Department of Pharmaceutical sciences

Academic staff

Section „Pharmaceutical technology and Biopharmacy“:

Assoc. Prof. Bissera Asenova Pilicheva, PhD – Head of department

Chief Assist. Prof. Plamen Dimitrov Katsarov, PhD – Responsible for teaching activities

Assist. Prof. Nikolay Stanchev Zahariev – Responsible for research activities

Chief Assist. Prof. Petya Todorova Peneva, PhD – Responsible for quality control

Chief Assist. Prof. Dimitar Georgiev Penkov, PhD – Responsible for work safety

Chief Assist. Prof. Yana Zhekova Gvozdeva, PhD – Financially responsible person

Assist. Prof. Stanislava Valerieva Simeonova

Assist. Prof. Radka Petkova Boyuklieva

Assist Prof. Plamen Rosenov Simeonov

Section „Social Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical legislation“:

Assoc. Prof. Stanislav Radoslavov Georgiev, PhD

Assoc. Prof. Daniela Dimitrova Grekova-Kafalova, PhD

Chief Assist. Prof. Vasil Georgiev Madzharov, PhD

Chief Assist. Prof. Radiana Atanasova Staynova, PhD – Responsible for teaching activities

Assist. Prof. Evelina Zdravetsova Gavazova

Radka Petrova Ivanova – Assistant Pharmacist

Mariela Kostadinova Nikolova – Specialist in Biology

Asya Dimitrova Hristozova – Specialist in Chemistry

Ivanka Hristova Atanasova – Assistant Pharmacist

Research

Section „Pharmaceutical technology and Biopharmacy“

The research focus of the Section is on improving the effectiveness of drug substances by incorporating them into innovative drug delivery systems. Micro- and nanocarriers technology is an up-to-date approach to overcome the biopharmaceutical limitations of the drugs and the physiological barriers, associated with the administration route and the site of drug absorption.

Phytopreparations are also a field of research in the Section. The influence of technological factors on the extraction of biologically active substances and their incorporation into convenient dosage forms are being studied.

Another research area of the Section is the preparation of semi-solid dosage forms for topical application: hydrogels, organogels, emulgels and bigels with high stability and improved biopharmaceutical properties.

In the recent years, the research of the Section has been oriented towards several new areas. Various approaches are being investigated to mask the unpleasant organoleptic properties of drug substances to improve their perception by particular patient populations. Models of oral dispersible tablets have been developed as a modern trend in the pharmaceutical industry.

Techniques for encapsulation of essential oils in polymeric microstructures are explored as an approach to increase their physical stability. A new area of research in the Section is the development of innovative drug carriers for targeted therapy against cancer.

Section “Social Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Legislation“

The current scientific topics of the Section are related to child health, drug use during pregnancy and assessment of pregnant women’s knowledge about the system for spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions.

The role of the pharmacist in the management of gestational diabetes and the attitude and barriers to pharmaceutical care for pregnant women are investigated. The marketing trends in the pharmaceutical sector are monitored, as well as the communication of risk in self-medication and the role of the pharmacist.

To conduct valuable research, the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences has three scientific laboratories with state-of-the-art research equipment – Scientific laboratory in Pharmaceutical technology, Laboratory for standardization of phytoproducts at the Technological Center for Emergency Medicine, as well as Laboratory for innovative drug carriers for targeted drug delivery established within the Competence Center PERIMED.

The academic staff of the Department has published in the recent years more than 100 articles in international and national journals, 23 of which have an impact factor. Five monographs have been published and the scientific works have been cited by foreign authors more than 120 times. The results from the research work of the Department have been presented at 121 scientific forums, 33 of which were abroad. The Department has participated in many scientific projects, two of which with national funding and one with European funding.

Textbooks

• Michael E. Aulton, Kevin M. G. Taylor Aulton’s Pharmaceutics: The Design and Manufacture of Medicines. Elsevier; 5 edition (7 July 2017), ISBN-13: 978-0702070051
• Ram I. Mahato, Ajit S. Narang Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery, Third Edition. CRC Press; 3 edition (27 Oct. 2017), ISBN-13: 978-1482253627
• Loyd Allen Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; Eleventh, International Edition (1 Dec. 2017), ISBN-13: 978-1496372918
• John F. Marriott, Keith A. Wilson, Christopher A. Langley Pharmaceutical Compounding and Dispensing. Pharmaceutical press; 2nd Revised edition (4 May 2010), ISBN-13: 978-0853699125
• Loyd V. Allen Art, Science, and Technology of Pharmaceutical Compounding 5th edition. American Pharmacists Association; 5th edition (1 July 2016), ISBN-13: 978-1582122632
• Georgiev S., Grekova-Kafalova D., Madzharov V., Staynova R., Stoimenova A., Lebanova H., Mihaylova A., Petkova-Georgieva E. Pharmaceutical care manual. Tea Design Ltd, 2020

Publications

Section „Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy”

