Operacao Luz Verde: A new light for patients during COVID-19 pandemic

Background: During coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, avoiding hospital visits only to obtain medication was crucial to protect patients and to ensure hospital responsiveness. Portuguese pharmacies have national coverage. Purpose(s): To establish a nationwide response that allows patients to receive their specialty medicines (SM) in a community pharmacy of their convenience or at home, ensuring treatment continuity and avoiding unnecessary travelling to and from a hospital. Method(s): Community pharmacies, hospitals and pharmaceutical wholesalers collaborated in a structured, multidisciplinary operation, involving healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical stakeholders, endorsed by Pharmaceutical and Medical Societies: Operacao Luz Verde (OLV). Hospitals, patient associations, community pharmacies and patients themselves can ask for the dispensing of SM at a community pharmacy. Requests are received by a pharmacist specialised support line (LAF), which ensures communication between all stakeholders. Hospital pharmacists prepare the medicines and wholesalers provide transportation to ensure good practice. Community pharmacists scheduled for medicines to be dispensed with patients, ensuring electronic records and reports of eventual problems were sent to the hospital. OLV is free of charge for patients and hospitals, at least until the end of May 2020. Result(s): From the 23rd March until the 15th May 15, 12,229 patient requests were approved by a total of 33 hospitals;2,189 participating pharmacies and 20 patient associations endorsed the initiative. Final results will be presented at a later date. Conclusion(s): Community pharmacies may have an important role in the dispensing of SM. OLV may improve access to these medicines and reinforce potential for reducing inequities.

Front line staff stress and mental health during covid-19 pandemic in a general hospital

Objective: To investigate psychosocial effects on health professionals from the frontline activity in the pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of entry interviews in a prospective study about the stress and mental health of COVID-19 frontline workers in a public hospital in Southern Brazil. The study has a mixed approach. Results: 123 people interviewed, 76% were nursing professionals and 81% women. A score of seven or more on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) was obtained for 40% of the sample, 45% had a score of 25 or more on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and 41% achieved scores compatible with burnout in the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OBI). The outcomes were associated with each other (p < 0.05), but no association was found with the independent variables. Long shifts without breaks due to vestments, pressure and fatigue greater than usual, isolation in the hospital itself, risk of contamination itself and fears and guilt related to families were highlighted in the in-depth interviews. The team unity appeared as an aspect that favors performance in COVID-19 coping. Conclusions: Professionals are suffering and it is recommended to prioritize rest and breaks, which may require adjustments to routines and physical spaces, in addition to expanding the offer of emotional support to the teams of health workers. © 2021, Editora Cientifica Nacional Ltda. All rights reserved.

“To Catch” or “to give”: fears among frontline professionals at COVID-19

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the performance of tests to detect COVID-19 and signs of psychological distress, perceived stress and burnout among health professionals on the frontline of the pandemic in a general hospital. Methods: Prospective mixed-approach study using SRQ-20, PSS, OBI and in-depth interviews in a series of 3 interviews throughout 2020. Results: Worrying prevalences of high scores of SRQ20, Burnout and Perceived Stress occurred on the three interviews and the number of tests performed increased during the study period, but there was no association between outcomes and testing to detect COVID-19. Fear of contracting the disease or being a transmitter of the virus appeared as the main stressors for health professionals, maintained despite testing. Conclusion: In this group, tests performed were not sufficient to modify the psychosocial effects of the front line activity on health professionals.