Determinants of pharmacists' confidence to participate in antimicrobial stewardship: A confirmatory factor analysis.

AIM: Pharmacists are essential members of hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) teams. A lack of self-perceived confidence can limit pharmacists' involvement and contributions. Pharmacists working in AMS have reported a lack of confidence. There is currently a lack of validated measures to assess pharmacists' self-perceived confidence when working in AMS and contributors to this confidence. This study aimed to identify variables contributing to pharmacist self-perceived confidence and validate an AMS hospital pharmacist survey tool using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). METHODS: Responses from a survey of Australian and French hospital pharmacists were used to undertake CFA and path analysis on factors related to pharmacists' self-perceived confidence. It was hypothesized that pharmacists' self-perceived confidence would be impacted by time working in AMS, perceived importance of AMS programmes, perceived barriers to participating in AMS and current participation. RESULTS: CFA demonstrated a good model fit between the factors. Items included in the model loaded well to their respective factors with acceptable reliability. Path analysis demonstrated that time working in AMS had a significant impact on pharmacists' self-perceived confidence, while perceived barriers had a negatively significant relationship. Pharmacy participation in AMS and perceived importance of AMS programmes had a non-significant impact. CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrated that the survey tool showed good validity and identified factors that can impact pharmacists' self-perceived confidence when working in hospital AMS programmes. Having a validated survey tool can identify factors that can reduce pharmacists' self-perceived confidence. Strategies can then be developed to address these factors and subsequently improve pharmacists' self-perceived confidence.

Development of an international survey tool to measure confidence and current antimicrobial stewardship practices of hospital pharmacists.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists are identified as key members of hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) teams in international guidelines. Developing an international standardized tool to measure hospital pharmacists' confidence and practices of AMS will encourage knowledge sharing and better networking between hospital pharmacists internationally. OBJECTIVES: To develop a survey tool that can be used internationally to assess pharmacists' knowledge, confidence, perceived barriers and current AMS practices. METHODS: A project team was formed to refine the survey tool that was initially used in a previous survey study. Following revision by the project team, a revised survey tool was sent to the ESCMID Study Group for Antimicrobial Stewardship (ESGAP). Feedback from the ESGAP members was considered by the project team to finalize the survey tool. RESULTS: A total of 88 changes were made to the survey tool after revision by the project team. A total of 43/216 (19.9%) of ESGAP members provided feedback on the survey tool, which led to a further 19 revisions. ESGAP members were agreeable to the questions in the survey tool, with >50% agreeing that each question was suitable. The final survey tool consisted of 42 questions, reduced from 72 questions in the original survey. CONCLUSIONS: An international survey tool to measure hospital pharmacists' confidence and practices of AMS was developed. This tool will help the wider hospital pharmacy community in conducting local studies on current AMS practices and to identify areas where further support is needed. Use of a standardized survey tool will also allow individual regions/countries to compare their data with other countries to identify potential quality improvement programmes.

An international inventory of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) training programmes for AMS teams.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals are increasingly expected to lead antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives. This role in complex healthcare environments requires specialized training. OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the types of AMS training programmes available to clinicians seeking to play a lead role in AMS. We aimed to identify clinicians' awareness of AMS training programmes, characteristics of AMS training programmes available and potential barriers to participation. METHODS: AMS training programmes available were identified by members of the ESCMID Study Group for Antimicrobial Stewardship (ESGAP) via an online survey and through an online search in 2018. Individual training programme course coordinators were then contacted (September-October 2018) for data on the target audience(s), methods of delivery, intended outcomes and potential barriers to accessing the training programme. RESULTS: A total of 166/250 ESGAP members (66%) responded to the survey, nominating 48 unique AMS training programmes. An additional 32 training programmes were identified through an online search. AMS training programmes were from around the world. Less than half (44.4%) of respondents were aware of one or more AMS training programmes available, with pharmacists more aware compared with medical doctors and other professionals (73% versus 46% and 25%, respectively). AMS training programmes were most commonly delivered online (59%) and aimed at medical doctors (46%). Training costs and a lack of recognition by health professional societies were the most frequently cited barriers to participation in AMS training programmes. CONCLUSIONS: The development of a systematic inventory of AMS training programmes around the globe identifies opportunities and limitations to current training available. Improving access and increasing awareness amongst target participants will support improved education in AMS.

