Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education in the European Union Needs Harmonization and Modernization: A Cross-sectional Survey Among 185 Medical Schools in 27 Countries.

Effective teaching in pharmacology and clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) is necessary to make medical students competent prescribers. However, the current structure, delivery, and assessment of CPT education in the European Union (EU) is unknown. We sent an online questionnaire to teachers with overall responsibility for CPT education in EU medical schools. Questions focused on undergraduate teaching and assessment of CPT, and students' preparedness for prescribing. In all, 185 medical schools (64%) from 27 EU countries responded. Traditional learning methods were mainly used. The majority of respondents did not provide students with the opportunity to practice real-life prescribing and believed that their students were not well prepared for prescribing. There is a marked difference in the quality and quantity of CPT education within and between EU countries, suggesting that there is considerable scope for improvement. A collaborative approach should be adopted to harmonize and modernize the undergraduate CPT education across the EU.

Essential competencies in prescribing: A first european cross-sectional study among 895 final-year medical students.

European medical students should have acquired adequate prescribing competencies before graduation, but it is not known whether this is the case. In this international multicenter study, we evaluated the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) of final-year medical students across Europe. In a cross-sectional design, 26 medical schools from 17 European countries were asked to administer a standardized assessment and questionnaire to 50 final-year students. Although there were differences between schools, our results show an overall lack of essential prescribing competencies among final-year students in Europe. Students had a poor knowledge of drug interactions and contraindications, and chose inappropriate therapies for common diseases or made prescribing errors. Our results suggest that undergraduate teaching in CPT is inadequate in many European schools, leading to incompetent prescribers and potentially unsafe patient care. A European core curriculum with clear learning outcomes and assessments should be urgently developed.

Carboxymethyl guar gum nanoparticles for drug delivery applications: Preparation and preliminary in-vitro investigations.

Carboxymethyl guar gum (CMGG) synthesized from commercially available polysaccharide was formulated into nanoparticles via ionic gelation using trisodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) as cross-linking agent. Characterisation using a range of analytical techniques (FTIR, NMR, GPC, TGA and DLS) confirmed the CMGG structure and revealed the effect of the CMGG and STMP concentration on the main characteristics of the obtained nanoformulations. The average nanoparticle diameter was found to be around 208 nm, as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Experiments using simulated gastric and intestinal fluids evidenced significant pH-dependent drug release behaviour of the nanoformulations loaded with Rhodamine B (RhB) as a model drug (loading capacity in excess of 83%), as monitored by UV-Vis. While dose-dependent cytotoxicity was observed, the nanoformulations appeared completely non-toxic at concentrations below 0.3 mg/mL. Results obtained so far suggest that carboxymethylated guar gum nanoparticles formulated with STMP warrant further investigations as polysaccharide based biocompatible drug nanocarriers.

HEALTH CARE ECONOMICS IN ROMANIA--DYNAMICS AND EVOLUTION.

Health economics refers to the analysis of medical institutions considering their economic and social efficacy, but also the regularity and the relationships that govern the phenomena and the processes from the field of health with the final purpose of achieving better results with the minimum of resources; it represents the study of health price in its complexity. The economics of the population's health needs and in particular the health needs in case of the poor groups of the population, consider health to be the main component of global human vulnerability. Health economics tries to change the simple interpretation of health price and disease cost into a wider consideration of a system administration similar to educational and social economics and the study of health in the context of the multiple specializations of the macro economy of the national group, as it is an instrument in the country's great economics symphony.

Silica nanoparticles: preparation, characterization and in vitro/in vivo biodistribution studies.

BACKGROUND: The current progress in pharmaceutical nanotechnology field has been exploited in the design of functionalized radiolabelled nanoparticles that are able to deliver radionuclides in a selective manner to improve the outcome of diagnosis and treatment. Silica nanoparticles (SNPs) have been widely developed for biomedical applications due to their high versatility, excellent functional properties and low cost production, with the possibility to control different topological parameters relevant for multidisciplinary applications. PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to characterize and evaluate both in vitro, by microscopy techniques, and in vivo, by scintigraphic imaging, the biodistribution of silica nanostructures derivatives (Cy5.5 conjugated SNPs and (99m)Tc radiolabelled SNPs) to be applied as radiotracers in biomedicine. METHODS: SNPs were synthesized by hydrolysis and condensation of silicon alkoxides, followed by surface functionalization with amino groups available for fluorescent dye and radiolabelling possibility. RESULTS: Our data showed the particles size distribution (200-350 nm), the surface charge (negative for bare and fluorescent SNPs and positive for amino SNPs), polydispersity index (broad distribution), the qualitative composition and the toxicity assessments (safe material) that made the obtained SNPs candidates for in vitro/in vivo studies. A high uptake of fluorescent SNPs in all the investigated organs was evidenced by confocal microscopy. The (99m)Tc radiolabelled SNPs biodistribution was quantified in the range of 12-100% counts/g organ using the scintigraphic images. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results reveal improved properties, namely, reduced toxicity with a low level of side effects, an improved biodistribution, high labelling efficiency and stability of the radiolabelled SNPs with potential to be applied in biomedical science, particularly in nuclear medicine as a radiotracer.

Flaxseed lignan wound healing formulation: characterization and in vivo therapeutic evaluation.

Flaxseed lignans are a natural source of useful biologically active components that show a diverse spectrum of health-promoting properties. The valuable effects of the phenolic molecules are mainly due to their antioxidant activity by preventing oxidative stress and stimulate collagen synthesis, therefore, providing benefits to the skin. The present work highlights the development of flaxseed extract formulation as novel wound healing agent. The recognition of key structural features within flaxseed extract was crucial for the design and development of the therapeutic cream. Chromatographic analyses were employed for bioactive compounds identification and quantification. Folin-Ciocalteu method determined the total phenolic content and the antioxidant properties were evaluated by DPPH assay. The storage and loss modulus and tan δ were calculated for cream rheological properties evaluation. In vitro diffusion capacity and in vivo wound healing activity of phenolic cream were evaluated on Wistar rats. The collective properties and healing effect of the flaxseed suggested wound healing capacity.