International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine - Volume 22, issue 4 - Journals

Number comparison of medicines lists effective in the Republic of Tatarstan with the WHO model list of essential medicines: Do numbers matter?

Authors: Ziganshina, Lilia E. | Khaziakhmetova, Veronica N. | Abakumova, Tatyana R. | Alexandrova, Elvira G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: A comparative analysis of positive medicines lists effective in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2009 was carried out to identify problems with development and functioning of 4 different lists. Comparison of listed medicine numbers revealed the extent of discrepancies requiring policy action. The discrepancies were uniform through the lists and reflected vulnerability to pharmaceutical promotion. It was concluded that development of national pharmaceutical policy was urgently needed to further implement the WHO Essential Medicines Concept.

Keywords: Essential Medicines, WHO Essential Medicines Concept, pharmaceutical policy

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-2010-0505

Citation: International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 169-178, 2010

Price: EUR 27.50

Cerebrolysin for acute ischaemic stroke

Authors: Ziganshina, Lilia E. | Abakumova, Tatyana | Kuchaeva, Alexandra

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Background: Cerebrolysin is a mixture of low-molecular-weight peptides and amino acids derived from pigs' brain tissue which has proposed neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties. It is widely used in the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke in Russia and China. Objectives: To assess the benefits and risks of cerebrolysin for treating acute ischaemic stroke. Search strategy: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (February 2009), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2009), MEDLINE (1966 to February 2009), EMBASE (1974 to February 2009), LILACS (1982 to February 2009), Science Citation Index (1940 to February 2009), …SIGLE Archive (1980 to March 2005), and a number of relevant Russian Databases (1988 to February 2009). We also searched reference lists, ongoing trials registers and conference proceedings. Selection criteria: Randomised controlled trials comparing cerebrolysin with placebo or no treatment in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. Data collection and analysis: Three review authors independently applied the inclusion criteria, assessed trial quality and extracted the data. Main results: We included one trial involving 146 participants. There was no difference in death (6/78 in the cerebrolysin group versus 6/68 in the placebo group; risk ratio (RR) 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29 to 2.58) or in the total number of adverse events (16.4% versus 10.3%; RR 1.62, 95% CI 0.69 to 3.82) between the treatment and control groups. Conclusions: There is not enough evidence to evaluate the effect of cerebrolysin on survival and dependency in people with acute ischaemic stroke. High-quality and large-scale randomised controlled trials may help to gain a better understanding of the potential value of cerebrolysin in acute ischaemic stroke. Show more

Keywords: Amino acids, neuroprotective agents, stroke

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-2010-0509

Citation: International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 179-193, 2010

Price: EUR 27.50

Psychiatric drugs as agents of trauma

Authors: Whitfield, Charles L.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Drawing on the work of numerous psychiatrists and psychopharmacologists and my own observations, I describe how most common psychiatric drugs are not only toxic but can be chronically traumatic, which I define in some detail throughout this paper. In addition to observing this occurrence among numerous of my patients over the past 20 years, I surveyed 9 mental health clinicians who had taken antidepressant drugs long-term. Of these 9, 7 (77%) experienced bothersome toxic drug effects and 2 (22%) had become clearly worse than they were before they had started the drugs. Based on others' and my observations I describe …the genesis of this worsened condition which I call the Drug Stress Trauma Syndrome. These drug effects can be and are often so detrimental to the quality of life among a distinct but significant minority of patients that they can no longer be considered trivial or unimportant. Instead, they are so disruptive to many patients' quality of life that their effect becomes traumatic, and are thereby agents of trauma. These observations and preliminary data may encourage others to look into this matter in more depth. Show more

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-2010-0508

Citation: International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 195-207, 2010

Price: EUR 27.50