E-DRUG: Request for articles
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Dear All,
We need copies of the following articles:
Spectrophotometric methods for simultaneous estimation of ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride from tablets. Indian Drugs 35: 234-238 (1998)
Kale VM, Talekar RS, Dhake AS. Simultaneous determination of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and ibuprofen from combined dosage forms by UV spectrophotometry. Eastern Pharmacist (India), Oct 2000, vol. 43 pp. 115-116
Sincerely
Daniel Domosbian, pharmacist
Drug information Center
Calle 5 n: 966
(1900) La Plata
Bs. As.
Argentina
FAX: +542214224894
e-mail: cimf@colfarma.org.ar
E-DRUG: Repacking medicines in pharmacies
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Dear all,
In Brazil, under our current regulation, medicines are sold in the
manufacturer`s original pack.
Now, it is being discussed a new regulation to permit the repacking in
community pharmacy. The only developed country that I know that use this system are the USA.
I would ask you the following information:
* What are other developed countries that use some system like that?
* How can they control counterfeiting?
* How long does it take (in average) to dispensation encounter?
* What kind of information must be in the label?
* I would like to have regulation texts concerning this issue.
Thank you for any help
Vera Lucia Luiza
Nucleus of Pharmaceutical Policies (NAF); National School of Public Health
(ENSP)
NAF / ENSP / Fiocruz
Av Brasil, 4036/916, Manguinhos
21040 361 - Rio de Janeiro RJ
++55 21 2260-1790 and 3882-9067;
Fax: 2260-1652
vera@ensp.fiocruz.br
[UK dispensed until recently, but EU regulations do not allow it. KM]
E-DRUG: Repacking medicines in pharmacies (2)
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Hello Vera,
Dutch community pharmacies also do a lot of repacking. But all
packages (original or prepared in the pharmacy) must have a label
with the name and address of the patient, name, strenght and quantity
of the drug, and daily use including some warnings for proper use. We
also must dispense the official drug information leaflet.
Counting (nowadays most drugs are packed in strips that we
sometimes cut), takes anywhere between 1-3 minutes, depending on
the amount to be repacked. There is no special regulation; it is
considered part of the pharmacist' competence (in other words, there
is no regulation that forbids repacking).
I am not so sure what counterfeiting has to do with this. We control
what we buy as a pharmacy, and make sure we do not buy counterfeit;
we then also cannot dispense counterfeit drugs, even when we repack.
The quality control is carried out when we receive the medicines from
the wholesaler, and we carefully select the wholsalers we work with.
E-DRUG: Repackaging medicines in pharmacies (5)
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UK, Croatia, Hungary and The Netherlands are the only countries in Europe that still dispense packs (count tablets or split blister packs) in pharmacies.
This not only a question of regulation.
*It is very much a result of tradition - what is the present situation?
*It is a question of how regulation is respected. I have heard a rumour that some country in South East Asia has an excellent regulatory system that nobody follows. And there are a lot of countries where you can get prescription medicine without prescription.
*Who decides? The dispensing and splitting situation in UK and the Netherlands is a result of reimbursing authorities not willing to pay for one single extra tablet. The paying customer is the ruler.
Repackaging of medicines is pharmaceutical production. No doubt about that. And information is an essential part of today's medicines.
Small scale repackaging will never be able (in a cost effective way) to document the process. Traceability is usually lost when tablets are counted from bulk. And other information on the package will always be minimal.
The patient and the medicine authorities should be able to identify medicine. Small scale dispensing from bulk makes that impossible. So does cutting blisters.
Today many consumer's goods are better labelled, are better traceable, and have a better recall system than medicines. Increasingly.
I am aware that I am sitting in the very rich country, Norway, when I write this. But I am very certain about my conclusion:
From now on, new medicine regulation should not allow medicine repackaging that is not documented, or that breaks traceability.
Stein Lyftingsmo
Hospital Pharmacy of Elverum, Norway
stein@lyftingsmo.no
www.lyftingsmo.no