• Pilicheva B, Zagorchev P, Uzunova Y, Kassarova M. (2013) Development and in vitro evaluation of mucoadhesive microsphere carriers for intranasal delivery of betahistine dihydrochloride. Int J Drug Deliv, 5(4):389-401
• Pilicheva B, Kassarova M, Zagorchev P, Uzunova Y. (2014) Formulation and performance evaluation of betahistine dihydrochloride microspheres as sustained release systems. Fol Med, 56(3):187-193
• Peneva P. (2015) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for topical ophthalmic administration: Contemporary trends. Int J Pharm Pharm Sci, 7(9): 13-19
• Viraneva A, Marudova M, Sotirov S, Bodurov I, Pilicheva B, Uzunova Y, Exner G, Grancharova T, Vlaeva I, Yovcheva T. (2016) Deposition of polyelectrolyte multilayer films made from chitosan and xanthan on biodegradable substrate: Effect of pH and ionic strength. AIP Conf Proc, 1722, 220025; doi: 10.1063/1.4944257
• Pilicheva B, Draganova-Filipova M, Zagorchev P, Kassarova M. (2016) Investigation of betahistine dihydrochloride biocompatibility and nasal permeability in vitro. J Appl Biomed, 14(4):299-305. doi: 10.1016/j.jab.2016.06.001
• Marudova M, Bodurov I, Sotirov S, Uzunova Y, Pilicheva B, Avramova I, Viraneva A, Vlaeva I, Exner G, Yovcheva T. (2016) Nanostructured polyelectrolyte multilayer drug delivery systems for buccal administration. Bulg Chem Communic, 48 (Special Issue C):468-474
• Katsarov P, Pilicheva B, Uzunova Y, Gergov G, Kassarova M. (2017) Doxylamine/pyridoxine loaded chitosan microspheres as potential nasal drug delivery systems. Bulg Chem Communic, 49 (Special Edition B), pp. 96-102
• Katsarov P, Pilicheva B, Manev H, Lukova P, Kassarova M. (2017) Optimization of chitosan microspheres spray drying via 32 full factorial design. Fol med, 59(2), 95-101
• Andonova V, Peneva P, Apostolova E, Dimcheva T, Peychev Z, Kassarova M. (2017) Carbopol hydrogel/sorbitan monostearate-almond oil based organogel biphasic formulations: Preparation and characterization of the bigels. Trop J Pharm Res, 16 (7): 1455-1463
• Andonova V, Peneva P, Georgiev G, Toncheva V, Apostolova E, Peychev Z, Dimitrova S, Katsarova M, Petrova N, Kassarova M. (2017) Ketoprofen-loaded polymer carriers in bigel formulation: an approach to enhancing drug photostability in topical application forms. Int J Nanomed, 12:6221-6238
• Andonova V, Peneva P. (2017) Characterization methods for solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). Curr Pharm Design,14(23), doi: 10.2174/1381612823666171115105721
• Katsarov P, Pilicheva B, Uzunova Y, Gergov G, Kassarova M. (2018) Chemical cross-linking: A feasible approach to prolong doxylamine/pyridoxine release from spray-dried chitosan microspheres. Eur J Pharm Sci, 123; 387-394
• Katsarov P, Gergov G, Alin A, Pilicheva B, Al-Degs Y, Simeonov V, Kassarova M. (2018) Advanced spectrophotometric chemometric methods for resolving the binary mixture of doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride. Acta Pharm, 68; 61–73
• Penkov D, Andonova V, Delev D, Kostadinov I, Kassarova M. (2018) Antioxidant activity of dry Birch (Betula pendula) leaves extract. Fol Med, 60(4):571-9
• Peneva P, Andonova V, Dimcheva T, Kassarova M. (2018) Technological and biopharmaceutical characterization of carbopol-based ketoprofen emulgels. Ind J Pharm Edu Res, 52(2):212-217
• Marudova M, Exner G, Pilicheva B, Marinova A, Viraneva A, Bodurov I, Sotirov S, Vlaeva I, Uzunova Y, Yovcheva T. (2019) Effect of assembly pH and ionic strength of chitosan/casein multilayers on benzydamine hydrochloride release. Int J Polym Mater Polym Biomater, 68, 1-3, pp. 90-98, DOI: 10.1080/00914037.2018.1525727
• Exner G, Marudova M, Sotirov S, Marinova A, Viraneva A, Pilicheva B, Bodurov I, Vlaeva I, Uzunova Y, Yovcheva T. (2019) Multilayered polyelectrolyte structures with potential for intracavity drug delivery systems. Appl Surf Sci, 493, pp. 620-627
• Georgieva Y, Pilicheva B, Kokova V, Apostolova E, Kassarova M. (2019) Taste masking of enalapril maleate by the precipitation method. Fol Med, 61(3): 426-434
• Georgieva Y, Kassarova M, Kokova V, Apostolova E, Pilicheva B. (2020) Taste masking of enalapril maleate by microencapsulation in Eudragit EPO® microparticles. Pharmazie, 75(2):61-69. doi: 10.1691/ph.2020.9123.

