Identifying Student Research Project Impact Using the Buxton and Hanney Payback Framework.

Objectives. To determine whether evidence of the impact of student quality improvement projects and research projects on practice sites and the community can be identified using the Buxton and Hanney Payback Framework (BHPF).Methods. The BHPF was used to identify the broader impact of quality improvement projects and research projects conducted by the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) class of 2020. The BHPF includes five domains of community impact: knowledge production, benefits to health or the health sector, benefits to future research, economic benefits, and policy and product development. Data were collected by having project preceptors complete a questionnaire and by reviewing student project posters. Data were analyzed by calculating frequencies and percentages for each domain.Results. Projects (N=73) were completed by 107 pharmacy students at health-system sites, community sites, academic sites, and other sites, and most often involved clinical care and pharmacy services (49%). Thirty-three preceptors (55%) responded to the questionnaire, and 73 project posters were reviewed. The most frequently identified impact types were knowledge production (n=43 for questionnaire, n=24 for posters) and health/health sector benefits (n=46 for questionnaire, n=8 for posters). Less frequently identified were economic benefits (total n=19), benefits to future research (total n=13), and policy and product development (total n=10).Conclusions. This study provides evidence that the impact of PharmD student quality improvement and research projects on practice sites and communities can be identified using the BHPF framework, and this impact extends beyond the usual academic outcomes of poster presentations and publications to include benefits related to improving quality of services, improving workflow, and providing opportunity for personal development.

Association of low-income subsidy, medicaid dual eligibility, and disability status with high-risk medication use among Medicare Part D beneficiaries.

BACKGROUND: Low-income subsidy/dual eligibility (LIS/DE) status and disability status may be associated with high-risk medication (HRM) use but are not usually accounted for in medication-use quality measures. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of: 1) LIS/DE status and HRM use; and 2) disability status and HRM use, while controlling for both health plan level effects and patient characteristics for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MA-PD) and stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans (PDP). METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study used 2013 Medicare data to determine if LIS/DE status and disability status were independently associated with HRM use (using the Pharmacy Quality Alliance HRM measure) in MA-PDs and PDPs. Multivariable generalized linear mixed models assessed the association of LIS/DE and HRM use, and disability and HRM use, after adjusting for health plan effect and patient-level confounders for MA-PD and PDP beneficiaries. RESULTS: Of 520,019 MA-PD beneficiaries, 88,693 (17.1%) were LIS/DE and 48,997 (9.4%) were disabled. Of 881,264 PDP beneficiaries, 213,096 (24.2%) were LIS/DE, and 83,593 (9.5%) were disabled. LIS/DE beneficiaries had a higher percent of HRM users compared to non-LIS/DE MA-PD (13.3% vs. 9.7%, p < 0.001) and PDP (17.1% vs. 13.2%, p < 0.001) beneficiaries. Disabled beneficiaries had a higher percent of HRM users compared to non-disabled MA-PD (17.0% vs. 9.6%, p < 0.001) and PDP (22.9% vs. 13.2%, p < 0.001) beneficiaries. Multivariable analyses showed LIS/DE (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.10) and disability (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.34, 1.42) were associated with HRM use among MA-PD and PDP beneficiaries (LIS/DE AOR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.16; disability AOR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.34, 1.40). CONCLUSIONS: The association of LIS/DE and disability with higher HRM use in both MA-PD and PDP beneficiaries, when controlling for health plan effects and patient characteristics, suggests these factors should be considered when comparing health plan performance on HRM measures.

Validity and Reliability of the Student Refractive Error and Eyeglasses Questionnaire-Revised Version in Myopic Children.

