Development and use of an innovative Gap Finding Tool to create a Pharmaceutical Care Model within a paediatric oncology setting.

INTRODUCTION: A paediatric cancer ward is a setting where pharmacists participate in direct patient care, acting as coordinators between the patient, caregivers and healthcare professionals. The aim of the study was to develop a Gap Finding Tool to support the setting up of a pharmaceutical care model at a Paediatric-Adolescent Cancer Ward. METHODS: The Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacy Services by the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia Committee of Specialty Practice in Clinical Pharmacy (2013), the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (2014) and the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (2014) were used to compile the Gap Finding Tool. The developed Tool was tested for content validity by a panel of experts and subsequently implemented over 2 months. RESULTS: The Gap Finding Tool comprised of nine sections with an average of eight statements each about pharmacy services that should be provided at ward level. For each statement, the rater indicates whether these contributions are provided. When the Tool was implemented at the Paediatric-Adolescent Cancer Ward, four major gaps were identified, namely, absence of a clinical pharmacist, lack of medicines information, vetting of chemotherapy prescriptions by pharmacist with limited access to patient data and lack of pharmacist-input on medicines availability. Processes requiring optimisation included discharge medication advice and documentation processes. CONCLUSION: The developed Gap Finding Tool is an innovative tool which is versatile and can be used in ward or ambulatory clinical settings to identify gaps in pharmaceutical processes and services and compare national or regional practices to international standards.

Pre-operative pain sensitivity: A prediction of post-operative outcome in the obstetric population.

CONTEXT: Experimental assessments can determine pain threshold and tolerance, which mirror sensitivity to pain. This, in turn, influences the post-operative experience. AIMS: The study intended to evaluate whether the pre-operative pressure and electrical pain tests can predict pain and opioid requirement following cesarean delivery. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Research was conducted on females scheduled for cesarean section at a tertiary care hospital of the state. Twenty women were enrolled, after obtaining written informed consent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PAIN ASSESSMENT WAS PERFORMED ON THE EVE OF CESAREAN SECTIONS USING THREE DEVICES: PainMatcher(;) determined electrical pain threshold while the algometers PainTest(™) FPN100 (manual) and PainTest(™) FPX 25 (digital) evaluated pressure pain threshold and tolerance. Post-operative pain relief included intravenous morphine administered by patient-controlled analgesia, diclofenac (100 mg, every 12 h, rectally, enforced) and paracetamol (1000 mg, every 4-6 h, orally, on patient request). Pain scores were reported on numerical rating scales at specified time intervals. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Correlational and regression statistics were computed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21 software (IBM Corporation, USA). RESULTS: A SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN MORPHINE REQUIREMENT AND: (1) electrical pain threshold (r = -0.45, P = 0.025), (2) pressure pain threshold (r = -0.41 P = 0.036) and (3) pressure pain tolerance (r = -0.44, P = 0.026) measured by the digital algometer. The parsimonious regression model for morphine requirement consisted of electrical pain threshold (r(2)= 0.20, P = 0.049). The dose of morphine consumed within 48 h of surgery decreases by 0.9 mg for every unit increment in electrical pain threshold. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive power of pain sensitivity assessments, particularly electrical pain threshold, may portend post-cesarean outcomes, including opioid requirements.

Perception of Interprofessional Education among Students Following Pharmacy Studies.

INTRODUCTION: Interprofessional Education (IPE) activities are a first experience of real-world patient care practice for students, where collaboration with different professions is appreciated. Methods and timing of inclusion of IPE are not well-defined, and it is interesting to assess students' perception on IPE activities. OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in pharmacy students' perception of IPE before (t0) and after (t1) an IPE activity. METHODS: The 'Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised 2' (SPICE-R2) tool was adopted to assess perception of IPE activities in third year pharmacy students, final year pharmacy students and in postgraduate Doctorate in Pharmacy (PharmD) students at t0 and t1. RESULTS: The SPICE-R2 tool was completed at t0 and t1 by 61 students: 12 third year pharmacy students, 13 final year students and 36 PharmD students. A significant improvement between t0 and t1 (P < .05) was measured in the three groups of students for all three subscales of the tool. The largest improvement was observed in the 'Roles/Responsibilities for Collaborative Practice' subscale in all three groups of students. CONCLUSION: Perception of IPE was positively increased in all three student groups. The results could be useful to support the design of IPE activities within pharmacy programmes.

