Pharmacists practising in family medicine groups: An evaluation 2 years after experiencing a virtual community of practice.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, a virtual community of practice (CoP) for pharmacists working in family medicine groups (FMGs) in Quebec province was developed. The aim of this CoP-called Réseau Québécois des Pharmaciens GMF (RQP GMF)-was to foster best practices by supporting FMG pharmacists. This study assesses the processes and outcomes of this CoP 2 years after its creation. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional web-based study from March to May 2020. All FMG pharmacists who were registered as members of the RQP GMF (n = 326) were sent an invitation via a newsletter. The link to the questionnaire was also publicized in the CoP Facebook group. The questionnaire comprised a 38-item validated instrument assessing 8 dimensions of the CoP. A descriptive analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 112 FMG pharmacists (34.4%) completed the questionnaire. Respondents agreed that the RQP GMF was a joint enterprise (mean score, 4.18/5), that members shared their knowledge (mean score, 3.94/5) and engaged mutually (mean score, 3.50/5) and that the RQP GMF provided support (mean score, 3.92/5) and capacity building (mean score, 4.01/5). In general, they were satisfied with the implementation process (mean score, 3.68/5) and with activities proposed (mean score, 3.79/5). A lower proportion of respondents agreed that their participation in the RQP GMF generated external impacts, which led to a smaller mean score (3.37/5) for this dimension. CONCLUSION: The RQP GMF, one of the first communities of practice for pharmacists practising in family medicine groups, attained most of the objectives initially intended by the CoP. These results will facilitate the adaptation of processes and activities to better fulfil members' needs. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2021;154:xx-xx.

Pharmacists practising in family medicine groups: What are their activities and needs?

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Pharmacists' responsibilities and practices have expanded over the years to be more clinical. Working in other settings and collaborating with other healthcare professionals can lead to new needs that are unmet by actual training. This study was performed to describe the characteristics and practices of pharmacists working in family medicine groups (FMGs) and to assess their needs to develop a practice-based network fostering best practices. METHODS: A Quebec province-wide cross-sectional study was performed from May to August 2018. Pharmacists practising in FMGs were identified through phone calls to all listed FMGs and via direct emails. All identified pharmacists were emailed an invitation to complete an online questionnaire comprising questions to assess their sociodemographic characteristics, to describe their FMG and to assess their needs to reach an optimal practice. The link to the questionnaire was also publicized in a Facebook group of FMG pharmacists and by several professional organizations. A descriptive analysis was performed and discussed with two committees: a working group of FMG pharmacists and an advisory committee comprising key stakeholders. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 299 FMG pharmacists were identified, and 178 (59.5%) completed the online questionnaire. Most were women (71.9%), were less than 40 years old (71.9%) and also practised as community pharmacists (76.4%). Reviewing medication to optimize pharmacotherapy and answering questions related to specific issues were the most frequent activities, with 86.0% and 90.4% of pharmacists, respectively, reporting that they performed these often or very often. The most frequently mentioned needs were training and mentorship adapted to the FMG practice and improvement in the understanding that other healthcare professionals have about the role of the FMG pharmacist. Performing comprehensive medication assessments and developing thorough pharmaceutical care plans were among the clinical competencies that pharmacists wanted to develop. Scientific and interprofessional communication was also among the abilities they wished to optimize. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: This study provided unique information about pharmacists practising in FMGs and elicited several needs. The results will inform the development of a practice-based network aimed at fulfilling these needs.

