title: Contribution of clinical pharmacology to a rational use of cardiac glycosides in Czechoslovakia.
abstract: In Czechoslovakia, drug utilization studies showed that oral forms of digoxin and lanatoside C are traditionally the most prescribed cardiac glycosides. Our study of the relative bioavailability of the oral form of lanatoside C revealed that the drug has a low and irregular bioavailability making use of this frequently prescribed drug non-rational. The above data definitely contributed to a sharp decrease in the use of the oral form of lanatoside C in our country, which is in agreement with consumption trends in other European countries. However, the use of only drug forms with a good bioavailability is one aspect of new approaches applied in pharmacotherapy with cardiac glycosides resulting in gradual decrease of their consumption as a pharmacological group. Clinical pharmacological evaluation of individual drug forms and postgraduate education in clinical pharmacology of cardiac glycosides contribute significantly--apart from other regulatory measures--to a more rational use of cardiac glycosides in Czechoslovakia.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechoslovakia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sechser
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petrásek
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stika
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Modr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malý
mesh_terms: D001682:Biological Availability; D002301:Cardiac Glycosides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003604:Czechoslovakia; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006801:Humans; D007799:Lanatosides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002301:Cardiac Glycosides; D007799:Lanatosides; C018548:lanatoside C