Journal articles on the topic 'Courier pharmacy'

Introduction: In March 2020, due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, a pilot experience of pharmaceutical continuity of care received by hospital outpatients was launched in Cantabria, a Spanish autonomous community. Thanks to this experience, the medication was dispensed by the hospital pharmacy through the community pharmacy of the patient’s choice. Our objective was to estimate the costs avoided by this practice during the months of April and May 2020.
 Methods: The analysis of the economic impact was carried out in terms of saved costs, from the hospital and from the social perspective. Savings associated with the avoided home delivery of medication and avoided labor productivity losses were calculated, as well as the time associated with avoided trips in monetary terms.
 Results: A total of 2,249 hospital-dispensed drugs were delivered through the community pharmacy in the analyzed period, with an average of 57.7 daily deliveries. The experience, which involved one hospital and 262 pharmacies of Cantabria, saved patients 93,305 km in trips to the hospital, associated with an average time saving of 1,374 hours. In terms of costs, the hospital saved on shipments by courier, estimated at €30,205, since it was the community pharmacy and the distribution warehouses that delivered the drugs. From a social perspective, this initiative saved €23,309 due to the trips (€8,907) and productivity losses (€14,402) that were avoided.
 Conclusions: This exceptional situation may be a good opportunity to improve the coordination between hospital pharmacies and community pharmacies in Spain, not only during the pandemic but also in the post-COVID-19 era.

Situation16 year old girl admitted with suspected ingestion of ethylene glycol. She was treated with fomepizole and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).How the Pharmacy Team ContributedEthanol was prescribed until fomepizole arrived. The volume of ethanol to be administered was calculated wrongly by the consultant due to confusion about the available strength. The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) pharmacist intervened and the correct dosage information was given.PICU pharmacist used Toxbase to determine the correct treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning and advised on dosing regime, including adjustment due to CRRT. The pharmacist facilitated prescribing on the electronic system (added drug to system, set up administration instructions and assisted with prescribing – pharmacist was not an Independent Prescriber). This allowed medical staff to concentrate on resuscitation, monitoring cardiac function, inserting intravenous lines and obtaining access for CRRT.The PICU pharmacist and pharmacy technician co-ordinated initial supply of fomepizole. Fomepizole is usually ordered directly from the manufacturer during office hours. The patient presented in the early evening so further supply had to be obtained from a hospital hundreds of miles away after referring to the Rarely Used Medicines list. Pharmacist contacted appropriate on-call pharmacist and arranged for transfer of medicines via courier. Pharmacy technician arranged for further supply form the manufacturer the following day.Pharmacy technician arranged supply of additional dialysis fluids for CRRT due to the higher than usual administration rate.Without contribution from the pharmacy team the patient is likely to have been given the wrong dose of ethanol and fomepizole, and there would have been delay in initiation of treatment followed by an interruption, as it was wrongly assumed that it was kept as stock in the adjoining ‘adult hospital’ and subsequent supply from a local hospital would not have been sought by ward staff until original supply ran out.OutcomeEthylene glycol poisoning was confirmed on laboratory testing. Levels of ethylene glycol fell steadily over 36 hours, allowing CRRT and fomepizole to stop. Patient was discharged from PICU after 48 hours with no apparent long-lasting effects, but was referred to various specialities including renal, gastroenterology and psychology.Patient and family denied knowledge of intentional or accidental ingestion. Police investigation was inconclusive.Lessons to be LearnedLarger supplies of fomepizole are now kept in stock within Health Board. Supplies were missing from emergency cupboards when stock was needed, despite being on stock lists, necessitating courier fees to transfer stock from elsewhere. Procedures reviewed to ensure that stock is available in emergency cupboards at all times.This patient demonstrated that current (target) stock levels of fomepizole were inadequate for providing treatment during CRRT as the required doses are substantially higher (administered every four hours rather than every twelve hours) and would have lasted less than 12 hours for this average sized teenager. National Rarely Used Medicines list was updated to reflect actual stock levels and other hospitals increased their stockholding due to the realisation that existing stock was inadequate and that further supplies were hard to obtain out of working hours.

