Impact of distance education via interactive videoconferencing on students' course performance and satisfaction.

The impact of distance education via interactive videoconferencing on pharmacy students' performance in a course was assessed after implementation of a distance campus. Students filled out a "Student Demographic Survey" and a "Precourse Knowledge Assessment" at the start of the course and a "Postcourse Knowledge Assessment" and a "Postcourse Student Perceptions Survey" at the end of the course. The primary end point, a comparison of course grades (%) between the main and distance campuses, was examined using the two-sample t-test. We examined the relationships among demographics, campus location, course grades, grade point average, pre- and postcourse knowledge assessments, and postcourse perceptions as our secondary end points with parametric and nonparametric tests. Data from 93 students were included in the analysis [main campus ( n = 81); distance campus ( n = 12)]. Students on the main campus achieved a significantly higher final course grade (87 vs. 81%; P = 0.02). Scores on the Postcourse Knowledge Assessment were also significantly higher compared with those of students on the distance education campus (77 vs. 68%; P = 0.04). Students on both campuses reported self-perceived improvement in their knowledge base regarding various aspects of infectious diseases. Compared with the students on the distance campus, those on the main campus were more likely to subjectively perceive that they had succeeded in the course ( P = 0.04). Our study suggests that students on the main campus achieved a higher final course grade and were more likely to feel that they had succeeded in the course. Students on both campuses reported improvement in knowledge.

Results of a Pharmacist Intervention on Weight Parameters and A1c Compared to Standard Patient Care.

Obesity is linked to many accompanying comorbidities and has a substantial effect on the cost of health care. Pharmacist are able to provide management and intervention for the treatment of these disease states. This study examined outcomes 12 months prior to pharmacist intervention and 6 months postintervention. The primary outcome was to determine if pharmacist service intervention resulted in improved markers of weight and diabetes. This study revealed significant improvement in the HgbA1c and body mass index (BMI) from baseline (A1c 7.9%, BMI 35.3 kg/m2) to postintervention (A1c 7%, BMI 34.1 kg/m2). These results were statistically significant (P < .001, Bonferroni correction applied for multiple comparisons), indicating the clinical importance of adding pharmacists to the health care team in obesity and diabetes management.

The effects of mirtazapine on sleep in patients with major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Mirtazapine is a commonly used antidepressant with a well-known ability to produce sedation. At the same time, its sleep-promoting effects in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are relatively unclear. The purpose of this article is to provide clinicians with a detailed review of mirtazapine's sleep effects in patients with MDD. METHODS: A literature search was conducted for studies involving mirtazapine in depressed patients that specifically assessed sleep. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies met selection criteria and were included in this review. Of the 15 studies that included a general assessment of sleep, all noted improvement from baseline with mirtazapine. Twelve of the 23 trials were randomized, blinded, and controlled. Mirtazapine was superior to placebo but did not clearly differentiate itself from other antidepressants, with the exception of venlafaxine. Eight studies used detailed measures of sleep and consistently reported that mirtazapine produced significant improvement in sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and sleep quality. Few investigations combined detailed assessments of sleep along with a comparator antidepressant. CONCLUSION: Mirtazapine is an antidepressant with sleep-promoting effects significantly greater than placebo, similar to tricyclic antidepressants, and somewhat similar to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. These effects must be balanced with mirtazapine's ability to cause sedation-related side effects.

The NC Tars Project: students leading the way to educate patients about proper use of antibiotics.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a North Carolina Taking Antibiotic Resistance Seriously (NC Tars) project involving a student pharmacist coalition educating patients about appropriate use of antibiotics. SETTING: Charlotte, NC, metropolitan area in October 2008. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Student pharmacists from the Wingate University School of Pharmacy were educated on the importance of antibiotic safety and the threat of antibiotic resistance, and groups of students were assigned to local community pharmacies where they assessed patients' knowledge of antibiotic resistance. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Student pharmacists expanded their knowledge of antibiotic resistance and were provided an opportunity to participate in a service-learning project in their community. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient knowledge regarding proper antibiotic use and the threat of antibiotic resistance. RESULTS: Patient knowledge was increased. Patients reported that the information provided by the student pharmacists was beneficial and would be useful in the future. CONCLUSION: The NC Tars project is a unique, student-driven education program that has the potential to raise public awareness about the proper use of antibiotics and the threat of antibiotic resistance in the community setting. Through this experience, students were provided an opportunity to educate patients via a service-learning experience.

