Conditions for storing the drug in pharmacies and clinics
Heptral is a List B drug - these are drugs that should be dispensed with caution, as it contains potent substances.
At enterprises involved in the production of the drug and in pharmacy warehouses, it must be stored in separate rooms. In health care facilities and pharmacies, such drugs are stored in locked cabinets with the drug group indicated on the cabinet. In pharmacies on duty it is allowed to leave the drug in the amount necessary to provide emergency care. The cabinet must be locked and sealed at the end of the shift.
The conditions for the production, storage and sale of drugs of list B, to which Heptral belongs, are prescribed in Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 640 dated August 18, 2010 “On approval of the rules for the production, processing, storage, sale, acquisition, use, transportation and destruction of drug precursors drugs and psychotropic substances." According to these rules, List B substances must be stored under lock and key, and transportation must be carried out under the condition that the safety of the drugs is ensured. In places where medicines are dispensed, they must be stored in cabinets labeled with a list of medications and the required daily dosage, under lock and key, and dispensed with a prescription.
Disposal
According to the Federal Law of April 12, 2010 N 61-FZ (as amended on June 4, 2018) “On the Circulation of Medicines,” expired substances, as well as counterfeit medicines, are subject to destruction according to the following scheme:
- Drugs are withdrawn from sale and written off;
- They are placed in a separate labeled container;
- Containers are picked up by special transport and disposed of in closed landfills. Dry substances are dissolved in water and drained into the sewer. The ampoules are opened, diluted with water, poured into the sewer, and the container is crushed.
Analogues of "Heptral"
The reviews note that in case of intolerance to the drug, the doctor will be forced to prescribe analogues of the drug to the patient. They have similar therapeutic effects and are often in the same price category.
The price of the original drug starts from one thousand three hundred rubles. However, medicine can often be purchased in pharmacies for only two thousand rubles. This makes it not very accessible to the general mass of patients and forces them to look for analogues. Among them are the following drugs:
- "Heptrazan".
- "Heptor N".
- "Ademetionine-Vial".
- "Heptor."
If we talk about the prices of the listed medicines, they are slightly lower than the original ones. For example, “Geptor” costs from one thousand rubles in pharmacies.
: which is better
Patients prescribed this drug are faced with the problem of choice. This is due to the fact that there are different ones in pharmacies. Pharmacists rarely recommend the particular company that produces this product. Therefore, patients themselves have to look for information about which one is better. Finding the answer to this question is not so easy.
Most often on the packaging of the medicine it is indicated that it was developed by Italian specialists and, after long clinical trials, was released for sale. Very quickly the drug began to be exported abroad and was purchased for sale in Russia. Today in pharmacy chains you can find medicines from two Italian companies:
- ABBOTT SrL (Italy) – well known. Most of the drug exports come to Russia under this pharmaceutical brand.
- HOSPIRA SpA is a well-established pharmaceutical company from Italy. She also has the right to produce Heptral, so your packaging may well have its name on it. A lot of medicines come to our country under this brand.
from Italy are considered the most proven. However, they are not the only ones supplying the drug to Russia. In some batches you can see in the column “the French pharmaceutical company is no worse in quality and efficiency than the Italian one. But it appeared on the market a little later, which is why buyers have a wary attitude towards it. They often ask the question “Which country is better?” Doctors always have the same answer. They believe that the quality of the drug is not affected by the pharmaceutical company that markets it. Regardless of the brand, the medicine will be of high quality and will help the patient cope with existing health problems.
Side effects
The use of Heptral in rare cases is accompanied by unpleasant manifestations of varying degrees of severity from different organs and systems of the body:
- Digestive system. Pain, nausea, and loose stools are often observed. Quite rarely, there are complaints of vomiting, inflammation of the esophageal mucosa, dry mouth, difficulty digestion, gastrointestinal pain and (or) bleeding, exacerbation of cholelithiasis.
- Nervous system. Confusion, impaired sleep quality, headache and dizziness, disorders of subjective sensations or skin sensitivity are rarely diagnosed.
- Musculoskeletal skeleton. Occasionally, joint pain and limb cramps occur.
- Urinary system. Various infectious diseases of the urinary tract.
- Skin. Rarely - irritation, redness, rash and itching.
- Allergy. In exceptional cases, Quincke's edema may occur - this is a rapidly developing allergic process that poses a danger to the patient's life.
- Local reactions. The injection site occasionally becomes inflamed, redness, hematoma, swelling are observed, skin necrosis develops - the most severe form of side effects.
Among the total number of patients treated, the number of complaints of symptoms is defined as “rare” or “very rare”. Manifestations are relieved with the help of special medications designed to suppress specific symptoms, but their use should be agreed with the attending physician.
In some cases, taking the medicine affects the general condition of the patient:
- hot flash;
- inflammation of the superficial veins;
- psychopathological disorders;
- symptoms of colds;
- weakness, chills;
- accumulation of fluid in soft tissues;
- failure of thermoregulation mechanisms.
A therapeutic course based on Heptral prohibits driving any vehicle, performing manipulations related to the speed of reaction, which pose a risk to the life and health of people.
The side effects of the drug are reduced as its concentration in the blood and tissues of the body decreases. They try to suppress severe side effects with the help of symptomatic drugs.
