ABSTRACT
Aim: To evaluate clinicians' and patients' perceptions of pharmacogenetic testing in a clinical setting. Materials & methods: This is a pragmatic mixed-method prospective observational study. Hospital pharmacists and neurologists participated in focus groups regarding pharmacogenetic testing; patients who received pharmacogenetic testing and their community pharmacists completed surveys to assess their perception of these tests. Results: Most study participants had a positive view of pharmacogenetic testing. Three major themes were identified from the focus groups: receptiveness to pharmacogenetic testing, pharmacogenetic test characteristics and integrating pharmacogenetic tests into practice. Conclusion: The views reported are encouraging for the eventual implementation of pharmacogenetics in practice. Local integration of these tests is an essential step to improve patient care through personalized medicine.
Genetic tests can help predict patients' response to medication. This study aimed to evaluate clinicians' and patients' perceptions of these genetic tests. Pediatric patients, with epilepsy, were tested and completed a survey to assess their perception of these tests. A survey was also completed by their community pharmacists, and virtual discussion groups were held with hospital pharmacists and neurologists. Most participants had a positive view of these tests, with three major themes identified from the discussion groups: receptiveness to testing, test characteristics and integration of tests into practice. The views reported are encouraging for the eventual implementation of these tests in practice, an essential step to improve patient care through personalized medicine.
Subject(s)
Neurology , Pharmacogenomic Testing , Attitude of Health Personnel , Child , Humans , Pharmacists , PharmacogeneticsABSTRACT
The present study aimed to assess the stability of clonidine hydrochloride oral liquids (20-µg/mL) prepared from two different generic tablets in Ora-Blend and stored in amber plastic bottles. Physical and chemical stabilities were evaluated over a period of 90 days at 25°C. Analytical challenges were overcome with the development of a new extraction procedure based on solid phase extraction to ensure efficient clonidine hydrochloride quantification. The absence of physical instabilities, evaluated by qualitative and quantitative measurements (static multiple light scattering), as well as the absence of chemical instabilities, evidenced by a stability-indicating HPLC-UV method, confirmed that a beyond-use date of 90 days was appropriate for these compounded oral liquids.
Subject(s)
Clonidine/chemistry , Administration, Oral , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Drug Evaluation , Solid Phase Extraction , Spectrophotometry, UltravioletABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The pharmacist's role within the multidisciplinary team is often poorly understood. Various interventions can be put into place to promote the role of the pharmacist in the hospital setting with families, patients, and other health care professionals. Few studies have described the feasibility and assessed the impact of such interventions, particularly in pediatrics. OBJECTIVES: To describe the implementation of a 3-part intervention aimed at increasing the visibility of pharmacists and their role on the treatment team, with the goal of optimizing the pharmaceutical care of hospitalized patients in the general pediatric units of CHU Sainte-Justine, in Montréal, Quebec, and to compare the perceptions and satisfaction of patients' parents and of health care professionals with exposure to either usual pharmaceutical care or to pharmaceutical care incorporating the intervention. METHODS: This single-blind, randomized, controlled experimental study involved patients admitted to general pediatric units between March 5 and August 8, 2019. In addition to usual care, the intervention included delivery of an information brochure about pharmaceutical services and care, access to a telephone line (which allowed families and patients to contact a pharmacy resident during their stay in hospital and up to 1 month after discharge), and completion of a standardized discharge form by the pharmacist responsible for the patient. The participants and health professionals concerned were surveyed to determine their perceptions and level of satisfaction. RESULTS: A total of 641 participants were included in the study, 321 in the intervention group and 320 in the control group. The brochure was given to all parents in the intervention group. Twelve phone calls were made through the dedicated telephone line. The standardized discharge form was completed for 46.7% (150/321) of the participants in the intervention group. Most of the parents and patients who responded to the survey, in either group (81.2%, 298/367), reported satisfaction with the pharmaceutical services and care received. Of participants in the intervention group, 83.9% were satisfied with the pharmaceutical care and services received, compared with 78.5% of those in the control group (p = 0.18). In addition, 60.3% (111/184) of participants in the intervention group said that the information about medications that was provided during the hospital stay gave them new knowledge, compared with 48.1% (87/181) of those in the control group (p = 0.019). The results of the survey showed that care providers were in agreement with the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The 3 components of the intervention were implemented in the pediatric units over a period of 5 months. The intervention was perceived as positive by the parents and care providers concerned, and the respondents were mostly satisfied with the services and pharmaceutical care offered.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The parenteral nutrition (PN) process is complex and involves multiple steps and substeps, especially in pediatrics and neonatology, given the particular needs of these patients. The objective of this study was to perform a critical analysis of the PN process at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine to determine which potential pitfalls are related to this process and which should be prioritized when implementing corrective measures. METHODS: This is a Failure Mode, Effect, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) study. A multidisciplinary team assessed each step of the PN process and identified associated failure modes. Adapted rating scales were used to determine severity, frequency, and detectability of the failure modes. Ratings were established through multidisplinary consensus, and a criticality index (CI) was calculated for each failure mode. RESULTS: A total of 265 failure modes were identified in the 5 major steps of the PN process. The failure mode with the highest CI was the inscription of an inaccurate weight at prescription, with a CI of 800. The step with the highest cumulative CIs was administration to patients, with a CI sum of 7691. Various recommendations aimed at minimizing the risks associated with the PN process were made following this FMECA. Additional interventions are expected to emanate from this project because data will be presented throughout the departments involved. CONCLUSION: This study is a successful example for other hospitals interested in carrying out the same kind of healthcare improvement initiative.
Subject(s)
Hospitals , Infant Health , Medication Errors/prevention & control , Parenteral Nutrition/methods , Process Assessment, Health Care , Risk Assessment , Body Weight , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Parenteral Nutrition/adverse effects , PrescriptionsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) is a systematic and proactive risk analysis method to determine major failures in complex processes. OBJECTIVE: To identify all articles involving the use of failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), FMECA, or FMECA in health care within the medication use system. DATA SOURCES STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: The MEDLINE database was searched, for the period January 1990 to January 2017. The search included studies using the FMECA method, in part or in full, and dealing with one or several components of the medication use system. The reference lists of articles identified in the initial search were checked manually for additional pertinent references. DATA SYNTHESIS: The researchers identified 171 articles, and retained 39 for analysis: 32 describing use of the FMEA or FMECA approach and 7 describing use of the FMECA in health care approach. They identified between 4 to 378 failure modes, according to the published studies. Among the 39 articles, 10 reported a pre- and post-implementation analysis of corrective measures. In 4 of those 10 articles, the analysis was conducted on a theoretical basis, that is, before the corrective measures were actually implemented. Using the articles retained for analysis, a summary table was developed with the following elements: publication year, main author, country, primary objective, secondary objectives, descriptions of both method and results, and comments. The summary table gave the opportunity to comment on the use of the FMECA-type analysis within the medication use system. CONCLUSIONS: This literature review included 39 published articles using an FMEA, FMECA, or FMECA in health care approach within the medication use system. Most studies used either the FMEA or the FMECA approach, whereas the FMECA in health care approach was used only rarely. Only a minority of studies assessed the effects of corrective measures that were implemented. This overall approach allows for mapping of a care process, determination of failure modes, and prioritization of corrective measures. Its use for the assessment of the medication use system should be promoted.
