[Use of antimicrobials in a mother-child university hospital center in Canada: An observational study]. / Utilisation des anti-infectieux au sein d'un centre hospitalier universitaire mère­enfant au Canada : une étude observationnelle.

INTRODUCTION: The proper use of antimicrobials is a challenge in healthcare establishments. OBJECTIVES: Describe the detailed antimicrobial consumption profile in 2021-2022. Describe the annual evolutionary profile of the use of antimicrobials in days of therapy/1000 patient days, antibiotic spectrum index/1000 patients days and according to the proportion of days of therapy administered by parenteral route from 2005-2006 to 2021-2022. METHOD: Descriptive and retrospective study. All patients admitted to our mother-child hospital center between April 1, 2005 and March 31, 2022 were included. The study covers the consumption of all antimicrobials through the AWare classification of the World Health Organization and antibiotic spectrum index. RESULTS: A total of 673.9 days of therapy/1000 patients days was calculated in 2021-2022, i.e. 550.8 for antibiotics, 46.5 for antivirals, 67.9 for antifungals and 8.7 for others. A total of 2436 ASI/1000 patient days was calculated in 2021-2021. According to the AWaRe classification, in 2021-2022, 52.1% (287/551) of days of therapy/1000 patients days referred to the "Access" group, 47.8% (263/551) to the "Watch" group and 0.2% (1/551) to the "Reserve" group. CONCLUSION: This study aims to explore the use of antimicrobials in a mother-child hospital center. It puts into perspective a stable or even slightly decreasing use of a selection of antimicrobials and compares favorably with published data. Antibiotic governance is based in particular on the periodic evaluation of consumption. Our study illustrates different approaches to quantify and describe this use.

[Clinical pharmacy in four French-speaking university hospitals, integration and supervision of clinical pharmacists: An exploratory study]. / Pharmacie clinique au sein de quatre CHU de la francophonie, intégration et encadrement des pharmaciens cliniciens : une étude exploratoire.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacy practice continues to evolve worldwide. The clinical role of the pharmacists is increasingly recognized and their integration into the health care team is irreversible. Despite this progress, there are still a wide disparity in the scope of practice provided by hospital pharmacists around the world. This disparity can be attributed to a variety of factors. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective is to describe the organization of clinical pharmacy in four university hospitals in four French-speaking countries. The secondary objective is to identify similarities and differences and to identify perspectives for the future. METHODS: This is an exploratory cross-sectional descriptive study. The study targeted a university hospital (CHU) in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada (Quebec). A volunteer expert pharmacist involved in the management of clinical pharmacy at each hospital was approached at the initiative of a team member. A working group of five pharmacists was set up. RESULTS: During the year 2021, the group met virtually on ten occasions. Although all institutions have an academic mission, they have very different numbers of beds and volumes of activity. The number of pharmacists is also very different (0.83 FTE pharmacist/1000 admissions in Belgium, 0.22 in France, 0.59 in Switzerland and 2.39 in Quebec). In all countries, pharmacists provide clinical pharmacy services to patients in a centralised or decentralised manner, including, to various extent, prescription analysis, medication reconciliation, pharmaceutical interviews and discharge plans. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical pharmacy practice is very heterogeneous in a selection of four French-speaking teaching hospitals. Identification of similarities and differences may inspire improvements in the organization of clinical pharmacy activity. This work has contributed to the establishment of a community of practice on clinical pharmacy in the French-speaking world.

[Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis's usage review in a mother-child university hospital]. / Revue de l'utilisation de l'antibioprophylaxie en chirurgie pédiatrique dans un centre hospitalier universitaire mère­enfant.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective was to evaluate the surgical antibiotic prophylaxis's compliance rate. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the tools designed to help the surgical antibiotic prophylaxis's prescription, and evaluate the surgical site infection rate. METHODS: This retrospective study was done in a university hospital on a random selection of 125 pediatric patients having undergone a surgery (cardiac, general, neurological, ENT, orthopedic or plastic). Compliance to the current recommendations has been assessed. RESULTS: Out of the 125 studied patients (2 exclusions), the indication was compliant at 87% (107/123). The perioperative document included an intention to use antibiotic prophylaxis in 24% of cases (29/123). The compliance for the presence of the standard order set for antibiotic prophylaxis was only 15% (19/123). The compliance for the preoperative administration varied: antibiotic choice (94%, 63/67), dose (91%, 61/67), route (99%, 66/67), timing (30%, 20/67). The compliances for intra- and postoperative administrations were respectively 75% (57/76) and 89% (68/76). The surgical site infection rate was 4% (5/123). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a standard order set for antibiotic prophylaxis and the timing of the preoperative administration were sub-optimal. A better dissemination and use of the administrative tools and the implementation of a coordination system with the members of anesthesia services would improve these important aspects of the surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. The establishment of a digital perioperative document is planned.