Certolizumab pegol: a TNF-{alpha} antagonist for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To review certolizumab pegol for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD). DATA SOURCES: Clinical studies were identified through MEDLINE (1966-October 1, 2009), bibliographies of articles, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, clinicaltrials.gov, fda.gov, and New Drug Approval documents (www.accessdata.fda.gov). Search terms were CDP 870, certolizumab pegol, Cimzia, Crohn's disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Human studies describing pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of certolizumab pegol were identified. Phase 2 and Phase 3 randomized controlled trials and observational studies were reviewed, with emphasis given to Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials. DATA SYNTHESIS: Certolizumab pegol is a tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-alpha) antagonist, approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe CD that is failing conventional therapy. It is an antigen-binding fragment (Fab') portion of an immunoglobulin G antibody attached to a polyethylene glycol moiety. In 2 Phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled trials, certolizumab pegol was effective in inducing clinical response compared with placebo. Common adverse effects during clinical trials were upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, and arthralgia. Serious infection occurred in 3% of patients. The 4 published controlled trials for the use of certolizumab pegol in the treatment of CD share similar limitations with other studies of TNF-alpha antagonists including high placebo response, natural course of disease fluctuation, and the use of Crohn's Disease Activity Index to assess outcomes. However, certolizumab pegol is an effective agent for adults with moderate-to-severe CD with less than optimal response to conventional therapy. Long-term efficacy and safety data are unavailable. Certolizumab pegol and adalimumab, unlike infliximab, can be self-administered. CONCLUSIONS: With similarity in cost and the lack of head-to-head comparisons, patient and physician preference may determine choice of TNF-alpha antagonist.

Use of psychostimulants in patients with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: To review the efficacy and safety of psychostimulants for negative behavioral symptoms (ie, apathy, excessive daytime sedation) and cognition in patients with dementia. DATA SOURCES: Literature was accessed through PubMed and MEDLINE (1966-June 2010), using the terms stimulant, psychostimulant, methylphenidate, dexmethylphenidate, amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine, modafinil, armodafinil, dementia, Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, mixed dementia, frontotemporal dementia, therapy, treatment, and therapeutic. Additional references identified from the initial search were reviewed. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All relevant clinical trials published in English and involving primarily older adults with dementia were included. Case reports, review articles, and other preclinical literature were included as appropriate. DATA SYNTHESIS: Psychostimulants have been employed as a treatment for cognitive and behavioral symptoms in dementia for decades, but the literature has lagged behind this practice. Eight reports on use of psychostimulants as a treatment of apathy in dementia were reviewed. Methylphenidate was the most frequently studied medication and improvements in apathy were consistently noted; however, the magnitude and duration of effect remain unclear. Six studies examining the cognitive effects of a variety of psychostimulants in patients with dementia were reviewed; psychostimulants had little to no effect on cognition. A lack of studies exists to draw conclusions about the use of psychostimulants for the treatment of excessive daytime sedation in dementia. The possibility of psychostimulants to increase blood pressure; elevate heart rate; and lead to irritability, agitation, and psychosis makes careful patient selection critical, especially in older adults with severe cardiovascular disease or other underlying cardiac abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Based on limited studies, methylphenidate is a possible treatment for apathy in patients with dementia. Psychostimulants, as a group, do not appear to be broadly effective treatments for behavioral or cognitive symptoms of dementia. The potential utility of psychostimulants must be balanced with careful patient selection.

