Temporalities of peer support: the role of digital platforms in the 'living presents' of mental ill-health.

This paper considers matters of time in online mental health peer support. Significant evidence of the value of peer support exists, with new digital platforms emerging as part of the digitisation of mental health support. This paper draws from a project exploring the impact of digital platforms on peer support through interviews with users of a major UK-based online peer support platform. Drawing on Gilles Deleuze's concept of the 'living present', the paper highlights how notions of past, present and future operate as co-existing dimensions of the present. The analysis highlights how the immediacy of digital platforms elicits expectations of peer support being 'on tap', which creates challenges when support is not received synchronously. Unlike in-person support, digital platforms facilitate the archiving of support, which can (re)enter the present at any moment through asynchronous communication. Anticipations of the future feature as dimensions of the present in terms of feelings regarding when support may no longer be needed. The paper offers potential implications for social scientific understanding of digital peer support, which include valuable insight for mental health services designing and delivering digital peer support.

Evaluation of an on-farm culture system for the detection of subclinical mastitis pathogens in dairy cattle.

The purpose of this observational study was to compare the performance of a novel on-farm culture (OFC) test with the reference method (RM) in identifying pathogens, and in particular Staphylococcus aureus, associated with subclinical mastitis (SCM) in dairy cattle. The OFC test (Mastatest HiSCC; Mastaplex Limited) for SCM uses a cartridge with 2 × 12 wells allowing 1 sample to be analyzed in duplicate (24 wells) or 2 samples analyzed simultaneously, each in 12 wells. Results of the milk analyses are reported hierarchically (Staph. aureus → coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) → other gram positive or coliform/gram negative → no bacteria present) and emailed within 24 h. Milk samples (617 quarter level from 158 cows and 70 cow level) were collected from 288 cows [individual cow somatic cell count (ICSCC) ≥150,000 cells/mL] on 9 purposefully selected farms known to have a high prevalence of clinical and subclinical Staph. aureus mastitis in Southland New Zealand. Quarter samples were analyzed individually (617 samples) and after animal-level pooling, providing 228 (158 + 70) cow-level samples. Samples were analyzed by the OFC test (in duplicate) and the RM (culture agar medium and latex test based on the recommendation by the National Mastitis Council) and identifications confirmed with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for detection of Staph. aureus were all ∼90% with tight 95% confidence limits, and Cohen's kappa (κ) for agreement between the OFC test and RM was 0.81. Kappa for agreement between the OFC test duplicates was 0.93. About 35% of cows had only one quarter infected with Staph. aureus and all these animals could still be identified when pooled cow-level milk was analyzed. Although the high prevalence of Staph. aureus in the herds used in this study does not affect the Se and Sp values, it does elevate the PPV value (and decrease the NPV) and therefore use of PPV to extrapolate to a population with lower prevalence is not appropriate. For CNS, Sp, PPV, and NPV were all >0.8, κ was ≥0.6, and Se was >0.7. Kappa for agreement between the OFC test duplicates was 0.83. A result of "no bacteria detected" was reported in 13% of the cows with 93% agreement between OFC test and RM. We conclude that the OFC test provides a reliable method for detecting Staph. aureus in pooled cow-level milk even if only one quarter is infected; in the absence of Staph. aureus in the milk, it reliably identified CNS in pooled cow-level milk; it reliably identified cows with <10 cfu/10 µL of their milk. Compared with the RM, the method was rapid with results returned in 24 h of loading the cartridge.

Digital community assets: Investigating the impact of online engagement with arts and peer support groups on mental health during COVID-19.

The digitisation of mental health support has accelerated since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the impact of digital engagement with community assets on mental health during COVID-19. Digital engagement is typically not location-bound, but the restricted movement enforced during 'lockdowns' meant that people were primarily accessing digital community assets from their home environments. We report findings from a study utilising two creative workshops and semi-structured interviews to investigate how support operates in and through three digital community assets; an online peer support forum, a social enterprise running regular creative challenges nationally via social media and a local in-person creative arts support group. The concept of 'more or less digital' captures the ways that people's experiences of digital community assets extend beyond the platforms to incorporate settings of use. The analysis identifies how support is diluted through digital engagement, the value of minimal and muted forms of engagement and user-led designs for future hybrid forms of support. The article concludes by emphasising the importance of analysing digital community asset engagement in the settings of use and how such knowledge is vital for planning support in a future under continual pressure to be increasingly digital.

