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Context: The undiagnosed and untreated tuberculosis(TB) cases underpin the experience of accelerating deaths. Everyone should be engaged in managing TB patients to revert the current trend. Aims: In this context, we assessed the outcome of an education intervention on the knowledge of TB and referral practice of presumptive TB cases to directly observed therapy strategy amongst patent medicine vendors (PMVs). Settings and Design: The study was quasi‑experimental, conducted amongst 647 PMVs in Delta State, Nigeria. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to obtain baseline data on knowledge of TB. An educational intervention on knowledge of TB was then given. Apost-intervention assessment of TB knowledge was subsequently conducted using the same questionnaire. The exact number of referrals of presumptive TB cases by PMVs and the number that tested positive amongst the referred presumptive TB cases, 3 months before and after the training were obtained from the state TB database. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS v. 26 was used for data analysis. Results: The pre-training knowledge average score was 15.45 ± 6.45, while the post‑training average score was 19.44 ± 7.03 (P < 0.001). The pre‑training average number of presumptive cases referred was 146 ± 124.7, and the post‑training was 205.67 ± 255.4, P = 0.41. The pre‑training average number of cases that turned out positive was 9.5 ± 6.3, and the post‑training was 13.5 ± 11.3, P = 0.42. Conclusion: There was a significant improvement in PMVs’ knowledge of TB post-intervention. However, while an increase in the number of cases referred and positives detected was observed, this was not significant. Periodic training and updates to PMVs in keeping with current trends and best practices in TB management are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Appalachia experienced profound transitions during industrialization as modern scientific medicine, led by male doctors, actively displaced midwives and other folk healers. Medical reforms targeted company-controlled coalmining towns, which offered the latest care and first aid, hygiene, and scientific house-holding instruction. Residents of Jenkins, Kentucky, enthusiastically availed themselves of professional medical services, but patent medicine use and folk care continued. Century-old stereotypes about isolation and provincialism portray mountaineers as "hillbillies" resistant to change and modernity; however, medicines from the Shop Hollow Dump (ca. 1911-30s trash dump) suggest women creatively took charge of their bodies by self-administering products that simultaneously referenced scientific medicine and women-led "folk" traditions. Women consumers created new space for the work of feminine healing, destabilizing the patriarchal medical establishment's hegemony which had radically altered gendered relationships of care. Studies of medicine reveal the historical importance of women-led care, providing crucial antidotes to Appalachia's perpetual representation as medically underserved, impoverished, and backwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excavations for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, were conducted in the 2000s by Fever River Research to comply with federal Sect. 106 laws. The research yielded an extensive assemblage of domestic and commercial archaeological features. This case study focuses on Features 11 and 35 in the East Parking excavation block that yielded five bottles of Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup. Advertisements for the syrup showcased a radiant mother and her children and this imagery plays into nineteenth-century ideas concerning domesticity and motherhood; therefore, I consider the presence of multiple bottles of syrup recovered from a temporally well-defined stratigraphic range to explore the politics of gender, consumer choices, and advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeologists frequently discover 19th-century patent- and proprietary-medicine bottles at sites across the U.S. The unregulated medical mixtures once contained in these vessels were immensely popular. Interpreting how and why people used them is challenging, however, and complicated by assumptions that they were lesser alternatives to physicians' prescriptions and consumers used them as directed in advertisements. This article questions these assumptions by considering patent medicines within the context of their time. It also examines consumers' perspectives and how culture, local context, needs, and material qualities of medicines affect health-related decisions. Patent medicines found in association with Irish-immigrant residences at the Five Points in Manhattan form a case study with broader implications. This article proposes that studies of 19th-century patent medicines would benefit from beginning with the premises that they were reasonable medical options that consumers used in ways that resonated with their own cultural perspectives and addressed their specific health concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease and the third most common cause of death aȻter ischemic heart disease. Increasing attention is being paid to finding effective treatments through traditional medicine. Thus, studying the traditional medicine for the treatment of ischemic stroke is of great importance. Traditional medicine in China includes traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and other ethnic medicines, which is rich in variety and resources. This review first introduces the treatment mechanisms associated with ischemic stroke, such as antioxidant nitrification, antiexcito-toxic, antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and anticoagulation mechanisms. Then, we calculated the frequency of prescription use for ischemic stroke and summarized the treatments for ischemic stroke by investigating 13 drug monographs and standards. We found 192 prescriptions from the traditional medical system for ischemic stroke, including Angong Niuhuang pill, Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills, Ginkgo biloba leaf, and other traditional Chinese patent medicines and national medicines. There were 398 kinds of traditional medicine, including 301 kinds of plant-based medicines, 54 kinds of animal-based medicines, 28 kinds of mineral based medicines, and 15 kinds of other