HTA criteria adopted in different models of public healthcare systems for orphan drugs: A scoping review.

Access to drugs for rare diseases constitutes a challenge to healthcare systems, especially those with public funding. This study aimed to map and summarize the criteria used by HTA agencies in different healthcare systems to evaluate reimbursement recommendations for orphan drugs. A comprehensive literature search was performed on the databases PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, and Embase and the gray literature (Google Scholar and websites of HTA agencies). Publications addressing the criteria used by HTA agencies in countries with public healthcare systems when evaluating reimbursement recommendations for orphan drugs were included. This scoping review included 23 studies published between 2014 and 2023, mostly consisting of reviews of HTA reports, guidance documents, and original articles. The criteria were mapped from 19 countries and ranked within three models of healthcare systems (National Health System, National Health Insurance, and Social Health Insurance). All models shared concerns about unmet needs and disease nature. In addition, NHS countries (e.g., United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy) prioritized innovation and system-level impact, while SHI countries (e.g., Germany, France, the Netherlands) usually valued budget impact and employed expedited evaluation processes. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the general tendencies of each healthcare system model in establishing differentiated criteria to address the challenges posed by the limited evidence and investment in the field of rare diseases.

Prevalence and incidence of depressive symptoms in pharmacy students: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacy students are at high risk of developing depressive symptoms that can adversely influence their professional future. However, there are no summarized data on the subject. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the prevalence and incidence of depressive symptoms in pharmacy students. METHODS: A literature search was performed using PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, LILACS, and SCOPUS databases until January 2022. We included observational studies that assessed the prevalence or incidence of depressive symptoms among pharmacy students using a validated screening instrument. Two independent investigators performed the study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for prevalence studies. The estimate of depressive symptoms was summarized as a narrative synthesis using structured tables. RESULTS: Of the 695 records retrieved in the search, 19 studies met the eligibility criteria. All were cross-sectional studies, published between 2009 and 2022. The number of pharmacy students ranged from 30 to 610. Most studies were conducted in Asia (n = 9) and the Americas (n = 7), and included only public university students (n = 12). The studies used several instruments to screen students for depressive symptoms, mainly Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (n = 7), Beck Depression Inventory (n = 5), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (n = 4). Most studies (n = 15) evaluated only the prevalence of depressive symptoms. The estimate of overall, mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms ranged from 4.8% to 78.8%, 9.1% to 42.1%, 5.8% to 30.0%, and 0% to 50.0%, respectively. Regarding methodological quality, the score ranged from 4 to 7 out of 9 points according to the JBI checklist. CONCLUSION: A high proportion of depressive symptoms were observed in pharmacy students. This finding points to the urgent need to develop strategies for screening, early identification of symptoms, and intervention to improve the mental health of students.

Use of cannabis in the treatment of animals: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Cannabis is used in the treatment of several human conditions; however, its use is still less explored in veterinary medicine. This systematic review aims to summarize the evidence of efficacy and safety of the use of cannabis for the treatment of animal disease. A literature search was performed for studies published until 16 March 2021 in five databases. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that reported the efficacy or safety of cannabis in the treatment of animal disease were included. The RoB 2 Tool was used to assess the risk of bias. A total of 2427 records were identified, of which six studies fully met the eligibility criteria. RCTs were conducted in dogs with osteoarthritis (n = 4), with epilepsy (n = 1), and with behavioral disorders (n = 1). All studies used cannabidiol (CBD) oil in monotherapy or in combination with other drugs. Studies used CBD at 2 or 2.5 mg kg-1 twice daily (n = 4), orally (n = 5), during 4 or 6 weeks (n = 3), and compared CBD with placebo (n = 5). CBD significantly reduced pain and increased activity in dogs with osteoarthritis (n = 3). Moreover, CBD significantly reduced the frequency of seizures in dogs with epilepsy (n = 1) and the aggressive behavior of dogs (n = 1). Although promising results were identified, studies were heterogeneous and presented risks of bias that required caution in the interpretation of findings. Therefore, there was some evidence to support the use of CBD in dogs with osteoarthritis to reduce pain and increased activity, but limited evidence against epilepsy and behavioral problems. In addition, CBD was well tolerated with mild adverse effects. More RCTs with high quality of evidence are needed, including greater numbers of animal subjects, additional species, and clear readout measures to confirm these findings.