Abstract Background People with HIV (PWH) utilize various pharmacy types beyond the traditional local pharmacy including mail order and specialty pharmacies. Some pharmacies often provide additional adherence services such as refill reminders, expedited delivery, and adherence packaging. Limited data are available describing the relationship between pharmacy type and HIV viral suppression (VS). We evaluated the impact of pharmacy type on VS. Methods We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study of PWH (≥19 years) receiving care at a Midwestern HIV clinic between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018, with at least 1 HIV RNA reading during the study period. We collected sociodemographic information, ART regimen, adherence (PDC—percentage of days covered), and clinical characteristics. Patients were stratified by pharmacy type: local (traditional pharmacy without adherence services), local specialty (traditional pharmacy with adherence services and same-day, couriered delivery), and mail order (mail order pharmacy with or without adherence services). Pearson Chi-squared tests and binary logistic regression were used to examine the effect of pharmacy type on VS (HIV viral load ≤50 copies/mL). Results A total of 1014 patients met study criteria; 164 (16%) utilized a local, 720 (71%) local specialty, and 130 (13%) mail order. VS rates were similar between pharmacy types: local (91%), semi-specialty local (88%), and mail order (96%). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, ART regimen, ART adherence and other clinical characteristics, there was no association between pharmacy type and VS when comparing local and mail to local specialty pharmacy types (local—aOR: 0.98, 95% CI, 0.46–2.12; mail—aOR: 1.65, 95% CI, 0.46–6.0). Factors found to be negatively associated with VS were single marital status (aOR: 0.49; 95% CI, 0.24–0.95), current or historical opportunistic infection (aOR: 0.51; 95% CI, 0.26–0.99), and usage of a multiclass or dual ART regimen (aOR: 0.40; 95% CI, 0.16–0.98). Conclusion Despite additional services offered by some pharmacies, no differences were observed in HIV VS between pharmacy types. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

ABSTRACT The evaluation of the General Competencies in undergraduate courses in the healthcare area remains challenging. Objectives To develop an instrument for supporting teaching staff in evaluating the General Competencies of undergraduate students in the healthcare area; to test the reliability of the instrument with teachers and students of the same working field; validate the instrument of General Competencies, directed to teachers and students from the health area. Methods the present was a Methodological study, approved by REC N. 826.770. The validation of the construct, criterion and content based on the National Curricular Guidelines (NCG), and the search for a theoretical framework were performed, as well as statistical tests such as alpha Cronbach, t Test, p-value, Factorial Analysis, Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and Akaike Information Criterion, which also ensured the reliability. The study was performed in a Higher Education Institution in Curitiba/PR, in the courses of Nursing, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy, Psychology and Medicine. The study population consisted of 50 evaluations of students and 50 of teachers, covering all the periods and courses during the second half of 2014. Results it was possible to create one model with three versions of instruments that evaluated the general competencies for the healthcare area courses. One of these was directed towards the general competencies of 10 courses in the healthcare area, subdivided in Health Care, Decision-making, Communication, Leadership, Administration and Management and Continuing Education, with one instrument directed at the student and another ‘mirror’ at the professor. The second and third versions had three dimensions: Health Care, Management in Healthcare and Education in Health, directed towards the general competencies of the new structure of the NCG of the medical course. The three versions also had an instrument for teachers and a mirror one for students. Conclusion To validate the instrument on General Competencies, directed to teachers and undergraduate students of health area courses, the theoretical search, the NCG and the experts’ evaluation were used for Content Validity; the t Test, Chi-square Test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used for Criterion Validation; statistical tests of exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis and the AIC were used for Construct Validity; and Cronbach’s alpha and the AIC were used for Content validity, using the same steps described for the first goal, to ensure the reliability of the instruments. After this process three versions of the instrument were developed, the first two to be used with teachers and with teachers and students together; and the third version is adequate to be used with students or teachers; and also, for teachers and students together. However, it can be used by all health courses studied.