SIGNIFICANCE: Multiple vision-related quality of life (VRQol) instruments exist, but questionnaires designed specifically for myopic children that are appropriate for assessing the impact of refractive error are rare. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Student Refractive Error and Eyeglasses Questionnaire - Revised (SREEQ-R) in school-aged children with myopia in the United Kingdom. METHODS: Community optometrists in the United Kingdom invited children up to the age of 18 years presenting for an eye examination with current or previous reported use of eyeglasses for myopia to complete the SREEQ-R, which consists of 20 specific items divided into two sections each with three response categories. The "without glasses" section relates to perceptions of uncorrected vision/not wearing glasses, and the "with glasses" relates to corrected vision/wearing glasses. Rasch analysis was used to explore the psychometric performance (content, construct validity, and reliability) of the questionnaire items and scale using Winsteps software (Winsteps.com. Portland, OR). RESULTS: A total of 125 eligible children with a mean ± standard deviation age of 12.7 ± 2.9 years completed the SREEQ-R. All items fit the Rasch model and were retained, and the scale was found to be unidimensional. All children and item infit and outfit mean square statistics fell within the recommended fit criteria. As per the Rasch analysis, the person reliability coefficients were 0.84 and 0.91, whereas item reliabilities were 0.99 and 0.80 for the without glasses and with glasses sections, respectively. The internal consistency for the SREEQ-R was good; Cronbach α values were 0.84 for without glasses and 0.91 for with glasses. CONCLUSIONS: The SREEQ-R had satisfactory validity and reliability evidence. Construct validity of the scale was supported to measure the impact of uncorrected and corrected refractive error on vision-related quality of life in myopic school-aged children in the United Kingdom. The SREEQ-R could be used in future studies to evaluate vision-related quality of life in children with myopia.

Indication or diagnosis should be required on prescriptions.

Although prospective drug utilization review and patient counseling have long been recognized as professional and ethical responsibilities of pharmacists, the implementation of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 made them legal responsibilities. Ensuring the safety and effectiveness of prescription pharmaceutical care requires that all members of the prescriber-patient-pharmacist triad are equally informed about the therapeutic plan for which the pharmacist is professionally, ethically, and legally responsible for properly implementing. Providing pharmacists with the clinical indication or diagnosis is an important and long overdue first step. DISCLOSURES: No funding was received for the writing of this article. Warholak has received grant funding through the University of Arizona from Sinfonia Rx, Pharmacy Quality Alliance, and the Arizona Department of Health Services, unrelated to this work. The other authors have nothing to disclose.

A motivational factors assessment instrument for medication management center employees providing medication therapy management services: A Rasch analysis.

BACKGROUND: Telephonic medication management centers (MMCs) provide medication therapy management services to help alleviate medication-related issues and improve health outcomes. Motivation factors driving the performance of MMC personnel are key components in achieving these goals. Yet, published literature is limited on how motivation affects MMC personnel performance. OBJECTIVE: To assess validity and reliability of the employee motivation questionnaire (EMQ), a 19-item measure of barriers and facilitators to motivation associated with MMC employees' work performance. METHODS: Pharmacist, nurse, pharmacy technician, and intern employees (N = 534) from 5 telephonic-based U.S. MMCs were invited to complete the electronic EMQ. Rasch analysis was conducted in Winsteps software using a rating scale model. Construct and content validity and reliability were analyzed with employee and item separation index (SI) and reliability coefficient (RC). Linear regression was conducted to test the association of employee characteristics with individual work performance motivation. RESULTS: A total of 319 employees completed the EMQ, 59.7% response rate. Principal components analysis suggested a unidimensional construct. Employee and item infit and outfit mean squared values met recommended fit criteria (0.5-1.5), suggesting that the data fit the model. An item-person map identified items that were easiest (joy of helping patients) and most difficult (motivated to work harder if incentives were tied to goal achievements) to agree with. Mismatch of employee motivation and item difficulty level on the measurement continuum (-1 to 0.92 logits) indicated a need for additional items that employees perceive as more difficult to agree with. The employee RC was 0.81 and the SI was 2.04; whereas, the item RC was 0.97 and the SI was 5.94. None of the variables tested illustrated statistically significant associations with the person motivation measure. CONCLUSIONS: The EMQ illustrated reasonable content validity, good construct validity, and reliability evidence when used to measure motivation factors among MMC employees. Consideration of employee motivation factors may help to better meet MMC program goals and improve patient outcomes.

Geographic Variation in the Prevalence of High-Risk Medication Use Among Medicare Part D Beneficiaries by Hospital Referral Region.