Transforming pharmaceutical education: A needs-based global analysis for policy development.

Background: A needs-based approach is desirable for the transformation of pharmaceutical education, and to link pharmaceutical education with the health needs of populations and national priorities. There are varying levels of data in the literature on the status of pharmaceutical education in all six World Health Organization (WHO) regions, especially in the context of needs identification and evidence-based policy interventions. The framework for this study was the FIP Development Goals. Objectives: The aim of the study was to develop evidence-based policies through a needs-based approach for pharmaceutical education transformation nationally, regionally and globally by addressing the following objectives: 1. Identify global and regional needs in pharmaceutical education, through a regional SWOT analysis and prioritization of FIP development goals; 2. Develop valid and credible regional roadmaps for pharmaceutical education advancement according to the identified prioritized goals and 3. Develop a global call to action as a policy intervention for advancing pharmaceutical education. Methods: This study was conducted between 2020 and 2021 using a mixed methods approach. Surveys of higher education institutions and a series of qualitative interviews were conducted with national professional leadership organizations, with further regional workshops having 284 participants recruited from the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) membership base, spanning all six WHO regions. Results: Eleven out of 21 FIP DGs were identified as priorities for regional roadmaps and FIP DG 1 (Academic capacity) was identified as a priority in four regions. All regions had distinctive results with an area of commonality between them. There were common weaknesses in the adoption of competency-based education and inter-professional education. Conclusions: It is critical for every country and region to develop needs- and evidence-based policies for the transformation of pharmaceutical education, for which FIP DGs provide a systematic framework.

Association between culture and the preference for, and perceptions of, 11 routes of medicine administration: A survey in 21 countries and regions.

Medicines can be taken by various routes of administration. These can impact the effects and perceptions of medicines. The literature about individuals' preferences for and perceptions of the different routes of administration is sparse, but indicates a potential influence of culture. Our aim was to determine: (i) any association between one's culture and one's preferred route of medicine administration and (ii) individual perceptions of pain, efficacy, speed of action and acceptability when medicines are swallowed or placed in the mouth, under the tongue, in the nose, eye, ear, lungs, rectum, vagina, on the skin, or areinjected. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey of adults was conducted in 21 countries and regions of the world, namely, Tunisia, Ghana, Nigeria, Turkey, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Malta, Brazil, Great Britain, United States, India, Serbia, Romania, Portugal, France, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, mainland China and Estonia, using the Inglehart-Welzel cultural map to ensure coverage across all cultures. Participants scored the pain/discomfort, efficacy, speed of onset and acceptability of the different routes of medicine administration and stated their preferred route. Demographic information was collected. A total of 4435 participants took part in the survey. Overall, the oral route was the most preferred route, followed by injection, while the rectal route was the least preferred. While the oral route was the most preferred in all cultures, the percentage of participants selecting this route varied, from 98% in Protestant Europe to 50% in the African-Islamic culture. A multinomial logistic regression model revealed a number of predictors for the preferred route. Injections were favoured in the Baltic, South Asia, Latin America and African-Islamic cultures while dermal administration was favoured in Catholic Europe, Baltic and Latin America cultures. A marked association was found between culture and the preference for, and perceptions of the different routes by which medicines are taken. This applied to even the least favoured routes (vaginal and rectal). Only women were asked about the vaginal route, and our data shows that the vaginal route was slightly more popular than the rectal one.

