DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF ALBENDAZOLE MICROCAPSULE FOR COLONIC DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

Objective: Albendazole is a benzimidazole carbamate broad spectrum oral anthelmetic drug. It is poorly water soluble and it undergoes extensive metabolism in the intestine and liver. Objective of present study was to prepare and evaluate microcapsule of Albendazole for colonic delivery. Methods: Six batches of Albendazole microcapsules were prepared using different concentration of polymers like Eudragit RS-100, chitosan, HPMC by solvent evaporation method. The microcapsules were then evaluated for micromeritic properties, percentage yield, incorporation efficiency, drug content. In vitro dissolution profile of each formulation was determined by employing USP XXIII rotating basket method. Results: The drug content was found to be very high in all formulations, incorporation efficiency was found to be good in all formulations. Highest incorporation efficiency 96.48 % was found in batch of MC6. Maximum drug release was shown by microcapsules formulation of batch MC6 (90.18%) Conclusion: Study concludes that Albendazole microcapsules may prove to be potential candidate for safe and effective sustained drug delivery. Peer Review History: Received 2 April 2017;   Revised 6 May; Accepted 10 May, Available online 15 May 2017 Academic Editor: Dr. Ali Abdullah Al-yahawi, Al-Razi university, Department of Pharmacy, Yemen, [email protected] UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. Received file:        Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 3.5/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.5/10 Reviewer(s) detail: Dr. Mohamed Salama, Modern University for Technology & Information, Egypt, [email protected] Dr.  Hasniza Zaman Huri, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, [email protected] Similar Articles: COLON SPECIFIC DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS: CURRENT TRENDS AND APPROACHES FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF COLON TARGETED MATRIX TABLETS CONTAINING EXTRACT OF SOLENOSTEMMA ARGEL (HARGEL

Which best predicts suicides in Northern Ireland - self-rated mental health or medication record? (Abstract)

Background Over 800,000 suicides occur annually worldwide, and approximately 300 suicides in Northern Ireland (NI) each year. Studies from elsewhere have highlighted the role of mental health in the risk of death by suicide, but such studies are scarce in NI. Objectives This project seeks to: (1) examine the association between mental health and death by suicide during 2011–2015, and (2) assess if self-rated mental health, medication record, or both better predict risk of death by suicide. Methods De-identified information will be drawn from 2011 Census on NI’s 1.8 million residents, linked to the Business Service Organisation’s Health Card Registration data, the Enhanced Prescribing Database (EPD) and death registrations. Subjects’ mental health will be ascertained through single-item self-rated mental health question from the Census and/or record of psychotropic medication in the EPD. Data captures over 1,100 suicides over 5 years (main causes of death defined as ICD- 10 codes X60–X84, Y10–Y34, Y87). Cox proportional hazard models will be used to examine the association between mental health and death by suicide (adjusting for age, gender, comorbid physical disorders, socio-economic status). The performance of prediction models of death by suicide, including self-rated mental health or prescribed medication record or both, will be compared. Data are with the Administrative Data Research Centre – NI, with data analysis underway. Findings This study will yield information beneficial for policy-making regarding suicide prevention and identifying “at risk” groups. Understanding which measures of mental health (self-rated versus medication record) best predict risk of death by suicide could be used to inform future studies on suicide risk and to identify groups for targeted interventions

DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF CARBAMAZEPINE LOZENGES

Objectives:  Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an anticonvulsant drug used in the treatment of epilepsy and neuropathic pain. The aim of present study was to develop and evaluate lozenges of Carbamazepine for improvement of bioavailability and patient compliance especially for those patients who have difficulty in swallowing Methods: The lozenges were prepared using sucrose as base; HPMC K4M, methyl cellulose were used as polymers by heating and congealing method on laboratory scale. All the formulations prepared were subjected to various physicochemical parameters like hardness, friability, weight variation,  drug content and in vitro dissolution studies. Stability studies of selected formulations of batch CL4 were also carried out at 40/75% relative humidity for 6 months. Results: All the formulations showed good physical appearance. The Thickness of the formulations was in the range of 14.23±0.12 to 14.50±0.06cm, weight variation was found to be in the range of 2.34± 0.12 to 4.51± 0.08%. The percent drug release was found in the range of 55.49 to 93.27%. Selective formulation was found to be stable at different temperature conditions. Conclusion: Study concludes that incorporating polymers like HPMC K4M and methylcellulose can be used to formulate effective medicated Carbamazepine lozenges especially for patients who cannot swallow solid oral dosage forms. Peer Review History: Received 7 September  2017;   Revised 19 October; Accepted 1 November, Available online 15 November 2017 Academic Editor: Dr. Asia Selman Abdullah, Al-Razi university, Department of Pharmacy, Yemen, [email protected] UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. Received file:        Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 4.5/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10 Reviewer(s) detail: Dr. Omid Gholami, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Iran, [email protected] Dr. Sameh Abdelmoneem Mohammed Ali, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Egypt, [email protected]