BACKGROUND: Understanding geographic patterns of high-risk medication (HRM) prescribed and dispensed among older adults may help the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and their partners develop and tailor prevention strategies. OBJECTIVE: To compare the geographic variation in the prevalence of HRM use among Medicare Part D beneficiaries from 2011 to 2013, for Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans and stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). METHODS: This retrospective study used the data of a 5% national Medicare sample (2011-2013). Beneficiaries were included in the study if they were aged ≥ 65 years, continuously enrolled in MA-PDs or PDPs (~1.3 million each year), and had ≥ 2 prescriptions for the same HRM (e.g., amitriptyline) prescribed and dispensed during the year based on the Pharmacy Quality Alliance's (PQA) quality measures for HRM use. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted annual HRM use rates (i.e., adjusted predictions, average marginal predictions, or model-adjusted risk) across 306 Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care hospital referral regions (HRRs), controlling for sociodemographic, health-status, and access-to-care factors. RESULTS: Among eligible beneficiaries each year (1,161,076 in 2011, 1,237,653 in 2012, and 1,402,861 in 2013), nearly 40% were enrolled in MA-PD plans, whereas the remaining 60% were in PDP plans. The adjusted prevalence of HRM use significantly decreased among Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in MA-PD (13.1%-8.4%, P < 0.001) and PDP (16.2%-12.2%, P < 0.001) plans from 2011 to 2013. For MA-PD and PDP beneficiaries, HRM users were more likely to be (all P < 0.001) the following: female (MA-PD: 70.4% vs. 59.9%; PDP: 72.8% vs. 62.5%); White (MA-PD: 84.6% vs. 81.4%; PDP: 86.6% vs. 85.3%); with low-income subsidy or dual eligibility for Medicaid (MA-PD: 22.3% vs. 16.6%; PDP: 29.2% vs. 23.3%); and disabled (MA-PD: 15.6% vs. 8.7%; PDP: 15.4% vs. 8.5%) compared with non-HRM users in 2013. In 2013, significant geographic variation existed, with the ratios of 75th-25th percentiles of HRM use rates across HRRs as 1.42 for MA-PDs and 1.31 for PDPs. For MA-PDs, the top 5 HRRs with the highest HRM use rates in 2013 were Casper, WY (20.4%), Waco, TX (16.7%), Lubbock, TX (15.7%), Santa Barbara, CA (15.2%), and Temple, TX (15.1%); for PDPs, they were Lawton, OK (18.8%), Alexandria, LA (18.8%), Lake Charles, LA (18.6%), Oklahoma City, OK (18.0%), and Slidell, LA (18.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Substantial geographic variation exists in the prevalence of HRM use among older adults in Medicare, regardless of prescription drug plan. Areas with high prevalence of HRM use may benefit from targeted interventions (e.g., medication therapy management monitoring or alternative medication substitutions) to prevent potential adverse consequences. DISCLOSURES: No outside funding supported this study. The authors have nothing to disclose. This study was presented as a poster at the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Asia Pacific Meeting; September 8-11, 2018; Tokyo, Japan.

A Systematic Review of the Prevalence and Diagnostic Workup of PIK3CA Mutations in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer.

PIK3CA mutation frequency varies among breast cancer (BC) subtypes. Recent evidence suggests combination therapy with the PI3K inhibitor (PI3Ki) alpelisib and endocrine therapy (ET) improves response rates and progression-free survival (PFS) in PIK3CA-mutant, hormone receptor positive (HR+) BC versus ET alone; thus, better understanding the clinical and epidemiologic elements of these mutations is warranted. This systematic review characterizes the PIK3CA mutation epidemiology, type of testing approaches (e.g., liquid or tissue tumor biopsy), and stability/concordance (e.g., consistency in results by liquid versus solid tumor sample, by the same method over time) in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced (locally unresectable) or metastatic disease (HR+/HER2- mBC) and explores performance (e.g., pairwise concordance, sensitivity, specificity, or predictive value) of respective mutation findings. A comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, and select conference abstracts (i.e., AACR, ASCO, SABCS, ECCO, and ESMO conferences between 2014 and 2017) identified 39 studies of patients with HR+, HER2- mBC. The median prevalence of PIK3CA mutation was 36% (range: 13.3% to 61.5%); identified testing approaches more commonly used tissue over liquid biopsies and primarily utilized next-generation sequencing (NGS), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or Sanger sequencing. There was concordance and stability between tissues (range: 70.4% to 94%) based on limited data. Given the clinical benefit of the PI3Ki alpelisib in patients with PIK3CA mutant HR+/HER2- mBC, determination of tumor PIK3CA mutation status is of importance in managing patients with HR+/HER2- mBC. Prevalence of this mutation and utility of test methodologies likely warrants PIK3CA mutation testing in all patients with this breast cancer subtype via definitive assessment of PIK3CA mutational status.

Exploring performance predictors among employees in a pharmacist-led medication management center.

