• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.265-275
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• 2018

Cancer is a complex multifaceted illness that affects different patients in discrete ways. For a number of cancers the use of chemotherapy has become standard practice. Chemotherapy is a use of cytostatic drugs to cure cancer. Cytostatic agents not only affect cancer cells but also affect the growth of normal cells; leading to side effects. Because of this, radiotherapy gained importance in treating cancer. Slaughtering of cancerous cells by radiotherapy depends on the radiosensitivity of the tumor cells. Efforts to improve the therapeutic ratio have resulted in the development of compounds that increase the radiosensitivity of tumor cells or protect the normal cells from the effects of radiation. Amifostine is the only chemical radioprotector approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but due to its side effect and toxicity, use of this compound was also failed. Hence the use of herbal radioprotectors bearing pharmacological properties is concentrated due to their low toxicity and efficacy. Notably, in silico methods can expedite drug discovery process, to lessen the compounds with unfavorable pharmacological properties at an early stage of drug development. Hence a detailed perspective of these properties, in accordance with their prediction and measurement, are pivotal for a successful identification of radioprotectors by drug discovery process.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.407-414
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• 2010

New biological treatments were being developed at a record place, but their potential could be compromised by a significant obstacle: the delivery of these drugs into a body. Pharmaceutical delivery is now nearly as important as product. New systems are being developed, and Drug Delivery Markets Series cover these new systems. Transdermal Delivery System(TDS) is often used as a method of drug dosage into the epidermic skin. An approach used to delivery drugs through the skin for therapeutic use as an alternative to oral, intravascular, subcutaneous and transmucosal routes. Various transdermal drug delivery technologies are described including the use of suitable formulations, carriers and penetration enhancers. The most commonly used transdermal system is the skin patch using various types of technologies. Compared with other methods of dosage, it is possible to use for a long term. It is also possible to stop the drug dosage are stopped if the drug dosage lead to side effect. Polysaccharides, such as karaya gum and glucomannan, were selected as base materials of TDS. Also, these polymers were characterized in terms of enhancers, drug contents. Among these polysaccharide, the permeation rate of karaya gum matrix was fastest in fibric acid(ciprofibrate) such as lipophilic drug in vitro. We used glycerin, PEG400 and PEG800 as enhancers. Since dermis has more water content(hydration) than the stratum corneum, skin permeation rate at steady state was highly influenced when PEG400 was more effective for lipophilic drug. Proper selection of the polymeric materials which resemble and enhance properties of the delivering drug was found to be important in controlling the skin permeation rate. Especially, this result suggests a possible use of polysaccharide gel ointment matrix as a transdermal delivery system of anti-hyperlipoproteinemic agent.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.185-195
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• 2020

Objective: This study aimed to explore a veteran patients' behavior of prescribing drug use and of which influencing factors from the veteran patients' perspective through qualitative interviews. Methods: We recruited veteran patients through purposive sampling and interviewed 30 veteran patients aged 20 and over who had been taking prescription drugs. We developed and utilized an interview guide consisting of three themes for data collection. We made verbatim transcripts and analyzed data using the framework analysis. Results: Participants were aware that they had large amounts of prescribing medicines and discarded the medicines. They often used improperly by the person himself or his family or acquaintances. The factors that influenced these inefficient prescription drug usage were grouped into 'factors procuring more drugs than necessary' and 'factors being prescribed more drugs than necessary'. Anxiety about downgrading from the upper class to the lower among reward classes for veterans, and suspicion or dissatisfaction with the veteran policy caused the participants to procure more drugs than necessary. Additionally, they received too many medicines due to long-term prescriptions and lack of communication with their doctors, and poor quality of veteran health services. Conclusion: To improve the medication use behavior of veteran patients, providing information or introducing interventions for the proper medication use is not enough. Efforts should be made to improve their negative recognition over relevant policies and health care services.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2011