Evaluation of Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy Guideline Adherence and Risk Factor Control in Portuguese Community Pharmacy Patients.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Assessing the patients' CVD risk, controlling the risk factors, and ensuring the guideline-adherent cardiovascular pharmacotherapy are crucial interventions to improve health outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of pharmacists to improve the adherence to pharmacotherapy guidelines and the achievement of risk factor goals among patients who attended a community pharmacy. METHODS: We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study. We performed in-pharmacy point-of-care testing, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements, and reviewed patients' pharmacotherapy, based on European Society of Cardiology guidelines. RESULTS: Of the 333 patients, 63.1% were in the high/very high risk category, 91.9% showed at least two modifiable risk factors, and in 61.9% of patients the cardiovascular pharmacotherapy was non-adherent to the current guidelines, failing to reach treatment goals. The lipid-lowering therapy was the least guideline adherent, with a suboptimal use of statins. However, we found no statistically significant difference between the guideline-adherent and the non-adherent group in terms of risk factor control. The pharmacist recommended 603 interventions to adhere to the guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Community pharmacists are able to identify opportunities to optimize cardiovascular pharmacotherapy and support the patients to achieve cardiovascular risk factor goals, based on evidence-based guidelines, contributing to the improvement of CVD management.

Development of a mobile application for vancomycin dosing calculation: A useful tool for the rational use of antimicrobials.

Background: Mobile applications (app) provide many benefits for healthcare professionals, making them a useful support clinical decision system. Objectives: To describe the development of a mobile app, CalcVAN, to calculate vancomycin dosage regimens for adult and pediatric patients. Methods: This study is a technological production research to develop a mobile app through the rapid prototyping type for the Android system in the Brazilian context. The mobile app structure was developed in four steps: 1) conception, including the needs assessment, the target audience, the literature search, and the definition of contents; 2) prototype planning, including the definition of topics and writing of modules, the selection of media, and the layout; 3) production of the mobile app, including the selection of multimedia tools, the navigation structure, and planning of environment configuration; and 4) make the mobile app available. Results: The CalcVAN has six screens, containing the vancomycin dosing calculator for adult and pediatric patients based on weight and estimated creatinine clearance parameters. Moreover, the mobile app is free and can be used without internet connection. Conclusions: A free mobile app was developed to calculate vancomycin dosage regimens for inpatients. This tool assists to optimize the vancomycin dosing, contributing to the antimicrobial stewardship.

[Development and validation of performance indicators of the National School Food Program management]. / Desenvolvimento e validação de indicadores de desempenho da gestão do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar.

The evaluation of the National School Food Program (PNAE) is a strategic action to ensure the quality of management. This study aims to develop and validate an instrument of performance indicators to assess the management of the PNAE in the national context. A psychometric study was carried out for the development and validation of performance indicators. Twelve indicators were subsequently established and evaluated by an expert panel concerning seven attributes. The Delphi technique was used for the consensus of the expert panel, and the content validity of the indicators was analyzed with the Content Validity Ratio. Nutritionists working on the implementation of the PNAE assessed the relevance of the indicators by answering an online questionnaire to construct validity and reliability. Thirteen (43.3%, 13/30) experts participated in the Delphi round 1 and nine (69.2%, 9/13) completed the Delphi round 2. A new indicator was developed after the experts' suggestions. Furthermore, 281 nutritionists participated in this study assessing the relevance of the indicators. Overall, content and construct validity were achieved for 13 indicators. All were considered relevant and had the potential to promote the assessment of PNAE operational management.

A avaliação do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) é ação estratégica para garantir a qualidade da gestão. O objetivo deste estudo é desenvolver e validar um instrumento de indicadores de desempenho para avaliação da gestão do PNAE no contexto nacional. Trata-se de um estudo psicométrico de construção e validação de indicadores de desempenho. Foram estabelecidos 12 indicadores, posteriormente, avaliados em painel de especialistas em relação a sete atributos. Para obter consenso foi utilizada a técnica Delphi e a validade de conteúdo foi analisada com a Razão de Validade de Conteúdo. Para a validade de constructo e confiabilidade, nutricionistas que trabalham na execução do PNAE avaliaram a relevância dos indicadores respondendo um questionário online. A taxa de resposta dos especialistas na primeira rodada da técnica Delphi foi de 43,3% (13/30) e de 69,2% (9/13) na segunda rodada. Um novo indicador foi desenvolvido após a avaliação do painel de especialistas. Um total de 281 nutricionistas participaram do estudo da relevância dos indicadores. No geral, a validade de conteúdo e constructo foi alcançada para 13 indicadores. Todos os 13 indicadores se apresentaram relevantes, com potencial para promover a avaliação da gestão operacional do PNAE.

