Patients convenience

Because of their limited effects on allergic symptoms, decongestants often are used in combination with antihistamines.8 Many antihistamines are available in fixed-dose combinations with pseudoephedrine, which enhances the reduction in nasal congestion and allows for the patient convenience of one tablet. Optimally, therapy should be initiated with an antihistamine alone, adding the adrenergic agent only if nasal congestion does not resolve with antihistamine monotherapy. Use of separate antihistamine and pseudoephedrine also permits independent dose titration.4,11,12... 

Capecitabine is an oral prodrug of 5-FU that also is effective in the adjuvant setting and is being evaluated as a replacement for 5-FU for patient convenience and safety reasons. Data suggest that capecitabine is at least equivalent to 5-FU and leucovorin in efficacy and is better tolerated by patients.24 Consequently, most practitioners feel that capecitabine is an acceptable alternative to IV 5-FU plus leucovorin. However, the role of capecitabine with additional chemotherapy agents such as oxaliplatin requires further study... 

Since the efficacy of the agents is similar, selection of an agent for the treatment of recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer depends on residual toxicities, physician preference, and patient convenience. 

The packaging material should normally be selected so as to allow the optimal sterilization process to be applied to the product as a whole. Lfowever, factors other than the method of sterilization have to be taken into account in selecting a container material, such as the route of administration and patient convenience and compliance. Where the choice of container-closure precludes the use of terminal processing in the final container, the application should include appropriate documentation to explain and scientifically justify such a choice. The guidelines indicate that in such cases it is still the manufacturer s duty to continue the search for alternative containers that would allow terminal processes while providing the necessary product characteristics. 

Despite tremendous innovations in the field of drug delivery technology, oral intake remains the preferred route of drug administration, for reasons of patient convenience and therapy compliance. Compounds intended for oral administration must have adequate biopharmaceutical properties in order to achieve therapeutic concentrations at the targeted site of action. 

C) Once-daily dosing allows the patient convenience... 

When examining a new iontophoretic device, various parameters should be taken in mind. The ease to operate and apply on the human eye, patient convenience, surface contact area of... 

The original formulation, a buffered powder, has been replaced by chewable and dispersible buffered tablets with greater bioavailability (30-40%) a new enteric-coated formulation further improves patient convenience and tolerability. Since the chewable tablets contain both phenylalanine (36.5 mg) and sodium (1380 mg), caution should be exercised in patients with phenylketonuria and those taking sodium-restricted diets. Didanosine should be taken on an empty stomach and, because of the buffered formulation, should be administered at least 2 hours after administration of drugs requiring acidity for optimal absorption (eg, ketoconazole, itraconazole, dapsone). 

Drive-through windows are a patient convenience item seen today in many pharmacies. Patients are able to purchase prescriptions and limited OTC items without having to leave their cars. Industry measurements have shown that drive-through windows are viewed by customers as an added convenience, increasing stores sales by as much as 7 percent over stores without this convenience (Laskoski, 1992) (Fig. 23-6). 

Several other events occur simultaneously with these activities. Some events focus on extending therapeutic applications and formulations. Clinical studies are conducted to extend the diseases (indications) for which the drug is proven efficacious and safe. For example, TAXOL was initially approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer, and was later extended for the treatment of breast cancer after follow-on clinical studies demonstrated efficacy for the new indication. In addition, new product formulations are investigated to extend the routes of administration for patient convenience, increased bioavailability, and new disease therapies. For example, a drug initially developed as an injectable product may be formulated as a tablet for oral administration. 

Chewable tablets are designed to be mechanically disintegrated in the mouth. Potential advantages of chewable tablets are mainly concerning patient convenience and acceptance, although enhanced bioavailability is also claimed. This can be due... 

Provide greater patient convenience and better patient compliance by significantly prolonging the interval between administrations. 

In practice, a 12-hour dose interval would be selected to increase patient convenience. 

Since the introduction of transdermal scopolamine,f" many transdermal delivery systems have been developed for systemic activity. Major advantages claimed for this drug delivery route include continuous release of drug over a specified period, low presystemic clearance, facile drug withdrawal by simply removing the device, and good patient convenience and compliance. 

Fecal elastase (measured by the monoclonal antibody method) remains the test of choice as a noninvasive test for assessing pancreatic insufficiency from the perspectives of both diagnostic accuracy and patient convenience. A negative test does not exclude mild disease, and false positives in some nonpancreatic diseases and in very watery samples limit... 

Patient convenience High Low Low High Moderate High... 

Capecitabine is an acceptable alternative to intravenous fluorouracil for metastatic colorectal cancer, as it provides similar efficacy and its oral dosing may offer greater patient convenience. The role of capecitabine as a replacement for intravenous fluorouracil in combination regimens is under investigation. 

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