro

2017-01-01

The WHO and International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) introduced the concept of the "seven-star pharmacist" in which a pharmacist is described as a caregiver, communicator, decision-maker, teacher, lifelong learner, leader and manager. In six-year pharmaceutical education programs, which have been provided in schools of pharmacy since 2006, 5th year students participate in on-site practice experiences in hospitals and community pharmacies. Thus, Japanese pharmacists also began to have a role in pharmaceutical education as teachers in clinical settings. Not only pharmacists in clinical settings, but also faculty members of pharmacy schools, had not previously been familiar with evidence-based education, and therefore they often teach in the way they were taught. Since research on teaching and learning has not been well developed in Japanese pharmaceutical education, both the model core curriculum for six-year programs and the subject benchmark statement for four-year programs are based on insufficient scientific evidence. We should promote the scholarship of teaching and learning, which promotes teaching as a scholarly endeavor and a worthy subject for research. In this review, I will summarize the needs and expectations for the establishment of pedagogy in pharmaceutical education.

Quantitative magnetic resonance micro-imaging methods for pharmaceutical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantle, M D

2011-09-30

The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a tool in pharmaceutical research is now well established and the current literature covers a multitude of different pharmaceutically relevant research areas. This review focuses on the use of quantitative magnetic resonance micro-imaging techniques and how they have been exploited to extract information that is of direct relevance to the pharmaceutical industry. The article is divided into two main areas. The first half outlines the theoretical aspects of magnetic resonance and deals with basic magnetic resonance theory, the effects of nuclear spin-lattice (T(1)), spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation and molecular diffusion upon image quantitation, and discusses the applications of rapid magnetic resonance imaging techniques. In addition to the theory, the review aims to provide some practical guidelines for the pharmaceutical researcher with an interest in MRI as to which MRI pulse sequences/protocols should be used and when. The second half of the article reviews the recent advances and developments that have appeared in the literature concerning the use of quantitative micro-imaging methods to pharmaceutically relevant research. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fate of pharmaceutical compounds in hydroponic mesocosms planted with Scirpus validus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Dong Qing; Gersberg, Richard M.; Hua, Tao; Zhu, Junfei; Goyal, Manish Kumar; Ng, Wun Jern; Tan, Soon Keat

2013-01-01

A systematic approach to assess the fate of selected pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, naproxen, diclofenac, clofibric acid and caffeine) in hydroponic mesocosms is described. The overall objective was to determine the kinetics of depletion (from solution) and plant uptake for these compounds in mesocosms planted with S. validus growing hydroponically. The potential for translocation of these pharmaceuticals from the roots to the shoots was also assessed. After 21 days of incubation, nearly all of the caffeine, naproxen and diclofenac were eliminated from solution, whereas carbamazepine and clofibric acid were recalcitrant to both photodegradation and biodegradation. The fact that the BAFs for roots for carbamazepine and clofibric acid were greater than 5, while the BAFs for naproxen, diclofenac and caffeine were less than 5, implied that the latter two compounds although recalcitrant to biodegradation, still had relatively high potential for plant uptake. Naproxen was sensitive to both photodegradation (30–42%) and biodegradation (>50%), while diclofenac was particularly sensitive (>70%) to photodegradation alone. No significant correlations (p > 0.05) were found between the rate constants of depletion or plant tissue levels of the pharmaceuticals and either log K ow or log D ow . -- Highlights: •All of pharmaceuticals were removed from solution efficiently after 21 d of incubation. •Effects of photodegradation and biodegradation on pharmaceutical removal were studied. •The pharmaceutical concentrations in the plant tissues were detected. •No correlation was found between pharmaceutical levels in plant tissues and log K ow or log D ow . •Log K ow is the most significant parameter for predicting pharmaceutical levels. -- All the tested pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, naproxen, diclofenac, clofibric acid and caffeine) were efficiently removed from nutrient solution

New Product Introduction in the Pharmaceutical Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Klaus Reinholdt Nyhuus

Due to the limited time of the monopoly provided by patent protection that is used for recouping the R&D investment, pharmaceutical companies focus on keeping time-to-market for new products as short as possible. This process is however getting more uncertain, as the outcome of clinical trials...... is unknown and negotiations with authorities have become harder, making market introduction more difficult. This dissertation treats the new product introduction process in the pharmaceutical industry from an operations perspective. The overarching aim of this dissertation is to improve the planning...... uncertainty and several important industry characteristics. The model is used to gain several insights on the use of risk packaging and on keeping time-to-market short. As capacity in secondary pharmaceutical production is critical for product availability, a capacity planning model for a new drug delivery...

In Defense of Pharmaceutically Enhancing Human Morality.

Science.gov (United States)

Protopapadakis, Evangelos D

2017-01-01

I will discuss the prospect of pharmaceutically enhancing human morality and decision making in such a way as to eliminate morally unjustifiable choices and promote desirable ones. Our species in the relatively short period since it has emerged has enormously advanced in knowledge, science, and technical progress. When it comes to moral development, the distance it has covered is almost negligible. What if we could medically accelerate our moral development? What if we could once and for all render our species totally immune to certain vices? I will examine whether pharmaceutically intervening in human morality would compromise the autonomy of moral agents. I will argue that the argument from the autonomy of the moral agent is neither stable nor convincing. In the light of Kantian ethics we might consider moral enhancement by pharmaceutical means to be a perfect duty for moral agents.

提高杭州地区配电网供电可靠性的探究%Study of Improving the Power supply Reliability of Distribution Network in Hangzhou

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

孟磊

2012-01-01

通过对杭州地区配电网现状分析,针对存在的技术和管理方面的问题,提出配电网设备全寿命周期管理、智能变电站建设、配电自动化实现等方案,以实现对用户可靠、经济、清洁、互动的电力供应和增值服务,并在实践中予以验证。%This paper analyzes the status quo of distribution network in the area of Hangzhou,and points out the existing problems in technology and management.Then it proposes the solution plans,including distribution network equipment life-cycle management,intelligent substation construction and distribution automation implementation.Thereby,the user-reliable,economical,clean,interactive power supply and value-added services will be established and verified in practice.

Recent advances in the application of transmission Raman spectroscopy to pharmaceutical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Kevin; Matousek, Pavel

2011-06-25

This article reviews recent advances in transmission Raman spectroscopy and its applications, from the perspective of pharmaceutical analysis. The emerging concepts enable rapid non-invasive volumetric analysis of pharmaceutical formulations and could lead to many important applications in pharmaceutical settings, including quantitative bulk analysis of intact pharmaceutical tablets and capsules in quality and process control. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Attitudes of general practitioners to pharmaceutical sales representatives in Sousse].

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Abdelaziz, A; Harrabi, I; Rahmani, S; Ghedira, A; Gaha, K; Ghannem, H

2003-01-01

The therapeutic knowledge of physicians is the corner stone to the rational use of medicines; however information about medicines is generally obtained from the pharmaceutical industry via their sales representatives (reps). We aimed to identify general practitioners' (GPs) attitudes to pharmaceutical reps and the information they provide. We surveyed 140 GPs using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 78% (72 GPs from the public sector and 68 from the private sector). About 10% of the GPs said they received daily visits from pharmaceutical reps; 84% of GPs considered them an efficient source of information and 31% said they might change their therapeutic prescribing following visits from these reps. Because of their positive perception of pharmaceutical reps, GPs are susceptible to the information they provide. Controlling the validity of the therapeutic information imparted by the pharmaceutical industry is thus a fundamental component of the programme for the rational use of medicines.

[New research on the significance of polymers in pharmaceutical formulations].

Science.gov (United States)

Amighi, K

2001-01-01

During these last few decades, a lot of work has been made in pharmaceutical area in order to control the drug delivery from various pharmaceutical dosage forms. The use of polymers in pharmaceutical technology have led to the development of the first drug delivery systems proposed in order to prolong or to delay the drug delivery, or to enhance drug release for drugs showing bioavailability shortcomings. The wide range of polymers available for pharmaceutical use, their low reactivity towards drugs and other formulation ingredients and their safe nature, have permitted a widespread use of polymers to improve manufacturing processes or for the formulation of pharmaceutical dosage forms for various administration routes. More over, the preparation of new polymeric materials by the synthesis of new polymers with unique properties or by the modification of available natural or synthetic polymers, offer to the formulator a wide range of applications in order to optimise the drug delivery for each specific case.

Radiation sterilization of pharmaceuticals: An overview of the literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razem, D.

2008-01-01

Radiation sterilization of pharmaceuticals has never stopped attracting the attention of researchers. In this first as yet unfinished decade of the twenty-first century, the number of relevant papers seems to be on the rise again. In developing radiation sterilization of pharmaceuticals and searching for innovative applications, it is important to understand the end users, i.e. the pharmaceutical and medical professions. Mutual understanding between professions has already resulted in a plethora of products for enhancing, preserving and curing health, and many more are waiting to be discovered

Pharmaceutical product development: A quality by design approach

Science.gov (United States)

Pramod, Kannissery; Tahir, M. Abu; Charoo, Naseem A.; Ansari, Shahid H.; Ali, Javed

2016-01-01

The application of quality by design (QbD) in pharmaceutical product development is now a thrust area for the regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. International Conference on Harmonization and United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) emphasized the principles and applications of QbD in pharmaceutical development in their guidance for the industry. QbD attributes are addressed in question-based review, developed by USFDA for chemistry, manufacturing, and controls section of abbreviated new drug applications. QbD principles, when implemented, lead to a successful product development, subsequent prompt regulatory approval, reduce exhaustive validation burden, and significantly reduce post-approval changes. The key elements of QbD viz., target product quality profile, critical quality attributes, risk assessments, design space, control strategy, product lifecycle management, and continual improvement are discussed to understand the performance of dosage forms within design space. Design of experiments, risk assessment tools, and process analytical technology are also discussed for their role in QbD. This review underlines the importance of QbD in inculcating science-based approach in pharmaceutical product development. PMID:27606256

Pharmaceutical product development: A quality by design approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Pramod, Kannissery; Tahir, M Abu; Charoo, Naseem A; Ansari, Shahid H; Ali, Javed

2016-01-01

The application of quality by design (QbD) in pharmaceutical product development is now a thrust area for the regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. International Conference on Harmonization and United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) emphasized the principles and applications of QbD in pharmaceutical development in their guidance for the industry. QbD attributes are addressed in question-based review, developed by USFDA for chemistry, manufacturing, and controls section of abbreviated new drug applications. QbD principles, when implemented, lead to a successful product development, subsequent prompt regulatory approval, reduce exhaustive validation burden, and significantly reduce post-approval changes. The key elements of QbD viz., target product quality profile, critical quality attributes, risk assessments, design space, control strategy, product lifecycle management, and continual improvement are discussed to understand the performance of dosage forms within design space. Design of experiments, risk assessment tools, and process analytical technology are also discussed for their role in QbD. This review underlines the importance of QbD in inculcating science-based approach in pharmaceutical product development.

Probabilistic environmental risk characterization of pharmaceuticals in sewage treatment plant discharges.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Anne Munch; Markussen, Bo; Baun, Anders; Halling-Sørensen, Bent

2009-10-01

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in different water bodies and the findings of effects on aquatic organisms in ecotoxicity tests have raised concerns about environmental risks of pharmaceuticals in receiving waters. Due to the fact that the amount of ecotoxicological studies has increased significantly during the last decade, probabilistic approaches for risk characterization of these compounds may be feasible. This approach was evaluated by applying it to 22 human-used pharmaceuticals covering both pharmaceuticals with a high volume and high ecotoxicity, using ecotoxicological effect data from laboratory studies and comparing these to monitoring data on the effluents from sewage treatment plants in Europe and pharmaceutical sales quantities. We found that for 19 of the 22 selected pharmaceuticals the existing data were sufficient for probabilistic risk characterizations. The subsequently modeled ratios between monitored concentrations and low-effect concentrations were mostly above a factor of 100. Compared to the current paradigm for EU environmental risk assessment where a safety factor of 10 or 100 might have been used it seems that for the modeled compounds there's a low environmental risk. However, similarly calculated ratios for five pharmaceuticals (propranolol, ibuprofen, furosemide, ofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin) were below 100, while ibuprofen and ciprofloxacin are considered to be of high concern due to lack of ecotoxicity studies. This paper shows that by applying probabilistic approaches, existing data can be used to execute a comprehensive study on probability of impacts, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals.

ANALYSIS OF THE PERSONNEL POTENTIAL EFFICIENCY OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INSTITUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Марина Юрьевна Клищенко

2017-03-01

The study revealed common patterns of the personnel potential efficiency of the pharmaceutical institution. It was found that pharmaceutical institutions need qualified professionals with a high level of practical training, ready to immediately join the working process. It was noted that only 47 % of graduates are prepared to work in the specialty chosen. We studied the length of employment with one employer. The analysis of the main problems making pharmaceutical professionals to change their work is performed. During the questioning of pharmaceutical students it was noted that a large number of students (32,89 % feel uncertainty about their further employment and 47 % of respondents are going to work in the profession.

The oretical foundations for management of environmental risks of pharmaceutical enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Рита Василівна Сагайдак-Нікітюк

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. Significant negative influence of processing waste caused by pharmaceutical enterprises' activity upon the environment and population, and the high requirements for the methods of utilization demands the enterprises to develop an algorithm of ecological risks management.Methods. During the study, the expert method, the content-analysis and generalization method have been applied.Results. An influence of pharmaceutical enterprises' activity on the environment and population of the region the enterprise is located in has been studied. Dynamic of the population morbidity has analyzed associated with a low quality of the human environment. The need has been approved to pay appropriate attention to the treatment of hazardous substances and to minimize environmental risks associated with the pharmaceutical enterprises' activities. It has been proposed to define an environmental risk as a danger of resources loss, income reduction or increase of expenses of subjects of pharmaceutical activity due to its ecologically destructive impact. The classification of environmental risks of pharmaceutical enterprises has been produced. The model of environmental risks' management of pharmaceutical enterprise has been proposed. Directions of the environmental risks' minimizing have been investigated.Conclusions. The need has proved to manage ecological activity of pharmaceutical enterprises that will let to minimize negative influence on the environment

Code of ethics for the national pharmaceutical system: Codifying and compilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Salari, Pooneh; Namazi, Hamidreza; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Khansari, Fatemeh; Nikfar, Shekoufeh; Larijani, Bagher; Araminia, Behin

2013-05-01

Pharmacists as one of health-care providers face ethical issues in terms of pharmaceutical care, relationship with patients and cooperation with the health-care team. Other than pharmacy, there are pharmaceutical companies in various fields of manufacturing, importing or distributing that have their own ethical issues. Therefore, pharmacy practice is vulnerable to ethical challenges and needs special code of conducts. On feeling the need, based on a shared project between experts of the ethics from relevant research centers, all the needs were fully recognized and then specified code of conduct for each was written. The code of conduct was subject to comments of all experts involved in the pharmaceutical sector and thus criticized in several meetings. The prepared code of conduct is comprised of professional code of ethics for pharmacists, ethics guideline for pharmaceutical manufacturers, ethics guideline for pharmaceutical importers, ethics guideline for pharmaceutical distributors, and ethics guideline for policy makers. The document was compiled based on the principles of bioethics and professionalism. The compiling the code of ethics for the national pharmaceutical system is the first step in implementing ethics in pharmacy practice and further attempts into teaching the professionalism and the ethical code as the necessary and complementary effort are highly recommended.

Between pharmaceutical patents and European patients: is a compromise still possible?

Science.gov (United States)

Garattini, Livio; Padula, Anna

2017-10-01

Pharmaceutical regulation has always attempted to balance the public health objective to make safe and effective drugs available for patients while providing commercial incentives through patents. Here we discuss whether it is still possible to find a balance between the incentives on the supply side and the regulatory framework on the demand side. Areas covered: The current regulatory framework on pharmaceutical exclusivity has been harshly criticized by many experts, arguing about whether it is still fit for public purposes and needs. Here we envisage a different scenario without 'revolutionizing' the whole present system. The main radical change should concern the present management of pharmaceutical patents by introducing a specific agency dedicated to them. Secondly, specific pharmaceutical patents could be restricted to compounds for one (or more) declared indication(s). Thirdly, pharmaceutical patents should be kept only for compounds that start a first clinical trial within five years from the granting date. Expert opinion: We think it is time to reconsider the regulation of pharmaceutical patents in the light of their relevance in terms of public health. New models of enhancing research investments are required for long-term sustainability of public pharmaceutical expenditure and the EU can still play a leading role.

Active methodology and blended learning: An experience in pharmaceutical care.

Science.gov (United States)

Czepula, Alexandra Ingrid Dos Santos; Bottacin, Wallace Entringer; Júnior, Edson Hipólito; Pontarolo, Roberto; Correr, Cassyano Januário

The aim of this study was to analyze the implementation of an active methodology in a blended model of education in the teaching-learning processes of students enrolled in two disciplines: Pharmaceutical Care I and Pharmaceutical Care II, both part of the undergraduate Bachelor of Pharmacy program at the Federal University of Paraná. The study design was quasi-experimental, prospective, comparative, following a pre/posttest format, where Pharmaceutical Care classes were the intervention. Identical pre- and post-intervention tests were designed based on Anderson and Krathwohl's (2001) revision of Bloom's taxonomy, and according to the three levels of the cognitive domain: remember and understand; apply and analyze; evaluate and create. Participants were 133 students enrolled in the two Pharmaceutical Care classes. A significant difference between pre- and posttest results was observed, showing an increase in students' performance in the applied tests at all cognitive levels. This is the first study of its kind involving Pharmaceutical Care and Blended Learning. By comparing the results of the diagnostic and summative assessments based on Bloom's taxonomy at all levels of the cognitive domain, positive results were observed regarding the students' performance in the two disciplines (Pharmaceutical Care I and II). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of atypical antipsychotics in nursing homes and pharmaceutical marketing.

Science.gov (United States)

Pimentel, Camilla B; Donovan, Jennifer L; Field, Terry S; Gurwitz, Jerry H; Harrold, Leslie R; Kanaan, Abir O; Lemay, Celeste A; Mazor, Kathleen M; Tjia, Jennifer; Briesacher, Becky A

2015-02-01

To describe the current extent and type of pharmaceutical marketing in nursing homes (NHs) in one state and to provide preliminary evidence for the potential influence of pharmaceutical marketing on the use of atypical antipsychotics in NHs. Nested mixed-methods, cross-sectional study of NHs in a cluster randomized trial. Forty-one NHs in Connecticut. NH administrators, directors of nursing, and medical directors (n = 93, response rate 75.6%). Quantitative data, including prescription drug dispensing data (September 2009-August 2010) linked with Nursing Home Compare data (April 2011), were used to determine facility-level prevalence of atypical antipsychotic use, facility-level characteristics, NH staffing, and NH quality. Qualitative data, including semistructured interviews and surveys of NH leaders conducted in the first quarter of 2011, were used to determine encounters with pharmaceutical marketing. Leadership at 46.3% of NHs (n = 19) reported pharmaceutical marketing encounters, consisting of educational training, written and Internet-based materials, and sponsored training. No association was detected between level of atypical antipsychotic prescribing and reports of any pharmaceutical marketing by at least one NH leader. NH leaders frequently encounter pharmaceutical marketing through a variety of ways, although the impact on atypical antipsychotic prescribing is unclear. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

Global pharmaceutical regulation: the challenge of integration for developing states.