[Roles and impacts of the pharmacist in the management of insomnia: A literature review]. / Rôles et impacts du pharmacien dans la prise en charge de l'insomnie : une revue de la littérature.

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that affects a large portion of the population in a situational, recurrent, or chronic way. In Canada, it is estimated that 13% of the population suffers from it. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this literature review is to identify and describe studies dealing with the role and impact of the management of insomnia by a pharmacist. METHOD: PubMed®, EMBASE® and CINALH Complete were searched to extract articles published between January 1st, 1990 and May 28, 2020. Studies on the role and impact of management of insomnia by a pharmacist, in French and English, descriptive or quantitative, with or without control group were included. Articles that did not deal with insomnia as the primary topic or where insomnia is a secondary condition were excluded, conference abstracts and studies showing no concrete results. The following variables were extracted: author, type of study, duration, location, sample size and characteristics of participants, description of pharmacist interventions, limits and biases, outcomes assessed and results. The quality of the pharmacists' interventions description was evaluated with DEPICT2. RESULTS: Our review identified eight articles published from 2006 to 2018 evaluating 14 types of outcomes and 41 separate outcomes. A total of 37% (7/19) of the quantitative outcomes had statistically significant positive results, regarding insomnia qualification, symptoms and adequate use. Six studies were conducted in community pharmacy. The quality score varied between 8 and 10 out of 11. CONCLUSION: There is little data on the role and impact of the management of insomnia by a pharmacist. The pharmacist can have a positive impact, particularly when practicing in a community pharmacy. Given the limited data and the prevalence of insomnia, it appears relevant to invest in pharmaceutical evaluative research for this condition.

[Consumption of narcotics, substances assimilated to narcotics and psychotropic drugs in health establishments: Profile of a hospital from France and a hospital from Quebec]. / Consommation des stupéfiants, substances assimilées aux stupéfiants et psychotropes en établissement de santé : profil d'un hôpital français et d'un hôpital québécois.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to describe the trends in the consumption of narcotic drugs, substances related to narcotic drugs (SAS) and psychotropic drugs between a French hospital and a Quebec hospital between 2013 and 2017. METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study. The consumption data was obtained from the pharmacy management software and was extracted by financial year (January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2017 for the French hospital and April 1st, 2013 to March 31st, 2018 for the Quebec hospital). For each drug considered to be narcotics, SAS and psychotropic drugs in France or subject to the legislation on designated substances in Quebec, we identified the quantities consumed from 2013 to 2017. The data werepresented according to the following therapeutic classes: opioids (N02A), other analgesics (N02B), anxiolytics (N05B), hypnotics and sedatives (N05C), general anesthetics (N01A), psychostimulants (N06B), androgens (G03B) and antagonists peripheral opioid receptors (A06A). The data were expressed as a defined daily dose (DDJ) for 1000 patient-days (PDs). RESULTS: In the French hospital, the consumption of narcotics, SAS and psychotropic drugs varied from 676 to 560 DDJ per 1000 PDs between 2013 and 2017. While it varied from 1019 to 756 DDJ per 1000 PDs between 2013 and 2017 in the Quebec hospital. In 2017, the most widely used therapeutic classes in French hospitals were, in decreasing order, anxiolytics (211 DDJ per 1000 PDs) (i.e. alprazolam), opioids (205 DDJ per 1000 PDs) (i.e. tramadol, morphine injectable) and hypnotics and sedatives (64 DDJ per 1000 PDs) (i.e. midazolam injectable). In Quebec hospitals, the three therapeutic classes the most used in 2017 were, in decreasing order, opioids (314 DDJ per 1000 PDs) (i.e. hydromorphone injectable, morphine injectable), anxiolytics (221 DDJ per 1000 PDs) (i.e. clobazam) and hypnotics and sedatives (108 DDJ per 1000 PDs) (i.e. midazolam injectable). CONCLUSION: This study notes a decrease in the consumption of opioids and other substances in both the French and Quebec establishments between 2013-2017. More work is needed to better describe the differences observed between the profile of each establishment. This is why monitoring consumption trends, therapeutic indications and preventive measures are essential.

