Health screenings with a medical interpreter in a required Ambulatory Care Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess second year student pharmacists' (P2) confidence in communicating with patients with limited English proficiency before and after a required community-based health screening experience. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: All P2s were required to complete a 0.5 credit hour Ambulatory Care Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE). As part of this experience, P2s conducted blood pressure (BP) and blood glucose (BG) screenings with a medical interpreter at a low-income apartment building that has a large Mandarin-speaking population. Each student was required to attend one health screening event. Between September 2022 and April 2023,we administered paper questionnaires to P2s and community members to obtain feedback about the experience. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and paired t-tests while a content analysis was conducted on qualitative data. FINDINGS: P2s (n = 82, 100%) conducted an average of 5.7 (SD 2.6) BP and 5.9 (SD 2.7) BG screenings per two-hour event. P2s reported higher confidence in conducting assessments, communicating via a medical interpreter, and working on a team at the end of the event. P2s agreed that it should be kept as part of the IPPE (99%). Community members (n = 55, 22%) participated in a bilingual paper-based questionnaire. Community members reported positive experiences and a desire to continue to participate. SUMMARY: At the end of the health screening event, P2s were more confident in their ability to communicate with older adult community members using translated written documents and verbally with a medical interpreter. P2s and community members supported continuation of the program.

Neurotrophin Pathway Receptors NGFR and TrkA Control Perineural Invasion, Metastasis, and Pain in Oral Cancer.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients suffer from poor survival due to metastasis or locoregional recurrence, processes that are both facilitated by perineural invasion (PNI). OSCC has higher rates of PNI than other cancer subtypes, with PNI present in 80% of tumors. Despite the impact of PNI on oral cancer prognosis and pain, little is known about the genes that drive PNI, which in turn drive pain, invasion, and metastasis. In this study, clinical data, preclinical, and in vitro models are leveraged to elucidate the role of neurotrophins in OSCC metastasis, PNI, and pain. The expression data in OSCC patients with metastasis, PNI, or pain demonstrate dysregulation of neurotrophin genes. TrkA and nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) are focused, two receptors that are activated by NGF, a neurotrophin expressed at high levels in OSCC. It is demonstrated that targeted knockdown of these two receptors inhibits proliferation and invasion in an in vitro and preclinical model of OSCC, and metastasis, PNI, and pain. It is further determined that TrkA knockdown alone inhibits thermal hyperalgesia, whereas NGFR knockdown alone inhibits mechanical allodynia. Collectively the results highlight the ability of OSCC to co-opt different components of the neurotrophin pathway in metastasis, PNI, and pain.

Accommodating Pharmacy Students With Physical Disabilities During the Experiential Learning Curricula.

Accommodating pharmacy students with physical disabilities during the experiential learning portion of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum can present unique challenges for pharmacy schools. The available literature regarding accommodations for pharmacy students in the experiential learning environment is sparse, leaving programs with little guidance. This commentary from the Big Ten Academic Alliance calls on the Academy to create a community of shared resources and best practice examples and offers practical suggestions for accommodating pharmacy students with mobility, vision, and auditory disabilities during introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).

Dysphagia Severity and Outcomes Following Iatrogenic High Vagal Nerve Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To examine severity of dysphagia and outcomes following iatrogenic high vagal nerve injury. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of all patients with iatrogenic high vagal nerve injury that were seen at a tertiary referral center from 2012 to 2020. RESULTS: Of 1304 patients who met criteria for initial screening, 18 met all inclusion criteria. All 18 required intervention to address postoperative dysphagia. Eleven required enteral feeding tubes with 7 eventually able to advance to exclusively per oral diets. Fourteen underwent vocal fold injection and 6 underwent laryngeal framework surgery. Sixteen pursued swallowing therapy with speech language pathology. Patients lost a mean of 8.6 kg of weight in the 6 months following the injury. Swallowing function on the Functional Outcome Swallowing Scale (FOSS) and Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) was 4.4 and 2.4 respectively immediately following the injury and improved to 1.9 and 5.3 at the last follow-up. No patients had complete return of normal swallowing function at last follow up. CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic high vagal injury causes significant lasting dysphagia which improves with intervention but does not completely resolve. Interventions such as vocal fold injection, medialization laryngoplasty, cricopharyngeal myotomy, or swallowing therapy may be required to reestablish safe swallowing in these patients.

