Journal of Pharmacy (JOP)
Not a member yet
88 research outputs found
Sort by
Spectrophotometric simultaneous analytical method validation to determine isoniazid and pyridoxine in pure and 3D printed tablet forms
Get PDFIntroduction: Isoniazid (INH) is the anti-tuberculosis drugs being used to counter tuberculosis since 1952. Patients on INH should be given daily prophylactic pyridoxine (PYR) with 10-50 mg/day to prevent the development of isoniazid-induced neuropathy. Within the framework of this research, the UV-Vis spectrophotometer is used to quantify simultaneously the drug content of INH and PYR.
Methods: The standard curve for both INH and PYR were plotted using the concentration of 5 µg/ml, 10 µg/ml, 15 µg/ml, 20 µg/ml, 25 µg/ml, and 30 µg/ml and tablets were analysed using simultaneous equation method. The proposed method was validated by analytical method validation for the linearity, specificity, accuracy, intermediate precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ).
Results: A regression equation of INH standard and sample were found to be y = 0.0279x + 0.0637 and y = 0.0280x + 0.0522 obtained from the calibration curve and linear with correlation coefficient (R2) values of 0.9950 and 0.9964, respectively. A regression equation of PYR standard and sample were y= 0.0267x + 0.0723 and y = 0.0259x + 0.0806 and to be linear with R2 values of 0.9981 and 0.9962, respectively. The result of accuracy obeyed the accepted criteria of percentage recovery in between 98% to 102%. The method exhibited intermediate precision as demonstrated by relative standard deviation <2%. The LOD and LOQ of INH were 0.166 µg/ml and 0.5018 µg/ml while the LOD and LOQ of PYR were 0.122 µg/mL and 0.371 µg/mL, respectively in the pure form. In tablet dosage form, the LOD and LOQ of INH were 0.071 µg/ml and 0.215 µg/m while LOD and LOQ of PYR give the result 0.124 µg/ml and 0.375 µg/ml, respectively.
Conclusion: This spectrophotometric simultaneous analytical method validation for INH and PYR was successfully conducted with the notion to spearhead the development of INH and PYR in a single dosage form to improve compliance among tuberculosis patients
Stability study of royal jelly in alginate-pectin beads
Get PDFIntroduction: The stability of royal jelly (RJ) beads is a critical aspect to ensure the product is safe, efficacious, and possesses an acceptable quality for consumers. This study aims to establish storage duration and condition to ensure the stability of RJ in alginate-pectin beads.
Methods: In this study, two types of packaging material have been chosen, namely polyethylene (PET) opaque bottles and glass containers. Samples of RJ beads were stored in four different storage conditions that include freezer, laboratory environment, real-time (30 °C, 75% RH) and accelerated (40 °C, 75% RH) stability chambers at different sampling points (0, 14 days, 1 month, 3 months). The RJ beads were characterised for physicochemical properties and 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) content in the RJ-encapsulated beads.
Results and discussion: The colour of RJ beads in the refrigerator remained whitish grey throughout the study but colour change in room temperature (laboratory) is observable starting from 1-month time point. The particle size of RJ beads stored in accelerated stability chamber had a decreasing pattern with significance (p < 0.05) for both different types of storage container. No significant difference (p > 0.05) between sphericity coefficient values of RJ beads stored in glass and PET container in refrigerator, room temperature and real-time stability chamber at 0 month and 14-day time point. Constant peaks of 10-HDA appeared for RJ samples stored in all storage conditions at 14-day time point. Nonetheless, at 1-month and 3-months, peak area starts to show decreasing trend for beads stored in room temperature, real time and accelerated stability chambers.
Conclusion: The study showed that the RJ beads exhibited convincing stability for 3 month
Tablet splitting practice among patients in Kemaman, Terengganu: An exploratory study on practical issues and their association with medication adherence.
Get PDFIntroduction: The practice of tablet cutting is influenced by tablet shape and size, splitting technique, device used and human competency. Difficulties upon tablet cutting could affect patients' medication adherence, resulting in overdose or under-dose therapy. This study aimed to; 1) evaluate patients' practice in tablet cutting, 2) identify problems associated with tablet cutting, and 3) assess the association between tablet cutting related difficulties with medications adherence.
Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients and caregivers aged over 18 years old, with prescription written at least one medication required to be split. Data were obtained from eight health clinics across the Kemaman district from July to September 2020. Trained pharmacists conducted face-to-face structured interviews. This study used a validated questionnaire consisting of three sections: the sociodemographic, practice of tablet cutting and medication adherence. Descriptive and non-parametric tests (SPSSv.26) were used for analysis with p<0.05 set as statistically significant.