[Exploration of the evolution of antibiotic consumption according to the WHO AWaRe classification, in a mother-child university hospital]. / Exploration de l'évolution de la consommation d'antibiotiques d'un centre hospitalier universitaire mère-enfant selon la classification AWaRe de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé.

BACKGROUND: Different measures of antimicrobial are used to ensure proper usage, as part of structured antimicrobial stewardship programs. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study is to describe the consumption of antibiotics in a mother-child teaching hospital using the AWaRe classification over a period of 15 years. METHODS: This descriptive and retrospective study included all the data on antibiotic consumption of patients admitted to mother-child University Hospital from April 1st 2005 to March 31st, 2021. Of the 180 international non-proprietary names of antibiotics proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), 54 were used. The number of days of treatment (DOT) per 1000 patient-days (PD) was calculated per year, per patientele (e.g. surgery, pediatrics, oncology, intensive care, neonatal intensive care, nursery, psychiatry, rehabilitation and obstetrics and gynecology) and globally. The data was classified per the WHO AWaRe classification. RESULTS: A total of 10,489 DOT/1000PD were used globally in 15 years, corresponding to 53.9% of the "Access" group, 45.2% of the "Watch" group and 0.9% of the "Reserve" group. A reduction in the use of antibiotics was noted. The ratios of antibiotic consumptions in DOT/1000PD of 2020-2021 to 2005-2006 were 0.84 globally (1713/5653), 0.79 for the "Access" group (286/361), 0.89 for the "Watch" group (270/302) and 0.88 for the "Reserve" group (2.1/2.4). CONCLUSION: The AWaRe classification was used to describe the consumption of antibiotics in a mother-child center. Our consumption compared favorably with international data and is in line with the WHO targets. This position may be linked to the presence of a structured anti-biogovernance program that has been in place for several years within our hospital. More work is needed to more precisely identify the antibiotics that should benefit from better supervision.

[Evaluation of the ethics of pharmaceutical practice: A literature review]. / Évaluation de l'éthique des pratiques pharmaceutiques : une revue de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Ethics are at the heart of pharmacy practice. METHOD: This is a literature review. The main objective is to carry out a review of studies relating on the evaluation of ethics in pharmacy practice. Documentary research on Pubmed was carried out from 1990 to 2020. All studies relating to pharmaceutical ethics that may be applied to the pharmacy practice in pharmacies or in health establishments and that conducted a qualitative or quantitative evaluation of pharmaceutical ethics (e.g. surveying pharmacists or pharmacy students, using a measurement tool, quantifying or qualifying a perception or behaviour) were included. RESULTS: The studies come mainly from Anglo-Saxon countries (29/38). Studies related to pharmacy practice, mainly target pharmacists (n=27) and pharmacy students (n=16), and more often have a quantitative component of (n=28). The main ethical dilemmas observed dealt with emergency oral contraception (EOC), voluntary termination of pregnancy with drugs, euthanasia, commercial practices of the pharmaceutical industry, refusal to dispense a prescription in a broader context and plagiarism or dishonesty in academic settings. CONCLUSION: Few studies have been conducted on the review of ethics of pharmacy practices from 1990 to 2020. Pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists are regularly exposed to ethical dilemmas and respond to these dilemmas with due consideration, taking into account six principles, eight values and other factors. Exposure to these dilemmas creates inaction, stress and distress. A few possible solutions have been identified.

[Recommendations for performing pharmacogenetic tests in drug monographs in Canada, France and the United States]. / Recommandations relatives à la réalisation de tests de pharmacogénétique dans les monographies de médicaments au Canada, en France et aux États-Unis.