Science.gov (United States)

Pezzola, Anthony; Sweet, Cassandra M

2016-12-20

This paper has set out to map the state of pharmaceutical regulation in the developing world through the construction of cross-national indices drawing from World Health Organization data. The last two decades have been characterized by deep changes for the pharmaceutical sector, including the complete transformation of intellectual property systems at the behest of the World Trade Organization and the consolidation of global active ingredient suppliers in China and India. Although the rules for ownership of medicine have been set and globally implemented, we know surprisingly little about how the standards for market entrance and regulation of pharmaceutical products have changed at the national level. How standardized are national pharmaceutical market systems? Do we find homogeneity or variation across the developing world? Are their patterns for understanding why some countries have moved closer to one global norm for pharmaceutical regulation and others have developed hybrid models for oversight of this sector? Access to medicine is a core tool in public health. This paper gauges the levels of standards in public and private generics markets for developing countries building on national-level pharmaceutical market surveys for 78 countries to offer three indicators of market oversight: State Regulatory Infrastructure, Monitoring the Private Market and Public Quality Control. Identifying the different variables that affect a state's institutional capacity and current standard level offers new insights to the state of pharmaceuticals in the developing world. It is notable that there are very few (none at the time of this paper) studies that map out the new global terrain for pharmaceutical regulation in the post-TRIPS context. This paper uses item response theory to develop original indicators of pharmaceutical regulation. We find remarkable resistance to the implementation of global pharmaceutical norms for quality standards in developing states and in

Pharmaceutical policies for the Third World--whose responsibility?

Science.gov (United States)

1983-07-16

Several developing countries, such as Bangladesh, Cuba, India, and Mozambique, are currently formulating national pharmaceutical policies to reduce expenditures on drugs while increasing their availability to those in greatest need. 5 components of such national policies have been identified: 1) elimination of ineffective and inappropriate preparations through concentrating on a selection such as the World Health Organization's 200 "basic and essential drugs", coupled with national drug pricing policies that discriminate between essential drugs and non-essential or luxury drugs; 2) public systems of drug distribution which would reduce costs to the consumer; 3) importation of the limited number of drugs distributed through the public system in bulk, which might reduce costs by 20-25%; 4) use of generic rather than brand name drugs; and 5) establishment of domestic pharmaceutical industries within developing countries to encourage research into drugs for local health problems, reduce use of foreign exchange to import drugs, and increase local self-reliance in dealing with disease. In November 1982, Health Action International, a coordinating body for more than 50 publish interest groups seeking to promote rational use of pharmaceuticals, presented a draft internationl code on pharmaceuticals to the UN Conference on Trade and Development. A voluntary code produced in 1981 by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Associations paid little attention to monitoring and enforcement. Little progress has been made, and the need for sensible policy making at the international and national levels has long been apparent.

Mitigating pharmaceutical waste exposures: policy and program considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Amster, Eric D

2016-01-01

Pharmaceutical disposal and the environmental fate of medication metabolites directly impacts the public's health in two significant ways: accidental medication ingestion of pharmaceuticals that were not disposed of properly results in inadvertent toxicity; and environmental health consequences of pharmaceuticals that were inappropriately disposed and which contaminate municipal water supply. In reviewing the effectiveness of medication disposal policy globally, it is crucial to not only determine which policies are effective but also to assess why they are effective. By assessing the root causes for a specific policy's effectiveness it can be determined if those successes could be translated to another country with a different health care system, unique culture and divergent policy ecosystem. Any intervention regarding pharmaceutical disposal would require a multifaceted approach beyond raising awareness and coordinating pharmaceutical disposal on a national level. While consumer participation is important, effective primary prevention would also include research on drug development that is designed to biodegrade in the environment as opposed to medications that persist and accumulate in the natural environment even when properly disposed. Countries that lack a nationalized disposal policy should leverage the resources and infrastructure already in place in the national health care system to implement a unified policy to address medication disposal in the short-term. In tandem, efforts should be made to recruit the biotechnology sector in high-tech and academia to develop new technologies in medication design and water filtration to decrease exposures in the long-term.

Pharmaceutical expenditure forecast model to support health policy decision making

OpenAIRE

R?muzat, C?cile; Urbinati, Duccio; Kornfeld, ?sa; Vataire, Anne-Lise; Cetinsoy, Laurent; Aball?a, Samuel; Mzoughi, Olfa; Toumi, Mondher

2014-01-01

Background and objective: With constant incentives for healthcare payers to contain their pharmaceutical budgets, modelling policy decision impact became critical. The objective of this project was to test the impact of various policy decisions on pharmaceutical budget (developed for the European Commission for the project ‘European Union (EU) Pharmaceutical expenditure forecast’ – http://ec.europa.eu/health/healthcare/key_documents/index_en.htm).Methods: A model was built to assess policy sc...

International research networks in pharmaceuticals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cantner, Uwe; Rake, Bastian

2014-01-01

of scientific publications related to pharmaceutical research and applying social network analysis, we find that both the number of countries and their connectivity increase in almost all disease group specific networks. The cores of the networks consist of high income OECD countries and remain rather stable......Knowledge production and scientific research have become increasingly more collaborative and international, particularly in pharmaceuticals. We analyze this tendency in general and tie formation in international research networks on the country level in particular. Based on a unique dataset...... over time. Using network regression techniques to analyze the network dynamics our results indicate that accumulative advantages based on connectedness and multi-connectivity are positively related to changes in the countries' collaboration intensity whereas various indicators on similarity between...

Diagnostic and therapeutic radio pharmaceutical capsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haney, T.A.; Wedeking, P.W.; Morcos, N.A.

1981-01-01

An improved pharmaceutical radioactive capsule consisting of a non-toxic, water soluble material adapted to being ingested and rapidly disintegrating on contact with fluids of the gastro-intestinal tract is described. Each capsule is provided with filler material supporting a pharmaceutically useful radioactive compound absorbable from the gastro-intestinal tract. The capsule is preferably of gelatin, methyl cellulose or polyvinyl alcohol and the filler is a polyethylene glycol. The radioactive compound may be iodine e.g. sodium radioiodide I-131 or 123. The capsule may also contain a reducing agent e.g. sodium thiosulphate, sulphite, or bisulphite. (author)

Aspects of research and development contract terms in the bio/pharmaceutical sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Tannista

2012-01-01

The cost of new drug development is increasing every year. Pharmaceutical companies use R&D joint ventures, mergers, and outsource different stages of pharmaceutical R&D activities for a faster and cost minimizing method of innovation. Pharmaceutical companies outsource R&D activities to independent small biotech or pharmaceutical companies that specialize in different stages of pharmaceutical R&D. This chapter examines the determinants of the payment structure of research contracts between large bio/pharmaceutical companies and specialized research firms. Determinants of R&D contracts are analyzed using detailed R&D contract data between bio/pharmaceutical companies and independent research firms for 10 years. A multinomial logit model is used in order to understand the determinants of three different types of contracts; royalty contracts, fixed payment contracts, and the mixed contracts. Under uncertainty, the likelihood of a royalty contract rises for the early stages of the research and with the patent stock of the research firm. It is more likely to observe both royalty and fixed payment if the pharmaceutical client has past contracts with the same research firm. The results also suggest that if Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is more stringent in any disease area in reviewing the new drug application, then the likelihood of signing pure royalty contract decreases. Understanding the nature of R&D contracts and the effects of FDA's behavior on the pharmaceutical R&D contract is important because these contracts not only affect the cost of new drug invention but also the quality and the rate of invention. VALUE: Results are useful for both the pharmaceutical companies and the economic/business researchers.

Microcap pharmaceutical firms: linking drug pipelines to market value.

Science.gov (United States)

Beach, Robert

2012-01-01

This article examines predictors of the future market value of microcap pharmaceutical companies. This is problematic since the large majority of these firms seldom report positive net income. Their value comes from the potential of a liquidity event such as occurs when a key drug is approved by the FDA. The typical scenario is one in which the company is either acquired by a larger pharmaceutical firm or enters into a joint venture with another pharmaceutical firm. Binary logistic regression is used to determine the impact of the firm's drug treatment pipeline and its investment in research and development on the firm's market cap. Using annual financial data from 2007 through 2010, this study finds that the status of the firm's drug treatment pipeline and its research and development expenses are significant predictors of the firm's future stock value relative to other microcap pharmaceutical firms.

A Simple Model of Pharmaceutical Price Dynamics

OpenAIRE

Bhattacharya, Jayanta; Vogt, William B

2003-01-01

Branded pharmaceutical firms use price and promotional strategy to manage public knowledge about their drugs. We propose a dynamic theory of pharmaceutical pricing and conduct an exploratory empirical analysis inspired by the theory. Our theory predicts a pattern of increasing prices and decreasing promotional activities over a drug's life cycle. Prices are kept low and advertising levels high early in the life cycle in order to build public knowledge about the drug. As knowledge grows, price...

'Linkage' pharmaceutical evergreening in Canada and Australia

OpenAIRE

Faunce, Thomas A; Lexchin, Joel

2007-01-01

'Evergreening' is not a formal concept of patent law. It is best understood as a social idea used to refer to the myriad ways in which pharmaceutical patent owners utilise the law and related regulatory processes to extend their high rent-earning intellectual monopoly privileges, particularly over highly profitable (either in total sales volume or price per unit) 'blockbuster' drugs. Thus, while the courts are an instrument frequently used by pharmaceutical brand name manufacturers to prolong...

Analysis and control of issues that delay pharmaceutical projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nallam Sai Nandeswara Rao

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Every project will have certain objectives and service levels to be achieved. The success of a project depends on several dimensions like time, cost/budget, quality, etc. and managing a project involves completing the project within time, within budget and with quality to satisfy the users. Because of the significance of health, pharmaceutical companies realized the importance of project management methods and techniques to make available the life saving drugs in time to the needy patients and hospitals. In literature, there is meager information about pharmaceutical project management oriented towards analysis of issues and factors that contribute to the failure or success of projects. This study attempts to analyse different issues that contribute to time delays in pharmaceutical product-based projects, group them under a finite set of prominent factors and identify remedial measures to control those delays. The feedback of project people of some big pharmaceutical firms of Indian sub-continent was collected for this purpose. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA has been used to reduce the reasons for time delays to a limited number of prominent factors and the EFA model has been further examined by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA for its validation. Remedial measures under each factor of time delays have been gathered and a framework designed to mitigate the time delays in pharmaceutical projects. The derived factors that delay the pharmaceutical projects include resource, monitoring & control, scheduling and planning problems. Important remedial measures like blended resource approach, estimation and forecast of shortage of labour and skills, regular quality training, etc. have been recommended.

Buddhism and neuroethics: the ethics of pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, Andrew

2009-08-01

This paper integrates some Buddhist moral values, attitudes and self-cultivation techniques into a discussion of the ethics of cognitive enhancement technologies - in particular, pharmaceutical enhancements. Many Buddhists utilize meditation techniques that are both integral to their practice and are believed to enhance the cognitive and affective states of experienced practitioners. Additionally, Mahāyāna Buddhism's teaching on skillful means permits a liberal use of methods or techniques in Buddhist practice that yield insight into our selfnature or aid in alleviating or eliminating duhkha (i.e. dissatisfaction). These features of many, if not most, Buddhist traditions will inform much of the Buddhist assessment of pharmaceutical enhancements offered in this paper. Some Buddhist concerns about the effects and context of the use of pharmaceutical enhancements will be canvassed in the discussion. Also, the author will consider Buddhist views of the possible harms that may befall human and nonhuman research subjects, interference with a recipient's karma, the artificiality of pharmaceutical enhancements, and the possible motivations or intentions of healthy individuals pursuing pharmacological enhancement. Perhaps surprisingly, none of these concerns will adequately ground a reflective Buddhist opposition to the further development and continued use of pharmaceutical enhancements, either in principle or in practice. The author argues that Buddhists, from at least certain traditions - particularly Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions - should advocate the development or use of pharmaceutical enhancements if a consequence of their use is further insight into our self-nature or the reduction or alleviation of duhkha.

A Study of Comparative Advantage and Intra-Industry Trade in the Pharmaceutical Industry of Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Yusefzadeh, Hassan; Rezapour, Aziz; Lotfi, Farhad; Ebadifard Azar, Farbod; Nabilo, Bahram; Abolghasem Gorji, Hassan; Hadian, Mohammad; Shahidisadeghi, Niusha; Karami, Atiyeh

2015-04-23

Drug costs in Iran accounts for about 30% of the total health care expenditure. Moreover, pharmaceutical business lies among the world's greatest businesses. The aim of this study was to analyze Iran's comparative advantage and intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals so that suitable policies can be developed and implemented in order to boost Iran's trade in this field. To identify Iran's comparative advantage in pharmaceuticals, trade specialization, export propensity, import penetration and Balassa and Vollrath indexes were calculated and the results were compared with other pharmaceutical exporting countries. The extent and growth of Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals were measured and evaluated using the Grubel-Lloyd and Menon-Dixon indexes. The required data was obtained from Iran's Customs Administration, Iran's pharmaceutical Statistics, World Bank and International Trade Center. The results showed that among pharmaceutical exporting countries, Iran has a high level of comparative disadvantage in pharmaceutical products because it holds a small share in world's total pharmaceutical exports. Also, the low extent of bilateral intra-industry trade between Iran and its trading partners in pharmaceuticals shows the trading model of Iran's pharmaceutical industry is mostly inter-industry trade rather than intra-industry trade. In addition, the growth of Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals is due to its shares of imports from pharmaceutical exporting countries to Iran and exports from Iran to its neighboring countries. The results of the analysis can play a valuable role in helping pharmaceutical companies and policy makers to boost pharmaceutical trade.

Pharmaceutical Residues Affecting the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Kristianstads Vattenrike Wetlands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Björklund, Erland; Svahn, Ola; Bak, Søren Alex

2016-01-01

This study is the first to investigate the pharmaceutical burden from point sources affecting the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Kristianstads Vattenrike, Sweden. The investigated Biosphere Reserve is a >1000 km(2) wetland system with inflows from lakes, rivers, leachate from landfill, and wastewater......-treatment plants (WWTPs). We analysed influent and treated wastewater, leachate water, lake, river, and wetland water alongside sediment for six model pharmaceuticals. The two WWTPs investigated released pharmaceutical residues at levels close to those previously observed in Swedish monitoring exercises. Compound......-dependent WWTP removal efficiencies ranging from 12 to 100 % for bendroflumethiazide, oxazepam, atenolol, carbamazepine, and diclofenac were observed. Surface-water concentrations in the most affected lake were ≥100 ng/L for the various pharmaceuticals with atenolol showing the highest levels (>300 ng...

Pharmaceutical Compounds in Wastewater: Wetland Treatment as a Potential Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John R. White

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical compounds are being released into the aquatic environment through wastewater discharge around the globe. While there is limited removal of these compounds within wastewater treatment plants, wetland treatment might prove to be an effective means to reduce the discharge of the compounds into the environment. Wetlands can promote removal of these pharmaceutical compounds through a number of mechanisms including photolysis, plant uptake, microbial degradation, and sorption to the soil. We review relevant laboratory research on these various mechanisms and provide data on the few studies that have examined wetland removal. There is a need to document the degree to which various pharmaceutical compounds are removed in full-scale treatment wetlands, as there is a paucity of data on overall pharmaceutical removal rates.

Access to medicines: relations with the institutionalization of pharmaceutical services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Damasceno de Barros

2017-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJETIVE To analyze the relationship between access to medicines by the population and the institutionalization of pharmaceutical services in Brazilian primary health care. METHODS This study is part of the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos – Serviços 2015 (PNAUM – National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines – Services 2015, a cross-sectional, exploratory, and evaluative study composed of an information survey in a representative sample of cities, stratified by Brazilian regions. Access was defined based on the acquisition of medicines reported by the patient, ranging between: total, partial, or null. The institutionalization of pharmaceutical services was analyzed based on information provided by pharmaceutical services providers and by those responsible for medicines delivery. Chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression were used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS Full access to medicines was greater when professionals affirmed there were the following aspects of the dimensions: “management tools,” “participation and social control,” “financing,” and “personnel structure,” with significant associations in the bivariate analysis. The “pharmaceutical care” dimension did not achieve such an association. After multinomial logistic regression, full access was more prevalent when those in charge of pharmaceutical services stated that: they always or repeatedly attend meetings of the Municipal Health Council, OR = 3.3 (95%CI 1.5-7.3; there are protocols for medicines delivery, OR = 2.7 (95%CI 1.2-6.1; there is computerized system for managing pharmaceutical services, OR = 3.9 (95%CI 1.9-8.0; those responsible for medicines delivery reported having participated in a course or training for professionals in the past two years, OR = 2.0 (95%CI 1.1-3.5; there is computerized system for pharmaceutical services management, OR

Interventions to curb rising pharmaceutical costs in Iceland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna; Grímsson, Almar; Björnsdóttir, Ingunn

2003-01-01

. The cancellation of reimbursement for antibiotics in 1991 resulted in a slight decrease in sales. The change in the list of "hospital only" medicines caused massive protests from pharmacists and physicians. The pharmaceutical policy in Iceland has been problematic in its formulations and implementations....... Recommendations in the light of the problems of Icelandic pharmaceutical policies have been provided in the article....

Salvia officinalis used in pharmaceutics

Science.gov (United States)

Lemle, K. L.

2018-01-01

The paper presents some pharmaceutical properties of Salvia officinalis, a plant belonging the Lamiaceae family, one of the oldest medicinal plants, which play an important role in improving the state of health.

Particularities of the logistic operations in the pharmaceutical domain

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Ana BUTNARU

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The management of logistic operations has a very important role in the case of pharmaceutical products. The purpose of this article is to analyse the particularity of the logistic operations management in the pharmaceutical domain. This is seen in the fact that there is the obligativity of using the exclusive distribution system, because the carriers do not have selling right to the final users. In the pharmaceutical domain, the logistic channels may be represented by a system of vertical marketing, made from producers, en-gross sellers and en-detail sellers that action in the frame of an unified system in which a member of the channel may detain property right over the other members the vertical marketing system may be corporative or contractual. In Romania the medicine producers adopted both marketing systems. Organising and distributing medicine from the specialised unities (pharmaceutical deposit, close circuit pharmacy or comunitary pharmacy are settled through laws thjat are specific to the pharmaceutical domain. In these conditions the mission of the company is to give medicine with a balance between price – quality – asureness – eficacity, for giving accesibility to different treatments. The role of the state is significant, reason for an interdisciplinary approaching that may drive to ideas, oppinions that may be aplied.

Production of Pharmaceutical Proteins in Solanaceae Food Crops

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Giorgio De Guzman

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The benefits of increased safety and cost-effectiveness make vegetable crops appropriate systems for the production and delivery of pharmaceutical proteins. In particular, Solanaceae edible crops could be inexpensive biofactories for oral vaccines and other pharmaceutical proteins that can be ingested as minimally processed extracts or as partially purified products. The field of crop plant biotechnology is advancing rapidly due to novel developments in genetic and genomic tools being made available today for the scientific community. In this review, we briefly summarize data now available regarding genomic resources for the Solanaceae family. In addition, we describe novel strategies developed for the expression of foreign proteins in vegetable crops and the utilization of these techniques to manufacture pharmaceutical proteins.

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants and rivers in Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sim, Won-Jin; Lee, Ji-Woo [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Jeong-Eun, E-mail: jeoh@pusan.ac.k [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of)

2010-05-15

We measured 25 pharmaceuticals in ten municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), one hospital WWTP and five rivers in Korea. In the municipal WWTP influents, acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid and caffeine showed relatively high concentrations. The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the wastewater seems to be influenced by production and consumption of pharmaceuticals. The hospital WWTP influent showed higher total concentrations of pharmaceuticals than the municipal WWTPs, and caffeine, ciprofloxacin and acetaminophen were dominant. In the rivers, caffeine was dominant, and the distribution of pharmaceuticals was related to the inflow of the wastewater. In the municipal WWTPs, the concentrations of acetaminophen, caffeine, acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen and gemfibrozil decreased by over 99%. The decrease of these pharmaceuticals occurred mainly during the biological processes. In the physico-chemical processes, the decrease of pharmaceuticals was insignificant except for some cases. In the hospital WWTP, ciprofloxacin, acetylsalicylic acid, acetaminophen and carbamazepine showed the decrease rates of over 80%. - We investigated distribution and fate of pharmaceuticals in rivers and WWTPs including various biological and physico-chemical processes.

