OBJECTIVE: To retrieve and collate the earliest recorded texts in ancient acupuncture-moxibustion prescriptions for chest obstruction and heart pain, and explore the acupoint composition principles. METHODS: The Excel 2016 software was used to build a data set of ancient textual records on acupuncture-moxibustion prescriptions for chest obstruction and heart pain. After the terminology related to etiology, pathogenesis, accompanying symptoms, acupoints, and treatment methods unified, the frequency statistical analysis and association rule algorithms were applied to analyze the implicit association patterns among various elements of syndrome differentiation, treatment selection, and acupoint selection in ancient prescriptions from multiple dimensions. RESULTS: The basic acupoints of high frequency in ancient acupuncture-moxibustion treatment for chest obstruction and heart pain were Daling (PC7), Neiguan (PC6), Taixi (KI3), Taichong (LR3), Shangwan (CV13), Yongquan (KI1), and Xinshu (BL15). The prescription was mostly composed of yuan-source points. Besides, the combinations of two of five-shu points, five-shu points with luo-connecting points, and yuan-source points with luo-connecting points were common. The high-frequency points were from the pericardium meridian of hand-jueyin, conception vessel, kidney meridian of foot-shaoyin, liver meridian of foot-jueyin, and bladder meridian of foot-taiyang, generally distributed on the yin part of the arm, abdominal region, the yin part of foot, the back, and the yin part of the leg. Zhigou (TE6), Zusanli (ST36), Baihui (GV20), and Jiuwei (CV15), as well as the specific acupoint combinations, were used for chest obstruction and heart pain due to qi stagnation. Moxibustion was more suitable for chest obstruction and heart pain caused by qi reversion, cold and qi stagnation. Shaohai (HT3) was invariably selected when hand tremor was accompanied; Zhongchong (PC9) combined with Daling (PC7) was selected specially for feverish sensation in the palms. Moxibustion was exclusively applied to Shangwan (CV13), and Taixi (KI3) was often stimulated with moxibustion. At Neiguan (PC6) and Daling (PC7), moxibustion was delivered in combination with acupuncture (high confidence was presented in acupuncture). CONCLUSION In ancient acupuncture-moxibustion treatment for chest obstruction and heart pain, the points of the pericardium meridian of hand-jueyin are predominant, coordinated with those of the liver meridian of foot-jueyin, kidney meridian of foot-shaoyin, conception vessel, and bladder meridian of foot-taiyang. It follows the principles of acupoint selection, "the pericardium acting on behalf of the heart", "regulating qi as the priority", "combination of yuan-source points with luo-connecting points", and "selecting nearby points along the affected meridians".
Humans ; Moxibustion/history* ; Acupuncture Therapy/history* ; Acupuncture Points ; History, Ancient ; Data Mining ; Chest Pain/history* ; Prescriptions/history* ; Meridians

Effective prescriptions are treasures of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). To explore these resources and promote the features of TCM treatments, the core question is to investigate bioactive substances and therapeutic mechanisms of TCM prescriptions by modern science and technical methods. Currently, the bottleneck problem of studying TCM prescriptions is that the complicated components of TCM prescriptions hinder investigations on the therapeutic mechanisms of TCM prescriptions. To address this issue, a method of "fraction-spectrum-effect-mechanism" was proposed based on the essence, attribute, and characteristics of actions of TCM prescriptions, as well as the merits of currently available methods of chemical and pharmacodynamic studies of TCM prescription. The whole prescriptions were chosen as study objects. The bioactive substances and therapeutic mechanisms of TCM prescriptions were investigated by the systematical category of major constituents of TCM prescriptions. This method reflected the essence, attributes, and characteristics of actions of TCM prescriptions and showed comprehensiveness in theory. It also demonstrated feasibility in practices by using the molecular characteristics, physical and chemical properties, and separation methods of components of TCM prescriptions. This method provides a novel way to study TCM prescriptions, which could assist in studying on modern scientific connotation of TCM prescriptions and developing new drugs from effective TCM prescriptions.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Humans ; Drug Prescriptions

