Ethnopharmacological Survey of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy Prescriptions for Dysmenorrhea

Chinese herbal medicines have long been used for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. The treatment experiences of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacies passed down through generations have contributed to a wealth of prescriptions for dysmenorrhea that have achieved significant therapeutic effects in countless Taiwanese women. Therefore, surveying and analyzing these prescriptions may enable us to elucidate the core medication combinations used in TCM prescriptions for dysmenorrhea. In the present study, a field investigation was conducted on various TCM pharmacies in Taiwan. A total of 96 TCM pharmacies were sampled, and 99 prescriptions for dysmenorrhea containing 77 different medicinal materials were collected. Compositae (8%) was the most common botanical source of the medicinal materials, and the predominant TCM property and flavor of the materials were warm (45%) and sweet (73%), respectively. The blood-activating and stasis-dispelling effect (23%) and the qi-tonifying effect (23%) were the most prevalent traditional effects, and the modern pharmacological effects most commonly found in the materials were anti-inflammatory (73%), antitumor (59%), and analgesic (12%) effects. Network analysis of the 77 medicinal materials used in the prescriptions, which was performed using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System, yielded seven core medicinal materials and the corresponding network diagram. The seven core medicinal materials ranked in order of relative frequency of citation (RFC) were Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Dang Gui), Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort (Chuan Qiong), Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch (Di Huang), Paeonia lactiflora Pall (Bai Shao), Hedysarum polybotrys Hand.-Mazz (Hong Qi), Lycium chinense Mill (Gou Qi Zi), and Cinnamomum cassia (L.). J. Presl (Gui Zhi). A total of 58 combinations, each consisting of two to five of the seven medicinal materials and 107 association rules among the materials, were identified. This study provides a record of valuable knowledge on TCM pharmacy prescriptions for dysmenorrhea. The rich medicinal knowledge of TCM pharmacies in Taiwan is worthy of further exploration, and the results of this study can serve as a basis for future pharmacological research and the development of naturally derived medications for dysmenorrhea.

The Prescribing Pattern of Medications in Ear, Nose and Throat Outpatient Department of a Public Hospital

Aim: This study aimed to describe the prescribing pattern of medications in ear, nose and throat outpatient department of a public hospital in Alkharj. Methodology: The present retrospective study included collecting data from outpatient pharmacy prescriptions from a public hospital in Alkharj. The data was processed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and the descriptive data was represented as frequencies and percentages. Results: Most of the prescriptions were written by residents (79.12%). Most of the medications were prescribed as Tablet/Capsule (39.06), Nasal Drop (20.03) and Nasal Spray (16.00%). The most prescribed medication was budesonide (16.16%) followed by xylometasoline (11.62%), paracetamol (11.45%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic Acid (9.60%) Conclusion: The study revealed that the most common classes of drug prescribed for E.N.T patients were steroids such as budesonide, antibiotics amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and decongestants such as xylometasoline. It is important to increase the awareness of healthcare providers and patients about these drugs. It is also important to monitor medications prescribing to make sure that they are prescribed and used appropriately.

Medications' Prescribing Pattern in the General Surgery Outpatient Department

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the drugs’ prescribing pattern in general surgery department of a public hospital in Alkharj. Methodology: The present retrospective study included collecting data from the general surgery outpatient pharmacy prescriptions from a public hospital in Alkharj from 1st of June 2018 to 31th December 2018. Results: The total number of outpatients who received prescriptions from general surgery outpatient department was 319. Most of them were males (52.35%) and aged less than 50 years (79.31%). Most of the prescriptions were written by residents (47.02). The most prescribed medication was paracetamol (21.32%) followed by amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (12.85%), ciprofloxacin (12.85%), and metronidazole (6.27%). Conclusion: The study showed that antibiotics and analgesics were the most commonly prescribed drug classes in outpatient surgery department. Continuous monitoring for the prescribing of these drugs is essential to increase the wise use of these medications. More awareness workshops and educational programs for surgeons are needed for the prescribing of these drugs.