Longitudinal Measurement of Empathy in Student Pharmacists.

Objective. To assess empathy longitudinally in student pharmacists and describe how it changes during their four years of pharmacy education.Methods. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy Health Professions Student version (JSE-HPS) was completed by a cohort of student pharmacists at the beginning and end of their first year of pharmacy school (P1), then at the end of their second, third, and fourth years of pharmacy school (P2, P3, P4). Demographic data and information about students' previous pharmacy work experience and experience interacting with patients were also collected.Results. Student pharmacists' empathy scores were relatively high at the beginning of P1, comparable to scores reported for medical and other health professions students. Empathy scores declined over the first two years of the pharmacy curriculum but increased during both P3 and P4, recovering to the level observed at the beginning of P1. Factor analysis identified three factors, namely "perspective taking," "compassionate care," and "walking in a patient's shoes" that accounted for 26%, 19%, and 7% of the variance, respectively, and supported the construct validity of the JSE-HPS.Conclusion. Student pharmacists' empathy decreased during the early, primarily didactic years of the pharmacy curriculum but increased during the latter years that emphasize clinical experiences.

Brush swab as a noninvasive surrogate for tissue biopsies in epigenomic profiling of oral cancer.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has poor survival rates. There is a pressing need to develop more precise risk assessment methods to tailor clinical treatment. Epigenome-wide association studies in OSCC have not produced a viable biomarker. These studies have relied on methylation array platforms, which are limited in their ability to profile the methylome. In this study, we use MethylCap-Seq (MC-Seq), a comprehensive methylation quantification technique, and brush swab samples, to develop a noninvasive, readily translatable approach to profile the methylome in OSCC patients. METHODS: Three OSCC patients underwent collection of cancer and contralateral normal tissue and brush swab biopsies, totaling 4 samples for each patient. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation quantification was performed using the SureSelectXT Methyl-Seq platform. DNA quality and methylation site resolution were compared between brush swab and tissue samples. Correlation and methylation value difference were determined for brush swabs vs. tissues for each respective patient and site (i.e., cancer or normal). Correlations were calculated between cancer and normal tissues and brush swab samples for each patient to determine the robustness of DNA methylation marks using brush swabs in clinical biomarker studies. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in DNA yield between tissue and brush swab samples. Mapping efficiency exceeded 90% across all samples, with no differences between tissue and brush swabs. The average number of CpG sites with at least 10x depth of coverage was 2,716,674 for brush swabs and 2,903,261 for tissues. Matched tissue and brush swabs had excellent correlation (r = 0.913 for cancer samples and r = 0.951 for normal samples). The methylation profile of the top 1000 CpGs was significantly different between cancer and normal samples (mean p-value = 0.00021) but not different between tissues and brush swabs (mean p-value = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that MC-Seq is an efficient platform for epigenome profiling in cancer biomarker studies, with broader methylome coverage than array-based platforms. Brush swab biopsy provides adequate DNA yield for MC-Seq, and taken together, our findings set the stage for development of a non-invasive methylome quantification technique for oral cancer with high translational potential.

A Multi-Site Qualitative Study Examining Pharmacy Student Perspectives on the Opioid Crisis.

