Prevalence and impact of vasomotor symptoms due to menopause among women in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Nordic Europe: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the prevalence and impact of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS), related treatment patterns, and experiences in women. METHODS: The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of moderate to severe menopause-related VMS among postmenopausal women aged 40 to 65 years in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and four Nordic European countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) using an online survey. Secondary objectives assessed impact of VMS among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with moderate to severe VMS using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire, Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System sleep disturbances assessment, and questions regarding treatment patterns and attitudes toward symptoms and available treatments. RESULTS: Among 12,268 postmenopausal women, the prevalence of moderate to severe VMS was about 15.6% and was highest in Brazil (36.2%) and lowest in Nordic Europe (11.6%). Secondary analyses, conducted among 2,176 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, showed that VMS affected quality of life across all domains measured and impaired work activities by as much as 30%. Greater symptom severity negatively affected sleep. Many women sought medical advice, but most (1,238 [56.9%]) were not receiving treatment for their VMS. The majority (>70%) considered menopause to be a natural part of aging. Those treated with prescription hormone therapy and nonhormone medications reported some safety/efficacy concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Among women from seven countries, moderate to severe menopause-related VMS were widespread, varied by region, and largely impaired quality of life, productivity, and/or sleep.

Development and validation of a case definition for problematic menopause in primary care electronic medical records.

BACKGROUND: Menopause is a normal transition in a woman's life. For some women, it is a stage without significant difficulties; for others, menopause symptoms can severely affect their quality of life. This study developed and validated a case definition for problematic menopause using Canadian primary care electronic medical records, which is an essential step in examining the condition and improving quality of care. METHODS: We used data from the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network including billing and diagnostic codes, diagnostic free-text, problem list entries, medications, and referrals. These data formed the basis of an expert-reviewed reference standard data set and contained the features that were used to train a machine learning model based on classification and regression trees. An ad hoc feature importance measure coupled with recursive feature elimination and clustering were applied to reduce our initial 86,000 element feature set to a few tens of the most relevant features in the data, while class balancing was accomplished with random under- and over-sampling. The final case definition was generated from the tree-based machine learning model output combined with a feature importance algorithm. Two independent samples were used: one for training / testing the machine learning algorithm and the other for case definition validation. RESULTS: We randomly selected 2,776 women aged 45-60 for this analysis and created a case definition, consisting of two occurrences within 24 months of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 627 (or any sub-codes) OR one occurrence of Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification code G03CA (or any sub-codes) within the patient chart, that was highly effective at detecting problematic menopause cases. This definition produced a sensitivity of 81.5% (95% CI: 76.3-85.9%), specificity of 93.5% (91.9-94.8%), positive predictive value of 73.8% (68.3-78.6%), and negative predictive value of 95.7% (94.4-96.8%). CONCLUSION: Our case definition for problematic menopause demonstrated high validity metrics and so is expected to be useful for epidemiological study and surveillance. This case definition will enable future studies exploring the management of menopause in primary care settings.

Community Pharmacists' Experiences and Attitudes towards the Provision of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services: An International Survey.

Access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services remains a challenge worldwide. Describing community pharmacists' SRH services in countries with different scopes of practice will aid in understanding how pharmacists view their roles and how to support them in providing needed services. A cross-sectional web-based survey was administered to pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Japan, Thailand, and Canada. The survey covered 7 SRH categories: pregnancy tests, ovulation tests, contraception, emergency contraception, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, maternal and perinatal health, and general sexual health. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. A total of 922 eligible responses were included in the analysis (Japan = 534, Thailand = 85, and Canada = 303). Most Thai and Canadian participants reported dispensing hormonal contraceptives (Thailand = 99%, Canada = 98%) and emergency contraceptive pills (Thailand = 98%, Canada = 97%). Most Japanese participants provided patient education on barrier contraceptives for men (56%) and information on the safety of medications in pregnancy (74%) and breastfeeding (76%). The majority of participants expressed interest in additional training and expanding their roles in SRH. Sharing international experiences can guide challenges faced by the evolution of pharmacists' practice in SRH. Providing pharmacists support could help their readiness for this role.

