Employee Perspectives on Onsite Health Clinics in Semiconductor Company in South Korea.

(1) Background: Onsite clinics are increasingly common features of corporate health promotion programs. These clinics allow employers to offer convenient care to employees at their workplaces, which can lead to reduced healthcare expenditure and improved productivity. The objective of this study was to build basic data by qualitatively exploring employees' experiences and perspectives on onsite clinics in a semiconductor company, as one part of the project to examine and improve the health management system of a large semiconductor company in Korea. (2) Methods: This study adopted the methodology of "Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research" (COREQ-32 checklist). Semi-structured interviews were conducted for this study over a two-month period. For data analysis, a codebook was developed and the constant comparative method was used. (3) Results: Most employees perceived convenience and a sense of belonging as the benefits of onsite clinics, while barriers to the use of onsite clinics included a lack of communication, concerns about confidentiality, and a provider-centered system. Promotion of onsite clinic services and affiliated physicians, employee-centered service provisions, and trust-building in healthcare information privacy were considered necessary to strengthen the role of onsite clinics as a primary care provider in the workplace. (4) Conclusions: The results of this qualitative study help us to gain a better understanding of employees' perspectives on the onsite clinic's service and roles.

Economic Impact of Pharmacist-Participated Medication Management for Elderly Patients in Nursing Homes: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review examined the varied studies that have assessed the economic impact of pharmacist-participated medication management for nursing home residents older than 65 years of age. The articles published during 1990-2017 were found through PubMed, EMBASE and Ovid Medline. After the selection process by independent reviewers, a total of 12 studies were included. The quality of the selected articles was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project checklist for economic studies. The articles were highly heterogeneous in terms of study design, pharmacist participation type, and measures of economic outcome. Therefore, the results are presented narratively according to the type of pharmacist involvement featured in the articles: interprofessional networks, interprofessional coordination, or interprofessional teamwork. Of the eight studies performing statistical comparison analyses, one study of interprofessional coordination and three of interprofessional teamwork showed statistically significant positive economic outcomes. The remaining four studies showed non-significant tendencies towards favorable economic outcomes. This review provides insights into the essential features of successful pharmacist-participated medication management for elderly patients in nursing homes.

Perspectives of Non-Pharmacy Professionals in Long-Term Care Facilities on Pharmacist-Involved Medication Management in South Korea: A Qualitative Study.

Despite a rapid increase in both the number of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and their residents in recent years, the concept of pharmacist-involved medication management is relatively new in South Korea. The objective of this study was to identify the perspectives of non-pharmacy professionals regarding the development of pharmacist-involved medication management in LTCFs. Employing a snowball sampling strategy, this study relied on semi-structured, one-on-one, in-depth interviews with twelve non-pharmacy professionals in LTCFs. The inductive thematic analysis and the constant comparative method were employed for the analysis. Participants revealed the need for pharmacist-involved medication management systems in LTCFs at the intrinsic and environmental levels. Through pharmacist-involved medication management, participants desired "medication review/reconciliation" and "pharmaceutical education/counseling". The barriers to be overcome included "the authorization of pharmacists' roles", "the financial stability of LTCFs", "role awareness among coworkers", and "the professional development of pharmacists". In this study, we advanced our understanding of non-pharmacy professionals' perceptions of pharmacist-involved medication management in LTCFs. The results of this study can be applied in other Asian countries where the development of pharmacist-involved medication management for the institutionalized elderly is relatively new.

Comparative effectiveness of statins in secondary prevention among the older people aged 75 years and over.

Background While there is clear evidence for the benefit of statins in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, there is a lack of research on the effects of statin regimens in older patients aged 75 years and over. Objectives To compare the effectiveness of statin regimens in the secondary prevention of ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events among patients aged 75 years and over. Setting Claims data from the South Korean National Health Insurance Database from 2006 to 2014. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients aged 75-100 years with a prior history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease who began statin therapy in 2009-2011. Propensity score matching and the Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to compare the effectiveness of the statin regimens in secondary prevention. Main outcome measure The hazard ratios for ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events and all-cause mortality. Results Neither high nor low-intensity statin therapy significantly differed from moderate-intensity statin therapy in preventing ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events or all-cause mortality. Of the moderate-intensity statin therapies, the use of 10 mg rosuvastatin was more strongly associated with a reduced risk of ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events than was 10 mg atorvastatin [HR 0.79 (95% CI 0.64-0.98), p = 0.029]. Subgroup analysis revealed that the protective effects of 10 mg rosuvastatin against ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were more obvious for patients who were 75-79 years old, those who were statin-adherent, those who did not have diabetes mellitus at baseline, and those who were non-adherent to aspirin or antiplatelet drugs during the selection and follow-up periods. Conclusion The results of this study support the preferential prescription of moderate-intensity rosuvastatin over moderate-intensity atorvastatin for the secondary prevention of ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in older patients aged ≥ 75 years.