Desenvolvimento e validação de indicadores de desempenho da gestão do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar / Development and validation of performance indicators of the National School Food Program management

Resumo A avaliação do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) é ação estratégica para garantir a qualidade da gestão. O objetivo deste estudo é desenvolver e validar um instrumento de indicadores de desempenho para avaliação da gestão do PNAE no contexto nacional. Trata-se de um estudo psicométrico de construção e validação de indicadores de desempenho. Foram estabelecidos 12 indicadores, posteriormente, avaliados em painel de especialistas em relação a sete atributos. Para obter consenso foi utilizada a técnica Delphi e a validade de conteúdo foi analisada com a Razão de Validade de Conteúdo. Para a validade de constructo e confiabilidade, nutricionistas que trabalham na execução do PNAE avaliaram a relevância dos indicadores respondendo um questionário online. A taxa de resposta dos especialistas na primeira rodada da técnica Delphi foi de 43,3% (13/30) e de 69,2% (9/13) na segunda rodada. Um novo indicador foi desenvolvido após a avaliação do painel de especialistas. Um total de 281 nutricionistas participaram do estudo da relevância dos indicadores. No geral, a validade de conteúdo e constructo foi alcançada para 13 indicadores. Todos os 13 indicadores se apresentaram relevantes, com potencial para promover a avaliação da gestão operacional do PNAE.

Abstract The evaluation of the National School Food Program (PNAE) is a strategic action to ensure the quality of management. This study aims to develop and validate an instrument of performance indicators to assess the management of the PNAE in the national context. A psychometric study was carried out for the development and validation of performance indicators. Twelve indicators were subsequently established and evaluated by an expert panel concerning seven attributes. The Delphi technique was used for the consensus of the expert panel, and the content validity of the indicators was analyzed with the Content Validity Ratio. Nutritionists working on the implementation of the PNAE assessed the relevance of the indicators by answering an online questionnaire to construct validity and reliability. Thirteen (43.3%, 13/30) experts participated in the Delphi round 1 and nine (69.2%, 9/13) completed the Delphi round 2. A new indicator was developed after the experts' suggestions. Furthermore, 281 nutritionists participated in this study assessing the relevance of the indicators. Overall, content and construct validity were achieved for 13 indicators. All were considered relevant and had the potential to promote the assessment of PNAE operational management.

Use of ketamine and esketamine for depression: an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses.

PURPOSE: To summarize the evidence of efficacy and safety of the use of ketamine and esketamine for depression. METHODS: A literature search was performed in Medline, the Cochrane Library, LILACS, and CRD until November 2020. We included systematic reviews with meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials on the use of ketamine and esketamine in adult patients with depression. Two authors independently performed the study selection and data extraction. The AMSTAR-2 tool was used to appraise the quality of included reviews. RESULTS: A total of 118 records were identified, and 11 studies fully met the eligibility criteria. Compared to control, ketamine improved the clinical response at 40 min to 1 week and clinical remission at 80 min to 72 h, and esketamine improved both outcomes at 2 h to 4 weeks. Ketamine and esketamine also had a beneficial effect on the depression scales score and suicidality. For adverse events, oral ketamine did not show significant change compared to control, while intranasal esketamine showed difference for any events, such as dissociation, dizziness, hypoesthesia, and vertigo. Most reviews were classified as "critically low quality," and none of them declared the source of funding of the primary studies and assessed the potential impact of risk of bias in primary studies. CONCLUSION: Ketamine and esketamine showed a significant antidepressant action within a few hours or days after administration; however, the long-term efficacy and safety are lacking. In addition, the methodological quality of the reviews was usually critically low, which may indicate the need for higher quality evidence in relation to the theme.