Lasso Regression for the Prediction of Intermediate Outcomes Related to Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Using the TRANSIT Quality Indicators.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality are largely influenced by poor control of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Process indicators are essential to monitor the effectiveness of quality improvement strategies. However, process indicators should be validated by demonstrating their ability to predict desirable outcomes. The objective of this study is to identify an effective method for building prediction models and to assess the predictive validity of the TRANSIT indicators. METHODS: On the basis of blood pressure readings and laboratory test results at baseline, the TRANSIT study population was divided into 3 overlapping subpopulations: uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled dyslipidemia, and uncontrolled diabetes. A classic statistical method, a sparse machine learning technique, and a hybrid method combining both were used to build prediction models for whether a patient reached therapeutic targets for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. The final models' performance for predicting these intermediate outcomes was established using cross-validated area under the curves (cvAUC). RESULTS: At baseline, 320, 247, and 303 patients were uncontrolled for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, respectively. Among the 3 techniques used to predict reaching therapeutic targets, the hybrid method had a better discriminative capacity (cvAUCs=0.73 for hypertension, 0.64 for dyslipidemia, and 0.79 for diabetes) and succeeded in identifying indicators with a better capacity for predicting intermediate outcomes related to cardiovascular disease prevention. CONCLUSIONS: Even though this study was conducted in a complex population of patients, a set of 5 process indicators were found to have good predictive validity based on the hybrid method.

Concordance of care processes between medical records and patient self-administered questionnaires.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing use of medical records to measure quality of care, studies have shown that their validity is suboptimal. The objective of this study is to assess the concordance of cardiovascular care processes evaluated through medical record review and patient self-administered questionnaires (SAQs) using ten quality indicators (TRANSIT indicators). These indicators were developed as part of a participatory research program (TRANSIT study) dedicated to TRANSforming InTerprofessional clinical practices to improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in primary care. METHODS: For every patient participating in the TRANSIT study, the compliance to each indicator (individual scores) as well as the mean compliance to all indicators of a category (subscale scores) and to the complete set of ten indicators (overall scale score) were established. Concordance between results obtained using medical records and patient SAQs was assessed by prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) coefficients as well as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were used to identify patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with agreement between the two data sources. RESULTS: The TRANSIT study was conducted in a primary care setting among patients (n = 759) with multimorbidity, at moderate (16%) and high risk (83%) of cardiovascular diseases. Quality of care, as measured by the TRANSIT indicators, varied substantially between medical records and patient SAQ. Concordance between the two data sources, as measured by ICCs (95% CI), was poor for the subscale (0.18 [0.08-0.27] to 0.46 [0.40-0.52]) and overall (0.46 [0.40-0.53]) compliance scale scores. GLMM showed that agreement was not affected by patients' characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: In quality improvement strategies, researchers must acknowledge that care processes may not be consistently recorded in medical records. They must also be aware that the evaluation of the quality of care may vary depending on the source of information, the clinician responsible of documenting the interventions, and the domain of care.

Anticoagulation management services in community pharmacy: Feasibility of implementing a quality improvement programme through a practice-based research network.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: The literature has reported suboptimal real-world use of oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Anticoagulation management services (AMSs) in community pharmacy have rarely been evaluated, and no formal process is available to enable pharmacists to evaluate and improve their clinical practices. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of implementing, through a practice-based research network (PBRN), a quality improvement programme on AMSs by community pharmacists for AF patients and explore its impact on the quality of clinical practices and pharmacists' knowledge. METHODS: An uncontrolled pre/post-pilot study was conducted through a PBRN. Pharmacists identified 5-20 AF patients on oral anticoagulants per pharmacy and completed questionnaires at baseline (T0) and after 6 months (T6). Clinical practices were evaluated using a set of quality indicators (QIs). QI scores ranged from 0% (no QI achieved) to 100% (all QIs achieved). The programme included an audit and feedback based on QIs and a personalized training programme (including online videos). Participation rates and satisfaction were documented. Mean changes (T6-T0), with 95% confidence interval (CI), in QIs and knowledge scores were computed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 37 pharmacies (50 pharmacists) identified 222 patients who had received either vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), or both. All pharmacies received their baseline quality report (audit), and facilitators contacted by phone 97% of pharmacies (feedback). Each of the six online videos was completed by at least 48% of pharmacists. Baseline mean global QI scores for VKAs and DOACs were 39.1% (95% CI: 35.7%-42.4%) and 12.3% (7.8%-16.8%), respectively. Over a 6-month period, they increased by 12.5% points (7.5%-17.5%) and 9.9% points (3.8%-16.1%), respectively. Baseline mean global knowledge score was 68.7% (65.4%-72.0%) and increased by 4.3% points (1.2%-7.4%). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Implementing a quality improvement programme for AMS in community pharmacy is relevant and feasible and may improve pharmacists' practices and knowledge.

