BACKGROUND: Most diabetic and hypertensive patients, principally the elderly, do not achieve adequate disease control and consume 5%-15% of annual health care budgets. Previous studies verified that pharmaceutical care is useful for achieving adequate disease control in diabetes and hypertension.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar as quantidades de nutrientes reciclados por cinco espécies vegetais utilizadas como culturas de cobertura do solo e que podem retornar ao solo pela mineralização da biomassa. Foram coletadas de vários experimentos amostras da matéria verde de aveia-preta (Avena strigosa Schreb), mucuna-preta (Stizolobium aterrimum Piper & Tracy), guandu (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp), tremoço (Lupinus albus L. e L. angustifolius L.) e ervilhaca (Vicia sativa L.). Foi estimado o rendimento de matéria seca e determinados os teores de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu, e, a partir dessas concentrações, foram calculadas a média observada, a média estimada e o intervalo de confiança a 95% para cada nutriente dentro de cada classe de rendimento de matéria seca, em cada espécie vegetal. Os dados foram tabulados dentro de intervalos de classe de rendimento de matéria seca e apresentadas as quantidades estimadas de nutrientes minerais. Foram ajustadas equações para estimar as quantidades desses nutrientes. A aveia-preta e a ervilhaca reciclam grande quantidade de K, e a ervilhaca, a mucuna-preta, o tremoço e o guandu reciclam grande quantidade de N. Todas as espécies reciclam quantidades apreciáveis de Ca, Mg e micronutrientes, porém baixas quantidades de P. A rotação de culturas é um meio de implementar com sucesso o aumento das áreas de lavoura em semeadura direta.Termos para indexação: plantas de proteção, reciclagem de nutriente, mineralização, rotação de culturas. Mineral nutrients in the shoot biomass of soil cover cropsAbstract -The objective of this work was to estimate the quantity of nutrients recycled by five species of cover crops and returned to the soil after the mineralization of the biomass. Fresh samples of several experiments of black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb), black mucuna (Stizolobium aterrimum Piper & Tracy), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp), lupin (Lupinus albus L. and L. angustifolius L.) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) were taken to estimate dry matter yield and determine the content of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Cu. From the dry matter yield, nutrient content were analyzed, and the estimated and observed mean, and a confidence limit at the 95% level, for each nutrient, in each class of dry matter yield and in each cover crop species were calculated. The data were tabulated with the corresponding dry matter class intervals and estimated quantity of nutrients. Equations were adjusted to estimate the quantity of nutrients in relation to dry matter yield. Black oats and common vetch, are good for recycling K, and common vetch, black mucuna, lupin and pigeon pea recycled large amounts of N. All species recycled large amounts of Ca, Mg and micronutrients, but small amounts of P. Crop rotation is a way of successfully increasing field areas under no-tillage.Index terms: protective plants, nutrient recycling, mineralization, rotational cropping.(1) Aceito para publicação em 16 de setembro de 2002.

It is estimated that around five to 10.0% of hospital admissions occur due to clinical conditions resulting from pharmacotherapy. Clinical pharmacist's activity can enhance drug therapy's effectiveness and safety through pharmacotherapy interventions (PIs), thus minimizing drug-related problems (DRPs) and optimizing the allocation of financial resources associated with health care. This study aimed to estimate the DRPs prevalence, evaluate PI which were performed by clinical pharmacists in the Neurology Unit of a Brazilian tertiary teaching hospital and to identify factors associated with the occurrence of PI-related DRP. A single-arm trial included adults admitted in the referred Unit from 2012 July to 2015 June. Patients were evaluated during their hospitalization period and PIs were performed based on trigger DRPs that were detected in medication reconciliation (admission or discharge) or during inpatient follow-up. Student's t-test, Chi-square test, Pearson and Multiple logistic regression models to analise the association among age, number of drugs, hospitalization period, and number of diagnoses with occurrence of DRPs. Analyses level of significance was 5%. In total 409 inpatients were followed up [51.1% male, mean age of 49.1 (SD 16.5)]. Patients received, on average, 11.9 (SD 5.8) drugs, ranging from two to 38 drugs per patient, and 54.3% of the sample presented at least one DRP whose most frequent description was "untreated condition". From all 516 performed PIs that resulted from DRPs, 82.8% were accepted and the majority referred to "drug introduction" (27.5%). Multiple logistic regression showed that age, length of hospital stay, number of drugs used, diagnosis of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis would be clinical variables associated with DRP (p < 0,05). Monitoring the use of drugs allowed the clinical pharmacist to detect DRPs and to suggest interventions that promote rational pharmacotherapy.

BackgroundCombined oral contraceptive (COC) use is the most commonly used reversible method of birth control. The incorrect use of COCs is frequent and one of the most common causes of unintended pregnancies. Community pharmacists (CPs) are in a strategic position to improve COC use because they are the last health professional to interact with patients before drug use.ObjectiveTo evaluate the COC dispensing practices of CPs in a developing country.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted in community pharmacies of Assis and Ourinhos microregions, Brazil, between June 1, 2012, and October 30, 2012. Four simulated patients (SPs) (with counseled audio recording) visited community pharmacies with a prescription for Ciclo 21® (a COC containing ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg + levonorgestrel 15 mcg). The audio recording of every SP visit was listened to independently by 3 researchers to evaluate the COC dispensing practice. The percentage of CPs who performed a screening for safe use of COCs (i.e., taking of patients’ medical and family history, and measuring of blood pressure) and provided counseling, as well as the quality of the screening and counseling, were evaluated.ResultsOf the 185 CPs contacted, 41 (22.2%) agreed to participate in the study and finished the study protocol. Only 3 CPs asked the SP a question (1 question asked by each professional), and all of the questions were closed-ended, viz., “do you smoke?” (n = 2) and “what is your age?” (n = 1). None of the CPs measured the patient’s blood pressure. Six CPs provided counseling when dispensing COCs (drug dosing, 5 CPs; possible adverse effects, 2 CPs), and one CP provided counseling regarding both aspects.ConclusionThe CPs evaluated did not dispense COC appropriately and could influence in the occurrence of negatives therapeutic outcomes such as adverse effects and treatment failure.

