Recent Formulation Advances and Therapeutic Usefulness of Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODTs).

This review highlights the recent formulation advances (different methods of preparation involving various novel approaches) that have been advancing the use of ODT as a popular dosage form. Furthermore, the important characteristics of ODTs that are required for patient compliance and appropriate therapeutic benefit are discussed. In addition to conventional ODTs, ODTs formulated for controlled release of pharmaceuticals and taste masking are also discussed.

Trends in the Use of Medications and Supplements to Treat or Prevent Dementia: A Population-based Study.

Objective: To examine older adults' use over time of agents to treat or prevent dementia or enhance memory.

Design: Longitudinal community study with 10-year annual follow-up (2006-2017).

Setting: Population-based cohort.

Systematic Review of l-glutamine for Prevention of Vaso-occlusive Pain Crisis in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

l-glutamine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sickle cell disease (SCD) in 2017.

Pharmacy students' attitudes and perceptions toward pharmacogenomics education.

Purpose: To evaluate final-year pharmacy students' perceptions toward pharmacogenomics education, their attitudes on its clinical relevance, and their readiness to use such knowledge in practice.

Methods: A 19-question survey was developed and modified from prior studies and was pretested on a small group of pharmacogenomics faculty and pharmacy students. The final survey was administered to 978 final-year pharmacy students in 8 school/colleges of pharmacy in New York and New Jersey between January and May 2017.

Prescription-, Illicit-, and Self-Harm Opioid Overdose Cases Treated in Hospital.

Objective: Research suggests unintentional overdose on prescription drugs and intentional self-harm cases differ fundamentally from unintentional illicit drug overdoses, but there are few data on opioid overdose per se.

Method: We analyzed consecutive opioid overdose patients age 13 and over (N = 435) treated by a toxicology consult service to compare three poisoning groups: unintentional illicit drug (illicit, n = 128), unintentional prescription drug (prescription, n = 217), and intentional self-harm (self-harm, n = 90). The groups were compared on key characteristics of the poisoning events (severity, co-ingestion of non-opioid) and the hospital-based treatments required to manage the poisonings (use of antidote, provision of pharmacological support).

Quantification of Lipoteichoic Acid in Hemodialysis Patients With Central Venous Catheters.

Hemodialysis patients with central venous catheters (CVCs) have chronic systemic inflammation, the source of which may be related to intraluminal bacterial biofilm. There is currently no non-invasive method to adequately evaluate intraluminal biofilm. Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is a Gram-positive bacterial cell wall component that is spontaneously shed.

Coma, Seizures, Atrioventricular Block, and Hypoglycemia in an ADB-FUBINACA Body-Packer.

Background: Synthetic cannabinoid intoxication has become difficult to diagnose and manage in the United States, in part due to varying clinical effects within this heterogeneous group of compounds.

Case Report: A 38-year-old man was admitted with altered mental status and bradycardia. He demonstrated progressive encephalopathy, seizure activity, second-degree atrioventricular block type I, respiratory failure, hypotension, hypothermia, and hypoglycemia.

Efficacy of Prompt Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy in the Treatment of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Triggered by Uncontrolled Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening, rapidly progressive hematologic disorder involving uncontrolled immune system activation. HLH has been associated with viral infections, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. We report a case of a critically ill 30-year-old female who was hospitalized with HIV-associated HLH, with a CD4 count of 4 cells/mL and HIV viral load of 1,842,730 copies/mL.

Urinary tract infection with in a patient with cat exposure and abnormal urinary tract physiology: Case report and literature review.

is a gram-negative organism that commonly colonizes the mouth of cats and dogs, and is known to cause infection in humans associated with animal bites or scratches. Sites of infection other than skin and soft tissue are rare, but have been reported in patients with specific risk factors including anatomical abnormalities or immunosuppression. Herein, we report a case of a symptomatic urinary tract infection caused by in a 59 year old female who presented to the hospital with complaints of systemic symptoms including malaise, rigors, and chills, as well as thick, malodorous urine.

Analytical Evaluation of the Accuracy and Retention of Compounding Skills Among PharmD Students.

To evaluate the accuracy and retention of compounding skills among students using analytical testing. Students compounded acetaminophen capsules from the same prescription at three time points (Exercise 1, 2, 3). The compounded products were analyzed (by HPLC) for acetaminophen content and the students' written reports were evaluated for accuracy of calculations and labeling.

Cutaneous alternariosis in a renal transplant patient successfully treated with posaconazole: Case report and literature review.

Cutaneous alternariosis is an uncommon fungal infection that most commonly presents in organ transplant patients on immunosuppressive therapy. There are no clinical trials or guidelines to guide treatment of this condition, however itraconazole is the most commonly used antifungal in published cases. Here we report on a case of cutaneous alternariosis in a renal transplant recipient treated with a newer antifungal, posaconazole.

Retrospective Evaluation of Postoperative Adverse Drug Events in Patients Receiving Rivaroxaban After Major Orthopedic Surgery Compared with Standard Therapy in a Community Hospital.

Study Objectives: To evaluate the occurrence of bleeding and venous thromboembolic (VTE) events in patients receiving rivaroxaban, warfarin, or warfarin with the addition of enoxaparin during the immediate postoperative period following major orthopedic surgery.

