Recommended Tips for Treating Veterinary Patients.

These recommended tips can be set up as free-of-charge, attractive pamphlets, which can either be given to the veterinary patient's owner when medications are supplied or made available as a display.

The use of Pluronic lecithin organogels in the transdermal delivery of drugs.

This article provides a brief and basic discussion of Pluronic lecithin organogel to include its history, its components, its mechanism of action, the range of active pharmacological agents that can and cannot be incorporated into a Pluronic lecithin organogel, as well as important information for those pharmacists who compound Pluronic lecithin organogel.

Current concepts in the treatment of recurrent aphthous ulcers.

Recurrent aphthous ulcers are a common oral mucosal condition affecting about 20 percent of the general population and characterized by recurrent ulcers on the nonkeratinized mucosa. The majority of patients with recurrent aphthous ulcers tend to be healthy, although appropriate management of recurrent aphthous ulcers includes ruling out an oral manifestation of systemic disease. Management involves controlling active disease locally to reduce pain and maintain function and reducing the frequency and severity of recurrences, with a goal of a prolonged remission.

Emerging evidence for androgen replacement therapy in aging men.

The age-related changes in organ and system function of an individual increase the risk of developing certain diseases. The data presented in this article reviews current literature on the specific physiological effects of androgen deficiency in disease states and the risks and benefits of testosterone replacement therapy specifically in the areas of urologic, cardiac, and endocrine health.

Coenzyme q(10) supplementation in the treatment of heart disease.

Significant deficiencies in coenzyme Q(10) have been documented in a wide variety of diseases in both animal and human studies. Known predominately for its functions as an antioxidant and membrane stabilizer, coenzyme Q(10) supplementation also has been demonstrated to effectively lower blood pressure, decrease total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, increase levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and decrease symptoms of dyspnea, peripheral edema, enlarged liver, and insomnia. The majority of clinical work with coenzyme Q(10) in the past two decades has focused on its role in heart disease. While usually found in high concentrations in heart muscle cells, both serum and tissue levels of coenzyme Q(10) are often lower in people with congestive heart failure. The severity of coenzyme Q(10) deficiency is directly related to the severity of heart failure. Correcting deficits in coenzyme Q(10) in heart failure patients can mitigate or reverse myocardial dysfunction and necrosis. The addition of coenzyme Q(10) to conventional treatments in congestive heart failure patients has been shown to improve quality of life and decrease hospitalization rates. In an effort to improve outcomes in patients supplemented with coenzyme Q(10), various delivery mechanisms to improve the bioavailability of coenzyme Q(10) are currently under investigation.

The role of sex hormones on fibromyalgia pain mediators.

Understanding the role of the sex hormones in the pain mechanisms and various effects on nociceptors is imperative to managing potential underlying hormone disruptions in chronic pain syndromes. The myriad of overlapping symptoms between mid-life hormone imbalances and mid-life onset of fibromyalgia syndrome in women indicates a role for sex hormones in the etiology of fibromyalgia syndrome, which is, as of yet, unsupported by the literature. However, fibromyalgia treatment should be tailored to the individual needs of the patient, and adrenal, thyroid, and ovarian hormone support can lessen the painful burden of fibromyalgia through the modulation of various hormone-regulated pain-production pathways.

Topical medications for orofacial neuropathic pain.

The primary advantage of the treatment modalities discussed in this article is the potential to provide relief of neuropathic pain without the associated side effects of systemic therapies. By working closely with a dental practitioner to help formulate the best pharmaceutical therapy for patients, the compounding pharmacist has become an essential member of the healthcare team for practicing dentists.

Bioidentical hormones in the news.

This article reviews a collection of recent articles and published studies on sex hormone replacement therapy with the use of endogenous human hormones including estradiol, estriol, progesterone, and testosterone.

The clinical use of dehydroepiandrosterone in postmenopausal women.

A basic understanding of the distinct metabolism, mechanism of action, and clinical use of dehydroepiandrosterone and its metabolites is critical to balancing the hormone milieu in postmenopausal women. To date, studies of dehydroepiandrosterone therapy in women with adrenal insufficiency suggest that they are the most likely group to gain health benefits from dehydroepiandrosterone replacement therapy. Our understanding of the potential long-term health benefits of replacing dehydroepiandrosterone along with other deficient hormones is still only in its infancy. With the evidence currently available, however, one can reasonably suggest that dehydroepiandrosterone offers the promise of a safe and efficient replacement therapy for specific symptoms common to postmenopausal women. This article reviews the metabolism, physiology, and clinical use of dehydroepiandrosterone in postmenopausal women. The clinical effectiveness of dehydroepiandrosterone for vulvovaginal atrophy, sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, adrenal and immunological function, cardiovascular disease, and, in combination, hormone replacement therapy is reviewed. In addition, the use of the dehydroepiandrosterone metabolite 7-keto-dehydroepiandrosterone for weight loss is discussed.

Compliance to treatment in elderly dysphagic patients: potential benefits of alternative dosage forms.

Dysphagia in elderly patients significantly impacts nutrition, pharmacotherapy, and quality of life. Dysphagic patients, especially those with contributing degeneratve neurological disorders, present unique challenges to their families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Pharmacists have a key role in proactively inquiring about dysphagia, ensuring safety, increasing compliance, and ultimately improving clinical outcomes through medication regimen assessment in this rapidly growing patient population.

Azithromycin in the treatment of pneumonic foals.

Rhodococcus equi, one of the most common causes of pneumonia in foals between 3 weeks and 5 months of age, is a troublesome disease. For many years, Rhodococcus equi pneumonia carried a very poor to grave prognosis due to the lack of a good treatment protocol. However, antibiotics that are very good at treating the infection have been identified. Through research we have begun to further understand the epidemiology of the disease, acquired an arsenal of suitabe treatment options, and identified prevention strategies that are actively being studied. Oral erythromycin requires multiple daily dosing, has inconsistent absorption rates in foals, and a growing number of resistant Rhodococcus equi isolates have been identified. Azithromycin and clarithromycin have been proposed as alternatives to erythromycin for the treatment of Rhodococcus equi. Studies in other species have demonstated that azithromycin has better pharmacokinetics and is safer than erythromycin. Azithromycin has shown high and sustained intracellular and tissue concentrations with levels still high 48 hours after administation of the last oral dose. Azithromycin is commercially available in 250-mg and 500-mg tablets, and 100-mg/5 mL and 200-mg/5-mL oral suspensions. Oral pastes and powder feed additives in various concentrations and flavors can be formulated by compounding pharmacists.