In vitro Dissolution Testing of Rifampicin Powder Formulations For Prediction of Plasma Concentration-Time Profiles After Inhaled Delivery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro lung dissolution of amorphous and crystalline powder formulations of rifampicin in polyethylene oxide (PEO) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), and to predict the in vivo plasma concentration-time profiles using the in vitro data. METHODS: The in vitro dissolution and permeation profiles of respirable rifampicin particles were studied using a custom-made dissolution apparatus. Data from the in vitro dissolution test were used to estimate the parameters to be used as the input for the simulation of in vivo plasma concentration-time profiles using STELLA® software. For prediction of in vivo profiles, a one-compartment model either with a first order elimination or with a Michaelis-Menten kinetics-based elimination was used. RESULTS: Compared to the crystalline formulation, the amorphous formulation showed rapid in vitro dissolution suggesting their possible faster in vivo absorption and higher plasma concentrations of rifampicin following lung delivery. However, the simulations suggested that both powder formulations would result in similar plasma-concentration time profiles of rifampicin. CONCLUSIONS: Use of an in vitro dissolution test coupled with a simulation model for prediction of plasma-concentration time profiles of an inhaled drug was demonstrated in this work. These models can also be used in the design of inhaled formulations by controlling their release and dissolution properties to achieve desired lung retention or systemic absorption following delivery to the lungs.

Modeling the interaction of polymeric nanoparticles functionalized with cell penetrating peptides at the nano-bio interface.

The interaction of nanoparticles with Caco-2 monolayers in cell culture underpins our predictions of the uptake of nanoformulations in vivo for drug delivery. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), such as oligoarginine, are currently of interest to enhance cellular uptake of bioactives and nanoparticles. This paper assesses the cellular association of poly(ethyl-cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles functionalized with di-arginine-histidine (RRH) in a Caco-2 cell model. We applied a computational model of particokinetics, In vitro Sedimentation, Diffusion and Dosimetry (ISDD) to predict the accumulation of nanoparticles on the cell surface. An important finding is that the proportion of nanoparticles associated with cells was less than 5 %. This has important implications for interpreting nanoparticle uptake in vitro. RRH-decoration does not appear to alter nanoparticle deposition, but increases association of nanoparticles with Caco-2 cells. Immediate deposition of nanoparticles on the cell surface was apparent and similar between formulations, but underestimated by the ISDD model. Key to understanding the nano-bio interface for drug delivery, nanoparticles that reach the cells were not necessarily absorbed by them, but can become detached. This variable of nanoparticle release from cells was incorporated into a new mathematical model presented here.

Dynamics and local environment of an aromatic counterion bound to di-chain cationic surfactant bilayers studied by avoided level crossing muon spin resonance: evidence for counterion condensation.

Avoided level crossing muon spin resonance (ALC-µSR) has been used to study the reorientational dynamics of muon-spin-labelled 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoate (246TMB-) counterions and their interaction with DODMAC (dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride) bilayers in the Lα and Lß liquid crystalline states. The muoniated radical anion formed by the addition of muonium to the secondary carbons of the aromatic ring of 246TMB- is used as a local spin probe. The muon and methylene proton hyperfine parameters and the electron spin relaxation rate (λe) of the muoniated spin probe were determined as a function of temperature by modelling the ALC-µSR spectra with Monte Carlo numerical simulations. The observation of a Δ1 resonance indicates that 246TMB- is undergoing anisotropic motion and doesn't reside in the aqueous layer in either the Lα and Lß phases. The lack of an abrupt change in the hyperfine parameters or λe when the system goes from the Lß to the Lα lamellar liquid crystalline phases suggests that 246TMB- is located at the oil-water interface rather than within the bilayer. The hyperfine parameters indicate that 246TMB- is undergoing large amplitude reorientational motion about a preferred orientation resulting from the bilayer's electric field. The interaction between 246TMB- and the bilayer decreases and the amplitude of the wobbling-in-a-cone motion increases with increasing temperature. The temperature dependence of the electron spin relaxation rate indicates the barrier to reorientation is 41.7 kJ mol-1.