OBJECTIVE: Health care companies are increasingly interested in developing and maintaining employee motivation. However, this can be challenging with different professions working together in delivering telephonic medication therapy management services. The purpose of the study is to assess employees' perceptions of performance metrics, strategies to achieve those metrics, motivational work factors, and barriers to achievement at a medication management center (MMC). DESIGN: Focus group using purposive sampling. SETTING: Six in-person focus groups were conducted with the MMC employees. PARTICIPANTS: Separate focus groups were conducted for pharmacists, student pharmacist interns, and pharmacy technicians. Each group consisted of approximately 5 participants, lasted roughly 1 hour, and was facilitated by trained qualitative researchers. OUTCOME MEASURES: The semistructured sessions involved participants responding to open-ended, predetermined questions introduced by a facilitator. The sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis. Two independent reviewers analyzed the transcripts; a third independent reviewer facilitated a consensus to resolve discrepancies. RESULTS: Thirty MMC employees, with an average age of 32.1 ± 10.5 years, participated; most of them (73.3%) were women and had worked at the MMC for an average of 2.8 ± 2.2 years. Six themes were identified: (1) awareness and understanding of performance measures; (2) perceptions of performance measures; (3) suggested changes to make the performance measures more reflective of their roles; (4) motivating factors to improve performance; (5) performance barriers; and (6) strategies to achieve performance goals. The intrinsic motivational factors included providing patient care, helping change patients' lives, and meeting work goals. The extrinsic motivational factors included remuneration, management, teamwork, work environment, and feedback. The performance barriers were unrealistic goals, lack of feedback, ineffective communication, and inconsistent operational procedures. CONCLUSIONS: These study findings contribute to a growing body of research surrounding employee motivation within organizations with diverse workforces. Future work is warranted to investigate employee motivation in similar pharmacy-related settings.

A Systematic Literature Review of the Prognostic and Predictive Value of PIK3CA Mutations in HR+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer.

PIK3CA mutations may have prognostic value for patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer, representing an important potential target for systemic therapy. Prognostic and predictive values associated with PIK3CA mutations are not well understood. A comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, and conference abstracts was performed for English-language articles published January 1993 through April 2019. Articles were categorized by treatment arms based on experimental and treatment drug classes. Information on progression-free survival (PFS), hazard ratios, overall survival, response rate, and clinical benefit rate was obtained. A total of 17 studies were included. Among those evaluating non-PI3Ki based therapies, 91% showed numerically shorter median PFS, ranging from 1.5 to 19.2 months and 1.8 to 29.6 months for the mutant versus non-mutant subgroups, respectively. Where reported (n = 13 studies), PFS was shorter between those arms offering endocrine monotherapy (range, 1.6-14.7 months) compared with a corresponding targeted therapy + endocrine monotherapy (range, 3.9-29.6 months). Of 5 PI3Ki-based arms comparing PFS, higher median PFS in PIK3CA mutant versus non-mutant cases was demonstrated. PFS was shorter for patients with PIK3CA mutant (range, 1.6-19.2 months) compared with PIK3CA wild-type (range, 1.8-29.6 months) in 10 (71%) of 14 treatment arms reporting PFS. Studies (n = 4) not reporting PFS reported response rate, but there were no clear directional trends. The presence of PIK3CA mutations may be associated with worse clinical outcomes in patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Clinical outcomes such as PFS may be improved using a combination of PI3Ki-based therapies and endocrine therapies among this population. However, more research is warranted to fully elucidate this association.

A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Electronic Prescribing Incidents Reported by Community Pharmacists.

BACKGROUND: Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) technology was introduced as an alternative to handwritten prescriptions allowing health care professionals to send prescriptions directly to pharmacies. While the technology has many advantages, such as improving pharmacy workflow and reducing medication errors, some limitations have been realized. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the frequency, type, and contributing factors of e-prescribing quality-related incidents reported to two national error-reporting databases in the United States. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of voluntarily reports of e-prescribing quality-related incidents. A quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted of incidents reported between 2011 and 2015 to the Pharmacy Quality Commitment (PQC) and the Pharmacy Provider e-prescribing Experience Reporting Portal (PEER) databases. For the qualitative analysis, events were combined from the PQC and PEER portal and a 10% random sample of events were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 589 events were reported to the PEER Portal. Of these, problems with patient directions were the most frequent incident type (n = 210) of which 10% (n = 21) reached the patient. Quantity selection (n = 158) and drug selection (n = 96) were the next most frequently reported events, 20% of which reached the patient. The PQC system received 550 reports. The most frequent event type reported to this system was incorrect directions (23.3%, n = 128) followed by incorrect prescriber (17%), incorrect drug (15%), and incorrect strength (12%). The most common theme in the qualitative analysis was a perceived increased likelihood of patient receiving incorrect drug therapy due to e-prescribing. Another theme identified included confusion and frustration of pharmacy personnel as result of e-prescription quality-related events. CONCLUSION: The use of qualitative and quantitative incident data revealed that patient directions and quantity selection were the most common quality issues with e-prescribing. In turn, this may increase the likelihood of patients receiving incorrect drug therapy.