A transdisciplinary team is an essential component of palliative and end-of-life care. This article will demonstrate how to develop a transdisciplinary approach to palliative care, incorporating nursing, social work, spiritual care, and pharmacy in an acute care setting. Objectives included: identifying transdisciplinary roles contributing to care in the acute care setting; defining the palliative care model and mission; identifying patient/ family and institutional needs; and developing palliative care tools. Methods included a needs assessment and the development of assessment tools, an education program, community resources, and a patient satisfaction survey. After 1 year of implementation, the transdisciplinary palliative care team consisted of seven palliative care physicians, two social workers, two chaplains, a pharmacist, and End-of-Life Nursing Consortium (ELNEC) trained nurses. Palomar Health now has a palliative care service with a consistent process for transdisciplinary communication and intervention for adult critical care patients with advanced, chronic illness.

While palliative care is best delivered in an interdisciplinary format, courses teaching the interdisciplinary approach to palliative care are rare in healthcare education. This article describes a graduate-level course in palliative care for students in nursing, pharmacy, social work, and gerontology taught by faculty from each discipline. The overarching goals of this course are to convey core palliative care knowledge across disciplines, articulate the essential contribution of each discipline in collaborative care, and to define interdisciplinary processes learners need to understand and navigate interdisciplinary palliative care. Learning outcomes included increased knowledge in palliative care, enhanced attitudes in practice and application of skills to clinical practice settings, increased ability to contribute discipline-specific knowledge to their teams' discussions, and a sense of increasing confidence in participating in the care of complex patients, communicating with families, and contributing to the team as a member of their own discipline.

ABSTRACTBackground: The rate of potential adverse drug events is reported to be 3 times higher among pediatric inpatients than among their adult counterparts. Various methods have been suggested to reduce medication errors in pediatric patients. One of the most influential of these strategies is inclusion of a clinical pharmacist on the multidisciplinary care team. However, there is currently no literature describing the inventory of pharmacy services provided to pediatric patients in Canadian adult hospitals.Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to describe pediatric and neonatal pharmacy services provided in adult hospitals in Canada. The secondary objective was to determine whether the services provided correspond to services that pharmacists working in Canadian pediatric hospitals identified as important for adult hospitals that provide pediatric services.Methods: Two web-based surveys were created, focusing on 35 pharmacy services. The first survey was intended for adult hospitals, and the second for pediatric hospitals. The surveys were distributed by e-mail and were completed in January and February 2018.Results: A total of 55 and 43 valid responses were received from respon-dents in adult hospitals and pediatric hospitals, respectively. An inventory of pharmacy services provided by adult hospitals to their pediatric and neonatal patients was obtained. Of the adult hospitals that responded, 61% (33/54) had pharmacists assigned to pediatric or neonatal units. The frequency with which most pharmacy services were provided was comparable to the importance identified by pharmacists working in pediatric hospitals. However, for the provision of education during admission and at discharge and for the provision of medication reconcil-iation at discharge, frequency and importance were not comparable. Conclusions: Adult hospitals with a pharmacist assigned to an inpatient pediatric or neonatal clinical area met most expectations of pharmacists working in pediatric hospitals in terms of pharmacy services provided. However, some services require optimization for this patient population.RÉSUMÉContexte : On rapporte que le taux de réactions indésirables potentielles aux médicaments est trois fois plus élevé chez les enfants hospitalisés que chez les adultes. Diverses méthodes ont été proposées pour réduire les erreurs de médication chez les patients pédiatriques. L’une des stratégies les plus influentes consiste à inclure un pharmacien clinique au sein de l’équipe de soins pluridisciplinaire. Cependant, il n’existe actuellement aucun document dressant l’inventaire des services de pharmacie offerts aux patients pédiatriques dans les hôpitaux canadiens pour