Application and utility of geographic information systems in pharmacy specific health research: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are considered essential tools to analyze spatially referenced health data. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this scoping review is to describe how GIS is used in pharmacy specific health research. METHODS: During July 2020, the following databases were searched: EMBASE, MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science and Scopus. The search strategy included terms relating to spatial analysis and pharmacy. Studies were considered eligible if they involved the use of GIS and focused on pharmacies. A narrative and tabular synthesis of the results was carried out, structured around the spatial analysis methods utilized across studies, as well as the characteristics of pharmacies evaluated in studies. RESULTS: After a review of 6967 sources, 48 studies were included in this review. Twenty-nine studies were conducted in the United States (60.4%) and thirty-six focused on accessibility (75.0%; n = 36). Twenty-two studies investigated the relationship between sociodemographic aspects of the population and the accessibility and availability of pharmacies (45.8%). Twelve studies (25.0%) performed distance analysis and six studies (12.5%) performed geostatistical analysis. Community pharmacies were the setting evaluated most frequently, with over-the-counter selling products being the most evaluated pharmacy variable (13.3%; n = 6). Population density (58.3%; n = 28), income indicators (43.8%; n = 21) and minority community composition rates (41.7%; n = 20) were the most used population variables. CONCLUSIONS: GIS have been increasingly used in pharmacy specific health research. Generally, research has sought to identify potential barriers to access and their effects on the population. Future research may benefit by utilizing robust spatial methods and applications across countries outside of the United States. Doing so could help to confirm the impact of sociodemographic characteristics on the availability and/or accessibility of pharmacies globally.

Incorporation of drugs for rare diseases in Brazil: is it possible to have full access to these patients? / Incorporações de medicamentos para doenças raras no Brasil: é possível acesso integral a estes pacientes?

This study aims to describe the profile for the requested incorporation of rare disease drugs submitted to CONITEC and its recommendations, comparing the incorporation criteria employed by other HTA agencies globally. To this end, requests for the treatment of rare diseases submitted to CONITEC from July 2012 to June 2019 and its recommendations to the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) were included in this study. Subsequently, we compared the criteria used by CONITEC and other HTA agencies to incorporate these drugs. Sixty medicine incorporation requests to treat thirty rare diseases were submitted to CONITEC. Pharmaceutical companies made the most requests (66%). Budget impact analyses were presented in 85% of the requests and HT economic analyses in 68%. A total of 52% of the requests were incorporated into the SUS. CONITEC's justifications for the non-incorporation were the lack of quality clinical evidence, non-cost-effective technologies, and modest clinical benefits that do not justify the high prices. International HTA agencies (CAN, UK, FR, AUS) use different criteria for rare diseases assessments. The data indicate that most of the evaluated drugs were incorporated into the SUS, and adopting different criteria to assess the incorporation of rare diseases medicines will possibly strengthen decision-making.

Descrever o perfil de solicitações de incorporação de medicamentos para doenças raras (DR) enviadas à Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologias no SUS (CONITEC) e suas recomendações, comparando critérios usados para incorporação com outras agências de avaliações de tecnologias em saúde (ATS) no mundo. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as solicitações submetidas à CONITEC e suas recomendações ao SUS, de julho de 2012 a junho de 2019, para tratamento de DR. A seguir, foi feita comparação dos critérios utilizados pela CONITEC e por outras agências de ATS para incorporação destes medicamentos. Houve 60 solicitações de incorporação para 30 DR à CONITEC. A maioria das solicitações (66%) foi feita por indústrias farmacêuticas. Análises de impacto orçamentário foram apresentadas em 85% das solicitações e análises econômicas de tecnologias em saúde em 68% delas. Trinta e duas (52%) do total de avaliações foram incorporadas ao SUS. As justificativas da CONITEC para a não incorporação foram ausência de evidência clínica, tecnologias não custo-efetivas e modestos benefícios clínicos que não justificam o preço. Agências de ATS internacionais (UK, FR, CAN, AUS) usam critérios diferenciados para avaliações de DR. Os dados apontam que a maioria dos medicamentos avaliados foi incorporada ao SUS e que a adoção de critérios diferenciados para avaliação da incorporação de medicamentos para DR possivelmente trará robustez à tomada de decisão.