Community Pharmacist Training-and-Communication Network and Drug-Related Problems in Patients With CKD: A Multicenter, Cluster-Randomized, Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate training for community pharmacists may improve the quality of medication use. Few studies have reported the impact of such programs on medication management for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter, cluster-randomized, controlled trial. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Patients with CKD stage 3a, 3b, or 4 from 6 CKD clinics (Quebec, Canada) and their community pharmacies. INTERVENTION: Each cluster (a pharmacy and its patients) was randomly assigned to either ProFiL, a training-and-communication network program, or the control group. ProFiL pharmacists completed a 90-minute interactive web-based training program on use of medications in CKD and received a clinical guide, patients' clinical summaries, and facilitated access to the CKD clinic. OUTCOMES: Drug-related problems (primary outcome), pharmacists' knowledge and clinical skills, and patients' clinical attributes (eg, blood pressure and glycated hemoglobin concentration). MEASUREMENTS: Drug-related problems were evaluated the year before and after the recruitment of patients using a validated set of significant drug-related problems, the Pharmacotherapy Assessment in Chronic Renal Disease (PAIR) criteria. Pharmacists' questionnaires were completed at baseline and after 1 year. Clinical attributes were documented at baseline and after 1 year using available information in medical charts. RESULTS: 207 community pharmacies, 494 pharmacists, and 442 patients with CKD participated. After 1 year, the mean number of drug-related problems per patient decreased from 2.16 to 1.60 and from 1.70 to 1.62 in the ProFiL and control groups, respectively. The difference in reduction of drug-related problems per patient between the ProFiL and control groups was -0.32 (95% CI, -0.63 to -0.01). Improvements in knowledge (difference, 4.5%; 95% CI, 1.6%-7.4%) and clinical competencies (difference, 7.4%; 95% CI, 3.5%-11.3%) were observed among ProFiL pharmacists. No significant differences in clinical attributes were observed across the groups. LIMITATIONS: High proportion of missing data on knowledge and clinical skills questionnaire (34.6%) and clinical attributes (11.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Providing community pharmacists with essential clinical data, appropriate training, and support from hospital pharmacists with expertise in nephrology increases pharmacists' knowledge and reduces drug-related problems in patients with CKD who are followed up in clinics incorporating a multidisciplinary health care team.

Psychometric analysis of the TRANSIT quality indicators for cardiovascular disease prevention in primary care.

OBJECTIVE: To assess a selection of psychometric properties of the TRANSIT indicators. DESIGN: Using medical records, indicators were documented retrospectively during the 14 months preceding the end of the TRANSIT study. SETTING: Primary care in Quebec, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Indicators were documented in a random subsample (n = 123 patients) of the TRANSIT study population (n = 759). INTERVENTIONS: For every patient, the mean compliance to all indicators of a category (subscale score) and to the complete set of indicators (overall scale score) were established. To evaluate test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities, indicators were applied twice, two months apart, by the same evaluator and independently by different evaluators, respectively. To evaluate convergent validity, correlations between TRANSIT indicators, Burge et al. indicators and Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) indicators were examined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, and convergent validity. RESULTS: Test-retest reliability, as measured by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) was equal to 0.99 (0.99-0.99) for the overall scale score while inter-rater reliability was equal to 0.95 (0.93-0.97) for the overall scale score. Convergent validity, as measured by Pearson's correlation coefficients, was equal to 0.77 (P < 0.001) for the overall scale score when the TRANSIT indicators were compared to Burge et al. indicators and to 0.82 (P < 0.001) for the overall scale score when the TRANSIT indicators were compared to INESSS indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Reliability was excellent except for eleven indicators while convergent validity was strong except for domains related to the management of CVD risk factors.

