Pharmacotherapy

  1875-9114

  0277-0008

  Mỹ

Cơ quản chủ quản:  American College of Clinical Pharmacy , WILEY

Lĩnh vực:
Pharmacology (medical)

Các bài báo tiêu biểu

Comparison of Drug Adherence Rates Among Patients with Seven Different Medical Conditions
Tập 28 Số 4 - Trang 437-443 - 2008
Becky A. Briesacher, Susan E. Andrade, Hassan Fouayzi, K. Arnold Chan
Study Objective. To compare drug adherence rates among patients with gout, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, osteoporosis, seizure disorders, and type 2 diabetes mellitus by using a standardized approach.Design. Longitudinal studyData Source. Health care claims data from 2001–2004.Patients. A total of 706,032 adults aged 18 years or older with at least one of the seven medical conditions and with incident use of drug therapy for that condition.Measurements and Main Results. Drug adherence was measured as the sum of the days' supply of drug therapy over the first year observed. Covariates were age, sex, geographic residence, type of health plan, and a comorbidity score calculated by using the Hierarchical Condition Categories risk adjuster. Bivariate statistics and stratification analyses were used to assess unadjusted means and frequency distributions. Sample sizes ranged from 4984 subjects for seizure disorders to 457,395 for hypertension. During the first year of drug therapy, 72.3% of individuals with hypertension achieved adherence rates of 80% or better compared with 68.4%, 65.4%, 60.8%, 54.6%, 51.2%, or 36.8% for those with hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes, seizure disorders, hypercholesterolemia, osteoporosis, or gout, respectively. Age younger than 60 years was associated with lower adherence across all diseases except seizure disorders. Comorbidity burden and adherence varied by disease. As comorbidity increased, adherence among subjects with osteoporosis decreased, whereas adherence among those with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or gout increased. Add‐on drug therapies and previous experience with taking drugs for the condition increased adherence among subjects with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism, or seizure disorders but not the other conditions.Conclusion. This uniform comparison of drug adherence revealed modest variation across six of seven diseases, with the outlier condition being gout.
The <scp>P</scp>harmacologic and <scp>C</scp>linical <scp>E</scp>ffects of <scp>M</scp>edical <scp>C</scp>annabis
Tập 33 Số 2 - Trang 195-209 - 2013
Laura M. Borgelt, Kari L. Franson, Abraham M. Nussbaum, George S. Wang
Cannabis, or marijuana, has been used for medicinal purposes for many years. Several types of cannabinoid medicines are available in the United States and Canada. Dronabinol (schedule III), nabilone (schedule II), and nabiximols (not U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved) are cannabis‐derived pharmaceuticals. Medical cannabis or medical marijuana, a leafy plant cultivated for the production of its leaves and flowering tops, is a schedule I drug, but patients obtain it through cannabis dispensaries and statewide programs. The effect that cannabinoid compounds have on the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) found in the brain can create varying pharmacologic responses based on formulation and patient characteristics. The cannabinoid Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol has been determined to have the primary psychoactive effects; the effects of several other key cannabinoid compounds have yet to be fully elucidated. Dronabinol and nabilone are indicated for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy and of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. However, pain and muscle spasms are the most common reasons that medical cannabis is being recommended. Studies of medical cannabis show significant improvement in various types of pain and muscle spasticity. Reported adverse effects are typically not serious, with the most common being dizziness. Safety concerns regarding cannabis include the increased risk of developing schizophrenia with adolescent use, impairments in memory and cognition, accidental pediatric ingestions, and lack of safety packaging for medical cannabis formulations. This article will describe the pharmacology of cannabis, effects of various dosage formulations, therapeutics benefits and risks of cannabis for pain and muscle spasm, and safety concerns of medical cannabis use.
The Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Argatroban: Effects of Age, Gender, and Hepatic or Renal Dysfunction
Tập 20 Số 3 - Trang 318-329 - 2000
Suzanne K. Swan, Marcie J. Hursting