Health Informatics Competencies for Pharmacists in Training.

Objective. To gather feedback from focus groups regarding health informatics competencies that should be taught in a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula and to revise the competencies based on this feedback. Methods. The pharmacy informatics task force of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) used 11 sources to create a list of pharmacy informatics competencies. Subsequently, faculty feedback about the competency list was obtained via two synchronous online focus groups in August 2015. The list was then revised based on the feedback. Results. Eight people (a department chair, six faculty members and a graduate student) participated in the focus groups (six were from private and two were from public institutions). Participants felt the list had too many competencies to be covered in a timely manner and some indicated that basic computer and Internet competencies should be considered pre-requisites. Participants also recommended that competencies be split by proposed curricular placement (eg, prerequisite, required, elective, didactic, experiential) for each objective. The competency list was revised in response to focus group feedback. Conclusion. The proposed curriculum aligns with the new Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) standards requiring that professional pharmacy curricula cover multiple aspects of health informatics. The proposed competencies list can serve as a reference to assist in the development of the curriculum and ensure compliance with the new standards.

Retrospective Review of Exceptions for Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor or Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker Recommendations for a Diabetic Medicare Population.

BACKGROUND: Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) antagonists are recommended for people with diabetes and hypertension or with elevated urinary albumin excretion. RAS antagonists are beneficial for some, yet clinically inappropriate for others. The percentage of patients for whom RASs are clinically inappropriate has not been compared across health plans. OBJECTIVES: To (a) identify reasons why RAS therapy was not recommended and (b) compare exception percentages between health plans. METHODS: This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis included Medicare Part D beneficiaries with diabetes, enrolled in health plans (n = 96) participating in a university-based medication therapy management (MTM) program between January 1 and December 31, 2013. The MTM program evaluated patient eligibility for RAS therapy via (1) a clinically derived software system assessing demographics and medication history, and (2) telepharmacist-delivered medication reviews. The MTM program database calculated the number of patients with diabetes and percentage of RAS therapy exceptions. RESULTS: An average of 55% of patients with diabetes qualified for MTM (range: 19%-88%). Of the 218,589 eligible, 94,359 had 1 or more reasons contraindicating RAS therapy (exception). For an average of 29% of patients, it was inappropriate to recommend the addition of an RAS antagonist; the overall exception rate ranged from 3% to 83%, suggesting a wide variation of exception rates for all health plans. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial difference existed across health plans where RAS therapy was considered clinically inappropriate to recommend for patients with diabetes. Future research must examine variations in therapy exceptions to understand the effect of encouraging broad-population RAS antagonist use. DISCLOSURES: SinfoníaRx provided funding for this project. Wild, Boesen, and Werner are employed by SinfoniaRx, which provided grant funding to the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy for the conduct of this study. This project was presented at the AMCP 27th Annual Meeting and Expo; April 8-10, 2015; San Diego, CA.

Medication prior authorization from the providers perspective: A prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: The prior authorization (PA) process for medications used by community providers requires modernization. Therefore, a deeper understanding of current state of PA from the community provider perspective is imperative to inform and modernize this managed care tool. OBJECTIVES: Objectives of this study were to identify, analyze and categorize the issues associated with the medication PA process from provider practice perspective. METHODS: A prospective non-experimental, cross sectional, observational study was performed using semi-structured interviews and direct observation at a convenience sample of eight primary care and medicine subspecialty group practices in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Participating practices were required to have an established medication PA process. The participant feedback from each site was analyzed using the Richards qualitative coding technique that includes descriptive coding, topic coding, and analytical coding. RESULTS: Data were obtained from eight unique community provider offices (8 sites) at which 29 prescribers practice. The pain points identified represented five main categories: 1) information transfer gaps; 2) format disparities; 3) outdated technologies; 4) care consequences; and 5) workarounds. Prescribers and their staff suggested improvements that included real time eligibility and formulary alerts regarding PA during the e-prescribing process, accurate, up-to-date formulary data with easy-to-access alternatives, and embedded PA that is integrated with electronic medical record data. Three sites used medication PA portals such as CoverMyMeds® for information gathering, but at the time of data collection, no sites used these PA portals for prospective electronic prior authorization (ePA) or the electronic process of requesting authorization from health plan payers for coverage. CONCLUSION: The PA process for medication used by community providers is in urgent need of modernization. Pain points identified in this study could be alleviated by implementing medication ePA solutions. However, providers and their staff are largely unaware that ePA exists. Additional research in this area is needed.