Attitudes towards preconception care in Maltese women with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge and awareness related to preconception care among Maltese women of reproductive age with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS: Thirty-seven T1DM women, aged 12-30 years, were self-administered a questionnaire related to diabetes self-management and preconception care. The participants then underwent an educational intervention and re-took the same questionnaire. RESULTS: Before the intervention, 26 participants (70%) claimed they did not have any knowledge about the preconception care of diabetes. Of the remaining 11 participants, the main reported source of information about diabetes care was the diabetologist (n = 8; 6.7%). The response rate was 70% (26 out of 37 participants completed the questionnaire after the educational intervention). Six of the participants who initially reported no preconception care knowledge claimed an increased awareness after the event. There was a statistically significant increase in the knowledge scores after the intervention. CONCLUSION: It is evident that there is a lack of awareness of the importance of pre-pregnancy planning to avoid pregnancy-related complications with diabetes. This emphasizes the need for more education and it is imperative for healthcare professionals to address these issues with adolescent female patients.

Pharmacist and physician perception of pharmacogenetic testing.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the perception of pharmacists and physicians towards pharmacogenetic testing. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was developed, validated, tested for reliability and disseminated to pharmacists and physicians in Malta. KEY FINDINGS: The study population consisted of 292 participants; 61% pharmacists (64% female, 38% practicing >10 years) and 39% physicians (50% female, 54% practicing >10 years). Pharmacists and physicians felt they lack sufficient competence in the area (95.0% and 97.4%, respectively; P > 0.05) and agreed that further training is required (92.7% and 91.2%, respectively; P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The need for further training was identified by the participants to support competency development and sustain confidence on the topic, hence facilitating the clinical implementation of pharmacogenetic testing.

Developing and piloting a communication assessment tool assessing patient perspectives on communication with pharmacists (CAT-Pharm).

BACKGROUND: Effective communication strategies in health care help to enhance patient empowerment and improve clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Adapt the original Communication Assessment (CAT) instrument for the pharmacist profession (CAT-Pharm) and to test its validity and reliability in two different settings. SETTING: Five hospital pharmacies in Italy and five community pharmacies in Malta. METHOD: Pilot study involving a standardized multi-step process adhering to internationally accepted and recommended guidelines. Corrections and adjustments to the translation addressed linguistic factors and cultural components. CAT-Pharm, compared to the original CAT, maintained 10 out of the 14 items: one was slightly modified; three were changed to better fit the pharmacist role; one was added. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CAT-Pharm development and testing its practicality to assess patient perceptions of pharmacists' interpersonal and communication skills. RESULTS: CAT-Pharm was tested on 97 patients in the Italian setting and 150 patients in the Maltese setting to assess the practicality of the tool and its usefulness in investigating gaps and priorities for improving pharmacist-patient communication. Results Show reliability and internal validity of the CAT-Pharm tool. The analysis of patient perceptions of communication with the pharmacist in Italy indicated differences from that in Malta. The different settings provided insight into the utility of CAT-Pharm. CONCLUSION: This study provided a valid and reliable tool that could be applied to assess patient perception of the pharmacist's communication abilities.

Pharmaceuticals and the environment.

The marked progress and increase in the number of medications available for the treatment of conditions and diseases left a footprint on the surrounding environment. The consumption of medications for human and veterinarian use impact the terrestrial and marine environment and affects the ecosystem. The increase in environmental awareness regarding pharmaceutical related activities led to the development of principles and measures to mitigate a negative environmental impact. Various measures were introduced to promote green manufacturing and practices which led to the development of alternative techniques and processes, which are of benefit to both the environment and the industry. Distributors and pharmacists can contribute through the efficient management of everyday operations which include better stock taking and rotation, grouping deliveries and reducing unused medications. The incorporation of green practices in the pharmacy curriculum empowers future pharmacists with skills and competences required at the place of work to decrease the impact of processes and medicines on the environment. The presence of a pharmacist workforce which is more conscientious about the environment leads to the needed ripple effect to embrace and implement green principles in different pharmacy related settings. Patients should also be educated to avoid hoarding of medications and dispose of medication in a safe and appropriate manner. The implementation of green practices results in a decrease in the use of chemicals and production of waste which in turn leads to a decrease in pollutants which have an impact on climate change.

