Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Novel Hplc Method For Determination Of Phenytoin In Human Plasma, Jesse Flores, Sheril Alexander, Mariana Babayeva

Touro College of Pharmacy (New York) Publications and Research

Aim: Aim of this research was to develop and validate a simple, efficient and reproducible high performance liquid chromatography method to measure phenytoin concentrations in human plasma

Study Design: Linearity, selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy and precision of the analytical methods were validated according to ICH guidelines.

Methodology: The method employed a Phenomenex C18 column kept at 25ºC. The mobile phase consisted of a 0.05 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer solution (pH 2.8) and methanol in a ratio of 60:40, respectively. The flow rate of the mobile phase was 0.7 mL/min. Phenytoin was detected at a wavelength of 250 …

Significant Inhibition Of Protein Binding Of Phenytoin, Sheril Alexander, Jesse Flores, Henrietta Ofuluozor, Mariana Babayeva

Touro College of Pharmacy (New York) Publications and Research

Aim: This research was aimed to assess the potential for inhibition of protein binding of phenytoin by tizoxanide in human plasma. Phenytoin was used because studies have proven to be a highly plasma protein-bound drug with a narrow therapeutic index and non-linear pharmacokinetics. Tizoxanide is another highly protein-bound active metabolite of an anti-infective prodrug nitazoxanide. Both drugs are expected to be administered together due to their therapeutic indications.

Study Design: The study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 produced a reference line of phenytoin protein binding values. Phase 2 was conducted to reveal the effect of the interactant tizoxanide …

Ethics: A Problem In Pharmacy?, Keith I. Yoshizuka

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Ethics, or the lack or attenuation thereof, is an important issue facing practicing pharmacists today. There are both statutory and regulatory provisions to support the requirement of ongoing education and training in ethics. Evidence of formal disciplinary actions by the California State Board of Pharmacy faced requiring pharmacists to take a formal course in ethics as a condition of retention of licensure is sufficient to demonstrate that pharmacists are deviating from the expectations consistent with ethical behavior. Periodic review of the principles of beneficence, non-malfeasance, autonomy, and justice would benefit pharmacists in practice, as evidence infers that a pharmacist’s moral …

Real-World Usage And Clinical Outcomes Of Alectinib Among Post-Crizotinib Progression Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients In The Usa, Marco D. Dibonaventura, William Wong, Bijal M. Shah-Manek, Mathias Schulz

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Background: Alectinib is an approved treatment for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Despite positive supporting clinical data, there is a lack of real-world information on the usage and patient outcomes of those treated with alectinib post-crizotinib progression.

Methods: Participating oncologists (N=95) in the USA were recruited from an online physician panel to participate in a retrospective patient chart review. Physicians randomly selected eligible patients (ie, patients who progressed on crizotinib as their first ALK inhibitor and were treated with alectinib as their second ALK inhibitor), collected demographics and clinical history from their medical charts, and …

An Improved Tobacco Mosaic Virus (Tmv)-Conjugated Multiantigen Subunit Vaccine Against Respiratory Tularemia, Ahd A. Mansour, Sukalyani Banik, Ragavan V. Suresh, Hardeep Kaur, Meenakshi Malik, Alison A. Mccormick, Chandra Bakshi

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of the fatal human disease known as tularemia is classified as a Category A Select Agent by the Centers for Disease Control. No licensed vaccine is currently available for prevention of tularemia in the United States. Previously, we published that a tri-antigen tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) vaccine confers 50% protection in immunized mice against respiratory tularemia caused by F. tularensis. In this study, we refined the TMV-vaccine formulation to improve the level of protection in immunized C57BL/6 mice against respiratory tularemia. We developed a tetra-antigen vaccine by conjugating OmpA, DnaK, Tul4, and SucB proteins of …

Pharmacy Technician-Administered Vaccines: On Perceptions And Practice Reality, Alex J. Adams, Shane P. Desselle, Kimberly C. Mckeirnan

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Doucette and Schommer recently surveyed U.S. community pharmacy technicians on their willingness to perform tasks including the administration of vaccines. They found that 47.1% of technicians reported they were “unwilling” to administer a vaccine, although this finding must be placed into proper context. The first nationwide survey of U.S. pharmacist perceptions on immunizations in 1998 revealed only 2.2% of pharmacist respondents had administered adult vaccines and only 0.9% had administered childhood vaccines. They also found pharmacists to be “slightly negative on administering immunizations” with many perceived barriers. Nonetheless, pharmacist-provided immunizations have been an unqualified public health success. The theory of …

Intranasal Administration Of A Two-Dose Adjuvanted Multi-Antigen Tmv-Subunit Conjugate Vaccine Fully Protects Mice Against Francisella Tularensis Lvs Challenge, Alison A. Mccormick, Aisha Shakeel, Chris Yi, Hardeep Kaur, Ahd M. Mansour, Chandra Shekhar Bakshi

