• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.462-471
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• 2020

The Zolpidem, commonly used as a sleeping pill, binds to GABA receptors to increase neuro-inhibiting transporters. There are many cases where people take Zolpidem for more than four weeks in a row. The Drug Utilization Review, currently in effect in South Korea, can identify the use patterns of Zolpidem. It is necessary to prevent Zolpidem's misuse. The study was conducted from May 10, 2019 to May 15, 2019. Primary and secondary screening was performed out of 125,197 total retrieved documents. The final 254 literature cases directly related to Zolpidem's misuse were selected. Through systematic literature research through meta-analysis, we tried to find a way to prevent Zolpidem's misuse through the Drug Utilization Review. The distortion was minimized by applying it in the screening process. Zolpidem's misuse was severe and continued to increase its use. There has also been an increase in crime using Zolpidem. It has been analyzed that Zolpidem can be managed through Narcotics Integrated Management System and Drug Utilization Review. In order to reduce the use of Zolpidem, the supply through the Narcotics Integrated Management System and the demand through long-term user education should be suppressed.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.375-385
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• 2010

Conventional cancer chemotherapy is seriously limited by tumor cells exhibiting multidrug resistance (MDR), which is caused by changes in the levels or activity of membrane transporters that mediate energy-dependent drug efflux and of proteins that affect drug metabolism and/or drug action. Cancer scientists and oncologists have worked together for some time to understand anticancer drug resistance and develop pharmacological strategies to overcome such resistance. Much focus has been on the reversal of the MDR phenotype by inhibition of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporters. ABC transporters are a family of transporter proteins that mediate drug resistance and low drug bioavailability by pumping various drugs out of cells at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. Many inhibitors of MDR transporters have been identified, and though some are currently undergoing clinical trials, none are in clinical use. Herein, we briefly review the status of MDR in human cancer, explore the pathways of MDR in chemotherapy, and outline recent advances in the design and development of MDR modulators.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.3
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• pp.168-174
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• 2015

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is still a major threat worldwide. However, recent scientific advances in diagnostic and therapeutic tools have improved the management of drug-resistant TB. The development of rapid molecular testing methods allows for the early detection of drug resistance and prompt initiation of an appropriate treatment. In addition, there has been growing supportive evidence for shorter treatment regimens in multidrug-resistant TB; and for the first time in over 50 years, new anti-TB drugs have been developed. The World Health Organization has recently revised their guidelines, primarily based on evidence from a meta-analysis of individual patient data (n=9,153) derived from 32 observational studies, and outlined the recommended combination and correct use of available anti-TB drugs. This review summarizes the updated guidelines with a focus on the medical management of drug-resistant TB.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.41-45
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• 2007

Pharmacogenomics is the study that examines how genetic variations affect the ways in which people respond to drugs. The ways people respond to drugs are complex traits that are influenced by many different genes. Pharmacogenomics intends to develop rational means of optimizing drug therapy, with respect to the patients' genotype, to maximize efficacy with minimal adverse drug reactions. Pharmacogenomics has the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine, and promises to usher in an area of personalized medicine, in which drugs and drug combinations are optimized for each individual's unique genetic makeup. Indeed, pharmacogenomics is exploited as an essential step for target discovery and drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. The goal of the personalized medicine is to get the right dose of the right drug to the right patient at the right time. In this article, we will review the use of pharmacogenomics in drug discovery and development.

• Biomaterials and Biomechanics in Bioengineering
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2015

Despite recent progresses in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems, there are still many unsolved limitations. Most of all, a major obstacle in current nanoparticle-based drug carrier is the lack of sufficient drug delivery into target cells due to various biological barriers, such as: extracellular matrix, endolysosomal barrier, and drug-resistance associated proteins. To circumvent these limitations, several research groups have utilized photochemical internalization (PCI), an extension of photodynamic therapy (PDT), in design of innovative and efficient nano-carriers drug delivery. This review presents an overview of a recent research on utilization of PCI in various fields including: anti-cancer therapy, protein delivery, and tissue engineering.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 2010