medicines. We introduced the names, families, medicinal components, traditional uses, phytochemical information, and pharmacological activities of the commonly used Chinese patent medicines and TCMs. In addition, some chemicals were introduced. These medicines may be potential candidates for the treatment of ischemic stroke. This work provides a reference for the research and clinical use of new drugs for ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Based on the data mining method, explore the medication rules of Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of digestive system tumors. Method: Based on the "Chinese Traditional Medicine Prescription Database" in https://db.yaozh.com/, collect Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of digestive system tumors, establish an Excel table, and use the ancient and modern medical case cloud platform (V2.2.1) to perform frequency statistics, association rules, and drugs on the data Clustering and complex network analysis. Results: A total of 36 Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of digestive system tumors were screened. The medicinal properties were mainly warm and cold, the taste was bitter and sweet, and the meridians were mainly liver and spleen meridians. High frequency Chinese medicine include Astragalus, Scutellaria-barbata, Ginseng, Curcuma, Triangle, Atractylodes, Hedyotis diffusa, etc. Correlation analysis obtained 17 drug combinations, High-frequency drug pairs include Scutellaria-barbata-Astragalus, Ginseng-Astragalus, Curcuma-Astragalus, Scutellaria-barbata-Curcuma, etc. Cluster analysis found 3 types of drugs. The core drug network is composed of 27 drugs, and the core compatibility network consists of 3 groups of drugs. Conclusion: The Chinese patent compound medicine for the treatment of digestive system tumors has the characteristics of combining cold and warming, replenishing and reducing treatment, and treating the liver and spleen at the same time. The medicine is mainly used to replenish qi and invigorate the spleen, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and clear away heat and detoxification. Replenish qi, nourish yin, invigorate blood, and detoxify are mainly compatible with each other, reflecting the pathogenesis characteristics of "deficiency, stasis, and toxin" in digestive system tumors. Data mining can provide references for the prescription and compatibility of Chinese patent medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article argues that the widespread use of opiate-compounded medicines in late-nineteenth-century Japan was partly a result of Meiji period (1868–1912) public health policies. An overview of the status of opiates in Japan from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries is intended to explain possible reasons: pharmaceutical reforms in the 1870s and 1880s were based on Edo-period (1603–1868) protostructures of regulated drug manufacture; in contrast, the Meiji government failed to introduce Western clinical practice within a short span of time. As a result opiates, marketed as Western 'modern' medicines, were smoothly integrated into pre-existing beliefs, according to which drugs and diets maintained bodily health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides much-needed new insights into how patent medicines could enhance maternal power outside of clinical environments in the early twentieth century. While historians have considered the maternal management of domestic health, the role patent medicine products played in this complex equation of authority and expertise has yet to be the subject of sustained historical analysis. Using oral history archives, memoirs, social commentary, and advertisements, this article demonstrates how the expertise that mothers possessed was multifaceted, with powerful spatial, temporal, and even commercial connotations. This influence was especially significant at a time when clinical environments were still largely dominated by men, when the home was increasingly invaded by experts and expertise, and when dependants of wage earners were not covered by welfare provisions such as the 1911 National Insurance Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American Civil War resulted in massive numbers of injured and ill soldiers. Throughout the conflict, medical doctors relied on opium to treat these conditions, giving rise to claims that the injudicious use of the narcotic caused America's post-bellum opium crisis. Similar claims of medical misuse of opioids are now made as America confronts the modern narcotic crisis. A more nuanced thesis based on a broader base of Civil War era research suggests a more complex set of interacting factors that collectively contributed to America's post-war opium crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the history of drugs sold as "patent medicines" in India in the early twentieth century. The paper investigates their legitimacy as patenting of medicines was forbidden by the Indian Patents and Designs Act, 1911 (IPDA). The paper argues that the instrument of letters patents functioning as the prerogative of the Crown that gave monopolistic rights to grantees to sell any compound without having to disclose its constituents was the reason behind this seemingly conflicting historical relationship between the law and the market. Colonial law-making left sufficient space within the ambit of the IPDA for letters patents to have their ill effects. The colonial state made attempts to address this as a public health issue by incorporating concerns related to this class of medicines within regulations addressed to the drugs market in the 1930s. The currency of patent medicines in the market was further added to by Indian indigenous entrepreneurs fueled by cultural nationalism of Swadeshi ideology in Bengal in the early twentieth century. However, even such indigenous responses or attempts at hybridization of manufacturing and selling practices related to patent medicines were mostly informed by upper-caste/ upper-class interests and not so much by those of consumers of these medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on a paper by professor Bryan E. Denham on the magazine reporting of the history of patent medicine in the U.S., including topics on the role of muckraking magazines in exposing deceptive advertising, the implementation of Pure Food and Drug Act, and the importance of labeling.