CYP2C19*2 genetic polymorphism and incidence of in-stent restenosis in patients on clopidogrel: a matched case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: The cytochrome P450 2C19*2 (CYP2C19*2) genetic polymorphism is associated with reduced clopidogrel bioactivation, increasing the risk of atherothrombotic complications after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In-stent restenosis (ISR) is a complication that limits the long-term prognosis of PCI. The aim was to investigate the association between presence of the CYP2C19*2 allele and ISR within one-year after PCI in patients prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel. METHODS: Sixty patients with angiographically-confirmed drug eluting stent (DES)-ISR within 12 months post-PCI when on DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel were retrospectively identified (Cases). Another 60 patients with no documented ISR post-PCI in the study period (Controls) were case-matched for age, gender, ethnicity, diabetes mellitus and estimated glomerular filtration rate value, and were invited for CYP2C19*2 genotyping. The association between presence of the CYP2C19*2 allele and ISR was analysed using the Fisher's exact test and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Twenty-six (43.3%) cases and 5 (8.3%) controls were carriers of one or two CYP2C19*2 alleles. As to non-carrier status of the CYP2C19*2 allele, 34 (56.7%) cases and 55 (91.7%) controls were identified. The association between CYP2C19*2 carrier status and DES-ISR within one-year post-PCI was statistically significant (p<0.001) in both the univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of patients who were carriers of one or two CYP2C19*2 alleles who presented with DES-ISR within one-year post-PCI while on clopidogrel was significantly higher compared to patients with no documented ISR.

A three-year post-graduate Doctorate in Pharmacy course incorporating professional, experiential and research activities: A collaborative innovative approach.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background A three-year post-graduate international Doctorate in Pharmacy collaborative course, was launched by the Department of Pharmacy, University of Malta in collaboration with the College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago. Aim and rationale To demonstrate that the professional Doctorate in Pharmacy (i) fits the requirements of a Level 8 degree according to the Bologna process, (ii) helps graduates develop competencies and attributes in proficiency in clinical and professional aspects, (iii) has a research component that provides the right level of abilities to participate in research initiatives and to interpret research outcomes, (iv) enables graduates to obtain leadership characteristics. Approach The unique characteristics of the course were evaluated through an outcomes result-oriented measurement. Leadership aspects were measured through policies and strategies presented by students and graduates. Outcomes i) course is in line with the Bologna declaration, ii) research work shown in the dissertation satisfied competencies required iii) research abilities have been examined through a third party and found to be compliant with acquiring of concepts in the design, carrying out, assessment of outcomes and interpretation of results of the research study carried out by each student, and iv) leadership characteristics were shown by the positions taken up by the graduates and early outcomes from these positions. Conclusion Learning activities enable development of professionals able to merge scientific and practice aspects in the evaluation of innovative therapies, the use of medicines and patient monitoring, and in pharmaceutical policy development and regulation. Leadership positions taken up by graduates point to the acquisition of leadership skills by graduates. Next Steps The authors are happy to extend collaboration for this model to be adapted by other institutions for the curricular development entailed in this programme to enhance and improve an innovative aspect in the evolvement of the pharmacy profession on the international scenario.

Development of protocols for the provision of headache and back-pain treatments in Maltese community pharmacies.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to draw up two protocols designed to help Maltese pharmacists care for consumers seeking treatment for headache and back pain and to subsequently use the protocols to assess pharmacists' management of the named conditions. METHOD: The setting was a sample of 10 of the 207 community pharmacies in Malta. Two flow-chart protocols for headache and back-pain management were developed from various reference sources. The protocols were first tested in a community pharmacy for practicality and applicability in a pilot study. In nine other pharmacies chosen at random the pharmacists' manner of addressing 10 headache and 10 back-pain cases in each pharmacy was compared with that recommended in the protocols. Consumers who visited the pharmacy to fill a prescription, to purchase a named product or for advice on how to deal with symptoms were included in the study. KEY FINDINGS: Of the 212 pharmacist interventions assessed, cases where pharmacists responded to symptoms were managed with the highest average compliance (57%) whereas cases in which the consumer asked for a product by name were managed with an average compliance with the protocols of 46%. Cases in which consumers presented at the pharmacy with a prescription were managed with an average compliance of 55%. CONCLUSIONS: Protocols may be used as a means of measuring the impact of the intervention of community pharmacists in patient care. The findings suggest a lack of advice given to consumers presenting at the pharmacy to request a named product.