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants and rivers in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sim, Won-Jin; Lee, Ji-Woo; Oh, Jeong-Eun

2010-01-01

We measured 25 pharmaceuticals in ten municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), one hospital WWTP and five rivers in Korea. In the municipal WWTP influents, acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid and caffeine showed relatively high concentrations. The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the wastewater seems to be influenced by production and consumption of pharmaceuticals. The hospital WWTP influent showed higher total concentrations of pharmaceuticals than the municipal WWTPs, and caffeine, ciprofloxacin and acetaminophen were dominant. In the rivers, caffeine was dominant, and the distribution of pharmaceuticals was related to the inflow of the wastewater. In the municipal WWTPs, the concentrations of acetaminophen, caffeine, acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen and gemfibrozil decreased by over 99%. The decrease of these pharmaceuticals occurred mainly during the biological processes. In the physico-chemical processes, the decrease of pharmaceuticals was insignificant except for some cases. In the hospital WWTP, ciprofloxacin, acetylsalicylic acid, acetaminophen and carbamazepine showed the decrease rates of over 80%. - We investigated distribution and fate of pharmaceuticals in rivers and WWTPs including various biological and physico-chemical processes.

Postgraduate Courses in Pharmaceutical Medicine in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domenico Criscuolo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Italy has a significant tradition of excellence in the area of clinical trials (CTRs: important achievements in the clinical development of rifampicin and adriamycin, the two most famous drugs discovered in the research laboratories of two Italian pharmaceutical companies, paved the way to the establishment of a culture of clinical development, mainly in the areas of antimicrobials and oncology. Despite the fact that now the Italian market of pharmaceuticals is largely dominated by multinational companies with headquarters outside Italy, the contribution of Italian studies to the clinical development of new drugs is still significant. Indeed, it largely exceeds the percentage of Italian inhabitants versus the ones living in the remaining EU countries, as Italy has about 12% of EU population, but has a 17% share of the EU CTRs. Education in Pharmaceutical Medicine is now a must for all professionals interested to work either in pharma companies or in contract research organizations: several Italian universities are offering high quality courses, and in the last 10 years, more than 1,200 professionals received a postgraduate education in pharmaceutical medicine. This result places Italy on top of countries concerned about the professional education of people involved in drug development and will represent an asset for a larger involvement of Italian clinical sites in the global process of clinical research.

Electrostatics of Pharmaceutical Aerosols for Pulmonary Delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lip Kwok, Philip Chi

2015-01-01

This paper provides a review on key research findings in the rapidly developing area of pharmaceutical aerosol electrostatics. Solids and liquids can become charged without electric fields, the former by contact or friction and the latter by flowing or spraying. Therefore, charged particles and droplets carrying net charges are produced from pharmaceutical inhalers (e.g. dry powder inhalers, metered dose inhalers, and nebulisers) due to the mechanical processes involved in aerosolisation. The charging depends on many physicochemical factors, such as formulation composition, solid state properties, inhaler material and design, and relative humidity. In silico, in vitro, and limited in vivo studies have shown that electrostatic charges may potentially influence particle deposition in the airways. However, the evidence is not yet conclusive. Furthermore, there are currently no regulatory requirements on the characterisation and control of the electrostatic properties of inhaled formulations. Besides the need for further investigations on the relationship between physicochemical factors and charging characteristics of the aerosols, controlled and detailed in vivo studies are also required to confirm whether charges can affect particle deposition in the airways. Since pharmaceutical aerosol electrostatics is a relatively new research area, much remains to be explored. Thus there is certainly potential for development. New findings in the future may contribute to the advancement of pharmaceutical aerosol formulations and respiratory drug delivery.

International Conference on Harmonisation; guidance on Q10 Pharmaceutical Quality System; availability. Notice.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-08

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance entitled "Q10 Pharmaceutical Quality System." The guidance was prepared under the auspices of the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). The guidance describes a model for an effective quality management system for the pharmaceutical industry, referred to as the Pharmaceutical Quality System. The guidance is intended to provide a comprehensive approach to an effective pharmaceutical quality system that is based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) concepts, includes applicable good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations and complements ICH guidances on "Q8 Pharmaceutical Development" and "Q9 Quality Risk Management."

PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS ...

Science.gov (United States)

Modern sanitary practices result in large volumes of human waste, as well as domestic and industrial sewage, being collected and treated at common collection points, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In recognition of the growing use of sewage sludges as a fertilizers and as soilamendments, and the scarcity of current data regarding the chemical constituents in sewage sludges, the United States National Research Council (NRC) in 2002 produced a report on sewage sludges. Among the NRC's recommendations was the need for investigating the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in sewage sludges. PPCPsare a diverse array of non-regulated contaminants that had not been studied in previous sewage sludges surveys but which are likely to be present. The focus of this paper will be to review the current analytical methodologies available for investigating whether pharmaceuticals are present in WWTP-produced sewage sludges, to summarize current regulatory practices regarding sewage sludges, and to report on the presence of pharmaceuticals in sewage sludges. The research focused on in the subtasks is the development and application of state-of the-art technologies to meet the needs of the public, Office of Water, and ORD in the area of Water Quality. Located In the subtasks are the various research projects being performed in support of this Task and more in-depth coverage of each project. Briefly, each project's objective is stated below.Subta

Stability of Pharmaceuticals in Space

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Y-Uyen

2009-01-01

Stability testing is a tool used to access shelf life and effects of storage conditions for pharmaceutical formulations. Early research from the International Space Station (ISS) revealed that some medications may have degraded while in space. This potential loss of medication efficacy would be very dangerous to Crew health. The aim of this research project, Stability of Pharmacotherapeutic Compounds, is to study how the stability of pharmaceutical compounds is affected by environmental conditions in space. Four identical pharmaceutical payload kits containing medications in different dosage forms (liquid for injection, tablet, capsule, ointment and suppository) were transported to the ISS aboard a Space Shuttle. One of the four kits was stored on that Shuttle and the other three were stored on the ISS for return to Earth at various time intervals aboard a pre-designated Shuttle flight. The Pharmacotherapeutics laboratory used stability test as defined by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), to access the degree of degradation to the Payload kit medications that may have occurred during space flight. Once these medications returned, the results of stability test performed on them were compared to those from the matching ground controls stored on Earth. Analyses of the results obtained from physical and chemical stability assessments on these payload medications will provide researchers additional tools to promote safe and efficacious medications for space exploration.

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We seek to encourage pharmaceutical and allied research of tropical and ... and related disciplines (including biotechnology, cell and molecular biology, drug ... with ibrutinib reduces proliferation, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells ...

Sorption, Uptake, and Translocation of Pharmaceuticals across Multiple Interfaces in Soil Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, W.; Liu, C. H.; Bhalsod, G.; Zhang, Y.; Chuang, Y. H.; Boyd, S. A.; Teppen, B. J.; Tiedje, J. M.; Li, H.

2015-12-01

Pharmaceuticals are contaminants of emerging concern frequently detected in soil and water environments, raising serious questions on their potential impact on human and ecosystem health. Overuse and environmental release of antibiotics (i.e., a group of pharmaceuticals extensively used in human medicine and animal agriculture) pose enormous threats to the health of human, animal, and the environment, due to proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Recently, we have examined interactions of pharmaceuticals with soil geosorbents, bacteria, and vegetable crops in order to elucidate pathways of sorption, uptake, and translocation of pharmaceuticals across the multiple interfaces in soils. Sorption of pharmaceuticals by biochars was studied to assess the potential of biochar soil amendment for reducing the transport and bioavailability of antibiotics. Our preliminary results show that carbonaceous materials such as biochars and activated carbon had strong sorption capacities for antibiotics, and consequently decreased the uptake and antibiotic resistance gene expression by an Escherichia coli bioreporter. Thus, biochar soil amendment showed the potential for reducing selection pressure on antibiotic resistant bacteria. Additionally, since consumption of pharmaceutical-tainted food is a direct exposure pathway for humans, it is important to assess the uptake and accumulation of pharmaceuticals in food crops grown in contaminated soils or irrigated with reclaimed water. Therefore, we have investigated the uptake and accumulations of pharmaceuticals in greenhouse-grown lettuce under contrasting irrigation practices (i.e., overhead or surface irrigations). Preliminary results indicate that greater pharmaceutical concentrations were measured in overhead irrigated lettuce than in surface irrigated lettuce. This could have important implications when selecting irrigation scheme to use the reclaimed water for crop irrigation. In summary, proper soil and water management

Human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies in relation to access to medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joo-Young; Hunt, Paul

2012-01-01

Although access to medicines is a vital feature of the right to the highest attainable standard of health ("right to health"), almost two billion people lack access to essential medicines, leading to immense avoidable suffering. While the human rights responsibility to provide access to medicines lies mainly with States, pharmaceutical companies also have human rights responsibilities in relation to access to medicines. This article provides an introduction to these responsibilities. It briefly outlines the new UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and places the human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies in this context. The authors draw from the work of the first UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, in particular the Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies in Relation to Access to Medicines that he presented to the UN General Assembly in 2008, and his UN report on GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). While the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are general human rights standards applicable to all business entities, the Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies consider the specific human rights responsibilities of one sector (pharmaceutical companies) in relation to one area of activity (access to medicines). The article signals the human rights responsibilities of all pharmaceutical companies, with particular attention to patent-holding pharmaceutical companies. Adopting a right-to-health "lens," the article discusses GSK and accountability. The authors argue that human rights should shape pharmaceutical companies' policies, and provide standards in relation to which pharmaceutical companies could, and should, be held accountable. They conclude that it is now crucial to devise independent, accessible, transparent, and effective mechanisms to monitor pharmaceutical companies and hold them publicly accountable for their human rights responsibilities. © 2012 American

Anaerobic manganese- or iron-mediated pharmaceutical degradation in water

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, Wenbo

2018-01-01

Pharmaceutical compounds, originating mainly from industrial production and public consumption, are detected at extremely low levels (ng·L-1 –µg·L-1) in groundwater, surface water, and wastewater. So far, the adverse effects of pharmaceuticals and their intermediates have been widely reported,

A Study of Comparative Advantage and Intra-Industry Trade in the Pharmaceutical Industry of Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Yusefzadeh, Hassan; Rezapour, Aziz; Lotfi, Farhad; Azar, Farbod Ebadifard; Nabilo, Bahram; Gorji, Hassan Abolghasem; Hadian, Mohammad; Shahidisadeghi, Niusha; Karami, Atiyeh

2015-01-01

Background: Drug costs in Iran accounts for about 30% of the total health care expenditure. Moreover, pharmaceutical business lies among the world’s greatest businesses. The aim of this study was to analyze Iran’s comparative advantage and intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals so that suitable policies can be developed and implemented in order to boost Iran’s trade in this field. Methods: To identify Iran’s comparative advantage in pharmaceuticals, trade specialization, export propensity, import penetration and Balassa and Vollrath indexes were calculated and the results were compared with other pharmaceutical exporting countries. The extent and growth of Iran’s intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals were measured and evaluated using the Grubel-Lloyd and Menon-Dixon indexes. The required data was obtained from Iran’s Customs Administration, Iran’s pharmaceutical Statistics, World Bank and International Trade Center. Results: The results showed that among pharmaceutical exporting countries, Iran has a high level of comparative disadvantage in pharmaceutical products because it holds a small share in world’s total pharmaceutical exports. Also, the low extent of bilateral intra-industry trade between Iran and its trading partners in pharmaceuticals shows the trading model of Iran’s pharmaceutical industry is mostly inter-industry trade rather than intra-industry trade. In addition, the growth of Iran’s intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals is due to its shares of imports from pharmaceutical exporting countries to Iran and exports from Iran to its neighboring countries. Conclusions: The results of the analysis can play a valuable role in helping pharmaceutical companies and policy makers to boost pharmaceutical trade. PMID:26153184

Decomposition of persistent pharmaceuticals in wastewater by ionizing radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Atsushi; Osawa, Misako; Taguchi, Mitsumasa

2012-09-01

Pharmaceuticals in wastewater were treated by the combined method of activated sludge and ionizing radiation in laboratory scale. Oseltamivir, aspirin, and ibuprofen at 5 μmol dm-3 in wastewater were decomposed by the activated sludge at reaction time for 4 h. Carbamazepine, ketoprofen, mefenamic acid, clofibric acid, and diclofenac were not biodegraded completely, but were eliminated by γ-ray irradiation at 2 kGy. The rate constants of the reactions of these pharmaceuticals with hydroxyl radicals were estimated by the competition reaction method to be 4.0-10×109 mol-1 dm3 s-1. Decompositions of the pharmaceuticals in wastewater by ionizing radiation were simulated by use of the rate constants and the amount of total organic carbon as parameters. Simulation curves of concentrations of these pharmaceuticals as a function of dose described the experimental data, and the required dose for the elimination of them in wastewater by ionizing radiation can be estimated by this simulation.

Pharmaceutical industry marketing: understanding its impact on women's health.

Science.gov (United States)

Sufrin, Carolyn B; Ross, Joseph S

2008-09-01

The delivery of modern health care entails significant involvement from the pharmaceutical industry, including developing and manufacturing drugs. However, the industry also has tremendous influence on the practice of medicine through its considerable marketing efforts, both to patients through direct to consumer advertising, and to physicians through detailing, providing samples, continuing medical education, and other efforts. This article will review the role that pharmaceutical marketing plays in health care, and the substantial evidence surrounding its influence on patient and physician behaviors, with additional discussion of the medical device industry, all with particular attention to women's health. Understanding the effects of pharmaceutical marketing on women's health, through discussion of relevant examples-including oral contraceptive pills, drugs for premenstrual dysphoric disorder, Pap smear cytology techniques, and neonatal herpes prophylaxis-will help ensure that women receive unbiased, evidenced-based care. We will conclude with a discussion of guidelines that have been proposed by professional organizations, policy makers, and universities, to assist physicians in managing exposure to pharmaceutical marketing.

Colloids as a sink for certain pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Maskaoui, Khalid; Zhou, John L

2010-05-01

The occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment is recognized as one of the emerging issues in environmental chemistry and as a matter of public concern. Existing data tend to focus on the concentrations of pharmaceuticals in the aqueous phase, with limited studies on their concentrations in particulate phase such as sediments. Furthermore, current water quality monitoring does not differentiate between soluble and colloidal phases in water samples, hindering our understanding of the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals in aquatic organisms. In this study, an investigation was conducted into the concentrations and phase association (soluble, colloidal, suspended particulate matter or SPM) of selected pharmaceuticals (propranolol, sulfamethoxazole, meberverine, thioridazine, carbamazepine, tamoxifen, indomethacine, diclofenac, and meclofenamic acid) in river water, effluents from sewage treatment works (STW), and groundwater in the UK. The occurrence and phase association of selected pharmaceuticals propranolol, sulfamethoxazole, meberverine, thioridazine, carbamazepine, tamoxifen, indomethacine, diclofenac, and meclofenamic acid in contrasting aquatic environments (river, sewage effluent, and groundwater) were studied. Colloids were isolated by cross-flow ultrafiltration (CFUF). Water samples were extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE), while SPM was extracted by microwave. All sample extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in the multiple reaction monitoring. Five compounds propranolol, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, indomethacine, and diclofenac were detected in all samples, with carbamazepine showing the highest concentrations in all phases. The highest concentrations of these compounds were detected in STW effluents, confirming STW as a key source of these compounds in the aquatic environments. The calculation of partition coefficients of pharmaceuticals between SPM and

Determinants of Pharmaceutical Industry’s Performance in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wakeel A. Isola

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This study focused on the relationships amongmarket structure, efficiency and performance of the Nigerian Pharmaceutical industry. It employed market share and operational efficiency to determine the efficiency of the industry, pre-tax return on asset to measure performance, Herfindahl- Hirschman index to measure market structure. In addition, earnings per share was used in the study as control variable. Data were obtained from the Nigerian Stock Market Factbook covering 1996 to 2010. The panel ordinary least squares technique was employed in estimating the data. Thus over the course of the study, both fixed and random effect results clearly showed that efficiency hypothesis does not hold in the case of pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria. Rather, it is shown that it is structure that determines performance. Consequently, the study recommended that necessary structures must be put in place by the Federal Ministry of Health to enhance the capacity of local pharmaceutical firms in producing the desired quality and quantity drugs needed in the country. It was also recommended that efforts should be geared towards eradicating totally the importation of fake drugs in the pharmaceutical industry.

Characterization of the evolution of the pharmaceutical regulatory environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafiei, Nader; Ford, James L; Morecroft, Charles W; Lisboa, Paulo J; Taylor, Mark J

2013-01-01

This paper is part of a research study that is intended to identify pharmaceutical quality risks induced by the ongoing transformation in the industry. This study establishes the current regulatory context by characterizing the development of the pharmaceutical regulatory environment. The regulatory environment is one of the most important external factors that affects a company's organization, processes, and technological strategy. This is especially the case with the pharmaceutical industry, where its products affect the quality of life of the consumers. The quantitative analysis of regulatory events since 1813 and review of the associated literature resulted in identification of six factors influencing the regulatory environment, namely public health protection, public health promotion, crisis management, harmonization, innovation, and modernization. From 1813 to the 1970s the focus of regulators was centered on crisis management and public health protection-a basic mission that has remained consistent over the years. Since the 1980s a gradual move in the regulatory environment towards a greater focus on public health promotion, international harmonization, innovation, and agency modernization may be seen. The pharmaceutical industry is currently going through changes that affect the way it performs its research, manufacturing, and regulatory activities. The impact of these changes on the approaches to quality risk management requires more understanding. The authors are engaged in research to identify elements of the changes that influence pharmaceutical quality. As quality requirements are an integral part of the pharmaceutical regulations, a comprehensive understanding of these regulations is seen as the first step. The results of this study show that (i) public health protection, public health promotion, crisis management, harmonization, innovation, and modernization are factors that affect regulations in the pharmaceutical industry; (ii) the regulators' main

Uptake and Accumulation of Pharmaceuticals in Lettuce Under Surface and Overhead Irrigations

Science.gov (United States)

Bhalsod, G.; Chuang, Y. H.; Jeon, S.; Gui, W.; Li, H.; Guber, A.; Zhang, W.

2015-12-01

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products are being widely detected in wastewater and surface waters. As fresh water becomes scarcer, interests in using reclaimed water for crop irrigation is intensified. Since reclaimed waters often carry trace levels of pharmaceuticals, accumulation of pharmaceuticals in food crops could increase the risk of human exposure. This study aims to investigate uptake and accumulations of pharmaceuticals in greenhouse-grown lettuce under contrasting irrigation practices (i.e., overhead and surface irrigations). Lettuce was irrigated with water spiked with 11 commonly used pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, carbadox, trimethoprim, lincomycin hydrochloride, oxytetracycline hydrochloride, monensin sodium, and tylosin). Weekly sampling of lettuce roots, shoots, and soils were continued for 5 weeks, and the samples were freeze dried, extracted for pharmaceuticals and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Preliminary results indicate that higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals were found in overhead irrigated lettuce compared to surface irrigated lettuce. For carbamezapine, sulfadiazine, trimethoprim, oxytetracycline, and monensin sodium, their concentrations generally increased in lettuce shoots in the overhead treatment over time. However, acetaminophen was found at higher concentrations in both shoots and roots, indicating that acetaminophen can be easily transported in the plant system. This study provides insight on developing better strategies for using reclaimed water for crop irrigations, while minimizing the potential risks of pharmaceutical contamination of vegetables.

