Journal of pharmacy practice最新文献

BackgroundDue to contraceptive access scarcity and other variables, the U.S. exhibits high rates of unintended pregnancy, and Healthy People 2030 has a goal to address this through increased use of birth control. In 2023, Indiana passed legislation allowing pharmacists to prescribe self-administered contraception. Uptake of pharmacist contraceptive prescribing has been limited, and many states are not utilizing this opportunity to advance reproductive equity. We aimed to address significant gaps in literature assessing pharmacists' comfortability and knowledge regarding the implementation and utilization of this protocol.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmacists' comfort and knowledge level before and after a formal education program on conducting contraceptive care via a pharmacist-driven protocol.MethodsThis was a retrospective, cohort study conducted at a safety-net, academic medical center in Indianapolis, Indiana. A formal education program with associated pharmacist surveys took place over two training sessions in November and December 2023.ResultsA total of 30 paired pre- and post-pharmacist surveys were included in analysis (63% response rate). The median [IQR] composite score (knowledge and comfort level) increased pre- vs post-survey from 38 [34,57] to 86 [81,91] (P < .001). Overall correct median [IQR] knowledge scores increased from 40% [40,50] to 70% [60,80] (P < .001). Overall median [IQR] comfort level scores increased from 36% [27,68] to 95% [86 100] (P < .001).ConclusionFollowing completion of a formal education program, pharmacists demonstrated an increase in knowledge and comfort level with prescribing contraception. Intentional training opportunities should be provided to pharmacists prior to implementation. Other health-systems could benefit from offering a similar program.

Background: Over-the-counter topical nasal decongestants are effective and well-tolerated treatments for the temporary relief of nasal congestion, a symptom that can impair quality of life. Their duration of use is limited owing to potential for rhinitis medicamentosa (RM) or rebound congestion (RC), despite uncertainties around the clinical occurrence or onset of these phenomena. Objective: To investigate the clinical occurrence and onset of RM, RC or tolerance with topical nasal decongestants to inform evidence-based recommendation practices for pharmacists and ensure patients do not forego potentially beneficial treatments. Methods: A literature search was conducted with ProQuest to identify and synthesize evidence on RM, RC or tolerance with nasal decongestant sprays or drops. A respiratory specialist and community pharmacist provided clinical perspectives. Results: Eighteen articles were assessed, reporting 13 studies with oxymetazoline, five studies with xylometazoline. There was no evidence of RM or RC after 7 days with oxymetazoline (up to 400 μg total daily dose) or up to 10-days with xylometazoline (840 μg total daily dose). Well-designed studies suggested no occurrence of RM, RC or tolerance with up to 4 weeks of oxymetazoline. No studies evaluating naphazoline, phenylephrine or ephedrine were identified. Conclusion: Oxymetazoline and xylometazoline are highly effective at rapidly improving nasal congestion and have well-established safety profiles. Well-designed studies yielded no evidence of RM, RC or tolerance when used short-term at commonly recommended dosing and frequency. Since some patients may exceed the duration of use in the label, pharmacists can play a vital role in counseling patients on proper intranasal decongestant use and treatment duration.

This case study explores the role that pharmacists can have managing resistant hypertension (RH) in rural Appalachian veterans, where health care access is limited. RH, defined as blood pressure above target despite adherence to multiple antihypertensive medications, presents challenges in chronic disease management. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has integrated CPPs to improve medication adherence, reduce hospitalizations, and enhance blood pressure control, particularly in underserved areas. The patient, a 65-year-old male veteran with hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, depression, and PTSD, had struggled with poorly controlled hypertension for years, experiencing adverse reactions to multiple antihypertensive medications. Living more than 60 minutes from the nearest VA facility, he had not seen his primary care provider since early 2021, exacerbating his condition. Despite initial reluctance to restart medications, the CPP implemented a stepwise management approach, utilizing telehealth for remote blood pressure monitoring and regular follow-ups. Over several months, pharmacologic therapy combined with lifestyle modifications led to significant blood pressure improvement. This case highlights the crucial role of CPPs in rural health care, offering accessible, continuous care and personalized management of complex conditions. Telehealth and remote monitoring further facilitated care, overcoming geographic barriers and enhancing patient engagement. The collaboration between pharmacists and specialists ensured comprehensive care and optimized treatment. This case demonstrates the potential for expanding CPP roles in rural areas to improve chronic disease management, reduce health care disparities, and enhance patient outcomes through telehealth and team-based care.