This review summarizes gender differences in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and adverse drug reactions. Gender differences in pharmacokinetics are categorized by four major factors: absorption/bioavailability, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. There are sex-based differences in gastric emptying time, gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity, apparent volume of distribution, ${\alpha}1$-acid glycoprotein level, phase I (CYP) and phase II metabolizing enzymes, glomerular filtration rate, and drug transporters. This review also reports gender differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cardiovascular agents, central nervous system acting agents and antiviral agents. In addition, it has been reported that females experience more adverse reactions such as coughing, tachycardia, nausea, vomiting, rash, hypersensitivity, hepatotoxicity, and metabolic disorder after taking cardiovascular, central nervous system acting and antiviral agents. Therefore, in order to provide optimal drug dosage regimens both in male and female, gender differences in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and adverse drug reactions must be considered.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.399-404
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• 2005

To investigate drug interaction, 23,536 prescriptions published for 1 year were investigated with 'Drug Inter­action Fact 2002'. Dispensing records and a database file written in a local general hospital in South Korea were used as a sample. The number of total cases of drug interaction was 3,238 ($13.76\%$) out of 23,536 prescriptions. The incidence of drug interaction in each prescription the children, the adults, and the elderly were $1.33\%,\;10.97\%,\;25.50\%$, respectively. The incidences of drug interaction per each prescription were $22.03\%,\;20.52\%,\;0.51\%,\;and\;0.36\%$ in neurosurgery, internal med­icine, pediatrics, and orthopedics, respectively. In neurosurgery and internal medicine, risk-high drugs of drug interaction such as antihypertensive drugs, diuretics, and cimetidine were used very often in elderly. In this paper, several suggestions to reduce drug interaction were postulated with regard to the usage of analgesics, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, and antibiotics.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.243-256
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• 2017

Doxorubicin as a chemotherapeutic drug is widely used for the treatment of patients with cancer. However, clinical use of this drug is hampered by its cardiotoxicity, which is manifested as electrocardiographic abnormalities, arrhythmias, irreversible degenerative cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. The precise mechanisms underlying the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin are not clear, but impairment of calcium homeostasis, generation of iron complexes, production of oxygen radicals, mitochondrial dysfunction and cell membrane damage have been suggested as potential etiologic factors. Compounds that can neutralize the toxic effect of doxorubicin on cardiac cells without reducing the drug's antitumor activity are needed. In recent years, numerous studies have shown that herbal medicines and bioactive phytochemicals can serve as effective add-on therapies to reduce the cardiotoxic effects of doxorubicin. This review describes different phytochemicals and herbal products that have been shown to counterbalance doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2006

Drugs are often taken together with meals and there are numerous opportunity for food-drug interaction to occure. Food-drug interactions and their clinical consequences are very complex indeed. The composition of the meal, and the volume of fluid that is ingested often are decisive factors in food-drug interactions. Various formulations of a specific drug may behave differently. Solutions and suspensions seem to be less susceptible and enteric-coated preparations are more susceptible, to food interactions than are other dosage forms but exceptions to this rule do exist. Furthermore, generic and environmental factors, disease and other drugs cause considerable inter- and intraindividual variation in food-drug interactions. Also, eating habits are dissimilar in different parts of the world, and diets often vary greatly from day to day. The taking of drugs together with meals offers some obvious benefits. It may help to reduce gastrointestinal irritation and compliance is improved. On the other hand, in some cases food interferes seriously with drug absorption. The purpose of this review is to clarify the complexity of food-drug interactions, and to discuss interactions that may be of clinical importance.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.127-138
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• 2005

This is to examine the OTC regulatory system of Korea in comparison with those of Japan, UK and US, and suggest the possible regulatory actions to harmonize it to international standards. Individual countries have their own regulatory requirements and processes far OTC application based on established drug monographs and safety profiles from clinical experiences. Categories of OTC drug monographs are being expanded with transparent establishment procedure according to detailed guidelines, and public opinions as well as professional experts for assessing appropriateness of wide usage without physician's prescription. In line with trend of self-medication worldwide, the number of OTC drugs is increasing and more efficient and professional drug review is underway in the separate OTC division in regulatory agency. For improving OTC regulatory system in Korea, settlement of optimal drug classification policy and management for encouraging OTC drug use, development of more detailed and specific guidelines for OTC drug application, expansion of OTC drug monographs, transparent process for OTC monographs establishment, and establishment of OTC division in health authority, are suggested.