Although studies in mass communication and investigative journalism have examined associations between newspaper reporting and policy formation, little research has focused on the policy influence of magazine coverage. In addition, given research questions that implicitly or explicitly conclude with policy implementation, studies have tended to analyze materials prior to the passage of legislation with little attention paid to subsequent reporting. This monograph examines magazine coverage of patent medicines before and after the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 became law. Patent medicines, which appeared in the form of cure-alls, headache remedies, and soothing syrups, emerged long before the federal government regulated substances such as morphine and cocaine, and nostrums often included these substances in addition to alcohol. Near the turn of the 20th century, magazine journalists began to draw attention to the hazards associated with patent medicines, building an agenda for policy reform. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 required manufacturers to list habit-forming substances and the quantities of those substances on product labels, and sales showed an appreciable decline; however, companies continued to profit. An examination of magazine articles showed that, in addition to patent-medicine manufacturers, newspapers received significant criticism for advancing industry interests through advertising. As a partial result of outlandish claims made in advertisements, problems with patent medicines continued after implementation of the Pure Food and Drug Act. Government officials and the U.S. Supreme Court were among those who undermined the 1906 law. Implications for investigative journalism, history, and public policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the paper by professor Bryan Denham on the history of patent medicine in the U.S., including topics on the enactment of 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, native and political advertising, and the advertising of hemp products.

Quack medicines were prepackaged, commercially marketed medicinal concoctions brewed from "secret recipes" that often contained powerful drugs. Governmental regulation of them in late nineteenth-century England is heralded as a landmark of public health policy. We argue that it's instead a landmark of medicinal rent-seeking. We develop a theory of quack medicine regulation in Victorian England according to which health professionals faced growing competition from close substitutes: quack medicine vendors. To protect their rents, health professionals organized, lobbied, and won laws granting them a monopoly over the sale of "poisonous" medicaments, most notably, quack medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2018, China implemented the latest National Essential Medicines List (NEML) by enhancing the NEML 2012. The goal of our studies is to analyze the changes in the two lists and compared them with the 20th EML issued by WHO in 2017. And then provide suggestions for emerging problems. Method: The overall composition of the categories, specific drugs, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of the lists were compared by descriptive analysis. The neuropsychiatric disorders system medicines and patented medicines were analyzed to illustrate the changes of NEML. Results: In 20th WHO-EML, the largest increase was the medicines used for children (13 to the core list and 12 to the complementary list). In 2018 NEML, rounding out the top were medicines used for cardiovascular system. Among the 120 new medicines, 30 new medicines were included in 2017 WHO-EML. Eleven patented medicines were new-added in NEML; however, 8 was not included in WHO-EML. Conclusion: China has a large population, and the territorial development is uneven. Although the essence of EMLs is a limited list, NEML should enlarge the choices properly. 2018 NEML provides a comprehensive coverage of diseases. Some of the medicines, including high-priced medicines that were not recommended by WHO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examine factors that affect product-usage compliance, or the act of using a product as it is intended to be used. They develop a conceptual model of compliant behavior as a function of four main constructs: (1) salience/mindfulness, (2) the consumer's costs and benefits of compliant behavior, (3) advertising and distribution cues to action, and (4) the perceived threats associated with noncompliant behavior. They test the model using a regression mixture model of compliant behavior calibrated on unique panel data from four categories of pharmaceutical drugs that are used to treat chronic (i.e., lifelong) ailments. The findings include insights into the dynamics of product compliance: The data support the proposed four-stage evolution of compliant behavior between consecutive service provider (e.g., doctor) interventions. For marketers, the authors find substantial heterogeneity across consumers for the effects of cues from advertising and distribution. For example, in some segments, advertising has a positive impact on compliance (directly and/or by heightening responsiveness to product-efficacy evaluations), whereas in other segments, its effect is negative. Thus, the authors shed new light on the effects of advertising, which has both strong advocates and opponents in the pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scope of this study is to approach the constitutional right to health, through the prism of universal and equal access of the population to medicines. Th erefore, it is necessary to reconcile the task of promoting health with the right industrial property, especially in relation to pharmaceutical patents. Analyzes the importance of intellectual property as a tool to achieve the constitutional postulate is linked to this fundamental right, enabling the development and production of new drugs. Moreover, we observe the possible abuses that may exist on the farm by the owner, thwarting the desired goals, preventing access to necessary medicines. In this light, great importance is seen in the possibility of a compulsory license, regarded as a restriction imposed on the right of the inventor, delimiting the scope of the privilege. Th is will increased forgotten social utility so that it will do a relevant role, leading to improvement in quality of life before the development of new drugs and procedures. Promotes itself, thus safeguarding the welfare, as well as larger, embodying life itself, fi nally, the constitutional desideratum of access to healthcare.