Evaluation of a continuous quality improvement program in anticoagulant therapy: Feasibility, satisfaction and perception.

BACKGROUND: The ACO Program (Programme ACO), a continuous quality improvement program (CQIP) in anticoagulation therapy, was offered in community pharmacies as a pilot project. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the participants' appreciation for the various activities of the program. METHODS: Participants had access to training activities, including an audit with feedback, online training activities (OTA), clinical tools and support from facilitators. Cognitive behavioural learning determinants were evaluated before and 5 months after the beginning of the program. Participants' satisfaction and perception were documented via online questionnaires and a semistructured interview. RESULTS: Of the 52 pharmacists in the ACO Program, 47 participated in this evaluation. Seventy-seven percent of the participants completed at least 1 OTA and 6% published on the forum. The feeling of personal effectiveness rose from 8.01 (7.67-8.35) to 8.62 (8.24-8.99). The audit and feedback, as well as the high-quality OTA and their lecturers, were the most appreciated elements. DISCUSSION: There was a high OTA participation rate. The facilitators seemed to play a key role in the CQIP. The low level of participation in the forum reflects the known phenomenon of social loafing. Technical difficulties affecting the platform and data collection for the audit with feedback constituted limitations. CONCLUSION: The CQIP in anticoagulation therapy is appreciated by community pharmacists and is associated with an improved feeling of personal effectiveness.

Facilitating Implementation of Interprofessional Collaborative Practices Into Primary Care: A Trilogy of Driving Forces.

Implementing interprofessional collaborative practices in primary care is challenging, and research about its facilitating factors remains scarce. The goal of this participatory action research study was to better understand the driving forces during the early stage of the implementation process of a community-driven and patient-focused program in primary care titled "TRANSforming InTerprofessional cardiovascular disease prevention in primary care" (TRANSIT). Eight primary care clinics in Quebec, Canada, agreed to participate by creating and implementing an interprofessional facilitation team (IFT). Sixty-three participants volunteered to be part of an IFT, and 759 patients agreed to participate. We randomized six clinics into a supported facilitation ("supported") group, with an external facilitator (EF) and financial incentives for participants. We assigned two clinics to an unsupported facilitation ("unsupported") group, with no EF or financial incentives. After 3 months, we held one interview for the two EFs. After 6 months, we held eight focus groups with IFT members and another interview with each EF. The analyses revealed three key forces: (1) opportunity for dialogue through the IFT, (2) active role of the EF, and (3) change implementation budgets. Decision-makers designing implementation plans for interprofessional programs should ensure that these driving forces are activated. Further research should examine how these forces affect interprofessional practices and patient outcomes.

Scientific rigour and innovations in participatory action research investigating workplace learning in continuing interprofessional education.

The persistent theory-practice gap shows how challenging it can be for healthcare professionals to keep updating their practices. The continuing education challenges are partly explained by the tremendous stream of new discoveries in health and the epidemic of multi-morbid conditions. Participatory action research (PAR) is used in healthcare as a research approach that capitalizes on people's resources to better understand and enhance their professional practices. PAR thus can consolidate our knowledge on workplace learning in continuing interprofessional education while directly improving quality of care. However, PAR lacks clear scientific criteria to ensure the consistency between the investigators' methodology and philosophy, which jeopardize its credibility. This paper outlines the principles of rigour in PAR and describes the additions of a preliminary planning phase to Kemmis and McTaggart's PAR description as well as the use of the professional co-development group, an action-oriented data collection method. We believe that this will help PAR co-participants achieve improved scientific rigour and encourage more investigators to collaborate through this research approach contributing to the advancement of knowledge on workplace learning in continuing interprofessional education.