Comparison of a pharmacist-managed lipid clinic: in-person versus telephone.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of an in-person versus telephone-based pharmacist-managed lipid clinic. METHODS: Retrospective examination of a pharmacist-managed lipid clinic conducted at a Veterans Affairs medical center between September 2005 and March 2008. The clinical pharmacist educated, monitored, recommended nonpharmacologic treatment, and prescribed lipid-lowering medications using an in-person or telephone-based clinic style. The primary outcomes were to compare the two clinic styles on the percent of patients who reached their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goal and the absolute percent of LDL cholesterol reduction. RESULTS: 157 patients with coronary artery disease or its risk equivalent were enrolled in the pharmacist-managed lipid clinic. Overall, patients experienced a mean 27% reduction in LDL cholesterol levels from baseline, and 76% reached their LDL cholesterol goal. No significant differences in the percent of patients reaching their LDL cholesterol goal or absolute percent reduction in LDL cholesterol levels were found between the in-person and phone-based clinics. A trend toward phone clinic patients achieving their goal LDL cholesterol levels more quickly was noted. CONCLUSION: Both in-person and phone-based pharmacist-managed lipid clinics offer effective methods to improve the cholesterol levels of patients. Phone-based clinics may offer more advantages in efficiency for pharmacists and their patients and the potential to deliver care in a wider variety of pharmacy settings.

Quetiapine for sleep in patients with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: to examine the use of quetiapine for sleep in patients with dementia admitted to a geriatric psychiatry ward. DESIGN: retrospective cross-sectional study (January 2007 to December 2009). SETTING: geriatric psychiatric unit located near a metropolitan city in North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: all patients admitted with a diagnosis of dementia who were also receiving quetiapine were eligible. One hundred one patients met the criteria and were included in the study. INTERVENTION: none. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: descriptive statistics defining quetiapine prescribing. Based on a priori criteria, quetiapine was considered to be used for sleep if it were prescribed: 1) only at bedtime, as needed, for sleep, 2) once daily, only at bedtime, or 3) multiple times daily, but with at least 75% of the daily dose administered at bedtime. RESULTS: forty-three of the 101 patients included in the study were prescribed quetiapine, probably for sleep. Quetiapine, when used as a sedative-hypnotic, was generally employed at doses between 50 mg and 100 mg nightly. Several published studies report beneficial sleep-promoting effects of quetiapine and other atypical antipsychotics for primary and secondary sleep complaints; however, most of these trials involve young and middle-aged adults, have diagnostic variability, and are limited methodologically. CONCLUSION: quetiapine prescribed as a sedative-hypnotic in patients with dementia, while common, is understudied and not without risk.

Memantine dosing in patients with dementia.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the dosing of memantine in patients with dementia admitted to an inpatient geriatric psychiatry ward and review the published literature regarding the pharmacologic and clinical need to dose adjust memantine. METHOD: A retrospective study was conducted involving patients, admitted over a 2-year-period, with a diagnosis of dementia and receiving memantine. Published clinical trials, pharmacokinetic studies, and clinical trial registry data were used to investigate relationships among dose, efficacy, and side effects. RESULTS: Of the 70 patients comprising the study sample, 27% were not prescribed appropriate doses of memantine at the time of admission. Notably, 60% of those patients who should had memantine renally dose-adjusted were not prescribed the adjusted dose. Trial and pharmacokinetic data support the need to renally adjust memantine. CONCLUSION: Appropriate dosing of memantine in patients with dementia is important in an effort to maximize the medication's safety and efficacy.

Fesoterodine for the treatment of overactive bladder.