Objective: To examine the drug use (prescribing) pattern of serious drug-drug interactions (DDIs, contraindicated drug interactions) using real world data. Prescription patterns were examined in terms of dispensing types. Method: Retrospective drug utilization review (DUR) study was performed. One hundred and six datasets of serious DDIs (DDI pairs) were determined among DDI datasets that Ministry of Health & Welfare announced for the DUR system from 2004 to 2005. Electronically transacted ambulatory patients' prescription database to Health Insurance Assessment and Review Services (HIRA) from July, 2005 to June, 2006 was collected with personal information deidentified and analyzed in terms of types of dispensing as a contributing factor. Results: After prescription data analysis per each patient, total number of DDI cases using 95 DDI pairs was 5,511, which accounted for 2.6 cases per patients. DDI cases between two drugs from each of community pharmacy dispensing- type prescription were considerable (63% vs. 24% in those from each of in-institutional dispensing-type prescription and vs. 13% in those from a community pharmacy dispensing-type prescription and an in-institutional dispensingtype prescription). Conclusions: DDI cases from different prescribers were found to be significant. Thus, the concurrent DUR process between prescriptions from different physicians and institutions should be implemented for the safe drug use.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.118-138
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• 1999

This study presents the variations on drug utilization for outpatients' URI, gastritis. and hypertension by the type of hospital- tertiary hospital. general hospital. hospital. clinic. It investigated drug expenses. daily drug expenses. days of medication. the highest price of the drugs used. and the number of the different drugs used for each disease and type of hospital. This study also performed analysis to see how much the variations of variables related to drug use affect the variations of drug expenses. The dependent variable was drug expenses and the independent variables were days of medication. the average price of the drugs used. and the number of the different drugs used. Analysis of the drug utilization was performed on NFMI(National Federation of Medical Insurance) 1994 medical expense claim data. Patients with secondary diseases were excluded. In this study. 379 patients with URI, 386 patients with gastritis. 1.257 patients with hypertension were included. It was founded that there were large variation on drug utilization between the types of hospital for same diseases. Days of medication were longest in tertiary hospitals and shortest in hospitals or clinics. Clinics showed the lowest daily drug expenses in all of the diseases investigated. Daily drug expenses were highest in general hospitals or hospitals. which also tended to use drugs of higher price than other types of hospital. General hospitals and hospitals had larger variations in daily drug expenses and the highest price of drugs. It suggested that drug might be utilized overly in general hospitals and hospitals and some other factors might influence on drug utilization in these hospitals. It was found that the variations of drug expenses were affected by the variations of drug price and days of medication rather than the number of the different drugs. Then the strategy to reduce the variations of drug utilization and to improve the quality of drug utilization should focus on the drug price and days of medication. Further study is needed to assess the quality as well as the variation of drug utilization and to show the factors which affect them.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.105-109
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• 2009

In July 2008, The National Police Hospital has developed the CPOE system(Computerized Physician Order Entry system) which links the medicine master and introduced the new program for the injectable antimicrobial agents. After introducing new system, we wanted to check the management of oral antimicrobial agents. Because new system has limitation that new system control only the use of the injectable antimicrobial agents. So we tried to evaluate the use of oral levofloxacin, which was chosen by a medical specialist of the infection. We retrospectively analyzed the appropriateness of oral levofloxacin through EMR(Electric Medical Record) of 72 inpatients who received oral levofloxacin in National Police Hospital in December 2008. We applied the modified ASHP(American Society of Health- System Pharmacists) DUE(Drug Use Evaluation) criteria, which is composed of justification of drug use, critical indicators, complications and outcome measures. Acceptable cases of use of levofloxacin were 67(93.01%) and 57cases(79.2%) showed good outcome. However critical indicators were not performed very well. We want to suggest the new system for the management of the medical therapeutics by the pharmacist in charge.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.432-446
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to investigate the drug use of middle aged women. The subject consisted of 330 middle aged women who ranged in age from 40 to 60 years. They were selected in Seoul. Kyung-Ki province, Korea. Data were collected by using guestionnaires, from April, 10th to 30th 2001 and analyzed by the SPSS PC+ program using qui-square The results are summarized as follows : 1. The proportion of drinking and smoking experience was 42.4%, 3.7%. The motivation of drug use was advised family and relatives (46.1%), doctor's order(39.4%), magazine and advertisement(14.5%). Most of middle aged women get the information on knowledge of drug from hospital (47.3%), magazines and advertisement(30.3%), advised family and relatives(22.4%). And 57.9% of the middle aged women didn't know side effect of the using drug and 13.9% of the middle aged women have had experienced with side effect. And the level of attitude on drug abuse in middle aged women was 43%. Most of the subjects(93.9%) didn't use alternative drugs, and they used more than 3 kinds of drugs(47%). 2. They used digestives(44.2%), applying ointments (41.8%), drinks (39.4%), analgesics (39.1%), laxatives(8.8%), anti hypertension drugs (33%), and anti-anemic drugs(8.8%) in their orders.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.32-43
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• 1994

