Highlighting a gap in student pharmacist training: Intraprofessional education with pharmacy technicians.

INTRODUCTION: The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Accreditation Standards suggest integration and inclusion of interprofessional education in doctor of pharmacy programs. Although not directly mentioned by these Standards, intraprofessional education between student pharmacists and student pharmacy technicians may provide valuable preparation for comradery in practice. COMMENTARY: Given the prevalence of collaboration between pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in pharmacy practice, lack of intraprofessional education could be a vital gap in current programs. There have been previous calls within academic pharmacy and from key stakeholder groups for greater involvement of the profession in the training and education of pharmacy technicians, yet literature is sparse on successful models. This commentary includes a discussion of why intraprofessional training is vital, a brief commentary on example intraprofessional activities, as well as strategies for collaboration. IMPLICATIONS: A series of questions with the intention of evoking further conversations and awareness within academic pharmacy completes the commentary.

Opioid exit plan: A pharmacist's role in managing acute postoperative pain.

OBJECTIVES: The benefits of a pharmacist's involvement in medication reconciliation and discharge counseling are well documented in the literature as improving patient outcomes. In contrast, no studies have focused on the initiation of a pharmacist-led opioid exit plan (OEP) for acute postoperative pain management. This paper summarizes a pharmacist-led OEP practice model and the potential role that pharmacists and student pharmacists can have at the point of admission, during postoperative recovery, and on discharge in acute pain management patients. SETTING: The pain management team at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI, has developed and implemented a pharmacist-led OEP to better manage acute postoperative pain in neurosurgery and orthopedic and colorectal surgery in an effort to ensure appropriate patient and provider education and understanding of pain management. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: OEP is a tool with the potential to expand the role of pharmacists in managing acute pain in postoperative patients at the point of admission, during the postoperative inpatient stay, and on discharge. Its benefits include medication reconciliation review and prescription drug-monitoring program search before admission, interdisciplinary rounds with the medical team to provide optimal inpatient postoperative pain management, clinical assessment of outpatient prescriptions with opioid discharge counseling, and medication evaluation of prescribed pain regimen and opioid discontinuation status at the post-discharge follow-up appointment. CONCLUSION: A hospital pain management team operating a pharmacist-led OEP can be key to guiding the appropriate prescribing practice of opioids and assisting with transitions of care on discharge. Further outcomes-based evaluations of the practice model are planned and encouraged to validate and improve the pharmacist-led OEP practice.

The Impact of Pharmacist Interventions on Herpes Zoster Vaccination Rates.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2010 only 14.4% of people in the United States who are appropriate candidates received the herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine. This manuscript highlights recent studies that investigate how pharmacists can help improve vaccination rates of herpes zoster in the geriatric population. Research has demonstrated that face-to-face interaction, education, and outreach by pharmacists in the community can help improve rates of herpes zoster vaccination. Having pharmacists take time to talk with patients about the vaccine was shown to have a positive impact on vaccine rates. When face-to-face interactions are not feasible, promotional materials such as newspaper advertisements, flyers, and personalized letters were also found to have a beneficial impact. Pharmacists should consider ways to increase awareness of vaccinations and directly encourage their patients to be vaccinated.