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Pharmaceutical Use (pharmaceutical + use)
Selected AbstractsEvaluation of the Effect of a Consumer-Driven Health Plan on Medical Care Expenditures and UtilizationHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 4p2 2004Stephen T. Parente§ Objective. To compare medical care costs and utilization in a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) to other health insurance plans. Study Design. We examine claims and employee demographic data from one large employer that adopted a CDHP in 2001. A quasi-experimental pre,post design is used to assign employees to three cohorts: (1) enrolled in a health maintenance organization (HMO) from 2000 to 2002, (2) enrolled in a preferred provider organization (PPO) from 2000 to 2002, or (3) enrolled in a CDHP in 2001 and 2002, after previously enrolling in either an HMO or PPO in 2000. Using this approach we estimate a difference-in-difference regression model for expenditure and utilization measures to identify the impact of CDHP. Principal Findings. By 2002, the CDHP cohort experienced lower total expenditures than the PPO cohort but higher expenditures than the HMO cohort. Physician visits and pharmaceutical use and costs were lower in the CDHP cohort compared to the other groups. Hospital costs and admission rates for CDHP enrollees, as well as total physician expenditures, were significantly higher than for enrollees in the HMO and PPO plans. Conclusions. An early evaluation of CDHP expenditures and utilization reveals that the new health plan is a viable alternative to existing health plan designs. Enrollees in the CDHP have lower total expenditures than PPO enrollees, but higher utilization of resource-intensive hospital admissions after an initially favorable selection. [source] Biophysical characterization of polymeric and liposomal gene delivery systems using empirical phase diagramsJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 10 2006Marika Ruponen Abstract A major problem with the pharmaceutical use of nonviral gene delivery systems arises from their limited characterization due to their size and heterogeneity. In this study, we provide a more intuitive view of their structure and behavior employing an empirically based phase diagram approach. Complexes formed between plasmid DNA and four cationic carriers (a monovalent lipid, the same monovalent lipid combined with a helper lipid, polylysine, and a branched form of polyethyleneimine), at both positive and negative nitrogen/phosphorous ratios, are characterized employing dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism, and extrinsic dye fluorescence as methods sensitive to various aspects of the structure of the complexes. These measurements were performed as a function of pH and ionic strength to perturb the electrostatic contacts that are key to complex formation. Using a multidimensional eigenvalue approach, the data are presented in the form of a colored, five dimensional diagram. The resultant eight empirical phase diagrams display three to five variably resolved phases. In contrast, the phase diagram of the plasmid alone showed only two to three such phases. Each state is assigned to a particular form of the complex in terms of their size, extent of collapse and conformation of the associated DNA component. The utility of this approach is then briefly discussed. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 95:2101,2114, 2006 [source] Analysis of metabolic variation and galanthamine content in Narcissus bulbs by 1H NMR,PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2010Andrea Lubbe Abstract Introduction , Galanthamine is a benzazepine alkaloid used as a drug to relieve symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. For pharmaceutical use this natural product has been extracted from the plant Leucojum aestivum (Amaryllidaceae) or produced synthetically. Limited supply of the natural source and high cost of synthetic production has led to a search for alternative sources of galanthamine. The bulbs of Narcissus pseudonarcissus (Amaryllidaceae) have been identified as a potential source of raw material for galanthamine extraction. Since inconsistent chemical composition can be an issue with medicinal plant material, it is of interest to know whether large variations occur between Narcissus bulbs grown in different geographical locations. Objective , To evaluate whether large differences exist in the overall metabolic profiles of Narcissus bulbs grown in the two most important cultivation regions. Methodology , 1H NMR and principal component analysis were used for an unbiased comparison of the bulb samples. Results , Overall metabolite profiles were quite similar, but galanthamine levels could slightly discriminate samples by geographical region. 1H NMR was used for quantitation of galanthamine, and was found to be comparable to quantitation by HPLC. Compared with conventional chromatographic methods, sample preparation for 1H NMR analysis is simple and rapid, and only a small amount of plant material is required. Conclusions , Since useful qualitative and quantitative information about the metabolic state of Narcissus bulbs can be obtained by 1H NMR, this method is useful for agricultural applications, and for quality control of raw material used in the pharmaceutical industry. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] TO SAMPLE OR NOT TO SAMPLETHE MANCHESTER SCHOOL, Issue 1 2006HANS HALLER Suppose a prospective oil field is partitioned into a finite number of lots. Conventional wisdom suggests that failing to find oil on one lot is bad news regarding subsequent exploration of other lots, due to a ,common pool' effect. Here we identify situations where failing to find oil on a lot may be good news. Similar considerations may be relevant in the testing of chemical substances for a specific pharmaceutical use. [source] Anthocyanins in berries of Maqui [Aristotelia chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz]PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2006María Teresa Escribano-Bailón Abstract The anthocyanin composition of berries of Maqui [Aristotelia chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz] was determined by HPLC with photodiode array and MS detection. Eight pigments corresponding to the 3-glucosides, 3,5-diglucosides, 3-sambubiosides and 3-sambubioside-5-glucosides of delphinidin and cyanidin were identified, the principal anthocyanin being delphinidin 3-sambubioside-5-glucoside (34% of total anthocyanins). The average total anthocyanin content was 137.6 ± 0.4 mg/100 g of fresh fruit (211.9 ± 0.6 mg/100 g of dry fruit). The relative high anthocyanin content and the important presence of polar polyglycosylated derivatives makes the fruits of A. chilensis an interesting source of anthocyanin extracts for food and pharmaceutical uses. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||