Differences in preventing new-onset cardiovascular events with statin therapy in seniors aged 75 years and over: A cohort study in the South Korean National Health Insurance Database.

The aim of this cohort study was to compare the effectiveness of statin regimens for primary prevention among seniors aged ≥ 75 years. Seniors aged 75-100 years for whom statin therapies for primary prevention were newly initiated between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011, and who continued the same statin regimen during the first year after the index date were identified using the claims data from the South Korean National Health Insurance Database. A propensity score matching and multivariable Cox proportional hazards model were developed to evaluate adjusted ischaemic cardiovascular-cerebrovascular event (CCE) risk and all-cause mortality risk for all patients, as well as for subgroups. A total of 5629 older patients aged 75-100 years were included in the study population. Compared to moderate-intensity statin therapy, low-intensity statin therapy was significantly associated with increased risk of ischaemic CCEs, while high-intensity statin therapy was associated with reduced risk of ischaemic CCEs; however, compared to moderate-intensity statin therapy, both low-intensity and high-intensity statin therapies were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality. For the 4689 older patients who regularly received moderate-intensity statin therapy including 10 mg atorvastatin, 20 mg atorvastatin, 10 mg rosuvastatin or 20 mg simvastatin for primary prevention, multivariable regression adjusting for potential covariates revealed no significant difference in ischaemic CCEs or all-cause mortality between the moderate-intensity statin users and 10 mg atorvastatin users both before and after propensity scoring matching. No significant heterogeneity was detected in the patient subgroups. The results of this study based on real-world data can supply evidence-based reasons for choice of statin regimen for the primary prevention of CCEs in older people aged ≥ 75 years.

Effect of glutathione S-transferase genetic polymorphisms on busulfan pharmacokinetics and veno-occlusive disease in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis was conducted to derive an integrated conclusion about the influence of glutathione S-transferase (GST) genetic polymorphisms on busulfan pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters and veno-occlusive disease (VOD). Studies which analysed the effect of GST genetic polymorphisms on area under the curve (AUC), clearance (CL) or VOD were searched for and selected. A pooled analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis programme. Nineteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. GSTA1*B and GSTM1 null genotypes significantly decreased CLIV of busulfan (standardized difference in means (SDM) = -1.103; P = 0.019 and SDM = -0.418; P = 0.002, respectively). GSTA1*B significantly increased AUCIV of busulfan (SDM = 0.832; P = 0.046), whereas GSTM1 did not (SDM = 0.155; P = 0.478). The PK parameters of oral busulfan did not differ according to GST genotype. GSTA1, GSTM1 and GSTP1 were not significantly associated with VOD occurrence. GSTA1 and GSTM1 genotypes affected CLIV of busulfan, but only GSTA1 affected AUCIV . There was no significant difference in the PK parameters of oral busulfan (CLPO and AUCPO ) and VOD when only GST genotypes were considered.

Development and validation of a modified Korean version of the Pharmacy Services Questionnaire (PSQ-K) for the quality assessment of community pharmacy services.

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures and validated instruments have become integral in assessing the quality of healthcare delivery, including pharmaceutical care services. The Pharmacy Services Questionnaire (PSQ) measures patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical care. In this study, we developed a modified Korean version of the PSQ (PSQ-K) and evaluated its validity and reliability. The PSQ-K was developed using a strict translation and cultural-adaptation procedure. A validation study was performed in six community pharmacies in Korea. A total of 300 respondents completed three questionnaires (a brief questionnaire for social demographics and clinical characteristics, the PSQ-K, and the 5-level EuroQoL Group's 5-dimension [EQ-5D-5L]). Standard validity and reliability analyses were performed. The internal consistency of the PSQ-K was high for all scales (Cronbach's α > 0.9). The PSQ-K indicated good discriminant and divergent validity. Known-group comparisons revealed that the PSQ-K was able to distinguish between respondents differing in socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender, level of education, and household income. In conclusion, the PSQ-K is a highly reliable and valid PRO instrument for assessing the level of satisfaction with community pharmacy services.