An international conference on "Pharmaceutical products in the environment: is there a problem?" in the framework of...

Pharmaceutical products contain more than just the active drug; they also contain various excipients such as binders, solubilizers, stabilizers, preservatives, and other elements. In some cases, impurities or contaminants might be present. Traditionally, quality control in pharmaceuticals has primarily focused on the analysis of the active drug, often overlooking the impact of these additional components. The recent issue with heparin contamination by over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, a...

Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...

Drug control governance involves the oversight and regulation of pharmaceuticals to ensure their safety and efficacy while preventing illegal drug use and trafficking. Regulatory bodies, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union's European Medicines Agency (EMA), play a central role in this process. These agencies evaluate the safety and efficacy of drugs before they can be marketed. They fund clinical trials and assess the benefits and risks associated with...

Post-marketing surveillance is a critical component of pharmaceutical regulation, often uncovering unanticipated adverse drug reactions (ADRs) once a drug is widely used over an extended period.
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...

Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...

The long-term stability of drug products is critical to ensuring their quality, safety, and effectiveness over time. Stability directly influences a product's ability to maintain its intended characteristics, ensuring it performs as expected during its intended shelf life. Key attributes such as drug potency, impurities, dissolution, and other physicochemical measures of performance are tested to assess stability. These parameters indicate how well the product retains its quality over time and...