Career Prospects of Assistant Pharmacist Graduates of Plovdiv Medical University Bulgaria – In The Past and Present

Future career prospects are important for every young person. In the present conditions of market competition and continuous growth of unemployment, the new legislative requirements in health care under EU Regulations, affect the decision of young people related to their choice of professional field. Requirements set by the labour market imply quick adaptation and orientation, and flexible implementation of the knowledge and skills acquired in education. High quality education of health professionals is a major factor in the development and effective functioning of the healthcare system, and the achievement of a high standard of healthcare. This study examines the career prospects of assistant pharmacists, graduates of the Medical College, Medical University of Plovdiv. A questionnaire survey was carried out among a random selection of 2011, 2012 and 2019 graduates from the Medical College, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. A total of 70 graduates were covered by the study. The results show, in addition to career success on the labour market, the level of satisfaction with training, as well as the desire of graduates to improve their professional competence. A large percentage of assistant pharmacists have success on the labour market. The graduates of the Medical College, Medical University of Plovdiv have a professional development that is timely and adequate to their qualification. There is an objective need for competent teaching staff, update of the teaching resources as well as conducting postgraduate courses in line with the European standards

Proportion of Over-The-Counter Medicines Containing a Plant Component and Those with Synthetic Substances Administered among Children in a Bulgarian Population

Over-the-counter medicines are intended to influence a number of symptoms and also to cure some human diseases without having to see the doctor. These medicines are used for self-medication and parents also give them to their children. The following fall within the scope of over-the-counter medicines: analgesics, antipyretics, antihistamines, decongestants, gastroprotectors, anti-cough medicines, and others. Their composition also includes one or a combination of medicinal plants. In addition to synthetic substances, some nonprescription medicines contain plant substances and their derivatives. Medicinal plants and their extracted derivatives are applicable in the therapies of a number of diseases. Considering the fact that over-the-counter medicines can be used among children from birth, the subject of our study is those whose composition includes biologically active plant substances. Within this study, we have established the number of nonprescription medicines containing a plant substance individually or in combination with another substance of the same kind and/or other substances, which have been included in a list published on the website of the Bulgarian Drug Agency. The objective of our study is to present the percentage of OTC medicines containing a plant substance intended to affect the symptoms of upper respiratory tract diseases and pain, which are used among children during different periods of their development. Some of these medicines also contain substances such as antihistamines (pheniramine maleate) and decongestants (pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine hydrochloride, dimetidine) that can cause various unwanted side effects. Considering the aforementioned aspects and also the peculiarities of childhood, we recommend that self-treatment be conducted only after consulting a health specialist

Pilot study of over-the-counter drugs applied among the pediatric population in Bulgaria

Herbal medicines have evolved through their traditional use in a specific or cultural context. The pharmacological effects of herbal medicines are not due to their “natural” origin, but to the complex character of biologically active substances. Pediatricians have begun to integrate the use of complementary / alternative medical therapies with conventional health care. The first aim of the study was to make an analysis of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs (OTCDs) with a plant component. The secondary aim was to investigate OTCDs in terms of composition and nosology for use by the pediatric population in Bulgaria. Registered OTC drugs with a herbal component for children are prescribed for the treatment of colds, pain, gastrointestinal diseases, mild sleep disorders, neurovegetative dystonias and kinetosis, urinary tract inflammation, liver disease, and are also applied topically to inflammation, trauma, urticaria and scars

Phytotherapeutic approaches to treatment and prophylaxis in pediatric practice

Medicinal plants, their extracts and herbal medicinal products occupy a growing share of medicines in the pharmacy worldwide. Historically, the first medicines were products of plants, as well as some of the most important medicines still in use today. With the development of phytochemistry, as part of the pharmaceutical science, great progress has been made in the isolation and in determining the value of a number of biologically active substances (BAS). Many plants have yielded pure substances (or natural products) that are applied in modern medical practice. Other compounds are potentially useful or have toxic effects. Traditional medicine incorporating many herbal medicines remains an important (and in some cases, the only) form of treatment in some countries, with increasing use in medical practice. On the other hand, the fact that in pediatric patients there is a limitation, mainly moral and ethical, of the number of medications to be administered due to the difficulty of conducting clinical trials in children, stimulates the use of herbal medicines of proven quality, effectiveness and safety among this group of patients

Changes in the list of over-the-counter drugs containing biologically active substances of plant origin which are intended to be applied among pediatric patients in Bulgaria

Over-The-Counter (OTC) drugs constitute a large category found in pharmacies. They are intended to be applied among adult patients and infants as well. They are also used for prophylaxis. The number of OTC drugs containing biologically active substances (BAS) of plant origin which are intended to be applied among children is insignificant. The changes in the list of OTC medicines which are applied among children mainly affect products influencing cold and flu symptoms. These medicines often contain decongestants which are considered to be the main reason for the emergence of a number of unwanted drug reactions. In addition, the list of OTC drugs has been supplemented with new medicines, most of which contain the same BAS of plant origin, but the product has been produced by a different manufacturer