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Biomedical subjects

T R Sharpe

Publications and source records attributed to T R Sharpe.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Preparation and antiarthritic and analgesic activity of 4,5-diaryl-2-(substituted thio)-1H-imidazoles and their sulfoxides and sulfones.

A series of 4,5-diaryl-2-(substituted thio)-1H-imidazoles was synthesized and evaluated as antiinflammatory and analgesic agents in the rat adjuvant induced arthritis assay and the mouse phenyl-p-benzoquinone writhing (PQW) assay. Several analogues were found to be more potent than phenylbutazone and indomethacin. Structure-activity relationships are discussed. One of the compounds, 4,5-bis(4-fluorophenyl)-2-[(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)-sulfonyl]-1H- imidazole (8d, tiflamizole), was found to be 8 times as potent as indomethacin in the rat adjuvant induced arthritis assay and is presently undergoing clinical trial as an antiarthritic drug.

Analgesia

Factors affecting physician participation in a state Medicaid program.

Critical to policy planning for a program of national health insurance or a National Health Service is an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of current federally-supported health programs. One program which has been subjected to criticism is Medicaid. A major problem facing Medicaid is the high proportion of physicians who refuse to participate in the program, thus preventing the target population from obtaining access to medical care. A telephone survey was conducted to assess the attitudes and behavior of a stratified random sample of physicians regarding their participation in a Medicaid program. Physicians were asked to identify major advantages and disadvantages of the program to individual patients, to society and to their medical practice. Non-participants were asked to identify the major reasons why they did not participate in the program. Medical specialty was the only significant demographic determinant of participation. Inadequate reimbursement, excessive paperwork, patient abuses of the program and bureaucratic complexity were among the most prominent factors contributing to nonparticipation. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the role of primary care providers' perceptions in the planning of future national health programs.

Adolescent

Use of vitamin-mineral supplements by AFDC children.

Slightly more than 11 percent of the 1,616 children in Northern Mississippi households receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children regularly used vitamins, according to the 540 personal interviews conducted in this study. Of the vitamins used, about 20 percent were obtained by prescription. Participation in Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) was found not to be related to vitamin use. The pharmacy was the main source of vitamins, which most frequently were those widely advertised on television. It is suggested that pharmacists, physicians, and EPSDT personnel might take a more active role in nutrition counseling. The population is poor by definition and rural by study design. In the face of these facts, it was interesting to find that the most often used vitamin was Flintstones, one of the more expensive brands of children's vitamins. Some other vitamin products used, in descending order of frequency were One-A-Day vitamins, generic prenatal vitamins, and Neo-Vadrin with Iron. Data on shopping behavior and sources of products indicate that the population may not be making the best use of products or funds. Informal counseling by pharmacists at the point of sale has the potential to reduce these problems.

Adolescent