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY IN ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgiana Daniela Minculete Piko

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In the wake of the financial crisis, most industries witnessed an economic downturn also boosted by the austerity measures imposed by the state. The pharmaceutical sector is one of the few sectors that followed an upward trend. Although the economic and financial crisis has long taken hold of the entire world, the domino theory did not apply to this industry; instead, the “butterfly effect” became evident. The phrase refers to the fact that the wings of a butterfly create small changes that may finally alter the route of certain elements. In the pharmaceutical industry, minor changes in research and development finally led to spectacular innovations. At present, there are no such big investments in research and development in Romania as there are in Europe; yet, due to mergers and acquisitions between Romanian and foreign companies, the pharmaceutical sector in Romania significantly contributes to the creation of added value in terms of economic development. The added value of the pharmaceutical industry in our country has increased significantly in recent years. The purpose of this article is to highlight the financial and economic significance of the pharmaceutical industry in Romania. This industry is one with an average degree of concentration; thus, the average liquidity and solvency indicators in this sector were calculated with a view to emphasizing its financial independence. The findings of this research indicate a high level of financial independence in this industry, as pharmaceutical companies are able to meet payment deadlines. This study highlights the importance of such an industry in times of economic crisis, the financial stability of the pharmaceutical sector reinforcing the need for massive investment in research and development.

Application of radioisotopes in pharmaceutical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khujaev, S.

2004-01-01

Full text: To use of radioisotopes in the processes of receiving radiopharmaceutical diagnostic means it is widely know [1]. Radioactivity labeled chemical compounds, pharmacological kinetics of which allows one solving a concrete diagnostic problem in an organism are used in radio pharmaceutics. In spite of this choice of the radioisotope, possessing the most favorable nuclei-physical characteristics for it to be detected and minimization of beam loadings, be of great importance. Development of a method of introduction of a radioisotope also has important value, as it is included into chemical structure of a radiopharmaceutical preparation. One more way of use of radioisotopes in pharmaceutics is their use as a radioactive mark at a stage of creation of a new medical product. And in this case, all those moments, which are listed above, take place. Preparations labeling by radioisotopes are used basically for their studying pharmacological kinetics. In Institute of nuclear physics AS RU, in recent years, works are done on studying pharmacological kinetics of some new medical products, which have been synthesized in the Tashkent pharmaceutical institute. These preparations are on the basis of microelements with a complex set of properties possessing expressed biological activity and have great value in pharmaceutical science of Republic of Uzbekistan. Reception of labeled compounds of all preparations was carried out by a method of introduction of a radioisotope at a stage of their synthesis. The work presents the results of researches on synthesis and study of pharmacological kinetics of radioactively labeled preparations - PIRACIN, labeled by radioisotope 69m Zn; FERAMED, labeled by radioisotope 59 Fe; COBAVIT, labeled by radioisotope 57 Co; VUC, labeled by radioisotope 57 Co

Peranan Pharmaceutical Care dalam Meningkatkan Hasil Klinis dan Kualitas Hidup Pasien Penderita Diabetes Melitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhamad Syaripuddin

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical care is patient oriented pharmacy practice that required other healthcare to optimize drug therapy. In the management of diabetes mellitus indicators was established as a target in pharmaceutical care. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate pharmaceutical care program, in order to optimize clinical result and quality of life of the patient diabetes mellitus, and to identify indicators in pharmaceutical care program for patient diabetes mellitus as well. Research of the impact of pharmaceutical care program for diabetes mellitus patient have been done in other countries. The results showed that diabetes mellitus indicators in patients managed with pharmaceutical care program were better than those without that program applied. All patients with intervention of pharmaceutical care program can control clinical result such as blood glucose, blood presure, level of HbA1C, HDL, LDL and total cholesterol. The patient’s quality of life with intervention had improved compare to those without intervention. Indicators to evaluate pharmaceutical care program have changed from clinical indicators only to clinical plus quality of life indicators. Pharmaceutical care program was useful to improve clinical result and quality of life of diabetic patient. Quality of life indicators could be added to evaluate pharmaceutical care program. Pharmaceutical care program brings about positif impact for patient, provider, pharmacist and economic aspect as well.

in Leafy Vegetable and Pharmaceutical

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bheema

successfully employed for the determination of copper (II) in leafy vegetable and pharmaceutical samples. ... Our previous studies of transition metal ions such as zinc, cobalt and ..... A new method for extractive photometric determination of.

Pharmaceutical strategy and innovation: an academics perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Baxendale, Ian R; Hayward, John J; Ley, Steven V; Tranmer, Geoffrey K

2007-06-01

The pharmaceutical industry is under increasing pressure on many fronts, from investors requiring larger returns to consumer groups and health authorities demanding cheaper and safer drugs. It is also feeling additional pressure from the infringement upon its profit margins by generic drug producers. Many companies are aggressively pursuing outsourcing contracts in an attempt to counter many of the financial pressures and streamline their operations. At the same time, the productivity of the pharmaceutical industry at its science base is being questioned in terms of the number of products and the timeframes required for each company to deliver them to market. This has generated uncertainties regarding the current corporate strategies that have been adopted and the levels of innovation being demonstrated. In this essay we discuss these topics in the context of the global pharmaceutical market, investigating the basis for many of these issues and highlighting the hurdles the industry needs to overcome, especially as they relate to the chemical sciences.

Design of Continuous Crystallizers for Production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Capellades Mendez, Gerard; Christensen, Troels V.

The production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is conducted primarily in batch processes. This manufacturing approach is reinforced by a patent-driven business model and the need to minimize the process development times for newly patented drugs. However, the regulatory and business...... environments are now changing. The increasing costs of drug development, combined with the strict regulations and the competition from generic manufacturers, have pushed pharmaceutical companies to seek cheaper and more sustainable production methods. Transition from batch to Continuous Pharmaceutical...

Teaching Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Science.gov (United States)

Groves, Michael J.; Klegerman, Melvin E.

1988-01-01

The Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Illinois at Chicago has been carrying out research in pharmaceutical biotechnology that has allowed unique student involvement and promises further interdisciplinary research and instructional activities. (MSE)

Pharmaceuticals, political money, and public policy: a theoretical and empirical agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Jorgensen, Paul D

2013-01-01

Why, when confronted with policy alternatives that could improve patient care, public health, and the economy, does Congress neglect those goals and tailor legislation to suit the interests of pharmaceutical corporations? In brief, for generations, the pharmaceutical industry has convinced legislators to define policy problems in ways that protect its profit margin. It reinforces this framework by selectively providing information and by targeting campaign contributions to influential legislators and allies. In this way, the industry displaces the public's voice in developing pharmaceutical policy. Unless citizens mobilize to confront the political power of pharmaceutical firms, objectionable industry practices and public policy will not change. Yet we need to refine this analysis. I propose a research agenda to uncover pharmaceutical influence. It develops the theory of dependence corruption to explain how the pharmaceutical industry is able to deflect the broader interests of the general public. It includes empirical studies of lobbying and campaign finance to uncover the means drug firms use to: (1) shape the policy framework adopted and information used to analyze policy; (2) subsidize the work of political allies; and (3) influence congressional voting. © 2013 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Quality in the pharmaceutical industry – A literature review

Science.gov (United States)

Haleem, Reham M.; Salem, Maissa Y.; Fatahallah, Faten A.; Abdelfattah, Laila E.

2013-01-01

Objectives The aim of this study is to:a.Highlight the most important guidelines and practices of quality in the pharmaceutical industry.b.Organize such guidelines and practices to create a guide to pave the way for other researchers who would like to dig deeper into these guidelines and practices. Design A review was conducted of 102 publications; 56 publications were concerned with the pharmaceutical quality directly while 46 publications were concerned with the general quality practices. The content of those sources was analyzed and the following themes were identified:a.Research theme 1: Guidelines of the pharmaceutical quality.b.Research theme 2: General practices recently applied in the pharmaceutical industry. Main outcome measures The following guidelines were identified and reviewed: WHO guidelines, FDA guidelines, EU guidelines and ICH guidelines in the research theme I. In research theme II; the following topics were identified and reviewed: quality risk management, quality by design, corrective actions and preventive actions, process capability analysis, Six Sigma, process analytical technology, lean manufacturing, total quality management, ISO series and HACCP. Results Upon reviewing the previously highlighted guidelines and the practices that are widely applied in the pharmaceutical industry, it was noticed that there is an abundant number of papers and articles that explain the general guidelines and practices but the literature lack those describing application; case studies of the pharmaceutical factories applying those guidelines and significance of those guidelines and practices. Conclusions It is recommended that the literature would invest more in the area of application and significance of guidelines and practices. New case studies should be done to prove the feasibility of such practices. PMID:26594110

Batch versus continuous feeding strategies for pharmaceutical removal by subsurface flow constructed wetland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Dongqing; Gersberg, Richard M.; Zhu, Junfei; Hua, Tao; Jinadasa, K.B.S.N.; Tan, Soon Keat

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the effect of continuous and batch feeding on the removal of 8 pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, naproxen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, caffeine, salicylic acid, ketoprofen and clofibric acid) from synthetic wastewater in mesocosm-scale constructed wetlands (CWs). Both loading modes were operated at hydraulic application rates of 5.6 cm day −1 and 2.8 cm day −1 . Except for carbamazepine, clofibric acid and naproxen, removal in CWs was significantly (p ow ) and removal efficiencies of pharmaceutical compounds in the CWs, showed that pharmaceutical removal efficiency was significantly (p ow value, but not with log K ow value. - Highlights: ► Batch feeding in mesocosm-scale constructed wetlands enhances pharmaceutical removal. ► K values for the 8 pharmaceuticals were in the range of 0.01–0.1 m day −1 . ► The pharmaceutical removal efficiency was inversely correlated with log D ow value. - Batch (drain and fill) feeding in mesocosm-scale constructed wetlands enhances pharmaceutical removal.

Pharmaceutical Logistics at the 121st General Hospital, Seoul, Korea

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Giraud, Roger S

2004-01-01

...). The sample consists of 122 days of pharmaceutical requisitions. Pharmaceutical logistics data are used to estimate a multiple regression model of OST for demand satisfaction and accommodation, requisition cost and volume and source of supply...

A community-based multilevel intervention for smoking, physical activity and diet: short-term findings from the Community Interventions for Health programme in Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Jun; Liu, Qing-Min; Ren, Yan-Jun; He, Ping-Ping; Wang, Sheng-Feng; Gao, Fang; Li, Li-Ming

2014-04-01

To assess the short-term impact of a comprehensive, community-based multilevel intervention on knowledge, beliefs and practices with respect to smoking, physical activity and diet in Hangzhou, China. A non-randomised, controlled, before-after quasi-experimental trial was conducted in two intervention areas and one comparison area. The intervention built on a socioecological framework and took place across four settings: neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces and community health centres. Two independent cross-sectional surveys of adults aged 18-64 years at baseline and a subsequent follow-up were conducted in 2008/2009 and 2011 in the intervention and comparison areas. A 2-year intervention programme was begun in mid-2009 and continued until mid-2011. A total of 2016 adults at baseline and 2016 adults at follow-up completed the survey. Over the 2-year intervention period, the intervention areas showed a statistically significant decline (25.2% vs 18.7%, psmoking compared with the comparison area (18.0% vs 16.4%, p=0.343). The proportion of individuals who had noticed anyone smoking in any of nine locations in the previous 30 days demonstrated a statistically significant decline in the intervention (78.9% vs 66.5%, psmoking and physical activity but not diet. A community-based multilevel intervention programme is feasible in urban China.

Biotechnology, nanotechnology, and pharmacogenomics and pharmaceutical compounding, Part 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Loyd V

2015-01-01

The world of pharmaceuticals is changing rapidly as biotechnology continues to grow and nanotechnology appears on the horizon. Biotechnology is gaining in importance in extemporaneous pharmaceutical compounding, and nanotechnology and pharmacogenomics could drastically change the practice of pharmacy. This article discusses biotechnology and the factors to consider when compounding biotechnology drugs.

Spatial patterns of pharmaceuticals and wastewater tracers in the Hudson River Estuary.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantwell, Mark G; Katz, David R; Sullivan, Julia C; Shapley, Daniel; Lipscomb, John; Epstein, Jennifer; Juhl, Andrew R; Knudson, Carol; O'Mullan, Gregory D

2018-06-15

The widespread use of pharmaceuticals by human populations results in their sustained discharge to surface waters via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, 16 highly prescribed pharmaceuticals were quantified along a 250 km transect of the Hudson River Estuary and New York Harbor to describe their sources and spatial patterns. Sampling was conducted over two dry weather periods in May and July 2016, at 72 sites which included mid-channel and nearshore sites, as well as locations influenced by tributaries and WWTP outfalls. The detection frequency of the study pharmaceuticals was almost identical between the May and July sampling periods at 55% and 52%, respectively. Six pharmaceuticals were measurable at 92% or more of the sites during both sampling periods, illustrating their ubiquitous presence throughout the study area. Individual pharmaceutical concentrations were highly variable spatially, ranging from non-detect to 3810 ng/L during the study. Major factors controlling concentrations were proximity and magnitude of WWTP discharges, inputs from tributaries and tidal mixing. Two compounds, sucralose and caffeine, were evaluated as tracers to identify wastewater sources and assess pharmaceutical behavior. Sucralose was useful in identifying wastewater inputs to the river and concentrations showed excellent correlations with numerous pharmaceuticals in the study. Caffeine-sucralose ratios showed potential in identifying discharges of untreated wastewater occurring during a combined sewage overflow event. Many of the study pharmaceuticals were present throughout the Hudson River Estuary as a consequence of sustained wastewater discharge. Whereas some concentrations were above published effects levels, a more complete risk assessment is needed to understand the potential for ecological impacts due to pharmaceuticals in the Hudson River Estuary. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Development of Halal Pharmaceuticals Traceability Systems for Used with Mobile Devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd Jalil Abd Hamid

2014-01-01

From early times, the pharmaceutical industry has had simple traceability systems, but with the increasing implementation of quality management in pharmaceutical manufacture, traceability systems have become more advanced covering more information and more steps in the production chain. Pork and its byproducts are not considered permissible (non-halal) and are forbidden for muslims to consume, along with alcohol and meat from animals not slaughtered according to Islamic law. Recently, the porcine DNA crisis and debates about non-halal substances have drawn new attention to production chain traceability. Existing guidelines on halal products, especially those issued by Jakim, and the halal standard MS2424, were insufficient to overcome the heaping problems of non-halal pharmaceuticals. An effective traceability system is essential to mitigate the risks associated with non-halal pharmaceutical and also as a tool for communication making information available along the production and supply chain. Traceability in pharmaceutical manufacturing can range from in-house traceability in production plants to traceability in whole or part of the production chain from raw material to consumer, and descriptors of the product and its history can be few or many as decided. This study is written to discuss on the approaches towards development of halal pharmaceuticals traceability systems for used with mobile devices for fulfilling muslims consumer demands. Specifically, this study discusses the conceptual architecture on halal traceability system for halal pharmaceutical product in Malaysia. (author)

Deep pharma: psychiatry, anthropology, and pharmaceutical detox.

Science.gov (United States)

Oldani, Michael

2014-06-01

Psychiatric medication, or psychotropics, are increasingly prescribed for people of all ages by both psychiatry and primary care doctors for a multitude of mental health and/or behavioral disorders, creating a sharp rise in polypharmacy (i.e., multiple medications). This paper explores the clinical reality of modern psychotropy at the level of the prescribing doctor and clinical exchanges with patients. Part I, Geographies of High Prescribing, documents the types of factors (pharmaceutical-promotional, historical, cultural, etc.) that can shape specific psychotropic landscapes. Ethnographic attention is focused on high prescribing in Japan in the 1990s and more recently in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in the US. These examples help to identify factors that have converged over time to produce specific kinds of branded psychotropic profiles in specific locales. Part II, Pharmaceutical Detox, explores a new kind of clinical work being carried out by pharmaceutically conscious doctors, which reduces the number of medications being prescribed to patients while re-diagnosing their mental illnesses. A high-prescribing psychiatrist in southeast Wisconsin is highlighted to illustrate a kind of med-checking taking place at the level of individual patients. These various examples and cases call for a renewed emphasis by anthropology to critically examine the "total efficacies" of modern pharmaceuticals and to continue to disaggregate mental illness categories in the Boasian tradition. This type of detox will require a holistic approach, incorporating emergent fields such as neuroanthropology and other kinds of creative collaborations.

Contamination levels of human pharmaceutical compounds in French surface and drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Mompelat, S; Thomas, O; Le Bot, B

2011-10-01

The occurrence of 20 human pharmaceutical compounds and metabolites from 10 representative therapeutic classes was analysed from resource and drinking water in two catchment basins located in north-west France. 98 samples were analysed from 63 stations (surface water and drinking water produced from surface water). Of the 20 human pharmaceutical compounds selected, 16 were quantified in both the surface water and drinking water, with 22% of the values above the limit of quantification for surface water and 14% for drinking water). Psychostimulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, iodinated contrast media and anxiolytic drugs were the main therapeutic classes of human pharmaceutical compounds detected in the surface water and drinking water. The results for surface water were close to results from previous studies in spite of differences in prescription rates of human pharmaceutical compounds in different countries. The removal rate of human pharmaceutical compounds at 11 water treatment units was also determined. Only caffeine proved to be resistant to drinking water treatment processes (with a minimum rate of 5%). Other human pharmaceutical compounds seemed to be removed more efficiently (average elimination rate of over 50%) by adsorption onto activated carbon and oxidation/disinfection with ozone or chlorine (not taking account of the disinfection by-products). These results add to the increasing evidence of the occurrence of human pharmaceutical compounds in drinking water that may represent a threat to human beings exposed to a cocktail of human pharmaceutical compounds and related metabolites and by-products in drinking water.

Parallel Imports, Drag Price Control and Pharmaceutical Innovation

OpenAIRE

Ken Tabata; Testuya Shinkai; Satoru Tanaka; Makoto Okamura

2005-01-01

This paper examines how parallel importation influences pharmaceutical innovation and the welfare of the economy, when crossnational drug price differentials occur not only because of demand elasticity based factors, but also governmental drug price control based factors. By explicitly considering the governmental drug price control baaed factors, this paper shows that parallel importation may enhance pharmaceutical innovation, when the bargaining power of a foreign government is strong and t...

The Pharmaceutical Sector of Kazakhstan's Economy: Trends and Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Nurpeisov, Borankul G.; Nabiev, Erboz N.; Mukashev, Temirbay A.; Daribekov, Serik S.; Raimbekov, Bagdat Kh.; Asanova, Maral K.; Bazarbaeva, Leila M.

2016-01-01

This research is devoted to the investigation of the general trends in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in the current conditions of economical socialization. The determination of the economic specificity of the modern operation of the pharmaceutical industry is the purpose of the research. It was found that pharmacy is a profitable…

Pharmaceutical industry and trade liberalization using computable general equilibrium model.

Science.gov (United States)

Barouni, M; Ghaderi, H; Banouei, Aa

2012-01-01

Computable general equilibrium models are known as a powerful instrument in economic analyses and widely have been used in order to evaluate trade liberalization effects. The purpose of this study was to provide the impacts of trade openness on pharmaceutical industry using CGE model. Using a computable general equilibrium model in this study, the effects of decrease in tariffs as a symbol of trade liberalization on key variables of Iranian pharmaceutical products were studied. Simulation was performed via two scenarios in this study. The first scenario was the effect of decrease in tariffs of pharmaceutical products as 10, 30, 50, and 100 on key drug variables, and the second was the effect of decrease in other sectors except pharmaceutical products on vital and economic variables of pharmaceutical products. The required data were obtained and the model parameters were calibrated according to the social accounting matrix of Iran in 2006. The results associated with simulation demonstrated that the first scenario has increased import, export, drug supply to markets and household consumption, while import, export, supply of product to market, and household consumption of pharmaceutical products would averagely decrease in the second scenario. Ultimately, society welfare would improve in all scenarios. We presents and synthesizes the CGE model which could be used to analyze trade liberalization policy issue in developing countries (like Iran), and thus provides information that policymakers can use to improve the pharmacy economics.