The willingness of community pharmacists to participate in a practice-based research network.

BACKGROUND: Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are groups of practitioners and researchers with an interest in designing, evaluating and disseminating solutions to the real-world problems of clinical practices. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the level of interest of community pharmacists in participating in a PBRN and to document the services such a network should offer. METHOD: In a survey of community pharmacists in Montreal, Quebec, and surrounding areas, a questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 1250 pharmacists. Two of the 28 questions were related to PBRNs: one assessed the pharmacists' interest in participating in a PBRN; the other sought their views on which services and activities this network should offer. RESULTS: In total, 571 (45.7%) pharmacists completed the questionnaire, but 6 did not answer the questions about the PBRN. Of the respondents, 58.9% indicated they were "very interested" or "interested" in joining a PBRN, while 41.1% reported little or no interest. The most popular potential services identified were access to clinical tools developed in research projects (77.0%), access to continuing education training programs developed in research projects (75.9%), information about conferences on pharmacy practice research (64.1%) and participation in the development of new pharmaceutical practices (56.1%). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the level of interest that community pharmacists have in PBRNs is sufficient to further evaluate how such networks may optimize and facilitate pharmacy practice research. Can Pharm J 2013;146:47-54.

Priorities for action to improve cardiovascular preventive care of patients with multimorbid conditions in primary care--a participatory action research project.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in patients with multimorbid conditions is not always optimal in primary care (PC). Interactive collaborative processes involving PC community are recommended to develop new models of care and to successfully reshape clinical practices. OBJECTIVE: To identify challenges and priorities for action in PC to improve CVD prevention among patients with multimorbid conditions. METHODS: Physicians (n = 6), nurses (n = 6), community pharmacists (n = 6), other health professionals (n = 6), patients (n = 6) and family members (n = 6), decision makers (n = 6) and researchers (n = 6) took part in a 1-day workshop. Using the Chronic Care Model (CCM) as a framework, participants in focus groups and nominal groups identified the challenges and priorities for action. RESULTS: Providing appropriate support to lifestyle change in patients and implementing collaborative practices are challenging. Priorities for action relate to three CCM domains: (i) improve the clinical information system by providing computerized tools for interprofessional and interinstitutional communication, (ii) improve the organization of health care and delivery system design by enhancing interprofessional collaboration, especially with nurses and pharmacists, and creating care teams that include a case manager and (iii) improve self-management support by giving patients access to nutritionists, to personalized health care plans including lifestyle recommendations and to other resources (community resources, websites). CONCLUSIONS: To optimize CVD prevention, PC actors recommend focussing mainly on three CCM domains. Electronic medical records, collaborative practices and self-management support are perceived as pivotal aspects of successful PC prevention programme. Developing and implementing such models are challenging and will require the mobilization of the whole PC community.

Ideal and actual involvement of community pharmacists in health promotion and prevention: a cross-sectional study in Quebec, Canada.