The association between self-reported mental health, medication record and suicide risk: a population wide study

Suicide mortality and mental ill health are increasing globally. Mental ill health can be measured in multiple ways. It is unclear which measure is most associated with suicide risk. This study explored the association between self-rated mental health and medication record and death by suicide. The 2011 Northern Ireland Census records of adults aged 18-74 years (n=1,098,967) were linked to a centralised database of dispensed prescription medication and death registrations until the end of 2015. Mental health status was ascertained through both a single-item self-reported question in the Census and receipt of psychotropic medication. Logistic regression models examined the association between indicators of mental ill health and likelihood of suicide mortality. Of the 1,098,967 cohort members, 857 died by suicide during the study period. Just over half of these deaths (n=429, 50.1%) occurred in individuals with neither indicator of mental ill health. Cohort members with both self-reported mental ill health and receipt of psychotropic medication had the highest risk of suicide (OR=6.13, 95%CI: 4.94–7.61), followed by those with psychotropic medication record only (OR=4.00, 95%CI: 3.28–4.88) and self-report only (OR=2.88, 95%CI: 2.16–3.84). Individuals who report mental ill health and have a history of psychotropic medication use are at a high risk of suicide mortality. However, neither measure is particularly sensitive, as both failed to signal over half of subsequent suicides. Some individuals who report poor mental health but are not in receipt of psychotropic medication are at increased risk of suicide, indicating possible unmet treatment need. The combination of the two indicators offers more precision for identifying those most at risk for targeted interventions

Characteristics of medical doctors working in public healthcare institutions in a southern Nigerian state

Objective: This study assessed the characteristics of medical doctors working in public healthcare institutions and examined differences in some of the characteristics by geographical (urban versus rural) location.Methods: A cross-sectional study of doctors working in public healthcare institutions using data obtained from 3 centres in Bayelsa, Nigeria.Results: Three-quarters (75.4%) of the 280 medical doctors were males. Most of the doctors (68.6%) were working at tertiary healthcare level, 16.1% at primary and 15.4% at secondary healthcare levels. In terms of their professional positions, there were more medical officers (34.5%) relative to the other cadres while 17.2% were consultants. When their places of practice were dichotomised into rural and urban settings, 88.2% were practising in urban settings. A higher proportion of the 69 female doctors were practising in urban settings compared to rural settings (26.7% versus 9.1% respectively, P=0.027). There was a statistically significant relationship between residency status and place of practice (P=0.001). Specialists  (i.e. doctors who have completed residency training) were more likely to practice in urban (19.2%) than in rural settings (3.3%).Conclusion: Only a quarter of doctors in this study were females. There seemed to be more doctors at tertiary level of care and in urban areas. These findings suggest that there may be a shortage of female doctors, and that there may be unmet personnel needs at primary and secondary healthcare levels and in rural areas.Keywords: Health services, Human resources for heath, Health workforce, Geographical Distribution, Medical Doctor

Gender variations in specialties among medical doctors working in public healthcare institutions in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Background: Gender variations exist in the choice of specialties among doctors globally. This variation is of public health importance as it affects the distribution of doctors in public health institutions and patient care. In Bayelsa, Nigeria,no such study had been undertaken.This study aimed to examine gender variations in specialties among medical doctors working in public healthcare institutions in Bayelsa State.Methods: Cross-sectional study design was adopted for this study. Information about doctors working in public healthcare institutions in Bayelsa were collected via data extraction from the register of doctors at Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH) and at Hospital Management Board (HMB) of State Ministry of Health, and with self-completed questionnaires from doctors at Federal Medical Centre (FMC). In this paper, statistical analyses were restricted to data from FMC (n=91) and NDUTH (n=100) because they have multiple specialties. All available data were analyzed by gender and data analyses were carried out using SPSS statistical software.Results: Out of the191 doctors included in the analysis, 135(70.7%) were males. The median age was 32 years for male doctors and 29 years for female doctors.The top three specialty choices for males were obstetrics and gynaecology (14.8%),internal medicine (11.1%) and surgery (8.9%). For female doctors,pediatrics was the topmost specialty (25%) followed by obstetrics and gynaecology (10.7%) and internal medicine (8.9%). There were no female doctors in 14 specialties. Female doctors had higher proportions of house officers compared to males (45.5% versus 32.3% respectively). Conversely, male doctors had higher proportions of consultants/specialists than females (24.1% versus 9.1% respectively).Conclusion: Specialty distribution of doctors in Bayelsa is gendered and some specialties appear not to attract female doctors. These findings call for further studies to investigate the factors responsible for this gender variation, and to identify and address any barriers.Keywords: Gender variation,Specialties,Doctors,Public healthcare,Health workforc