Cannabis use for menopause in women aged 35 and over: a cross-sectional survey on usage patterns and perceptions in Alberta, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: Use of cannabis for medical reasons has increased in Canada since legalisation of recreational cannabis in 2018. The objective of this study was to examine the pattern of use and perceptions about cannabis for menopause in women aged 35 and over in Alberta, Canada. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, web-based survey. SETTING: Online (location of participant residence in Alberta, Canada). PARTICIPANTS: Self-selected sample of women recruited through social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) between October and December 2020. Inclusion criteria included: identified as woman, ages 35 and over, living in Alberta, Canada. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES MEASURES: Self-reported data were collected on demographics, menopause status and symptoms, cannabis usage and how participants perceived cannabis. Descriptive statistics, comparative analysis and logistic regression explored relations in cannabis use and participant characteristics. RESULTS: Of 1761 responses collected, 1485 were included for analysis. Median age was 49 years; 35% were postmenopausal and 33% perimenopausal. Among analysed responses, 499 (34%) women reported currently using cannabis and 978 (66%) indicated ever using cannabis. Of the 499 current cannabis users, over 75% were using cannabis for medical purposes. Most common reasons for current use were sleep (65%), anxiety (45%) and muscle/joint achiness (33%). In current users, 74% indicated that cannabis was helpful for symptoms. Current cannabis users were more likely to report experiencing menopause symptoms compared with non-users. History of smoking and general health status were associated with current cannabis use. CONCLUSIONS: Some women are using cannabis for symptoms related to menopause. Further research is required to assess safety and efficacy of cannabis for managing menopause and develop clinical resources for women on cannabis and menopause.

Care after premenopausal risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in high-risk women: Scoping review and international consensus recommendations.

Women at high inherited risk of ovarian cancer are offered risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) from age 35 to 45 years. Although potentially life-saving, RRSO may induce symptoms that negatively affect quality of life and impair long-term health. Clinical care following RRSO is often suboptimal. This scoping review describes how RRSO affects short- and long-term health and provides evidence-based international consensus recommendations for care from preoperative counselling to long-term disease prevention. This includes the efficacy and safety of hormonal and non-hormonal treatments for vasomotor symptoms, sleep disturbance and sexual dysfunction and effective approaches to prevent bone and cardiovascular disease.

The essential menopause curriculum for healthcare professionals: A European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) position statement.

INTRODUCTION: The menopause, or the cessation of menstruation, is a stage of the life cycle which will occur in all women. Managing perimenopausal and postmenopausal health is a key issue for all areas of healthcare, not just gynecology. AIM: To provide recommendations for the curriculum of education programs for healthcare professionals worldwide, so that all can receive high quality training on menopause. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature review and consensus of expert opinion. SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS: Training programs for healthcare professionals worldwide should include menopause and postmenopausal health in their curriculum. It should include assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based management strategies.

Community pharmacists' provision of sexual and reproductive health services: A cross-sectional study in Alberta, Canada.

BACKGROUND: In many countries, pharmacists' scope of practice enables the delivery of professional pharmacy services related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Studies exploring practices and perspectives regarding a wide range of SRH professional pharmacy services and the extent to which pharmacists are involved in prescribing or administering injections are limited. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore SRH professional pharmacy services provided by pharmacists, evaluate pharmacists' self-reported confidence in providing SRH education and determine preferences for additional training. METHODS: A cross-sectional Web-based survey was administered to pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Alberta, Canada. The survey was sent via e-mail and was open for 8 weeks between June and August 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Most of the 303 participants were female (66%) and received their first pharmacy degree in Canada (69%). Approximately two-thirds had additional prescribing authorization (APA), and 97% had injections authorization; 90% and 94% of participants reported administering injectable contraceptives and human papillomavirus vaccine, respectively, and more than 95% renewed prescriptions for oral contraceptives. Of the participants with APA, approximately 40% reported providing initial prescribing services for contraceptive products. Overall, participants reported confidence in providing SRH education for most topics. Most selected topics for additional training were related to sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections; sexual health concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning; and abortion medications. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists in Alberta reported providing a wide range of SRH services and are interested in expanding their SRH role. These findings highlight opportunities to improve access and reduce inequities in the delivery of SRH services through community pharmacies. However, pharmacists' training needs should be considered.