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacogenetics represents an opportunity in pharmaceutical practice. There are many documentary resources to support the pharmacist's work in this area. OBJECTIVE: To compare the recommendations for carrying out pharmacogenetic tests from a documentary source in three countries: the United States, Canada and United France. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. Based on the recommendations of the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium type A (the highest threshold justifying the use of a pharmacogenetic test), we identified the drug-gene pairs (23 pairs). The proposed pairs involve a total of 47 separate international nonproprietary names and 18 genes. For each drug-gene pair, we consulted three open access documentary sources (one for each target country), namely the pharmaceutical products database (DPD) for Canada, the product characteristic summary (SPC) for France and the Micromedex® monograph (IBM, Truven Health Analytics, MI, USA) for the United States. The study was conducted in September 2019. RESULTS: About a third of the drug-gene pairs are explicitly mentioned by the gene to be targeted and by the test suggested in the documentary sources consulted. Of the 23 pairs identified by the CPIC, thirteen pairs contain "consistent" recommendations between the three documentary sources. CONCLUSION: There is great heterogeneity regarding the recommendations for pharmacogenetic tests from three documentary sources used by pharmacists to monitor drug therapy in the United States, Canada and France. There is an urgent need to standardize the requirements for nomenclature, description and the need to use pharmacogenetic tests to ensure proper use of drugs and these tests in the clinic.

External contamination of antineoplastic drug containers from a Canadian wholesaler.

INTRODUCTION: Contamination of hospitals' surfaces with antineoplastic drugs is documented despite safe handling practices. The exterior of commercial containers is often contaminated during the manufacturing process and can cross-contaminate hospitals' surfaces. The aim was to investigate the contamination of the exterior of antineoplastic drug vials available in Canada in 2018. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. All available antineoplastic drugs vials from a single wholesaler were targeted. Containers were sampled upon their receipt by the pharmacy staff, before they were cleaned. One wipe was used to sample the external surface of five vials from a single batch from the same manufacturer. Nine antineoplastic drugs were quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer: cyclophosphamide, docetaxel, 5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, ifosfamide, irinotecan, methotrexate, paclitaxel, vinorelbine. RESULTS: Twenty-one samplings were done (105 containers from nine different manufacturers): cyclophosphamide = 2, docetaxel = 1, gemcitabine = 2, 5-fluorouracil = 2, ifosfamide = 2, irinotecan = 3, methotrexate = 6, paclitaxel = 2, vinorelbine = 1. One of these samplings was done on blister packaging, the remainder were done on glass vials. A total of 15/21 samples (71%) were positive to at least one drug (docetaxel, 5-fluorouracil, ifosfamide, and vinorelbine). A maximum of 272 ng/vial was quantified (gemcitabine). Cross contamination with other antineoplastic drugs was detected on 16/21 (76%) samples. CONCLUSION: The majority of samples were positive to at least one antineoplastic drug, confirming that the exterior of antineoplastic drugs containers is still an important source of contamination. Manufacturers should reduce this contamination. Vials should be washed upon receipt, before they are stored in pharmacy. Gloves must be worn at all times to avoid occupational exposure.

[Roles and impacts of pharmaceutical activity from 1990 to today: Literature review and research perspectives]. / Rôles et impacts des interventions pharmaceutiques de 1990 à nos jours : revue de littérature et perspective de recherche.

CONTEXT: There is more and more evidence about the roles and impacts of the pharmacist. Health decision makers, managers, clinicians and patients need evidence to support an appropriate allocation of funds to different models of practice. OBJECTIVES: The main objective is to present an inventory of the roles and impacts of pharmaceutical activity in the international literature. METHODS: Review of literature. The articles related to the pharmacist's roles and impacts were selected according to a reproducible research strategy from 1990 to the present day (French/English with description of the intervention and impacts, where applicable) and a standard operating procedure. The following variables were extracted: author, country, specifications, pharmaceutical activities, care programs, targeted pathologies, impacts according to eight markers (mortality, morbidity, costs, adverse events, medication errors, compliance, satisfaction, others) and quality score. Only descriptive statistics were performed. RESULTS: As of February 1st, 2019, we recorded 2424 articles divided into 100 subjects (41 pharmaceutical activities, 30 pathologies, 29 care programs). Studies come from the United States (46.66%), multiple countries (8.00%), Canada (7.67%), France (6.06%), the United Kingdom (5.19%), Australia (3.50%) and other countries (22.92%). Studies are cross-sectional (47.55%), retrospective (33.68%) and prospective (17.87%) or non-categorized (<1%). The markers associated with the pharmacist's activity concern morbidity (23.12%), medication errors (11.82%), satisfaction (7.13%), compliance (6.06%), costs (5.47%), adverse events (3.74%), mortality (1.36%), and other indicators (41.31%). The studies have 6763 descriptive parameters and 5224 impact parameters (60.42% are positive, 38.55% are neutral and 1.03% are negative). CONCLUSION: This literature review confirms the roles and impacts of the pharmaceutical activity both in the pharmacy and in the hospital. A majority of the pharmaceutical interventions studied have positive impacts. It is essential to consider evidence about the roles and impacts of the pharmaceutical activities to take full advantage of the pharmacist's expertise in healthcare.