Incorporações de medicamentos para doenças raras no Brasil: é possível acesso integral a estes pacientes? / Incorporation of drugs for rare diseases in Brazil: is it possible to have full access to these patients?

Resumo Descrever o perfil de solicitações de incorporação de medicamentos para doenças raras (DR) enviadas à Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologias no SUS (CONITEC) e suas recomendações, comparando critérios usados para incorporação com outras agências de avaliações de tecnologias em saúde (ATS) no mundo. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as solicitações submetidas à CONITEC e suas recomendações ao SUS, de julho de 2012 a junho de 2019, para tratamento de DR. A seguir, foi feita comparação dos critérios utilizados pela CONITEC e por outras agências de ATS para incorporação destes medicamentos. Houve 60 solicitações de incorporação para 30 DR à CONITEC. A maioria das solicitações (66%) foi feita por indústrias farmacêuticas. Análises de impacto orçamentário foram apresentadas em 85% das solicitações e análises econômicas de tecnologias em saúde em 68% delas. Trinta e duas (52%) do total de avaliações foram incorporadas ao SUS. As justificativas da CONITEC para a não incorporação foram ausência de evidência clínica, tecnologias não custo-efetivas e modestos benefícios clínicos que não justificam o preço. Agências de ATS internacionais (UK, FR, CAN, AUS) usam critérios diferenciados para avaliações de DR. Os dados apontam que a maioria dos medicamentos avaliados foi incorporada ao SUS e que a adoção de critérios diferenciados para avaliação da incorporação de medicamentos para DR possivelmente trará robustez à tomada de decisão.

Abstract This study aims to describe the profile for the requested incorporation of rare disease drugs submitted to CONITEC and its recommendations, comparing the incorporation criteria employed by other HTA agencies globally. To this end, requests for the treatment of rare diseases submitted to CONITEC from July 2012 to June 2019 and its recommendations to the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) were included in this study. Subsequently, we compared the criteria used by CONITEC and other HTA agencies to incorporate these drugs. Sixty medicine incorporation requests to treat thirty rare diseases were submitted to CONITEC. Pharmaceutical companies made the most requests (66%). Budget impact analyses were presented in 85% of the requests and HT economic analyses in 68%. A total of 52% of the requests were incorporated into the SUS. CONITEC's justifications for the non-incorporation were the lack of quality clinical evidence, non-cost-effective technologies, and modest clinical benefits that do not justify the high prices. International HTA agencies (CAN, UK, FR, AUS) use different criteria for rare diseases assessments. The data indicate that most of the evaluated drugs were incorporated into the SUS, and adopting different criteria to assess the incorporation of rare diseases medicines will possibly strengthen decision-making.

Systematic review of instruments for assessing culinary skills in adults: What is the quality of their psychometric properties?

BACKGROUND: Culinary skills are important objects of study in the field of Public Health. Studies that propose to develop instruments for assessing such construct show lack of methodological uniformity to report validity and reliability of their instruments. OBJECTIVE: To identify studies that have developed instruments to measure culinary skills in adult population, and critically assess their psychometric properties. DESIGN: We conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA statement. We searched literature PubMed/Medline, Scopus, LILACS, and Web of Science databases until January 2021, and consulted Google Scholar for relevant grey literature. Two reviewers independently selected the studies, conducted data extraction, and assessed the psychometric quality of the instruments. A third reviewer resolved any doubts or disagreements in all steps of the systematic review. RESULTS: The search identified 1148 potentially relevant studies, out of which 9 met the inclusion criteria. In addition, we included 3 studies by searching the related articles and the reference lists of these studies, totaling 12 included studies in this review. Ten studies reported the development of tools measuring culinary skills in adults and 2 studies performed cross-cultural adaptations of original instruments. We considered adequate quality of internal consistency reliability in four studies. One study received adequate rating for test-retest reliability. No studies presented adequate rating for content validity and four studies showed satisfactory results for at least one type of construct validity. One study reported criterion validity and the quality of this psychometric property was inadequate. CONCLUSIONS: We identified many studies that surveyed culinary skills. Although the isolated measures appraised in this review show good promise in terms of quality of psychometric properties, no studies presented adequate measures for each aspect of reliability and validity. A more consistent and consensual definition of culinary skills is recommended. The flaws observed in these studies show that there is a need for ongoing research in the area of the psychometric properties of instruments assessing culinary skills.