Reproductive Health Services: Attitudes and Practice of Japanese Community Pharmacists.

The provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is an important part of a community pharmacist's role in many countries. However, such services are not traditionally provided by pharmacists in Japan. We surveyed the practice and attitudes regarding the provision of SRH services among Japanese community pharmacists with a focus on reproductive health (RH) topics. The participants were asked about the provision of RH services, attitudes toward their role as SRH providers, and self-reported confidence in providing education to patients on RH topics. We obtained 534 effective responses. About half of the participants reported providing RH services, and only 21% were involved in dispensing emergency contraception pills. Although the proportion of pharmacists providing education on these topics was considerably lower, about 80% recognized the importance of their role as SRH advisors. Confidence in providing patient education about RH topics depended on their experience in providing such services. Most participants were interested in additional SRH training (80%). Our results suggest that training programs could help to expand Japanese community pharmacists' roles as SRH providers and increase their confidence in the education of patients. This study provides useful insights to expand pharmacists' roles in Japan as providers of comprehensive SRH services.

Directive clinique no 422a : Ménopause : symptômes vasomoteurs, agents thérapeutiques d'ordonnance, médecines douces et complémentaires, nutrition et mode de vie.

OBJECTIF: Proposer des stratégies pour améliorer les soins aux femmes ménopausées ou en périménopause d'après les plus récentes données probantes publiées. POPULATION CIBLE: Femmes ménopausées ou en périménopause. BéNéFICES, RISQUES ET COûTS: La population cible bénéficiera des plus récentes données scientifiques publiées que leur communiqueront les fournisseurs de soins de santé. Aucun coût ni préjudice ne sont associés à cette information, car les femmes seront libres de choisir parmi les différentes options thérapeutiques offertes pour la prise en charge des symptômes et morbidités associés à la ménopause, y compris l'abstention thérapeutique. DONNéES PROBANTES: Les auteurs ont interrogé les bases de données PubMed, Medline et Cochrane Library pour extraire des articles publiés entre 2002 et 2020 en utilisant des termes MeSH spécifiques à chacun des sujets abordés dans les 7 chapitres. MéTHODES DE VALIDATION: Les auteurs ont évalué la qualité des données probantes et la force des recommandations en utilisant le cadre méthodologique d'évaluation, de développement et d'évaluation (GRADE). Voir l'annexe A en ligne (tableau A1 pour les définitions et tableau A2 pour l'interprétation des recommandations fortes et faibles). PROFESSIONNELS CONCERNéS: médecins, y compris gynécologues, obstétriciens, médecins de famille, internistes, urgentologues; infirmières, y compris infirmières autorisées et infirmières praticiennes; pharmaciens; stagiaires, y compris étudiants en médecine, résidents, moniteurs cliniques; et autres fournisseurs de soins auprès de la population cible. DÉCLARATIONS SOMMAIRES: RECOMMANDATIONS.

Guideline No. 422a: Menopause: Vasomotor Symptoms, Prescription Therapeutic Agents, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Nutrition, and Lifestyle

Provide strategies for improving the care of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women based on the most recent published evidence. Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Target population will benefit from the most recent published scientific evidence provided via the information from their health care provider. No harms or costs are involved with this information since women will have the opportunity to choose among the different therapeutic options for the management of the symptoms and morbidities associated with menopause, including the option to choose no treatment. Databases consulted were PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library for the years 2002­2020, and MeSH search terms were specific for each topic developed through the 7 chapters. The authors rated the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. See online Appendix A (Tables A1 for definitions and A2 for interpretations of strong and weak recommendations). Intended Audience physicians, including gynaecologists, obstetricians, family physicians, internists, emergency medicine specialists; nurses, including registered nurses and nurse practitioners; pharmacists; medical trainees, including medical students, residents, fellows; and other providers of health care for the target population.