Background: Patent medicine vendors (PMVs) is one of a major source of medicines for ailments in Nigeria. Criticism of PMVs focuses on drug quality, dispensing practices, and their lack of formal health care training. While studies in African context have documented the customer-PMV interactions, and the economic behavior of PMVs, there is dearth of information on its small scale business behavior as both roots and routes of drug service delivery. This qualitative investigation considered PMVs as owners of small businesses, and sought their business perspectives in comparison with views of other small business owners in Igbo-Ora, Nigeria. Method: This study utilized an iterative approach to data collection among 51 vendors. Indepth interviews about participants' businesses were collected from PMVs (n=16), food vendors (n=7), clothing sellers (n=7), provisions sellers (n=9), motor parts dealers (n=7), and others (n=5). Data was analyses using content analysis technique. Findings: Accounts from participant reveal differences between how PMVs and other business owners perceive their businesses, amount of education necessary to learn the trade as well as the level of professionalism and cleanliness required to operate successfully. Unlike other groups, PMVs routinely are asked for highly technical information at point of purchase. PMVs work largely under strong influence of trade associations due to high control measures imposed by regulatory agencies. Conclusion: Although selling medicine is a small-scale enterprise, PMVs' work is coordinated by regulatory agencies to provide technical services to their clients. Their business model is based on possessing adequate knowledge about their products and maintaining standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the marketing of a so-called "patent medicine, Perry Davis' Vegetable Pain-Killer, to suggest that many of its 19th century brand marketing practices were precursors to modern brand marketing tactics. Pain-Killer developed a distinctive brand identity through the creation and protection of several brand elements including the product itself, its name, packaging and advertising. The Pain-Killer brand also offered useful content marketing in terms of almanacs, "advertainment" consisting of a book of rhymes and pictures relating to Pain-Killer and a brand story centered in part on its inventor and founder Perry Davis. The Pain-Killer brand enjoyed decades of success reportedly selling 100 million bottles in 60 years (Bismarck Daily Tribune 1905). Ultimately, this brand disappeared because Pain-Killer became a generic product category name rather than a brand name and drug criticism and regulation limited its formulation and ability to advertise using cure-all claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controls over trade and consumption of narcotic medicines emerged as both a concern and emblem of progressive governance around the turn of the twentieth century. This article traces political struggles over drugs regulation in the case of colonial South Africa. It focuses on two parallel streams of law-making by the British occupation regime in the Transvaal, following the Anglo-Boer war. Controversies over the availability of traditional 'Dutch medicines' to Boer farmers and prohibitions of certain patent medicines to African consumers were elements of, and contradictions within, the process of building a modern pharmaceutical economy. An influx to the region of new curatives coincided with the growth of vernacular newspapers as well as temperance campaigns. Working to nurture white national cohesion and support a mining industry premised on unskilled black labour, the South African state created race-based drugs controls. These developments proved significant to regulatory statecraft later in the century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realgar (arsenic sulfide) is widely used in combination with other herbs as Chinese patent medicine to treat a variety of diseases in China. As a mineral arsenic, its mild toxicity was also well known. Longtime over-dose usage or wrongly oral intake of realgar can cause chronic arsenic poisoning and/or death, but acute fatal arsenic poisoning resulted from short-term dermal use of realgar-containing medicine was very rare. Here, we present the case of a 35-year-old Chinese man, who was diagnosed with severe psoriasis and died of fatal acute arsenic poisoning after he applied a local folk prescription ointment containing mainly the realgar to the affected skin for about 4 days. The autopsy showed multiple punctate hemorrhages over the limbs, pleural effusion, edematous lungs with consolidation, mild myocardial hypertrophy and normal-looking kidneys. The histopathological examination of renal tissue showed severe degeneration, necrosis and desquamation of renal tubular epithelial cells, presence of protein cast and a widened edematous interstitium with interstitial fibrosis. The presence of arsenic in large amount in the ointment (about 6%), in blood (1.76 μg/mL), and in skin (4.71 μg/g), were confirmed analytically. We also provide the clinical records of the deceased and briefly reviewed 7 similar cases in literature (6 in Chinese and 1 in English) in the past 30 years in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Schisandra fruits used in Chinese patent medicines were authenticated by Py-GC/MS. • Lignans were chosen as characteristic components of 2 species of Schisandra fruits. • Py-GC combined chemometric approach was applied for discrimination. Abstract Authentication of Schisandra chinensis fruits (S. chinensis fruits) and Schisandra sphenantherae fruits (S. sphenantherae fruits) used in Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) was investigated by pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled with fingerprint analysis on the basis of the lignan components. 