Identification of discrepancies between adverse drug reactions coded by medical records technicians and those reported by the pharmacovigilance team in pediatrics: An intervention to improve identification, reporting, and coding.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the discrepancies between the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) identified by medical records technicians and the ADRs identified by the pharmacovigilance team, and to validate the quality of the information collected by the medical records technicians. To propose improvements to the method for detection of serious ADRs by medical records technicians and the pharmacovigilance team to meet the new requirements of Canada's amended Food and Drug Act (Vanessa's Law) and its regulations. METHODS: This was a descriptive and retrospective study. We included all ADRs identified by medical records technicians in the coding of records after hospitalization, including active ADRs present at admission or identified during hospitalization between 1 April 2017 and 31 October 2017, and all ADRs identified and reported by the pharmacy through its pharmacovigilance program during the same period. We identified the discrepancies between the two identification systems and revised all cases from patient records. In addition, we identified improvements in the method for detecting and reporting serious ADRs. RESULTS: This study identified 343 ADRs, 322 of which were coded by the medical records technicians and 21 identified by the pharmacovigilance team for a period of 7 months in a mother-child university hospital center. Only 1.5% of the ADRs were identified by both medical records technicians and the pharmacovigilance team. The code Y43, which corresponds to the largest number of identified ADRs, mainly includes anticancer drugs and immunosuppressant drugs. Three corrective actions were set up: 1) implementation of a form to explain the addition and coding of an ADR to a patient's file, 2) weekly transmission of a working file between the medical records technicians and the pharmacovigilance team so that the files would be reviewed and a declaration made to the regulatory authority, and 3) creation of a standardized pharmacist's note to add to the patient file. CONCLUSION: It is possible to increase the reporting of ADRs, improve the quality of coding, and reduce discrepancies between the ADRs coded by these two teams through a structured intervention.

[Evolution of the legal and normative framework surrounding the practice of hospital pharmacy and the correct use of drugs in Quebec]. / Évolution du cadre juridique et normatif entourant l'exercice de la pharmacie hospitalière et le bon usage des médicaments au Québec.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to identify the main texts applicable to the practice of pharmacy in Quebec, then count the specific number of recommendations and criteria and describe the evolution of the legal and normative framework. METHODS: This is a descriptive and retrospective study of the main texts applicable to the legal and normative framework for the practice of pharmacy on January 1st, 2019. RESULTS: A total of 107 texts relating to the practice of pharmacy in Quebec were identified. They come from the legislator (53.1 %), the Order of pharmacists (26.1 %) or other organizations (20.8 %). These were laws/regulations (n=59), contributing to the optimal use of drugs (n=18), relating to hospital pharmacy management (n=18), the provision of pharmaceutical care (n=11), drug preparation (n=3), oncology practice (n=2) or health and safety at work (n=1). Thirty-three texts were considered for enumeration of recommendations and explicit criteria, for a total of 235 recommendations and 3703 explicit criteria applicable to the practice of hospital pharmacy in Quebec. CONCLUSION: There is a significant increase in the number of texts, recommendations and criteria applicable to the practice of hospital pharmacy in Quebec. Compliance with this legal and normative framework appears to be a considerable challenge for hospital pharmacists. It seems worthwhile to further promote discussion with text-issuing agencies in order to keep the search for compliance realistic.

[Compliance of nursing professional practices related to drug preparation and administration: A cross-sectional and longitudinal descriptive study]. / Observations des pratiques des professionnelles en soins infirmiers liées à la préparation et à l'administration des médicaments : une étude descriptive transversale et longitudinale.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the compliance of practices of nursing professionals related to the preparation and administration of drugs in 2018. Discuss the evolution of compliance practices from 2014 to 2018. METHODS: Prospective transversal observational study. Based on an observation grid with 55 compliance criteria, we conducted direct observation of medication doses prepared and administered by nursing professionals. For each compliance criterion, the auditor could indicate whether the practice was compliant, non-compliant or not applicable. A convenience target of 250 observations has been set. RESULTS: A total of 252 doses of drugs were observed between March 1, 2018 and April 29, 2018. Drug doses were observed by day (52 %), evening (30 %) or night (18 %) mainly nurses (80 %) working on regular shifts (94 %). Just over half of the doses required preparation by a nurse (58 %) and almost half of the doses were administered parenterally (48 %). In 2018, the observed compliance rate of the drug circuit ranged from 25.0 % to 86.3 %. CONCLUSION: This descriptive study shows a compliance rate of practices of nursing professionals related to the preparation and administration of drugs, which varies from 25.0 % to 86.3 % by observed stage of the drug circuit. 2018. The study identified 15 action actions for continuous improvement.

