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The pharmacokinetics of the anti-epileptic drug di-n-propylacetate (Depakine) have been studied in 7 patients, in whom plasma concentrations were determined during and following subchronic treatment. Elimination of the drug appeared to follow a monophasic exponential course; biological half lives were 8 to 15 hours. The data supported the assumption that an open one-compartment model can be used to describe the kinetics of dipropylacetate in man. The drug appeared to have a relatively restricted distribution: calculated relative distribution volumes ranged from 0.15 to 0.40 1/kg. There were large interindividual differences in clearance rate. The therapeutic range was considered to be between 50 and 100 mg/1 plasma. Plasma levels of phenobarbital were markedly raised during treatment with dipropylacetate for an unknown reason. Determination of the plasma concentrations of drugs at accurately fixed times appears to be a reliable method for pharmacotherapeutic monitoring of epileptic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study that discusses the central government's decision depicting the use of insulin drug for diabetic treatment in England. It focused on the controversy over the supply of insulin in the country. The Treasury and the Ministry of Health were forced to provide steps to control the distribution of the drug, but refused the responsibility for assisting people who could not afford for the drug. The local authorities were pressured to supply the drug to individuals who were not insured, did not qualify for relief, and did not need hospital treatment. In addition, the National Health Service was obliged to help poor people to obtain an expensive drug.

The contributions that participant observation can make to the area of program evaluation are analyzed, based on research in a therapeutic drug community. Participant observation is approached from the notion of strategies of participation, namely: (1) gaining access to data; (2) evoking behavior; (3) identifying psychologically with the people being studied; (4) connecting concepts with indicators; and (5) formulating hypotheses. The present study supports the usage of these strategies as a framework that is useful in formulating more scientific approaches to evaluation. The implication of the study is that participant observation should be integrated into a network of research techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates the drug monitoring system in a mental hospital and its relationship to the occurrence of untoward incidence on a psychiatric population. Three practical steps were applied to meet the basic needs in monitoring the use of therapeutics in the hospital, they include the selection of operational definitions, selection of factors from the complex which constitute the patients record and the standardization of drug prescription and drug administration checking systems. The monitor revealed that 52 percent of the cohort encountered at least one untoward event whereas multiple untoward event experiences were typical. Moreover, the highest rates were linked with the treatment of electroplexy, an antidepressant drug and phenothiazines.

The article presents a research which investigates on the mood and behavioral changes with progestational agents in psychiatric patients. Fifty patients have been interviewed after taking drugs with progestational agents such as Ovulen, Enovid, Ortho Novum and Norlutin. After six months, the researchers found that the drugs have undesirable effects. The patients complained of increased susceptibility to the usual kind of stresses they encountered. Two analytic patients became depressed for no detectable reason. The effects also include visual hallucinosis followed by migraine and symptoms of menopausal syndrome.

The article assesses the efficacy of amitriptyline or triptizol and amitriptyline with perphenazine or triptafen in treating depressed patients. The drugs were administered in relation to the diurnal variation of the symptoms. The discontinuation of drug intake was not carried out suddenly, however, it was reduced until it was ultimately stopped. It highlights the results of the study that enrolled a total of 71 patients who received amitriptyline and 42 patients who were given triptafen. Six patients reported a troublesome side-effects, four on amitriptyline and two on triptafen.

The article focuses on the controlled clinical trial comparing triptafen tablets that contain amitriptyline hydrochloride and perphenazine with matching placebo in treating depressive illness. It investigates 39 out-patients and 90 in-patients wherein 67 of them were diagnosed of primary depressive disorders. To avoid any bias concerning the drugs' side-effects, the clinical assessment was made first and then the adverse effects were evaluated at the end of the trial period of each patient. It discovered the improvement of the health condition of 129 patients with depressive illness than those who received placebo.

The article presents a study on the activation of imipramine or tofranil and metabolite desmethylimipramine (DMI) in affecting both toxicity and clinical effectiveness of mental illness. It investigates the blood samples withdrawn from the subjects by venepuncture and immediately mixed with 0.2 ml. and 10 % of disodium diamino-ethane-tetra-acetate in silicone tube, and estimation of imipramine and DMI in plasma. It highlights the results of the chromatography in plasma samples from patients receiving 50-255 milligrams of imipramine daily. They were extracted and chromatographed on thin layers of Kieselgel with authentic samples of imipramine and DMI.

The article presents the biochemical study which determines the clinical factors contributing to the drug rejection of schizophrenic in-patients and out-patients. It investigated 25 unequivocally male schizophrenic and 25 female in-patients, who were not prescribed with imipramine or any phenothiazines other than chlorpromazine thrice a day. Testing was performed on the urine samples of 48 schizophrenic in-patients. Results indicated the significant drug rejection occurred on tablets, while patients with clinical paranoid delusions were mostly implicated. The administration of chlorpromazine in syrup form was very useful in overcoming the difficulty.

Presents the result of a survey conducted to explore the status of physician-school communication with respect to monitoring the administration of stimulant drugs to hyperactive children. Problem of monitoring the effects of the medications used; Relation of the teacher's perception of the appropriateness of activity level and attention span to their involvement in direct contact with the prescribing physician.