BACKGROUND: An increased interest is observed in broadening community pharmacists' role in public health. To date, little information has been gathered in Canada on community pharmacists' perceptions of their role in health promotion and prevention; however, such data are essential to the development of public-health programs in community pharmacy. A cross-sectional study was therefore conducted to explore the perceptions of community pharmacists in urban and semi-urban areas regarding their ideal and actual levels of involvement in providing health-promotion and prevention services and the barriers to such involvement. METHODS: Using a five-step modified Dillman's tailored design method, a questionnaire with 28 multiple-choice or open-ended questions (11 pages plus a cover letter) was mailed to a random sample of 1,250 pharmacists out of 1,887 community pharmacists practicing in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) and surrounding areas. It included questions on pharmacists' ideal level of involvement in providing health-promotion and preventive services; which services were actually offered in their pharmacy, the employees involved, the frequency, and duration of the services; the barriers to the provision of these services in community pharmacy; their opinion regarding the most appropriate health professionals to provide them; and the characteristics of pharmacists, pharmacies and their clientele. RESULTS: In all, 571 out of 1,234 (46.3%) eligible community pharmacists completed and returned the questionnaire. Most believed they should be very involved in health promotion and prevention, particularly in smoking cessation (84.3%); screening for hypertension (81.8%), diabetes (76.0%) and dyslipidemia (56.9%); and sexual health (61.7% to 89.1%); however, fewer respondents reported actually being very involved in providing such services (5.7% [lifestyle, including smoking cessation], 44.5%, 34.8%, 6.5% and 19.3%, respectively). The main barriers to the provision of these services in current practice were lack of: time (86.1%), coordination with other health care professionals (61.1%), staff or resources (57.2%), financial compensation (50.8%), and clinical tools (45.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Although community pharmacists think they should play a significant role in health promotion and prevention, they recognize a wide gap between their ideal and actual levels of involvement. The efficient integration of primary-care pharmacists and pharmacies into public health cannot be envisioned without addressing important organizational barriers.

Educational needs of health care providers working in long-term care facilities with regard to pain management.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic pain ranges from 40% to 80% in long-term care facilities (LTCF), with the highest proportion being found among older adults and residents with dementia. Unfortunately, pain in older adults is underdiagnosed, undertreated, inadequately treated or not treated at all. A solution to this problem would be to provide effective and innovative interdisciplinary continuing education to health care providers (HCPs). OBJECTIVE: To identify the educational needs of HCPs working in LTCF with regard to pain management. METHODS: A qualitative research design using the nominal group technique was undertaken. Seventy-two HCPs (21 physicians/pharmacists, 15 occupational/physical therapists, 24 nurses and 21 orderlies) were recruited from three LTCF in Quebec. Each participant was asked to provide and prioritize a list of the most important topics to be addressed within a continuing education program on chronic pain management in LTCF. RESULTS: Forty topics were generated across all groups, and six specific topics were common to at least three out of the four HCP groups. Educational need in pain assessment was ranked the highest by all groups. Other highly rated topics included pharmacological treatment of pain, pain neurophysiology, nonpharmacological treatments and how to distinguish pain expression from other behaviours. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that despite an average of more than 10 years of work experience in LTCF, HCPs have significant educational needs in pain management, especially pain assessment. These results will help in the development of a comprehensive pain management educational program for HCPs in LTCF.

Results of a national survey on over-the-counter medicines, Part 1: Pharmacist opinion on current scheduling status.

UNLABELLED: > BACKGROUND: OTC medicines make up an important part of the community pharmacy world. As with most aspects of practice, however, hurdles exist that prevent an optimal level of care. OBJECTIVE: To gauge pharmacist agreement on the scheduling status of various OTC medicines. METHODS: Pharmacists across Canada were surveyed by mail. RESULTS: Of the 5037 surveys mailed, 2403 were returned, with 2305 being usable for analysis (response rate of 49.4%). Across 25 agents, pharmacists tended to support existing control for pharmacies (such as Nix crème rinse and minoxidil topical solution) and returning control to pharmacies for unscheduled agents (such as ranitidine 75 mg tablets and nicotine patches). CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacists generally favour tighter control of OTC agents, especially those that are unscheduled. This hopefully reflects pharmacist desire to ensure their proper selection and use.

Development and validation of the PAIR (Pharmacotherapy Assessment in Chronic Renal Disease) criteria to assess medication safety and use issues in patients with CKD.