This study explored the prescription pattern of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in the treatment of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH), so as to provide a relevant theoretical basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of hypertensive LVH. The study systematically searched the databases of CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed to screen out the qualified literature on TCM treatment of hypertensive LVH and used Microsoft Excel 2021 to establish the relevant prescription database. It also counted the frequency, property, flavor, and meridian affiliation of TCM in the prescriptions and classified their efficacy. The study used Lantern 5.0 and Rstudio software to analyze the hidden structural models and association rules of the high-frequency TCM with a frequency of >3.50% and adopted Origin 2024 software to visualize the data, so as to explore the prescription pattern of TCM in treating hypertensive LVH. The results showed that a total of 128 TCM prescriptions were included, involving 163 TCM with a total frequency of 1 242. The high-frequency TCM included Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis, Gastrodiae Rhizoma, Poria, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma, with the main efficacy from blood-activating and stasis-resolving herbs, tonic herbs, and liver-calming and wind-extinguishing herbs. The latent structure analysis(LSA) identified 10 latent variables, 20 latent classes, 7 comprehensive clustering models, and 23 core prescriptions. It was speculated that the common syndromes of hypertensive LVH included blood stasis obstructing the collaterals, ascending hyperactivity of liver Yang, Yin deficiency with Yang hyperactivity, and intermingled phlegm and blood stasis. The association rule analysis yielded 33 strong association rules, with the highest comprehensive association rule being Gastrodiae Rhizoma→Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis. Hypertensive LVH is characterized by asthenia in origin and asthenia in superficiality, with Yin deficiency and Qi deficiency as the origin and blood stasis and phlegm as the superficiality. Clinical treatment focuses on activating blood circulation, resolving stasis, tonifying Qi, and nourishing Yin, combined with syndrome-specific therapies such as calming wind and stopping convulsions, clearing heat, eliminating dampness and resolving phlegm, and promoting diuresis and reducing swelling.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Data Mining ; Humans ; Hypertension/complications* ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular/physiopathology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drug Prescriptions

Based on latent structure model and association rule analysis, this study investigates the prescription patterns used by professor YANG Zhong-qi in treating hypertension with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and infers the associated TCM syndromes, providing a reference for clinical syndrome differentiation and treatment. The observation window spanned from January 8, 2013, to June 26, 2024, during which qualified herbal decoction prescriptions meeting efficacy criteria were extracted from the outpatient medical record system of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and compiled into a standardized database. Statistical analysis of high-frequency herbs included frequency counts and herbal property-channel tropism analysis. Latent structure modeling and association rule analysis were performed using R 4.3.2 and Lantern 5.0 software to identify core herbal combinations and infer TCM syndrome patterns. A total of 2 436 TCM prescriptions were included in the study, involving 263 drugs with a cumulative frequency of 29 783. High-frequency herbs comprised Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis, Poria, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Puerariae Lobatae Radix, and Alismatis Rhizoma, predominantly categorized as deficiency-tonifying, heat-clearing, and blood-activating and stasis-resolving herbs. Latent structure analysis identified 18 latent variables, 74 latent classes, 5 comprehensive clustering models, and 15 core herbal combinations, suggesting that the core syndrome clusters include liver Yang hyperactivity pattern, Yin deficiency with Yang hyperactivity pattern, phlegm-stasis intermingling pattern, and liver-kidney insufficiency pattern. Association rule analysis revealed 22 robust association rules. RESULTS:: indicate that hypertension manifests as a deficiency-rooted excess manifestation, significantly associated with functional dysregulation of the liver, lung, spleen-stomach, heart, and kidney. Key pathogenic mechanisms involve liver Yang hyperactivity, phlegm-stasis interaction, and liver-kidney insufficiency. Therapeutic strategies should prioritize liver-calming, spleen-fortifying, and deficiency-tonifying principles, supplemented by dynamic regulation of Qi-blood and Yin-Yang balance according to syndrome evolution, alongside pathogen-eliminating methods such as phlegm-resolving and stasis-dispelling. Synergistic interventions like mind-tranquilizing therapies should be tailored to individual conditions.
Hypertension/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drug Prescriptions ; Latent Class Analysis

