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1. The effect of providing information about medicines by a short 'sales' interview between individual general practitioners and an 'academic representative' on prescribing was investigated. 2. The promotional campaign was designed to encourage a rational approach to prescribing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents in an intervention group of 101 general practitioners selected at random from the Leeds Family Practitioner Committee (FPC). The remaining general practitioners in the Leeds FPC acted as a reference group. 3. The prescribing data for each group for 5 months immediately prior to and 5 months following intervention were compared. 4. Intervention produced a significant increase (P less than 0.005) in the prescribing cost of ibuprofen, the non-steroidal promoted as first choice agent, which was sustained for at least 5 months. 5. Prescribing of the second choice agent, piroxicam, decreased in the reference group but not in the intervention group. 6. There was a decrease in the average prescribing cost of pounds 6.60 per doctor per month in the intervention group compared with the reference group.

Lymphocytes of subjects from throughout the United Kingdom were studied over a two-year period beginning in January 1985 to determine the level of chromosomal damage produced by environmental exposure to cytotoxic agents. A small pilot study was conducted to determine the expected background level of chromosomal aberrations. Four groups of subjects were then recruited: pharmacy personnel who reconstituted the drugs under recommended conditions, nurses who did not reconstitute the drugs but worked on units where patients received cytotoxic chemotherapy, unexposed office workers from the same geographic location as the pharmacy personnel and nurses (negative control), and patients receiving cytotoxic drugs (positive control). Subjects completed questionnaires about smoking, viral illnesses, radiation exposure, and medication use in the past 12 months; pharmacy personnel were asked the numbers of times (1) they had handled specific drugs and (2) spills had occurred with these drugs. Lymphocytes from subjects were incubated for 48 hours, and first-division metaphases were examined for chromosome and chromatid aberrations; damage was measured as the number of aberrations per 100 cells. For a blood sample to be included in the analysis, at least 100 metaphase divisions had to be examined. Data were analyzed for 50 pharmacy staff members, 11 nurses, 12 controls, and 6 patients. Metaphase divisions in cells of the pharmacy personnel and nurses indicated no significant difference in chromosomal damage compared with the unexposed office workers. When the pharmacy, nurse, and control groups were pooled into a nonpatient group and compared with the patient group, significantly greater damage was observed in the patient group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In a group of mothers who received pethidine intramuscularly during labour, drug concentrations were higher in saliva than in blood and there was a significant correlation (p < 0.001) between saliva and blood concentrations measured between 1 hour and 4 hours 20 minutes after dosage. In newborn babies, the pethidine concentrations detected in pharyngeal aspirates were higher than those in umbilical arterial or umbilical venous blood, but there was no correlation. Pethidine was also detected in the saliva from babies for 48 hours after birth. Furthermore, the appreciably higher levels in breast-fed babies suggest that such babies may receive a dose of pethidine in the milk.

1 The disposition of cyclophosphamide was investigated in a group of myeloma patients. 2 Marked changes in clearance and volume of distribution of cyclophosphamide occurred between investigations. 3 The observed changes in disposition did not correlate with biochemical estimates of renal and hepatic function or plasma protein status.

The degradation of phenylbutazone was studied in the presence of lakes suitable for coloring the sugar coats of phenylbutazone tablets. The drug was degraded, in light, in the presence of erythrosine sodium. The degradation probably proceeds via singlet oxygen generated by the light-exicited dye. The degradation may be important in some quality control procedures and can lead, for example, to unusual results in dissolution rate testing.

The disposition of diphenhydramine (DPHA) and its principal metabolites was investigated in two subjects after i.v. and oral dosing. Based on these parameters the results of a multiple oral dose regimen were predicted and compared to the results obtained in these volunteers. During one dose interval of the multiple oral dose regimen, the volunteers indulged in social drinking. Comparison of this interval with a control period showed no differences in disposition. Alcohol therefore, would appear to have no effect on the disposition of DPHA.

Bilirubin dynamics were studied in homozygous Gunn rats under normal room lighting conditions and under conditions simulating phototherapy. A kinetic model was developed for the formation, distribution, and elimination of bilirubin. The decrease in plasma bilirubin concentration during illumination with low intensity [300 footcandles (fc)] and high intensity (1000-1100 fc) light was studied. The plasma bilirubin concentration in the rats decreased under phototherapy until a new steady-state concentration was reached, the decline being more rapid under high intensity light conditions. Gunn rats were also injected with a tracer dose of 14C-bilirubin following a period during which the rats were illuminated with low or high intensity light. The distribution and elimination of the labeled bilirubin were followed under continuous illumination. The chosen kinetic model, when adapted to the set of data under investigation, fit all of the data concerning bilirubin kinetics in Gunn rats under continuous illumination.