Pharmacokinetics of rifampicin after repeated intra-tracheal administration of amorphous and crystalline powder formulations to Sprague Dawley rats.

Rifampicin is one of the key drugs used to treat tuberculosis and is currently used orally. The use of higher oral doses of rifampicin is desired for better therapeutic efficacy, but this is accompanied by increased risk of systemic toxicity thus limiting its recommended oral dose to 10 mg/kg per day. Inhaled delivery of rifampicin is a potential alternative mode of delivery, to achieve high drug concentrations in both the lung and potentially the systemic circulation. In addition, rifampicin exists either as amorphous or crystalline particles, which may show different pharmacokinetic behaviour. However, disposition behaviour of amorphous and crystalline rifampicin formulations after inhaled high-dose delivery is unknown. In this study, rifampicin pharmacokinetics after intra-tracheal administration of carrier-free, amorphous and crystalline powder formulations to Sprague Dawley rats were evaluated. The formulations were administered once daily for seven days by oral, intra-tracheal and oral plus intra-tracheal delivery, and the pharmacokinetics were studied on day 0 and day 6. Intra-tracheal administration of the amorphous formulation resulted in a higher area under the plasma concentration curve (AUC) compared to the crystalline formulation. For both formulations, the intra-tracheal delivery led to significantly higher AUC compared to the oral delivery at the same dose suggesting higher rifampicin bioavailability from the inhaled route. Increasing the intra-tracheal dose resulted in a more than dose proportional AUC suggesting non-linear pharmacokinetics of rifampicin from the inhaled route. Upon repeated administration for seven days, no significant decrease in the AUCs were observed suggesting the absence of rifampicin induced enzyme auto-induction in this study. The present study suggests an advantage of inhaled delivery of rifampicin in achieving higher drug bioavailability compared to the oral route.

Studies on the safety and the tissue distribution of inhaled high-dose amorphous and crystalline rifampicin in a rat model.

Inhaled delivery of rifampicin has the potential to achieve high drug concentrations in the lung and the blood for efficient treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Due to its existence as polymorphs, in vivo evaluation of the respiratory tract safety of inhalable amorphous and crystalline rifampicin particles, at clinically relevant high-dose, is necessary. This study investigates the lung and liver safety and the tissue distribution of rifampicin after intra-tracheal administration of high (≥25 mg/kg) doses of amorphous and crystalline powder formulations to Sprague Dawley rats. Powder formulations were administered by intra-tracheal insufflation to rats. Lung and liver safety were evaluated by histopathology. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) assays were performed to study the hepatic effects. Rifampicin was quantified in the tissues using LC-MS/MS. Intra-tracheal administration of rifampicin decreased the drug burden on the liver compared to oral administration based on its lower serum ALT activity. Repeated-dose intra-tracheal rifampicin was well tolerated by rats, confirmed by the absence of drug or delivery induced complexities. The histopathological evaluation of rat lungs, after both single and repeated drug administration for seven days, suggested the absence of drug-induced toxicity. Following single intra-tracheal delivery of 50 mg/kg doses, comparable rifampicin concentrations to that from same oral dose were observed in lung, liver, heart and brain. Inhaled delivery of high-dose rifampicin was safe to rat lungs and liver suggesting its potential for localized as well as systemic drug delivery without toxicity concerns.

Cell-based, animal and H1 receptor binding studies relative to the sedative effects of ketotifen and norketotifen atropisomers.

OBJECTIVES: Ketotifen (K) and its active metabolite norketotifen (N) exist as optically active atropisomers. They both have antihistaminic and anti-inflammatory properties but the S-atropisomer of N (SN) causes less sedation than K and RN in rodents. This study investigated whether this could be related to a lower concentration of SN in brain or a lower affinity of SN for rat brain H1 receptors. METHODS: Ketotifen and norketotifen atropisomers were quantified using a validated chiral HPLC assay. RBE4 and Caco-2 cell monolayers were used in uptake and permeability studies, respectively. Free and total brain-to-plasma (B/P) ratios were determined after injecting racemic K and N into rat tail veins. Affinity for rat brain H1 receptors (KI ) was determined using the [3 H]mepyramine binding assay. KEY FINDINGS: Uptake and permeation studies indicate no stereoselective transport for K or N. B/P ratios reveal the brain concentration of N is lower than K with no stereoselective transport into brain. Finally, the [3 H]mepyramine binding assay shows SN has the lowest affinity for rat brain H1 receptors. CONCLUSION: The lower sedative effect of SN in rodents is probably due to a combination of a lower uptake of N than K into the brain and less affinity of SN for CNS H1 receptors.