OBJECTIVE: To review pharmacologic, pharmacokinetic, efficacy, and safety data for fesoterodine and determine its role in the treatment of overactive bladder. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search (1966-July 2009) was conducted using the key words fesoterodine, tolterodine, muscarinic receptor antagonist, anticholinergic, overactive bladder, urge incontinence, efficacy, safety, adverse effect, pharmacology, pharmacokinetic, and receptor binding. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All articles written in English that were identified from the data sources were evaluated, prioritizing randomized, controlled trials with human data. The references of published articles that we identified were examined for any additional studies appropriate for the review. DATA SYNTHESIS: Fesoterodine, a competitive muscarinic receptor antagonist, is converted to its active metabolite, 5-hydroxymethyltolterodine, by nonspecific esterases, bypassing the cytochrome P450 system. Two randomized controlled Phase 3 trials examined the safety and efficacy of fesoterodine in the treatment of overactive bladder. Fesoterodine was found to produce significant improvements in the treatment of overactive bladder symptoms compared with placebo. Post hoc analysis of these trials demonstrated significant improvements in health-related quality of life in patients with overactive bladder. Only one study included tolterodine, and direct comparisons between fesoterodine and tolterodine were not conducted. The most common treatment-emergent adverse effects associated with fesoterodine included dry mouth, constipation, urinary tract infection, and headache. CONCLUSIONS: Fesoterodine appears to be effective and generally safe for the treatment of overactive bladder. The efficacy and safety of fesoterodine in overactive bladder treatment seem to be at least similar to that of tolterodine. Although additional comparative trials are needed, based on available data, it does not appear that fesoterodine provides a substantial advantage over extended-release tolterodine in either efficacy or safety.

Evaluation of generational influences among 4th year pharmacy students and experiential preceptors.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence generational categories may have on commonalities among pharmacy students and their pharmacist preceptors during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). METHODS: Multiple-choice surveys aimed at evaluating generational characteristics were sent to pharmacy students and their preceptors during the first three APPEs. Questions focused on six key areas: preferred learning/teaching style, view of career/work, communication style, view of technology, life outlook, and personal characteristics. Each response corresponded to a generational category (Veteran, Baby Boomer, Generation X, Millennial). Students and preceptors were instructed to apply each question to themselves; students then applied each question to their preceptor, while preceptors applied the questions to students. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of students and 35% of preceptors completed at least one generational survey. Students selected the option that corresponded to their actual generational category significantly more often compared to preceptors (2.133 ±â€¯0.815 vs. 1.632 ±â€¯1.132, p = 0.007). Although none of the respondents belonged to the Veteran category, responses corresponding to this generation represented the second highest number of responses selected by students and preceptors alike. CONCLUSIONS: Students and preceptors identified with characteristics outside their actual generational category. In addition, both groups selected options such as working to make a difference that may correlate more with people who have chosen pharmacy as a profession. Pharmacist awareness of generational similarities may lead to a more successful student-preceptor relationship.

Hypnosedative-induced complex behaviours : incidence, mechanisms and management.

A number of news items and case reports describing complex behaviours (e.g. sleep driving, sleep cooking, sleep eating, sleep conversations, sleep sex) associated with the use of hypnosedative medications have recently received considerable attention. Regulatory agencies examining these reports have subsequently issued warnings regarding the potential of hypnosedative agents to produce complex behaviours. Despite these warnings, little is known about the likelihood, presentation, treatment or prevention of hypnosedative-induced complex behaviours. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the published evidence regarding the clinical presentation, incidence, mechanism and management of sleep-related behaviours induced by nonbenzodiazepine receptor agonists (NBRAs).Review of the literature identified ten published case reports of NBRA-induced complex behaviours involving 17 unique patients. Fifteen of the 17 patients described in the case reports had taken zolpidem, one had taken zaleplon and one had taken zopiclone. The complex behaviours most commonly reported were sleep eating, sleepwalking with object manipulation, sleep conversations, sleep driving, sleep sex and sleep shopping. Elevated serum concentrations resulting from increased medication dose or drug-drug interactions appeared to play a role in some but not all cases. Sex, age, previous medication exposure and concomitant disease states were not consistently found to be related to the risk of experiencing a medication-induced complex behaviour.From a pharmacological standpoint, enhancement of GABA activity at GABAA receptors (particularly alpha1-GABAA receptors) is a possible mechanism for hypnosedative complex behaviours and amnesia. Evidence suggests that complex behaviour risk may increase with both dose and binding affinity at alpha1-GABAA receptors. The amnesia that accompanies complex behaviours is possibly due to inhibition of consolidation of short- to long-term memory, suggesting that the risk may extend to non-GABAergic hypnosedatives. While amnesia and GABA-related receptor actions are the most frequently discussed mechanisms for complex behaviours in the literature, they do not fully explain such behaviours, suggesting that other mechanisms and factors probably play a role.A number of potential strategies are available to manage or prevent hypnosedative-induced complex behaviours. These include lowering the dose of, or stopping, the offending hypnosedative, switching to a different hypnosedative, treating patients with other classes of medications, using nonpharmacological treatment strategies for patients with sleep disorders, examining drug regimens for potential drug interactions that may predispose patients to experiencing complex behaviours, administering hypnosedative medications appropriately and selecting patients more carefully for treatment in terms of their likelihood of experiencing medication adverse effects.