Study Objective. To determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of argatroban in healthy volunteers and patients with hepatic or renal dysfunction.Design. Prospective, open‐label study (studies 1 and 3); prospective, open‐label, parallel‐group study (study 2).Settings. Two research centers and an inpatient clinic.Subjects. Study 1, healthy volunteers; study 2, healthy volunteers and volunteers with hepatic disease; study 3, volunteers with normal to severely impaired renal function assigned to one of four groups based on creatinine clearance.Intervention. Study 1, argatroban 125‐μg/kg bolus followed by 4‐hour continuous infusion of 2.5 μg/kg/minute; study 2, 4‐hour infusion of 2.5 μg/kg/minute (1.25 μg/kg/minute in one patient with hepatic impairment); study 3, 5‐μg/kg/minute continuous infusion over 4 hours.Measurements and Main Results. Blood samples were obtained to assess plasma argatroban concentration, plasma activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and whole blood activated clotting time (ACT). Study 1: the pharmacokinetic profile was well described by a two‐compartment model with first‐order elimination; effect response and plasma argatroban concentrations were well correlated. Mean ± SD clearance, steady‐state volume of distribution, and half‐life values (40 healthy volunteers) were 4.7 ± 1.1 ml/minute/kg, 179.5 ± 33.0 ml/kg, and 46.2 ± 10.2 minutes, respectively. The only effect of age or gender was the approximately 20% lower clearance in elderly men versus elderly women, which did not translate to clinically or statistically significant differences in pharmacodynamic response. Study 2: in patients with hepatic impairment, area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) from time zero (t0) to last measurable concentration, AUC from t0 to infinity, maximum concentration, and half‐life of argatroban were increased approximately 2‐to 3‐fold; clearance was one‐fourth that of healthy volunteers. For aPTT and ACT, AUC over time for mean effect and mean maximum effect was higher in these volunteers. Study 3: no significant differences were detected. All four groups had predictable response profiles over time.Conclusion. Argatroban should be easy to monitor and control, with little potential for underdosing or overdosing, regardless of age, gender, or renal function. Dosing precautions are recommended, however, in patients with hepatic dysfunction.
Infections Caused by Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria: Epidemiology and Management
Tập 35 Số 10 - Trang 949-962 - 2015
Keith S. Kaye, Jason M. Pogue
Olanzapine‐Associated Diabetes Mellitus
Tập 22 Số 7 - Trang 841-852 - 2002
Elizabeth A. Koller, P. Murali Doraiswamy
Study Objective. To explore the clinical characteristics of hyperglycemia in patients treated with olanzapine.Design. Retrospective, epidemiologic survey of spontaneously reported adverse events related to olanzapine therapy.Setting. Government‐affiliated drug evaluation center.Patients. Two hundred thirty‐seven patients with olanzapine‐associated diabetes or hyperglycemia.Intervention. One hundred ninety‐six cases from January 1994‐May 15, 2001, were identified with the United States Food and Drug Administration's MedWatch Drug Surveillance System, and 41 cases published through May 15, 2001, were identified with MEDLINE or through meeting abstracts.Measurements and Main Results. Of the 237 cases, 188 were new‐onset diabetes, 44 were exacerbations of preexistent disease, and 5 could not be classified. Mean patient age for newly diagnosed cases was 40.7 ± 12.9 years and male:female ratio was 1.8. Seventy‐three percent of all cases of hyperglycemia appeared within 6 months of start of olanzapine therapy. Eighty patients had metabolic acidosis or ketosis, 41 had glucose levels of 1000 mg/dl or greater, and 15 patients died. When olanzapine was discontinued or the dosage decreased, 78% of patients had improved glycemic control. Hyperglycemia recurred in 8 of 10 cases with rechallenge.Conclusions. Number of reports, temporal relationship to start of olanzapine therapy, relatively young age, and improvement on drug withdrawal suggest that olanzapine may precipitate or unmask diabetes in susceptible patients.
Midazolam: The First Water‐soluble Benzodiazepine; Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy in Insomnia and Anesthesia
Tập 5 Số 3 - Trang 138-155 - 1985
J Kanto
Midazolam is a 1,4‐benzodiazepine derivative with a unique chemical structure: depending on environmental pH, the drug can produce highly water‐soluble salts (pH < 4) or exist in lipophilic diazepine ring‐closed form (pH > 4). This characteristic contributes to rapid onset of action and to good local tolerance after parenteral administration. After both oral and parenteral administration, midazolam has a fast absorption rate and is rapidly excreted, with a half‐life of only about 2 hours. A reasonably good correlation has been found between plasma levels and clinical effects, indicating a fast but brief response. As a hypnotic, midazolam is mainly indicated in insomniac patients with difficulties in falling asleep or having a pathologic sleep pattern during the first half of the night. No marked hangover effects are present the next morning. In anesthesiology, midazolam appears to be a useful, short‐acting, sedative‐anxiolytic and amnesic premedicant after both oral and parenteral administration. In minor surgery, however, the slow, unpredictable onset and variable duration of action, as compared with thiopental, may inhibit its routine use as an induction agent, especially in young patients, without heavy premedication. In major surgery, midazolam is an alternative to thiopental for induction of anesthesia in spite of its slow, variable induction time. Its advantages include good cardiovascular stability, transient and mild respiratory depression, low frequency of venous irritation, production of anterograde amnesia and short duration of action in comparison with other benzodiazepines.