adultes. Objectifs : L’objectif principal de cette étude consistait à décrire les services de pharmacie pédiatriques et néonataux offerts dans les hôpitaux pour adultes au Canada. L’objectif secondaire consistait quant à lui à déterminer si les services offerts à la population pédiatrique dans les hôpitaux pour adultes correspondaient à ceux que les pharmaciens travaillant dans les hôpitaux pédiatriques canadiens reconnaissaient comme étant importants.Méthodes : Deux sondages en ligne se focalisant sur 35 services de pharmacie ont été créés. Le premier était destiné aux hôpitaux pour adultes et le deuxième aux hôpitaux pédiatriques. Les sondages ont été distribués par courriel et effectués en janvier et février 2018.Résultats : Cinquante-cinq (55) répondants des hôpitaux pour adultes et 43 des hôpitaux pédiatriques y ont répondu en bonne et due forme. Les investigateurs ont obtenu en outre la liste des services de pharmacie offerts par les hôpitaux pour adultes à leurs patients pédiatriques et néonataux. Soixante et un pour cent (61 %), soit 33 sur 54, des répondants provenant des hôpitaux pour adultes à étaient des pharmaciens affectés aux unités pédiatriques ou néonatales. La fréquence de l’offre de la majorité des services de pharmacie était d’importance comparable à ce que les pharmaciens travaillant dans les hôpitaux pédiatriques ont relevé. Toutefois, pour ce qui est des instructions données au patient à l’admission et au congé et de la prestation du bilan des médicaments au congé, la fréquence et l’importance de ces services n’étaient pas comparables.Conclusions : Les hôpitaux pour adultes disposant d’un pharmacien affecté à un domaine clinique pédiatrique ou néonatal répondaient à la plupart des attentes des pharmaciens travaillant dans les hôpitaux pédiatriques en termes d’offre de services de pharmacie. Cependant, certains services demandent à être optimisés pour cette population de patients.

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p><strong>Background: </strong>The Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists promotes the recruitment of residency-trained pharmacists for work in hospitals and related health care settings. However, Quebec hospitals are still hiring non–residency trained pharmacists, in part because of a severe shortage of hospital pharmacists. To date, no studies have examined the factors influencing the career choices of fourth-year pharmacy students in Canada.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To identify motivating factors and barriers influencing students’ decision to pursue a hospital pharmacy residency.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>All 186 fourth-year students in the Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, were invited by e-mail to participate in a validated and institutionally approved survey that was available online between March and May 2014.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong>Of the 138 respondents who returned a completed survey (74% response rate), 36 (26%) planned to apply for a hospital pharmacy residency. Those planning to apply for a residency were older (<em>p </em>= 0.037) and had more hospital work experience (36% versus 3%, <em>p </em>< 0.001) than those not planning to apply. The most important motivators for pursuing a residency were potential gains in knowledge (reported by 88% of respondents, whether or not they were planning to pursue a residency), experience (80%), and self-confidence (62%). The most frequently reported barriers were recognition that a hospital pharmacy residency is a highly demanding program (65%), having work available upon graduation from the undergraduate program (43%), and financial obligations (34%). Hospital experiential rotations influenced, either positively or negatively, 23 (72%) of the 32 students who changed their decision to pursue or not pursue residency training over the course of their studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The potential gain in knowledge and experience acquired through residency, the fact that it is considered a highly demanding program, and having work available upon graduation from undergraduate studies were the most influential factors in fourth-year pharmacy students’ decision of whether to pursue a hospital pharmacy residency.</p><p><strong>RÉSUMÉ</strong></p><p><strong>Contexte : </strong>La Société canadienne des pharmaciens d’hôpitaux encourage les établissements de santé à embaucher des pharmaciens qui ont fait une résidence. Or, les hôpitaux du Québec continuent d’embaucher des pharmaciens dénués de cette formation, entre autres à cause d’une importante pénurie de pharmaciens hospitaliers. À ce jour, aucune étude n’a examiné les facteurs qui influencent les choix de carrière des étudiants en quatrième année de pharmacie au Canada.