Prescribing trends of oral anticoagulants in England over the last decade: a focus on new and old drugs and adverse events reporting.

Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are replacing conventional VKA (vitamin K antagonist, i.e., warfarin) for various indications where a therapeutic anticoagulant effect is desired. We evaluated the prescribing patterns of the DOACs and warfarin, cost implications of the increasing DOACs prescribing, and deduce the reporting of serious and fatal events, during 2009-2019 in primary care England. Prescriptions and fatal or serious adverse events reporting data, between 2009 and 2019 were analysed, using linear regression to examine the trends in prescriptions, costs, and serious and fatal events reporting. We also compared the prescribing trends of four direct-acting oral anticoagulants and warfarin, normalised to per 1000 clinical commissioning group (CCG) patient population for the year 2019 to better understand the regional differences in DOACs prescribing. The overall use of any DOACs (as a proportion of total anticoagulants) increased from 16% in 2015 to 62% in 2019 with an average increase of 87% (95% CI 83.1, 90.5) per year. The reporting of serious and fatal events associated with DOACs decreased by 6% (95% CI 12.5, - 0.1) per year. Apixaban is by far the most prescribed with an average drug cost increasing to 156% (95% CI 140, 172) per year. In England, the lowest anticoagulant prescribing region was Greater London whereas the highest prescribing regions were Yorkshire and Humber for DOACs and the East Midlands for warfarin. Interestingly, Lancashire, Merseyside, and Cheshire showed a higher usage for warfarin over DOACs. The differing prescription patterns could be a result of changes in national guidelines and increasing population. Nevertheless, DOACs appear to make an increasing contribution to total anticoagulant prescription items and costs.

Effectiveness of interventions to improve adverse drug reaction reporting by healthcare professionals over the last decade: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Various strategies have been studied in the literature to address the significant underreporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in healthcare systems worldwide. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a systematic review of the literature that assessed the impact of various strategies to improve ADR reporting published in the last decade and compared this with the strategies identified in a previous systematic review. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were used to retrieve papers published from 01 July 2010 to 17 June 2019. We included papers in the English language that investigated the quantitative impact of strategies used to improve ADR reporting. RESULTS: A total of 10,021 articles were retrieved using our search criteria, of which 13 met the inclusion criteria. Multifaceted strategies resulted in a point estimate increase in ADR reporting of 9.26-fold (-2.21-17.11, 95% CI) versus 7.19-fold (-5.29-32.68, 95% CI) for single interventions. Using electronic reporting tools was more commonly identified as an interventional strategy with a point estimate increase of 13.69-fold (-5.29-32.68, 95%CI) versus 4.42-fold (0.66-8.19, 95% CI) for traditional educational methods. The quality of the majority of publications included in this review was low. CONCLUSIONS: Developments in digital technology in the last decade has led to the increased use of electronic reporting tools to improve ADR reporting. Higher quality studies investigating the impact of these electronic methods are needed to fully explore its role in improving ADR reporting.

Venous thromboembolism in critically ill COVID-19 patients receiving prophylactic or therapeutic anticoagulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Many aspects of care such as management of hypercoagulable state in COVID-19 patients, especially those admitted to intensive care units is challenging in the rapidly evolving pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We seek to systematically review the available evidence regarding the anticoagulation approach to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) among COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units. Electronic databases were searched for studies reporting venous thromboembolic events in patients admitted to the intensive care unit receiving any type of anticoagulation (prophylactic or therapeutic). The pooled prevalence (and 95% confidence interval [CI]) of VTE among patients receiving anticoagulant were calculated using the random-effects model. Subgroup pooled analyses were performed with studies reported prophylactic anticoagulation alone and with studies reported mixed prophylactic and therapeutic anticoagulation. We included twelve studies (8 Europe; 2 UK; 1 each from the US and China) in our systematic review and meta-analysis. All studies utilized LMWH or unfractionated heparin as their pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis, either prophylactic doses or therapeutic doses. Seven studies reported on the proportion of patients with the previous history of VTE (range 0-10%). The pooled prevalence of VTE among ICU patients receiving prophylactic or therapeutic anticoagulation across all studies was 31% (95% CI 20-43%). Subgroup pooled analysis limited to studies reported prophylactic anticoagulation alone and mixed (therapeutic and prophylactic anticoagulation) reported pooled prevalences of VTE of 38% (95% CI 10-70%) and 27% (95% CI 17-40%) respectively. With a high prevalence of thromboprophylaxis failure among COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units, individualised rather than protocolised VTE thromboprophylaxis would appear prudent at interim.