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Tularemia is a fatal human disease caused by Francisella tularensis, a Gram-negative encapsulated coccobacillus bacterium. Due to its low infectious dose, ease of aerosolized transmission, and lethal effects, the CDC lists F. tularensis as a Category A pathogen, the highest level for a potential biothreat agent. Previous vaccine studies have been conducted with live attenuated, inactivated, and subunit vaccines, which have achieved partial or full protection from F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) challenge, but no vaccine has been approved for human use. We demonstrate the improved efficacy of a multi-antigen subunit vaccine by using Tobacco Mosaic virus (TMV) as …

Microneedle-Assisted Delivery Of Anti-Migraine Drugs Across Porcine Skin: Almotriptan Malate And Naratriptan Hydrochloride, Iqra Ahmad, Kevin B. Ita, Matthew J. Morra, Inna E. Popova

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Migraine is a common neurological disorder characterized by nausea, vomiting, photophobia, aching, fever, pain and chills. Triptans are selective serotonin agonists which can used to relieve migraine symptoms. Almotriptan malate and naratriptan hydrochloride are currently used for the management of migraine in the form of oral tablets. Oral tablets may be problematic for patients experiencing nausea and vomiting which are often associated with migraine. The microneedle-assisted transdermal drug delivery of these triptans may improve patient compliance. A vertical six-celled, static Franz diffusion cell system was used to conduct in vitro permeation experiments on porcine ear skin to determine the influence …

Laptop Versus Longhand Note Taking In A Professional Doctorate Course: Student Performance, Attitudes, And Behaviors, Shane P. Desselle, Patricia A. Shane

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Objective: To determine the relationship between longhand note taking versus laptop note taking on pharmacy students’ examination performance and identify differences in attitudes and behaviors as it relates to the note taking process.

Methods: A small group of students consented voluntarily to take longhand notes, doing away with their laptops during portions of the course administered by study investigators. Analyses were conducted on block examination performance, with each student’s score on the first examination serving as a performance benchmark to assess change. Laptop and longhand note takers completed a survey regarding various aspects of their note taking attitudes …

Clinical Relevance Of Μ-Opioid Receptor A118g Polymorphism In Demographically Variant Populations, Iryna Pokotylyuk, Srishti Kulshrestha, Zvi G. Loewy, Priyank Kumar

Touro College of Pharmacy (New York) Publications and Research

Use of opioids is essential in providing a broad and effective analgesic effect. Opioid dosing has to be monitored and controlled in order to manage pain and the corresponding side effects due to opioid treatment. A very common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associated with the µ opioid receptor is A118G. A118G, located on exon 1 of the µ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), may alter how patients respond to opioid treatment. This polymorphism results in an exchange of adenine for guanine, which in turn leads to substitution of asparagine for the aspartic acid. In order to understand how individuals with the G …

Surveys Of Substance Use Disorders Education In Us Pharmacy Programs, Kelan L. Thomas, Andrew J. Muzyk

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Introduction: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a significant US health problem affecting roughly 20 million Americans, but there continues to be limited access to SUD treatment and inadequate addiction medicine training. Therefore, it is important to understand how SUD education is being delivered to US health professionals, including pharmacists.

Methods: A recent survey of US pharmacy programs' neuropsychiatry curricula was evaluated to identify any progress made toward increasing SUD education since the last national survey in 2004 and determine any remaining gaps between what is currently being taught and American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) curricular guidelines for SUD …

Divergent Humoral Responses To 23-Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine In Critically-Ill Burn And Neurosurgical Patients, Scott W. Mueller, Laura J. Baumgartner, Rob Maclaren, Robert Neumann, Arek J. Wiktor, Tyree H. Kiser, Gordon Lindberg, Luis Cava, Douglas N. Fish, Edward N. Janoff

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

INTRODUCTION: Critically ill hospitalized patients are at increased risk of infection so we assessed the immunogenicity of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) administered within six days of injury.

METHODS: This prospective observational study compared the immunogenicity of PPSV23 among critically ill burn and neurosurgical patients at a tertiary, academic medical center. Patients received PPSV23 vaccination within six days of ICU admission per standard of care. Consent was obtained to measure concentrations of vaccine-specific IgG to 14 of 23 serotype capsule-specific IgG in serum prior to and 14-35 days following PPSV23. A successful immunologic response was defined as both a ≥2-fold …

Gender-Based Differences Among Pharmacy Students Involved In Academically Dishonest Behavior, Eric J. Ip, Jai Pal, Shadi Doroudgar, Monica K. Bidwal, Bijal M. Shah-Manek

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Pharmacy

Objective. To determine whether differences based on gender exist among pharmacy students involved in cases of admitted cheating or other academic dishonesty and to assess perceptions of academic dishonesty.

Methods. Two cohorts of second-year male and female pharmacy students from four Northern California pharmacy programs were invited to complete a 45-item cross-sectional survey. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-squared test were used for statistical analysis.

Results. There were 330 surveys completed with a 59% response rate. No significant gender-based differences were found regarding admitted cheating in pharmacy school and in regards to participating in various forms of academically dishonest behavior. Female …