</p><p><strong>Objectifs : </strong>Découvrir les facteurs qui motivent les étudiants à faire une résidence en pharmacie d’hôpital et les facteurs qui les en dissuadent.</p><p><strong>Méthodes : </strong>L’ensemble des 186 étudiants en quatrième année à la Faculté de pharmacie de l’Université de Montréal ont été invités par courriel à participer à un sondage validé, approuvé par l’établissement, qui était disponible en ligne entre mars et mai 2014.</p><p><strong>Résultats : </strong>Parmi les 138 répondants ayant rempli et retourné le sondage (taux de réponse de 74 %), 36 (26 %) avaient l’intention de s’inscrire à la résidence en pharmacie d’hôpital. Ces derniers étaient plus âgés (<em>p </em>= 0,037) et possédaient une plus grande expérience de travail en hôpital (36 % contre 3 %, <em>p </em>< 0,001) que ceux qui n’envisageaient pas de s’inscrire à la résidence. Les facteurs qui motivaient le plus tous les répondants (dont ceux qui ne planifiaient pas faire une résidence) à entreprendre une résidence étaient la possibilité : d’acquérir les connaissances (88 %), de gagner de l’expérience (80 %) et d’augmenter la confiance en soi (62 %). Les facteurs qui dissuadaient le plus souvent l’ensemble des répondants étaient : la conviction que la résidence en pharmacie d’hôpital est un programme très exigeant (65 %), l’accès à un travail dès qu’ils obtiennent le diplôme de premier cycle (43 %) et les obligations financières (34 %). Les stages en milieu hospitalier ont influencé, positivement ou négativement, 23 (72 %) des 32 étudiants qui ont changé d’idée quant à la poursuite ou non d’une résidence pendant leurs études.</p><p><strong>Conclusions : </strong>La possibilité d’acquérir des connaissances et de l’expérience grâce à la résidence, le fait que le programme soit considéré comme très exigeant et l’accès à un emploi dès l’obtention du diplôme de premier cycle : ces facteurs influençaient le plus le choix des étudiants en quatrième année pour ce qui est d’entreprendre ou non une résidence en pharmacie d’hôpital.</p>

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p><strong></strong><strong>Background:</strong> In September 2011, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, began offering a combined BScPhm/PharmD program to third-year students and postbaccalaureate graduates. Learning consisted of in-class teaching and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations.</p><p><strong>Objective:</strong> To explore preceptors’ expectations and perceptions of student performance in the APPE rotations of the new combined degree program. </p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> A survey was distributed via email to 132 pharmacists from the Toronto Academic Health Science Network who had acted as preceptors for the combined degree program in academic year 2011/2012. The 17 questions were designed to gather information on preceptors’ demographic characteristics and their expectations and evaluations of the combined-program students. Responses were analyzed qualitatively for common themes and quantitatively using sums and means. Survey responses were compared to identify alignment and discrepancies between preceptors’ expectations and evaluations of students.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The survey response rate was 48% (63/132). Most respondents (46 [73%]) were from a teaching hospital, and the same proportion (46 [73%]) reported being preceptors for a direct patient care rotation. Forty-four (70%) of the respondents expected students to be at the level of traditional PharmD students, hospital residents, or advanced-level Structured Practical Experience Program students, and 35 (80%) of these 44 respondents reported that their students met or exceeded expectations. According to survey responses, 31% of respondents (18/58) ranked students at the corresponding level of performance on the faculty’s assessment form, while 62% (36/58) ranked students at a higher level (5 respondents did not complete the question). Only one-third of respondents felt that they personally had received adequate training before taking on preceptor duties for combined-program students.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Preceptors’ perceptions of the rotation and their expectations of students varied widely and were influenced by prior teaching and learning experiences. There was a disconnect between preceptor-specific expectations and preceptors’ final evaluations of students. Training to standardize the expected level of performance and additional training for preceptors would further enhance the APPE rotations of the combined degree program.</p><p><strong>RÉSUMÉ</strong></p><p><strong>Contexte :</strong> En septembre 2011, la Faculté de pharmacie Leslie Dan de l’Université de Toronto à Toronto, en Ontario, a commencé à offrir un programme de double diplôme, B. Sc. Phm.