This investigation pinpointed several alterations in patient interactions with community pharmacy services during the pandemic. Community pharmacies can adapt their services to better support patients in response to the current and potential future outbreaks by using these findings.
Transitions of care present a delicate period for patients, prone to unanticipated changes in treatment. Poorly conveyed information often leads to medication errors. Despite the substantial impact pharmacists have on patient care transitions, their roles and experiences are underdocumented in the literature. This study aimed to deepen our understanding of British Columbian hospital pharmacists' views on their engagement in the hospital discharge process. British Columbia hospital pharmacists were the subject of a qualitative study, using focus groups and key informant interviews, conducted between April and May of 2021. Questions posed during interviews were meticulously crafted, drawing upon a comprehensive literature review, and incorporated questions relating to frequently examined interventions. Anti-hepatocarcinoma effect Manual coding, in conjunction with NVivo software, was used for the thematic analysis of the transcribed interview sessions. Twenty participants were divided across three focus groups; a single key informant interview was also conducted. Analysis of the data revealed six key themes: (1) overall viewpoints; (2) pharmacists' significant participation in patient discharge; (3) strategies for patient education; (4) obstacles impeding optimal discharges; (5) proposed solutions to remove barriers; and (6) implementing prioritization strategies. Pharmacists' contributions to patient discharge planning are substantial, but their ability to provide comprehensive support is often compromised by insufficient resources and staffing models. Insight into pharmacists' viewpoints on the discharge process is essential for effectively allocating limited resources to guarantee patients receive the best possible care.
Experiential learning opportunities for student pharmacists within healthcare systems can present difficulties for pharmacy schools. Health systems' clinical faculty practices, crucial for boosting student placements at schools, face a challenge: individual faculty priorities frequently outweigh the development of a comprehensive experiential education program across the entire site. The experiential liaison (EL), a novel clinical faculty position established at the school's largest health system partner, will prioritize improving the quantity and quality of experiential learning opportunities in the academic medical center (AMC). impulsivity psychopathology A critical analysis performed by the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science (SSPPS) resulted in the identification of interested preceptors, the establishment of a preceptor development initiative, and the creation of high-quality experiential learning opportunities at the site, all facilitated by the implementation of the EL position. Since the EL position was established, student placement at the site amounted to 34% of SSPPS's experiential placements by 2020. A significant portion of preceptors expressed enthusiastic agreement with the SSPPS curriculum, school expectations, the use of assessment tools to gauge student performance on rotation, and strategies for providing feedback to the school. Preceptor development, a routine and effective process, is a key component of the collaborative relationship between the school and hospital. For educational institutions to increase experiential learning placements in healthcare settings, a feasible strategy is to create an experiential liaison position within their clinical faculty.
A high concentration of ascorbic acid could potentially increase susceptibility to phenytoin-related toxicity. A case report examines the association between high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and elevated phenytoin levels, leading to adverse drug reactions, when used concurrently as a precaution against a coronavirus (COVID) infection. The patient experienced a significant seizure due to the lapse in his phenytoin medication. Phenytoin's subsequent introduction, followed by the later addition of high-dose AA, led to truncal ataxia, falls, and bilateral wrist and finger extension weakness. After ceasing Phenytoin and AA, the patient's condition returned to its initial state on a new medication regimen, specifically lacosamide and gabapentin, exhibiting no more major seizures during the subsequent year.
A critical therapeutic approach for preventing HIV is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Descovy, an oral PrEP medication, is the most recently approved option. While PrEP is obtainable, suboptimal use continues to be a problem for at-risk individuals. 3-deazaneplanocin A The role of social media platforms in spreading health information extends to education on PrEP. Tweets concerning Descovy's first year of FDA-approved PrEP use were subject to a content analysis on Twitter. The Descovy coding schema detailed elements related to indication, appropriate use, financial implications, and safety profile characteristics. The prevalent content in tweets pertained to the target patient group for Descovy, the strategy for dosing, and the observed side effects. The information necessary to understand costs and appropriate usage was frequently missing. Health care providers and educators need to be mindful of potential deficiencies in social media messaging about PrEP and must ensure patients receive sufficient education before considering PrEP.
Health inequities are observed among individuals domiciled in areas with a scarcity of primary care health professionals (HPSAs). Healthcare professionals, community pharmacists, possess the potential to provide care to populations in need. This study aimed to compare the non-dispensing services offered by Ohio community pharmacists in HPSA and non-HPSA areas.
Pharmacists practicing in full-county HPSAs and a random selection of community pharmacists in other Ohio counties (n=324) were sent a 19-item electronic survey, which adhered to IRB protocols. Assessments of current non-dispensing services probed both interest and obstacles related to those services.
A 23% response rate resulted in seventy-four usable responses from the inquiry group. There was a greater recognition rate for county HPSA status among respondents outside HPSAs than within an HPSA (p=0.0008). Pharmacies not part of an HPSA were considerably more prone to offering 11 or more non-dispensing services compared to pharmacies within HPSAs, according to the statistically significant result (p=0.0002). A considerably greater proportion of respondents in non-HPSA areas, approximately 60%, initiated new non-dispensing services during the COVID-19 pandemic, in comparison to 27% of those located in full HPSA counties (p=0.0009). The provision of non-dispensing services was notably hindered, in both county classifications, by the absence of proper reimbursement (83%), procedural challenges (82%), and limitations in available space (70%). Respondents indicated a desire to acquire further knowledge regarding public health and collaborative practice agreements.
Recognizing the significant need for non-dispensing services in HPSAs, community pharmacies in Ohio's full-county HPSAs were less likely to offer such services or begin new service models. To cultivate greater health equity and improve access to care, the barriers to community pharmacists providing more non-dispensing services in HPSAs must be meticulously addressed.
The substantial need for non-dispensing services in HPSAs, particularly within full-county HPSAs throughout Ohio, appeared less fulfilled by community pharmacies, which were less likely to offer or establish new ones. In order to expand the availability of non-dispensing services by community pharmacists within HPSAs, and thereby promote health equity and greater access to care, the obstacles impeding their practice must be addressed.
Student pharmacists often undertake service-learning projects focused on community engagement, integrating health education and reinforcing the significance of the pharmacy profession. Projects aiming to benefit communities often assume resident needs and wants, but these projects frequently fail to include key community partners in the planning process. Student organizations can benefit from the reflection and guidance provided in this paper, centered on project planning strategies that incorporate local community partnerships for achieving meaningful and enduring results.
By utilizing a novel mixed-methods approach, this study will examine how an emergency department simulation affects the interprofessional team skills and attitudes of pharmacy students. Interprofessional teams, composed of pharmacy and medical students, conducted a simulated emergency department exercise. The same encounter was conducted twice, with a debriefing session, guided by faculty members of pharmacy and medicine, falling between the rounds. After the second round concluded, a comprehensive debriefing session was held. Following each simulation exercise, pharmacy faculty assessed pharmacy students' performance using a competency-based checklist. Pre-simulation, pharmacy students assessed their interprofessional skills and attitudes; post-simulation, they repeated the assessment. Pharmacy students demonstrated a substantial rise in their ability to communicate clearly and concisely in interprofessional verbal exchanges and in using shared decision-making for creating a collaborative care plan, as evidenced by student self-assessment and faculty observation. Student self-assessments indicated a substantial perceived development in contributing to the interprofessional care plan and demonstrating active listening skills within the team. Qualitative analysis by pharmacy students revealed improvements in perceived self-improvement across various team-based skills and attitudes, such as confidence, critical thinking, role definition, communication prowess, and self-understanding.