Ancient classic prescriptions(ACPs) are the summary of clinical experience of doctors of all dynasties and the essence of the treasure house of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Propelling the transformation of ACPs to modern TCM preparations and encouraging the research and development(R&D) of TCM compound preparations from ACPs are important measures to promote the inheritance, innovation, and development of TCM in the new era. The research on medicinal materials and decoction pieces in the R&D of TCM compound preparations from ACPs is the basis for research on ACPs, and it is also an important guarantee for restoring the material basis, safety, and effectiveness of ACPs. This article discusses several key factors in the research on the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of TCM compound preparations developed from ACPs according to the Guidance for CMC of Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound Preparations Developed from Catalogued Ancient Classical Prescriptions(Interim) and analyzes and summarizes the common problems in the R&D and review of such preparations. Finally, suggestions are put forward, with the aim of assisting medical and industrial colleagues to accelerate the transformation of ACPs to modern TCM preparations and promoting high-quality development of the TCM industry.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; Humans ; History, Ancient ; Drug Prescriptions/history* ; Drug Compounding ; China

OBJECTIVES

To assess the clients’ perceptions of the UP College of Pharmacy (UPCP) Telepharmacy Service on their knowledge, decision-making, and medication safety.

The study employed a cross-sectional design administered through guided voice-call interviews using an online survey questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The inclusion criteria of the study were as follows: (1) must be at least 18 years old, (2) with no cognitive impairment, (3) must have sent a medication-related query in the UPCP Telepharmacy Service between October 2020 and July 2022, and (4) must be contacted through voice call platforms.

A total of 72 respondents participated in the study. Majority were from 30 to 59-year-old age category (51.39%), females (72.22%), from Region IV-A (36.11%), college graduates (44.44%), and with average monthly income of below PhP 11,000 (47.22%). Overall, clients reported very positive perceptions on the drug information advice received (X̅4.510) and were very satisfied with the service (X̅ 4.625). They perceived that the advice influenced their decision-making about their medications (X̅ 4.514) and increased their understanding of medication safety (X̅ 4.522). Multiple regression analysis revealed that clients’ perception on drug information advice is positively associated with perceived effect on decision-making (r = 0.5033; p = 0.000) and medication safety (r = 0.4320; p = 0.004).

The pharmacist-led drug information service, such as the UPCP Telepharmacy Service, is a helpful program to provide accurate and reliable medication information to clients who need them amidst the increasing accessibility of medical information on the internet. It can help improve knowledge of patients about appropriate use of medicines, drug interactions, and adverse drug reactions that will enable them to make informed decisions regarding their medications, identify the need to consult with healthcare providers, and ultimately ensure medication safety.