Use of medicines for covid-19 treatment in patients with loss of kidney function: a narrative review / Medicamentos utilizados no tratamento da covid-19 em pacientes com perda da capacidade funcional renal: uma revisão rápida da literatura

ABSTRACT Covid-19 has been identified as the cause of acute respiratory disease with interstitial and alveolar pneumonia, but it can affect several organs, such as kidneys, heart, blood, nervous system and digestive tract. The disease-causing agent (Sars-CoV-2) has a binding structure to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, enabling entry into cells that express ACE2, such as the pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells. However, studies also indicate the possibility of damage to renal cells, since these cells express high levels of ACE2. Currently, there is no evidence to indicate a specific treatment for covid-19. Several drugs have been used, and some of them may have their excretion process altered in patients with abnormal kidney function. To date, there are no studies that assist health professionals in adjusting the dose of these drugs. Thus, this study aims to review and discuss the topic, taking into account factors associated with kidney injury in covid-19, as well as pharmacokinetic aspects and dose recommendations of the main drugs used for covid-19.

RESUMO A covid-19 foi identificada como a causa de doença respiratória aguda com pneumonia intersticial e alveolar, mas que pode afetar vários órgãos, como rim, coração, sangue, sistema nervoso e trato digestivo. O agente causador da doença (Sars-CoV-2) tem uma estrutura de ligação ao receptor da enzima de conversão da angiotensina 2 (ACE2), permitindo a entrada em células que expressam ACE2, como as células epiteliais alveolares pulmonares. Porém, estudos também indicam a possibilidade de lesão das células renais, uma vez que essas células expressam altos níveis de ACE2. Atualmente, não existem evidências para a indicação de um tratamento específico para a covid-19. Vários medicamentos vêm sendo utilizados, e alguns podem ter o processo de eliminação alterados em pacientes com comprometimento renal. Até o momento, não há estudos que auxiliem os profissionais de saúde no ajuste de dose desses medicamentos. Assim, este estudo tem como objetivo revisar e discutir o tema, levando em consideração os fatores relacionados à lesão renal na covid-19, bem como aspectos farmacocinéticos e recomendações de doses dos principais medicamentos utilizados para covid-19.

Mobile Applications (Apps) to Support the Hepatitis C Treatment: A Systematic Search in App Stores.

The purpose of this review was to identify apps to support the HCV treatment and perform a quality assessment. A comprehensive search was conducted until February 2020 in Apple App Store (iOs) and Google Play Store (Android) using search term such "hepatitis", "hepatology", and "HCV". Two independent authors identified the apps and performed data extraction and quality assessment using Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Spearman's correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationships between user's star ratings found in the app stores and quality app defined by the MARS instrument. A total of 316 potential apps were identified, of which 12 apps fully met the eligibility criteria. Most apps were available in both App Stores and developed by commercial developers for healthcare provider. Almost all of apps were updated within the last two year and received 3.7 or above star ratings from users. Overall, only one app was considered with a good quality. The average scores for objective and subjective MARS quality of these apps were 3.54 (SD = 0.65) and 3.27 (SD = 0.76), respectively. Moreover, a majority of apps received objective scores between 3.29 and 4.37/5. However, MARS items such "interactivity", "visual appeal", "quality information", and "credibility" obtained minimum acceptable scores. MARS scores were not significantly correlation the user's star ratings. This systematic search found gaps in apps to support the HCV treatment; 12 apps were identified in this study and only one app achieved a good quality. There is a need that users use these apps cautiously as well as involve expert healthcare professionals in the development of new HCV apps.