Evaluation of care delivery by a novel multidisciplinary bone health clinic for patients at risk of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is a common condition associated with increased risk for fracture. Many patients receive suboptimal care. We created a novel GIOP clinic model which successfully fills a gap in osteoporosis care by providing multidisciplinary intervention in key components of GIOP preventive care to an underserved patient population. INTRODUCTION: This study characterizes the patient population referred to our novel glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) clinic and evaluates how well the clinic performed in addressing key components of GIOP preventive care. METHODS: This population-based prospective cohort study derives data from patients reviewed at the University of Alberta Multidisciplinary Bone Health Clinic from January 2017 to September 2019. To create our clinic model, key components of GIOP preventive care were summarized based on current guidelines, and clear responsibilities were delegated to each multidisciplinary team member. A REDCap database was constructed, and each patient's multidisciplinary assessment was entered at each visit. Demographic and treatment data was extracted from our database. RESULTS: The clinic was able to achieve optimal GIOP preventive care in 60.1% of patients and in 78.7% of patients when excluding wait time. Of the 245 GIOP patients assessed, over half were females (56.7%) and the mean age was 56.7 years (range 16-95 years). Referrals were primarily made by specialists. Low-trauma fractures were reported in 24.9% of patients and 95.5% of patients had a baseline dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The mean current daily prednisone-equivalent dose was 14.1 mg. All patients received a recommendation for pharmacotherapy (100%) and the majority received counseling on vitamin D (98.8%), calcium (97.8%), smoking cessation (98.8%), alcohol reduction (98.4%), falls prevention (88.6%), and exercise (85.3%). CONCLUSION: Our novel GIOP clinic model successfully fills a gap in osteoporosis care by providing multidisciplinary intervention in key components of GIOP preventive care to an underserved patient population. Further studies are required to assess the real-world long-term outcomes of our model.

Guideline No. 422a: Menopause: Vasomotor Symptoms, Prescription Therapeutic Agents, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Nutrition, and Lifestyle.

OBJECTIVE: Provide strategies for improving the care of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women based on the most recent published evidence. TARGET POPULATION: Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. BENEFITS, HARMS, AND COSTS: Target population will benefit from the most recent published scientific evidence provided via the information from their health care provider. No harms or costs are involved with this information since women will have the opportunity to choose among the different therapeutic options for the management of the symptoms and morbidities associated with menopause, including the option to choose no treatment. EVIDENCE: Databases consulted were PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library for the years 2002-2020, and MeSH search terms were specific for each topic developed through the 7 chapters. VALIDATION METHODS: The authors rated the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. See online Appendix A (Tables A1 for definitions and A2 for interpretations of strong and weak recommendations). INTENDED AUDIENCE: physicians, including gynaecologists, obstetricians, family physicians, internists, emergency medicine specialists; nurses, including registered nurses and nurse practitioners; pharmacists; medical trainees, including medical students, residents, fellows; and other providers of health care for the target population. SUMMARY STATEMENTS: RECOMMENDATIONS.

Experience of Patients with COPD of Pharmacists' Provided Care: A Qualitative Study.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with high global morbidity and mortality. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to provide services which may reduce the burden of this disease on the health system, patients, and their families. The study aimed to understand the perceptions and experiences of patients living with COPD with pharmacists' provided care in COPD diagnosis and management. The study was guided by qualitative description methodology and reported using the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 participants who were recruited from community pharmacies, seniors' centres, a general practice clinic, and a pulmonary rehabilitation centre. Using qualitative content analysis, we identified categories that revealed great variation in participants' experience of pharmacy care based on the depth of patient-pharmacist engagement. Participants who regarded their pharmacists as an essential member of their healthcare team and those who did not, had contrasting experiences with education, communication, and ability to form connections with their pharmacists. For patients with COPD, it is important that the pharmacist is proactive in engaging patients through effective communication, education/provision of relevant information, identification of patient needs, and consistent provision of care with empathy.

