Workload measurement of a clinical pharmacy residency program

The types of activities performed by four clinical pharmacy residents and the amount of time spent on each activity were studied using a workload measurement system. A workload measurement system was developed to record all activities performed by pharmacy residents. The system included 50 activities that were grouped under 11 general headings; residents' time was divided among 10 major areas of service. The following data were collected and analyzed each month during the six-month study period: units of work, weighted units of work, total productive hours, total service hours, and productivity. The residents participated in 39 of 50 clinical pharmacy activities. Activities performed most frequently included nursing-home-care-unit drug reviews, drug monitoring, and rounds. The most time-consuming activities were clinical education, administration, and drug-use review. Productivity ranged from 80 to 115% and was influenced by residents' assigned rotations. A workload measurement system for quantifying the time spent by residents performing various clinical pharmacy activities provided objective data that were used to restructure a clinical pharmacy residency program.     

APOM-project: a survey of pharmacy organization and management

In 1994, a Ph.D-study started regarding pharmacy, organization and management (APOM) in the Netherlands. The APOM-project deals with the structuring and steering of pharmacy organization. This article describes the summary of the empirical results of a survey in a relatively large sample (n = 169). Generalization to the population of pharmacies in the Netherlands was made. Thought results comprised a total number of seven clusters of priorities of pharmacy mixes. Most pharmacy managers were observed with product and customer activities in the first position; pharmaceutical and customer activities were perceived as the most important. Action results comprised a total number of five clusters of activities of pharmacy mixes. Most pharmacy managers were observed with product and process activities in the first position; pharmaceutical and process activities were performed most frequently. The results showed that the traditional conception of the work in the community pharmacy is still vividly present.     

Comparative in vitro enzyme activities of five commercially available pancreatic supplements

A comparative in vitro analysis was performed of the enzyme activities contained in five commercial pancreatic supplements available in New Zealand. there was considerable individual variation between each product. Lipase was regarded as the most important enzyme, as lipase deficiency is the most significant clinical factor in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Viokase not only contained the most lipase per tablet, but was also the cheapest product.     

Activity analysis of pharmacy-directed drug-administration technicians

The percentage of time required by drug-administration technicians to perform predefined activities was determined using a work-sampling technique. Two trained pharmacists used random-sampling techniques to estimate the amount of time technicians spent performing activities in each of four major work categories. These categories, which included drug administration and related activities, clerical, communication, and "other," were divided into 24 activity elements, and technicians were randomly observed during the first or second work shift (8 1/2 hours) for 20 days in a one-month period. Drug-administration technicians spent the most time in the drug administration and related activities category (40.4 +/- 2.5%), followed by "other" (24.1 +/- 2.2%), communication (17.9 +/- 2.0%), and clerical (17.6 +/- 2.0%) activities. In the "other" category, technicians were not observed 11.6 +/- 1.7% of the time, but this was expected since the technicians were granted a 30-minute lunch period and two 15-minute breaks. A work-sampling technique was effective in quantifying activities performed by drug-administration technicians.     

Synthesis, molecular docking studies, and in vitro screening of sulfanilamide-thiourea hybrids as antimicrobial and urease inhibitors

A series of novel hybrid molecules containing sulfanilamide and thiourea templates was designed and synthesized. These compounds were screened for antimicrobial and urease inhibitory activities. Some of the compounds revealed promising antibacterial and antifungal activities. Fascinatingly, the majority of the compounds exhibited potential urease inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ ranging from 0.20 to 7.50 μM. Compound 2b was identified as the most potent urease inhibitor (IC₅₀ 0.20 μM), and was 100-fold more potent than thiourea, the standard inhibitor. Molecular docking studies of compounds were performed on 3D crystal structures of Jack bean and Helicobacter pylori ureases.     

Audit of telephone usage in a centralized intravenous admixture area

An audit of telephone usage in an intravenous admixture area was performed. Over a two-day period (18 hours total) 252 calls were made or received. The average length of a call was 81 seconds. Surgery and medicine nursing units accounted for the majority of the cells. Missing orders or doses were the most frequent topic of calls. Telephone communication may require a large time commitment from pharmacists and prevent them from performing activities which are more easily documentable, such as compounding intravenous admixtures.     