Statins and Liver Toxicity: A Meta‐Analysis
Tập 24 Số 5 - Trang 584-591 - 2004
Simon de Denus, Sarah A. Spinler, Kristin Miller, Andrew M. Peterson
Study Objective. To assess the risk of liver function test (LFT) abnormalities with the use of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.Design. Meta‐analysis of randomized, placebo‐controlled trials of statins used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia or for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.Setting. University research center.Patients. A total of 49,275 patients from 13 trials.Intervention. A literature search of published clinical trials was performed in MEDLINE (January 1966–March 2003) and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry (first quarter 2003). Studies also were identified from the references of the trials and of published systematic reviews.Measurements and Main Results. For a trial to be included in the meta‐analysis, its duration of follow‐up had to be at least 48 weeks and the trial had to include at least 400 patients, with at least 200 treated with a statin. Trials conducted in transplant recipients were excluded. The proportion of patients having LFT abnormalities was low in both groups (statins 1.14% vs placebo 1.05%, odds ratio [OR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99–1.62, p=0.07). Only fluvastatin was associated with a significant increase in the odds of having LFT abnormalities (fluvastatin 1.13% vs placebo 0.29%, OR 3.54, 95% CI 1.1–11.6, p=0.04) compared with placebo, although this finding was based on only two trials.Conclusions. Our results support previous observations that pravastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin at low‐to‐moderate doses are not associated with a significant risk of LFT abnormalities. Additional data are required to determine whether other statins have a similar safety profile.
Comparison of Intramuscular Ketorolac Tromethamine and Morphine Sulfate for Analgesia of Pain After Major Surgery
Tập 6 Số 5 - Trang 253-261 - 1986
James Yee, John E. Koshiver, Carolyn Allbon, Colin Brown
Ketorolac tromethamine is a new injectable nonnarcotic analgesic. In a parallel, double‐blind study, the analgesic efficacies of single intramuscular doses of ketorolac 10, 30 and 90 mg were compared with those of morphine sulfate 6 and 12 mg. Two hundred forty‐one patients were categorized according to type of surgical procedure and severity of pain. Pain intensity and pain relief were assessed for 6 hours by scoring standard verbal and visual analog scales. Patients receiving ketorolac 10, 30 or 90 mg or morphine (MS) 12 mg all had significantly better pain relief in almost all measurements performed than those receiving MS 6 mg (p < 0.05). Ketorolac 10 and 30 mg were as effective as morphine 12 mg during the entire 6‐hour observation period, and ketorolac 90 mg was more effective than morphine 12 mg during the entire 6 hours. Patients with pain related to major surgery (e.g., cholecystectomy and abdominal hysterectomy) were better able to distinguish analgesic potency of morphine than those having less traumatic procedures (e.g., tendon and ligament repairs)
Rivastigmine, a New‐Generation Cholinesterase Inhibitor for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
Tập 20 Số 1 - Trang 1-12 - 2000
Michael W. Jann
Rivastigmine is a cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) with a structural formula different from that of currently available ChEIs. Tacrine and donepezil are classified as short‐acting or reversible agents since binding to acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) is hydrolyzed within minutes. Rivastigmine is classified as an intermediate‐acting or pseudo‐irreversible agent due to its long inhibition on AChE of up to 10 hours. Preclinical biochemical studies indicated that rivastigmine has central nervous system selectivity over peripheral inhibition. It ameliorated memory impairment in rats with forebrain lesions. The drug is rapidly absorbed orally, with a bioavailability of 0.355 and low protein binding (40%). Its elimination half‐life is less than 2 hours, and it is converted to an inactive metabolite at the site of action, bypassing hepatic metabolic pathways. Its disposition essentially is unaltered in patients with renal or hepatic impairment. It also has dose‐dependent effects on AChE inhibition. In the two large multicenter clinical trials (total 1324 patients) that used a forced‐dosage titration scheme, rivastigmine 6–12 mg/day was superior to placebo on three cognitive and functioning scales (p<0.001). Gastrointestinal symptoms are the most frequently reported adverse events. They occurred mostly during the dosage titration phase and decreased during the maintenance phase. Rivastigmine offers clinicians another therapeutic agent to treat Alzheimer's disease.
Effects of Perioperative Antiinflammatory and Immunomodulating Therapy on Surgical Wound Healing
Tập 25 Số 11 - Trang 1566-1591 - 2005
Anthony J. Busti, Justin Shane Hooper, Christopher J. Amaya, Salahuddin Kazi