Methods: Patients older than 18 years who received at least one dose of rivaroxaban the morning following surgery, adjusted dose warfarin, or adjusted dose warfarin with the addition of enoxaparin for VTE prophylaxis after major orthopedic surgery between October 1, 2011, and February 28, 2015, were included. Data collected from the electronic health record included patient demographics, renal function, inpatient aspirin, P2Y12 inhibitor and/or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) use, type of surgery, postoperative analgesia, and presence of VTE risk factors.

Asthma Review for Pharmacists Providing Asthma Education.

Asthma is the most common pediatric illness affecting more than 6 million children in the United States. Children with asthma have more frequent office visits and hospitalizations compared with adults. Despite advances in therapies, asthma still has a significant effect on the health care system.

Efficacy of Anti-Epileptic Drugs in the Treatment of Tumor and Its Associated Epilepsy: An in vitro Perspective.

The change in the therapeutic targets from neuron to glia has proved beneficial in the treatment of many psychiatric disorders. The anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) have been widely prescribed for the treatment of partial and complete seizures, bipolar disorder among others. The current study was carried out to explore the efficacy of some conventional and novel AEDs for the treatment of tumor-associated epilepsy which develops in 29-49% of the patients diagnosed with brain tumors.

Discovery and preliminary structure-activity relationship of the marine natural product manzamines as herpes simplex virus type-1 inhibitors.

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) is a member of alpha-herpesviridae family and is known to cause contagious human infections. The marine habitat is a rich source of structurally unique bioactive secondary metabolites. A small library of marine natural product classes 1-10 has been screened to discover a new hit entity active against HSV-1.

Cancer control potential of marine natural product scaffolds through inhibition of tumor cell migration and invasion.

The marine environment is a reliable source for the discovery of novel treatment options for numerous diseases. Past research efforts toward the discovery of marine-derived anticancer agents have resulted in several commercially available marine-based drugs. The pharmaceutical value of anticancer drugs from marine natural products (MNPs) ranges from US$563 billion to US$5.

Aspirin inhibits glucose‑6‑phosphate dehydrogenase activity in HCT 116 cells through acetylation: Identification of aspirin-acetylated sites.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) catalyzes the first reaction in the pentose phosphate pathway, and generates ribose sugars, which are required for nucleic acid synthesis, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), which is important for neutralization of oxidative stress. The expression of G6PD is elevated in several types of tumor, including colon, breast and lung cancer, and has been implicated in cancer cell growth. Our previous study demonstrated that exposure of HCT 116 human colorectal cancer cells to aspirin caused acetylation of G6PD, and this was associated with a decrease in its enzyme activity.

An Assessment of Service-Learning in 34 US Schools of Pharmacy Follow Up on the 2001 Professional Affairs Committee Report.

Objective. To determine if the service-learning components used at a convenience sample of schools and colleges of pharmacy meet the intent of the 2001 AACP Professional Affairs Committee (PAC) report. Methods.

Does the use of atypical antipsychotics as adjunctive therapy in depression result in cost savings? Comparing healthcare costs and utilization between second-line treatment options.

Background: Several atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) are used as second-line agents for treatment resistant depression. AAPs can be expensive compared to other treatment options and can cause several side effects.

Objectives: To estimate healthcare costs and utilization of AAPs compared to other second-line agents.

Effectiveness and safety of nitrofurantoin in outpatient male veterans.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess both the safety and the effectiveness of nitrofurantoin in male veterans treated for urinary tract infections (UTIs) with varying degrees of renal impairment in the outpatient setting. Nitrofurantoin is an important oral option for treating UTIs given increasing resistance to commonly used agents. Nitrofurantoin is currently contraindicated in patients with a creatinine clearance (CrCl) of < 60 ml/min, but the reason for this threshold has not been well documented.

Middle age onset short-term intermittent fasting dietary restriction prevents brain function impairments in male Wistar rats.

Intermittent fasting dietary restriction (IF-DR) is recently reported to be an effective intervention to retard age associated disease load and to promote healthy aging. Since sustaining long term caloric restriction regimen is not practically feasible in humans, so use of alternate approach such as late onset short term IF-DR regimen which is reported to trigger similar biological pathways is gaining scientific interest. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of IF-DR regimen implemented for 12 weeks in middle age rats on their motor coordination skills and protein and DNA damage in different brain regions.

Active learning through a debate series in a first-year pharmacy self-care course.

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of formal debates in the pharmacy classroom as a way to learn course material and as a tool for developing competency in essential skills including critical thinking, communication, public speaking, research methods, and teamwork.

Design: Debates were incorporated into a self-care course, where students were assigned different debate topics focused on controversial issues. Quantitative analysis was completed to assess debate style learning, knowledge about the subjects presented, and the impact on necessary skills.

Higher incidence of acute kidney injury with intravenous colistimethate sodium compared with polymyxin B in critically ill patients at a tertiary care medical center.

Nephrotoxicity was assessed in 173 critically ill patients receiving intravenous colistin or polymyxin B; it occurred in 60.4% and 41.8%, respectively.