–Pharm. D., aux étudiants de troisième année et aux diplômés titulaires d’un baccalauréat. Le programme reposait d’une part sur un enseignement en classe et d’autre part sur des stages offrant une expérience pratique avancée de la pharmacie (Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience [APPE]).</p><p><strong>Objectif :</strong> Étudier les attentes des précepteurs envers la performance des étudiants participant aux stages APPE du nouveau programme de double diplôme ainsi que la perception qu’ils en ont.</p><p><strong>Méthodes :</strong> Un sondage a été envoyé par courriel à 132 pharmaciens oeuvrant dans le Toronto Academic Health Science Network et ayant agi à titre de précepteurs dans le programme de double diplôme durant l’année universitaire 2011-2012. Les 17 questions du sondage ont été conçues dans le but de recueillir des informations sur les caractéristiques démographiques des précepteurs ainsi que sur leurs attentes envers les étudiants et les évaluations qu’ils ont faites de ceux-ci dans le cadre du programme double. Les réponses ont été analysées qualitativement pour établir des thèmes communs ainsi que quantitativement à l’aide de sommes et de moyennes. Les réponses au sondage ont été comparées afin de relever des concordances et des divergences entre les attentes des précepteurs envers les étudiants et les évaluations qu’ils ont faites d’eux.</p><p><strong>Résultats :</strong> Le taux de réponse au sondage était de 48 % (63/132). La majorité des répondants (46 [73 %]) travaillaient dans un hôpital universitaire et un même nombre de répondants (46 [73 %]) ont indiqué agir à titre de précepteurs pour un stage de soins directs aux patients. Quarante-quatre (70 %) des répondants s’attendaient à ce que les étudiants soient à la hauteur des étudiants du programme de Pharm. D. traditionnel, des résidents hospitaliers ou des étudiants de haut niveau dans le programme structuré d’expérience pratique (Structured Practical Experience Program) et 35 (80 %) de ces 44 répondants ont déclaré que leurs étudiants avaient satisfait aux attentes ou les avaient dépassées. Selon le sondage, 31 % des répondants (18/58) ont classé les étudiants au niveau de performance correspondant sur le formulaire d’évaluation de la faculté, tandis que 62 % (36/58) ont classé les étudiants à un niveau supérieur (cinq répondants ont négligé cette question). Seul le tiers des répondants estimaient avoir reçu une formation suffisante avant d’endosser le rôle de précepteur auprès des étudiants du programme de double diplôme.</p><p><strong>Conclusions :</strong> Les perceptions des précepteurs envers le stage de même que leurs attentes envers les étudiants variaient grandement et étaient influencées par des expériences d’enseignement et d’apprentissage passées. Il y avait un écart entre les attentes des précepteurs et leurs évaluations finales des étudiants. Un enseignement visant à normaliser le niveau de performance attendu ainsi qu’une formation supplémentaire pour les précepteurs amélioreraient davantage les stages APPE du programme de double diplôme.</p><p> </p>

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Clinicians often face challenges in deciding how to treat osteoporosis in patients with chronic kidney disease. As background to offering guidance to health care providers, it is important to understand their practices and beliefs.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To describe the practices and beliefs of pharmacists regarding use of bisphosphonates for patients with osteoporosis and chronic kidney disease.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey of pharmacists working in hospitals and related health care settings was conducted. A 34-item online questionnaire was developed consisting of 4 sections: demographic characteristics, practices, beliefs, and comfort level with making decisions about osteoporosis treatment. An e-mail invitation was sent to members of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (<em>n </em>= 2499) in November 2012.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 367 pharmacists completed the survey. Most of the respondents were women (258 [70%]), had more than 10 years in practice (213 [58%]), and were providing care to 1 or more osteoporosis patients per week (212 [58%]). Over one-third (150 [41%]) stated that they would use a bisphosphonate for patients with creatinine clearance (CrCl) of 15–30 mL/min, but more than half (207 [56%]) stated that they would avoid a bisphosphonate (and recommend another medication) for patients with CrCl below 15 mL/min. Forty-eight percent (176/363) agreed that oral bisphosphonates could be used for patients with renal failure (defined as CrCl < 30 mL/min), so long as dosage adjustments are made. More than half (206/363 [57%]) believed that the adverse effects of oral bisphosphonates increase for patients with renal failure. Respondents expressed a low level of comfort in assessing and initiating osteoporosis treatment for patients with renal failure.