0.3 mg powder of CPM sample was pyrolyzed in a vertical microfurnace pyrolyzer at 400 °C, and the products were directly introduced into a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector or a mass spectrometer. Then, each sample was analyzed by the relative peak area of 12 lignan components in thus obtained pyrogram. The pyrogram fingerprints of 16 CPM samples containing S. chinensis fruits or S. sphenantherae fruits showed good reproducibility with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the retention time less than 0.15% (n = 5) and the RSDs of the relative percent of peak areas less than 5.29% (n = 5). Furthermore, the discrimination of different Schisandra fruits in CPM samples was achieved by principle component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) via recognizing the 18 × 12 data matrix. The results revealed the Py-GC fingerprint combined with chemometric approach is a simple, rapid and selective method for the differentiation of Schisandra fruits used in CPMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the impact of proprietary medicine advertising on children. Only limited support is found for a direct link between exposure to medicine commercials and a child's beliefs, attitudes, and requests to parents regarding medicine. There is no evidence of a link between medicine advertising and a child's use of proprietary medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjoint analysis is a useful measurement method for implementing market segmentation and product positioning. The authors describe how recently developed optimal product design models provide a way to test the effectiveness of a selected class of market targeting strategies. They first propose a conceptual framework for describing segmentation in the context of conjoint analysis input data. Then they apply that framework to an illustrative case study entailing physicians' preferences for a newly developed prescription drug. They conclude with a discussion of the limitations of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Cardiac hypertrophy is a major predisposing factor for heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Hyperoside (Hyp), a flavonoid isolated from Rhododendron ponticum L., is a primary component of Chinese traditional patent medicines. Numerous studies have shown that Hyp exerts marked anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-ischemic, and particularly cardio-protective effects. However, the effects of Hyp on cardiac hypertrophy have not been explored. The aims of this study were to determine whether Hyp could protect against cardiac remodeling and to clarify the potential molecular mechanisms. Methods: Neonatal rat cardiac myocytes were isolated and treated with different concentrations of Hyp, then cultured with angiotensin II for 48 h. Mice were subjected to either aortic banding or sham surgery (control group). One week after surgery, the mice were treated with Hyp (20 mg/kg/day) or vehicle by oral gavage for 7 weeks. Hypertrophy was evaluated by assessing morphological changes, echocardiographic parameters, histology, and biomarkers. Results: Hyp pretreatment suppressed angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes. Hyp exerted no basal effects but attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction, fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress induced by pressure overload. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that the effect of Hyp on cardiac hypertrophy was mediated by blocking activation of the AKT signaling pathway. Conclusion: Hyp improves cardiac function and prevents the development of cardiac hypertrophy via AKT signaling. Our results suggest a protective effect of Hyp on pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling. Taken together, Hyp may have a role in the pharmacological therapy of cardiac hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aims Kang-ai injection (KA) is a famous Chinese patent medicine authorized by China Food and Drug Administration, which is widely used to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in China. This meta-analysis is aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of KA on advanced NSCLC. Methods Seven databases were examined for related studies until January 15, 2018. Odds ratio (OR) was used to evaluate tumor response, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) improvement and adverse reactions, and mean difference (MD) was used to estimate immune functions. Key findings Thirty randomized controlled trials involving 1956 patients with advanced NSCLC were included. The results showed that compared with the platinum-based doublet chemotherapy (PBDC) alone, KA combined with PBDC could significantly enhance tumor response (OR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.40, 