Effects of differential extraction of Verbena officinalis on rat models of inflammation, cicatrization and gastric damage

Verbena officinalis L. is used in folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, skin burns, abrasions, and gastric diseases. Extracts obtained with different solvents (methanol, VoME; enriched flavonoids, VoEF; supercritical CO2, VoCO2) were evaluated for anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and cicatrizing activities. Additionally, the antioxidant capacity was determined in vitro. In order to confirm the activities investigated, histological observations were performed. All extracts induce a remarkable anti-inflammatory activity. The gastric damage is significantly reduced by all extracts administered, whereby the most pronounced protection is observed for the VoCO2 and VoEF extracts. Finally, a wound healing effect is obtained particularly by the CO2 extract, suggesting the presence of some lipophilic active principles. Histological evidence confirms the results evaluated with the animal procedures. The results obtained after oral administration of V. officinalis extracts are also in agreement with the antioxidant capacity evaluated in vitro, confirming the relationship between pharmacological activities and antiradical efficacy.     

Study of the antioxidant response of several bean variants to irrigation with water containing MC‐LR and cyanobacterial crude extract

Cyanobacterial toxins have adverse effects on both terrestrial and aquatic plants. Agricultural plants may come in contact with cyanobacterial toxins when surface waters are used for its irrigation. In the present study the effects of MC‐LR and cyanobacterial crude extract on three variants of bean by irrigating the seedlings with water containing 5 μg L⁻¹ MC‐LR were assessed. Study of the antioxidant enzymes activities glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST), peroxidases (POD) and glutathione reductase (GR) was performed in leaves and roots of the seedling exposed to the cyanotoxin compared to a control group and to a group exposed to cyanobacterial crude extract without MCs. Damage of oxidative status was observed in view of the fact that the antioxidant enzymes activities were altered. It is interesting to point out that each variant of bean was affected in a very different way, being GST the most altered enzyme and the B1 the most sensitive variant showing the greatest alterations in the majority of the studied enzymes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2011.     

Antiviral Activities in Extracts of Turkish Medicinal Plants

A total of 16 ethanol extracts of Turkish medicinal plants were evaluated for antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Sindbis virus (SINV). Extracts of Galanthus elwesii and Rheum ribes showed the most potent anti-HSV activities, while six other extracts had weaker activities. Galanthus elwesii and Leucojum aestivum were the most potent anti-SINV extracts with four others showing weaker activities. In total, five extracts were active against both viruses, three were selective for HSV and one was selective for SINV. Evidence for an antiviral photosensitizer was obtained in two anti-HSV extracts, in which activity was either completely dependent on light, or was con-siderably enhanced by light. Thus, several Turkish medicinal plants appear to be promising sources of antiviral activities.     

Comparative study of the venoms of three subspecies of Lachesis muta (bushmaster) from Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica

A comparative study was performed on the pharmacology and biochemistry of venoms from three subspecies of Lachesis muta (L. m. stenophrys, L. m. muta and L. m. rhombeata) from Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica. All venoms induced lethal, hemorrhagic, edema-forming, myotoxic, coagulant and defibrinating effects, showing also proteolytic and indirect hemolytic activities. The venoms of L. m. stenophrys from Costa Rica and L. m. muta from Cascalheira, Brazil, had the highest lethal and hemorrhagic activities and the venom of L. m. rhombeata showed the highest coagulant activity, whereas no significant differences were observed in myotoxic and edema-forming activities at most of the time intervals studied. In addition, venoms showed similar electrophoretic patterns on SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In conclusion, despite quantitative differences in toxic and enzymatic activities, together with subtle variations in electrophoretic patterns, our results indicate that experimental envenomation by these venoms induce a qualitatively similar pathophysiological profile.     

Synthesis and antiviral activity of oxaselenolane nucleosides

As dioxolane and oxathiolane nucleosides have exhibited promising antiviral and anticancer activities, it was of interest to synthesize isoelectronically substituted oxaselenolane nucleosides, in which the 3'-CH(2) is replaced by a selenium atom. To study structure-activity relationships, various pyrimidine and purine oxaselenolane nucleosides were synthesized from the key intermediate, (+/-)-2-benzoyloxymethyl-1,2-oxaselenolane 5-acetate (6). Among the synthesized racemic nucleosides, cytosine and 5-fluorocytosine analogues exhibited potent anti-HIV and anti-HBV activities. It was of interest to obtain the enantiomerically pure isomers to determine if they have differential antiviral activities. However, due to the difficult and time-consuming nature of enantiomeric synthesis, a chiral HPLC separation was performed to obtain optical isomers from the corresponding racemic mixtures. Each pair of enantiomers of Se-ddC and Se-FddC was separated by an amylose chiral column using a mobile phase of 100% 2-propanol. The results indicate that most of the anti-HIV activity of both cytosine and fluorocytosine nucleosides resides with the (-)-isomers.     