Objectives: As asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, anti-inflammatory treatment should be positioned at the forefront of guideline-directed asthma care. However, patients tend to rely on short-acting β2-agonists (SABAs) for rapid-onset symptom relief. The impact of SABA overuse and associated clinical outcomes have been investigated extensively in Europe and North America. Limited data are available from countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The SABA use IN Asthma (SABINA) III program, a large multicountry, observational study, was undertaken to describe the global extent of SABA use and its potential contribution to suboptimal disease control. As part of the SABINA III study, we aimed to characterize SABA prescription collection and asthma-related clinical outcomes among patients in the Philippines. Methods: This nationwide, observational, cross-sectional, SABINA III study included patients (aged ≥12 years) with a documented asthma diagnosis recruited between May 2019 and January 2020 from 10 sites in the Philippines. Demographics, disease characteristics and prescribed asthma treatments, including SABA and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in the 12 months preceding study start, were recorded during a single visit, and transcribed onto an electronic case report form (eCRF). Patients were classified by investigator-defined asthma severity, guided by the 2017 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) report and practice type, either primary or pulmonary medicine specialist care. Results: Of 245 patients analyzed, 63.3% were classified as having moderate-to-severe asthma (GINA steps 3−5), and most patients (63.3%) were enrolled by pulmonary medicine specialists. Overall, 33.1% (n=81) of patients had experienced ≥1 severe exacerbation in the previous 12 months and 18.4% (n=45) of patients had uncontrolled asthma. With respect to asthma treatments, a total of 6.5% (n=16), 40.4% (n=99), and 2.4% (n=6) of patients were prescribed SABA monotherapy, SABA in addition to maintenance therapy, and ICS, respectively, in the 12 months prior to their study visit. Most patients (n=156 [63.7%]) received prescriptions of fixed-dose combina-tions of ICS and long-acting β2-agonists. SABA over-prescription, defined as ≥3 SABA canister prescriptions per year, was observed in 10.6% (n=21) of patients. Additionally, 25.6% (n=23) of patients classified as having mild asthma were prescribed either nebulized SABA (n=17) or oral SABA (n=6). Nearly one-third of patients (n=75 [30.6%]) had purchased over-the-counter (OTC) SABA, and 46.9% (n=115) were prescribed antibiotics. Conclusions In this SABINA III Philippines study cohort, more than 10% of patients were over-prescribed SABA canisters. Additionally, prescriptions for oral or nebulized SABA, the purchase of non-prescription (OTC) SABA, and the high percentage of prescriptions for antibiotics warrant country-wide improvements in asthma care and management.
Asthma ; Bronchodilator Agents ; Philippines ; Prescriptions

Humans ; Benzodiazepines ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Prescriptions

This study intended to evaluate the efficacy and safety of single Hirudo prescriptions in the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease(ICVD) by frequency network Meta-analysis and traditional Meta-analysis. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to collect the randomized controlled trial(RCT) of single Hirudo prescriptions for ICVD from the inception of the databases to May 2022. The quality of the included literature was evaluated by Cochrane risk of bias tool. Finally, 54 RCTs and 3 single Hirudo prescriptions were included. Statistical analysis was conducted by RevMan 5.3 and Stata SE 15. Network Meta-analysis showed that in terms of the clinical effective rate, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) of intervention measures was as follows: Huoxue Tongmai Capsules+conventional treatment>Maixuekang Capsules+conventional treatment>Naoxuekang Capsules+conventional treatment>conventional treatment. Traditional Meta-analysis revealed that in terms of the safety of ICVD treatment, Maixuekang Capsules+conventional treatment had higher safety than conventional treatment alone. According to the network Meta-analysis and traditional Meta-analysis, it was found that conventional treatment combined with single Hirudo prescriptions improved the clinical efficacy of ICVD patients, and compared with that of conventional treatment alone, the incidence of adverse reactions of combined treatment was low and the safety was high. However, the methodological quality of the articles included in this study was generally low and there were large differences in the number of articles on the three combined medication. Therefore, the conclusion of this study needed to be confirmed by subsequent RCT.
Humans ; Animals ; Capsules ; Network Meta-Analysis ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Leeches ; Prescriptions ; Cerebrovascular Disorders

In observational studies, herbal prescriptions are usually studied in the form of "similar prescriptions". At present, the classification of prescriptions is mainly based on clinical experience judgment, but there are some problems in manual judgment, such as lack of unified criteria, labor consumption, and difficulty in verification. In the construction of a database of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19), our research group tried to classify real-world herbal prescriptions using a similarity matching algorithm. The main steps include 78 target prescriptions are determined in advance; four levels of importance labeling shall be carried out for the drugs of each target prescription; the combination, format conversion, and standardization of drug names of the prescriptions to be identified in the herbal medicine database; calculate the similarity between the prescriptions to be identified and each target prescription one by one; prescription discrimination is performed based on the preset criteria; remove the name of the prescriptions with "large prescriptions cover the small". Through the similarity matching algorithm, 87.49% of the real prescriptions in the herbal medicine database of this study can be identified, which preliminarily proves that this method can complete the classification of herbal prescriptions. However, this method does not consider the influence of herbal dosage on the results, and there is no recognized standard for the weight of drug importance and criteria, so there are some limitations, which need to be further explored and improved in future research.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Algorithms ; Databases, Factual ; Prescriptions ; Plant Extracts