The future of pharmaceutical quality and the path to get there.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Lawrence X; Kopcha, Michael

2017-08-07

While six sigma quality has long been achieved in other industries, it is rarely seen in the pharmaceutical sector. However, consumers and patients deserve six sigma quality pharmaceuticals with minimal risks of shortages or recalls. We propose that the future of pharmaceutical quality is six sigma, meaning that no more than 3.4 defects occur per million opportunities. We discuss the path to get there, including economic drivers, performance-based regulation, Quality by Design, advanced manufacturing technologies, and continuous improvement and operational excellence. This article outlines an ambitious goal and is intended to be thought-provoking in spite of the challenging path to get there. This goal is envisioned because it is in the best interest of patients and consumers and is realizable with continued advances and investments in science and technology. The fundamental destination of pharmaceutical quality has been long envisioned: a maximally efficient, agile, flexible pharmaceutical manufacturing sector that reliably produces high quality drugs without extensive regulatory oversight. Published by Elsevier B.V.

After compulsory licensing: coming issues in Canadian pharmaceutical policy and politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lexchin, J

1997-04-01

Bills C-22 and C-91 eliminated compulsory licensing for pharmaceutical products in Canada. However, in the wake of these bills there are pressing issues of pharmaceutical policy that need to be decided. The value of additional spending in pharmaceutical R and D has yet to be evaluated. There needs to be a public debate about how far government policy should go in encouraging pharmaceutical R and D as opposed to investing resources in other areas. There has been a continuing escalation in the cost of the average prescription, due to the introduction of newer, but not necessarily more effective, medications. So far government has not been willing to commit resources to promote cost-effective prescribing. Pharmaceutical companies are now lobbying for more rapid approval of products and an extension to the normal patent period to make up for the time that drugs spend in the regulatory process. The process that the government uses to resolve these issues will be just as important as the ultimate decisions.

Transport and deposition of cohesive pharmaceutical powders in human airway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Yuan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Pharmaceutical powders used in inhalation therapy are in the size range of 1-5 microns and are usually cohesive. Understanding the cohesive behaviour of pharmaceutical powders during their transportation in human airway is significant in optimising aerosol drug delivery and targeting. In this study, the transport and deposition of cohesive pharmaceutical powders in a human airway model is simulated by a well-established numerical model which combines computational fluid dynamics (CFD and discrete element method (DEM. The van der Waals force, as the dominant cohesive force, is simulated and its influence on particle transport and deposition behaviour is discussed. It is observed that even for dilute particle flow, the local particle concentration in the oral to trachea region can be high and particle aggregation happens due to the van der Waals force of attraction. It is concluded that the deposition mechanism for cohesive pharmaceutical powders, on one hand, is dominated by particle inertial impaction, as proven by previous studies; on the other hand, is significantly affected by particle aggregation induced by van der Waals force. To maximum respiratory drug delivery efficiency, efforts should be made to avoid pharmaceutical powder aggregation in human oral-to-trachea airway.

Transport and deposition of cohesive pharmaceutical powders in human airway

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuan; Chu, Kaiwei; Yu, Aibing

2017-06-01

Pharmaceutical powders used in inhalation therapy are in the size range of 1-5 microns and are usually cohesive. Understanding the cohesive behaviour of pharmaceutical powders during their transportation in human airway is significant in optimising aerosol drug delivery and targeting. In this study, the transport and deposition of cohesive pharmaceutical powders in a human airway model is simulated by a well-established numerical model which combines computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM). The van der Waals force, as the dominant cohesive force, is simulated and its influence on particle transport and deposition behaviour is discussed. It is observed that even for dilute particle flow, the local particle concentration in the oral to trachea region can be high and particle aggregation happens due to the van der Waals force of attraction. It is concluded that the deposition mechanism for cohesive pharmaceutical powders, on one hand, is dominated by particle inertial impaction, as proven by previous studies; on the other hand, is significantly affected by particle aggregation induced by van der Waals force. To maximum respiratory drug delivery efficiency, efforts should be made to avoid pharmaceutical powder aggregation in human oral-to-trachea airway.

[Innovation guidelines and strategies for pharmaceutical engineering of Chinese medicine and their industrial translation].

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yi-Yu; Qu, Hai-Bin; Zhang, Bo-Li

2013-01-01

This paper briefly analyzes the bottlenecks and major technical requirements for pharmaceutical industry of Chinese medicine, providing current status of pharmaceutical engineering of Chinese medicine. The innovation directions and strategies of the pharmaceutical engineering for manufacturing Chinese medicine are proposed along with the framework of their core technology. As a consequence, the development of the third-generation pharmaceutical technology for Chinese medicine, featured as "precision, digital and intelligent", is recommended. The prospects of the pharmaceutical technology are also forecasted.

Analysis of International Mergers and Acquisitions in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Božo Matić

2011-07-01

Full Text Available There are numerous researches which analyze mergers and acquisitions, but most of them do not focus on a certain industry, but their sample considers companies from different industries. This paper focuses on mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry. It is assumed that pharmaceutical companies with no experience in mergers and acquisitions achieve better results in relatively small and domestic mergers and acquisitions while pharmaceutical companies with greater experience in mergers and acquisitions are successful even in bigger and international mergers and acquisitions. Bigger mergers and acquisitions and international mergers and acquisitions are more risky for the companies so lack of experience in mergers and acquisitions additionally increases risks during the process of mergers and acquisitions. On average, such increase of the risk results in lower returns for stock owners of pharmaceutical companies.

Scientific misconduct, the pharmaceutical industry, and the tragedy of institutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen-Kohler, Jillian Clare; Esmail, Laura C

2007-09-01

This paper examines how current legislative and regulatory models do not adequately govern the pharmaceutical industry towards ethical scientific conduct. In the context of a highly profit-driven industry, governments need to ensure ethical and legal standards are not only in place for companies but that they are enforceable. We demonstrate with examples from both industrialized and developing countries how without sufficient controls, there is a risk that corporate behaviour will transgress ethical boundaries. We submit that there is a critical need for urgent drug regulatory reform. There must be robust regulatory structures in place which enforce corporate governance mechanisms to ensure that pharmaceutical companies maintain ethical standards in drug research and development and the marketing of pharmaceuticals. What is also needed is for the pharmaceutical industry to adopt authentic "corporate social responsibility" policies as current policies and practices are insufficient.

78 FR 19017 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Application; Johnson Matthey Pharmaceutical...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-28

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Drug Enforcement Administration Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Application; Johnson Matthey Pharmaceutical Materials, Inc. Pursuant to Sec. 1301.33(a), Title... Matthey Pharmaceutical Materials, Inc., Pharmaceutical Service, 25 Patton Road, Devens, Massachusetts...

The behaviour, fate and removal of pharmaceuticals in biological nutrient removal sewage treatment

OpenAIRE

Popple, Tina

2013-01-01

Pharmaceuticals that are intended for human use are frequently detected in the aquatic environment. This is predominantly from the excretion of pharmaceuticals by patients, in their urine and faeces, which subsequently enter sewage treatment plants. Sewage treatment provides a final opportunity for pharmaceutical removal, prior to discharge into the environment, however, removal is often incomplete. Once in the environment, pharmaceuticals have the potential to cause effects on aquatic organi...

Electrochemical biosensors in pharmaceutical analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric de Souza Gil

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Given the increasing demand for practical and low-cost analytical techniques, biosensors have attracted attention for use in the quality analysis of drugs, medicines, and other analytes of interest in the pharmaceutical area. Biosensors allow quantification not only of the active component in pharmaceutical formulations, but also the analysis of degradation products and metabolites in biological fluids. Thus, this article presents a brief review of biosensor use in pharmaceutical analysis, focusing on enzymatic electrochemical sensors.Em virtude do aumento da demanda por técnicas analíticas simples e de baixo custo, os biossensores têm atraído a atenção para a análise de fármacos, medicamentos e outros analitos de interesse em controle de qualidade de medicamentos. Os biossensores permitem a quantificação não somente de princípio ativo em formulações farmacêuticas, mas também de produtos de degradação e metabólitos em fluídos biológicos, bem como análise de amostras de interesse clínico e industrial, além de possibilitar a determinação de enantiômeros. Desta forma, este artigo objetiva fazer uma breve revisão a respeito do emprego de biossensores em análise farmacêutica, com ênfase em sensores eletroquímicos enzimáticos.

Pharmaceuticals in the Built and Natural Water Environment of the United States

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Randhir P. Deo

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The known occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the built and natural water environment, including in drinking water supplies, continues to raise concerns over inadvertent exposures and associated potential health risks in humans and aquatic organisms. At the same time, the number and concentrations of new and existing pharmaceuticals in the water environment are destined to increase further in the future as a result of increased consumption of pharmaceuticals by a growing and aging population and ongoing measures to decrease per-capita water consumption. This review examines the occurrence and movement of pharmaceuticals in the built and natural water environment, with special emphasis on contamination of the drinking water supply, and opportunities for sustainable pollution control. We surveyed peer-reviewed publications dealing with quantitative measurements of pharmaceuticals in U.S. drinking water, surface water, groundwater, raw and treated wastewater as well as municipal biosolids. Pharmaceuticals have been observed to reenter the built water environment contained in raw drinking water, and they remain detectable in finished drinking water at concentrations in the ng/L to μg/L range. The greatest promises for minimizing pharmaceutical contamination include source control (for example, inputs from intentional flushing of medications for safe disposal, and sewer overflows, and improving efficiency of treatment facilities.

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 12, No 6 (2013) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

The development of Bio-pharmaceutical industry in China: problems and solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Gujun

2014-07-01

Known as the "sunrise industry" of the 21st century, bio-pharmaceutical industry has been a fast-growing global industry, and many countries have been developing this industry as the focus of their national economies. In China, there exists a huge market demand for the development of bio-pharmaceutical industry, but at the present stage the industry is faced with some problems, such as low level of R & D for innovative drugs, and inappropriate capital investment in the industrialization. In order to accelerate the development of China's bio-pharmaceutical industry, it is necessary to take strategic initiatives of improving the technology transfer system, developing the bio-pharmaceutical outsourcing, and building a diversified industrial financing system.

Pharmaceutical pricing, price controls, and their effects on pharmaceutical sales and research and development expenditures in the European Union.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Ronald J

2004-08-01

Each country in the European Union (EU) currently employs direct price controls or permutations of direct price controls, such as reference pricing or limitations on returns to capital. Some countries also use volume controls. A new proposal that is being discussed would have all of the countries in the EU adopt uniform pricing for each pharmaceutical. This paper analyzes the economic effects of free-market pricing individual-country price controls, and uniform EU price controls. Microeconomic and mathematical models were used to simulate and predict probable economic outcomes in a comparative static setting. Price controls may be in the form of price ceilings or price floors. Both forms of price control generate deadweight economic losses in the short run and long run. A uniform EU price for each pharmaceutical sold there would have elements of a price ceiling in some of the countries and of a price floor in other countries. The deadweight loss incurred would be a function of the level at which the uniform price was set by the EU and the price elasticity of demand for each pharmaceutical in each country. Economic efficiency is maximized in both the short run and long run when prices are set in freely competitive markets. An additional important dimension of Ramsey pricing within a competitive context is that it generates funds for investment in pharmaceutical research and development, which enhances economic efficiency in the long run.

[AIDS and social justice: pharmaceutical industry and economics].

Science.gov (United States)

López Guzmán, José

2008-01-01

This article takes a broad look at the complicated framework of relationships between the third world and pharmaceutical companies. In the first part of the work reference is made to the poverty of these countries, their lack of education in terms of health, the scarcity of basic hygiene, and their greatly limited access to medicines, especially those for treating AIDS. The article then proceeds to the issue of the pharmaceutical companies' degree of responsibility for the reduced availability of medicines in certain areas of the world. One of the factors that most limits access to medicines is their price, and many sectors of society propose taking action on the patents of drugs (rescinding or limiting them) in order to lower their price. However, the problem of patent exemption is more complicated than it seems at first glance, and comes with its own risks. If, for lack of funds or the uncertainty concerning a return on the capital invested, pharmaceutical companies discontinue research and development of new drugs, AIDS therapy would worsen. It is imperative and urgent to develop new drugs against the AIDS because of its resistance to the drugs currently available. The article concludes with the pharmaceutical industry's effort to look for possible forms of collaboration with developing countries.

Effective executive management in the pharmaceutical industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Hoang; Kleiner, Brian H

2005-01-01

Along with the boom in information technology and vast development in genomic and proteomic discoveries, the pharmaceutical and biotech industries have been provided the means and tools to create a new page in medicinal history. They are now able to alter the classic ways to cure complex diseases thanks to the completion of the human genome project. To be able to compete in this industry, pharmaceutical management has to be effective not only internally but also externally in socially acceptable conduct. The first department that requires focus is marketing and sales. As the main driving force to increase revenues and profits, marketing and sales employees should be highly motivated by compensation. Also, customer relationships should be maintained for long-term gain. As important as marketing, research and development requires the financial support as well as the critical decision making to further expand the product pipeline. Similarly, finance and technologies should be adequately monitored and invested to provide support as well as prepare for future expansion. On top of that, manufacturing processes and operations are operated per quality systems and FDA guidelines to ensure high quality. Human Resources, on the other hand, should carry the managing and motivation from upper management through systematic recruitment, adequate training, and fair compensation. Moreover, effective management in a pharmaceutical would also require the social welfare and charity to help patients who cannot afford the treatment as well as improving the organization's image. Last but not least, the management should also prepare for the globalization of the industry. Inevitably, large pharmaceutical companies are merging with each other or acquiring smaller companies to enhance the competitive advantages as well as expand their product mix. For effectiveness in a pharmaceutical industry, management should focus more than just the daily routine tasks and short-term goals. Rather, they

Pharmaceutical Research Strategies

OpenAIRE

Phlippen, Sandra; Vermeersch, Ad

2008-01-01

textabstractThis study analyses 1400 research projects of the top 20 R&D-spending pharmaceuticals to identify the determinants of successful research projects. We provide clear evidence that externally sourced projects and projects involving biotechnologies perform better than internal projects and chemical projects, respectively. Controlling for these effects, we find that big pharma should either build a critical mass of disease area knowledge or diversify projects over different DA’s in or...

Dropwise additive manufacturing of pharmaceutical products for melt-based dosage forms.

Science.gov (United States)

Içten, Elçin; Giridhar, Arun; Taylor, Lynne S; Nagy, Zoltan K; Reklaitis, Gintaras V

2015-05-01

The US Food and Drug Administration introduced the quality by design approach and process analytical technology guidance to encourage innovation and efficiency in pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, and quality assurance. As part of this renewed emphasis on the improvement of manufacturing, the pharmaceutical industry has begun to develop more efficient production processes with more intensive use of online measurement and sensing, real-time quality control, and process control tools. Here, we present dropwise additive manufacturing of pharmaceutical products (DAMPP) as an alternative to conventional pharmaceutical manufacturing methods. This mini-manufacturing process for the production of pharmaceuticals utilizes drop on demand printing technology for automated and controlled deposition of melt-based formulations onto edible substrates. The advantages of drop-on-demand technology, including reproducible production of small droplets, adjustable drop sizing, high placement accuracy, and flexible use of different formulations, enable production of individualized dosing even for low-dose and high-potency drugs. In this work, DAMPP is used to produce solid oral dosage forms from hot melts of an active pharmaceutical ingredient and a polymer. The dosage forms are analyzed to show the reproducibility of dosing and the dissolution behavior of different formulations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Pharmaceutical pricing policy in Greece: towards a different path.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyriakos Souliotis

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Affordable, accessible and innovation-promoting pharmaceutical care is essential to the operation of a sustainable health system. External reference pricing (ERP, a common pharmaceutical policy in Europe, suffers today from indigenous weaknesses that may cause market distortions and barriers to care, burdening mostly the weak economies, and hence, raising ethical and political worrying. Objectives and Methods: A non-randomized experiment was conducted, in order to examine the influence of flexible and adaptable to health systems’ affordability ERP structures. Outcomes were assessed by measuring deviations from Greek prices’ level ex ante, as well as effects on pharmaceutical markets affiliated to the European ERP system. Results and Conclusions: Pharmaceutical pricing models that fit prices to income and affordability are better in all aspects, as they produce fairer results, while resulting in low external costs for the European ERP network as a whole. Small sets of reference countries are preferred to large baskets, as they produce similar results, while presenting better qualities by increasing the flexibility of the reimbursement system and the transparency of the market.

Microbial degradation of pharmaceuticals in estuarine and coastal seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benotti, Mark J. [Marine Sciences Research Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000 (United States); Brownawell, Bruce J. [Marine Sciences Research Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000 (United States)], E-mail: bruce.brownawell@sunysb.edu

2009-03-15

Microbial degradation rates were measured for 19 pharmaceuticals in estuarine and coastal surface water samples. Antipyrine, carbamazepine, cotinine, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim were the most refractory (half-lives, t{sub 1/2} = 35 to >100 days), making them excellent candidates for wastewater tracers. Nicotine, acetaminophen, and fluoxetine were labile across all treatments (t{sub 1/2} = 0.68-11 days). Caffeine, diltiazem, and nifedipine were also and relatively labile in all but one of the treatments (t{sub 1/2} = 3.5-13 days). Microbial degradation of caffeine was further confirmed by production {sup 14}CO{sub 2}. The fastest decay of non-refractory compounds was always observed in more sewage-affected Jamaica Bay waters. Degradation rates for the majority of these pharmaceuticals are much slower than reported rates for small biomolecules, such as glucose and amino acids. Batch sorption experiments indicate that removal of these soluble pharmaceuticals from the water column to sediments is a relatively insignificant removal process in these receiving waters. - Microbial degradation rates were measured for 19 structurally variable pharmaceuticals in wastewater-impacted estuarine and coastal seawater.

Microbial degradation of pharmaceuticals in estuarine and coastal seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benotti, Mark J.; Brownawell, Bruce J.

2009-01-01

Microbial degradation rates were measured for 19 pharmaceuticals in estuarine and coastal surface water samples. Antipyrine, carbamazepine, cotinine, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim were the most refractory (half-lives, t 1/2 = 35 to >100 days), making them excellent candidates for wastewater tracers. Nicotine, acetaminophen, and fluoxetine were labile across all treatments (t 1/2 = 0.68-11 days). Caffeine, diltiazem, and nifedipine were also and relatively labile in all but one of the treatments (t 1/2 = 3.5-13 days). Microbial degradation of caffeine was further confirmed by production 14 CO 2 . The fastest decay of non-refractory compounds was always observed in more sewage-affected Jamaica Bay waters. Degradation rates for the majority of these pharmaceuticals are much slower than reported rates for small biomolecules, such as glucose and amino acids. Batch sorption experiments indicate that removal of these soluble pharmaceuticals from the water column to sediments is a relatively insignificant removal process in these receiving waters. - Microbial degradation rates were measured for 19 structurally variable pharmaceuticals in wastewater-impacted estuarine and coastal seawater

Current Status of Regulatory Science Education in Faculties of Pharmaceutical Science in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tohkin, Masahiro

2017-01-01

I introduce the current pharmaceutical education system in Japan, focusing on regulatory science. University schools or faculties of pharmaceutical science in Japan offer two courses: a six-year course for pharmacists and a four-year course for scientists and technicians. Students in the six-year pharmaceutical course receive training in hospitals and pharmacies during their fifth year, and those in the four-year life science course start research activities during their third year. The current model core curriculum for pharmaceutical education requires them to "explain the necessity and significance of regulatory science" as a specific behavior object. This means that pharmacists should understand the significance of "regulatory science", which will lead to the proper use of pharmaceuticals in clinical practice. Most regulatory science laboratories are in the university schools or faculties of pharmaceutical sciences; however, there are too few to conduct regulatory science education. There are many problems in regulatory science education, and I hope that those problems will be resolved not only by university-based regulatory science researchers but also by those from the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory authorities.