The Prescribing Pattern of Medications in the Cardiology Outpatient Department of a Public Hospital

Aim: This study aimed to describe the prescribing pattern of medications in the cardiology outpatient department of a public hospital. Methodology: This is a retrospective study included collecting data from outpatient pharmacy prescriptions from a public hospital in Alkharj. The data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and after that the descriptive data was represented as percentages and frequencies. Results: The most prescribed medication was aspirin (11.6%) followed by bisoprolol (8.06), atorvastatin (7.5%) and furosemide (6.79%). Most of the prescriptions were written by residents (85.15%). Most of the medications were prescribed as tablets (88.26%) and capsules (9.05%). Conclusion: It is important to evaluate the prescribing pattern of medications in the cardiology department to ensure that these medications are prescribed appropriately and to increase the awareness of the health-care professionals about these medications.

Prescribing Trends of Medications Ophthalmological Outpatient Department in a Public Hospital in Alkharj

Aim: The present study was undertaken to describe the prescribing pattern of medications in the ophthalmology department in a public hospital in Alkharj. Methodology: This is a cross sectional study included collecting data from outpatient pharmacy prescriptions in a public hospital in Alkharj. All of the outpatients who received prescriptions from the ophthalmology department between the beginning of July till the end of December 2018 were included in the study. Results: During the study period, 324 patients received outpatient prescriptions that were written by ophthalmology department. Artificial tears eye drops were the most commonly prescribed drug (29.32%) followed by olopatadine (12.96%), fusidic acid (11.42%) and fluorometholone (10.19%). Most of the prescribers who wrote the prescriptions were residents (98.15%). Eye drop was the most commonly prescribed dosage form (73.77%) followed by ointment (18.21%). Conclusion: The present study showed that the most commonly prescribed drugs in outpatient ophthalmology department were artificial tears, olopatadine, fusidic acid and fluorometholone. It is also important to increase the awareness of healthcare providers and patients about the appropriate use of these drugs.

Chlamydia Treatment Practices and Time to Treatment in Massachusetts: Directly Observed Therapy Versus Pharmacy Prescriptions

Background Directly observed therapy (DOT) is recommended for the treatment of chlamydia, however pharmacy prescriptions are frequently used. Adherence to DOT and the association between treatment method and time to treatment is unknown. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of a randomized 2% of laboratory-confirmed chlamydia infections reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health from January 1, 2019 to May 31, 2019. Clinicians and pharmacies were contacted to ascertain treatment methods and timing. We assessed frequency of DOT and pharmacy prescriptions in the treatment of chlamydia infection in Massachusetts. We used log rank test to compare time to treatment initiation for patients receiving DOT versus pharmacy prescriptions. Data were stratified according to whether treatment was empiric or laboratory-driven. Key results We ascertained full outcomes for 199 patients. Eighty patients received DOT and 119 patients received pharmacy prescriptions. DOT was more common among those receiving empiric treatment and pharmacy prescriptions were more common among those receiving laboratory-driven treatment. The median time to treatment was 1.5 days for patients treated with DOT and 3 days for those treated with pharmacy prescriptions. For both groups, the median time to treatment for empiric therapy was 0 days and for laboratory-driven therapy was 4 days. The differences in time to treatment were not statistically significant. Conclusions Pharmacy prescriptions are frequently used for the treatment of chlamydia in Massachusetts. We did not observe a significant difference in the time to treatment between DOT and pharmacy prescriptions.

Blood pressure in haemophilia and its relation to clotting factor usage

Background: Patients with haemophilia have a higher prevalence of hypertension than the general population that cannot be explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as age, race, diabetes or obesity. Patients with severe haemophilia, who are on clotting factor prophylaxis, have a higher prevalence of hypertension compared to patients with milder forms of haemophilia, who infuse clotting factor less frequently. This raises the question of whether there is a link between clotting factor usage and blood pressure in haemophilia patients. Methods: Data was collected from 193 patients with severe haemophilia presenting to three haemophilia treatment centres in the United States and Canada, including age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), Hepatitis C (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection status, and clotting factor usage from pharmacy prescriptions (units/kg/year). The correlation between BP and factor usage was examined using quantile regression models. Results: Systolic and diastolic BP plotted against factor use showed a cone-shaped scatter of points. There was no association between clotting factor usage and higher systolic or diastolic BP. Conclusion: Our observations provide no evidence for an association between increased clotting factor usage and high BP.