The aim of the present study was to develop a method for grinding sildenafil tablets (Revatio^® tablets 20 mg) to prepare 0.2 g of powder containing 0.5 mg sildenafil. A method for grinding tablets and a formulation with additives was examined using Allegra^® 60 mg tablets as a model preparation. The optimal method and formulation for the sildenafil tablets were clarified. A sildenafil tablet was ground with 400 mg of calcium monohydrogen phosphate by mortar and pestle. Then, 117 mg of the ground powder was withdrawn and added to a clean mortar. After 630 mg of calcium monohydrogen phosphate, 603 mg of microcrystalline cellulose, 225 mg lactose monohydrate, and 225 mg of glucose were added to the mortar, the ground powder and additives were mixed. A 0.2-g sample of the mixed powder had 0.5 mg of sildenafil. A decrease in or scattering of drug content was not observed. A suspension of 0.2 g of the mixed powder in 1 mL water indicated 225 mOsmol, which was lower than that of 0.9% NaCl solution.

Medication compliance is an important issue, especially for children at home and in hospitals. The taste of powdered medicine is one of the difficulties that children face, which may stress them because of the bitter taste and the rough texture. In this study, a commercial medication-support-food was added to medicines, to examine the taste sensory effect, as well as the level of absorption of medicines into the blood through oral intake. Ranitidine hydrochloride and azithromycin were selected as bitter-tasting medicines, and were mixed separately into a chocolate-based spread (hereinafter called Nigaton). The bitterness of the medicines was tested by a taste sensor. Nigaton showed suppression of bitterness for both ranitidine hydrochloride and azithromycin. Further, a crossover trial was carried out to test oral acetaminophen absorption by twelve healthy adults. The subjects took acetaminophen with and without Nigaton. Concentration of acetaminophen in the blood was measured from 0 to 6 hours. The acetaminophen level in the blood did not show statistical differences with or without Nigaton.

In response to the COVID-19 spread, the way of thinking about the SIR model used in Infectious Disease-Mathematical Epidemiology was compared with that on the linear 1-compartment model with an absorption process used in Pharmacokinetics (PK). The number of infected persons (or drug amount in the body) in different infection (or absorption) rates and recovery (elimination) rates were mathematically simulated using differential equations in the SIR model (or PK model). Although the drug amount in the body (or drug concentration in blood) can be calculated from the dose, the extent of bioavailability and the absorption- and elimination-rate constants, the number of infected persons was related to the number of acceptable persons and infection- and recovery-rate constants. In addition to these values, the number of infected persons was related also to the number of infected persons themselves at that time. Interestingly, no infected persons were counted when the infection rate fell below a certain value and the recovering rate exceeded a certain value (those values were not obviously extreme). Although the analytical method using the SIR model is not the same as that using the 1-compartment PK model with an absorption process, the analytical techniques resemble each other. This study suggests that most pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists can use PK approach to prevent the present spreading of infectious disease.