Background: In this clinical pharmacological research, we dealt with the action of allopurinol on triglyceride levels in hyperuricemic patients.Methods: The study included 40 hyperuricemic patients, of both genders and different age groups, that were sorted by comorbid diagnoses in several subgroups. All patients were clinically treated in the period of three years both at UCC Sarajevo, and P.I. General Hospital "Abdulah Nakaš" Sarajevo. All clinical measurements were carried out using standard IFCC methods with the appropriate analysers.Results: The study was based on mean triglyceride levels before and after three and six months of treatment with allopurinol. It was found out that the mean triglyceride levels were not significantly different from the reference values prior to treatment (p = 0.846) and after three months of therapy (p=0.153). In contrast, after six months of treatment, triglyceride levels significantly increased compared to the reference values. In patients with a diagnosis of gout and metabolic syndrome, triglycerides were statistically significantly increased during the six months of observation. A statin group of patients showed a statistically significant increase in triglyceride levels after three months of therapy (p = 0.032), while, after six months their levels had decreased (p = 0.029). In patients with diabetes mellitus type II, triglycerides rose after three months of treatment (p = 0.039) and retained the same level after six months of observation.Conclusions: The analysis shows that the use of allopurinol has an effect on triglyceride levels in hyperuricemic patients.

Introduction: Pharmacovigilance is an arm of patient care. No one wants to harm patients, but unfortunately any medicine will sometimes do just this. Underreporting of adverse drug reactions by healthcare professionals is a major problem in many countries. In order to determine whether our pharmacovigilance system could be improved, and identify reasons for under-reporting, a study to investigate the role of health care professionals in adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting was performed.Methods: A pretested questionnaire comprising of 20 questions was designed for assessment of knowledge, perceptions, practice and barriers toward ADR reporting on a random sample of 1000 healthcare professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Results: Of the 1000 respondents, 870 (87%) completed the questionnaire. The survey showed that 62.9% health care professionals would report ADR to the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Device of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ALMBIH). Most of surveyed respondents has a positive perception towards ADR reporting, and believes that this is part of their professional and legal obligation, and they also recognize the importance of reporting adverse drug reactions. Only small percent (15.4%) of surveyed health care professionals reported adverse drug reaction.Conclusions: The knowledge of ADRs and how to report them is inadequate among health care professionals. Perception toward ADR reporting was positive, but it is not reflected in the actual practice of ADRs, probably because of little experience and knowledge regarding pharmacovigilance. Interventions such as education and training, focusing on the aims of pharmacovigilance, completing the ADR form and clarifying the reporting criteria are strongly recommended.

Introduction : One of the most important priorities in therapy is pain control. Therefore, many different groups of drugs are being used for this purpose, primarily opioid analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Opioid analgesic tramadol, by binding to specific receptors, modulates the perception and response to painful stimuli and inhibits transmitting and further processing of pain impulses. Lornoxicam, which belongs to the oxicam class of NSAIDs, is a non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor with strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, and better tolerance profile. Preliminary research, which requires further verification, suggests that lornoxicam may be a better alternative or adjunctive therapy to opioid analgesics in the treatment of moderate to severe pain. The aim of this study was to investigate antinociceptive effects of lornoxicam, as well as the combination of lornoxicam with tramadol. Methods : Analgesic effect of combination of lornoxicam and tramadol or lornoxicam applied alone was examined on female albino mice, using a hot plate method. Measurements were made 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after intraperitoneal and subcutaneous administration, in dose of 10 mg/kg. Results: Combination of lornoxicam and tramadol, applied intraperitoneally, increases the threshold of sensitivity to painful stimuli, which was not the case with subcutaneous administration. Conclusions: Lornoxicam significantly increases analgesic effect when applied intraperitoneally in combination with tramadol. On the other hand, lornoxicam in combination with tramadol, did not increase the threshold of sensitivity to painful stimuli with significant difference, after subcutaneous administration

Subject: The concentration of serum uric acid (SUA) is one of the potential markers of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as some other severe diseases. In this pharmacological – clinical study we evaluated allopurinol effect on certain values of lipid profile fractions in hyperuricemic patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome that had pronounced cardiovascular problems, also with diagnosed hypertension. Methods: Research sample comprised 40 clinically treated hyperuricemic patients of both sexes, different ages, classified into several subgroups according to the disease diagnoses. The methods used in the study included: assay analysis, statistical and comparative methods. All clinical measurements were performed with standard IFCC methods on suitable biochemical analyzers. Results: Study established that after the first three months of allopurinol use, there was statistically significant difference in the average value of uric acid compared to the patients’ initial state. During the next three months of therapy no further statistically significant difference in average values of uric acid (p = 0,936) was detected, meaning that the desirable effects of drug use were achieved. Simultaneously, the values of triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL fractions in test subjects increased significantly (p > 0,05). The values of HDL fractions increased after three month therapy with allopurinol, but later their value remained constant. Atherogenic index increased significantly after three and six months of therapy, therewith retaining at upper limit of reference value. Conclusion: The study results confirmed the primary hypothesis, which was that the allopurinol use affects the values of lipid profile fractions in hyperuricemic patients.

Goal: Polypharmacy and drug-related problems (DRPs) have been shown to prevail in hospitalized patients. We evaluated the prevalence of polypharmacy; and investigated relationship between polypharmacy and: symptoms of DRPs, number of drugs and OTC, index of cumulative morbidity, length of exposure to polypharmacy and the number of days of hospital stay among hospitalized patients. Methodology: A study was performed in Pharmacies „Eufarm Edal“ Tuzla from 2010 to 2011. Polypharmacy was defined as using ≥ 3 drugs. The total study sample of 226 examiners were interviewed with special constructed questionnaires about DRPs. Experimental study group consisted of hospital patients with polypharmacy (n=166) and control group hospital patients without polypharmacy (n=60). Mann-Whitney test was used to test for significant self-reported symptom differences between groups and cross sectional subgroups, t- test and χ2- test for age, gender and treatment data in hospital. Results: The prevalence of polypharmacy was 74% among 226 hospitalized patients. The vulnerable age subgroup of hospitalized patients was men and hospitalized patients aged from 46 to 50 years (not geriatric patients). The prevalence of index of cumulative morbidity was 65%. The most common exposures varied by patient age and by hospital type, with various antibiotics, antidepressants, analgesics, sedatives, antihypertensives, flixotide, ranitidine and others. The prevalence of exposure to OTC and self- treatment was 80%. The prevalence of symptoms of drug-related problems were significantly differed among patients of experimental in relationship of control study group patients (P<0.001). Conclusion: In addition to helping to resolve the above mentioned issues, the results from this study could provide baseline information quantifying the problem of drug- related problems among hospitalized patients receiving polypharmacy and contribute to the formulation and implementation of risk management strategies for pharmacists and physicians in primary care health.