Identification of Key Business and Management Skills Needed for Pharmacy Graduates.

Objective. To identify key business, management, and human resources skills needed by pharmacy graduates. Methods. Pharmacy preceptors were recruited for inclusion in one of four focus groups. At each focus group, participants were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and to identify key skills that new graduates need but do not have. Each focus group was audio-recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and categorized using a data dictionary. Results. Twenty-seven preceptors participated in the focus groups. Fourteen participants had a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Participants were involved in management positions for a median of 10.5 years (range 5-21 years) and 50% (median) of their time was devoted to management responsibilities (range 20%-80%). Seven themes were identified as being most critical: communication, business skills, decision-making and time management, conflict resolution, leadership and professionalism, personnel management, and computer software techniques. Conclusion. Communication was the most prominent skill identified, followed by decision-making and business knowledge. These skills should be addressed in pharmacy curricula. Future research should focus on how to best teach these skills.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of community pharmacy error rates in the USA: 1993-2015.

IMPORTANCE: While much is known about hospital pharmacy error rates in the USA, comparatively little is known about community pharmacy dispensing error rates. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of community pharmacy dispensing errors in the USA. METHODS: English language, peer-reviewed observational and interventional studies that reported community pharmacy dispensing error rates in the USA from January 1993 to December 2015 were identified in 10 bibliographic databases and topic-relevant grey literature. Studies with a denominator reflecting the total number of prescriptions in the sample were necessary for inclusion in the meta-analysis. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate an aggregate community pharmacy dispensing error rate. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic prior to analysis. RESULTS: The search yielded a total of 8490 records, of which 11 articles were included in the systematic review. Two articles did not have adequate data components to be included in the meta-analysis. Dispensing error rates ranged from 0.00003% (43/1 420 091) to 55% (55/100). The meta-analysis included 1 461 128 prescriptions. The overall community pharmacy dispensing error rate was estimated to be 0.015 (95% CI 0.014 to 0.018); however, significant heterogeneity was observed across studies (I2=99.6). Stratification by study error identification methodology was found to have a significant impact on dispensing error rate (p<0.001). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: There are few published articles that describe community pharmacy dispensing error rates in the USA. Thus, there is limited information about the current rate of community pharmacy dispensing errors. A robust investigation is needed to assess dispensing error rates in the USA to assess the nature and magnitude of the problem and establish prevention strategies.

What Patients Know About Services to Help Manage Chronic Diseases and Medications: Findings from Focus Groups on Medication Therapy Management.