Role of pharmacist during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Since the start of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in December 2019, pharmacists worldwide are playing a key role adopting innovative strategies to minimize the adverse impact of the pandemic. OBJECTIVES: To identify and describe core services provided by the pharmacist during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A literature search was performed in MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and LILACS for studies published between December 1st, 2019 and May 20th, 2020 without language restriction. Studies that reported services provided by pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Two independent authors performed study selection and data extraction with a consensus process. The pharmacist's intervention identified in the included studies were described based on key domains in the DEPICT v.2. RESULTS: A total of 1189 records were identified, of which 11 studies fully met the eligibility criteria. Most of them were conducted in the United States of America (n = 4) and China (n = 4). The most common type of publication were letters (n = 4) describing the workplace of the pharmacist in hospitals (n = 8). These findings showed the different roles of pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as disease prevention and infection control, adequate storage and drug supply, patient care and support for healthcare professionals. Pharmacists' interventions were mostly conducted for healthcare professionals and patients (n = 7), through one-to-one contact (n = 11), telephone (n = 6) or video conference (n = 5). The pharmacists' main responsibility was to provide drug information for healthcare professionals (n = 7) as well as patient counseling (n = 8). CONCLUSIONS: A reasonable number of studies that described the role of the pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic were found. All studies reported actions taken by pharmacists, although without providing a satisfactory description. Thus, future research with more detailed description as well as an evaluation of the impact of pharmacist intervention is needed in order to guide future actions in this and/or other pandemic.

Use of medicines for covid-19 treatment in patients with loss of kidney function: a narrative review.

Covid-19 has been identified as the cause of acute respiratory disease with interstitial and alveolar pneumonia, but it can affect several organs, such as kidneys, heart, blood, nervous system and digestive tract. The disease-causing agent (Sars-CoV-2) has a binding structure to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, enabling entry into cells that express ACE2, such as the pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells. However, studies also indicate the possibility of damage to renal cells, since these cells express high levels of ACE2. Currently, there is no evidence to indicate a specific treatment for covid-19. Several drugs have been used, and some of them may have their excretion process altered in patients with abnormal kidney function. To date, there are no studies that assist health professionals in adjusting the dose of these drugs. Thus, this study aims to review and discuss the topic, taking into account factors associated with kidney injury in covid-19, as well as pharmacokinetic aspects and dose recommendations of the main drugs used for covid-19.

Development and validation of key performance indicators for medication management services provided for outpatients.

BACKGROUND: One of the elements of quality improvement of medication management services is measuring the quality of care and key performance indicators (KPIs) can be used in this assessment. There has been no publishing yet about a KPI instrument developed for ambulatory setting. OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate KPI instrument for medication management services provided for outpatients in Brazilian context. METHODS: A working group established 7 possible KPIs for assessment of the expert panel. For content validity, 16 experts were invited to participate in an internet based 2-round Delphi approach. Expert panel rated 7 possible KPIs using 7 attributes on a 5-point Likert scale for consensus. In order to construct validity and reliability, an internet questionnaire was developed for pharmacists that work in primary care to understand their views. In addition, a comparison between expert and pharmacist views about the indicators relevance was performed. RESULTS: Eleven (68.8%) experts participated in the Delphi round 1 and nine (81.8%) experts completed the 2 Delphi rounds. A new KPI was develop after expert panel assessment in the first round. Overall, content and construct validity were reached for 6 KPIs: pharmaceutical consultation provided (I1), pharmacist interventions accepted by the prescriber (I2), drug therapy problems resolved (I3), patient clinical status (I4), patient satisfaction (I5), and patient quality of life (I6). CONCLUSIONS: A set of 6 KPIs was developed for medication management services provided for outpatients. The instrument presented a good reliability and validity evidence. It is expected that these KPIs will improve the quality of medication management services.

A Rapid and Simple HPLC Method for Therapeutic Monitoring of Vancomycin.

Therapeutic monitoring of the antibiotic vancomycin is important to achieve specific plasma concentration and prevent toxic effects. Several assays have been described for vancomycin determination in clinical practice, but high-performance liquid chromatography is still considered the gold standard for the quantification of vancomycin. In this study, we developed a new and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method requiring 50 µL of plasma for the quantification of vancomycin. Acetonitrile was used for processing plasma by protein precipitation (1:2.5). Isocratic chromatographic analysis was carried out on a C18 silica-based (2.7 µm) column with the mobile phase containing 20 mM ammonium acetate/formic acid buffer (pH 4.0):methanol 88:12 (v/v). A diode array detector was used for UV detection at 240 nm. This method was validated according to the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency legislation and International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The measurement range was 1-100 µg/mL, analysis time was 8 min, and intermediate precision was <12%, supporting the present method as a fast, simple, and effective alternative for therapeutic monitoring of vancomycin.