Agomelatine treatment of major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To review the efficacy, safety, pharmacologic, and pharmacokinetic data of agomelatine to better understand its potential role in the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search (1966-October 2008) was conducted using the following terms: agomelatine, antidepressant, S20098, melatonin, serotonin, 5-HT(2C), MT, efficacy, safety, adverse effect, pharmacology, pharmacokinetic, receptor binding, depression, major depressive disorder, and mood disorder. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All articles in English identified from the data sources were evaluated. Randomized, controlled trials involving humans were prioritized in the review. The references of published articles identified in the initial search process were also examined for any additional studies appropriate for the review. DATA SYNTHESIS: Agomelatine, a potent agonist at type 1 and 2 melatonin receptors, selectively inhibits serotonin. It is extensively metabolized via cytochrome P450 isoenyzmes 1A1, 1A2, and 2C9 to metabolites with less activity than the parent drug. Five randomized controlled studies were identified that examined the efficacy and safety of agomelatine in major depressive disorder. In general, agomelatine was found to produce significant improvements in depressive symptoms compared with placebo on many, but not all, rating scales. Three of the trials had active comparator arms (ie, venlafaxine, paroxetine). In these 3 investigations, agomelatine produced effects on depressive symptoms similar to those of the comparator drugs. A small number of studies have demonstrated sleep benefits with the use of agomelatine in depressed patients. Positive findings also exist for the use of agomelatine in seasonal affective disorder and bipolar depression. The most common adverse effects reported with agomelatine use were headache, nasopharyngitis, and gastrointestinal complaints. The magnitude of agomelatine-related adverse effects appears to be at least similar to some currently marketed antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, agomelatine is a promising and well-tolerated medication for the treatment of major depressive disorder. More large-scale controlled trials are needed to gain a better understanding of the relative efficacy and safety of agomelatine.

Use of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics in the elderly: are all agents the same?

Sleep disorders, especially insomnia, are common in older adults. These disorders are frequently treated using non-benzodiazepine hypnotics. Nonetheless, there is a relative lack of data regarding the use of these agents in the elderly, and whether any of these medications is superior to any other in the class when used in the elderly is also unclear. In this article, we review, by way of the published literature, the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, efficacy and safety of zolpidem, zaleplon, zopiclone, eszopiclone and ramelteon in the elderly. Special emphasis is placed on identifying relevant differences between these medications when used in older adults with insomnia. Based primarily on data from placebo-controlled trials, the non-benzodiazepines reviewed were found to be most effective at improving sleep latency and sleep quality, and least effective at enhancing total sleep time. The efficacy of ramelteon was limited to improving sleep latency, while all other agents, especially at higher doses, were found to produce improvement in both sleep latency and some improvement in total sleep time. All of the medications were found to be well tolerated in the elderly. From pharmacokinetic and drug-drug interaction perspectives, zaleplon and ramelteon offer the advantage of not being primarily metabolised via the cytochrome P450 3A4 isoenzyme. In conclusion, based on relatively limited data, zopiclone, zolpidem, zaleplon, eszopiclone and ramelteon represent modestly effective and generally well tolerated treatments for insomnia in older adults. While some actual and potential differences exist among these medications, more comparative trials are needed.

