Contribution of clinical pharmacology to a rational use of cardiac glycosides in Czechoslovakia.
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.
Sechser
T
T
Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechoslovakia.
Petrásek
R
R
Stika
L
L
Modr
Z
Z
Elis
J
J
Malý
J
J
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
D002301:Cardiac Glycosides; D007799:Lanatosides; C018548:lanatoside C