How much do patients in Blantyre, Malawi know about antibiotics and other prescription only medicines?

Introduction This qualitative and quantitative exploratory study was conducted to assess patients’/customers’ knowledge, beliefs and practices about antibiotics and other prescription only medication (POM) in 10 community pharmacies in Blantyre, Malawi. Method 5 out of 10 pharmacies were selected by simple random sampling and 54 participants attending the selected pharmacies were interviewed. Results The major antibiotic drugs frequently requested without a doctor’s prescription were Bactrim (Cotrimoxazole) and amoxicillin. Knowledge of these medicines was attributed to the patients’ previous medical conditions and doctor’s prescription. However this knowledge does not extend to understanding of proper therapeutic indications and dosage regimens for antibiotic therapy. The majority (30 out of 54 participants) did not know about the importance of completing a prescribed course of antibiotics. All 54 participants believed in the efficiancy of antibiotics. Conclusion Study participants had wide range of knowledge about antibiotics and other POM from hospital, but the majority had limited knowledge regarding clinical indications and correct dosage schedules.

Spectrum-effect relationships between high performance liquid chromatography fingerprints and bioactivities of charred areca nut

Purpose: To investigate the spectrum-effect relationships between high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints and duodenum contractility of charred areca nut (CAN) on rats. Methods: An HPLC method was used to establish the fingerprint of charred areca nut (CAN). The promoting effect on contractility of intestinal smooth was carried out to evaluate the duodenum contractility of CAN in vitro. In addition, the spectrum-effect relationships between HPLC fingerprints and bioactivities of CAN were investigated using multiple linear regression analysis (backward method). Results: Fourteen common peaks were detected and peak 3 (5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furfural, 5-HMF) was selected as the reference peak to calculate the relative retention time of 13 other common peaks. In addition, the equation of spectrum-effect relationships {Y = 3.818 - 1.126X1 + 0.817X2 - 0.045X4 - 0.504X5 + 0.728X6 - 0.056X8 + 1.122X9 - 0.247X13 - 0.978X14 (p < 0.05, R2 = 1)} was established in the present study by the multiple linear regression analysis (backward method). According to the equation, the absolute value of the coefficient before X1, X2, X4, X5, X6, X8, X9, X13, X14 was the coefficient between the component and the parameter. Conclusion: The model presented in this study successfully unraveled the spectrum-effect relationship of CAN, which provides a promising strategy for screening effective constituents of areca nut.