Medication Regimen Complexity and Hospital Readmission in Older Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by high rates of hospital admissions and readmissions. However, there is a scarcity of research into medication-related factors predicting such outcomes in this patient group. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of medication regimen complexity at hospital discharge on subsequent readmissions and their timing in older adults with CKD. METHODS: This was a 12-month retrospective cohort study of 204 older (⩾65 years) CKD patients in an Australian tertiary care hospital. Medication regimen complexity was quantified using the 65-item medication regimen complexity index (MRCI). The outcomes were the occurrence of readmission in 30 days and time to readmission within 12 months. Logistic regression was used to identify factors predicting 30-day readmission, and a competing risks proportional subdistribution hazard model, accounting for deaths, was used for factors predicting time to readmission. RESULTS: Overall, 50 (24%) patients, predominantly men (72%), were readmitted within 30 days of follow-up. MRCI was not significantly associated with 30-day readmission (odds ratio [OR] = 1.27; 95% CI = 0.94-1.73). The median (interquartile range) time to readmission within 12 months was 145 (31-365) days. On a multivariate analysis, a 10-unit increase in MRCI was associated with a shorter time to readmission within 12 months (subdistribution HR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.01-1.36). Conclusion and Relevance: Medication regimen complexity was not significantly associated with 30-day readmission; however, it was associated with a significantly shorter time to 12-month readmission in older CKD patients. This finding highlights the importance of medication regimen complexity as a potential target for medical interventions to reduce readmission risks.

Evaluation of a chronic kidney disease risk assessment service in community pharmacies.

AIM: Targeted 'opportunistic' screening might be a sustainable approach for the early detection of people with undiagnosed chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate a CKD risk assessment service in the community pharmacy setting. METHODS: Twenty-four pharmacies in Tasmania, Australia participated in this study. Targeted people were aged between 50 and 74 years, with at least one CKD risk factor. The QKidney risk calculator was used to estimate the participants' 5-year percentage risk of developing moderate-severe CKD. Participants identified with ≥3% risk were referred to their general practitioner (GP) and followed-up after 9 months. Laboratory data was collected from a pathology provider. The main outcome measures were rates of GP referral uptake and of participants who underwent estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) measurement. RESULTS: We analyzed data for 389 screened participants, of whom 203 (52.1%) had ≥3% 5-year risk of developing moderate-severe CKD and were referred to their GP. Follow-up was successful for 126 participants and showed low (27%) GP referral uptake. Analysis of the pathology data revealed suboptimal kidney testing in participants with ≥3% risk, with eGFR and ACR tests performed for only 52.7% and 25.1% of these participants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant scope for improving early detection of CKD via implementation of a community pharmacy-based CKD risk assessment service. However, a healthcare system that encourages inter-professional collaboration between community pharmacists and GPs, and provides a robust referral pathway is needed to optimize the effectiveness of this service.

Medication adherence assessment practices in dialysis settings: A survey of renal nurses' perceptions.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To measure renal nurses' perceptions on assessing medication adherence in patients undergoing dialysis. BACKGROUND: Renal nurses play a vital role in caring for patients undergoing dialysis. Despite the high prevalence of medication nonadherence in chronic dialysis patients, little is known about renal nurses' perceptions and current adherence assessment practices. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. METHODS: Participants completed an online survey between March-May 2016. Five psychometric scales were used to measure perception on prevalence and contributors of nonadherence, effective methods of assessment, barriers to assessment and confidence to assess adherence. The survey also captured current adherence assessment practices using a 4-point graded response (1 = do not practice at all to 4 = practice for every patient). RESULTS: A total of 113 dialysis nurses completed the survey. The majority agreed that patients in their unit are nonadherent to their medicines (74.5%, n = 82; median = 8). Most nurses agreed that having dedicated professionals conducting medication history interviews can be effective in identifying nonadherence (88.9%, n = 96; median = 8). Objective assessment through blood results was the most frequently used method to determine nonadherence (83.2%, n = 89), with little attention being paid to patients' self-reports of adherence (55.1%, n = 59). Time constraints, administrative support and patients' disinterest in discussing medication-related issues with the nurses were perceived as barriers to assessing adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Patient self-reported measures to assess adherence were underutilised by the renal nurses, whereas objective blood monitoring was routinely used. Overcoming dialysis nurses' work-related barriers may facilitate the effective monitoring and promotion of medication adherence in chronic dialysis patients. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Results from this study emphasise the need for proper assessment of dialysis patient's medication-taking behaviour during routine dialysis to ensure the benefits of prescribed therapies.