Background: Evidence supports the safe administration of levetiracetam as a rapid intravenous push (IVP) in patients experiencing breakthrough seizures or status epilepticus. Use of this route of administration may decrease morbidity and mortality by reducing time to medication delivery. Though this practice has become increasingly common in adults, the safety of IVP levetiracetam in pediatric patients is not well documented. Objective: To evaluate the safety of IVP levetiracetam in pediatric patients. Methods: Patients who received IV piggyback (IVPB) or IVP levetiracetam and were between the ages of 12 months and 18 years old were eligible for inclusion. Medication regimen data recorded includes the dose of levetiracetam, number of doses administered, and total days of administration. Additionally, time points related to order entry, pharmacist verification, and dose administration was recorded. Safety endpoints included rates of bradycardia, hypotension, behavioral changes, and cutaneous drug reactions. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: This study showed IVP levetiracetam has a similar rate of adverse effects when compared to IVPB levetiracetam in patients over the age of one (5.5% vs 7.5%, P = 0.3589). In addition, there was improvement in the time to administration of levetiracetam (50 min in the IVPB group and 23 min in the IVP group [P = .0008]). Conclusion: Pediatric patients who received undiluted (100 mg/mL) levetiracetam IVP over 5 min had a similar adverse event incidence when compared to those who received the anti-epileptic drug (AED) as an IVPB. This evaluation demonstrated that doses up to 1500 mg of undiluted IVP levetiracetam is safe for pediatric patients.

We present the case of a 61-year-old patient infected with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3, F1 fibrosis and history of short bowel syndrome, dependent on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) who was referred to the clinical pharmacist for HCV treatment. Following 12 weeks of treatment with crushed, orally administered sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) the patient was unable to achieve sustained virologic response (SVR12), suggesting that this therapy may be ineffective in patients with short bowel syndrome.

Introduction: With the increasing adoption of alternative payment models (APM) in the U.S. healthcare system there is a growing interest in measuring pharmacy performance with a focus on preventive care and chronic disease management. The Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) has been established throughout the U.S. to incorporate high-performing pharmacies to provide enhanced services for high-risk patients including those with diabetes. Methods: The primary objective of this study is to assess the readiness of community pharmacists within CPESN to deliver minimum enhanced services (MES) and diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) among diabetes patients. A cross-sectional survey was distributed via email to all pharmacies within CPESN New York. Descriptive statistics were utilized to assess survey responses. Results: A total of 84 participants responded to the survey. Top DSMES services offered included: education on blood glucose monitoring (95%), education on lifestyle changes (88%), and monitoring medication adherence to diabetes-related medications (88%). The most time spent per week on DSMES services was for monitoring medication adherence to diabetes-related medications (5.9 +/- 7.0 hours). Top facilitators included technology to execute workflow (55%), adequate workflow design (54%), and proper training for pharmacy personnel (53%). Common barriers in executing services are lack of collaboration with other health professionals (54%) and proper training of pharmacy personnel (49%). Conclusion: CPESN-NY pharmacies demonstrate the opportunity to adapt clinical services including DSMES, which will enhance their performance measures in APMs. Facilitators and barriers have been identified thus next steps in the would be to address how to overcome these barriers.

Purpose: Between 2009 and 2015, the Canadian health care system was estimated to be responsible for 4.6% of national carbon emissions. Determine awareness of and describe eco-initiatives that the department of pharmacy can implement to aim to reduce the carbon footprint in hospital pharmacy in an effort to 'go green'. Methods: In a quality improvement initiative, pharmacy employees (i.e. pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) completed a cross-sectional survey designed to gauge willingness to 'go green' at work, to identify actionable areas of waste, and to assess commuting practices. Results: A total of 15 respondents completed the survey conducted March 14th -April 7th, 2022. Most respondents (73%) were willing to engage in more sustainable practices at work. The main barriers to implementing green practices at work were 'too time consuming' (20%), 'adds too much complexity' (20%), and 'cost' (16%). For commuting, 60% indicated the primary mode of transportation as 'personal vehicle', where 'subsidized transit' and was listed as the greatest incentive that could encourage a greener commute. The three largest areas of waste cited were 'single use plastic' (36%), 'limited of awareness of green practices' (15%), and 'lights left on in empty rooms' (12%). Conclusions: Pharmacy staff shared willingness to engage in more sustainable 'go green' practices but raised challenges to do so. With the knowledge that Canada has the second most climate intensive health system, there is a need for future research to describe how hospital pharmacies can contribute strategically to 'go green', advancing with implementing low carbon sustainable pharmacy practices.