[Pharmaceutical analysis of medication orders in health care facilities: A France-Quebec comparison]. / Analyse pharmaceutique des prescriptions médicamenteuses en établissement de santé : comparaison France-Québec.

OBJECTIVES: The pharmaceutical analysis of drug prescriptions is one of the key steps in the drug circuit. This mandatory regulatory practice in France and Quebec is based on national standards. The main objective of this work was to compare the practical methods of pharmaceutical analysis performed in French and Quebec university hospitals. METHODS: This is a prospective comparative survey conducted in 2 French and Quebec university hospital centres among pharmacists and pharmacy residents. RESULTS: The response rate to the survey was 60% (45/75). Between 16 and 22 elements were deemed necessary to structure the centralized, decentralized or mixed pharmaceutical analysis. The chronological ranking of these elements was comparable between the French and Quebec participants. All participants were in favour of the development of initial and continuing training in pharmaceutical analysis. Finally, the majority of participants were against using individual pharmaceutical analysis performance indicators to optimize the process (82%; 37/45). CONCLUSIONS: The French-Quebec practice of prescription analysis by a ward-pharmacist complies with national standards. The main differences in the practice of pharmaceutical analysis are related to the types of organization, the tools available and the length of time pharmacists have been deployed in care units in France and Quebec.

[Indicators of research impact: Tools for measuring journals, researchers and published articles in health - Pharmaceutical perspective]. / Indicateurs de notoriété des revues scientifiques, des chercheurs et des articles publiés en santé : perspective pharmaceutique.

There are several indicators to evaluate the impact of the scientific publication in pharmacy. Given their number, complexity, heterogeneity, strengths and weaknesses, we believe that pharmacists are not sufficiently familiar with these indicators. The main objective is to present an inventory of available indicator to measure the research impact. PubMed, GoogleScholar and Google were interviewed in October 2017 from the following terms: bibliométrique/bibliometrics, facteur d'impact/impact factor, impact de citations/citation impact, revue/journal, chercheur/researcher, article, indicateur/indicator, score. For each identified indicator, the following variables were extracted: name, calculation method, calculation time window, data sources considered, access conditions, inclusion of self-citation, strengths and weaknesses. A total of 15 indicators were included: seven for journals, four for researchers and four for articles. Among them two are non-bibliometric indicators: the Altmetric attention score, the RGscore and one other indicator deriving from the impact factor: the SIGAPS indicator developed to finance the research activity of French hospitals. Of the 12 bibliometric indicators, nine include self-citation. All involve forces (e.g. exclusion of editorials, letters, free access) and weaknesses (e.g. self-citations included, time window too short, disciplinary indistinction). There is no indicator with no weaknesses and pharmacists should be able to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Drug shortages in Canada: Data for 2016-2017 and perspectives on the problem.

OBJECTIVES: Many signs point to the growing importance of drug shortages in Canada and around the world. Although drug shortages affect clinicians and patients every day, there is a paucity of literature describing the specific problems experienced and their clinical consequences. To describe the drug shortage situation in Canada in 2016-2017 and to discuss this issue in the Canadian context. METHODS: This retrospective study was based on data from one Canadian wholesaler (McKesson Canada) and the official Drug Shortages Canada website. RESULTS: From August 31, 2016, to September 4, 2017, the McKesson database showed 583 drug shortages, averaging 160 (standard deviation [SD] 180) days, and the drug shortage website showed 2,129 shortages, averaging 118 (SD 113) days. Of these shortages, 26% in the McKesson database and 14% at the official drug shortage website were for parenteral products. In both the McKesson database and the Canadian drug shortage database, the leading drug classes with shortages were central nervous system drugs (26.4% and 31.8%, respectively), cardiovascular drugs (12.0% and 21.9%), anti-infective agents (11.2% and 8.5%), gastrointestinal drugs (7.9% and 6.2%) and antineoplastic agents (7.4% and 5.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This descriptive study highlights the high number of shortages in Canada in 2016-2017. The new federal regulation requiring declaration of drug shortages should lead to better monitoring of this problem at the national level. Although the causes of shortages are often identified, manufacturers and regulators are frequently unable to address or effectively prevent drug shortages.

