Antipsychotic drugs produce a wide spectrum of physiological actions. Some of these effects differ among the various classes of antipsychotics. This medications have indications in the treatment of acute psychotic disorders. The main goal of this investigation was to determine the incidence and prevalence of the neuroleptic therapy acute side effects. The reason for this epidemiological investigation performing was the lack of knowledge of the exact neuroleptic therapy side effects incidence. Qualitative study on this problem has not been performed yet. Antipsychotic therapy side effects prevalence rate according to the literature data is ranging from 24% to 74%. Different prevalence rate is a consequence of different antipsychotic drug usage, different drug administration method and different side effects identification. On account of all these facts, we put the hypothesis on the correlation between the antipsychotic therapy and occurred side effects. Our experiment included all patients hospitalised from December 31st 1999 to January 31st 2000 in Intensive Care Unit of Biological Psychiatry Department of Psychiatric Clinic in Sarajevo. All patients were divided in three groups according to the applied therapy. All of them met ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia (F20-29). During our study the following examinations were performed: psychiatric interview, BRPS, scale of side effects, psychophysiological tests, general clinical impression, scale of appetite, carbon hydrate needs scale. Psychiatric and statistical evaluations were done as well. The evaluation of our examination is showing successful results in all groups of patients. The improvement of psychopathological symptoms was insignificant. Reported side effects were minimal with low incidence rate and relatively high prevalence rate. Statistical tests were calculated from the obtained data after what the null hypothesis was rejected. Consequently, an alternative hypothesis was confirmed and it indicated that the acute side effects incidence and prevalence were within the range of expectation. Intensity of the recorded side effects was moderate to mild. On the basis of the obtained data, it has been concluded that applied antipsychotic agents did not induce more psychophysiological function impairments in the treated patients. Psychophysiological functions remained in physiological range limits and their changes were not significant. Neuroleptic therapy side effects were minimal, meaning no toxic signs or therapy discontinuations were recorded.

Depression is among the most common of chronic health problems. WHO report predicts that depression will be the leading cause of disability in the industrial world by the year 2020. To be successful, treatment for the patients suffering from depression must be continued until complete recovery, but most patients do not stay on their antidepressant medication long enough. One of the most frequent reasons for break down is appearance of unpleasant side effects. In this study we followed up dynamics of the characteristic side effects of antidepressant therapy, with the major goal to assess their frequency and characteristics. The sample was all female patients taking antidepressant drugs in the Department of Psychiatry of Clinical Centre of University in Sarajevo. The treatment with antidepressants was efficient in most of the patients. A major advantage of SSRI over TCA was less pronounced side effects. The most intensive side effects of TCA (amitriptyline) were dry mouth, tremor and tachycardia while the most frequent side effects included blurred vision, tachycardia, dry mouth, tremor and sedation. Side effects of SSRI (fluoxetine/fluvoxamine) were mild, and the most frequent were nausea, tachycardia, swelling, dry mouth.

The Parkinsonism disease has chronical degenerative disease of the nervous system, which has the progressive course. The therapeutic value of the drugs weakens by course of the year, and the nondesired effects become more expressed. Thanks to the researches and new medicaments in the last tenth years have significantly widened the possibility for treating and control of the symptoms of Parkinsonism disease. The knowing of the mechanism of the action dosage, undesired effects, and the interaction of the drugs makes easier the specific parkinsonism therapy.

Background and Purpose: On the basis of structural similarity of newly synthesized compounds and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, we assumed that these compounds might have analgesic activity. Materials and Methods:Analgesic effects of newly synthesized compounds were analyzed on the albino mice of both genders. The sense of pain was caused by thermal stimulus by the method of hot plate. Individual analgesic effect of newly synthesized compounds was measured 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after a single oral administration in a dose of 35 mg/kg. Physiological solution in the same volume was administered to a control group. The surveyed compounds have the following chemical names: A = 1-phenyl-5-(4-acetamido-phenyl)-3-(4-hydroxycoumarin)-Δ 2 -pyrazolin, B = 1-phenyl-5-(3-chlorphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxycoumarin)-Δ 2 -pyrazolin, C = /1/-benzopyrano-(4,3b)-7-methyl-quinoline-6-on, D = 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methylqui-noline-3-carbonic acid. Results: Latency period for the compound A was significantly extended (p<0.001) 30 and 60 minutes after application as compared to the control group. However, 90 and 120 minutes after the application, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0,806 and p =0, 773) (t-test). The latency period for the compounds B and C as compared to the control group was significantly extended (p<0.001) in all observed time intervals. Similarly, the latency period for the compound D was extended 30 and 60 minutes after the application and was significant as compared to the control group (p<0.001). Latency was also increased when registered after 90 and 120 minutes (p=0.008 and p=0.026). Conclusions: After oral application, the investigated compounds showed analgesic effects to the sense of pain caused by a thermal stimulus.