Clinical pharmacist implementation of a medication assessment tool for long-term management of atrial fibrillation in older persons.

BACKGROUND: Optimisation of drug therapy is important in the older population and may be facilitated by medication assessment tools (MATs). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether appropriateness of drug therapy and clinical pharmacist intervention documentation improved following implementation of a previously developed MAT for the long-term management of atrial fibrillation (MAT-AF). METHODS: Adherence to MAT-AF review criteria and clinical pharmacist intervention documentation was assessed by the researcher pre-MAT implementation in 150 patients aged ≥60 years admitted to a rehabilitation hospital with a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. MAT-AF was introduced as a clinical tool in the hospital for identification of pharmaceutical care issues in atrial fibrillation patients. Adherence to MAT-AF and pharmacist intervention documentation were assessed by the researcher post-MAT implementation for a further 150 patients with the same inclusion criteria. Logistic regression analysis and measurement of odds ratio was used to identify differences in adherence to MAT-AF pre- and post-MAT implementation. The differences between two population proportions z-test was used to compare pharmacist intervention documentation pre- and post-MAT implementation. RESULTS: Adherence to MAT-AF criteria increased from 70.9% pre-implementation to 89.6% post-implementation. MAT-AF implementation resulted in a significant improvement in prescription of anticoagulant therapy (OR 4.07, p<0.001) and monitoring of laboratory parameters for digoxin (OR 10.40, p<0.001). Clinical pharmacist intervention documentation improved significantly post-implementation of MAT-AF (z-score 20.249, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of MAT-AF within an interdisciplinary health care team significantly improved the appropriateness of drug therapy and pharmacist intervention documentation in older patients with atrial fibrillation.

Student Perspectives on a Collaborative International Doctorate of Pharmacy Program.

Objectives: To evaluate the educational experience and teaching methods of the collaborative Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) program between the University of Malta (UM) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Methods: A 41-question survey was developed to identify student demographics, satisfaction with the PharmD program and the utility of the current curricular components. Students who enrolled in the program in May 2017 were invited to participate. The survey contained open-ended, 5-point Likert, and multiple-choice type questions. The primary outcomes were the overall satisfaction and student motivations for pursuing the program. Secondary outcomes included the level of difficulty of courses, evaluation of assessment methods, and confidence in an interdisciplinary team. Results: Thirty-six students completed the survey (a response rate of 83.7%). The mean age was 30.1 ± 7.9 years. The majority of the students pursued the PharmD program to improve their knowledge, skills, and opportunity for obtaining a clinical position. The mean overall satisfaction of the program was 3.81 ± 1.1 (5 = very satisfied). Among the core courses, Pharmacotherapeutics had the highest overall satisfaction (4.45 ± 0.91) and level of difficulty (3.84 ± 0.51). Students felt that the tutorials/recitation case discussion sessions were the most effective teaching method (48.4%) and ranked faculties conducting case-based lectures highest for overall performance. Most students felt somewhat confident (54.8%) for participating in a multidisciplinary team. Conclusions: The UM/UIC PharmD Program is a unique program, utilizing a hybrid model of teaching, including distance education, to expose students to a broad and challenging curriculum in clinical pharmacy practice. Students are satisfied with this collaborative, international postgraduate PharmD program.

Pharmacist-led medicine use review in community pharmacy for patients on warfarin.

