Medicinal chemistry curriculum and pedagogical practices at Canadian pharmacy schools: Towards standardization of practice.

Introduction: Medicinal chemistry instruction in PharmD programs at Canadian universities is considered an important foundational science. However, with few guidelines for the required content most programs have observed a decrease in hours of medicinal chemistry instruction. A Medicinal Chemistry Special Interest Group (SIG) was formed to address these issues nationally and initiated a pan-Canadian environmental scan to better understand the depth and breadth of medicinal chemistry instruction.

Bioidentical progesterone cream for menopause-related vasomotor symptoms: is it effective?

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of bioidentical progesterone cream in the treatment of menopause-related vasomotor symptoms.

Data Sources: A systematic search (from time of inception to September 2012) of PubMed, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Cochrane, and CINAHL was conducted using the terms progesterone, vasomotor symptoms, night sweats, hot flash or flush, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Hand-searching of citations from relevant articles was also performed.

Green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults.

Background: Preparations of green tea are used as aids in weight loss and weight maintenance. Catechins and caffeine, both contained in green tea, are each believed to have a role in increasing energy metabolism, which may lead to weight loss. A number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the role of green tea in weight loss have been published; however, the efficacy of green tea preparations in weight loss remains unclear.

Bioidentical hormone therapy: Nova Scotia pharmacists' knowledge and beliefs.

Objective: To investigate Nova Scotia (NS) pharmacists' knowledge and beliefs regarding the use of bioidentical hormones (BHs) for the management of menopause related symptoms.

Methods: Using Dillman's tailored design methodology, an invitation to complete the web-based questionnaire was emailed to pharmacists in NS as part of the Dalhousie College of Pharmacy Continuing Pharmacy Education Department's (CPE) weekly email update. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Defining bioidentical hormones for menopause-related symptoms.

Unlabelled: In the last decade, the use of bioidentical hormones (BHs) to treat menopause-related symptoms has become increasingly popular. However, the many different definitions of BHs have led to a great deal of confusion often making it difficult for health care providers to discuss this area with patients.

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to produce a concise definition of bioidentical hormones, based on a review of the literature.

Herbs, vitamins and minerals in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: a systematic review.

Background: As many women experiencing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) seek relief from natural products (NP), health care providers should have quality information available to aid women in making evidence-based decisions regarding use of these products.

Objective: To identify herbs, vitamins and minerals advocated for the treatment of PMS and/or PMDD and to systematically review evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine their efficacy in reducing severity of PMS/PMDD symptoms.

Methods: Searches were conducted from inception to April 2008 in Clinical Evidence, The Cochrane Library, Embase, IBID, IPA, Mayoclinic, Medscape, MEDLINE Plus, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database and the Internet to identify RCTs of herbs, vitamins or minerals advocated for PMS.

Efficacy of natural health products in treating osteoporosis: what is the quality of internet patient advice?

Background: With Canadians increasing their use of the Internet to find health-related information, especially regarding natural health products (NHPs), there is a need for high-quality, evidence-based information on Web sites to aid consumers in making informed decisions regarding the appropriate and safe use of NHPs.

Objective: To determine the quality of Web sites that target consumers and advocate the use of NHPs in the management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Methods: Web sites were identified via the Google search engine using the key words "natural treatment osteoporosis.

Evaluating the quality of randomized controlled trials that examine the efficacy of natural health products: a systematic review of critical appraisal instruments.

The purpose of this project was to conduct a systematic review to identify instruments designed to evaluate the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of natural health products (NHPs). Instruments were examined for inclusion of items assessing methods, identity and content of the NHP, generalizability of results and instructions for use. Online databases, websites, textbooks and reference lists were searched to identify instruments.

A systematic review of mechanisms by which natural products of plant origin evoke vasodilatation.

This article reviews the body of work aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of action by which natural products of plant origin exert a vasodilatory effect at the level of the vasculature. The search was restricted to 4 mechanisms: the nitric oxide system and (or) reactive oxygen species, the eicosanoid system, potassium channel function, and calcium channel function. The National Library of Medicine database was searched using "PubMed" without restriction to language.

Natural health products in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis: systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Consumers are increasingly looking to natural health products to manage specific diseases such as osteoporosis. As a result, healthcare providers need evidence-based information on which to base recommendations regarding use and efficacy.

Objective: To identify natural health products (NHPs, ie, dietary supplements) advocated for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and systematically review the evidence from randomized controlled trials for the effect of NHPs on bone mineral density (BMD)/fracture rate in women.

Effects of natural health products on blood pressure.

Objective: To review the scientific literature to identify reports of the effects of natural health products (NHPs) on blood pressure.

Data Sources: Electronic databases (MEDLINE [1965-May 2004] via PubMed, the Cochrane Library [1995-May 2004], International Pharmaceutical Abstracts [1970-May 2004], Iowa Drug Information Services [1965-May 2004]) were searched using the key words medicine, herbal plants, medicinal plant preparations, phytotherapy, angiosperms/therapeutic use, gymnosperms/therapeutic use, ethnopharmacology, pharmacognosy, blood pressure, hypertension, hypotension, and diuretic. Searches were not limited by date, language, or publication type.