European Research Association for Pharmaceutical Market and an international group have developed the ADC Drug Classification system, which is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). It has been in use since 1987. According to this classification, drugs are grouped into fourteen basic groups according to the organic system of the organism where they work. These fourteen anatomical groups represent the first anatomical level and is labeled with one capital letter, as follows: A Alimentary tract and metabolism B Blood and blood forming organs C Cardiovascular system D Dermatologicals G Genito urinary system and sex hormones H Systemic hormonal preparations, excl. sex hormones J General antiinfectives for systemic use L Antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents M Muscle-skeletal system N Nervous system P Antiparasitic products, insecticides and repellents R Respiratory system S Sensory organs V Various. Drugs are further divided into therapeutic groups and subgroups (2nd and 3rd level), the 4th level is the chemical-therapeutic subgroup. The 5th level is the generic drug name. Each drug is represented by 7 numeric-character bytes code. These seven bytes are determining the group (1st anatomical classification level marked by a capital letter) with the corresponding therapeutic subgroups on the 2nd and 3rd classification level, 4th level labels the chemical-therapeutic subgroup, while the 5th level is signified by the individual chemical compounds (generic name) and is marked by an Arabic number. The importance of the ATC classification is the possibility of the international comparability, monitoring of the use and consumption from various aspects. The standardized monitoring methodology incorporates too the daily doze determining methodology (DDD). Defined Daily Dose (DDD) is the drug amount used for the most common indication, and is, therefore, the basic statistical unit of drug use monitoring. It represents not only the recommended doze, but is also the only means of acquiring the number of patients receiving that particular drug (DDD per 1000 inhabitants). This makes the basis for the comparability of drug use in various places (country, region, institution, etc.).

Part of the impact of the war in ex-Yugoslavia and especially Bosnia and Herzegovina was to limit the supply of therapeutic drugs they had used before the war. The difficulties encountered made the health care system temporarily dependent on humanitarian assistance agencies which applied the concept of essential drugs; and, after initial difficulties, national health staff adapted to the need to prescribe from a very limited range of drugs. Meanwhile, national drug policy and procurement and prescribing practices were reviewed by working groups and a national List of Essential Drugs was drawn up by national experts with international support. This list has now been passed into legislation.

Antineoplastic agents called also cytostatics or cytotoxic agents have been used as modality in the treatment of lung cancers. Of all the histologic types of lung cancer, small lung cancer is the most sensitive to chemotherapy, although overall prognosis of patients with this cancer is quite poor. Now we have many combinations of cytotoxic agents and enough clinical experience, based on recent insights into the clinical behavior of lung carcinoma.

Cytostatics, besides having a desired therapeutic effect on the tumor, also cause side effects which are sometimes a limiting factor in their application. We have observed the type and intensity of side effects of cytostatic therapy suffered by patients with breast cancer during postoperative period (after radical mastectomy) 28 patients have been treated by CMF protocol (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) 29 patients by FAC protocol (5-fluorouracil, adriamycin cyclophosphamide) 31 patients by Cooper protocol (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, vincristine, prednizon). The patients have been under observation during a six-months period, while they have been submitted to the adjuvant chemotherapy. On the basis of the results obtained, it can be concluded that CMF protocol turned to be best tolerated. Protocol CMF was to a much lesser extent cause to alopecia, paresthesia, vomiting, urogenital disorders as componed to FAC and Cooper protocols. For that reason the adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with breast cancer should start with the CMF protocol, while FAC and Cooper protocols should be saved for the second line of treatment in case of unfavourable reaction to the CMF protocol.