Five un-easy pieces of pharmaceutical policy reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodwin, Marc A

2013-01-01

Improper dependencies slant policy over a drug's life span, biasing the development of new drugs, the testing and marketing approval for new drugs, and the monitoring of patient safety after drugs are marketed. This article examines five ways in which the public improperly depends on pharmaceutical firms that compromise the integrity of pharmaceutical policy. Today the public relies on pharmaceutical firms: (1) to set priorities on drug research and development; (2) to conduct clinical trials to test whether drugs are safe and effective; (3) to decide what clinical trial data to disclose to the public; (4) to monitor post marketing drug safety; (5) to supply product information to physicians and to finance continuing medical education and other professional activities. The article suggests options to overcome each of these dependencies. © 2013 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Radiopharmaceuticals using radioactive compounds in pharmaceutics and medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theobald, A.

1989-01-01

This review of the latest techniques and developments indicates the importance of radiopharmaceutical techniques in the development of drug compounds. It presents practical demonstrations, offers practical exercises, as well as the underlying theoretical considerations: it will supplement existing (mostly American) texts in this subject, since most industrial pharmaceutical companies have a keen interest in the area and most pharmaceutical courses include the subject at degree level. The authors emphasize the pharmaceutical applications throughout. They review targeting aspects, including cell and protein labelling: and discuss radiotracers in testing dosage forms and formulation studies. Safety and legislation are considered, with reviews of the handling techniques, radiation monitoring, radiochromatography and the use of computer techniques. The latter part of the work discusses standards for radiopharmaceuticals, sterility and pyrogen testing, as well as both radiochromatographic and electrophoretic methods and their importance to quality control. (author)

Raman spectroscopy in pharmaceutical product design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paudel, Amrit; Raijada, Dhara; Rantanen, Jukka

2015-01-01

Almost 100 years after the discovery of the Raman scattering phenomenon, related analytical techniques have emerged as important tools in biomedical sciences. Raman spectroscopy and microscopy are frontier, non-invasive analytical techniques amenable for diverse biomedical areas, ranging from...... molecular-based drug discovery, design of innovative drug delivery systems and quality control of finished products. This review presents concise accounts of various conventional and emerging Raman instrumentations including associated hyphenated tools of pharmaceutical interest. Moreover, relevant...... application cases of Raman spectroscopy in early and late phase pharmaceutical development, process analysis and micro-structural analysis of drug delivery systems are introduced. Finally, potential areas of future advancement and application of Raman spectroscopic techniques are discussed....

Ranking of pharmaceuticals detected in the environment: aggregation and weighting procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Voigt, Kristina; Brüggemann, Rainer

2008-12-01

Pharmaceuticals are omnipresent in waste-water world-wide. Research has shown that many pharmaceuticals are not completely removed during wastewater treatment, and as a result, this has led to their occurrence being reported in waste water treatment plant effluents, rivers and lakes, and more rarely in groundwater and in drinking water. Hence, it is only logical that pharmaceutical residues in the environment and their potential toxic effects have been recognized as one of the emerging research areas in environmental chemistry. A lack of data, especially ecotoxicological and fate data on pharmaceuticals, is evident. The extent to which data are missing should therefore be looked upon in more detail in order to trigger further political steps in performing studies concerning the risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the environment. In this investigation, we evaluate the data-availability of 16 pharmaceuticals in 17 Internet databases which means we examine a 16 (objects) x 17 (attributes) data-matrix. The consideration of the chosen pharmaceutical in databases is coded 0 = not available, or 1 = available. For the evaluation of the data-matrix, we apply the multi-criteria decision method named METEOR (Method of Evaluation by Order Theory). In contrast to conventional multi-criteria decision aids, like the well-known PROMETHEE, AHP, SMART, ORESTE as well as different versions of ELECTRE, we support the basic consideration of environmetrics: let first the data speak and let us then include subjective preferences in order to get a unique decision. The basis of METEOR is a data-matrix in which the objects are characterized by a set of attributes (indicators). By means of the attributes, a partial order is derived. In the subsequent steps, attributes are aggregated by a weighting procedure, allowing a high degree of involvement of experts, stakeholders and other participants. All conducted approaches show that the data-situation on the chosen test-set of 16 well

Proceed to the innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. The case of Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aída Salazar García

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This article explores sectors identified innovation in Spanish pharmaceutical companies. It also considers domestic firms and foreign subsidiaries in the country. The analysis covers the period 2009 to 2011 for a population N=200 affiliates at that time Farmaindustria and Plan Profarma. The work involved a search of useful information on the websites of pharmaceutical companies based in Spain statically describes the innovative profile of the Spanish pharmaceutical through descriptive statistical analysis. Thus a foundation for documenting the results in a database in order to get a picture with determination on the behavior of Spanish pharmaceutical sector and possible trends is created.The high content of literary contribution on the pharmaceutical sector is expressed in a globalized national and international level, rejecting data and information that could provide signals threat or opportunity regarding short period time, and which in turn are comparable to other years since the Spanish pharmaceutical industry is constituted by companies of foreign origin (50.5% and domestic capital (49.5%. Of the latter SMEs are the protagonists of small innovations established in Madrid and Barcelona mainly.

The accumulation and management of pharmaceutical waste in the community pharmacy

OpenAIRE

Latožienė, Rima

2017-01-01

The Accumulation and Management of Pharmaceutical Waste in the Community Pharmacy Authors: students Diana Patašienė and Rima Latožienė, pharmacy master program at Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology. Work Leader: Dr. Kristina Garuolienė. The aim of the study: to determine pharmaceutical waste formation causes and to assess pharmaceutical waste management problems at community pharmacies. Materials and methods: The study was condu...

Risk-based prioritization of pharmaceuticals in the natural environment in Iraq.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Khazrajy, Omar S A; Boxall, Alistair B A

2016-08-01

Numerous studies have demonstrated the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the natural environment, raising concerns about their impact on non-target organisms or human health. One region where little is known about the exposure and effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment is Iraq. Due to the high number of pharmaceuticals used by the public health sector in Iraq (hospitals and care centres) and distributed over the counter, there is a need for a systematic approach for identifying substances that should be monitored in the environment in Iraq and assessed in terms of environmental risk. In this study, a risk-based prioritization approach was applied to 99 of the most dispensed pharmaceuticals in three Iraqi cities, Baghdad, Mosul and Basrah. Initially, information on the amounts of pharmaceuticals used in Iraq was obtained. The top used medicines were found to be paracetamol, amoxicillin and metformin with total annual consumption exceeding 1000 tonnes per year. Predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) and predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs), derived from ecotoxicological end-points and effects related to the therapeutic mode of action, were then used to rank the pharmaceuticals in terms of risks to different environmental compartments. Active pharmaceutical ingredients used as antibiotics, antidepressants and analgesics were identified as the highest priority in surface water, sediment and the terrestrial environment. Antibiotics were also prioritized according to their susceptibility to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria or to accelerate the evolution and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant genes in water. Future work will focus on understanding the occurrence, fate and effects of some of highly prioritized substances in the environment.

Transparency in Nigeria's public pharmaceutical sector: perceptions from policy makers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kohler Jillian C

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pharmaceuticals are an integral component of health care systems worldwide, thus, regulatory weaknesses in governance of the pharmaceutical system negatively impact health outcomes especially in developing countries 1. Nigeria is one of a number of countries whose pharmaceutical system has been impacted by corruption and has struggled to curtail the production and trafficking of substandard drugs. In 2001, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC underwent an organizational restructuring resulting in reforms to reduce counterfeit drugs and better regulate pharmaceuticals 2. Despite these changes, there is still room for improvement. This study assessed the perceived level of transparency and potential vulnerability to corruption that exists in four essential areas of Nigeria's pharmaceutical sector: registration, procurement, inspection (divided into inspection of ports and of establishments, and distribution. Methods Standardized questionnaires were adapted from the World Health Organization assessment tool and used in semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the public and private pharmaceutical system. The responses to the questions were tallied and converted to scores on a numerical scale where lower scores suggested greater vulnerability to corruption and higher scores suggested lower vulnerability. Results The overall score for Nigeria's pharmaceutical system was 7.4 out of 10, indicating a system that is marginally vulnerable to corruption. The weakest links were the areas of drug registration and inspection of ports. Analysis of the qualitative results revealed that the perceived level of corruption did not always match the qualitative evidence. Conclusion Despite the many reported reforms instituted by NAFDAC, the study findings suggest that facets of the pharmaceutical system in Nigeria remain fairly vulnerable to corruption. The most glaring deficiency seems to be the

Transparency in Nigeria's public pharmaceutical sector: perceptions from policy makers.

Science.gov (United States)

Garuba, Habibat A; Kohler, Jillian C; Huisman, Anna M

2009-10-29

Pharmaceuticals are an integral component of health care systems worldwide, thus, regulatory weaknesses in governance of the pharmaceutical system negatively impact health outcomes especially in developing countries 1. Nigeria is one of a number of countries whose pharmaceutical system has been impacted by corruption and has struggled to curtail the production and trafficking of substandard drugs. In 2001, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) underwent an organizational restructuring resulting in reforms to reduce counterfeit drugs and better regulate pharmaceuticals 2. Despite these changes, there is still room for improvement. This study assessed the perceived level of transparency and potential vulnerability to corruption that exists in four essential areas of Nigeria's pharmaceutical sector: registration, procurement, inspection (divided into inspection of ports and of establishments), and distribution. Standardized questionnaires were adapted from the World Health Organization assessment tool and used in semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the public and private pharmaceutical system. The responses to the questions were tallied and converted to scores on a numerical scale where lower scores suggested greater vulnerability to corruption and higher scores suggested lower vulnerability. The overall score for Nigeria's pharmaceutical system was 7.4 out of 10, indicating a system that is marginally vulnerable to corruption. The weakest links were the areas of drug registration and inspection of ports. Analysis of the qualitative results revealed that the perceived level of corruption did not always match the qualitative evidence. Despite the many reported reforms instituted by NAFDAC, the study findings suggest that facets of the pharmaceutical system in Nigeria remain fairly vulnerable to corruption. The most glaring deficiency seems to be the absence of conflict of interest guidelines which, if present and

Pharmacy specialists' attitudes toward pharmaceutical service quality at community pharmacies.

Science.gov (United States)

Urbonas, Gvidas; Jakušovaitė, Irayda; Savickas, Arūnas

2010-01-01

The main objective of this study was to analyze pharmacy specialists' attitudes toward the quality of pharmaceutical services at Lithuanian community pharmacies. Between April and June 2009, a total of 471 Lithuanian community pharmacy specialists completed a questionnaire designed to evaluate their attitudes toward the quality of pharmaceutical services at community pharmacies. The main dimensions of pharmaceutical service quality were extracted by principal component analysis. Two main dimensions of pharmaceutical service quality were extracted: pharmacotherapeutic aspects (provision of information about drug therapy, possible side effects, health promotion, the amount of time spent with a patient, and the ascertainment that a patient understood the provided information) and socioeconomic aspects (considering patient's needs and financial capabilities, making a patient confident with the services provided). Pharmacy specialists evaluated the quality of both dimensions positively, but the quality of the first dimension was rated significantly worse than that of the second dimension. The attitudes of pharmacy specialists working at independent pharmacies were more positive toward pharmacotherapeutic aspects as compared to the specialists working at chain or state pharmacies. Pharmacotherapeutic aspects were rated better by pharmacy specialists, aged ≥ 55 years, than those younger than 45 years. Moreover, the attitudes of 45-54-year-old pharmacy specialists toward the socioeconomic aspects were more positive as compared with those of 35-44-year olds. Pharmacists rated the socioeconomic aspects of pharmaceutical service quality worse as compared with pharmacy technicians. The attitudes of pharmacy specialists working at pharmacies with 6-9 specialists were more negative toward pharmacotherapeutic aspects than those of the pharmacies with 1-2 specialists. Pharmacy specialists working at pharmacies with ≥ 10 specialists reported lower scores of socioeconomic

Probing Pharmaceutical Mixtures during Milling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walker, Greg; Römann, Philipp; Poller, Bettina

2017-01-01

interpret the spectral changes. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of low-frequency Raman spectroscopy, which has several practical advantages over XRPD, for probing (dis-)order during pharmaceutical processing, showcasing its potential for future development, and implementation as an in...

UV imaging in pharmaceutical analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Jesper

2018-01-01

UV imaging provides spatially and temporally resolved absorbance measurements, which are highly useful in pharmaceutical analysis. Commercial UV imaging instrumentation was originally developed as a detector for separation sciences, but the main use is in the area of in vitro dissolution...

Corporate social responsibility: A pharmaceutical analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. J. Theron

2005-12-01

Full Text Available In the modern business environment organisations need to address two important aspects affecting their operations: the quality of management and the impact of their operations on the well-being of the society in which they operate. This dualism often results in economic, political and social dilemmas influencing the viability of organisations in general, and more specifically and recently, local and international pharmaceutical organisations operating in South Africa. This article considers the aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR in general and attempts to identify the social-related issues impacting on the pharmaceutical industry by means of content analysis - a research technique for making replicable and valid inferences from data. It furthermore describes the re-action of pharmaceutical organisations when confronted with such social demands, and finally analyses the management of CSR against four criteria of CSR. The article confirms the importance of managers to manage CSR towards society in a proactive manner. It furthermore suggests that the "hard" factors of strategic management and financial performance should be balanced with "soft" social/people issues. It also recommends that the industry should consider - and if applicable - endorse the concept of Issues Management as an approach to the proactive management of CSR.

Studies of beneficial interactions between active medicaments and excipients in pharmaceutical formulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalinkova, G N

1999-09-30

A review of "up to date" research findings leading to new concepts of the pharmaceutical formulations and their interactions has been presented. The rational approaches to the excipients choice as well as to their interactions with medicaments have been shown as a basis for modern modelling of pharmaceutical formulations. The importance of complexation, hydrogen bonding, ion-dipole, dipole-dipole and van der Waals attractions as the tools which can modify the physicochemical, pharmacological or pharmacokinetical behaviour of the medicaments has been emphasised. In vivo studies (carried out in healthy human subjects-volunteers, in beagle dogs, in rats etc.) and in vitro studies (on excised human skin, hairless mouse skin etc.) as well as studies of chemical stability and bioavailability serve also as a proof of these interactions. Therefore, excipients are important components of pharmaceutical formulations and they can take an active part in the improvement of the characteristics of formulations (but they may also reduce the effectiveness of some preparations). In this context, the so called active and inactive ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations are inexact, old and "out-of date". Their further use is only conventional. In conclusion, among the various modern techniques applied the combination of infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction has been estimated as the most successful in proving the interactions between drugs and excipients. Finally, pharmaceutical formulations and their interactions have constituted a diverse and rapidly expanding field of Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Industry and Pharmaceutical Sciences) which covers a wide range of numerical topics within an unified framework.

Challenges in Translational Development of Pharmaceutical Cocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kale, Dnyaneshwar P; Zode, Sandeep S; Bansal, Arvind K

2017-02-01

The last 2 decades have witnessed increased research in the area of cocrystals resulting in deeper scientific understanding, increase in intellectual property landscape, and evolution in the regulatory environment. Pharmaceutical cocrystals have received significant attention as a new solid form on account of their ability to modulate poor physicochemical properties of drug molecules. However, pharmaceutical development of cocrystals could be challenging, thus limiting their translation into viable drug products. In the present commentary, the role of cocrystals in the modulation of material properties and challenges involved in the pharmaceutical development of cocrystals have been discussed. The major hurdles encountered in the development of cocrystals such as safety of coformers, unpredictable performance during dissolution and solubility in different media, difficulties in establishing in vitro-in vivo correlation, and polymorphism have been extensively discussed. The influence of selecting appropriate formulation and process design on these challenges has been discussed. Finally, a brief outline of cocrystals that are undergoing clinical development has also been presented. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NDMA formation kinetics from three pharmaceuticals in four water matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ruqiao; Andrews, Susan A

2011-11-01

N, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is an emerging disinfection by-product (DBP) that has been widely detected in many drinking water systems and commonly associated with the chloramine disinfection process. Some amine-based pharmaceuticals have been demonstrated to form NDMA during chloramination, but studies regarding the reaction kinetics are largely lacking. This study investigates the NDMA formation kinetics from ranitidine, chlorphenamine, and doxylamine under practical chloramine disinfection conditions. The formation profile was monitored in both lab-grade water and real water matrices, and a statistical model is proposed to describe and predict the NDMA formation from selected pharmaceuticals in various water matrices. The results indicate the significant impact of water matrix components and reaction time on the NDMA formation from selected pharmaceuticals, and provide fresh insights on the estimation of ultimate NDMA formation potential from pharmaceutical precursors. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmaceutical pollution of aquatic environment: an emerging and enormous challenge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rzymski Piotr

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The global use of pharmaceuticals is on the systematic rise and leads to contamination of surface waters with xenobiotic compounds with a wide range of bioactivity. Waters that receive urban and medical effluents are particularly threatened. The presence of pharmaceuticals in these ecosystems can lead to unpredictable ecological impacts and responses, and may also have an impact on human health. At the same time the identification and quantification of these chemicals, to a large extent remains a subject to scientific investigation than part of a thorough monitoring programme. Their biological effects on aquatic organisms are mainly recognized experimentally and often using concentrations far exceeding environmentally relevant levels. This review paper defines the main sources of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment, discusses the fate of these compounds and summarizes the current state-of-the-art of pharmaceutical monitoring in Polish surface waters.

Regulatory Science in Practice (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency).

Science.gov (United States)

Hojo, Taisuke

2017-01-01

Review, safety, and relief services of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency are primarily focused on scientifically evaluating pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cellular and tissue-based products referring to their quality, efficacy, and safety, which requires a variety of scientific knowledge and methods. Pharmaceutical regulation should be established based on the most advanced scientific expertise at all times. In order to evaluate products that use cutting-edge technology such as induced pluripotent stem cells and information and communication technology adequately, since fiscal year 2012 the Science Committee has been established as a platform to exchange opinions among members from top-ranking domestic and international academia and to enhance personnel exchanges through the Initiative to Facilitate Development of Innovative Drugs. In addition, the Regulatory Science Center will be established in 2018 to increase the integrity of our services for product reviews and safety measures. In particular, requiring electronic data submissions for clinical trial applications followed by an advanced approach to analysis should not only enhance the quality of reviews of individual products but should also support the development of pharmaceuticals and medical devices by providing pharmaceutical affairs consultations on research and development strategies with various guidelines based on new insights resulting from product-bridging data analysis. Moreover, a database including electronic health records with comprehensive medical information collected mainly from 10 cooperating medical institutions will be developed with the aim of developing safety measures in a more timely manner using methods of pharmacoepidemiological analysis.

78 FR 46373 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration; Johnson Matthey Pharmaceutical...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-31

...; Notice of Registration; Johnson Matthey Pharmaceutical Materials, Inc. By Notice dated March 20, 2013, and published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2013, 78 FR 19017, Johnson Matthey Pharmaceutical Materials, Inc., Pharmaceutical Services, 25 Patton Road, Devens, Massachusetts 01434, made application by...

Pharmaceutical health care and Inuit language communications in Nunavut, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Romain, Sandra J

2013-01-01

Pharmaceutical communication is an essential component of pharmaceutical health care, optimally ensuring patients understand the proper administration and side effects of their medications. Communication can often be complicated by language and culture, but with pharmaceuticals, misunderstandings can prove particularly harmful. In Nunavut, to ensure the preservation and revitalization of Inuit languages, the Inuit Language Protection Act and Official Languages Act were passed requiring that all public and private sector essential services offer verbal and written communication in Inuit languages (Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun) by 2012. While the legislation mandates compliance, policy implementation for pharmaceutical services is problematic. Not a single pharmacist in Nunavut is fluent in either of the Inuit languages. Pharmacists have indicated challenges in formally translating written documentation into Inuit languages based on concerns for patient safety. These challenges of negotiating the joint requirements of language legislation and patient safety have resulted in pharmacies using verbal on-site translation as a tenuous solution regardless of its many limitations. The complex issues of pharmaceutical health care and communication among the Inuit of Nunavut are best examined through multimethod research to encompass a wide range of perspectives. This methodology combines the richness of ethnographic data, the targeted depth of interviews with key informants and the breadth of cross-Canada policy and financial analyses. The analysis of this information would provide valuable insights into the current relationships between health care providers, pharmacists and Inuit patients and suggest future directions for policy that will improve the efficacy of pharmaceuticals and health care spending for the Inuit in Canada.