Objective. To determine pharmacy students' perspectives regarding opioid use, the opioid crisis, and pharmacy education related to both topics.Methods. Students from each professional year at eight participating schools and colleges of pharmacy were invited to participate in focus groups and answer questions about their experiences with the opioid crisis. Faculty and/or staff moderated the focus groups and audio-recorded responses. Recordings were deidentified, transcribed, and analyzed.Results. One hundred fifty students participated in one of 29 focus groups conducted. Responses were categorized according to themes using consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology. Sources impacting student views on the crisis included school, personal and work experience, and media. Perspective changes since starting school included increased knowledge and awareness and decreased bias/stigma.Conclusion. Conducting focus groups on the opioid crisis provided pharmacy schools with information on what student pharmacists are learning about the crisis, practices they see, and their recommendations to address the crisis. Pharmacy schools can better prepare students to combat the opioid crisis by providing them with training in opioid counseling, use of naloxone, and how to have difficult conversations with patients.

Practical Considerations for Community-Based Health Promotion Events during the COVID- 19 Pandemic.

Community-based health promotion events provide student pharmacists the opportunity to give back to the local community while simultaneously applying the knowledge and skills they are learning in the classroom (Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standards 3, 4, and 12). In turn, community members receive benefits, such as receiving a vaccination and learning their blood pressure, as well as strategies to manage their health conditions. Traditionally, both individual community members and student pharmacists receive benefit. As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is critical to consider the impact of public health via the local community when choosing to hold or suspend these activities. It is necessary to consider whether the benefits to individual community members who choose to participate (e.g., older adult with type 2 diabetes or underserved adults with limited access to the influenza vaccine) outweigh the risks to the public due to the pandemic. If there is sufficient benefit, there are practical considerations related to regulations, recruitment of community members, involvement of students and preceptors, location, supplies, delivery of patient care services, and activities after the event.

The Impact of an Early Clinical Experience on Pharmacy Student Learning About Ambulatory Care Practice.

Objective. To determine whether student confidence in their knowledge of ambulatory care pharmacy and ability to contribute to patient care in this setting increased after participating in an ambulatory care introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE), and whether it changed student interest in pursuing a career in ambulatory care pharmacy.Methods. Second-year pharmacy students (n=86) completed a required ambulatory care experience which included four hours of didactic work and 13.5 hours of clinic experience with an ambulatory care pharmacist. Before and after the experience, students completed an eight-question survey in which they rated their confidence in their knowledge of ambulatory care practice and in providing patient care in this setting, as well as their interest in a career in ambulatory care. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess student confidence (1=not at all confident, 5=very confident) and interest in ambulatory care (1=not at all interested, 5=extremely interested). The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare pre-post survey responses.Results. Eighty-five pharmacy students completed both the pre- and post-survey. Median scores on the post-intervention test increased from 3 to 4 in seven of the domains assessed. Student interest in a career in ambulatory care remained unchanged.Conclusion. An ambulatory care IPPE increased student confidence in their understanding of ambulatory care pharmacy practice and caring for patients in this setting.

The REASON score: an epigenetic and clinicopathologic score to predict risk of poor survival in patients with early stage oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a capricious cancer with poor survival rates, even for early-stage patients. There is a pressing need to develop more precise risk assessment methods to appropriately tailor clinical treatment. Genome-wide association studies have not produced a viable biomarker. However, these studies are limited by using heterogeneous cohorts, not focusing on methylation although OSCC is a heavily epigenetically-regulated cancer, and not combining molecular data with clinicopathologic data for risk prediction. In this study we focused on early-stage (I/II) OSCC and created a risk score called the REASON score, which combines clinicopathologic characteristics with a 12-gene methylation signature, to predict the risk of 5-year mortality. METHODS: We combined data from an internal cohort (n = 515) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort (n = 58). We collected clinicopathologic data from both cohorts to derive the non-molecular portion of the REASON score. We then analyzed the TCGA cohort DNA methylation data to derive the molecular portion of the risk score. RESULTS: 5-year disease specific survival was 63% for the internal cohort and 86% for the TCGA cohort. The clinicopathologic features with the highest predictive ability among the two the cohorts were age, race, sex, tobacco use, alcohol use, histologic grade, stage, perineural invasion (PNI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and margin status. This panel of 10 non-molecular features predicted 5-year mortality risk with a concordance (c)-index = 0.67. Our molecular panel consisted of a 12-gene methylation signature (i.e., HORMAD2, MYLK, GPR133, SOX8, TRPA1, ABCA2, HGFAC, MCPH1, WDR86, CACNA1H, RNF216, CCNJL), which had the most significant differential methylation between patients who survived vs. died by 5 years. All 12 genes have already been linked to survival in other cancers. Of the genes, only SOX8 was previously associated with OSCC; our study was the first to link the remaining 11 genes to OSCC survival. The combined molecular and non-molecular panel formed the REASON score, which predicted risk of death with a c-index = 0.915. CONCLUSIONS: The REASON score is a promising biomarker to predict risk of mortality in early-stage OSCC patients. Validation of the REASON score in a larger independent cohort is warranted.