Perception of substance use disorder training: a survey of general psychiatry residents in Nigeria

OBJECTIVE: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a global concern. Evidence from high-income countries suggests that SUD training for psychiatry residents is less than optimal but it is unknown whether the situation is different in low-/middle-income settings. This study assessed psychiatry residents' perception of their SUD training. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among general psychiatry residents in Nigeria from November 2018 to May 2019. Data were collected through self-completion of an English-language questionnaire with multiple-choice and open-ended questions administered face-to-face and online. RESULTS: A total of 51 participants completed the questionnaire, mean age 33.6 years and 76.5% men. Most participants (70.6%) expressed interest in addiction psychiatry, and 47.1% perceived their SUD training as inadequate. When asked to rate satisfaction with the SUD training they have received so far, 52.9% were unsatisfied, and the absence of in-house SUD training (29.4%) was the leading cause of dissatisfaction. For those who were satisfied, the most common reasons were availability of SUD training and treatment-related factors (31.4%). The most frequent suggestions for making addiction psychiatry subspecialty attractive to psychiatry residents were provision of SUD treatment units, structured SUD training, and continuity of such training. Equipping existing SUD treatment units and creating more treatment units were the most common suggestions for improving current SUD training. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a high level of interest in addiction psychiatry, but satisfaction with SUD training was mixed. Addressing causes of dissatisfaction and areas suggested for improvement would be necessary to sustain interest

Ophthalmological Findings in Paediatric Non-Traumatic Coma in Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, Nigeria

The ophthalmological examination is a vital aspect of the central nervous system examination in comatose children. Several authors have documented different findings with disparities in their recommendations about making ophthalmological examination a routine in the management of the unconscious child. This study sought to evaluate the relevance of routine ophthalmological examination in the management of unconscious children admitted into the paediatric emergency room of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, Nigeria. This was a prospective longitudinal study conducted from April 2018 to March 2019. Unconscious patients whose caregivers gave consent were recruited into the study. Traumatic causes of coma were excluded. Demographic features of the patients were obtained. The ophthalmologic examination and diagnoses were made by an ophthalmologist, while the emergency room pediatrician made clinical assessment and diagnoses. Sixteen unconscious children had ophthalmologic examinations done. The Glasgow coma scale scores ranged from 3 to 11, with a mean of 6.6±2.2. Thirteen (81.3%) of the children were classified as severe unconsciousness while the rest were moderate. The degree of unconsciousness was significantly associated with the outcome (?2 =16.0, P = 0.03). A total of six (37.5%) ophthalmologic diagnoses were made, which included cerebral malaria, degenerative myopia, orbital cellulitis, and exposure keratopathy. The presence of an abnormal ophthalmologic finding was not significantly associated with outcome (?2 =0.36, P = 0.55). Routine ophthalmologic examination may not be justified as a management protocol in unconscious children but may be considered in selected cases

Association between route of illicit drug administration and hospitalizations for infective endocarditis

Objective: This study examined the association between the route of drug administration and being hospitalized for infective endocarditis among 4817 treatment-seeking illicit drug users in Finland. Methods: Cox regression models were used to examine the association between the route of drug administration and infective endocarditis hospitalization, adjusted for age, gender, and homelessness. Cases of infective endocarditis as a primary/main diagnosis were tracked using the 10th version of the International Classification of Disease code I33. Results: In all, 47 persons had a primary diagnosis of infective endocarditis. These 47 persons contributed a total of 95 hospitalizations and their total length of hospital stay was 1393 days. There was a statistically significant difference in hospitalizations between injectors and non-injectors (Log-Rank test p = 0.018). Univariate Cox model showed that injectors had higher hazard or risk for infective endocarditis hospitalization compared to non-injectors (hazard ratio: 2.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.12–3.73, p = 0.020). After adjusting for age, gender, and homelessness in the multivariate model, the elevated hazard among injectors compared to non-injectors remained statistically significant with adjusted hazard ratio of 2.12 (95% confidence interval: 1.11–4.07, p = 0.024). Conclusion: The study findings suggested a need to boost harm reduction measures targeting high-risk injecting and other health behaviors among injecting drug users in order to reduce their hospitalizations for infective endocarditis