Adherence assessment practices in haemodialysis settings: A qualitative exploration of nurses and pharmacists' perspectives.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore clinician assessment of patient adherence and identify strategies to improve adherence assessment practices in haemodialysis settings. BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing haemodialysis are typically prescribed complex regimens; as such, they are at high risk of medication nonadherence. Current clinical practices focus on prescribing medications; however, little attention is paid to measuring and ensuring patient adherence to their prescribed treatments. DESIGN: A qualitative study. METHODS: Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in November and December 2016, with 12 nurses and 6 pharmacists, working in Australian haemodialysis settings. The study was conducted and reported in accordance with COREQ guidelines. RESULTS: Participants were 25-60 years old and had 1-27 years of experience in dialysis. Seven themes related to assessing adherence were identified: prioritisation of resources, interplay between workload and available time, awareness of formalised adherence measures and training deficits, concerns about practicality/suitability of adherence measures, communication of assessment services, patient participation and trust. Three themes related to strategies for improving adherence assessment practices were identified: formalisation of adherence assessment process, integration of assessment processes and tools into routine, and use of multidisciplinary support to assess and promote adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Current adherence assessment practices could be improved through formalisation and integration of the assessment process into dialysis unit policy/procedures. Additionally, as barriers to assessing adherence were identified at organisational, professional and patient levels, there is a need to address barriers from each level in order to improve adherence assessment practices in haemodialysis settings. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This qualitative study highlights the challenges and practical ways by which adherence assessment practices could be improved in haemodialysis settings. This would encourage renal clinicians to actively participate in adherence assessment and promotion activities to ensure patients benefit from their therapies.

Pharmacist participation in antimicrobial stewardship in Australian and French hospitals: a cross-sectional nationwide survey.

Background: Hospital pharmacists are an integral part of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes globally. Currently, little is known as to how hospital pharmacists see their role and involvement within the AMS framework. Objectives: To assess the current level of involvement of Australian and French hospital pharmacists in AMS programmes and identify barriers limiting their involvement in AMS. Methods: Hospital pharmacists throughout Australia and France were invited to participate in a nationwide online survey throughout March-May 2016. The survey was promoted through the national hospital pharmacists' association in Australia, while a stratified sampling method was used in France to invite pharmacists working in a variety of hospital settings. Results: Invitations to participate in this survey were sent to 334 Australian pharmacists and 482 French pharmacists. Responses from 133 Australian and 126 French pharmacists were included for analysis. A total of 78.4% (203/259) of pharmacists reported the presence of an AMS programme. Pharmacists were most likely to be involved in AMS through assessing total antibiotic consumption and participating in AMS committee meetings. Barriers to participating in AMS included a lack of time and substantial non-clinical activities limiting involvement in AMS. Differences in responses were found between the two countries. Conclusions: While the majority of pharmacists reported the presence of an AMS programme, multiple barriers to participation were identified by pharmacists in both countries. Further research should consider how to overcome the identified barriers to optimize the involvement of pharmacists in AMS.

