Full Article
Every week, we will provide a brief summary and a link to the published abstract of newly published papers selected from the worldwide literature as being of particular interest to the SelfCare community.
OTC POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 3350 AND PHARMACISTS’ ROLE IN MANAGING CONSTIPATION.
By: Horn JR, Mantione MM, Johanson JF.
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association: JAPhA 52. 3 (May 2012 – Jun 2012): 372-80.
Summary: Pharmacists have a unique role in assisting patients with identifying and managing constipation. Multiple controlled clinical trials have established the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of PEG 3350 at its recommended dose of 17 g once daily. On the basis of this evidence, various professional groups have recommended PEG 3350 for use in improving stool frequency and consistency in patients with constipation. PEG 3350 is approved for short-term use, including treatment of constipation caused by medications. Compared with other available OTC agents, PEG 3350 can be recommended to patients suffering from constipation on the basis of a large body of clinical evidence supporting its efficacy and safety, as well as the high patient acceptance shown for its palatability and once-daily dosing.
RESPONSIVENESS OF EFFICACY ENDPOINTS IN CLINICAL TRIALS WITH OVER THE COUNTER ANALGESICS FOR HEADACHE.
By: Aicher B, Peil H, Peil B, Diener HC.
Cephalalgia 32. 13 (Oct 2012): 953-962.
Summary: Aim: To quantify and compare the responsiveness within the meaning of clinical relevance of efficacy endpoints in a clinical trial with over the counter (OTC) analgesics for headache. Efficacy endpoints and observed differences in clinical trials need to be clinically meaningful and mirror the change in the clinical status of a patient. This must be demonstrated for the specific disease indication and the particular patient population based on the application of treatments with proven efficacy. Responsiveness, the ability of an outcome measure to detect clinically important changes in a specific condition of a patient, should be added in future revisions of IHS guidelines for clinical trials in headache disorders.
MEDICATION AND SUPPLEMENT USE FOR MANAGING JOINT SYMPTOMS AMONG PATIENTS WITH KNEE AND HIP OSTEOARTHRITIS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.
By: JB Driban, SA Boehret, E Balasubramanian, NM Cattano, et al.
BMC musculoskeletal disorders 2012 Mar; 13: 47.
Summary: To determine the professionally-guided and self-guided medication and supplement use for joint symptom management among patients with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis (OA) in an urban hospital-based outpatient orthopedic practice. Among the 162 participants, a majority reported professionally-guided recommendations and over 40% reported at least one self-guided intervention. 37 participants reported dual-use during the same day, and among those, 15 reported dual-use at the same time. Among participants taking multiple interventions in the same day, 40.5% reported using prescription and over-the-counter medications. Both professional and self-guided medications and supplements are used by inner city OA patients to manage their joint symptoms. It is important for clinicians to discuss with these patients how to effectively manage multiple joint symptoms, the importance of taking medications as prescribed, and what they should if they believe a treatment is ineffective or their medication runs out.