Objectives The increasing prevalence of herbal medicine use is a global public health concern. Critically, many women continue to use herbal medicines during pregnancy despite potential maternofetal risks. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with herbal medicine use during pregnancy in Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between February and May 2017. An Arabic-language 33-item survey assessing herbal medicine use was designed and distributed to 879 random women attending outpatient clinics at governmental and private hospitals in Hail, Saudi Arabia. Only women who were pregnant or had been pregnant in the previous 10 years were included. Results The mean age of the participants was 29.5 years, with 49% under 30 years old. Overall, 33% of the respondents claimed to have used herbal medicines during pregnancy. The most common reasons for doing so were to improve lactation (73%), improve the course of the pregnancy (56%) and facilitate labour (49%). Women who worked full-time and those with high school diplomas or above were significantly more likely to use herbal medicines during pregnancy (P <0.001 each). Conclusion To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to determine the prevalence and associated factors of herbal medicine use during pregnancy in Hail. The results showed a high prevalence of herbal medicine use among pregnant women in the region. Healthcare providers should therefore ensure that patients disclose the use of herbal medicines during pregnancy to avoid treatment complications or adverse herb-drug interactions.

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Journal: Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2020 Feb; 20(1): e71–e76.

Objective: To determine the accuracy, variability, and weight uniformity of tablet subdivision techniques utilized to divide the tablets of five drug products that are commonly prescribed for use as half tablets in Jordan. Methods: Ten random tablets of five commonly subdivided drug products were weighed and subdivided using three subdivision techniques: hand breaking, kitchen knife, and tablet cutter. The five commonly subdivided drug products (warfarin 5 mg, levothyroxine 50 μg, levothyroxine 100 μg, candesartan 16 mg, and carvedilol 25 mg) were weighed. The weights were analyzed for acceptance, accuracy, and variability. Weight variation acceptance criteria were adopted in this work as a tool to indicate the properness of the subdivision techniques used to produce acceptable half tablets. Other relevant physical characteristics of the five products such as tablet shape, dimensions, face curvature, score depth

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Journal: Pharmacy Practice 18 (2), 2020

OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of ternary mixture of smart polymers comprised of Eudragit®E100, Eudragit®L100, and sodium alginate to serve as a carrier for sustained drug release for weakly basic drugs. The model drug chosen in this part of the study is Metronidazole. METHODS:Matrix tablets formulations were prepared by either direct compression or by wet granulation. Dissolution studies were conducted using USP XXΠ rotating paddle apparatus in three different consecutive stages (pH 1.2, 4.8 and 6.8). Tablets made of low to intermediate proportions of sodium alginate and an approximately equal proportions of Eudragit®E100 and Eudragit®L100 were found to have significant modification of drug release rates. RESULT:Thus, indicating a potential for controlling the drug release for 12 hours depending on polymers ratios in the formulation. The ratio of sodium alginate to total Eudragit® polymers and the ratio of Eudragit®E100 to Eudragit®L100 within the ternary polymeric composition were found critical in determining the controlled release performance. CONCLUSION:Results of swelling studies were in agreement with the dissolution behaviors of the tablets. The findings suggest the significance of the ternary polymeric compositions in controlling the release of weakly basic drug.

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Journal: Current Drug Delivery, 31 Jul 2020, DOI: 10.2174/1567201817666200731170040 PMID: 32735522

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Journal: 72 1406-1413.

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Journal: 27: 911-915

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Journal: (1998) Vol. 14, No. 4: 183-193

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Journal: (1999) Volume 99 Issue 5: 192-207

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Journal: (March/April 2000) Vol. 6, No. 2: 122-128

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Journal: (2000) Vol. 19, No. 2: 198-211

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Journal: (Nov., 2002) Vol. 36, Issue 11: 1686-1691