BACKGROUND: Explicit criteria for judging medication safety and use issues in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are lacking. STUDY DESIGN: Quality improvement report. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Nephrologists (n = 4), primary care physicians (n = 2), hospital pharmacists with expertise in nephrology (n = 4), and community pharmacists (n = 2). The PAIR (Pharmacotherapy Assessment in Chronic Renal Disease) criteria were applied retrospectively to 90 patients with CKD in a randomized study. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN: Development of an explicit set of criteria to enable rapid and systematic detection of drug-related problems (DRPs). Using a RAND method, experts judged the clinical significance of DRPs and the appropriateness of a community pharmacist intervention. The PAIR criteria include 50 DRPs grouped into 6 categories. OUTCOMES: DRPs detected using the PAIR criteria compared with implicit clinical judgment by nephrology pharmacists. MEASUREMENTS: Prevalence of DRPs and reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the PAIR criteria. RESULTS: A mean of 2.5 DRPs/patient (95% CI, 2.0-3.1) was identified based on the PAIR criteria compared with 3.9 DRPs/patient (95% CI, 3.4-4.5) based on clinical judgment of nephrology pharmacists. Inter-rater reliability coefficients (κ) by PAIR category varied from 0.80-1.00, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.95) for total DRPs per patient. Test-retest reliability coefficients by category varied from 0.74-1.00, with an ICC of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.82-0.96) for total DRPs per patient. During the study, the mean number of DRPs per patient did not change significantly when assessed using the PAIR criteria and clinical judgment. LIMITATION: The prevalence of PAIR DRPs may be underestimated due to the retrospective nature of the validation. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of DRPs requiring the intervention of community pharmacists is high in patients with CKD. The PAIR criteria are reliable, but their responsiveness remains to be shown.

Implementation and evaluation of a pharmacy-led thromboprophylaxis campaign in a community hospital.

In hospitalized patients, venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite evidence demonstrating efficacy and safety of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in the prevention of VTE, its use remains low. The aim of this study is to compare the incidence of use of thromboprophylaxis before and after a pharmacy-led thrombosis prevention campaign in medical patients hospitalized in a community hospital. A pharmacy-led multifaceted thromboprophylaxis campaign including continuing education activities for physicians and pharmacists and individualized academic detailing activities supported by clinical tools were implemented over an 8-week period. In a quasi-experimental study, the incidence of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis was evaluated using a retrospective chart review and compared before and after the campaign in medical patients at high and non-high risk of VTE as defined by the American College of Chest Physicians criteria. The medical charts of 461 patients were reviewed; 66 and 58 patients were at high-risk of VTE prior to and after the campaign, respectively. After the campaign, thromboprophylaxis ordering in high-risk patients increased from 15.2 to 43.1% (adjusted OR: 6.8; 95% CI: 2.5-18.0). Thromboprophylaxis ordering in non-high risk patients was 1.8% before the campaign and 6.0% after. This increase was not statistically significant (adjusted OR: 4.6; 95% CI: 1.0-20.4). The incidence of pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized medical patients at high-risk of VTE increased significantly after the campaign but remained sub-optimal. Longer or a different campaign may be needed to ensure long-term optimal thromboprophylaxis use.

Primary care practices and determinants of optimal anticoagulation management in a collaborative care model.

BACKGROUND: In a collaborative care model (CCM) for managing oral anticoagulant therapy, patients are followed at a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation service and, once stabilized, are transferred to their primary care physician. The objective of this study was to describe physicians' clinical practices and the practice characteristics associated with better international normalized ratio (INR) control in a CCM. METHODS: A telephone questionnaire about their practices was administered to 121 physicians exposed to a CCM. The physicians followed 121 patients for a mean of 14.5 weeks. The percentage of time within the exact INR target range was computed and dichotomized (> or = or < median time within target range). Determinants of better INR control were identified using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The survey revealed that, after discharge from the pharmacist-managed anticoagulation service, patients are followed mainly by physicians and their secretaries. Physicians do not often consult other health professionals. Few report using technological resources to obtain INR results (39.7%), document medical follow-up (6.6%), or detect drug (32.2%) and food (9.9%) interactions. The median percentage of time within the exact INR target range was 84%. Determinants of better INR control include using computerized support to monitor patients (odds ratio [OR] 9.16, 95% CI 1.77-47.4) and detect drug interactions (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.71-7.10) and consulting specialists (OR 5.92, 95% CI 1.49-32.48). CONCLUSIONS: Primary care physicians are poorly supported by technological and human resources to monitor patients on oral anticoagulant. Even in a CCM, interprofessional collaboration and better technological support may be associated with optimal INR control.