BACKGROUND: Managing and treating patients with multiple chronic conditions presents challenges on many levels. Pharmacist-delivered medication therapy management (MTM) services, mandated as part of the Medicare Part D drug benefit, are designed to help patients manage their chronic conditions and medications. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that influence patient understanding and use of MTM services and potential strategies to educate individuals about MTM. METHODS: Participants who had at least 2 chronic conditions, were taking 2 or more prescription medications, and were aged 18 years or older were recruited from community-based settings to participate in focus groups. The focus groups aimed to identify participants' perceptions and use of MTM services, barriers and facilitators to utilization, and medication problems. Participants were asked to complete a 14-item health care questionnaire and view a brief, 3-minute video introducing the topic of MTM before the group discussion. The health care questionnaire data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel. The focus group responses were transcribed and entered into the computer program ATLAS.ti for thematic analysis. Two independent reviewers qualitatively coded the discussion question responses; a third reviewer investigated discrepancies and facilitated consensus among the reviewers. RESULTS: Participants (N = 27) were mostly female (70.4%), college educated (62.9%), and had Medicare insurance (81.5%). Seven themes were identified: (1) new proposed names for MTM, (2) mechanisms to gain interest in and to promote the value of MTM, (3) familiarity with MTM, (4) pharmacists' training and expertise in MTM, (5) experience with MTM, (6) reasons for nonparticipation in MTM, and (7) preferred method to learn about MTM. Participants did not understand the term "medication therapy management" and felt the interpretation of "therapy"' differed between health care professionals and the public. Some participants used MTM services to learn about appropriate use of their medications, while others were unsure about their eligibility, associated costs, and how to access the services. Participants had limited pharmaceutical knowledge but felt pharmacist-provided MTM services were helpful. Participants were unfamiliar with pharmacists' skills and training. Participants' experiences with MTM services ranged from disregarding the invitation to participate to having pharmacists identify drug-drug interactions. Reasons for nonparticipation in MTM services included being unaware of their eligibility, failing to read excessive information from insurance companies, and being uncertain of the identity of the telephone caller. Preferred methods for learning more about MTM services included the Internet, e-mail, information availability at physician's office, and television advertisements. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the lay public remains largely unaware of MTM services and that the term "MTM" is not well understood. Clearly, tailored public health campaigns and patient engagement strategies are needed to promote MTM in chronic disease management, pharmacists as respected providers, and the importance of the prescriber-MTM pharmacist collaborative relationship in managing medications for patients with multiple chronic conditions. DISCLOSURES: Grant funding from SinfoniaRx to Taylor, Axon, Campbell, Fair, and Warholak was used to help conduct this project. Boesen is employed by SinfoniaRx. The other authors have nothing to disclose. This original research was presented as a poster at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 27th Annual Meeting and Expo; April 7-10, 2015; San Diego, CA.

Integrating Innovative Telehealth Solutions into an Interprofessional Team-Delivered Chronic Care Management Pilot Program.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacist-delivered medication therapy management (MTM) services can improve patient outcomes, yet little is known about outpatient, interprofessional telepharmacy programs. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an outpatient, interprofessional telehealth chronic care management (CCM) pilot program. METHODS: This 6-month program integrated family medicine providers, a university-based medication management telepharmacist, and an interprofessional care coordinator using telehealth solutions for CCM and pharmacy education services. A physician referred patients at risk for medicine-related problems to the telepharmacist. Eligible patients had 3 or more chronic conditions or took at least 5 medications, were aged 18 years and older, and had at least 1 appointment with their primary care provider during the program. The care coordinator met patients in person to facilitate these virtual clinic processes. The telepharmacist conducted a comprehensive medication review (CMR) via video-conferencing technology, providing CCM based on primary diagnosis, current medications and allergies, laboratory results, and previous chart notes. The consultation was documented in the electronic health record (EHR) for provider review and modification in real time. RESULTS: 69 patients received telepharmacy consultations and on-site registered nurse support during the program. Most patients were female (56.5%), aged 51-70 years (60.1%), Caucasian (72.4%), and non-Hispanic/Latino (71.0%). Patients had 1-9 chronic conditions, such as hypertension (82.6%), diabetes (56.5%), hyperlipidemia (31.9%), depression (30.4%), and osteoporosis (29.0%). Most patients (94.2%) took at least 5 chronic disease medications, such as statins (11.2%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (8.4%), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (6.5%), beta blockers (6.5%), and calcium channel blockers (5.6%). The telepharmacist completed 200 interventions for safety (49.0%), vaccines (24.5%), care gaps per national consensus guidelines (13.5%), adherence (10.0%), and cost savings (3.0%). Patients' providers accepted one third (n = 75, 37.5%) of the telepharmacist recommendations (e.g., monitoring and medication changes). CONCLUSIONS: This telehealth program constituted an added service for patients while simultaneously filling a gap in on-site pharmacist counseling services. Integrating the telepharmacist and registered nurse was crucial to clinical service provision. The results are encouraging; however, more research must examine the effectiveness of telehealth services in reaching underserved populations, improving patient care, and decreasing health care costs. DISCLOSURES: External funding from SinfonîaRx was used to help conduct this project. Boesen is employed by SinfonîaRx. At the time this project was conducted, Martin was employed at the University of Arizona Medication Management Center but is now employed by SinfonîaRx. The other authors have no disclosures to report. This original research was presented as a poster at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2015; October 26-29, 2015; in Orlando, FL.

