Paclitaxel chemotherapy: from empiricism to a mechanism-based formulation strategy.
Paclitaxel is an anticancer agent effective for the treatment of breast, ovarian, lung, and head and neck cancer. Because of water insolubility, paclitaxel is formulated with the micelle-forming vehicle Cremophor EL to enhance drug solubility. However, the addition of Cremophor EL results in hypersensitivity […]

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A review of studies of adherence with antihypertensive drugs using prescription databases.
Poor adherence with antihypertensive therapies is a major factor in the low rates of blood pressure control among people with hypertension. Patient adherence is influenced by a large number of interacting factors but their exact impact is not well understood, partly […]

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The role of measuring airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammatory biomarkers in asthma.
Asthma is characterized by inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness, which results in episodic airflow obstruction. It is diagnosed once a compatible clinical history plus objective evidence of diurnal variability in peak expiratory flow or significant reversibility to inhaled bronchodilator is documented. In accordance […]

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The controversy surrounding OxyContin abuse: issues and solutions.
This paper overviews the controversies surrounding the abuse of prescription analgesic OxyContin((R)) (oxycodone hydrochloride; Purdue Pharma, Stamford, CT, USA). It discusses solutions to this medication-related issue, which has been touted as reaching epidemic proportions. Relevant literature from 1990 to 2004 was identified through a MEDLINE […]

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Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and physiotherapy management of musculoskeletal conditions: a professional minefield?
In Australia, physiotherapy is a primary contact profession when practiced in private ambulatory settings. Primary contact means that physiotherapists take responsibility for diagnosis, decisions on interventions, appropriate ongoing management, and costs related to benefits. For most physiotherapists, the most common […]

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Differential associations between actual and expected GP practice prescribing rates for statins, ACE inhibitors, and beta-blockers: a cross-sectional study in England.
AIM: To explore the relationship between actual and expected general medical practitioner (GP) practice prescribing rates for statins, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and beta-blockers. BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of […]

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Depression and drug utilization in an elderly population.
OBJECTIVE: To verify whether depression, defined as a 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) > 6, is associated with greater drug utilization by elderly patients. POPULATION: 2568 patients enrolled in the Gruppo Italiano di Farmacovigilanza nell\’Anziano (GIFA) study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Polypharmacy, ie, the daily use […]

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Use of intravenous antibiotics for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in the emergency department.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent of intravenous (IV) antibiotic use for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in emergency departments, the practice patterns in seven emergency departments serving the adult residents of one Canadian city were observed. METHODS: An observational study […]

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Drug-related problems in hospitalized patients on polypharmacy: the influence of age and gender.
BACKGROUND: Drug-related problems (DRPs) have been shown to prevail in hospitalized patients, and polypharmacy and increasing age have been identified as two important risk factors. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the occurrence of DRPs and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) amongst hospitalized patients […]

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Patient medication knowledge and adherence to asthma pharmacotherapy: a pilot study in rural Australia.
Asthma is a chronic disease with both inflammatory and bronchoconstrictive elements and often requires multiple medications. Most asthma regimens include medications with different therapeutic modes of action and a number of different medication delivery devices. To effectively participate in […]

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