[Evaluation of knowledge and perceptions of pharmacists and residents pharmacists about bibliometric indicators applied to the scientific literature in pharmacy]. / Évaluation des connaissances et perceptions des pharmaciens et internes en pharmacie sur les indicateurs de notoriété appliqués à la publication scientifique en pharmacie.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the level of knowledge and perceptions of French and Quebec hospital's pharmacists/residents about bibliometrics indicators applied in pharmacy. Identify the determinants associated with this knowledge. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. An anonymous questionnaire of 17 questions answers was developed. The questionnaire was published on the SurveyMonkey site (www.SurveyMonkey.com, SurveyMonkey, Portland, OR, USA) and released from March 19 to April 9, 2018. We calculated and compared the proportion of respondents in Quebec and France by using a Chi2 test. A value less than 0.05 is considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 899 pharmacists (646 in Quebec and 253 in France) and 147 residents (70 in Quebec and 77 in France) were contacted by email. The survey was completed by 401 respondents, e.g., 301 in Quebec (participation rate: 42%) and 100 in France (30%). Overall 26% (106/401) of respondents (67/301 in Quebec vs. 39/100 in France) reported having knowledge or good knowledge of those indicators. These data are corroborated by many other results. CONCLUSIONS: Small proportions are aware of those indicators. A good knowledge is associated with being a French pharmacist, working in a teaching hospital or university, having a professional experience of 10 years or more, be involved in a research project, having a scientific watch or having an online profile on database. It appears necessary to inform pharmacists and residents on notoriety indicators.

Surface contamination with ten antineoplastic drugs in 83 Canadian centers.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to monitor environmental contamination by 10 antineoplastic drugs in Canadian oncology pharmacy and patient care areas. The secondary objective was to explore the impact of factors that may explain contamination. METHODS: Twelve standardized sites were sampled in each center (six in the pharmacy and six in patient care areas). Each sample was prepared to allow quantification of seven antineoplastic drugs (cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, methotrexate, cytarabine, gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan) by UPLC-MS-MS. Docetaxel, paclitaxel and vinorelbine were also detected, but not quantified due to sensibility limitations. The impact of some factors was evaluated compared with a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for independent samples. RESULTS: Eighty-three Canadian centers were recruited in 2017. A total of 953 surfaces were sampled, 495 in pharmacy and 458 in patient care areas. Cyclophosphamide was most often found on surfaces (36% of samples positive, 75th percentile 0.0040 ng/cm2). The arm rest (81.7% of samples positive for at least one antineoplastic drug), the front grille inside the hood (78.3%) and the floor in front of the hood (61.4%) were more frequently contaminated. Centers who prepared more antineoplastic drugs per year had higher concentration on different surfaces ( p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Despite growing awareness and implementation of new safe handling guidelines, healthcare centers' surfaces remain contaminated with traces of many antineoplastic drugs. The use of personal protective equipment remains indisputable. Performing an annual monitoring remains a good indicator to monitor trends over time and to compare with similar centers.

[Particulate contamination associated with the manipulation of drugs in glass ampules: A literature review]. / Présence de particules associées à la préparation de médicaments provenant d'ampoules de verre : revue de littérature.

OBJECTIVES: The manipulation of drugs from glass ampules can generate particles when the ampule is broken. Several authors recommend the use of filter needle to withdraw the drug content. The aim of this study is to make an assessment of the presence of particles during the manipulation of glass ampules and to discuss the current practices. METHODS: Literature review based on a search strategy (Pubmed, Google Scholar) and a summary table of available data. Analysis to evaluate the efficacy of the filtration when data are available. RESULTS: Eighteen articles have been included. Most of study shows the presence of particles in glass ampules. Important discrepancies reported regarding the number of particles per ampule. Analysis of data from seven studies: decrease of 83% of the total number of particles (>10µm) identified when drugs are removed with filter needle. All studies but two confirm the efficacy of filter needles. CONCLUSIONS: Studies show the presence of particles when drugs are removed from glass ampules. They do not allow to make a conclusion on human clinical consequences associated with the presence of particles. It is necessary to evaluate in human the risks associated with particle contamination to determine the optimal use of filter needle.