Impact of adherence to antihypertensive agents on clinical outcomes and hospitalization costs.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent a heavy economic burden on individuals, health services, and society. Low adherence to antihypertensive (AH) agents is acknowledged as a major contributor to the lack of blood pressure control, and may have a significant impact on clinical outcomes and healthcare costs. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of low adherence to AH agents on cardiovascular outcomes and hospitalization costs. METHODS: A cohort of 59,647 patients with essential hypertension was reconstructed from the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec and Med-Echo databases. Subjects included were between 45 and 85 years of age, without any evidence for symptomatic CVD, newly treated with AH agents between 1999 and 2002 and followed-up for a 3-year period. Adherence to AH agents was categorized as >or=80% or <80%. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for CVD events between the 2 adherence groups was estimated using a polytomous logistic analysis. A 2-part model was applied for hospitalization costs. RESULTS: Patients with low adherence were more likely to have coronary disease (OR, 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.13), cerebrovascular disease (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.25), and chronic heart failure (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.27-1.58) within the 3-year follow-up period. Among hospitalized patients, low adherence to AH therapy was associated with increased costs by approximately $3574 (95% CI, $2897-$4249) per person within a 3-year period. CONCLUSIONS: Low adherence to AH agents is correlated with a higher risk of vascular events, hospitalization, and greater healthcare costs. An increased level of adherence to AH agents should provide a better health status for individuals and a net economic gain.

Adherence level of antihypertensive agents in coronary artery disease.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT: * Non-adherence is probably an important source of preventable cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. * However, until now there have been very few large effectiveness studies assessing the relationship between adherence levels to antihypertensive medication and major cardiovascular outcomes for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: * The study results suggest that there is an association between better adherence to antihypertensive agents and a relative risk reduction of coronary artery disease. * Adherence to antihypertensive agents needs to be improved so that patients can benefit from the full protective effects of antihypertensive therapies. AIMS: Antihypertensive (AH) agents have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including coronary artery disease (CAD). Previous surveys have shown that a substantial number of patients with diagnosed hypertension remain uncontrolled. Non-adherence to AH agents may reduce the effectiveness. The aim was to evaluate the impact of better adherence to AH agents on the occurrence of CAD in a real clinical setting. METHODS: A cohort of 83 267 patients was reconstructed using the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec databases. Patients were eligible if they were between 45 and 85 years of age without indication of cardiovascular disease, and had been newly treated with AH agents between 1999 and 2004. A nested case-control design was used to study the incidence of CAD. Every case of CAD was matched for age and duration of follow-up to up to 15 randomly selected controls. The adherence level was measured by calculating the medication possession ratio. Cases' adherence was calculated from the start of follow-up to the time of the CAD (index date). For controls, adherence was calculated from the start of follow-up to the time of selection (index date). Rate ratios of CAD were estimated by conditional logistic regression adjusting for covariables. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 65 years, 37% were male, 8% had diabetes and 18% had dyslipidaemia. High adherence level (96%) to AH therapy compared with lower adherence level (59%) was associated with a relative risk reduction of CAD events (rate ratios 0.90; 0.84, 0.95). Risk factors for CAD were male gender, diabetes, dyslipidaemia and developing a cardiovascular condition disease during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that better adherence to AH agents is associated with a risk reduction of CAD. Adherence to AH agents needs to be improved so that patients can benefit from the full protective effects of AH therapies.