Pharmaceutical health care and Inuit language communications in Nunavut, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra J. Romain

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background. Pharmaceutical communication is an essential component of pharmaceutical health care, optimally ensuring patients understand the proper administration and side effects of their medications. Communication can often be complicated by language and culture, but with pharmaceuticals, misunderstandings can prove particularly harmful. In Nunavut, to ensure the preservation and revitalization of Inuit languages, the Inuit Language Protection Act and Official Languages Act were passed requiring that all public and private sector essential services offer verbal and written communication in Inuit languages (Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun by 2012. Methods. While the legislation mandates compliance, policy implementation for pharmaceutical services is problematic. Not a single pharmacist in Nunavut is fluent in either of the Inuit languages. Pharmacists have indicated challenges in formally translating written documentation into Inuit languages based on concerns for patient safety. These challenges of negotiating the joint requirements of language legislation and patient safety have resulted in pharmacies using verbal on-site translation as a tenuous solution regardless of its many limitations. Results. The complex issues of pharmaceutical health care and communication among the Inuit of Nunavut are best examined through multimethod research to encompass a wide range of perspectives. This methodology combines the richness of ethnographic data, the targeted depth of interviews with key informants and the breadth of cross-Canada policy and financial analyses. Conclusions. The analysis of this information would provide valuable insights into the current relationships between health care providers, pharmacists and Inuit patients and suggest future directions for policy that will improve the efficacy of pharmaceuticals and health care spending for the Inuit in Canada.

Raman spectroscopy of pharmaceutical cocrystals in nanosized pores of mesoporous silica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohta, Ryuichi; Ajito, Katsuhiro; Ueno, Yuko

2017-01-01

The Raman spectroscopy of pharmaceutical cocrystals based on caffeine and oxalic acid in nanosized pores of mesoporous silica has been demonstrated at various molar amounts. The Raman peak shifts of caffeine molecules express the existence of pharmaceutical cocrystals in mesoporous silica. The molar amount dependence of the peak shifts describes that caffeine and oxalic acid cocrystallized on the surface of the nanosized pores and piled up layer by layer. This is the first report that shows the Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool to observe the synthesis of pharmaceutical cocrystals incorporated in the nanosized pores of mesoporous silica. The results indicate a way to control the size of cocrystals on a nanometer scale, which will provide higher bioavailability of pharmaceuticals. (author)

Materials science tetrahedron--a useful tool for pharmaceutical research and development.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Changquan Calvin

2009-05-01

The concept of materials science tetrahedron (MST) concisely depicts the inter-dependent relationship among the structure, properties, performance, and processing of a drug. Similar to its role in traditional materials science, MST encompasses the development in the emerging field of pharmaceutical materials science and forms a scientific foundation to the design and development of new drug products. Examples are given to demonstrate the applicability of MST to both pharmaceutical research and product development. It is proposed that a systematic implementation of MST can expedite the transformation of pharmaceutical product development from an art to a science. By following the principle of MST, integration of research among different laboratories can be attained. The pharmaceutical science community as a whole can conduct more efficient, collaborative, and coherent research.

Authentication of gold nanoparticle encoded pharmaceutical tablets using polarimetric signatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Carnicer, Artur; Arteaga, Oriol; Suñé-Negre, Josep M; Javidi, Bahram

2016-10-01

The counterfeiting of pharmaceutical products represents concerns for both industry and the safety of the general public. Falsification produces losses to companies and poses health risks for patients. In order to detect fake pharmaceutical tablets, we propose producing film-coated tablets with gold nanoparticle encoding. These coated tablets contain unique polarimetric signatures. We present experiments to show that ellipsometric optical techniques, in combination with machine learning algorithms, can be used to distinguish genuine and fake samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report using gold nanoparticles encoded with optical polarimetric classifiers to prevent the counterfeiting of pharmaceutical products.

75 FR 54627 - Best Management Practices for Unused Pharmaceuticals at Health Care Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-08

... at very low concentrations. EPA has been studying unused pharmaceutical disposal practices at health... avoiding pharmaceutical waste; Practices for identifying and managing types of unused pharmaceuticals; and...: September 1, 2010. Ephraim S. King, Director, Office of Science and Technology. [FR Doc. 2010-22325 Filed 9...

Parallel trade, pharmaceutical innovation, and intellectual property rights

OpenAIRE

Tabata, Ken; Shinkai, Tetsuya; Tanaka, Satoru; Okamura, Makoto

2005-01-01

This paper examines how the parallel trade influences the pharmaceutical innovation and welfare. We consider the case where one monopolist in the home potentially sells in the both domestic and foreign markets with different price elasticities of demand. As relevant in the pharmaceutical context, the price of a good sold in the foreign country is determined by the negotiation between the firm and the foreign government. When the parallel trade is allowed, this negotiated foreign price also be...

Pharmaceutical quality by design: product and process development, understanding, and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Lawrence X

2008-04-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pharmaceutical Quality by Design (QbD) and describe how it can be used to ensure pharmaceutical quality. The QbD was described and some of its elements identified. Process parameters and quality attributes were identified for each unit operation during manufacture of solid oral dosage forms. The use of QbD was contrasted with the evaluation of product quality by testing alone. The QbD is a systemic approach to pharmaceutical development. It means designing and developing formulations and manufacturing processes to ensure predefined product quality. Some of the QbD elements include: Defining target product quality profile; Designing product and manufacturing processes; Identifying critical quality attributes, process parameters, and sources of variability; Controlling manufacturing processes to produce consistent quality over time. Using QbD, pharmaceutical quality is assured by understanding and controlling formulation and manufacturing variables. Product testing confirms the product quality. Implementation of QbD will enable transformation of the chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) review of abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) into a science-based pharmaceutical quality assessment.

Removal of Pharmaceutical Compounds from Hospital Wastewaters Using Nanomaterials: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan Bagheri

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Over the past few years, residual pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, anticonvulsants, antipyretics drugs, hormones have begun to be considered as emerging environmental pollutants due to their continuous input and persistence to aquatic ecosystem even at low concentrations. Therefore, the development of efficient, cost-effective, and stable methods and materials for the wastewaters treatment have gained more recognition in recent years. In the path of meeting these developments, nanomaterials have attracted much attention as economical, convenient and ecofriendly tools for removing of pharmaceuticals from the hospital wastewaters because of their unique properties. The present review deals with recent advances in removal and/or destruction of residual pharmaceutical in wastewater samples using nanomaterials including metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and nanofilters. In spite of using a variety of nanomaterials to remove the residual of pharmaceuticals, there is still a dearth of successful applicability of them in industrial processes. Therefore, some defects of nanomaterials to be used for the removal of pharmaceutical contaminate in environmental samples and their impacts on human health and environment is briefly discussed.

Caffeine and pharmaceuticals as indicators of waste water contamination in wells

Science.gov (United States)

Seiler, R.L.; Zaugg, S.D.; Thomas, J.M.; Howcroft, D.L.

1999-01-01

The presence of caffeine or human pharmaceuticals in ground water with elevated nitrate concentrations can provide a clear, unambiguous indication that domestic waste water is a source of some of the nitrate. Water from domestic, public supply, and monitoring wells in three communities near Reno, Nevada, was sampled to test if caffeine or pharmaceuticals are common, persistent, and mobile enough in the environment that they can be detected in nitrate-contaminated ground water and, thus, can be useful indicators of recharge from domestic waste water. Results of this study indicate that these compounds can be used as indicators of recharge from domestic waste water, although their usefulness is limited because caffeine is apparently nonconservative and the presence of prescription pharmaceuticals is unpredictable. The absence of caffeine or pharmaceuticals in ground water with elevated nitrate concentrations does not demonstrate that the aquifer is free of waste water contamination. Caffeine was detected in ground water samples at concentrations up to 0.23 ??g/L. The human pharmaceuticals chlorpropamide, phensuximide, and carbamazepine also were detected in some samples.

Structural changes in the German pharmaceutical market: price setting mechanisms based on the early benefit evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Henschke, Cornelia; Sundmacher, Leonie; Busse, Reinhard

2013-03-01

In the past, free price setting mechanisms in Germany led to high prices of patented pharmaceuticals and to increasing expenditures in the pharmaceutical sector. In order to control patented pharmaceutical prices and to curb increasing pharmaceutical spending, the Act for Restructuring the Pharmaceutical Market in Statutory Health Insurance (AMNOG) came into effect on 1st January 2011. In a structured dossier, pharmaceutical manufacturers have to demonstrate the additional therapeutic benefit of the newly approved pharmaceutical compared to its appropriate comparator. According to the level of additional benefit, pharmaceuticals will be subject to price negotiations between the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds and the pharmaceutical company concerned (or assigned to a reference price group in case of no additional benefit). Therefore, the health care reform is a first step to decision making based on "value for money". The process of price setting based on early benefit evaluation has an impact on the German as well as the European pharmaceutical markets. Therefore, these structural changes in Germany are of importance for pricing decisions in many European countries both from a political point of view and for strategic planning for pharmaceutical manufacturers, which may have an effect on insured patients' access to pharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Legal considerations for social media marketing by pharmaceutical industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Y Tony; Chen, Brian

2014-01-01

Social media marketing is the next frontier for direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical products, but represents an unchartered territory for regulatory action. With explosive growth in the use of social media, along with pharmaceutical companies' increasing adeptness at taking advantage of opportunities for social media marketing, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) faces an urgent need to develop its own capacities to monitor and engage with social media marketing. In response to potential FDA action, pharmaceutical companies' marketing, regulatory compliance and legal staffs must work closely to design initiatives that are sensitive to FDA concerns. This article will address the current status of FDA regulations on social media advertising, their historical origins, challenges to implementation, and their likely future direction.

Technology-dependent children and the demand for pharmaceutical care.

Science.gov (United States)

Okido, Aline Cristiane Cavicchioli; Cunha, Suelen Teles da; Neves, Eliane Tatsch; Dupas, Giselle; Lima, Regina Aparecida Garcia de

2016-01-01

to understand the experience of mothers of technology-dependent children as regards pharmaceutical care. this was a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study developed based on open interviews using a structured characterization tool, and applied during home visits to 12 mothers caring for technology-dependent children. The data was submitted to inductive content analysis. this study is split into two themes: (i) maternal overload during pharmaceutical care, demonstrating the need to administer drugs continuously and the repercussions of this exhaustive care on the caregivers; (ii) the ease or difficulty of access to the medicines required, showing informal strategies and support networks. pharmaceutical care is a daily challenge expressed in maternal overload and difficulty accessing the drugs, made worse by failures in the care network and coordinated care.

Attitude and practice of dental surgeons towards pharmaceutical companies' marketing gifts.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, Shaila; Rafique, Adeela; Ghafoor, Farkhanda; Saleem, Akif; Khan, Amanullah

2013-01-01

Interaction of pharmaceutical companies (PC) with healthcare services has been a reason for concern. In medicine, awareness of the ethical implications of these interactions have been emphasized upon, while this issue has not been highlighted in dentistry. This study undertook a cross-sectional rapid assessment procedure to gather views of dentists in various institutions towards unethical practices in health care and pharmaceutical industry. The purpose of this study was to assess the need for the formulation and implementation of guidelines for the interaction of dentists with the pharmaceutical and device industry in the best interest of patients. A group of 209 dentists of Lahore including faculty members, demonstrators, private practitioners and fresh graduates responded to a questionnaire to assess their attitudes and practices towards pharmaceutical companies' marketing gifts. The study was conducted during 2011 and provided interesting data that showed the pharmaceutical industry is approaching private practitioners more frequently than academicians and fresh graduates. Private practioners accepted the gifts but mostly recognized them as unethical (over 65%). Both groups considered sponsoring of on-campus lectures as acceptable (over 70%). Respondents are not fully aware of the ethical demands which are imperative for all health care industries, and there is a dire need of strict guidelines and code of ethics for the dentist's interaction with the pharmaceutical and device industry so that patient interest is protected.

Biodegradability of pharmaceutical compounds in agricultural soils irrigated with treated wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossberger, Amnon; Hadar, Yitzhak; Borch, Thomas; Chefetz, Benny

2014-01-01

Pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) are introduced into agricultural soils via irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW). Our data show that carbamazepine, lamotrigine, caffeine, metoprolol, sulfamethoxazole and sildenafil are persistent in soils when introduced via TWW. However, other PCs, namely diclofenac, ibuprofen, bezafibrate, gemfibrozil and naproxen were not detected in soils when introduced via TWW. This is likely due to rapid degradation as confirmed in our microcosm studies where they exhibited half-lives (t 1/2 ) between 0.2–9.5 days when soils were spiked at 50 ng/g soil and between 3 and 68 days when soils were spiked at 5000 ng/g soil. The degradation rate and extent of PCs observed in microcosm studies were similar in soils that had been previously irrigated with TWW or fresh water. This suggests that pre-exposure of the soils to PCs via irrigation with TWW does not enhance their biodegradation. This suggests that PCs are probably degraded in soils via co-metabolism. Highlights: • Some pharmaceuticals are highly persistent in arable soils. • Weak acid pharmaceuticals are readily degradable in agricultural soils. • Irrigation with treated wastewater does not enhance degradation of pharmaceuticals. • Degradation of pharmaceuticals in soil is probably occurred via co-metabolism. -- Some pharmaceutical compounds are persistent in arable soils when introduced via irrigation with treated wastewater

A novel approach for inventory problem in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Candan, Gökçe; Yazgan, Harun Reşit

2016-02-24

In pharmaceutical enterprises, keeping up with global market conditions is possible with properly selected supply chain management policies. Generally; demand-driven classical supply chain model is used in the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, a new mathematical model is developed to solve an inventory problem in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Unlike the studies in literature, the "shelf life and product transition times" constraints are considered, simultaneously, first time in the pharmaceutical production inventory problem. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model with a hybrid time representation. The objective is to maximize total net profit. Effectiveness of the proposed model is illustrated considering a classical and a vendor managed inventory (VMI) supply chain on an experimental study. To show the effectiveness of the model, an experimental study is performed; which contains 2 different supply chain policy (Classical and VMI), 24 and 30 months planning horizon, 10 and 15 different cephalosporin products. Finally the mathematical model is compared to another model in literature and the results show that proposed model is superior. This study suggest a novel approach for solving pharmaceutical inventory problem. The developed model is maximizing total net profit while determining optimal production plan under shelf life and product transition constraints in the pharmaceutical industry. And we believe that the proposed model is much more closed to real life unlike the other studies in literature.

Tidal impact on the dynamic behavior of dissolved pharmaceuticals in the Yangtze Estuary, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Heng; Zhou, Jun Liang; Zhang, Jing

2015-12-01

The dynamic behavior of 24 dissolved pharmaceuticals over tidal cycles in the Yangtze Estuary, China was studied to assess the tidal impact on the fate of pharmaceutical residues. The results show that most pharmaceuticals were frequently detected with concentrations from below detection to 27.2 ng/L, with sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethazine, erythromycin, thiamphenicol and florfenicol dominating. During tidal cycles, pharmaceutical concentrations decreased during tidal rise, then increasing during tidal receding for all locations, except at site S2 which showed an opposite trend due to unique water movement there. It was observed that most compounds showed a non-conservative behavior, while diazepam and sulfamethoxazole displayed a conservative behavior. The pharmaceutical concentrations were found to increase with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, suggesting DOC as a carrier of pharmaceuticals. In addition, many compounds showed a significant negative relationship with suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration, indicating SPM-water interactions as a control of pharmaceutical behavior in estuarine environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

INAA of polyacrylic hydrogels of pharmaceutical grade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponta, C.; Salagean, M.; Pantelica, A.; Georgescu, I.I.

1998-01-01

Polyacrylic acid (PA) and its salts are promising biomaterials used in the pharmaceutical industry. They could be used as pharmaceutical additives, as a burn dressing and also in the slow released implants or trans-derma patch formulations. Polyacrylic acid of pharmaceutical grade can be obtained by gamma irradiation polymerization. The influence of the raw materials and of the technological procedure on the final product purity has been investigated by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) method. The following materials have been analyzed by INAA: 1) acrylic acid of technical grade; 2) acrylic acid purified by double crystallisation; 3) NaOH of analytical grade; 4) CaCl-2·6H 2 O of pharmaceutical grade; 5) CaCl 2 ·2H 2 O of analytical grade; 6) granulated PANa; 7) ungranulated PANa; 8) ungranulated PANaCa; 9) PANaCa granulated by milling in IFIN-HH using the mill nr. 1; 10) PANaCa granulated by milling in Institute of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research (ICPR); 11) PANaCa granulated by milling in IFIN-HH using the mill nr. 2. The first five samples, marked from 1 to 5, are raw materials and the other six samples, marked from 6 to 11, are the final polyacrylic structures processed by various technological procedures. The samples together with the appropriate reference materials have been irradiated at WWR-S reactor in a neutron flux of 2.5·10 12 cm -2 s -1 and the induced radioactivity was registered by a HPGe detector (EG/G ORTEC) of 30% efficiency and 2.1 keV resolution. The concentrations of As, Br, Ce, Co, Cr, Fe, La, Sb, Sc, Zn have been determined. For the final polyacrylic structures, except for granulated PANa (sample 6), only the elements Co, Cr, Fe, Sc, Zn were found at the following concentration levels: tens of ppm (Co), ppm (Zn), hundreds of ppb (Cr), tens of ppb (Co), ppb (Co, Sc), 10 -1 ppb (Sc). In the granulated PANa, in comparison with the other analyzed final products, similar concentration values were found for Fe, Sc and Zn

Regulating the Dutch pharmaceutical market: improving efficiency or controlling costs?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wolf, de P.; Brouwer, W.B.F.; Rutten, F.H.

2005-01-01

In this paper, we describe the Dutch pharmaceutical market, which is heavily regulated by the government. Through the regulation of prices and promoting prudent use, the Dutch government tries to bring down the cost of pharmaceuticals, which increases every year at a higher rate than total health

Differences in the volume of pharmaceutical advertisements between print general medical journals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Gettings

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical advertisements have been argued to provide revenue that medical journals require but they are intended to alter prescribing behaviour and they are known to include low quality information. We determined whether a difference exists in the current level of pharmaceutical advertising in print general medical journals, and we estimated the revenue generated from print pharmaceutical advertising. METHODS: Six print general medical journals in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom were sampled between 2007 and 2012. The number of advertisements and other journal content in selected issues of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ, Canadian Family Physician (CFP, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM, British Medical Journal (BMJ, and Lancet were determined. Revenue gained from pharmaceutical advertising was estimated using each journal's 2013 advertising price list. FINDINGS: The two Canadian journals sampled (CMAJ, CFP contained five times more advertisements than the two American journals (JAMA, NEJM, and two British journals (BMJ, Lancet (p<0.0001. The estimated annual revenue from pharmaceutical advertisements ranged from £0.025 million (for Lancet to £3.8 million (for JAMA. The cost savings due to revenue from pharmaceutical advertising to each individual subscriber ranged from £0.02 (for Lancet to £3.56 (for CFP per issue. CONCLUSION: The volume of pharmaceutical advertisements differs between general medical journals, with the two Canadian journals sampled containing the most advertisements. International and temporal variations suggest that there is an opportunity for all general medical journals to reduce the number of pharmaceutical advertisements, explore other sources of revenue, and increase transparency regarding sources of revenue.

