International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 14 (3), pp. 001-010, March, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Examining the Influence of Pharmaceutical Promotions on Physician Prescription Practices: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pakistan

Arslan Siddiqi¹, Shahzad Hussain²*, Ghazala Parveen², Farnaz Malik², Fahadiya Yasin², Tipu Sultan Akram³, Abdul Hameed⁴, Humayun Riaz⁵, Pervaiz Akhtar Shah⁶ and Tariq Saeed⁶

¹KRL Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan.
²Drugs Control and Traditional Medicines Division, NIH, Islamabad-45500, Pakistan.
³Wison Group of Companies, Islamabad, Pakistan.
⁴Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
⁵School of Pharmacy, Sargodha University, Sargodha, Pakistan.
⁶School of Pharmacy, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan.

Accepted 2 September, 2024

Abstract

Worldwide drug expenditures have been one of the main concerns of health care managers, and its containment is one of the primary goals of health care authorities. The present study was conducted through a cross sectional survey in Pakistan during January to June, 2010 not only to find out the importance and influence of promotional tools used by pharmaceutical industry on prescribing behaviors of doctors/consultants, but to also establish comparison between doctors/consultants versus medical representatives and consultant versus doctors with an auxiliary of difference between local and multinational company’s representative. The study revealed that promotional tools are considered vital from doctors and medical representatives’ point of view. There exists significant difference in doctors and consultant’s perception for sponsorships and low value gifts, but no difference in scientific promotional tools. No significant difference exits in perception of medical representatives of multinational and local company representatives. The companies tried to come up as per expectations of doctors to build its reputation and good image by employing different promotional tools. The study also revealed that marketing managers, product managers, chief executive officers or any decision makers involved in budget allocations and making promotional strategy should not rely heavily on medical representative’s feedback as their perception is different from doctors/consultants about relevant importance of each promotional tool. The study will also help product managers and CEOs while allocating promotional budgets and developing promotional mix strategy, to gain maximum return out of investment. Detailed doctors’ demographics can further be researched as predictor for preferring any promotional tools.

Key words: Prescribing patterns, promotional tools, physicians, pharmaceutical industry.
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 14 (3), pp. 001-004, March, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Alterations in Sexual Behavior of Male Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna Lesueur) Following Single and Repeated Methamphetamine Exposure

Amir Ghazilou¹* and Shabnam Ghazilou²

¹Faculty of Biological Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
²Department of Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.

Accepted 8 September, 2024

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of methamphetamine on sexual behavior of fish, saltwater-acclimatized male sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna L. (Pisces) adults were exposed to 0.1, 0.5, 1 mg/L methamphetamine (MA) concentrations and were observed for alterations in sexual behavior at 2nd, 5th or 7th exposure days. The overall changes displayed by the subjected fish included different acute and chronic responses.

Key words: Methamphetamine (N, -dimethylphenethylamine), fish, sexual behavior, male.
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 14 (3), pp. 001-007, March, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

RP-HPLC Assay for Levofloxacin in Rat Plasma and Saliva: Development, Validation, and Pharmacokinetic Applications

Naheed W. Sheikh¹*, Alok S. Tripathi¹, V. Chitra¹, Avijit Choudhury¹ and Anil P. Dewani²

¹Department of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM University, Kattankulathur- 603203, Tamil Nadu, India. ²Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, P.W. College of Pharmacy, Dhamangaon Road, Yavatmal, 445001, Maharashtra, India.

Accepted 19 September, 2024

Abstract

A new, simple, specific, accurate and precise reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method was developed for the determination of levofloxacin in rat plasma and saliva was developed. An HPLC system based on a Phenomenex Luna C18 Column (250 × 4.6 mm) and a UV detector ( = 296 nm) were used. A mixture of Acetonitrile: water (80:20 v/v) adjusted to pH 3.5 by orthophosphoric acid at a flow rate of 1.4 ml/min was used as mobile phase. The proteins were precipitated with methanol. The average recovery was 94.79 and 92.66%, respectively in plasma and saliva. The detection limit for levofloxacin in plasma and saliva was 1 µg/ml. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 1 to 16 mg/ml for plasma and saliva. The inter-day and intra-day assay coefficients of variation were found to be less than 5%. The present validated method was successfully used for pharmacokinetic studies of levofloxacin in plasma and saliva.

Key words: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), levofloxacin, plasma, saliva, pharmacokinetics.
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 14 (2), pp. 001-009, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Impact of Starch Gel on Granule and Tablet Characteristics of the Potent Herbal Extract AM-1

Philip F. Builders*, Patricia Ogwuche, Yetunde Isimi and Olobayo O. Kunle

Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Raw Materials Development, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Abuja, Nigeria.