If the side effects after Heptral are quite pronounced, a replacement for it with more gentle drug substitutes is selected or its dosage is adjusted.
Heptral in the treatment of depression
Psychiatrists prescribe Heptral, which improves metabolism in brain cells and slightly activates the central nervous system. All this helps relieve depression
Depression can occur in many mental illnesses and borderline states (states between normal and pathological). Sometimes the patient's condition can be so painful that he tries to commit suicide - this is one of the biggest dangers with depression. Depression is treated with medications - antidepressants.
But recently, patients with resistance (lack of sensitivity) to antidepressants have become increasingly common. In such cases, psychiatrists prescribe Heptral, which improves metabolism in brain cells and slightly activates the central nervous system. All this helps relieve depression.
Compound
The medicine contains the following substances:
- ademetionine at a concentration of 760 mg is the active component;
- solvents in the form of sodium hydroxide, water and lysine.
Thanks to the main component and additional compounds, the drug is manufactured in the form of a lyophilisate with a yellowish tint. If you buy Heptral in ampoules, instructions for use are contained in the package. Before use, a solvent is added to the lyophilisate.
Best before date
No medicine is released without indicating an expiration date. For the drug, it can be found directly on the packaging in the form of a stamp and on the plate in the form of highlighted numbers. Heptral is available in 2 types - tablets and ampoules. The shelf life of the drug in any form is 3 years.
The optimal storage temperature for the drug is 15-25 °C in a dark and cool place. Accordingly, it is not recommended to store it in the refrigerator.
Opened package
If not the entire tablet of the drug is needed during use, the remainder can be stored further. The main thing is to protect them from moisture and light. In this state they will lie quietly throughout the entire shelf life.
With ampoules the situation is the opposite. When used, the substance is diluted. After opening and dilution, the remaining substances should not be stored, but should be thrown away immediately. This is because due to interaction with oxygen, the active substance in the drug begins to degrade.
Long term storage
An unopened drug does not change over time. The tablets do not change color and structure, and the ampoules do not darken. The main thing is to avoid contact with light.
Expiration date is running out
The instructions for the drug say that it can be used throughout the expiration date. It doesn’t matter at all when exactly this will happen. This will not affect the effectiveness of the drug in any way.
How to recognize a marriage
A low-quality drug can always be distinguished by its appearance.
The tablets should be biconvex and oval in shape. They are covered with an enteric coating of white or yellowish color. No inclusions are allowed. Ampoules are produced in the form of a white or white-yellow powder without foreign inclusions. They are accompanied by ampoules with solvent. Ampoules are produced in glass.
In addition, it is worth paying attention to the packaging. Several years ago, a case was revealed of the sale of counterfeit goods that were manufactured somewhere in the basement. It was possible to distinguish a fake simply by looking at the packaging - the paper was swollen, glue residues were visible, the printing font was unclear, sometimes blurred.
If the item is expired
To avoid buying an expired drug, always look at the stamp on the package. Not a single medical product is sold with an expiration date attached. It is always written twice - on the packaging and on the plate (if these are tablets).
Expired medication should be thrown away immediately. It should not be used after its expiration date - this can be life-threatening.
Special instructions for the use of the drug Heptral
Heptral should not be used before bedtime due to its pronounced tonic effect. When using the drug Heptral, it is necessary to monitor the level of nitrogen in the patient's blood (especially if the patient suffers from cirrhosis of the liver).
Long-term use of the drug Heptral can lead to impaired renal function (it is necessary to monitor the level of urea and creatinine while using the drug Heptral).
The drug Heptral does not affect the ability to drive vehicles or operate complex machinery. In most cases, the use of Heptral is contraindicated in children under 18 years of age (children under 18 years of age are prescribed Heptral only for strict indications).
Indications for use
Various liver diseases are often the reason for prescribing Heptral. A number of indications for the drug include depressive pathologies, including vegetative, somatic, neurological and mental disorders caused by alcoholism in the 2nd and 3rd stages.
Many patients are interested in why it is most advisable to take the drug Heptral, especially its most convenient form for use - tablets.
This medicine in any form is recommended for the following diseases:
- chronic hepatitis;
- fatty hepatosis;
- exogenous intoxication (alcoholism, uncontrolled use of hormonal drugs, antibiotics and antidepressants, various poisons and toxins);
- inflammatory lesion of the gallbladder, not accompanied by the formation of stones;
- intrahepatic cholestasis, cases of cholestasis during pregnancy;
- hepatocyte damage;
- inflammation of the bile ducts;
- cirrhosis of the liver or the likelihood of developing cirrhosis;
- organic brain lesions;
- encephalopathy due to liver failure, including the alcoholic form.
The drug helps to normalize the composition and consistency of the product of hepatocyte activity - bile, improves the quality of physiological liver reactions, and the general condition of the organ. Treatment is often prescribed to support the liver when metastases are found in it, as it accelerates the processes of tissue regeneration.
In dermatological practice, Heptral shows good results with long-term remission in the treatment of various forms of psoriasis. For skin diseases, intramuscular administration of the drug is recommended.
The use of Heptral also helps eliminate symptoms of depressive disorders.
