Voriconazole therapeutic drug monitoring among lung transplant recipients receiving targeted therapy for invasive aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Voriconazole is the first line treatment for invasive aspergillosis (IA) Current guidelines suggest performing regular voriconazole therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to optimize treatment efficacy. We aimed to determine if TDM was predictive of clinical outcome in LTRs. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was performed for all LTRs with probable or proven IA, treated with voriconazole monotherapy and who underwent TDM during therapy. Clinical outcome and toxicity were measured at 12 weeks. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to determine the most predictive voriconazole level thresholds for successful outcome. RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen TDM samples from 30 LTRs with IA were analyzed. Three LTRs were excluded due to early treatment discontinuation. The median TDM level was 1.2 µg/ml (range 0.06-7.3). At 12 weeks, 62% (17/27) of patients had a successful outcome, while 37% (10/27) of patients failed therapy. CART analysis determined that the best predictor for successful outcome was a median TDM level >0.72 µg/ml. Seventy percent (14/20) of patients with median TDM above 0.72 µg/ml had a successful outcome, compared to 42.9% (3/7) of patients with a median TDM below 0.72 µg/ml (OR 3.11; 95% CI: 0.53-20.4; P = 0.21). CART analysis determined that a TDM level greater than 2.13 µg/ml was predictive of hepatotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that a voriconazole TDM range between 0.72 µg/ml and 2.13 µg/ml may be associated with improved outcomes. Our study is in line with current recommendations on the use of voriconazole TDM in improving outcome and minimizing toxicity in LTR with IA.

Management of human resources of a pharmacy department during the COVID-19 pandemic: Take-aways from the first wave.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the biggest public health threat the world has seen in many years and poses new challenges and opportunities to healthcare systems. The new reality imposed by the pandemic requires a modification of practices to ensure the health and safety of patients and medical teams. The purpose of this article is to share the experiences of the pharmacy department of the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven of the most important issues will be addressed: crisis management, internal communications, employee stress, reorganisation of workspaces, reorganisation of pharmacist workforce, telework and schedule management. Some of the changes made in human resources deployment will likely remain even post-pandemic.

Documentation in the Patient's Medical Record by Clinical Pharmacists in a Canadian University Teaching Hospital.

BACKGROUND: In many studies on documentation, the data are self-reported, which makes it difficult to know the actual level of documentation by pharmacists in patients' medical records. The literature assessing documentation by clinical pharmacists in health care centres is limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of documentation in patients' medical records by clinical pharmacists at one large urban hospital. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included all patients who were followed by a clinical pharmacist during their stay in the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montreal between July 1 and October 31, 2016. The primary outcome, the level of documentation in patients' medical records, was categorized as minimal, sufficient, or extensive. The quality of notes and the impact of pharmacy students and residents on documentation were evaluated as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 779 patient charts from 4 inpatient units were included in the analysis. Of these, 563 (72.3%) were considered to have minimal documentation (at least 1 intervention described in writing), 432 (55.5%) had sufficient documentation (at least 1 note written during the patient's hospitalization), and 81 (10.4%) had extensive documentation (appropriate number of notes in relation to duration of hospitalization). Medication reconciliation performed by pharmacists at the time of admission was documented in 696 (89.3%) of patients' records. The presence of students or residents on a clinical unit was associated with a significant increase in the percentage of charts with at least 1 follow-up note (23.6% [120/508] with students/residents versus 12.5% [34/271] without students/residents; p < 0.001) and the mean number of followup notes (0.59 versus 0.23, respectively; p < 0.001) but had no effect on other variables. Of a total of 777 notes written by a pharmacist, the overall conformity with pre-established criteria was 56.8% (441/777), and conformity was 43.4% (139/320), 75.1% (272/362), and 31.6% (30/95) for admission, follow-up, and discharge notes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Documentation by clinical pharmacists in patients' medical records could be improved to achieve the stated goal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, that all significant clinical recommendations or interventions should be documented.

CONTEXTE: Les données de bon nombre d'études portant sur la tenue des dossiers médicaux sont autodéclarées, ce qui fait qu'il est difficile de savoir exactement dans quelle mesure les pharmaciens consignent les informations dans les dossiers médicaux des patients. Il n'existe que peu d'études évaluant la tenue des dossiers par les pharmaciens cliniques dans les centres de soins de santé. OBJECTIF: Évaluer dans quelle mesure les pharmaciens cliniciens d'un important hôpital urbain consignent l'information dans les dossiers médicaux des patients. MÉTHODES: La présente étude d'observation rétrospective englobait tous les patients ayant été suivis par un pharmacien clinicien pendant leur séjour au Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal entre le 1er juillet et le 31 octobre 2016. Le principal paramètre d'évaluation, soit le degré de rigueur des inscriptions dans les dossiers médicaux des patients, entrait dans l'une des trois catégories suivantes : minimal, suffisant ou exhaustif. La qualité des notes et l'effet de la participation d'étudiants et de résidents en pharmacie à la tenue des dossiers ont servi de paramètres d'évaluation secondaires. RÉSULTATS: L'analyse a porté sur 779 dossiers médicaux de patients provenant de quatre services hospitaliers. Les investigateurs ont considéré que 563 d'entre eux (72,3 %) appartenaient à la catégorie « minimal ¼ (au moins une intervention consignée par écrit), 432 (55,5 %) se situaient dans la catégorie « suffisant ¼ (au moins une note rédigée au cours de l'hospitalisation du patient) et 81 (10,4 %) se rangeaient dans la catégorie « exhaustif ¼ (nombre adéquat de notes en fonction à la durée de l'hospitalisation). Les bilans comparatifs des médicaments établis par des pharmaciens au moment de l'admission ont été consignés dans 696 (89,3 %) dossiers médicaux de patients. On a associé la présence d'étudiants ou de résidents dans une unité clinique à une hausse significative du pourcentage de dossiers médicaux affichant au moins une note de suivi (23,6 % [120/508] avec des étudiants / résidents contre 12,5 % [34/271] sans étudiants / résidents; p < 0,001) et du nombre moyen de notes de suivi (respectivement 0,59 contre 0,23; p < 0,001), mais leur présence n'a été associée à aucun autre effet sur les autres variables. Le taux de conformité globale aux critères préétablis des 777 notes rédigées par un pharmacien était de 56,8 % (441/777) et le taux de conformité des notes d'admission, de suivi et de congé était respectivement de 43,4 % (139/320), 75,1 % (272/362) et 31,6 % (30/95). CONCLUSIONS: La tenue des dossiers médicaux de patients par les pharmaciens cliniciens devrait s'améliorer pour qu'elle atteigne l'objectif établi par l'American Society of Health-System Pharmacists et la Société canadienne des pharmaciens d'hôpitaux, qui veut que toutes les recommandations et interventions cliniques d'importance soient consignées.