Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROBOTICS IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES: ADVANCING DRUG DISCOVERY, PERSONALIZED MEDICINE, AND PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING

Parankush Koul, Dr. Indu B. Koul — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0530

This paper reviews the major contributions made by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to pharmaceutical sciences, particularly drug discovery, personalized medicine, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. It demonstrates the speed and cost efficiency of finding therapeutic candidates using large chemical libraries and biological data generated by AI applications that accelerate this process over traditional techniques. Furthermore, AI predictive capabilities to predict the drug’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile help to minimize the risks of late-stage clinical trial failure and facilitate the process of developing drugs. In the personalized medicine arena, AI’s potential to learn from genetic, environmental, and lifestyle data enables the development of custom-tailored treatment plans to improve patients’ outcomes while mitigating negative side effects. These are enhanced by robotics to automate drug synthesis, ensure dosage consistency, and enhance patient safety. It is likely that AI will play a vital role in drug discovery in the future, and cutting-edge machine learning (ML) algorithms will help to dramatically speed up the identification of novel therapeutic targets while saving time and money by delaying or eliminating traditional discovery steps. Also, AI and robotics can be integrated into pharmaceutical manufacturing in order to optimize efficiency by continuously monitoring and optimizing the production processes, enhancing supply chain optimization, and ensuring quality assurance (QA). Overall, this review highlights the impact of AI and robotics in pharmaceutical sciences for creating a more effective and customized healthcare system, which will make patient care and treatment outcomes more efficient.

POTENTIAL AND CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CYP3A4 MEDIATED DRUG INTERACTIONS IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Background:

Drug interactions occur due to the simultaneous administration of pharmacological agents that affect the efficacy of concomitant drugs.

Objective:

Estimate the prevalence of CYP3A4 enzyme-mediated drug interactions in a tertiary care hospital along with a focus on clinical significance.

Materials and Methods:

An observational cross-sectional study was conducted over three months. A total of 180 patients with polypharmacy and two or more CYP3A4-mediated drugs in the prescription were included. Data collected from patient case sheets and drug-drug interactions were analyzed using Micromedex, SuperCYP database, and literature along with consideration of personal habits (smoking and alcohol).

Results:

Among 180 patients, 132 CYP3A4-mediated drug interactions were noted. The prevalence of CYP3A4 interactions was 50.56%, with 40.56% being drug-drug interactions, 10.5% drug-alcohol interactions, and 1.66% food-drug interactions. The most common combination of interacting drugs and clinical factors associated with interacting drugs were reported. Clinically significant interactions were observed in 13 patients.

Conclusion:

We estimated the prevalence of CYP3A4 enzyme-mediated drug interactions both potential and clinically significant, and reported accordingly. The prescriber’s understanding of CYP3A4-associated drug-drug interactions and the recognition of resultant consequences constitutes the primary approach for reducing patient distress, by timely interventions.

IMPACT OF PATIENT COUNSELLING IN KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, PRACTICE AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG EPILEPTIC PATIENTS

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Epilepsy is a long-term neurological disorder often surrounded by misconceptions and stigma, leading to poor treatment adherence and reduced quality of life. Educating patients through patient counselling can help dispel myths and improve KAP. This study evaluates impact of pharmacist led counselling on epilepsy-related knowledge, attitudes, practice (KAP) and QOL. A comparative interventional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital, where patients were divided into counselling and non-counselling groups. KAP and QOL assessments were conducted at baseline (V0) and subsequent follow-ups (V1-V3). Statistical analyses, including the chi-square test and paired test, were used to evaluate changes over time. The counselling group showed significant improvements in KAP compared to non-counselling groups. QOL scores also improved significantly in the counselling group, where as minimal changes were observed in the non-counselling group. Pharmacist-led counselling plays a vital role in improving epilepsy-related knowledge, fostering positive attitudes, promoting better healthcare practices and enhancing overall QOL.