Background Medicine use review by pharmacists has the potential to improve anticoagulation therapy management in patients on warfarin. Objective To develop, implement and evaluate a pharmacist-led medication use review service for patients on warfarin. Setting Six community pharmacies in Malta. Method Patients (N = 100) aged 18 or older and on warfarin were recruited through pre-selected community-pharmacies. These patients were then invited to attend two sessions: a review session (t1) and a follow-up session after 2 months (t2). During the medication use review session, medication reconciliation was performed (a) to detect drug-related problems using the DOCUMENT classification system, (b) to develop an individualised care plan for each patient and (c) to recommend an action for each identified problem for physician, pharmacist or patient consideration. At t2, the degree of acceptance of the recommendations was determined by assessing the number of drug-related problems for which action was taken to address the problem. International normalisation ration (INR) control was evaluated by calculating the percentage Time in Therapeutic Range (TTR) at t1 and t2 using the Rosendaal linear interpolation method. Main outcome measures Frequency and type of drug-related problems detected; percentage of accepted recommendations; and INR control. Results A total of 481 drug-related problems were identified; 40% (n = 190) were related to warfarin treatment. Need for monitoring (30%; n = 145), lack of compliance (20%; n = 97) and need for patient education (19%; n = 90) were the top three problems identified. There was a significant correlation between frequency of the problems and number of chronic medications (Spearman Correlation 0.583, p < 0.001), number of comorbidities (Spearman Correlation 0.327, p = 0.001) and older age (Spearman Correlation 0.285, p = 0.04). A total of 475 recommendations were followed-up; 49% (n = 234) were referred for consideration by the physician. The percentage of recommendations accepted (84%; n = 397) was significantly higher than the percentage of recommendations not accepted (16%; n = 78) (p < 0.001). The time in therapeutic range improved significantly from 68.7% at t1 to 79.8% at t2 (p = 0.01). Conclusions The high percentage of accepted recommendations and the improvement in INR control indicate that a pharmacist-led medication use review service in community pharmacy contributes to improving anticoagulation therapy management in patients on warfarin.

Exploring views of pharmacists on antibacterial prescribing: a Maltese perspective.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the perception of Maltese pharmacists to prescribe a selected number of antibiotics. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire entitled 'Antibiotic Prescribing by Pharmacists' was developed to study pharmacist perception to prescribing a selected number of antibacterial agents. The questionnaire was validated by a two-round Delphi technique and disseminated to all practising pharmacists (N = 930) during a 3-month period. KEY FINDINGS: Two hundred and nine pharmacists answered the questionnaire. The majority of pharmacists (77%) were in agreement with pharmacists prescribing a selected number of antibacterials. Reasons given are that pharmacist prescribing would increase recognition of the participation of pharmacists within patient care and as members of the healthcare team. Protocol-based prescribing was the preferred model for prescribing by 60% of pharmacists. Half of the respondents (50%) feel competent to prescribe, 34% have no opinion and 16% do not feel competent at all. Co-amoxiclav for an uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection was the antibacterial that most pharmacists (51%) feel confident prescribing. When pharmacists were asked whether they feel comfortable prescribing other medications rather than antibacterials, 93% answered positively, with 83% feeling mostly comfortable prescribing lactulose solution. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists in Malta are in agreement with prescribing selected antibiotics for minor ailments. A collaborative approach between medical practitioners and pharmacists should be evaluated as a possible national structure towards achieving better antibiotic prescribing whilst giving patient access to the use of antibacterials as necessary.

Assessing appropriateness of drug therapy in older persons: Development and application of a medication assessment tool for long-term management of atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent in older persons and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Assessing appropriateness of drug therapy in AF may be facilitated by application of medication assessment tools (MATs). OBJECTIVE: To develop, psychometrically evaluate and apply an innovative MAT for the long-term management of AF with particular relevance to older persons. METHODS: Key recommendations from clinical practice guidelines for the long-term management of AF were selected and review criteria defining appropriate drug therapy were constructed as a 'qualifying statement' followed by a 'standard'. The developed MAT was given the designation MAT-AF. An application guide was compiled where justifications for non-adherence were specified. Content validity was tested by an expert group using a three-round Delphi process. Inter- and intra-observer reliability testing was conducted with agreement expressed by Cohen's kappa and application time measured to assess feasibility. MAT-AF was applied to 150 patients with a diagnosis of AF admitted to a rehabilitation hospital. RESULTS: MAT-AF consists of 15 criteria sectioned into antithrombotic, rate control and rhythm control therapy. Content validity was demonstrated for all criteria. Reliability was confirmed with kappa values of 0.84 and 0.91 for inter- and intra-observer agreements. Mean application time for the two observers was 3.9 and 2.4 minutes, which decreased significantly in the second application conducted after a four-week interval (p<0.001). Overall adherence to applicable criteria was 59.8%. Non-adherence was evident for prescription of anticoagulation in patients with a CHA2DS2VASc score ≥1 (29.5%). Monitoring of laboratory parameters for digoxin was suboptimal. Ophthalmic and pulmonary monitoring and patient counselling regarding amiodarone therapy could not be assessed since relevant records were not readily available. CONCLUSION: MAT-AF application highlighted key aspects which need to be addressed to improve patient care.