Background: Patients maintained on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) often require systemic anticoagulation to prevent circuit clotting and systemic thromboembolic complications. The optimal intensity of anticoagulation to balance the risk of bleeding and prevention of thrombotic complications in this patient population is not well described. Objective: To compare bleeding events in patients on ECMO anticoagulated with standard vs low intensity heparin protocols. Methods: This single-center, retrospective cohort study included adult patients on VA- or VV-ECMO and anticoagulated with low or standard intensity heparin protocols. The primary outcome was the incidence of major bleeding; secondary outcomes included the incidence of minor bleeding, thrombotic complications, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, in-hospital mortality, time in therapeutic range, anti-Xa correlation with aPTT, intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay, oxygenator exchanges, and rate of protocol switching. Results: A total of 27 patients (14 low intensity, 13 standard intensity) were included. There were six major bleeding events in the low intensity group and four in the standard intensity group (P = 0.69); there were four minor bleeding events in the low intensity group and five in the standard intensity group (P = 0.69). Seven patients in the standard intensity group switched protocols; zero patients in the low intensity group switched protocols (P = 0.002). There were no differences in any other outcomes. Conclusions: There was no difference in the incidence of any bleeding or thrombotic events when using a low vs standard intensity heparin protocol in patients on ECMO. A low intensity heparin strategy for patients on ECMO may be feasible and safe.

Background: The purpose of this case report is to describe a case of switching warfarin to apixaban in a patient on anticoagulant prophylaxis for a patent foramen ovale (PFO)-associated stroke. Case Summary: An 86-year-old Afro-Latina female with a past medical history of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in 2012 secondary to PFO and diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Patient was switched from warfarin to apixaban after 3 months of labile international normalized ratio (INR) levels. The patient's INR was monitored at a pharmacist-led anticoagulation clinic. As the patient's INR remained subtherapeutic while on warfarin, a shared decision was made to switch the patient to apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily due to consistently painful enoxaparin injections, inconsistent vitamin K intake, frequent clinic visits and unstable renal function. Patient tolerated the anticoagulant switch well and reported satisfaction with decreased clinic visits and variable vitamin K diet. At 12 months post-switch, the patient's complete blood count remains stable, no reported signs and symptoms of bleeding, and no new CVA or venous thromboembolism (VTE) events identified. Based on an improvement in renal function, the dose was increased to 5 mg twice daily.

Background: Telepharmacy is a method utilized in pharmacy practice that delivers pharmaceutical care services via telecommunication technology. In the Philippines, the current process for patients to avail of telepharmacy services utilizes a variety of existing applications or websites instead of a single application. Objectives: This study aimed to assess patient feedback on the feasibility of the newly developed telepharmacy mobile application, YourRx. Specifically, it evaluated the application's functionality, usability, security, and performance. Methods: The study had 3 phases: (1) the design and development phase, (2) the implementation phase, wherein the pharmacists and patients were oriented beforehand with the use of YourRx mobile application, and (3) the evaluation phase, where the mobile application was evaluated for its functionality, usability, security, and performance by the patients through the use of a survey questionnaire and an interview. Results: YourRx application was developed and evaluated successfully. It is available for Android users and has primary features, including video calls, sharing, and setting an appointment. A total of 46 patients used the YourRx. Most of the patients were very satisfied with the navigation, service acquisition, and overall design of the YourRx. They expressed convenience in acquiring telepharmacy services because the application was easy to understand, use, and navigate. Conclusion: YourRx is a pioneering telepharmacy mobile application in the Philippines. The results of this study substantiate that YourRx is a user-friendly platform that provides patients convenient access to telepharmacy services with less time and effort thus improving patient health outcomes.