Combined endoscopic and transoral resection of a high-staged juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: A pictorial essay.

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNAs) are highly vascular and benign tumors that can expand into the skull base. Delay of treatment can result in intracranial invasion, requiring extensive open approaches such as a facial translocation, maxillary swing, or an orbitozygomatic craniotomy. We describe a single-stage, combined endoscopic and transoral approach on a 14-year-old male with extensive high-stage dumbbell-shaped JNA involving the infratemporal fossa, orbit, buccal space, and intracranial extension into Meckel's cave. Successful resection of the tumor and good postoperative outcome was achieved. A transoral approach allowed for greater access to the infratemporal fossa, where endonasal resection was not possible, allowing for improved visualization, greater traction, and dissection. In select highly staged JNAs with significant lateral extension and intracranial involvement, successful and complete resection may be accomplished with this combined approach. Utilization of this approach avoids the morbidity of more invasive open approaches.

Impact of virtual simulation in self-care therapeutics course on introductory pharmacy practice experience self-care encounters.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pharmacy education programs use simulation to provide a realistic and safe environment for student learning. We studied whether incorporation of virtual simulation into a required first year self-care therapeutics course impacted frequency of interactions, self-reported student confidence, and preceptor-reported student performance during second-year community pharmacy introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs). EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Virtual simulation cases using MyDispense were incorporated into a self-care therapeutics course in winter 2017. Students and preceptors were surveyed at the end of the fall semester community pharmacy IPPE. Data from IPPE experiences was compared with students who took the self-care therapeutics course in winter 2016 (control). FINDINGS: Students completed 30 virtual simulation cases and three cases as part of the final examination (n = 33). Students in the intervention group reported more patient care interactions during their IPPEs than students who did not complete virtual simulation cases, but there was no difference in self-reported confidence. Preceptors did not report any differences in the ability of students to complete over-the-counter medication interactions during IPPEs. SUMMARY: Cases were well received by students although they took longer to complete than initially anticipated. Students in the intervention group reported significantly more patient care interactions during IPPEs than those in the control group; however, there were no differences in self-reported confidence. Incorporation of virtual simulation was a sustainable change as the cases were able to be re-used the following year with minimal edits.

Grading trends and evaluation of student performance across advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) in the Big Ten Academic Alliance (The GRAPPES study).

INTRODUCTION: With over a third of the doctor of pharmacy curriculum relying on experiential education (EE), it is critical that students are assessed and graded in accordance with their actual performance. The objective of this paper is to review advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grading across the Big Ten Academic Alliance to describe how APPE grading occurs at these institutions and highlight differences in approach and outcomes. METHODS: Experiential directors/deans were asked to import de-identified data (e.g., APPE curriculum, midpoint and final evaluation score and grade, number of preceptors, number of students, number of years of pharmacy school, total hours of APPEs offered, number and duration of APPEs per year, grading scale information). A chi-square test including pairwise comparisons with a Bonferroni p-value adjustment for multiple comparisons was performed. RESULTS: Seven college/schools submitted data from over 3600 students between 2012-2015. The distribution of letter grades differed significantly across all colleges/schools in 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 (p < 0.0001). Similarly, the distribution of letter grades by rotation type varied significantly for all colleges/schools (p < 0.0001). Students in acute care, ambulatory care, and other patient care rotation types were less likely to obtain an "A" and more likely to obtain a "B" compared to students in other rotation types. CONCLUSIONS: When letter grades are used for APPEs, the trend suggests over 95% of students receive an "A" or "B" grade. Final grades varied by rotation type with more "B" grades observed in patient care rotations than "A" grades over the three-year period.

