Developing a pharmaceutical purchasing strategy

The process commonly used by group purchasing organizations to contract for multisource pharmaceuticals and a strategic approach for the director of pharmacy in working with the purchasing group and the P & T Committee is described. The pharmacist should be knowledgeable concerning the group's contract commitment requirements, product specifications, terms and conditions and procedures for vendor selection, product award, contract implementation, and performance monitoring. To ensure results that meet the needs of the medical staff, it is important that the P & T Committee actively participate. The P & T Committee should understand the reasons for selecting a particular purchasing group, understand the necessary steps in obtaining the most favorable economic advantage, review products with potential brand interchange concerns, recommend product specifications, and reaffirm formulary procedures regarding the principle of current consent.     

Developing a research agenda for teaching ethics to pharmacy students

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's indicative syllabus provides an outline of what the pharmacy law and ethics curriculum should address, in comparison to the twelve‐point plan endorsed for medical teaching In this paper, we set out to explore what ethics meant in practice to a group of third‐year pharmacy students taking part in one focus group Respondents identified specific ethical dilemmas arising from the supply of emergency hormonal contraception, the sale of homeopathic products, mis‐use of medicines, euthanasia, assisted suicide, drug trials and the commercial environment of pharmacy Although there may be a temptation to adopt the core curriculum endorsed for medical teaching, this makes no mention of pharmacy‐specific dilemmas Additional research is required to clarify the form and scope of ethics teaching for pharmacy students     

Benzodiazepines on trial: a research strategy for their rehabilitation

Ataxia, sedation, amnesia, ethanol and barbiturate potentiation, tolerance, dependence, and the potential for drug abuse plague the clinical use of anxiolytic benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine ligands that are in current clinical use act as full allosteric modulators of GABA-gated Cl-channels, and on chronic administration trigger compensatory changes in the subunit expression of GABA_A receptors. In these putative abnormal receptors, full allosteric modulators have low intrinsic activity and potency, and tolerance and dependence ensue. In this review, Erminio Costa and Alessandro Guidotti discuss the development of partial allosteric modulators, such as imidazenil, which have high potency and low intrinsic activity at GABA-gated Cl- channels. Since in animals tolerant to full allosteric modulators imidazenil also fails to show cross-tolerance, it is an example of a new type of anxiolytic and anticonvulsant drug acting at GABA_A receptors via benzodiazepine recognition sites.     

流感疫苗研究的新策略

疫苗接种是预防流感最有效的方法,但流感病毒的变异给疫苗研制带来了极大的困难,而减毒活疫苗能使机体获得持久免疫力,因此成为预防流感的重要疫苗.然而,目前研发的减毒活疫苗仍存在制备条件苛刻、安全性较差等问题.鉴于miRNA是调控宿主和病毒相互作用的关键因子,miRNA介导的减毒活疫苗给流感疫苗研发提供了新的思路.此文对近年来基于miRNA的流感疫苗研究进展做一综述.     

针灸治疗心律失常研究的文献计量学研究

目的 分析针灸治疗心律失常研究的历史及存在的问题,并预测研究前沿,为当下及今后的科学研究提供参考。方法检索中国知网及Web of Science核心合集中针灸治疗心律失常研究领域相关文献,对该领域研究机构、研究者、关键词进行文献计量分析,采用可视化软件CiteSpace构建共现网络。结果 国内外发文量均呈波动上升趋势,基金资助以国家级资助为主,表明该领域国家对其有一定的关注度。经分析发现中国在此研究领域处于核心地位,研究主要力量集中在北京中医药大学,山东中医药大学,黑龙江中医药大学,辽宁中医药大学中国中医科学院针灸研究所,形成6个稳定高产团队。热点关键词：心房颤动、内关穴、室性早搏、针药并用等,中药选择以炙甘草汤为主,研究趋势为针灸治疗心律失常的机制研究以及自主神经调控方向。结论 文献计量学分析表明针灸治疗心房颤动是研究热点,该领域发展还需在世界范围内进一步地研究和合作。     

Developing an R&D agenda for pharmacy workforce research

□ A consultation exercise was conducted to identify and prioritise the research agenda on the pharmacy workforce □ A two‐ound Delphi technique was employed for the main study □ People from all sectors of the profession were invited to contribute their views on what research should be carried out □ Ninety per cent of respondents agreed that the top priority for research was to “identify the levels, causes and implications of turnover among different cohorts of pharmacists” □ The need to take forward aspects of the proposed programme is now a matter of some urgency for the profession and the National Health Service     

针灸治疗腹型肥胖的临床研究进展

随着人们生活方式的改变,腹型肥胖症的患者越来越多,带来的社会危害也随之增大。本文从毫针针刺疗法、穴位埋线、微针、电针等对针灸治疗腹型肥胖的相关指标影响进行总结,为临床针灸治疗腹型肥胖进一步推广应用提供参考。     

Developing concepts in receptor research

Recent advances in molecular biology and protein chemistry have permitted spectacular progress in understanding the chemistry and cell biology of cell surface receptors for hormones and drugs. Methodological approaches, such as the use of radiolabeled ligands and direct receptor assays, have permitted the characterization, categorization, and purification of many receptors. The knowledge gained in understanding fundamental hormone-receptor interactions can form the basis of future, rational new drug design. Another important advance relates to the dynamic nature of receptors in their membrane environment. Upon binding of hormones such as insulin and epidermal growth factor, the complexes rearrange topographically on the cell surface, forming microclusters that are internalized into "receptosomes" via receptor-mediated endocytosis (which utilizes coated pits). The internalized receptor-hormone complex can have various fates, including the generation of selective signals for controlling cell growth and differentiation. In at least one case (epidermal growth factor), the latter may be dependent on the processes that occur in an acidic endosomal compartment within the cell.     

Developing a strategy for the nonclinical assessment of proarrhythmic risk of pharmaceuticals due to prolonged ventricular repolarization

The aspects for developing a strategy for the preclinical testing of drug candidates for proarrhythmic potential are presented. The rationale for such a strategy reflects primarily the needs for efficient and scientifically based drug development and also attempts to anticipate the possible outcomes of the currently ongoing regulatory activity (ICH S7b and E14). Whereas a wealth of new data have emerged over the past few years, demonstrating the utility of test systems for detecting drug effects on myocardial repolarization, the current regulatory trend appears to not use such data for the clinical trial design or risk assessment. Nevertheless, certain types of preclinical tests are highly recommended for optimizing drug development, despite their still questionable regulatory acceptance. This includes (1) testing for blockade of I(Kr) or hERG-mediated potassium current in heterologous cell systems, (2) measurement of effects on the myocardial action potential in vitro; and (3) assessment of effects on the ECG in a well-conducted in vivo study. Due to their requirement for little compound, the first two in vitro tests lend themselves for early safety testing of drug candidates still in the lead optimization phase of drug discovery; together, they form a useful and predictive in vitro assessment. This strategy is not new but reflects what was initially suggested by the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) some years ago. However, the validation of such a strategy and its utility in drug development is now well established and recommended, independent from future regulatory requirements.