A STELLA simulation model for in vitro dissolution testing of respirable size particles.

In vitro dissolution testing is a useful quality control tool to discriminate the formulations and to approximate the in vivo drug release profiles. A dissolution apparatus has been custom-made for dissolution testing of dry powder formulations in a small volume of stationary medium (25 µL spread over 4.91 cm2 area i.e. ~50 µm thick). To understand the system and predict the key parameters which influence the dissolution of respirable size particles, a simulation model was constructed using STELLA modeling software. Using this model, the permeation (dissolution followed by diffusion through the membrane) of two anti-tubercular drugs of differing solubilities, moxifloxacin (17.68 ± 0.85 mg mL-1) and ethionamide (0.46 ± 0.02 mg mL-1), from the respirable size particles and their diffusion from a solution were simulated. The simulated permeation profiles of moxifloxacin from solution and respirable size particles were similar, indicating fast dissolution of the particles. However, the simulated permeation profile of ethionamide from respirable size particles showed slower permeation compared to the solution indicating the slow dissolution of the respirable size particles of ethionamide. The sensitivity analysis suggested that increased mucus volume and membrane thickness decreased the permeation of drug. While this model was useful in predicting and distinguishing the dissolution behaviours of respirable size moxifloxacin and ethionamide, further improvement could be made using appropriate initial parameter values obtained by experiments.

Temporalities of mental distress: digital immediacy and the meaning of 'crisis' in online support.

The Internet is increasingly used to seek support by those suffering with mental distress (Bauman, S. and Rivers, I. Mental Health and the Digital Age. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan; 2015). Drawing on research on a major online peer support forum, we analyse discussions around acute distress, self-harm and suicide. The paper argues that new temporalities of mental health 'crisis' are emerging through the intersection of the immediacy of online support, the chronicity of underlying distress and the punctuated nature of professional support. Online support adds a layer of temporal immediacy that does not traditionally feature in other forms of support (e.g. professional in-person services). This shifts the meaning of a mental health 'crisis' from acute to processual, and can lead to definitions of 'crisis' being used when not desired nor necessarily accurate. By attending to the layering of temporalities at the intersections of professional in-person, and online support, we demonstrate how parameters of crisis support are set - by whom, for whom and in relation to whose bodies. This has implications for professional clinical practice internationally in relation to the increased digitisation of support and the meanings of 'crisis' that emerge.

Crystalline adduct of moxifloxacin with trans-cinnamic acid to reduce the aqueous solubility and dissolution rate for improved residence time in the lungs.

A crystalline adduct of the anti-tubercular drug, moxifloxacin and trans-cinnamic acid (1:1 molar ratio (MCA1:1)) was prepared to prolong the residence time of the drug in the lungs by reducing its solubility and dissolution rate. Whether the adduct is a salt or cocrystal has not been unequivocally determined. Equilibrium solubility and intrinsic dissolution rate measurements for the adduct (MCA1:1) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4) revealed a significant decrease in the solubility of moxifloxacin (from 17.68 ±â€¯0.85 mg mL-1 to 6.10 ±â€¯0.05 mg mL-1) and intrinsic dissolution rate (from 0.47 ±â€¯0.04 mg cm-2 min-1 to 0.14 ±â€¯0.03 mg cm-2 min-1) compared to the supplied moxifloxacin. The aerosolization behaviour of the adduct from an inhaler device, Aerolizer®, using a Next Generation Impactor showed a fine particle fraction of 30.4 ±â€¯1.2%. The dissolution behaviour of the fine particle dose of respirable particles collected was assessed in a small volume of stationary mucus fluid using a custom-made dissolution apparatus. The respirable adduct particles showed a lower dissolution (microscopic observation) and permeation compared to the supplied moxifloxacin. The crystalline adduct MCA1:1 has a lower solubility and dissolution rate than moxifloxacin and could improve the local residence time and therapeutic action of moxifloxacin in the lungs.