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pharmacists had varying beliefs about managing osteoporosis in patients with chronic kidney disease. This study highlights the need for practice tools and targeted education addressing the use of bisphosphonates for these patients.</p><p><strong>RÉSUMÉ</strong></p><p><strong>Contexte : </strong>Les cliniciens sont souvent confrontés à des défis lorsqu’ils doivent choisir un traitement contre l’ostéoporose chez les patients atteints d’insuffisance rénale chronique. Afin d’être en mesure de guider les fournisseurs de soins de santé, il importe de comprendre leurs pratiques et leurs croyances.</p><p><strong>Objectif : </strong>Offrir un portrait des pratiques et croyances des pharmaciens en ce qui a trait à l’emploi des bisphosphonates chez les insuffisants rénaux chroniques atteints d’ostéoporose.</p><p><strong>Méthodes : </strong>Une enquête transversale a été réalisée auprès de pharmaciens exerçant en établissements de santé. Un questionnaire en ligne a été élaboré. Il contenait 34 éléments répartis en 4 sections, soit : les caractéristiques démographiques; les pratiques; les croyances; et le degré d’aisance en ce qui a trait au choix d’un traitement contre l’ostéoporose. Un courriel d’invitation a été envoyé aux membres de la Société canadienne des pharmaciens d’hôpitaux (<em>n </em>= 2499) en novembre 2012.</p><p><strong>Résultats : </strong>Au total, 367 pharmaciens ont participé au sondage. La plupart des répondants étaient des femmes (258 [70 %]), possédaient plus de 10 années de pratique (213 [58 %]) et fournissaient hebdomadairement des soins à au moins un patient ostéoporotique (212 [58 %]). Plus d’un tiers (150 [41 %]) ont indiqué qu’ils emploieraient un bisphosphonate chez les patients affichant une clairance de la créatinine (ClCr) entre 15 et 30 mL/min, mais plus de la moitié (207 [56 %]) ont affirmé qu’ils n’en utiliseraient pas (et qu’ils recommandaient un autre médicament) chez les patients présentant une ClCr en deçà de 15 mL/min. Quarante-huit pour cent (176/363) ont affirmé que les bisphosphonates oraux pouvaient être employés pour les patients présentant une insuffisance rénale (définie comme une ClCr < 30 mL/min), pourvu que l’on procède à des ajustements posologiques. Plus de la moitié (206/363 [57 %]) croyaient que les effets indésirables des bisphosphonates oraux sont plus importants chez les patients souffrant d’insuffisance rénale. Les répondants ont indiqué être peu à l’aise lorsque vient le temps d’évaluer et d’amorcer un traitement contre l’ostéoporose chez les insuffisants rénaux.</p><p><strong>Conclusions : </strong>Les pharmaciens adhéraient à diverses croyances en ce qui touche la prise en charge de l’ostéoporose chez les insuffisants rénaux. La présente étude met en évidence le besoin d’outils pour la pratique ainsi que d’enseignement ciblé portant sur l’emploi des bisphosphonates chez les patients atteints d’insuffisance rénale.</p>

Background: Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) may cause adverse drug events, potentially leading to hospital admission. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) can improve decision-making by clinicians as well as drug safety. However, previous research has suggested that pharmacists are concerned about discrepancies between CDSSs and common clinical practice in terms of severity ratings and recommended actions for DDIs. Objectives: The primary objective was to characterize the level of agreement in terms of DDI severity ranking and actions recommended between the local CDSS and pharmacists. The secondary objectives were to determine the level of agreement among pharmacists concerning DDI severity, to determine the influence of the CDSS on clinicians’ decision-making, and to review the literature supporting the severity rankings of DDIs identified in the study institution’s database. Methods: This 2-part survey study involved pharmacists and pharmacy residents working at 1 of 4 health organizations within the Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services, British Columbia, who were invited to participate by email. Participants were first asked to rank the severity of 15 drug pairs (representing potential DDIs) on a 5-point Likert scale and to select an action to manage each interaction. Participants were then given the CDSS severity classification for the same 15 pairs and again asked to select an appropriate management action. Results: Of the estimated 500 eligible pharmacists, a total of 73 pharmacists participated, for a response rate of about 15%. For DDIs of moderate severity, most participants chose to monitor. For severe and contraindicated interactions, the severity