Koinange Kalitera "Pharmacist"

04/12/2025

My Blog25

Malawi has approved a new ART(HIV) drug Lenacapavir..
Lenacapavir is an anti-retroviral medicine used to prevent and manage HIV. It is present in both tablet and injection formulations.

The drug is taken after 6 months and thus twice yearly within its recommended dosing.
It works by binding on the HIV-1 virus capsid protein which is a crucial protein in viral uncoating, replication and Assembly and that means this drug prevents all these viral processes.

Side effects include injection site reactions such as swelling, Pain, redness and lumps.
It can also cause changes in the immune system.

28/11/2022

My Blog
Benign Prostatic hyperplasia continued...
Drug therapy : Finasteride is another drug that is used to manage this condition, it relieves the symptoms such as frequent or difficulty urination it also manages acute urinary retention even though the results may be seen after up to 6 months of its usage.. It works by competitively inhibiting an enzyme 5-alpha reductase that convets the hormone testosterone into dihydro-testosterone which promotes the prostate growth.. This drug finasteride is also used in male pattern baldness as it prevents hair loss.

21/11/2022

21/11/2022

My Blog22
Benign Prostatic hyperplasia
Is a condition in males in which there is an enlarged prostate compresses urethra resulting in weak urinary flow, sense of incomplete bladder emptying, delay in starting urination and a need to urinate frequently..
Drug therapy : selective alpha adrenergic receptor blockers such as Prazosin and Terazosin are used, they relax smooth muscles that in turn increases urine flow rate and improves the obstructive symptoms.
Side effects of these drugs include headache, hypotension and dizziness

02/11/2022

My Blog22
Anti-biotics (4-Fluoroquinolones)
This group include drugs such as norfloxacin and Ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) is a broadspectrum antibiotic which its oral absorption is rapid but food in the stomach may delay its rate of absorption, it works by inhibiting bacterial DNA synthesis by its specific actions on the enzyme DNA gyrase the enzyme responsible for unwinding and supercoiling of the bacteria DNA prior to its replication... It is very useful in Malaria like infections caused by bacteria, the side effects may include nausea, abdominal pains and diarrhea

10/10/2022

My Blog22
Anti biotics(Macrolides)
This class of antibiotics contains drugs such as clarithromycin and Erythromycin.. Erythromycin is a commonly used as an alternative in penicillin -allergic patients for streptococcal infections
It has an adult dose of 500 mg taken every 6 hrs per day, it works by binding to a subunit of the bacteria ribosomes in their nucleus and blocks the ex*****on of instructions coded by the messenger RNAs..
Side effects of the drug include nausea, anorexia, fever and headaches among others

21/09/2022

My Blog22

Anti-biotics(drugs) continued..
AMINOGLYCOSIDES is another group of antibiotics, named because they contain amino sugars connected by a glycosidic linkage in their chemical structure, these drugs include Kanamycin, Neomycin and Gentamycin... Gentamycin is commonly used for urinary tract infections it works by inhibiting the synthesis of bacterial proteins and it is bactericidal( it kills the Bacteria) this is done by its actions on the bacteria ribosome subunit and distort the RNA's translation of the bacteria's genetic code.. Side effects of these drugs include ototoxicity (deafness) and nephrotoxicity( kidney damage) Neomycin is the most nephrotoxic..

19/09/2022

My Blog22
Anti- biotics(drugs)
These are chemical substances produced by microorganisms that suppress the growth of other microorganisms ending up destroying them..
CEPHALOSPORINS are a commonly used type of antibiotics with drugs such as cephalexin, cefuroxime and ceftriaxone as 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations respectively these drugs works by inhibiting the synthesis of the bacteria cell wall by selectively blocking the synthesis of a protein called mucopeptides which is crucial in multiplying the bacteria rendering the bacteria cell walls defective and osmotically unstable.. The side effects of these drugs include hypersensitivity reactions and disturbing the GI tract

14/09/2022

My Blog22
Viruses (HIV) drugs
Regimen 13A of the ART drugs contains three drugs namely Tenofovir, Lamivudine and Dolutegravir, these drugs work by preventing viral replication in the host cell body..
Lamivudine inhibits the viral enzymes called nucleoside reverse transcriptase that plays a role in the viral DNA chain elongation during replication while Tenofovir inhibits the viral enzyme called nucleotide reverse transcriptase that plays the similar role of DNA chain elongation and lastly Dolutegravir inhibits an enzyme called HIV intergrase that normally facilitate DNA strand transfer a process that helps the virus to intergrate itself into the host cell.. The combinations of these three drugs makes the virus to be extremely weak and fails to replicate.

12/09/2022

My Blog22
Viruses
These are infection causing micro-organisms that can only replicate themselves and reproduce using the DNA of a host cell, they contain either RNA or DNA but not both in their chemical structure.
Aciclovir: this drug is used to manage ge***al infections, chicken pox etc that are caused by herpes simplex virus to be active is converted acicovir monophosphate by the viral enzymes n later to diphosphate n triphosphate by the host cell enzymes the aciclovir triphosphate is the active one that blocks herpes DNA polymerase enzymes from replicating the virus in the infected cells thus stopping the infection. Side effects of Aciclovir include headache, skin rash, fever and vomiting in some patients.....

07/09/2022

My Blog22
Management of hypertension (High blood pressure)
Nifedipine
This drug is recommend for use in hypertensive emergencies 10mg or 20mg tablets are placed sublingually (under the tounge) or Just orally..the drug functions by blocking the inward entry of calcium in the cells of the heart and smooth muscles this in turn relaxes both the coronary and peripheral arteries causing them to dilate n lowers the pressure of blood passing through them... Side effects of Nifedipine include headache, edema, dizziness and muscle cramps...

05/09/2022

My Blog22
Management of cough
Coughing is a protective reflex which maybe initiated by irritation in the Pharynx or deepest level in of the respiratory tract..
Anti-tussive drugs are used to treat coughing, they may be acting centrally by suppressing the cough centre in the brain and increases the cough threshold such drugs include the narcotic Codeine, others they suppress the cough by relieving the irritation and increasing the cough threshold peripheraly such drugs include Ephedrine