Antipsychotic polypharmacy trends among Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia in San Diego County, 1999-2004.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined trends and costs of second-generation antipsychotic polypharmacy among Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia in San Diego County. METHODS: Medicaid data were used to identify 15,962 persons with schizophrenia receiving antipsychotic medications between 1999 and 2004. The yearly proportion of beneficiaries receiving second-generation antipsychotic polypharmacy, duration of polypharmacy, inpatient admissions, and pharmaceutical costs were examined. RESULTS: The proportion of clients receiving second-generation antipsychotic polypharmacy increased from 3.3% in 1999 to 13.7% in 2004, whereas annual antipsychotic medication costs increased from $4,128 to $5,231 (2004 dollars). Among those receiving second-generation polypharmacy, the percentage receiving second-generation polypharmacy for 12 months increased from 5.1% to 14.4%, and the percentage hospitalized increased from 7.2% to 9.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of long-term second-generation antipsychotic polypharmacy and its associated costs increased substantially between 1999 and 2004. Prescribing antipsychotic polypharmacy is an unproven and costly strategy that if left unchanged could lead to administrative efforts to cut costs and dictate practice.

Cardiovascular medication prescribing in older adults with psychiatric disorders.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the appropriateness of cardiovascular (CV) medication prescribing of patients admitted to a geriatric psychiatry ward. Secondary aims included examining: 1) if differences in CV medication prescribing existed between admission and discharge and 2) if differences in CV medication prescribing existed between patients with and without dementia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit within a regional medical center. PATIENTS: 197 patients admitted between June 2005 and May 2006. INTERVENTIONS: Changes in CV medication prescribing from admission to discharge. MEASURES AND RESULTS: On admission, the percent of patients receiving appropriate CV medications for general CV prevention, atrial fibrillation, coronary-artery disease, and heart failure ranged from 33% to 56%. With the exception of the treatment of heart failure, no significant improvements in appropriate CV medication prescribing were noted at the time of discharge. No differences in CV medication prescribing were found between patients with and without dementia. CONCLUSION: Despite the known benefits of numerous CV medications in older adults, many patients admitted to a geriatric psychiatry ward were not prescribed optimal pharmacotherapeutic regimens on admission or had their medications changed by the time of discharge.

A prospective study of risk factors for nonadherence with antipsychotic medication in the treatment of schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to prospectively identify the best single predictor and the best set of predictors of risk for nonadherence with anti-psychotic medication in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: We used data from 1579 patients in a 3-year, prospective, naturalistic, nonrandomized, multisite study of schizophrenia patients conducted from July 1997 to September 2003 (U.S. Schizophrenia Care and Assessment Program). Adherence with any oral antipsychotic medication was assessed using patient-reported medication adherence and an indirect adherence measure based on medical record prescription information. Patients who reported poor medication adherence or had a medication possession ratio < or = 80% (percentage of days with prescriptions for any oral antipsychotic) during the first year after enrollment were defined as nonadherent (N = 296, 18.8%). Thirty-nine previously reported potential risk factors of nonadherence with antipsychotic medication were assessed at enrollment with valid and reliable measures. Risk factors represented patient-, environment-, and treatment-related domains, including sociodemographics, symptom severity, substance use, threat to safety of self and others, other illness-related factors, need for supervision, medication-related adverse events, and prior medication-utilization patterns. RESULTS: The best single predictor of future nonadherence was nonadherence during the 6 months prior to enrollment (odds ratio = 4.1, 95% confidence interval = 3.1 to 5.6, p < .001). The best set of predictors of nonadherence, ordered by strength of association, included prior non-adherence, recent illicit drug use, recent alcohol use, prior treatment with antidepressants, and greater patient-reported, medication-related cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Nonadherence with antipsychotic medication is associated with a well-defined set of risk factors that can be used to identify patients who are predisposed to poor adherence.

