Pharmaceutical Researcher

What type of COVID-19 test do you think is the most effective? There I know is the spit, blood, nose swab, questioners, and I assume probably a few others. What do you think?

Asked by Randall about 4 years ago

This is complicated and not really a pharma question. More important than which body part is sampled is what exactly is being measured with each type of test and the reason why you seek testing. If you think you've been exposed wait a couple of days and get the PCR test (nose swab). It is sensitive enough to pick up the virus even before you become infectious to others, sick or asymptomatic. Unfortunately, test results arrive several days later so quarantine until then and hope for a negative. Antigen test - this is the best test if you're actually feeling sick. It's less sensitive than PCR, but if you're truly sick with COVID it will tell you in less than an hour. A rapid, inexpensive, self test based on this technology would be a game changer. Imagine, for example, testing every kid every morning before school. Antibody test - this blood test detects anti-COVID antibodies. A positive indicates that you've had the disease (or in the future, the vaccine). It's not useful for determining if you're sick or infectious because it remains positive long after recovery. It's useful for identifying persons suitable for convalescent plasma donation and possibly indicates some measure of immunity to reinfection.

What’s a drug that is either over the counter and shouldn’t be or is not over the counter and should be?

Asked by Lakeside railroad about 4 years ago

In my view an OTC medication must satisfy two criteria. First, it must have a very well-established, excellent safety profile and second, it must be a proven remedy for a condition that the user can self-determine. For example, headache, heartburn, constipation, etc. Conditions like high BP, high cholesterol, and diabetes are not reliably monitored by patients and are thus appropriately not OTC. There are certain prescription medicines that treat self-determinable conditions that I believe could be OTC so long as they are dispensed by a professional capable of providing safety guidance for their use. Call it “pharmacist prescribing.” My list would include drugs for erectile dysfunction, anxiety, sleep aids, acne and maybe certain urinary tract targeted antibiotics. Ordinarily, physicians prescribe these drugs with advice only and no further monitoring.

What do you think are good ways to fight the opioid epidemic?

Asked by Greg about 4 years ago

Opioids have been around for a very long time. Their usages, i.e. pain relief and pleasure, historically have not changed. There always have been overdose deaths, sad as they were, but what’s different today is the sheer number of them. The causative issues that have been identified are the bloated and reckless supply chain of pharmaceutical grade pills and the incorporation of deadly fentanyl into the street drugs. There are no simple solutions. Government action against irresponsible manufacturers and distributers, tighter regulation of prescriptions, and the availability of rescue medicines in the field, while sensible, have actually only reduced deaths by a few percent. Opioids are very effective for pain relief, but because they are much less expensive than more sophisticated medical procedures like pain management and surgery, patients opt for them and are thus at risk of developing addiction, advancing from relief to pleasure to danger. One solution to that might be for insurance companies to fully cover non-drug medical intervention and thus lower the cost barrier to safe care. It’s a win-win. Patients live and companies continue to receive their premiums. I see no remedy for the dangers of illicit opiates short of the progressive idea of establishing clinics where addicts are maintained with clean materials. Perhaps the opioid blockers could be available to addicts to carry around themselves rather than restricting their use to first responders and ERs. Hopefully, one day science may discover the molecular basis for addiction and invent a way to control it.

When prescribed HDQ (plaquenil hydroxychloroquine) for COVID-19 how much should you take and for how long? What are some side effects and is this a effective medication? What are some other illnesses for the medication?

Asked by Dannie about 4 years ago

According to the FDA there is no effective HCQ regimen for the treatment of COVID-19. Its emergency use is no longer authorized. I refer you to the link below for answers to your three questions.https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-cautions-against-use-hydroxychloroquine-or-chloroquine-covid-19-outside-hospital-setting-or

which solute is most effective at lowering freezing temps sucrose, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, aluminum chloride

Asked by Mark g about 4 years ago

This is not a pharma question and I’m not expert in colligative properties, however, my understanding is that freezing point depression is a function of the molality of a solute in a solution. The molality represents the total number of dissolved particles. You’re obviously familiar with this since your list includes compounds of increasing molal potential. I submit that based on molality, aluminum chloride would be best so long as the solution was fairly dilute. While the others nicely dissolve in water, AlCl3 reacts with water and forms HCl, a dissolved gas. In a concentrated solution some of the HCl would degas and thus lower the molality reducing the freezing point depression. So if your goal is a several degree drop, choose CaCl2. It’s a safer bet.

Should we end the war on drugs?

Asked by Tayyyy about 4 years ago

End which part? International cartels and their networks in the U.S.? No. Criminalization of users? Yes, unless they commit other serious crimes. Treat addiction as a medical problem with therapy and/or safe drugs with supervision.

Can you become a pharmaceutical scientist with a behavioral neuroscience or biology major?

Asked by Maisha over 3 years ago