2.04], P < 0.00001), KPS improvement (OR = 3.01, 95% CI [2.36, 3.84], P < 0.00001) and immune functions including the percentages of CD 3 + (MD = 8.90, 95% CI [3.06, 14.73], P = 0.003), CD 4 + (MD = 9.43, 95% CI [6.32, 12.53], P < 0.00001) and NK (MD = 4.81, 95% CI [1.95, 7.68], P = 0.001) and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ (MD = 0.29, 95% CI [0.04, 0.53], P = 0.02). Moreover, KA combined with PBDC markedly decreased the incidences of adverse reactions including gastrointestinal reaction (OR = 0.38, 95% CI [0.30, 0.47], P < 0.00001), myelosuppression (OR = 0.32, 95% CI [0.23, 0.45], P < 0.00001) and hair loss (OR = 0.53, 95% CI [0.36, 0.76], P < 0.00001). However, there was no significant difference between the combination treatment group and the control group in the percentage of CD 8 + (MD = −2.93, 95% CI [−6.68, 0.82], P = 0.13). Significance Despite the small sample size and study limitations, the results of this meta-analysis indicated that the combination therapy of KA and PBDC (especially NP regimen) might be a beneficial therapeutic method for advanced NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The weak pharmacovigilance (PV) systems in many developing countries of the world have undoubtedly hampered the global quest for safe drug use. Operators of pharmacies and patent medicine stores have important roles to play in developing the PV systems in these countries being the main source of medicines for acute conditions. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance among operators of pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 249 operators of pharmacies and patent medicine stores selected by a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected with a set of pretested self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Although, the majority, 173 (69.5%) of the 249 respondents were aware of PV, less than a fifth (17.3%) had good knowledge of it. Despite positive attitude towards PV, only about half, 56 (52.3%) of the 107 respondents that had observed adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in clients reported; and of these, only about a tenth (12.8%) formally reported to the organization in charge of PV. The most commonly cited reasons for non-reporting were that they did not know where and how to report (51.0%), and unavailability of reporting forms (23.5%). Conclusion: This study showed poor knowledge of PV and sub-optimal ADRs reporting despite positive attitude towards it by operators of pharmacies and patent medicine stores in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria. Sensitization of the populace and training of healthcare providers on PV and ADRs reporting are necessary for revitalizing the PV system in Sokoto State, Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abortion was a lucrative business in the 19th century. Advertisements for services and patent-medicine abortifacients abounded and were targeted primarily at married, middle-class women engaged in family planning. Contemporary accounts suggest that one in five 19th-century pregnancies may have ended in abortion. Concerns over a potentially shifting demography prompted a backlash, and by the end of the century abortion was prohibited under most circumstances. Despite its widespread occurrence, archaeological evidence of abortion has been limited to a few documented cases, most notably the privy of the brothel at Five Points. The discovery of fetal remains and associated artifacts in two upstate New York domestic privies offers an opportunity to discuss the archaeology of abortion within the context of middle-class family planning, as well as the problems inherent in identifying abortion archaeologically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most low-income nations have national medicine policy that emphasized the use of generic medicines in the public health sector. However, the use of generics is often debatable as there are concerns over its efficacy, quality, and safety compared to their branded counterparts. This study was conducted to compare the knowledge and perception of generic medicines among final year undergraduate medical, pharmacy, and nursing students in Sierra Leone. We conducted a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study among these students at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences University of Sierra Leone. Out of the 62 students, only two (2/62, 3.2%) knew about the acceptable bioequivalence limit. At least half of respondents in all three groups agreed that all generics are therapeutically equivalent to their innovator brand. At least half of the medicine (21/42, 50%) and nursing (6/9, 66.6%) students, compared to pharmacy students (5/11, 45.5%), believed that higher safety standards are required for proprietary medicines than for generic medicines. Most of them agreed that they need more information on the safety, quality, and efficacy aspects of generics (59/62, 95.2%). All three groups of healthcare students, despite variations in their responses, demonstrated a deficiency in knowledge and misconception regarding generic medicines. Training on issues surrounding generic drugs in healthcare training institutions is highly needed among future healthcare providers in Sierra Leone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]