Treatment of dyslipidemia with statins by primary care providers in Veterans with and without chronic Hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the current use of statins in United States (US) veterans at W. G. Hefner Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VA Salisbury) with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared to those without chronic HCV and to examine why statin use may be avoided in this population. METHODS: In this retrospective chart review, eligible participants were veterans enrolled in VA Salisbury primary care services who were at least 18 years of age with a diagnosis of dyslipidemia. Veterans must have had a lipid panel drawn between April 25, 2011 and October 25, 2011. The primary outcome of this study was to determine the prevalence of statin use among US veterans with HCV. A secondary outcome was to determine the proportion of subjects reaching goal LDL levels. RESULTS: A total of 157 subjects were included in this study. A significant difference in statin use was seen between subjects with and without HCV (54% vs. 83%, p <0.001). Although there were a greater number of subjects on statins in the non-HCV group, there was not a significant difference in the proportion of subjects reaching their LDL goal between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Among veterans, statins are used less frequently in patients with HCV compared to those without HCV. Both groups had similar achievement of LDL goals, though.

Atypical antipsychotics in elderly patients with dementia or schizophrenia: review of recent literature.

Atypical antipsychotics have become a common pharmacologic option for the treatment of various psychiatric and behavioral symptoms in older adults, although these medications have been officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use only in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Despite the widespread use of these agents, there is a relative shortage of rigorously conducted trials. This review focuses on recently published randomized, blinded, controlled trials involving the use of atypical antipsychotics in elderly patients with dementia (n = 9) or schizophrenia (n = 3), with some discussion of published large, open-label studies and a few unpublished controlled trials. In general, the studies of patients with dementia reported modest efficacy of atypical antipsychotics when compared to placebo and conventional antipsychotics. In addition, an advantage in terms of motor side effects was consistently noted with atypical antipsychotics when compared to conventional antipsychotics. The studies have also shown, however, a greater risk of mortality and adverse cerebrovascular events with several of these agents than with placebo in individuals with dementia. There are insufficient data comparing atypical antipsychotics to one another. In the trials involving elderly persons with schizophrenia, atypical antipsychotics were associated with significant improvements in psychopathology; differences in efficacy among atypical antipsychotics were unclear. A careful consideration of the risk-benefit ratio of atypical antipsychotics, as well as that of available alternative treatments, is needed for each individual elderly patient. Clinical judgment, caution, and consent should be the watchwords in this area of psychopharmacology.

HIV, psychosis and aging: past, present and future.

OBJECTIVE: To review the clinical features, treatment issues, and research needs surrounding HIV infection in older adults with psychotic disorders and new-onset psychosis in HIV-infected individuals, while focusing on the implications of the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era and the use of atypical antipsychotic agents. DESIGN: We searched the Medline/HealthStar database for articles that had examined new-onset psychosis in HIV disease and existing HIV infection in adults with psychotic disorders. RESULTS: Individuals with psychotic disorders have an elevated risk of HIV infection. The risk factors for, prognosis for, and treatment of HIV disease may all be affected by older age. New-onset psychosis in HIV-infected individuals presents with a range of clinical features and is likely to remain a problem encountered in the near future, despite the treatment advances associated with HAART. Antipsychotic agents are the treatment of choice for psychosis in HIV-infected individuals. Research has demonstrated the sensitivity of HIV-infected individuals to the extrapyramidal side-effects of conventional antipsychotic agents, adverse effects that are reduced with the use of atypical antipsychotic agents. CONCLUSION: HIV, psychosis, and aging represent a trio with important clinical implications. HIV-infected older adults, a growing portion of the HIV population, face challenges in terms of concomitant illness, treatment sensitivity, and the potential for increased morbidity and premature mortality. Atypical antipsychotic agents in low doses represent an advance over conventional antipsychotic agents, although they do have their own side-effects.