Microvascular replantation of a composite facial avulsion in a 24-month-old child after dog bite.

Dog bite injuries are common sources of morbidity with an estimated incidence of 4.5 million bites per year with over 350,000 requiring treatment in the emergency room. Children under the age of 14 are most likely to be affected with a peak age of 5-9 years old. We report a case of a 24-month-old female who sustained a large composite facial avulsion injury from a pit bull dog bite. The avulsed tissue involved a substantial portion of the patient's mid-face, including the entire soft tissue of the nose, upper lip, part of the left cheek, and left oral commissure. Artery-only microvascular replantation was performed because no recipient vein could be identified from the facial defect. Medicinal leech therapy was used for eight days postoperatively to prevent venous congestion. The patient experienced significant blood loss due to leech therapy and required nearly 29 L of blood product replacement. At the last follow up of 8 months postoperatively, the patient was recovering well with significant improvement in function and cosmesis of the mid-face. This case describes a successful artery-only replantation of an avulsive bite injury to the face of a young child. Despite the technical difficulty of cases such as this one, microvascular replantation should be attempted because when successful it provides a superior cosmetic and functional result to other reconstructive techniques.

Local Intraluminal Irrigation With Argatroban During Free Flap Repair in a Patient With Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia.

OBJECTIVE: This study describes a case of a successful free flap repair using argatroban for local intraluminal irrigation as a substitute to heparin in a patient with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. METHODS: Case report and review of literature. RESULTS: The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, and the free flap survived without complications. CONCLUSIONS: The use of argatroban during microvascular surgery is likely to be safe and simple and may be effective in preventing micro-thrombotic complications during microvascular surgery, and it should be considered as an alternative to heparinized saline for local intraluminal irrigation.

Incorporation of a community pharmacy-based heart failure assessment tool by advanced pharmacy practice experience students.

OBJECTIVES: To incorporate a published clinical tool related to heart failure (HF) assessment into advanced pharmacy practice experiences in the community pharmacy setting to provide a meaningful and innovative learning experience for students. SETTING: Sixteen independent and chain community pharmacies that served as advanced pharmacy practice experience locations. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Sixteen community pharmacy locations served as rotation sites and participated in data collection (8 chain and 8 independent). PRACTICE INNOVATION: This was the first study in which pharmacy students used The One-Minute Clinic for Heart Failure (TOM-C HF) tool to assess HF within the community pharmacy setting. INTERVENTIONS: Trained student pharmacists identified patients who may have heart failure by evaluating medication dispensing records, interviewed the patient using the TOM-C HF tool, and made interventions as clinically appropriate. EVALUATION: The number of students using the TOM-C HF tool, the number and types of interventions made, and student perceptions about the educational and professional value of the patient interaction. RESULTS: Thirty-three of 83 (40%) students completed 63 patient assessments. Thirty-five percent of patients (22/63) were candidates for an intervention. Interventions were performed in 9 of 22 patients (41%). More than 65% of students found the patient interaction to have educational and professional value. CONCLUSION: Students were able to assess HF patients and make interventions in a community pharmacy setting. The majority of students also perceived some value in these assessments. The incorporation of a clinical tool in the community setting driven by fourth-year pharmacy students has been shown to be feasible and to provide both a novel advanced practice experience. In addition, it may be expandable to the services offered at community pharmacies.