The future of the pharmaceutical, biological and medical device industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burgess LJ

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Lesley J Burgess, Marli TerblancheTREAD Research/Cardiology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Tygerberg Hospital and University of Stellenbosch, Parow, South AfricaAbstract: Numerous factors contribute to the declining pharmaceutical industry on the one hand and the rapidly growing generic industry together with the growing importance of medical devices and biologicals on the other. It is clear that the pharmaceutical industry is going to undergo a change in the next decade in order to meet the current challenges facing it and ultimately sustain its profitability and growth. This paper aims to identify a number of fairly obvious trends that are likely to have a significant impact on the product development pipeline in the next decade. It is more than clear that the current production pipeline for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries is no longer sustainable and that urgent interventions are required in order to maintain its current level of profitability.Keywords: pharmaceutical industry, personalized medicine, trends, generics, biotechnology

Differential pricing of new pharmaceuticals in lower income European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaló, Zoltán; Annemans, Lieven; Garrison, Louis P

2013-12-01

Pharmaceutical companies adjust the pricing strategy of innovative medicines to the imperatives of their major markets. The ability of payers to influence the ex-factory price of new drugs depends on country population size and income per capita, among other factors. Differential pricing based on Ramsey principles is a 'second-best' solution to correct the imperfections of the global market for innovative pharmaceuticals, and it is also consistent with standard norms of equity. This analysis summarizes the boundaries of differential pharmaceutical pricing for policymakers, payers and other stakeholders in lower-income countries, with special focus on Central-Eastern Europe, and describes the feasibility and implications of potential solutions to ensure lower pharmaceutical prices as compared to higher-income countries. European stakeholders, especially in Central-Eastern Europe and at the EU level, should understand the implications of increased transparency of pricing and should develop solutions to prevent the limited accessibility of new medicines in lower-income countries.

'Pro et contra' ionic liquid drugs - Challenges and opportunities for pharmaceutical translation.

Science.gov (United States)

Balk, Anja; Holzgrabe, Ulrike; Meinel, Lorenz

2015-08-01

Ionic liquids (ILs) are organic salts with a melting point below 100°C. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are transformed into ILs by combining them with typically large yet charged counterions. ILs hold promise to build a large design space for relevant pharmaceutical parameters, particularly for poorly water soluble drugs. It is for this wide design space that ILs may be the entry into the fascinating vision of modifying physico-chemical properties without the need to structurally modify the active pharmaceutical ingredient itself. This extremely intriguing pharmaceutical option is critically discussed including its potential and limitations. The review is starting off with an introduction to the metathesis and characterization of ILs, and leads over to examples for pharmaceutical application, including enhancement of dissolution rate and kinetic solubility and hygroscopicity adaptation, respectively. Tuning biopharmaceutics and toxicology by proper IL design is another focus. The review connects the interrelated chemical, physical, pharmaceutical, and toxicological outcome of API-ILs, serving as guidance for the formulation scientist who aims at expanding ones armamentarium for poorly water soluble APIs while avoiding structural modification, thereof. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keeping modern in medicine: pharmaceutical promotion and physician education in postwar America.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Jeremy A; Podolsky, Scott H

2009-01-01

Recent critiques of the role of pharmaceutical promotion in medical practice invoke a nostalgic version of 1950s and 1960s medicine as representing an uncomplicated relationship between an innovative pharmaceutical industry and an idealistic and sovereign medical profession-a relationship that was later corrupted by regulatory or business practice changes in the 1980s or 1990s. However, the escalation of innovation and promotion in the pharmaceutical industry at mid-century had already provoked a broader crisis of overflow in medical education in which physicians came to use both commercial and professional sources in an attempt to "keep modern" by incorporating emerging therapeutics into their practices. This phenomenon was simultaneously a crisis for the medical profession- playing a key role in attempts to inculcate a "rational therapeutics"-and a marketing opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry, and produced the structural foundations for contemporary debates regarding the role of pharmaceutical promotion in medical practice. Tracing the issue from the advent of the wonder drugs through today's concerns regarding formal CME, we document how and why the pharmaceutical industry was allowed (and even encouraged) to develop and maintain the central role it now plays within postgraduate medical education and prescribing practice.

Neglected sources of pharmaceuticals in river water--footprints of a Reggae festival.

Science.gov (United States)

Daneshvar, Atlasi; Svanfelt, Jesper; Kronberg, Leif; Weyhenmeyer, Gesa A

2012-02-01

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are commonly considered as the main source of pharmaceuticals in surface waters. Here, however, we show that an open-air festival, attracting approximately 10,000 visitors per year at the shores of River Fyris upstream of Uppsala WWTP, can temporarily result in a higher pharmaceutical input into the river water than the WWTP. Studying the influence of Uppsala Reggae festival on the occurrence of ten commonly used acidic and basic pharmaceuticals upstream, in the effluent, and downstream of the Uppsala WWTP, we found that occasional heavy rainfalls during the festival in 2008 severely increased the mass flows of all pharmaceuticals at the WWTP upstream site. Also, strong increases in ammonium (210-fold), nitrate (21-fold), and total nitrogen (21-fold) mass flows were observed. The pharmaceutical mass flows at the upstream site were up to 3.4 times higher than those observed in the WWTP effluent. In contrast, in 2009, the festival was not accompanied with rainfalls and no major additional input of pharmaceuticals and nitrogen was observed. The findings of this study give new insights into risk assessments and are relevant for monitoring programmes.

Network on veterinary medicines initiated by the European Federation For Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Mochel, J P; Tyden, E; Hellmann, K; Vendrig, J C; Şenel, S; Dencker, L; Cristina, R T; Linden, H; Schmerold, I

2018-06-01

The European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences (EUFEPS) was founded 25 years ago by more than 20 national pharmaceutical societies and faculty members. As a pan-European organization, it brings together pharmaceutical societies as well as academic, industrial and regulatory scientists engaged in drug research and development, drug regulation and education of professionals working in these fields. EUFEPS represents pharmaceutical sciences in Europe and is recognized as such by both the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency. EUFEPS cooperates with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and other European organizations and maintains global connections with agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. EUFEPS has established specified networks forming the basis of its activities. The creation of a Network on Veterinary Medicines is prompted by the manifold problems resulting from the use of veterinary drugs and its inherent interconnections with human medicine, environmental and public health. A long-term goal of this initiative was to expand the spectrum of available therapeutics for use in animals, including the development of innovative delivery systems. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pharmaceutical Care and the Role of a Pharmacist in Space Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Bayuse, Tina

2007-01-01

Space medicine is primarily preventative medicine Outcomes of space medicine pharmaceutical care are: a) Elimination or reduction of a patient's symptomatology; b) Arresting or slowing of long term effects from microgravity; and c) Preventing long term effects or symptomatology as a result of microgravity. Space medicine pharmaceutical care is about both the patient and the mission. Pharmaceutical care in the area of space medicine is evolving. A pharmacist serves a critical role in this care. Commercial space travel will require pharmacist involvement.

[Pharmaceutical chemistry of drug-initiated photosensitivity].

Science.gov (United States)

Rácz, Ákos; Tóth, Lívia

2015-01-01

The photosensitivity originated from drugs is a common problem in medical and pharmaceutical practice. It is of prominent importance in drug development and in regulatory issues. The photosensitizer effect of drug substances is determined by their chemical structures, and it mainly originates from aromatic chromophore systems and photo-dissociable bonds forming free radicals. The photodegradation may happen in many different types of chemical reaction pathways. Our aim is to demonstrate in this review the interrelations between structure and photodegradation. We show examples for the different reaction types, with drugs from different pharmacologic therapeutic classes. The in vivo chemical reactivity of photodegradates of pharmaceutical substances, the in vitro methods of investigation for testing photoreactivity and phototoxicity, and briefly the clinical tests for photosensitivity disorders are also discussed.

Chitosan Modification and Pharmaceutical/Biomedical Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiali Zhang

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Chitosan has received much attention as a functional biopolymer for diverse applications, especially in pharmaceutics and medicine. Our recent efforts focused on the chemical and biological modification of chitosan in order to increase its solubility in aqueous solutions and absorbability in the in vivo system, thus for a better use of chitosan. This review summarizes chitosan modification and its pharmaceutical/biomedical applications based on our achievements as well as the domestic and overseas developments: (1 enzymatic preparation of low molecular weight chitosans/chitooligosaccharides with their hypocholesterolemic and immuno-modulating effects; (2 the effects of chitin, chitosan and their derivatives on blood hemostasis; and (3 synthesis of a non-toxic ion ligand—D-Glucosaminic acid from Oxidation of D-Glucosamine for cancer and diabetes therapy.

Pharmaceutical drugs, WWTP, and hydric bodies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quezia Bezerra Cass

2007-12-01

Full Text Available In the last decade, special attention has been given to the presence of pharmaceutical compounds in the aquatic environment; once that the continuous supply and persistence of these substances can be severally prejudicial to the biota. Thus, the development and application of new technologies that allows the removal or diminishes these contaminants has been the focus of the environment sanitation area. However, the absence of specific monitoring programs at the waste water treatment plant (WWTP, unfeasibly the behaviour evaluation of pharmaceutical drugs in the installed plants. The aim work, based on the factors involved in the input of these contaminants in the environment, and take attention to the pathway in the implementation of adequate treatment systems to minimize the deterioration of the aquatic ecosystems.

Pharmaceutical Applications of Polymeric Nano materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, L.; Sun, L.

2011-01-01

With significant attention focused on nano science and nano technology in recent years, nano materials have been used in a wide variety of applications such as automotive, environmental, energy, catalysis, biomedical, drug delivery, and polymeric industries. Among those fields, the application of nano materials with pharmaceutical science is an emerging and rapidly growing field and has drawn increasing attention recently. Research and development in this field is mainly focused on several aspects such as the discoveries of novel functional nano materials, exploration on nanoparticles with controlled and targeted drug delivery characteristics, and investigation of bio functionalized and diagnostic nano materials. In this special issue, we have invited a few papers related to recent advances in pharmaceutical application of polymeric nano materials

Multiscale mechanistic modeling in pharmaceutical research and development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuepfer, Lars; Lippert, Jörg; Eissing, Thomas

2012-01-01

Discontinuation of drug development projects due to lack of efficacy or adverse events is one of the main cost drivers in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D). Investments have to be written-off and contribute to the total costs of a successful drug candidate receiving marketing authorization and allowing return on invest. A vital risk for pharmaceutical innovator companies is late stage clinical failure since costs for individual clinical trials may exceed the one billion Euro threshold. To guide investment decisions and to safeguard maximum medical benefit and safety for patients recruited in clinical trials, it is therefore essential to understand the clinical consequences of all information and data generated. The complexity of the physiological and pathophysiological processes and the sheer amount of information available overcharge the mental capacity of any human being and prevent a prediction of the success in clinical development. A rigorous integration of knowledge, assumption, and experimental data into computational models promises a significant improvement of the rationalization of decision making in pharmaceutical industry. We here give an overview of the current status of modeling and simulation in pharmaceutical R&D and outline the perspectives of more recent developments in mechanistic modeling. Specific modeling approaches for different biological scales ranging from intracellular processes to whole organism physiology are introduced and an example for integrative multiscale modeling of therapeutic efficiency in clinical oncology trials is showcased.

Recent trends in the impurity profile of pharmaceuticals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kavita Pilaniya

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Various regulatory authorities such as the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH, the United States Food and Drug administration (FDA, and the Canadian Drug and Health Agency (CDHA are emphasizing on the purity requirements and the identification of impurities in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs. The various sources of impurity in pharmaceutical products are - reagents, heavy metals, ligands, catalysts, other materials like filter aids, charcoal, and the like, degraded end products obtained during \\ after manufacturing of bulk drugs from hydrolysis, photolytic cleavage, oxidative degradation, decarboxylation, enantiomeric impurity, and so on. The different pharmacopoeias such as the British Pharmacopoeia, United State Pharmacopoeia, and Indian Pharmacopoeia are slowly incorporating limits to allowable levels of impurities present in APIs or formulations. Various methods are used to isolate and characterize impurities in pharmaceuticals, such as, capillary electrophoresis, electron paramagnetic resonance, gas-liquid chromatography, gravimetric analysis, high performance liquid chromatography, solid-phase extraction methods, liquid-liquid extraction method, Ultraviolet Spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, supercritical fluid extraction column chromatography, mass spectrometry, Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR spectroscopy, and RAMAN spectroscopy. Among all hyphenated techniques, the most exploited techniques for impurity profiling of drugs are Liquid Chromatography (LC-Mass Spectroscopy (MS, LC-NMR, LC-NMR-MS, GC-MS, and LC-MS. This reveals the need and scope of impurity profiling of drugs in pharmaceutical research.

The supply of pharmaceuticals in humanitarian assistance missions: implications for military operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmood, Maysaa; Riley, Kevin; Bennett, David; Anderson, Warner

2011-08-01

In this article, we provide an overview of key international guidelines governing the supply of pharmaceuticals during disasters and complex emergencies. We review the World Health Organization's guidelines on pharmaceutical supply chain management and highlight their relevance for military humanitarian assistance missions. Given the important role of pharmaceuticals in addressing population health needs during humanitarian emergencies, a good understanding of how pharmaceuticals are supplied at the local level in different countries can help military health personnel identify the most appropriate supply options. Familiarity with international guidelines involved in cross-border movement of pharmaceuticals can improve the ability of military personnel to communicate more effectively with other actors involved in humanitarian and development spheres. Enhancing the knowledge base available to military personnel in terms of existing supply models and funding procedures can improve the effectiveness of humanitarian military operations and invite policy changes necessary to establish more flexible acquisition and funding regulations.

Impact of pharmaceutical cocrystals: the effects on drug pharmacokinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Ning; Perry, Miranda L; Weyna, David R; Zaworotko, Michael J

2014-09-01

Pharmaceutical cocrystallization has emerged in the past decade as a new strategy to enhance the clinical performance of orally administered drugs. A pharmaceutical cocrystal is a multi-component crystalline material in which the active pharmaceutical ingredient is in a stoichiometric ratio with a second compound that is generally a solid under ambient conditions. The resulting cocrystal exhibits different solid-state thermodynamics, leading to changes in physicochemical properties that offer the potential to significantly modify drug pharmacokinetics. The impact of cocrystallization upon drug pharmacokinetics has not yet been well delineated. Herein, we compile previously published data to address two salient questions: what effect does cocrystallization impart upon physicochemical properties of a drug substance and to what degree can those effects impact its pharmacokinetics. Cocrystals can impact various aspects of drug pharmacokinetics, including, but not limited to, drug absorption. The diversity of solid forms offered through cocrystallization can facilitate drastic changes in solubility and pharmacokinetics. Therefore, it is unsurprising that cocrystal screening is now a routine step in early-stage drug development. With the increasing recognition of pharmaceutical cocrystals from clinical, regulatory and legal perspectives, the systematic commercialization of cocrystal containing drug products is just a matter of time.

77 FR 75672 - Manufacturer of Controlled Substances, Notice of Registration, Halo Pharmaceutical, Inc.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-21

..., Notice of Registration, Halo Pharmaceutical, Inc. By Notice dated July 30, 2012, and published in the Federal Register on August 7, 2012, 77 FR 47114, Halo Pharmaceutical, Inc., 30 North Jefferson Road... 21 U.S.C. 823(a), and determined that the registration of Halo Pharmaceutical, Inc., to manufacture...

Internationalization and technological leapfrogging in the pharmaceutical industry

OpenAIRE

Suma Athreye; Andrew Godley

2009-01-01

The pre-refereed author version of this article was published as a UNI-MERIT Working Paper under the title “Internationalising to create Firm Specific Advantages: Leapfrogging strategies of U.S. Pharmaceutical firms in the 1930s and 1940s & Indian Pharmaceutical firms in the 1990s and 2000s”. The paper can be downloaded from the UNU-MERIT website from the following link: http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=12607. Internationalization is a useful strategy for gaining firm-specific technolog...

Launching of New Pharmaceutical Product and Promotional Challenges

OpenAIRE

Manish Gunjan; Jegathambigai Rameshwar Naidu; Ishab Kumar; Yogesh Kumar

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of the study was to find out the basic challenges and major aspects in launching of new pharmaceutical products, and the usual way to overcome with the concerned challenges. The second most important purpose was to find out the role of innovative and creative way in promotion of new pharmaceutical product and its impact on their market value. Methodology: I went through questionnaire based survey on 10 medical representatives and 10 doctors respectively to find o...

A Critical Analysis of Concentration and Competition in the Indian Pharmaceutical Market.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Aashna; Hasan Farooqui, Habib; Selvaraj, Sakthivel

2016-01-01

It can be argued that with several players marketing a large number of brands, the pharmaceutical market in India is competitive. However, the pharmaceutical market should not be studied as a single market but, as a sum total of a large number of individual sub-markets. This paper examines the methodological issues with respect to defining the relevant market involved in studying concentration in the pharmaceutical market in India. Further, we have examined whether the Indian pharmaceutical market is competitive. Indian pharmaceutical market was studied using PharmaTrac, the sales audit data from AIOCD-AWACS, that organises formulations into 5 levels of therapeutic classification based on the EphMRA system. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) was used as the indicator of market concentration. We calculated HHI for the entire pharmaceutical market studied as a single market as well as at the five different levels of therapeutic classification. Whereas the entire pharmaceutical market taken together as a single market displayed low concentration (HHI = 226.63), it was observed that if each formulation is defined as an individual sub-market, about 69 percent of the total market in terms of market value displayed at least moderate concentration. Market should be defined taking into account the ease of substitutability. Since, patients cannot themselves substitute the formulation prescribed by the doctor with another formulation with the same indication and therapeutic effect, owing to information asymmetry, it is appropriate to study market concentration at the narrower levels of therapeutic classification.

Preliminary risk assessment database and risk ranking of pharmaceuticals in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, Emily R.; Siewicki, Thomas C.; Phillips, Karl

2008-01-01

There is increasing concern about pharmaceuticals entering surface waters and the impacts these compounds may have on aquatic organisms. Many contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, are not completely removed by wastewater treatment. Discharge of effluent into surface waters results in chronic low-concentration exposure of aquatic organisms to these compounds, with unknown impacts. Exposure of virulent bacteria in wastewater to antibiotic residues may also induce resistance, which could threaten human health. The purpose of this study was to provide information on pharmaceutical threats to the environment. A preliminary risk assessment database for common pharmaceuticals was created and put into a web-accessible database named 'Pharmaceuticals in the Environment, Information for Assessing Risk' (PEIAR) to help others evaluate potential risks of pharmaceutical contaminants in the environment. Information from PEIAR was used to prioritize compounds that may threaten the environment, with a focus on marine and estuarine environments. The pharmaceuticals were ranked using five different combinations of physical-chemical and toxicological data, which emphasized different risks. The results of the ranking methods differed in the compounds identified as high risk; however, drugs from the central nervous system, cardiovascular, and anti-infective classes were heavily represented within the top 100 drugs in all rankings. Anti-infectives may pose the greatest overall risk based upon our results using a combination of factors that measure environmental transport, fate, and aquatic toxicity. The dataset is also useful for highlighting information that is still needed to assuredly assess risk

Crystal Morphology Engineering of Pharmaceutical Solids: Tabletting Performance Enhancement

OpenAIRE

Mirza, Sabiruddin; Miroshnyk, Inna; Heinämäki, Jyrki; Antikainen, Osmo; Rantanen, Jukka; Vuorela, Pia; Vuorela, Heikki; Yliruusi, Jouko

2009-01-01

Crystal morphology engineering of a macrolide antibiotic, erythromycin A dihydrate, was investigated as a tool for tailoring tabletting performance of pharmaceutical solids. Crystal habit modification was induced by using a common pharmaceutical excipient, hydroxypropyl cellulose, as an additive during crystallization from solution. Observed morphology of the crystals was compared with the predicted Bravais–Friedel–Donnay–Harker morphology. An analysis of the molecular arrangements along the ...

Pharmaceutical and pharmacological approaches for bioavailability

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2014-01-27

Jan 27, 2014 ... Etoposide posses high plasma protein binding (97%) and is degraded via ... The present article gives insight on pharmaceutical and pharmacological .... caprolactone and were found efficient as drug delivery vehicles.