Accepted 9 August, 2024

Abstract

The ability to convert potent herbal medicines into robust tablet will require a good understanding of certain critical factors such as effect of binder concentration on granule particles and tablets properties. In this study, granules of AM-1, a prototype herbal extract has been produced by the wet granulation process of massing and screening using different concentrations of maize starch gel as binder. The effect of the binder concentrations and granule particles’ size on the granules’ flow and moisture uptake characteristics as well as, their effect on the friability and tensile strength of tablets produced with the granules were investigated. The AM-1 granules prepared with the different concentrations of maize starch gel as binder were of variable particulate dimensions. The particle size and size distribution of the granules showed a remarkable binder concentration sensitivity with a shift to larger particles with increasing binder concentrations. The flow of the granules as determined by evaluating their angle of repose and Carr compressibility indices showed enhanced flow relative to the unformulated AM-1. At simulated tropical humidity and temperature conditions, the AM-1 granules exhibited binder concentration sensitivity to moisture uptake. There was also a reduction in the moisture uptake ability of the granulated AM-1 relative to the ungranulated sample. The tensile strength and friability of the AM-1 tablets showed binder concentration and granule particle size sensitivity: the duo increased with increase in binder concentrations as swell as particle size. This study has shown the effects of granulation as well as starch gel concentration on some critical formulation properties of an herbal extract AM-1, obtained by freeze drying the aqueous decoction of a powdered root material.

Keywords: Herbal extract AM-1, starch gel, binder concentration, granule properties, tablet properties.
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 14 (2), pp. 001-005, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Comparative Analysis of Aggressive vs. Conventional Atorvastatin Doses on IL-6 and NO Levels in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients

Mustafa Kemal BASARALI¹, Sadık BUYUKBAS¹, Hayrullah YAZAR²*, Aysel KIYICI3, Mehmet KAYRAK⁴ and Sıddık ULGEN⁵

¹Department of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
²Department of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey.
³Department of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Selcuk University Selcuklu, Konya, Turkey.
⁴Department of Cardiology, Medical Faculty, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
⁵Department of Cardiology, Medical Faculty, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey.

Accepted 14 September, 2024

Abstract

High dose statin medication in acute coronary syndrome cases is a therapy which lowers mortality and morbidity rates. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is produced in higher amounts in acute myocardial infarction (MI) and facilitates myocardial damage. However, secretion of nitric oxide (NO) is depleted. We aimed to compare the effects of conventional dose (10-40 mg/day) and aggressive dose (80 mg/day) atorvastatin medications on IL- 6 and NO levels in patients with primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) intervention after acute MI. 50 patients (8 females, 42 males) with the diagnosis of acute MI with ST segment elevation enrolled to the study. Primary PTCA intervention was performed on these patients and consequently either conventional dose (10 to 40 mg/day) or aggressive dose (80 mg/day) atorvastatin medications were given to the patients. Three months later, plasma IL-6 and NO levels were determined and alterations in the groups were evaluated. IL-6 levels decreased from 24.34 ± 12.04 to 11.40 ± 5.79 pg/ ml and from 29.62 ± 17.38 to 12.51 ± 8.95 pg/ml in conventional dose and aggressive dose regimens respectively (p<0.001) . However, NO concentrations increased from 22.90 ± 8.24 to 31.70 ± 7.56 µM in conventional dose and from 19.37 ± 5.60 µM to 34.15 ± 9.60 µM in aggressive dose groups (p < 0.001). The effects of aggressive dose atorvastatin medication on IL -6 and NO levels were similar to conventional dose application in cases with ST segment elevation acute MI.

Key words: Atorvastatin, interleukin-6, nitric oxide, myocardial infarction.
 

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ISSN 2326-7267 Vol. 14 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Utilizing Fluorine-19 NMR for Accurate Measurement of Efavirenz in Serum and Pharmaceuticals

Mojtaba Shamsipur¹*, Masoumeh Sarkouhi², Jalal Hassan³ and Soheila Haghgoo⁴

¹Department of Chemistry, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
²Department of Chemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
³Department of Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
⁴Food and Drug Quality Control Laboratory, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.

Accepted 16 September, 2024

Abstract

¹⁹F NMR provided a highly specific tool for identification of efavirenz in human serum and pharmaceutical preparations as well as a suitable analytical technique for their absolute quantification. The method is based on the integration of appropriate signals of efavirenz and potassium fluoride, as an internal standard. The proposed method is simple and reliable, but when it is used without any sample pretreatment, there is a manipulation of large sample volumes and lengthy analysis time. The calibration curve for efavirenz in human serum was linear over the range of 0.8 to 1000 mg L−1, with detection limit of 0.3 mg L−1. The mean error on human serum samples ranged from about - 4 to -6%, with relative standard deviations of <8%. The method was also applied successfully for the determination of efavirenz in real pharmaceutical samples, and compared with the results obtained by a reference high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) method.

Key words: Efavirenz, 19F NMR analyses, HIV, serum, pharmaceuticals.