The 'Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee' decided to restrict the use of vancomycin which was categorized into restricted antimicrobials, among general, reserved and restricted antimicrobials. The committee also established prescribing guidelines of vancomycin in Seoul National University Hospital, May, 1991. Especially, the restricted antimicrobials should be used after approval by infectious disease specialist physician. A retrospective drug use evaluation (DUE) on vancomycin has been conducted to compare with the previous vancomycin DUE study in 1990. 'Criteria for DUE on vancomycin' was modified from Am J Hosp Pharm. Total 65 charts of patients were retrospectively reviewed from July 1991 to June 1992 in Seoul National University Children's Hospital. The justification of use was improved from 56% to 75% comparing with the previous study. In analyzing process indicators, several criteria including body temperature monitoring, WBC monitoring and use of concomitant antibiotics were well documented, but serum creatinine monitoring, culture and sensitivity test and level monitoring were infrequently performed, while the accepted level has been improved. Accepted level for appropriate initial dosage and duration of therapy were decreased. In outcome analysis, blood culture after discontinuing the drug was relatively well documented compared with the previous study. As the results, the approval vancomycin use was shown to be effective and rational in antibiotic therapy. And it is suggested that the above findings should be communicated to the medical staff, and a active intervention, such as feedback control, also be necessary for rational drug use.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.238-242
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• 2018

Background: The appropriate use of drugs is very important for a healthy life, as appropriate medication must be taken correctly for successful treatment of a disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-efficacy between health status and drug abuse behavior. Methods: The subjects of this study were selected from 15 workshops located in Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, and Chungnam, and, convenience sampling was conducted for each employee between September, 2017 and October 2017. A total of 204 questionnaires were analyzed. The questions evaluated health status, self-efficacy, drug abuse behavior, and general characteristics. Results: First, there was no difference in health status according to the general characteristics of the subjects. The self-efficacy varied according to gender, educational background, and monthly income, but not by marital status and residence area. In addition, drug abuse behaviors differed according to gender, residence area, and monthly income, but not by marital status and education level. Second, drug abuse behavior negatively correlated with health status and self-efficacy. Third, regression analysis showed that the self-efficacy between the health status and drug abuse behavior had a partially mediating effect. Conclusion: In patients with poor health status, it is necessary to increase their self-efficacy to reduce reduce drug abuse. Therefore, regular education programs targeting efficacy and drug knowledge are required in the community.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.691-710
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• 2000

We came to the conclusion after considering all the information from many kinds of book on herb medicine which is treatment method of "quickening blood and transforming stasis" for external wound. 1. Angelicae sinensis Radix and Angelicae Gigantis Radix are account for 16%(57times) of monarch drug and ministerial drug in all. It means that effect of "quickening blood and transforming stasis" of Angelicae sinensis Radix and Angelicae Gigantis Radix are more excellent than any other herb medicine. 2. In the case of the monarch drug, Angelicae sinensis Radix and Rhizoma Rhei are used at most, treatment method is divided into "expel stasis" and "quickening blood and transforming stasis". 3. In the case of the monarch drug, there are Dolomitum, Eupolyphaga, Dracinis Resina, Crinis Carbonisatus, Acronychiae Ligum, Pini Ramulus etc which have strong treatment effect and pecunliar sort. 4. In the case of the ministerial drug, there are Dracinis Resina, Brassica Rapa, Pyritunm, Liquidambaris Resina etc which are unusual sort. 5. In the order of frequency in use of monarch drug and ministerial drug in nature, it is hot, mean, cold drug. In the order of frequency in use of monarch drug and ministerial drug in flavors, it is sharp, pungent, sweat.