Design and application of a medication assessment tool for secondary prevention of stroke.

Background Optimisation of drug therapy is essential in the care of older persons and may be facilitated by application of medication assessment tools (MATs). Objective To design, psychometrically evaluate and apply an innovative MAT for secondary prevention of ischaemic stroke with particular relevance to older persons. Method Review criteria were selected from clinical practice guidelines and MAT-CVA was developed, validated and tested for reliability and feasibility. MAT-CVA was applied to 150 patients with a diagnosis of ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack admitted to a rehabilitation hospital. Results MAT-CVA consists of 17 criteria sectioned into antithrombotic, lipid lowering, antihypertensive and glycaemic therapy. Content validity was demonstrated for all criteria. Reliability was confirmed with kappa values of 0.80 for both inter- and intraobserver agreements. Mean application time for the two observers was 5.55 and 6.56 min. Adherence to applicable criteria was 55% and justified non-adherence was 22.3%. Non-adherence was predominantly evident for prescription of anticoagulation in concurrent atrial fibrillation (36.4%), thiazide diuretics ± angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors for hypertension (26.8%) and dipyridamole at the recommended dose (24.0%). Conclusion Application of MAT-CVA indicated good overall adherence and identified gaps in clinical performance which may be targeted to enhance drug therapy optimisation.

Comparison of a rapid point-of-care and two laboratory-based CYP2C19*2 genotyping assays for personalisation of antiplatelet therapy.

BACKGROUND: A quick CYP2C19*2 genotyping assay can be useful in personalised antiplatelet-therapy. OBJECTIVE: To apply a rapid point-of-care (POC) CYP2C19*2 genotyping assay for personalisation of antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to compare this POC assay to two laboratory-based CYP2C19*2 genotyping assays. SETTING: Cardiac Catheterisation Suite and Molecular Diagnostics Unit in a general hospital. METHODS: A buccal sample was collected for POC CYP2C19*2 genotyping with the Spartan™ RX system (Spartan Bioscience). A whole blood sample was collected from the same patients for laboratory-based CYP2C19*2 genotyping with a TaqMan® allelic discrimination assay (Life Technologies) using real-time quantitative PCR and with the GenID® reverse dot-blot hybridisation assay (Autoimmun Diagnostika GmbH). Each patient was genotyped as a non-carrier of CYP2C19*2 (*1/*1), a carrier of one CYP2C19*2 allele (*1/*2), or a carrier of two CYP2C19*2 alleles (*2/*2). Genotyping, interpretation and communication of genotype results (*1/*2, *2/*2) to the consultant cardiologist was undertaken by a clinical pharmacist researcher. Quantitative and qualitative comparison between the three assays was carried out. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Application of a rapid POC CYP2C19*2 genotyping assay for antiplatelet therapy individualisation; comparison of the POC CYP2C19*2 genotyping assay to two laboratory-based assays. RESULTS: The total sample consisted of 34 Caucasian patients. With the POC assay, 21 patients were genotyped as non-carriers of CYP2C19*2, 12 patients as carriers of one CYP2C19*2 allele and one patient as a carrier of two CYP2C19*2 alleles. With both laboratory-based assays, the same 21 patients were genotyped as non-carriers of CYP2C19*2, however 13 patients were genotyped as carriers of one CYP2C19*2 allele and no patients were genotyped as carriers of two CYP2C19*2 alleles. Agreement in genotype results was 97 % (κ = 0.939) between the POC assay and both laboratory-based assays and 100 % (κ = 1.000) between the two laboratory-based assays. CONCLUSION: Compared to both laboratory-based genotyping assays, the POC assay is accurate and reliable, provides rapid results, can process single samples, is portable and more operator-friendly, however the tests are more expensive.