Magnesium citrate solution prepared in the hospital by the recipe of National Formulary XIV (N. F. XIV) is apt to generate precipitation and is not stable. It is examined Whether the solution is tabiiized by adding pH 4.1 Sorenson Buffer Sol.(C.Buffer) C. Buffer was added to the test fiuids at a regular interval to make 10 of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20% specimen. Then they were sterilized under 3 different conditions and preserved at 3 different temperatures of 4°, 25°and 46°.
They were observed macroscopically and stability days were recorded. As a result, among those specimens of over 10% addition, only specimen steriiized at 100° for 1 hour or those preserved at 4° and 25° after steriiization at 115°for 30 minutes and those preserved at 25° aftersterilizationat1210for 20mimteswerestableformorethan6months.From this data it is found that the addition of C. Buffer is effective to stabilize magnesiunm citrate solution. Further, from the study of solution whose sterilization conditions have, not been mentioned precisely in N. F.XIV, it can be concluded that sterilization at 115° for 30 minutes is recommended and the optimum temperature for storage is 25°.

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Pharmaceutical preparations such as sodium bicarbonate, lactose and potato starch show 2 different physical properties depending on their crystal diameters and moisture contents. Light anhydrous silicic acid (LASA) was added in several levels to 2 forms of the above preparations in order to investigate how these amounts of addition cause differences in their physical properties. Results are as follows:
1) The angle of repose was minimized when LASA was added to powdered sodium bicarbonate in a proportion ranging from 0.1 to 0.25% and became greater in proportions exceeding 0.25%. Both the angle of repose and apparent specific volume of crystalline sodium bicarbonate were minimized by addition of LASA 0.01% and became greater in proportions exceeding 0.5%.
2) In the case of powdered lactose, addition of LASA 0.01%resulted in negligible improvement in the physical properties. The effect was maximum in the proportion of 0.25%. In the case of crystalline lactose, addition of LASA even in 0.01% improved the physical properties. The effect was slightly enhanced by addition of LASA up to 0.1%. However, the addition of LASA in the proportion ranging from 0.25 to 0.5% deteriorated the effect.
3) The degree of improvement in the physical properties of wet and dry potato starch reached maximum by addition of LASA 0.25 and 0.05%, respectively. The effect on wet stacrch by addition of LASA was greater.
4) Scanning electron microscopy for observing the mixed conditions revealed that larger number of LASA particles attached to particles of the preparations when the physical properties were improved to a greater extent, and further increased proportions of addition resulted in the tendency to deteriorate physical properties by generation of aggregated particles of LASA attached particles of the preparations.

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Clinical trials on investigational drugs (IND) are conducted in many hospitals. The drug information center in the hospital pharmacy receives inquiries as to the contents and/or the availability of the IND from health care professionals because of scarcity of sources of well arranged information. We answer the inquiries by the use of accumulated up-to-date IND information which has been collected directly from journals in our pharmacy. However, it is difficult to supply our data all over the country by current system.
We developed the IND data base which contains the following 8 items: ID number, generic name, investigational number, commercial name, company, use, references, and comment. Further, we examined on-line retrieval, distribution of magnetic tape, and bookbinding of the print-out of this dath base. The results indicated that this data base could provide many health care facilities with up-to-date IND information rapidly.

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In order to evaluate the fibrinolytic activities of 3 kinds of urokinase preparation, the fibrinplate, fibrin-tube and modified Chandler's loop method developed by us were compared.
1) The modified Chandler's loop method was found to be most sensitive and physiological of the 3 assay methods.
2) Preparations A and B, consisting mainly of high molecular weight of 54, 000 daltons showed satisfactorily high value by the 3 assays, but preparation C with low molecular weight of 33, 000 daltons showed relatively lower activity by the modified Chandler's loop method. These results support the validity of Lormeau's theory (1978).
3) Three kinds of urokinase preparation were stable when they were dissolved in buffer solution at pH 7.2 at room temperature for several hours.

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The effect of interaction by several combined drugs on the biological activity of dopamine preparation was examined. In order to determine the biological activity of drugs, the isolated spiral artery from male rat was examined by Magnus method for 8 kinds of drugs. The contracting action of dopamine preparation on isolated artery was found to be inhibited by each combination with dipyridamole, propranolol or lidocaine preparation.

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Filter paper and 8 kinds of medical devices used in our hospital were exposed to ethylene oxide for 4 hours at 55° in a gas sterilizer and then residual gas in the sterilizer was replaced with air and the articles were aerated for 12 hours at 50° in aerator.
In some of the above process, the quantity of residual ethylene oxide in articles and the hemolytic rate due to the residual gas were determined. Major contents of the results: 1) Just after replacement with air, residual ethylene oxide is detected distinctly in both filter paper and medical devices. 2) After replacement with air, even if the sterilized articles were exposed to air for 24 hours at room temperature, it was hard to remove the residual gas satisfactorily, especially from rubber devices such as catheter for enema, ballooning catheter and glove for operation. 3) In case aerator was used, ethylene oxide was removed almost completely from all articles. 4) The hemolytic rate was almost parallel to the residual amount of ethylene oxide. 5) Microscopic examination showed crateriform holes on the inside surface of catheter for enema sterilized repeatedly with ethylene oxide. Such a roughness of the surface is supposed to increase the residual amount of the gas.

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The relationship between the number of combined drugs on prescriptions for outpatients and frequency of their interactions was studied. The investigation was made from Monday through Friday. The combination of 1 to 4 drugs accounted for 62.3%, including that of 3 drugs which composed the largest part of 17.3%. The average number of combined drugs was largest, 5.2, at the department of internal medicine. The interactions were observed in 3.8 % of the total prescriptions. They were caused by contraindications in 6.1%, inappropriate combinations in 8.2%, and caution for combination in 85.7%. The rate of interactions was highest, 44.9%, at the department of psychiatry, followed by 45.9% in 3 divisions of internal medicine.
Some cases of contraindications were thus noted in the study, but it was found that most of the doctors take precaution against interactions in prescribing. drugs for combination. In the future, information for doctors and instruction of patients in using drugs must be promoted on the basis of extensive investigation of interactions of drugs on prescriptions for inpatients and parenteral preparations.

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Change in external appearance, pH values and residual antibacterial potency of piperacillin sodium (PIPC) upon combination with infusion solutions and other injections was investigated. The combination of PIPC with FOY (gabexate mesilate, 100 mg/vial) was found to be incompatible on account of white turbidity produced, but the residual potency of PIPC was not greatly changed.
Although the lowering of the potency of PIPC was observed when combined with some amine preparations, the combination might be practically applicable, if administered within 3 hours. As for 24 other combinations, no change in their appearance, pH and potency was observed.

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