University science: Case study method when performing experimental work in the discipline "Toxicological and Forensic Chemistry"

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to highlight the relevance of implementing the Case study method and modernizing the educational and methodological complex in the discipline "Toxicological and Forensic Chemistry" in order to effectively perform experimental work by higher education students in higher education institutions of the pharmaceutical profile of Ukraine according to the educational and professional program (EPP) "Pharmacy" of the second (master's) level of higher education in specialty 226 "Pharmacy, industrial pharmacy". An important task is to focus attention on the implementation of the Case study method in planning and conducting scientific experimental studies on the chromatographic analysis of medicinal substances, which require special approaches to quality analysis, taking into account the presence of accompanying substances and unacceptable impurities in their composition. Studying natural sciences at Bogomolets National Medical University opens up for students the opportunity to become familiar with advanced scientific discoveries, the prospect of participating in experimental research in drug quality control laboratories, where future masters of pharmacy perform scientific experimental work. The implementation of the Case Study learning model in the performance of scientific experimental work by students using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) remains relevant, which gives us the opportunity to develop comprehensive approaches to the analysis of certain classes of drugs, taking into account special approaches to their analysis.

Methods: Case study, analytical, chromatographic (HPLC), systematic and logical.

Results. The main stages of scientific experimental work according to the requirements of the Case study are determining the purpose of the study, motivating the need to conduct the study, motivated selection of samples for the study (targeted, random, important for the study), consultation with the scientific supervisor and experts, drawing up a research plan with a deadline, determining 5-6 key strengths and weaknesses of the study (SWOT analysis) to predict potential threats to the experiment, outline alternative solutions, replace irrational approaches to achieve the research goal. In chromatographic analysis, a large number of objects and their studies play an important role for a high expected increase in information and results. The design of single and multiple studies and the design of detecting "anomalies" by conducting parallel and sequential studies with a comparison of the results of an alternative pharmacopoeial method (liquid chromatography, LC) with a high-tech HPLC method for studying the test substance metamizole sodium are proposed. The HPLC method was tested in practice and was found to provide higher identification ability compared to the LC method.

Conclusions. Using the Case study method, an algorithm for performing chromatographic studies by HPLC of test samples of the metamizole sodium substance was constructed using the design of single and multiple studies and the detection of "anomalies" when conducting parallel/sequential studies. The high expected increase in information and results ensured the selection of a large number of objects – samples of the substance metamizole sodium (from 5 samples from different batches and with 5 punctures, a total of 25 results). Chromatography conditions and HPLC research methods were adapted to assess the purity, identification, and quantification of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) metamizole sodium and accompanying substances. It was found that the tested samples of the metamizole sodium substance contain sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate dihydrate (rongalite) - a toxic unacceptable impurity and an "anomaly", which is the subject of further chemical and toxicological research.