Results: The study recorded 383 returned questionnaires with a response rate of 95.8%. The most common technique used was kitchen knife (40.5%) followed by hand breaking (35.8%), scissors (12.8%) and tablet cutter (7.3%). 64.2% perceived they achieved an equal half split after cutting their medications. 25.3% claimed medication to be ruined or broken after splitting. 12.8% took the whole tablet instead of following the required dose because of splitting difficulty and 25.1% discarded parts of their tablets when splitting did not result in equal half based on their perspective. There was no association between practical problems of tablet cutting with medication adherence.
Conclusion: In conclusion, knife is the most favourable tablet splitting technique but there is no consensus on the best technique for tablet splitting. In order to overcome problems encounter by patient on tablet splitting, healthcare providers should make every effort to use commercially available oral tablet if available. However, if tablet splitting is still necessary, counselling by pharmacist is compulsory to ensure quality of medication and to optimize patient’s adherence as well as medication therapy
Factors affecting waiting time in Outpatient Pharmacy at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II)
Get PDFIntroduction: World Health Organization (WHO) has identified that patient waiting time as one of the most important measurements of a responsive health system for healthcare services. Outpatient pharmacy is associated with patient waiting time as the indicator for satisfaction of the services. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting waiting time in Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kelantan. Materials and method: A cross sectional study was conducted by collecting prescription received in outpatient pharmacy from 1st October 2020 till 31st December 2020. All prescriptions prescribed manually were excluded. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the factors affecting waiting time and the data were analysed using SPSS version 25. Results: A total of 248 prescriptions were collected in outpatient pharmacy. The mean waiting time in outpatient pharmacy was 23.0 minutes (SD = 11.0). Waiting time was found to be associated with number of medications in the prescription, number of staff working on that day, prescriptions which required intervention and filling personnel. Conclusion: The waiting time at the outpatient pharmacy of HRPZ II indicated the acceptable range of quality services which met the patient’s satisfaction. Future studies are needed to confirm the satisfaction level of patients and further improve quality of the service
Reflective Practice of Experiential Learning Visit to Drug Rehabilitation Centres improved Pharmacy Curriculum Prospects and Services in promoting Community Engagement
Get PDFBackground: Reflective practice has been proven effective in improving students' learning outcomes from various health disciplines, including pharmacy. As healthcare providers, pharmacists have frequent contact with vulnerable patients with risky behaviours thus require appropriate attitudes and positive perceptions to ensure equal services. These intangible components require self-reflection of individual learning processes. This study aimed to investigate the view of pharmacy students towards an experiential learning opportunity at drug rehabilitation centres via a reflective practice approach. Methods: Pharmacy students from International Islamic University Malaysia participated in a reflective practice exercise following a visit to drug rehabilitation centres in Pahang, Malaysia, in 2018. A total of 43 of the 69 students consented for their reflective writings to be analysed for this research. Thematic content analysis was conducted, and emerging themes were identified. Results: Students reflected on several themes, which were 1) sense of responsibility and volunteerism, 2) perspective on pharmacy knowledge application, 3) professional and societal engagement, 4) understanding people's behaviour 5) personal inadequacy. Conclusion: Pharmacy students have effectively utilised a reflective practice approach to address specific issues and needs of the local community related to substance use disorders which were beneficial to improve the curriculum and encourage community engagement activities
Microbial Biotransformation of Anthraquinone: A Review
No full textAnthraquinones are known to have multiple biological activities such as antioxidant activities, cytotoxicity, antibacterial, antifungal, and antimalarial activities. Despite that, microbial biotransformation of anthraquinones was done to modify or synthesise new anthraquinone derivatives which were technically hard to be chemically synthesised. It is an easy way to discover and synthesise new medicinal compounds having potent pharmacological properties. The synthesis of desired compounds requires less time and less energy. It also promises low cost of production and less environmental impact. Some of the reactions involved were dehalogenation, hydrolysis, oxidation, and glycosylation. The new compounds might possess new biological activities or might exert better pharmacokinetic profile than the parent compound. However, until recently, there was no in-vivo study had been done to evaluate the pharmacodynamics profile of microbial biotransformed anthraquinones. If the in-vitro study succeeds, we may expect a high chance of getting positive result in an in-vivo study. Nonetheless, microbial biotransformation is an alternative way to discover new future drugs alongside synthetic pathway. This review summarises articles related to microbial biotransformation of anthraquinones for the past 20 years
Study on the Binding Interaction of Three-finger Toxins From Cobras And Mangrove Catsnake Toward Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: A Computational Approach
Get PDFIntroduction: Snake venom is a combination of various proteins and peptides that cause diverse biological effects on multiple organ systems. In elapid venom, three-finger toxins are the most abundant type of toxin. Although toxins share similarities in their structure, they are known for their capability to cause a myriad of toxic actions such as neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and cytotoxicity. Unfortunately, many of these toxins are not fully characterized especially on their binding affinity and selectivity towards receptors and their effect to the organ system.
Materials and method: Therefore, this work was conducted to compare the binding properties of selected three-finger toxins (3FTxs) from cobras (Naja sumatrana and Naja kaouthia) and mangrove catsnake (Boiga dendrophila) towards human and bird nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (?3?2, ?4?2, ?7) using computational approaches.