Aniracetam does not improve working memory in neurologically healthy pigeons.

Understanding the effects of cognitive enhancing drugs is an important area of research. Much of the research, however, has focused on restoring memory following some sort of disruption to the brain, such as damage or injections of scopolamine. Aniracetam is a positive AMPA-receptor modulator that has shown promise for improving memory under conditions when the brain has been damaged, but its effectiveness in improving memory in neurologically healthy subjects is unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of aniracetam (100mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) on short-term memory in "neurologically healthy" pigeons. Pigeons were administered aniracetam via either intramuscular injection or orally, either 30 or 60 minutes prior to testing on a delayed matching-to-sample task. Aniracetam had no effect on the pigeons' memory performance, nor did it affect response latency. These findings add to the growing evidence that, while effective at improving memory function in models of impaired memory, aniracetam has no effect in improving memory in healthy organisms.

The influence of storage relative humidity on aerosolization of co-spray dried powders of hygroscopic kanamycin with the hydrophobic drug rifampicin.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of storage humidity on in vitro aerosolization and physicochemical properties of co-spray dried powders of kanamycin with rifampicin. The powders were stored for one-month in an open Petri dish at different relative humidities (RHs) (15%, 43%, and 75%) and 25 ± 2 °C. The in vitro aerosolization (fine particle fraction, FPF) of the powders was determined by a next generation impactor (NGI). The moisture content, particle morphology and crystallinity of the powders were determined by Karl Fischer titration, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray powder diffractometry, respectively. At all RH, the FPF of hydrophobic rifampicin-only powder was unaffected but the FPF of hygroscopic kanamycin-only powder significantly decreased even at 43% RH. The kanamycin-only particles fused together, crystallized and formed hard cakes at 75% RH. The aerosolization of kanamycin and rifampicin in the combination powders remained unaffected at 15% and 43% RH, but aerosolization significantly decreased at 75% RH. Enrichment of the surface of the particles with hydrophobic rifampicin did not protect the combination powders from moisture uptake but it prevented particle agglomeration up to 43% RH. At 75% RH, the moisture uptake led to agglomeration of the particles of the combination powder particles and consequently an increase in aerodynamic diameter. Further studies are required to investigate how rifampicin enrichment prevents particle agglomeration, the possible mechanisms (e.g. particle interactions due to capillary forces or electrostatic forces) for the changes in the aerosolization and changes in surface composition during storage.

Carrier-free combination dry powder inhaler formulation of ethionamide and moxifloxacin for treating drug-resistant tuberculosis.

This study aimed to develop a combination dry powder formulation of ethionamide and moxifloxacin HCl as this combination is synergistic against drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). L-leucine (20% w/w) was added in the formulations to maximize the process yield. Moxifloxacin HCl and/or ethionamide powders with/without L-leucine were produced using a Buchi Mini Spray-dryer. A next generation impactor was used to determine the in vitro aerosolization efficiency. The powders were also characterized for other physicochemical properties and cytotoxicity. All the spray-dried powders were within the aerodynamic size range of <5.0 µm except ethionamide-only powder (6.0 µm). The combination powders with L-leucine aerosolized better (% fine particle fraction (FPF): 61.3 and 61.1 for ethionamide and moxifloxacin, respectively) than ethionamide-only (%FPF: 9.0) and moxifloxacin-only (%FPF: 30.8) powders. The combination powder particles were collapsed with wrinkled surfaces whereas moxifloxacin-only powders were spherical and smooth and ethionamide-only powders were angular-shaped flakes. The combination powders had low water content (<2.0%). All the powders were physically stable at 15% RH and 25 ± 2 °C during 1-month storage and tolerated by bronchial epithelial cell-lines up to 100 µg/ml. The improved aerosolization of the combination formulation may be helpful for the effective treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms for improved aerosolization and test the synergistic activity of the combination powder.

In vitro dissolution testing of respirable size anti-tubercular drug particles using a small volume dissolution apparatus.