Sexual and reproductive health services provided by community pharmacists: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: Pharmacists are increasingly providing patient-focused services in community pharmacies, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Specific SRH areas have been the focus of research, but a broader perspective is needed to position pharmacists as SRH providers. This review explored research that described and evaluated professional pharmacy services across a broad range of SRH areas. DESIGN: Scoping review DATA SOURCES: Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library (January 2007-July 2020). STUDY SELECTION: Studies reporting on the description and evaluation of professional pharmacy SRH services provided by community pharmacists. DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators screened studies for eligibility, and one investigator extracted the data. Data were analysed to primarily describe professional pharmacy services and intervention outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-one studies were included. The main SRH areas and professional pharmacy services reported were sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections (63%) and screening (39%), respectively. Findings showed that pharmacists' delivery of SRH services was feasible, able to reach vulnerable and high-risk groups, and interventions were highly accepted and valued by users. However, integration into daily workflow, pharmacist remuneration, cost and reimbursement for patients, and policy regulations were some of the barriers identified to implementing SRH services. Studies were primarily in specific areas such as chlamydia screening or hormonal contraception prescribing, while studies in other areas (ie, medical abortion provision, long-acting reversible contraception prescribing and vaccine delivery in pregnant women) were lacking. CONCLUSION: This scoping review highlights the expansion of pharmacists' roles beyond traditional product-focused services in a number of SRH areas. Given the potential feasibility, users' acceptability and reach, pharmacists are ideally situated to enhance SRH care access. Future research describing implementation and evaluation of professional pharmacy services in all SRH areas is needed to promote access to these services through community pharmacies and position pharmacists as SRH providers worldwide.

Developing and evaluating a patient decision aid for hormone therapy to manage symptoms of surgical menopause: the story behind the "SheEmpowers" patient decision aid.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate an evidence-based patient decision aid (PDA) that can support women making decisions on hormone therapy (HT) for the management of early surgical menopause. METHODS: The PDA development was guided by the Ottawa Decision Support Framework and the International Patient Decision Aid Standards and involved three phases: an exploratory phase to identify women's decisional needs; a development phase to identify evidence related to treatment options and draft initial prototype; and an evaluation phase to evaluate the prototype and elicit views on acceptability in women (N = 12). All phases were driven by a multidisciplinary group of researchers, clinicians, and patient stakeholders to ensure women's priorities were met. RESULTS: A prototype PDA was drafted based on needs identified from the exploratory phase. The PDA has five domains: information on surgical menopause and HT; HT outcome probabilities; patient stories; values clarification; and guidance in deliberation. Participants in the evaluation phase perceived the tool as acceptable and offered suggestions for modifications. CONCLUSION: Through our adopted, systematic approach the SheEmpowers PDA was developed to help women overcome deterrents to decision-making related to lack of knowledge, decision-making skills, and involvement in therapy decisions. The decisional effectiveness of the tool is to be assessed in future studies.

Pharmacy and medical students' competence and confidence with prescribing: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Previous research has shown that prescribing competence is weakly correlated with prescribing confidence. This questions whether undergraduate programs adequately prepare students and junior practitioners for safe and rational prescribing. The goal of this project was to investigate whether there are differences in prescribing competence and confidence between fourth year pharmacy and medical students at the University of Alberta. METHODS: A cross-sectional design measured prescribing competence using five case scenarios and prescribing confidence with a survey. All fourth-year pharmacy and medical students at the University of Alberta were eligible to participate. Answers to the cases were graded based on therapeutic appropriateness and inclusion of all legal requirements. The confidence survey assessed self-rated confidence of both assessment and prescribing skills. Chi-square tests were used to compare frequencies of prescribing errors and self-rated confidence. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to explore the correlation between prescribing competence and confidence for both cohorts independently. RESULTS: Thirty-one pharmacy students and 16 medical students (response rate 24% and 10%, respectively) completed the assessment between December 2018 and March 2019. Pharmacy students had significantly more appropriate prescriptions and fewer inappropriate prescriptions than medical students. Both rated themselves as confident or very confident with prescribing, however neither group consistently included all the legal requirements of a prescription. There were no significant correlations between competence and confidence. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in prescribing competence and confidence between pharmacy and medical students. This assessment identified deficits in prescribing skills that could be targeted by future educational initiatives.