INTRODUÇÃOO conceito de medicamento como agente de cura já era associado ao seu potencial de dano pelas civilizações arcaicas da Mesopotâmia e Egito. O termo shêrtu, que aparece nos manuscritos da época, tem significado simultâneo de doença, pecado ou castigo divino. Somente através de uma operação de catarse, em que era atribuído um conteúdo mágico ao medicamento, o indivíduo alcançaria a purificação de seus pecados e o restabelecimento da saúde por intervenção dos deuses (Weatherall, 1990).Estes conceitos influenciaram o entendimento sobre a patologia e a terapêutica durante muitos séculos e persistem, em alguns aspectos, até nossos dias. A própria palavra fármaco teve origem a partir do termo grego pharmak, que significa "aquilo que tem o poder de transladar as impurezas". Entre os gregos, vítimas dos sacrifícios oferecidos aos deuses eram chamadas de pharmakó, e o alimento utilizado durante as cerimônias de comunhão, phármakon. Essa última palavra passou a integrar a terminologia médica grega e chegou até nossos dias com o nome de fármaco. Para os gregos, phármakon era aquilo

1 The effect of cimetidine on oxidative drug metabolism was characterised using antipyrine clearance in a group of healthy volunteers. 2 In six subjects cimetidine produced a dose dependent reduction of antipyrine clearance: 400 mg/day (16.8 + 2.2%, mean + s.e. mean), 800 mg/day (26.3 + 1.5%) and 1600 mg/day (33.5 + 2.4%). 3 The effect of cimetidine (800 mg/day) was of similar magnitude (approximately 25%) in two groups of six young (21-26 years) and six elderly (65-78 years) subjects.4 The effect of pretreatment begun just 1 h before administration of antipyrine was similar to that of 24 h pretreatment and that reported for chronic cimetidine pretreatment. 5 The percentage reduction in antipyrine clearance produced by cimetidine 800 mg/day was greater (44 + 5 vs 24 + 3%; P < 0.05) in six subjects who had been pretreated with the hepatic enzyme inducer rifampicin (600 mg/day for 21 days) than in the control uninduced state.6 Although cimetidine was capable of rapidly reversing the effect of rifampicin on antipyrine clearance, following withdrawal of both rifampicin and cimetidine there was still evidence of enzyme induction. 7 These results suggest that the effect of cimetidine on oxidative metabolism is dose dependent, is more marked in enzyme induced subjects, is independent of the duration of pretreatment and is of similar magnitude in young and elderly subjects.

O Conselho Federal de Farmácia tem definido, no Brasil, resoluções que proporcionam um seguimento terapêutico individualizado aos pacientes, avaliando os efeitos adversos, crônicos e agudos, bem como os riscos de um tratamento farmacológico na população em geral, ou em grupos restritos de pacientes. Estudos recentes demonstraram que a prevalência de idosos no Brasil situa-se em torno de 12%. Neste estudo foram avaliados 35 voluntários 33 mulheres e 2 homens por meio de entrevistas sobre os medicamentos utilizados e possíveis problemas relacionados aos medicamentos. Entre os principais medicamentos prescritos para uso crônico, destacam-se: anti-hipertensivos, estrógenos e progesteronas, antidepressivos e ansiolíticos. Dos 35 pacientes avaliados, 24 fazem uso de politerapia, nove utilizam monoterapia e um paciente não utiliza medicamento de forma crônica. Este trabalho além de avaliar a utilização de medicamentos nessa população específica, também buscou identificar interações inadequadas e prestar informações sobre o uso adequado de fármacos.

Background Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (allo-HSCT) is currently one of the most effective therapies in onco-hematology. For the treatment of the disease and prevention of such complications, a complex pharmacotherapeutic regimen is employed. Non-compliance is prevalent among adolescents and young adults with chronic hematological diseases, being reported by up to 50% of the patients. Objective To evaluate the results of pharmacotherapeutic follow-up on medication compliance and on the knowledge about pharmacotherapy of patients who underwent allo-HSCT. Methods A single-arm, open-label and non-randomized intervention study developed in an allo-HSCT outpatient clinic. The participants attended pharmaceutical consultations and had their knowledge about pharmacotherapy and medication compliance measured by MedTake and Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ), respectively. Results A total of 27 patients attended pharmaceutical consultations (4.81 consultations/patient; SD = 1.80). There was an improvement in medication compliance and in knowledge between the first and last consultations (p < 0.05). In the final consultation, 70.37% of the patients showed compliance, with a knowledge rate of 98.35% (SD = 3.63). Non-compliant individuals presented a greater tendency to hospital readmissions. There was no relationship between medication compliance and sociodemographic variables, graft-versus-host disease, and knowledge about pharmacotherapy. Conclusions Pharmacotherapeutic follow-up contributed to improving medication compliance. Knowledge about pharmacotherapy alone does not translate into behaviors, which corroborates the complexity of the biopsychosocial factors associated with medication compliance.