Physicochemical stability of bortezomib solutions for subcutaneous administration.

For the majority of cytotoxic drug preparations, such as bortezomib, the unit dose information is not available. In addition, there is a lack of information on the physicochemical stability of the pharmaceutical preparation after opening; this information is crucial for its administration to patients in successive visits, and the per-patient cost can be affected. The purpose of our proposed physicochemical stability study is to determine the shelf life of the reconstituted liquid product under refrigeration and clinical practice conditions.

Drug prescribing in patients with renal impairment optimized by a computer-based, semi-automated system.

Background: According to several studies, despite of the existence of several published guidelines for dosing adjustments based on renal function, inappropriate prescribing is a common drug-related problem in inpatient care.

Objective: We developed and implemented a system for drug dosage adjustment integrated into the Hospital computer provider order entry system. This system allows pharmacists to identify patients with reduced renal function, identify medication orders that may require dosage modifications based on renal function, and generate an alert with a recommendation of specific dosage adjustment.

ABCB1 gene polymorphisms are associated with adverse reactions in fluoropyrimidine-treated colorectal cancer patients.

Aim: To find out whether SNPs in the transporter gene ATP-binding casette B1 (ABCB1) were related to adverse effects in colorectal cancer patients treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or capecitabine.

Materials & Methods: Patients treated with a 5-FU-based therapy (n = 67) or a capecitabine-based therapy (n = 74) were recruited and genotyped for the ABCB1 SNPs rs1128503 (C1236T), rs2032592 (G2677T/A) and rs1045642 (C3435T). Clinical data and adverse reactions were recorded.