Results: The results show that all toxins bind to the orthosteric site, which is located outside the extracellular domain of ? subunit for all receptors in both species. Interaction between receptors and toxins occurs by the formation of hydrogen bond, ionic bond, and hydrophobic contact with important residues involved in their binding pocket.
Conclusion: Based on the data, the toxins showed different binding affinities towards nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in different species. Differences in the binding affinity towards different species could have a significant impact on the functional characterization of venom caused by these toxins and toxins with nearly similar sequences
Critical Quality Attributes (CQA) and Critical Process Parameters (CPP) Roles in the Pilot Scale up Process and Stability of a Cosmetic Cream
Get PDFIntroduction: The objective of this study was to scale up a natural based cream containing Piper betle L. extract to pilot scale and asses it’s stability over time. Method: During the scale up process, the critical process parameters (CPP) were monitored closely to ensure the critical quality attributes (CQA) are maintained within a desired range. To ensure the formulation was stable, a 6-months stability study was done where the organoleptic properties, particle size, zeta potential, viscosity, microbial limit and hydroxchavicol content were assessed. The formulation was characterized repeatedly at 0-month, 1-month, 2-month, 3-month and 6-month time point after being stored in 30°C±2 and 40°C±2 at 75%±5% RH. Results: CPPs in each process were maintained at certain values throughout to achieve CQAs. Time, speed and temperature during mixing and homogenization process were monitored and maintained. Stability study over 6 months proved the ability of the product to remain stable with pH < 5, particle size < 2µm, low span value, zeta potential < -50mV, apparent viscosity < 1.2Pa.s¹ and no microbial growth. Conclusion: In conclusions, CPPs played a major role in enabling the formulation produced attain acceptable CQAs. Identifying CQA and CPP ensured the production of quality and stable product
Types and Costs of Medications Returned by Outpatients at a Malaysian Teaching Hospital: A One-Year Cross-Sectional Study.
Get PDFIntroduction: Medication wastage is attributable to various factors, including therapeutic failure, over-prescription, and poor compliance. Data regarding the cost and types of returned medications are essential to estimate the financial burden that can be reduced locally through targeted intervention. This study aimed to investigate the types and cost of medications returned by outpatients at a teaching hospital in Kuantan, Pahang.
Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study collected data from the electronic medical record based on the list of returned medications at the outpatient pharmacy department at Sultan Ahmad Shah medical Centre (SASMEC)@IIUM between January and December 2021. All medications with SASMEC patients' label were included. The medications were classified according to the classification index based on the British National Formulary. The data were analysed using Microsoft Excel version 16.52. The cost associated with returned medications was calculated, referring to the latest cost price of the respective medications.
Results: A total of 134 patients returned their medications in 2021 (mean ± SD age: 63 ± 13 years), with 52% females. The total quantities of returned medications were 11,054 units. These included pills, devices (inhalers, insulin pens), bottles, and plastic containers. The overall cost of these medications was Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 13,594.90 (mean per patient: RM 101.45). The highest number of returned medications was from the cardiovascular group (32.5%), followed by the endocrine group (26%) and musculoskeletal group (11.9%). The highest cost for returned medications was the endocrine group (49%), followed by the cardiovascular group (20%) and the musculoskeletal group (10%).
Conclusion: Medications used for cardiovascular diseases were the most frequently returned at outpatient pharmacy, whereas those for endocrine diseases contributed to the highest cost. Future research could focus on identifying modifiable factors that can contribute to the sustainability of health resources by reducing the cost of returned medications
A Comprehensive Review on the Phytochemical Constituents, Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties of Piper sarmentosum
Get PDFIntroduction: Piper sarmentosum is a herbaceous plant that belongs to Piperaceae family which possesses antioxidant and anticancer properties due to its phytochemical compositions. It grows abundantly in Southeast Asia and widely explored in ethnomedicinal study.
Materials and method: This paper reviews previous scientific research data on P. sarmentosum on the aspects of its phytochemical constituents, antioxidant and anticancer properties. Related scientific articles were searched through academic search engines including Elsevier, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and IOP Scinotes, where the literatures were reviewed thoroughly.
Results: The findings from the study have concluded that P. sarmentosum contain terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and alkaloids, as its main phytochemical contents of secondary metabolites. Extensive reports on its antioxidant potential were also recorded where P. sarmentosum were found to reduce free radicals. Researchers discovered anticancer activities were exhibited against several cancer cell lines including HepG2, HT-29, MCF-7, HeLa, MDA-MB-231 and HK-1. From the studied literatures, it can be concluded that the phytochemicals in P. sarmentosum contribute to its antioxidant and anticancer properties.
Conclusion: This research provides comprehensive and updated information on P. sarmentosum’s phytochemical constituents, antioxidant and anticancer properties that could be used as references for further investigation on P. sarmentosum in pharmacological study