Public knowledge of chronic kidney disease evaluated using a validated questionnaire: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Screening programs may help to address the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Australia. Public awareness is an important determinant of the uptake of screening programs. However, data on the public knowledge of CKD in Australia is lacking. The aim of this study was to develop a validated questionnaire and assess the Australian public knowledge of CKD. METHODS: A CKD knowledge questionnaire was developed after reviewing the literature and discussions with nephrology experts. Content validity was performed by nephrologists (n = 3), renal nurses (n = 3) and research personnel (n = 4). The questionnaire was piloted in 121 public participants. Next, discriminant validation was performed by recruiting two additional groups of participants: final year undergraduate pharmacy students (n = 28) and nephrologists (n = 27). Reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha. Next, a cross-sectional survey of the Australian public (n = 943) was conducted by using the validated questionnaire. It was administered using an online Omnibus survey. Quota sampling was used for participant selection and to ensure that the final sample would match the key characteristics of the Australian population. Finally, a standard multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of the public knowledge. RESULTS: The median CKD knowledge scores of the public, students and nephrologists were 12, 19 and 23 (maximum score of 24), respectively, with statistically significant differences in the scores across the three groups (p < 0.001; Kruskal-Wallis test). The Cronbach's alpha was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.86-0.91), indicating that the questionnaire had good internal consistency. In the cross-sectional survey of the Australian public, the participants' mean (SD) age was 47.6 (±16.6) years and 51.2% were female. The mean (SD) knowledge score was 10.3 (± 5.0). The multivariate analysis showed that participants with a higher level of education; with a family history of kidney failure; with a personal history of diabetes; and currently or previously living in a relationship had significantly higher knowledge scores. CONCLUSION: The Australian public knowledge of CKD was relatively poor. Improving public knowledge may assist in increasing early detection and subsequent management of CKD in Australia.

Australian Community Pharmacists' Experience of Implementing a Chronic Kidney Disease Risk Assessment Service.

INTRODUCTION: Community pharmacists are well positioned to deliver chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening services. However, little is known about the challenges faced by pharmacists during service implementation. This study aimed to explore community pharmacists' experiences and perceived barriers of implementing a CKD risk assessment service. METHODS: Data collection was performed by using semistructured, open-ended interview questions. Pharmacists who had implemented a CKD screening service in Tasmania, Australia, were eligible to participate. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to select pharmacists, with variation in demographics and pharmacy location. A conventional content analysis approach was used to conduct the qualitative study. Transcripts were thematically analyzed by using the NVivo 11 software program. Initially, a list of free nodes was generated and data were coded exhaustively into relevant nodes. These nodes were then regrouped to form highly conceptualized themes. RESULTS: Five broad themes emerged from the analysis: contextual fit within community pharmacy; perceived scope of pharmacy practice; customer perception toward disease prevention; CKD - an underestimated disease; and remuneration for a beneficial service. Pharmacists found the CKD service efficient, user-friendly, and of substantial benefit to their customers. However, several pharmacists observed that their customers lacked interest in disease prevention, and had limited understanding of CKD. More importantly, pharmacists perceived the scope of pharmacy practice to depend substantially on interprofessional collaboration between pharmacists and general practitioners, and customer acknowledgment of pharmacists' role in disease prevention. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacists perceived the CKD service to be worth incorporating into pharmacy practice. To increase uptake, future CKD services should aim to improve customer awareness about CKD before providing risk assessment. Further research investigating strategies to enhance general practitioner involvement in pharmacist-initiated disease prevention services is also needed.

Completeness and Legibility of Handwritten Prescriptions in Sana'a, Yemen.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the completeness and legibility of prescriptions dispensed in community pharmacies located in Sana'a, Yemen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 23 randomly selected community pharmacies throughout the capital city of Sana'a, Yemen, from May 2015 to January 2016. A total of 2,178 prescriptions were analyzed for the essential elements of a complete prescription using a validated checklist. RESULTS: Of the 2,178 prescriptions, 19 (0.87%) were considered to be of good quality. The remaining 2,159 (99.12%) were considered as being of very poor quality. Writing errors relating to patients and prescribed medications were the most common errors. CONCLUSION: In this study, the quality of prescription writing was found to be very poor. Hence, continuous professional development programs are recommended to improve the quality of prescription writing among physicians. Future studies in other cities and investigation of the impact of continuous educational programs on the quality of prescription writing are strongly recommended.