A dissolution apparatus that uses a small volume of stationary medium (25 µL) has been developed for in vitro dissolution testing of respirable drug particles and used to evaluate the dissolution of two anti-tubercular drugs, moxifloxacin and ethionamide. Solubilities of moxifloxacin and ethionamide in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4) were 17.68 ±â€¯0.85 mg mL-1 and 0.46 ±â€¯0.02 mg mL-1 whereas in the presence of lung surfactant (0.4% w/v Curosurf® in PBS) solubilities were 20.76 ±â€¯0.35 mg mL-1 and 0.56 ±â€¯0.03 mg mL-1, respectively. A fine particle dose (∼50 µg) of aerodynamically separated moxifloxacin or ethionamide particles (<6.4 µm) was collected onto a glass coverslip using a modified Twin Stage Impinger. The dissolution behaviour of the fine particle dose was evaluated at various perfusate flow rates (0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mL min-1 of PBS), mucus simulant concentrations (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% w/v polyethylene oxide in PBS), and in the presence of lung surfactant. The dissolution behaviour of the respirable size particles was observed under an optical microscope and the dissolved drug that diffused into the perfusate was quantified by HPLC. The moxifloxacin particles disappeared quickly and showed faster permeation (<30 min) compared to the ethionamide particles at all the dissolution conditions evaluated. This study demonstrated the differences in the dissolution rates of moxifloxacin and ethionamide particles and may be useful to estimate the residence time of the inhaled dry powder particles in the lungs.

Living 'in between' outside and inside: The forensic psychiatric unit as an impermanent assemblage.

This paper presents analysis from 'a study of staff and patient experiences of the restrictive environments of a forensic psychiatric unit. The paper conceptualises the forensic unit as an impermanent assemblage, enacted in and through practices that hold a future life outside the unit simultaneously near, yet far. We show how the near-far relations between life inside and outside the unit operate in three ways; 1) in relation to the 'care pathway', 2) practices of dwelling, and 3) creating and maintaining connections to life 'beyond' the unit. The paper concludes with a discussion about possible ways to overcome the limitations to recovery that can arise through practices of impermanence.

Markov Chain Modeling of Surfactant Critical Micelle Concentration and Surface Composition.

A Markov chain (MC) model has been used to model the following binary surfactant mixtures: linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS4)/octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E8) at 10 and 25 °C, LAS6/acidic sophorolipid (AS), C12Betaine/C12Maltoside, sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES2)/C12E8, and rhamnolipid (R1)/LAS6. The critical micellar concentration and the composition of the adsorbed layer, for each system, can be modeled using the same monomer reactivity ratio values, g1 and g2. This implies that the interactions between the surfactants in the bulk solution and at the interface are the same, within error. For the LAS4/C12E8 system at 25 °C, the ranges of g1 and g2 values which can model both sets of data are within 0.03-0.05 and 1.55-2.10, respectively; g1 ≪ g2 implies that C12E8 is significantly more surface active than LAS4. The MC model indicates a negative change in the free energy upon mixing for all of the surfactant systems, consistent with the literature. The interfacial mixing behavior of LAS4/SLES2 is inferred from the results of the MC analysis of the LAS4/C12E8 and SLES2/C12E8 systems, which share a common surfactant partner in C12E8, and the prediction is in line with the published data.

Preadmission predictors of academic performance in a pharmacy program: A longitudinal, multi-cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the extent to which a preadmission health science program and demographic variables predicted academic performance throughout an undergraduate pharmacy degree (BPharm) program. METHODS: A longitudinal, multi-cohort study was undertaken of 557 students admitted to the University of Otago School of Pharmacy BPharm program between 2008 and 2012, from a preceding health science year (HSFY). Preadmission baseline data including health science grade point average (GPA), sex, age, ethnicity, residency status, and high school qualifications were matched against outputs of GPA performances in all three years of the BPharm program using regression analyses. RESULTS: Five hundred thirty-eight students (96.6%) completed their BPharm degree. The regression models were significantly predictive of performance in the BPharm program with 57%, 43% and 38% of variances explained for GPA performance across years two, three and four, respectively (p < 0.001). Demographic variables including being male, being from certain minority ethnic groups or not having a specific domestic high school qualification were associated with lower GPA performances across the BPharm program compared to reference groups. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Determining admission from performance rankings as the single selection tool holds reasonable predictive value early in progression, however additional measures may be warranted to better predict performances extending beyond the first year of the BPharm program.