ranking and action proposed by participants varied, despite the same severity classification by the CDSS. There was poor agreement among respondents about the severity of the various DDIs. Moreover, knowledge of the CDSS severity ranking did not seem to change the actions proposed by most respondents. Conclusion: This study identified a gap between the local CDSS and clinical practice. There were discrepancies in terms of severity rankings and actions proposed to manage DDIs, particularly for severe and contraindicated DDIs. The current CDSS did not appear to have a large impact on clinical decision-making, which suggests that it may not be functioning to its full potential. RÉSUMÉ Contexte : Les interactions médicamenteuses (IM) peuvent provoquer des réactions indésirables et entraîner potentiellement une admission à l’hôpital. Les systèmes d’aide à la décision clinique (SADC) peuvent améliorer le processus de prise de décision des cliniciens ainsi que la sécurité de l’usage des médicaments. Cependant, des recherches antérieures mentionnent que les divergences entre les SADC et la pratique clinique courante de l’évaluation de la gravité des IM ainsi que les mesures recommandées préoccupent les pharmaciens. Objectifs : L’objectif principal consistait à caractériser le degré de concordance entre les SADC locaux et les décisions des pharmaciens en termes d’évaluation du degré de gravité des IM ainsi que des mesures recommandées. Les objectifs secondaires visaient quant à eux à déterminer le degré de concordance entre l’évaluation du degré de gravité de l’IM par les pharmaciens, à définir l’influence des SADC sur le processus de prise de décision des cliniciens et à examiner la documentation appuyant les critères d’évaluation de la gravité d’une IM, déterminés dans la base de données de l’institution où s’est déroulée l’étude. Méthodes : Cette étude en deux volets, menée au moyen d’un sondage par courriel, impliquait les pharmaciens et les résidents en pharmacie travaillant dans l’un des quatre organismes de santé des Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services en Colombie-Britannique. On a tout d’abord demandé aux participants d’évaluer le degré de gravité de 15 paires de médicaments (représentant des IM potentielles) sur une échelle de Likert à 5 points et de choisir une mesure visant à gérer chaque interaction. Les participants ont ensuite reçu l’évaluation par les SADC de la gravité des mêmes 15 paires; on leur a ensuite demandé de choisir une mesure de gestion appropriée. Résultats : Sur une estimation de 500 pharmaciens admissibles, 73 ont participé à l’étude et le taux de réponse s’est établi à 15 %. Concernant les IM dont le degré de gravité est modéré, la plupart des participants ont choisi la surveillance. L’évaluation du degré de gravité et les mesures proposées par les participants variaient lorsqu’il s’agissait d’interactions contre-indiquées et graves, et cela malgré une évaluation identique du degré de gravité par les SADC. On a relevé une mauvaise concordance entre les répondants quant à la gravité des diverses IM. De plus, la prise de connaissance par les répondants de l’évaluation du degré de gravité faite par les SADC ne semblait pas modifier les mesures proposées par la plupart d’entre eux. Conclusion : Cette étude a mis en évidence un fossé entre les SADC locaux et la pratique clinique. On y a relevé des divergences entre l’évaluation du degré de gravité des IM et les mesures proposées pour les gérer, en particulier lorsque les IM sont graves et contre-indiquées. Le SADC utilisé couramment ne semble pas avoir d’impact important sur le processus de décision clinique, ce qui laisse supposer qu’il pourrait ne pas fonctionner au maximum de son potentiel.

Grief has been shown to weaken bereaved persons' health, but measurements of their lost time and medical expense remain rare. Funerals traditionally managed and assuaged grief through ritual expression, approval, and social support. Research suggests that satisfying funeral participation reduces grief, while poverty exacerbates it. We hypothesized that: (1) psycho-physical symptoms of grief, (2) abbreviation/dissatisfaction in the funeral, and (3) poverty, correlate with decreased productivity and increased medical and social services use. We collected data from 165 mourning families about their grief, funerals, and subsequent medical conditions. (1) Deeper grief after bereavement in Japan correlated with more physical problems, more down time, and more medical dependency. (2) Low satisfaction with funerals correlated with higher hospital, pharmacy, and counseling costs. (3) Low income families lost more time, while declining incomes showed increased pharmaceutical costs. This suggests that satisfying funerals and income safeguards may reduce costs of low productivity and increased public services dependency.