Antiviral activities in extracts of Turkish medicinal plants

A total of 16 ethanol extracts of Turkish medicinal plants were evaluated for antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Sindbis virus (SINV). Extracts of Galanthus elwesii and Rheum ribes showed the most potent anti-HSV activities, while six other extracts had weaker activities. Galanthus elwesii and Leucojum aestivum were the most potent anti-SINV extracts with four others showing weaker activities. In total, five extracts were active against both viruses, three were selective for HSV and one was selective for SINV. Evidence for an antiviral photosensitizer was obtained in two anti-HSV extracts, in which activity was either completely dependent on light, or was con-siderably enhanced by light. Thus, several Turkish medicinal plants appear to be promising sources of antiviral activities.     

Vanillin derivatives as the selective small molecule inhibitors of FtsZ

A series of vanillin derivatives have been designed and synthesized and their biological activities were also evaluated as potential inhibitors of FtsZ. These compounds were assayed for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Compounds with potent antibacterial activities were tested for their FtsZ inhibitory activity. Compound 4u showed the most potent antibacterial activity with MIC of 0.28 μg/mL against E. coli strains and exhibited the most potent FtsZ inhibitory activity with polymerization IC₅₀ of 2.1 μM. Docking simulation was performed to position compound 4u into the FtsZ active site to determine the probable binding conformation.     

Discovery of New 4‐Alkoxyquinazoline‐Based Derivatives as Potent VEGFR2 Inhibitors

VEGFR2 has been proved to play a major role in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis. Twenty‐one 4‐alkoxyquinazoline‐based derivatives have been designed and synthesized as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) inhibitors, and their biological activities were evaluated. Among these compounds, compound 3h exhibited the most potent inhibitory activities against VEGFR2 tyrosine kinase and cell proliferation, with the IC₅₀ values of 2.89 nm (for VEGFR2) and 0.25  μ m (for MCF‐7), which were comparable with the control compound. Docking simulation was performed to position compound 3h into the 4ASE active site, and the result showed that compound 3h could bind well at the 4ASE active site.     

Studies on calcium modulatory activities of 2,6,6-trimethyl-3-acetyl-4-aryl-5-oxo-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydroquinoline derivatives.

Twenty-two new 2,6,6-trimethyl-3-acetyl-4-aryl-5-oxo-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydroquinoline+ ++ derivatives (compounds 1-22) have been prepared. The structures of the compounds were characterised by IR, 1H-NMR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analyses. The calcium antagonistic activities of the compounds were determined by the tests performed on isolated rabbit ileum and lamb carotid artery. According to the isolated rabbit ileum activity tests the most active compounds are 10 and 12 and according to the lamb carotid activity tests the most active compounds are 6 and 10.     

Antineoplastic and Antiviral Activities of Podophyllotoxin Related Lignans

28 cyclolignans, most of them derived from podophyllotoxin, have been evaluated for their antineoplastic and antiviral activities. They were subjected to screening against P-388 murine leukemia, A-549 human lung carcinoma, and HT-29 colon carcinoma, while antiviral assays were performed on herpes simplex virus type I infecting fibroblasts of monkey kidney (HSV/CV-1) and on vesicular stomatitis virus infecting fibroblasts of hamster kidney (VSV/BHK). A number of substances were active in both groups of assays at concentrations below 1μM; deoxypodophyllotoxin ( 1 ) being the most potent compound in all cases.     

Enhancing effect of terpenes on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of diclofenac sodium

The enhancing effect of naturally occurring terpenes on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of diclofenac sodium (DFS) from carbopol gels containing propylene glycol was investigated. Permeation experiments were performed on excised abdominal rat skin. Terpenes varied in their activities: the alcohol terpenes were effective accelerants for the drug whereas the ketones were much less efficient, providing only a 2-to-3-fold increase in DFS diffusion; limonene showed mild accelerant activity and 1,8-cineole was a poor accelerant. Acyclic alcohols were found to be the best enhancers for DFS, being geraniol, with an almost 20-fold increase, the most outstanding penetration enhancer. However, although the addition of terpenes increased DFS flux, diffusional lag times were longer than for the control gel.