Xm2 Scores for Estimating Total Exposure to Multimodal Strategies Identified by Pharmacists for Managing Pain: Validity Testing and Clinical Relevance.

Objective: To assess the validity of an exposure score obtained from the Xm2 tool for all pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies used by individuals to manage chronic pain. Methods: Using data from individuals with chronic pain, eXposure multimodal (Xm2) scores were calculated by assigning one point for every 100 mg of morphine equivalent used (opioid medications); 25% of the maximum recommended exposure used (nonopioid medications); and any use of another strategy then summed. Content, criterion, construct, and convergent validity were assessed. Results: The sample of 149 individuals used a mean of 12.6 (SD = 4.6) strategies to manage pain and had a mean Xm2 score of 16.8 (SD = 9.1). Content validity was established by demonstrating that the pain management strategies identified were also reported in the literature. Criterion validity was established by the positive association of exposure scores with the following: interference with work (odds ratio (OR) = 2.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14-4.36), daily activities (OR = 2.10, CI = 1.07-4.13), relationships (OR = 1.98, CI = 1.01-3.88), and leisure activities (OR = 2.31, CI = 1.18-4.50); workdays missed (OR = 5.10, CI = 1.92-13.58); emergency department visits (OR = 3.40, CI = 1.17-9.91); hospitalizations (OR = 4.18, CI = 0.86-20.37); and by a negative association with satisfaction (OR = 0.40, CI = 0.18-0.88). Construct validity was established by the positive association of exposure with baseline pain intensity (p < 0.01) and odds of experiencing an adverse event (OR = 2.31, CI = 1.18-4.52). Convergent validity was established through correlations of pain intensity from the Xm2 score and existing quantitative analgesic questionnaire (QAQ) score. Discussion: Xm2 scores represent a valid estimate of total exposure to multimodal strategies used and provide clinically relevant information for deciding what strategies to use at what level.

Establishing the Validity and Reliability Evidence of Preceptor Assessment of Student Tool.

Objective. To evaluate the validity and reliability evidence of the preceptor assessment of student tool (PAST) which was designed to assess doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) student rotation performance. Methods. Evaluation data were loaded into WINSTEPS software to conduct a Rasch rating scale analysis. Validity evidence was examined from construct and content validity perspectives, and reliability was assessed via student and item separation index and reliability coefficient. Data from 435 observations were included in the analysis. Results. All 19 items measured the same construct of interest and the five-point rating scale functioned appropriately and differentiated students' ability. However, the item/person map indicated an absence of items at the end of the measurement continuum. Conclusion. Although adding items at the end of the measurement continuum may be beneficial, PAST showed good validity and reliability evidence when used to evaluate PharmD student rotations and is suitable to assess mastery learning.

Evaluation of a guided continuous quality improvement program in community pharmacies.

BACKGROUND: The importance of creating and sustaining a strong culture of patient safety has been recognized as a critical component of safe medication use. This study aims to assess changes in attitudes toward patient safety culture and frequency of quality-related event (QRE) reporting after guided implementation of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program in a panel of community pharmacies in the United States (U.S.). METHODS: Twenty-one community pharmacies volunteered to participate in the project and were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. Pharmacy staff in the intervention group received guided training to ensure full implementation of a CQI program while those in the control group partially implemented the program. Pharmacy staff in both groups completed retrospective pre-post safety culture questionnaires and reported medication errors and near misses that occurred in their practices. Rasch analysis was applied to assess questionnaire validity and reliability and to confirm if the ordinal level data approximated interval level measures. Paired t-tests and repeated measure analysis of covariance tests were subsequently used to compare observed changes in the attitudes of subjects and frequency of QREs reporting in intervention and control groups. RESULTS: Sixty-nine employees completed the questionnaire, a 43.9% response rate. Improvement in attitudes toward patient safety was statistically significant in the intervention group in six domains: staff, training, and skill (p = 0.017); patient counseling (p = 0.043); communication about mistakes (p < 0.001); response to mistakes (p < 0.001); organizational learning - continuous improvement (p < 0.001); and overall patient safety perceptions (p = 0.033). No significant differences were observed in QRE reporting rates between intervention and control groups. However, differences were observed in the types of QREs reported (e.g., incorrect safety cap) and the point in the prescription processing workflow where a QRE was detected (e.g., partner check station, and drug utilization review station) in the intervention group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Guided CQI program implementation increased the self-reported patient safety culture attitudes among staff.