Medication adherence perspectives in haemodialysis patients: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: End-stage kidney disease patients undergoing haemodialysis are prescribed with multiple complex regimens and are predisposed to high risk of medication nonadherence. The aims of this study were to explore factors associated with medication adherence, and, to examine the differential perspectives on medication-taking behaviour shown by adherent and nonadherent haemodialysis patients. METHODS: A qualitative exploratory design was used. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 haemodialysis patients at the outpatient dialysis facility in Hobart, Australia. Patient self-reported adherence was measured using 4-item Morisky Green Levine scale. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed and mapped against the World Health Organization (WHO) determinants of medication adherence. RESULTS: Participants were 44-84 years old, and were prescribed with 4-19 medications daily. More than half of the participants were nonadherent to their medications based on self-reported measure (56.7%, n = 17). Themes mapped against WHO adherence model comprised of patient-related (knowledge, awareness, attitude, self-efficacy, action control, and facilitation); health system/ healthcare team related (quality of interaction, and mistrust and collateral arrangements); therapy-related (physical characteristics of medicines, packaging, and side effects); condition-related (symptom severity); and social/ economic factors (access to medicines, and relative affordability). CONCLUSIONS: Patients expressed a number of concerns that led to nonadherence behaviour. Many of the issues identified were patient-related and potentially modifiable by using psycho-educational or cognitive-behavioural interventions. Healthcare professionals should be more vigilant towards identifying these concerns to address adherence issues. Future research should be aimed at understanding healthcare professionals' perceptions and practices of assessing medication adherence in dialysis patients that may guide intervention to resolve this significant issue of medication nonadherence.

Inappropriate prescribing in chronic kidney disease: A systematic review of prevalence, associated clinical outcomes and impact of interventions.

INTRODUCTION: Adjusting doses of renally cleared medications and/or avoidance of nephrotoxic medications are standard clinical practices in chronic kidney disease (CKD), albeit the prevalence of inappropriate prescribing (IP) in these patients remains high. Therefore, this work sought to systematically review the prevalence of IP and compare the relative effectiveness of available interventions in reducing IP in CKD. METHODS: Studies were identified searching PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, IPA, Web of Science, Ovid/Medline, CINAHL, and PsychINFO databases. Studies defining CKD based on laboratory markers and quantifying prevalence of IP were included. RESULTS: Forty-nine studies from 23 countries met the inclusion criteria. An IP prevalence of 9.4%-81.1% and 13%-80.50% was reported in hospital and ambulatory settings, respectively; whereas, in long-term care facilities the prevalence ranged between 16% and 37.9%. Unsurprisingly, IP was associated with adverse drug events like increased hospital stay (Mean [SD] of 4.5 [4.8] vs 4.3 [4.5]) and high risk of mortality [40%]. Twenty-one studies reported the impact of interventions on IP; manual and computerised alerts were the main forms of interventions (n=19). The most significant reduction in IP was observed when physicians received immediate concurrent feedback from a clinical pharmacist (P<.001). Polypharmacy, comorbidities, and age were identified as predictors of IP. CONCLUSION: IP has led to poor patient outcomes. Although pharmacist-based and computer-aided approaches have shown promising results, there is still room for improvement. Future studies should focus on developing a multifaceted intervention to address the widespread prevalence of IP and associated clinical outcomes in CKD patients.

Medication Regimen Complexity and Adherence in Haemodialysis Patients: An Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of medication regimen complexity on adherence in hemodialysis patients is unknown. We investigated regimen complexity, perceived burden of medicines (PBM) and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) as potential predictors of adherence. METHODS: Adult (≥18 years) hemodialysis patients were included. Data on medication regimen complexity index (MRCI), self-reported and objective adherence, comorbidity index, PBM and HR-QoL were obtained using established measures. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected during interviews and by reviewing medical records. Predictors of adherence were determined using logistic regression. RESULTS: Fifty-three out of 70 hemodialysis patients participated (response rate 75%; male 58.5%; age 67.9 ± 11.5 years). The mean MRCI, HR-QoL and PBM scores were 27.0 ± 10.9, 0.70 ± 0.13 and 1.7 ± 0.6, respectively. Based on self-reports, 43.4% (n = 23) were adherent, whereas for a subset of patients analyzed using objective measure (n = 33), much lower adherence rate was observed (27.3%, n = 9). The self-reported and objective measures were significantly correlated (r = 0.43, p = 0.01). Older age was the only significant predictor of self-reported adherence (OR 1.05; 95% CI 1.00-1.11) whereas older age (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.00-1.21), higher comorbidity (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.03-2.42) and MRCI (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.02-1.27) were independent predictors of objective adherence. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this exploratory study suggest that older patients with high comorbidities and highly complex regimen are more likely to be adherent based on an objective measure. Future research is needed using objective measures of adherence suitable for all patients and reflecting all medications.

Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Uptake in Australian Adults.

In January 2021, Australia initiated a national COVID-19 vaccine rollout strategy but faced setbacks, leading to negative press and media controversy, which may have diminished vaccine confidence. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing vaccine confidence in Australian adults (≥18 years of age) following the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine. Conducted at Blacktown Hospital, Sydney, a cross-sectional survey with 1053 respondents gauged vaccine confidence and influencing factors. The results showed overall high confidence (mean score 33/40). Trusted sources included the Australian Department of Health (77.8%), NSW Health (76.7%), and general practitioners (53.7%), while social media was distrusted (5.9%). The motivations for vaccination varied: university-educated individuals prioritised personal health (X2 = 17.81; p < 0.001), while religious and/or older respondents (≥50 years of age) emphasised community (X2 = 11.69; p < 0.001) and family protection (X2 = 17.314; p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed use of the Australian Department of Health website as a trusted source of COVID-19 information as the strongest predictor of high confidence (>30; OR 1.43; p = 0.041), while exposure to fake news decreased confidence (OR 0.71; p = 0.025). The study underscores the importance of reliable health information sources in bolstering vaccine confidence and highlights the detrimental effects of misinformation. Promoting awareness of trustworthy health channels is crucial to combat vaccine hesitancy in Australia.

Barriers and facilitators of implementing proactive deprescribing within primary care: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Proactive deprescribing - identifying and discontinuing medicines where harms outweigh benefits - can minimise problematic polypharmacy, but has yet to be implemented into routine practice. Normalisation process theory (NPT) can provide a theory-informed understanding of the evidence base on what impedes or facilitates the normalisation of routine and safe deprescribing in primary care. This study systematically reviews the literature to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing routine safe deprescribing in primary care and their effect on normalisation potential using NPT.PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, CINAHL, PsycINFO and The Cochrane Library were searched (1996-2022). Studies of any design investigating the implementation of deprescribing in primary care were included. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and the Quality Improvement Minimum Quality Criteria Set were used to appraise quality. Barriers and facilitators from included studies were extracted and mapped to the constructs of NPT. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 12,027 articles were identified, 56 articles included. In total, 178 barriers and 178 facilitators were extracted and condensed into 14 barriers and 16 facilitators. Common barriers were negative deprescribing perceptions and suboptimal deprescribing environments, while common facilitators were structured education and training on proactive deprescribing and utilising patient-centred approaches. Very few barriers and facilitators were associated with reflexive monitoring, highlighting a paucity of evidence on how deprescribing interventions are appraised. SUMMARY: Through NPT, multiple barriers and facilitators were identified that impede or facilitate the implementation and normalisation of deprescribing in primary care. However, more research is needed into the appraisal of deprescribing post-implementation.

The Role of Adult Vaccines as Part of Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health concern, causing an estimated 700,000 deaths annually. Although immunisation has been shown to significantly reduce AMR, the role of vaccines as part of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) practices is often overlooked. OBJECTIVE: To identify and examine the available literature on the role of vaccines as part of AMS practices. METHOD: A scoping review was conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, CCRCT, IPA, and WoS, along with grey literature sources. The review was conducted using the JBI Methodology for Scoping Reviews and reported in line with the PRISMA-SCr checklist. RESULTS: Among the 1711 records identified, 34 met the inclusion criteria; 8 discussed only the concept, while 26 discussed both the concept and the vaccine implementation method in AMS practices. There were eight recommended and/or utilised types of AMS activities identified involving vaccines, under four key themes of vaccine-related AMS strategies: Education, Screening, Vaccination, and Monitoring. Influenza and pneumococcal vaccines had the most evidence for inclusion. CONCLUSION: Overall, the evidence supports the role of vaccines as part of AMS practices and the value of their inclusion in creating improved and comprehensive AMS strategies to further combat the development of AMR.