Section “Social Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Legislation”

• Grekova D, Dimitrova M, Andreevska K, Petkova V, Madzharov V, Gueorguiev S, Petrova G. (2014) Cost-effectivness of real life asthma pharmacotherapy. J Int Soc Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res, 17, 7, ISSN 1098-3015, A596
• Petkova E, Ivanov K, Ivanova S, Gueorguiev S, Staynova R. (2017) Most sold categories food supplements in Bulgarian pharmacies – research. Ind J Med Res Pharm Sci, 4(5):15-18
• Staynova R, Gueorguiev S, Petkova-Gueorguieva E, Madzharov V, Ivanova St, Ivanov K. (2017) Importance of self-monitoring of blood glucose in gestational diabetes: pharmacists’ role in improving patient’s compliance – pilot study. IOSR J Pharm, 7(11):15-18
• Ivanova S, Ivanov K, Staynova R, Rangelov V, Stoilova L. (2017) Nutritional management of gestational diabetes melitus. Int J Sci Eng Appl Sci, 3(11):47-53
• Staynova R, Gueorguiev S, Petkova-Gueorguieva E, Vasileva E, Stoimenova A, Ianatchkova V, Madzharov V. (2018) Written health education materials for women with gestational diabetes mellitus – evaluation of usefulness and patients’ satisfaction. Fol Med, 61(1):127-133. doi: 10.2478/folmed-2018-0041
• Staynova R, Gueorguiev S, Gueorguieva-Petkova E, Petleshkova P. (2018) A comparative study on diabetes self-management in pregnant women with gestational diabetes and pre-existing diabetes. Biom Res, 29(18):3526-3531
• Getova V, Georgiev S, Stoimenova A, Petkova-Georgieva E. (2018) Bulgarian experience with adverse drug reaction reports from patients and consumers-retrospective data-base study. Fol Med, 60(3):447-53
• Staynova R, Gueorguiev S, Petkova-Gueorguieva E, Vasileva E, Stoimenova A, Yanatchkova V, Madzharov V. (2019) Written health education materials for women with gestational diabetes mellitus-evaluation of usefulness and patients’ satisfaction. Fol Med, 61(1):127-33
• Stoilova L, Stoilov B, Staynova R. (2019) Food suplements during pregnancy benefits and risks: a literature review. Eur Sci J, 15(24):13-31
• Petkova-Gueorguieva E, Getov I, Ivanov K, Ivanova S, Gueorguiev S, Getova V, Mihaylova A, Madzharov V, Staynova R. (2019) Regulatory requirements for food supplements in the European Union and Bulgaria. Fol Med, 61(1):41-8

Monographs

Georgiev S. (2012) Лекарствена информация при аптечното обслужване (Drug information in the pharmaceutical practice). ТЕА Дизайн, Sofia, ISBN: 978-954-91660-5-7

Кassarova M, Andonova V, Pilicheva B, Penkov D, Peneva P, Katsarov P, Naydenov T, Stoymenova А. (2015) Иновативни лекарствени носители (Innovative drug carriers). ТЕА Дизайн, Sofia, ISBN: 978-954-916-608

Pilicheva B, Draganova М. (2017) Лекарствени носители във фокуса на таргетната терапия (Drug carriers in the focus of the target therapy). 2 по 2 ЕООД, Plovdiv, ISBN: 978-619-186-365-5

Georgiev S. (2018) Селф-мениджмънт – ключов елемент от фармацевтичната грижа за пациента (Self-management – a key element of the pharmaceutical care for patients). Теа Дизайн ООД, Sofia, second revised and supplemented edition, ISBN: 978-619-90647-7-1

Grekova D. (2018) Клинична фармация в педиатрията: Основни концепции и умения на клиничния фармацевт (Clinical pharmacy: essential concepts and skills of the clinical pharmaciest). Лакс бук ЕООД, Plovdiv, ISBN: 978-619-189-094-1

PHD dissertations

Pharmaceutical technology and Biopharmacy

Andonova V. (2014) Nanoparticles with indomethacin – drug delivery systems for ophthalmic administration.

Pilicheva B. (2015) Bioadhesive microparticles for nasal delivery of betahistine.

Katsarov P. (2017) Polymer microspheres with doxylamine and pyridoxine for nasal administration.

Pharmaceutical economy and pharmaceutical legislation

Grekova D. (2014) Medico-social and pharmacoeconomic studies to evaluate the drug therapy of patients with branchial asthma.

Madzharov V. (2014) Analysis of legislative and market mechanisms wholesale medicinal products in Bulgaria.

Naydenov Т. (2015) Study the influence of some factors on the marketing policy of the pharmaceutical industry.

Ognyanov S. (2016) Positioning of some sartans of the antihypertensive market in Bulgaria.

Mihailova А. (2018) Epidemiological and pharmacoeconomic study of corticosteroid prophylaxis of hyaline-membrane disease in premature infants.

Petkova-Georgieva Е. (2018) Assessment of risk at consumption of food supplements containing undeclared ingredients.

Getova V. (2018) Regulatory and practical aspects of patients participation in the pharmacovigilance managemanet.

Staynova R. (2019) Medico-social aspects and the role of the pharmacist in the management of gestational diabetes.