Facilitators and barriers to community pharmacy PrEP delivery: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective medication to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV. PrEP is available free of charge in the UK from sexual health clinics. Expanding PrEP delivery to community pharmacies holds promise and aligns with UK government goals to eliminate new cases of HIV by 2030. The aim of this scoping review was to describe the existing evidence about the barriers to and facilitators of community pharmacy oral PrEP delivery, for pharmacists and pharmacy clients, as aligned with the Capacity Opportunity, Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) Model. METHODS: Five bibliographic and five review databases were searched from inception to August 2023. Literature of any study design was included if it discussed barriers and facilitators of community pharmacy PrEP delivery. Trial registrations, protocols and news articles were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 649 records were identified, 73 full texts were reviewed and 56 met the inclusion criteria, predominantly from high-income/westernized settings. Most of the included literature was original research (55%), from the United States (77%) conducted during or after the year 2020 (63%). Barriers to PrEP delivery for pharmacists included lack of knowledge, training and skills (capability), not having the necessary facilities (opportunity), concern about the costs of PrEP and believing that PrEP use could lead to risk behaviours and sexually transmitted infections (motivation). Facilitators included staff training (capability), time, the right facilities (opportunity), believing PrEP could be a source of profit and could reduce new HIV acquisitions (motivation). For clients, barriers included a lack of PrEP awareness (capability), pharmacy facilities (opportunity) and not considering pharmacists as healthcare providers (motivation). Facilitators included awareness of PrEP and pharmacist's training to deliver it (capability), the accessibility of pharmacies (opportunity) and having an interest in PrEP (motivation). DISCUSSION: To effectively enhance oral PrEP delivery in UK community pharmacies, the identified barriers and facilitators should be explored for UK relevance, addressed and leveraged at the pharmacy team, client and care pathway level. CONCLUSIONS: By comprehensively considering all aspects of the COM-B framework, community pharmacies could become crucial providers in expanding PrEP accessibility, contributing significantly to HIV prevention efforts.

"The Hardest Part is What to Leave Behind ": Trauma, Medicine, and the Common Goals of Winnie the Pooh and The Story of Dr. Dolittle Abstract.

On an initial read, neither A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh Adventures or Hugh Lofting's The Story of Dr. Dolittle come across as literature written about trauma, and yet both stories derived from authors who were at the front lines of World War I and who put their war experiences into their stories. Evoking nostalgia and drawing on simple lore, both of these works continue to touch the human psyche. Both writers reinvented the way we see trauma and pain, whilst advocating for broader access to holistic healthcare. This, in turn, has impacted our relationship with trauma texts and healthcare forever.

Impact of ladder-related falls on the emergency department and recommendations for ladder safety.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of patients who presented to the ED from a ladder-related fall and their injuries, highlight the impact of ladder-related falls on the ED, identify contributing factors of ladder falls and draw recommendations to improve ladder safety. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted in two EDs. Patients' demographics and ED services used were obtained from medical records. A 53-item questionnaire was used to gather information about the type of ladder used, ladder activity, circumstances of the fall, contributing factors and future recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 177 patients were recruited for this study. The typical patient was male, over the age of 50 and using a domestic ladder. The ED length of stay was between 30 min and 16 h, and was longer if patients were transferred to the short stay unit. Services most utilised in the ED included diagnostic tests, procedures and referrals to other healthcare teams. Most falls occurred because of ladder movement and slips or misstep. The major contributing factors identified were a combination of user features and flaws in ladder setup. CONCLUSIONS: Ladder-related falls carry a considerable burden to the ED. Recommendations include ladder safety interventions that target ladder users most at risk of falls: men, ≥50 years old and performing domestic tasks. Safety interventions should emphasise task avoidance, education and training, utilisation of safety equipment and appropriate ladder setup.

A comparison of cancer risk assessment and testing outcomes in patients from underserved vs. tertiary care settings.

In cancer genetics, technological advances (next generation sequencing) and the expansion of genetic test options have resulted in lowered costs and increased access to genetic testing. Despite this, the majority of patients utilizing cancer genetics services lack diversity of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Through retrospective chart review, we compared outcomes of cancer genetics consultations at a tertiary cancer center and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) (58 tertiary and 23 FQHC patients) from 2013 to 2015. The two groups differed in race, ethnicity, use of translator services, and type of insurance coverage. There were also significant differences in completeness of family history information, with more missing information about relatives in the FQHC group. In spite of these differences, genetic testing rates among those offered testing were comparable across the two groups with 74% of tertiary patients and 60% of FQHC patients completing testing. Implementation of community-based cancer genetics outreach clinics represents an opportunity to improve access to genetic counseling services, but more research is needed to develop effective counseling models for diverse patient populations.

Genotypic and Phenotypic Features of BAP1 Cancer Syndrome: A Report of 8 New Families and Review of Cases in the Literature.

Importance: Patients with germline mutations in BAP1 may develop several flesh-colored melanocytic BAP1-mutated atypical intradermal tumors (MBAITs). These tumors generally develop earlier than other BAP1-associated tumors, highlighting an important role for dermatologists in identifying and screening patients with a history suggestive of a germline mutation. Objective: To describe 8 new families with germline mutations in BAP1 and provide a comprehensive review of reported cases. Design, Settings and Participants: Patients were identified in an outpatient dermatology clinical setting over a 6-month period (10 mutation carriers from 8 families) and through a literature review using PubMed (205 patients). Exposures: Mutations were identified through next-generation sequencing of saliva or blood samples, and RNA was extracted from fibroblasts cultured from a patient with an intronic variant to determine the impact of the mutation on the coding sequence. Main Outcomes and Measures: All 215 patients were assessed for personal and/or family history and genotype. These findings were compiled and assessed for any association between genotype and phenotype. Results: Overall, this study included 215 patients (108 women, 91 men, and 16 gender unspecified; median [range] age, 46.5 [10.0-79.0] years). Nine of the 10 patients who were identified in the outpatient dermatology setting were found to have MBAITs on clinical examination. Forty of 53 patients (75%) identified in the literature review who underwent total-body skin examinations (TBSE) were found to have MBAITs, suggesting a high penetrance in patients who have undergone TBSE. The most prevalent malignancies among BAP1 mutation carriers were uveal melanoma (n = 60 [28%]), mesothelioma (n = 48 [22%]), cutaneous melanoma (n = 38 [18%]), and renal cell carcinoma (n = 20 [9%]). A total of 71 unique mutations in BAP1 have been reported. Conclusions and Relevance: Our results indicate that germline mutations in both coding and noncoding regions throughout the BAP1 gene can impair protein function, leading to an increased risk for several associated malignancies. Four of the 8 probands we present had no history of BAP1-associated malignancies and were assessed for germline mutations when found to have MBAITs on dermatologic examination. Dermatologists can identify patients with a high likelihood of the BAP1 cancer syndrome through personal and family history and TBSE for the presence of possible MBAITs.

Pain prevalence in a pediatric hospital: raising awareness during Pain Awareness Week.

BACKGROUND: Despite the evidence and availability of numerous validated pain assessment tools and pain management strategies for infants and children, their use remains inconsistent in clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of pain, pain assessment and pain management practices at a tertiary pediatric hospital in Canada. METHODS: The cross-sectional study design involved a combination of interviews with children and/or caregivers, and chart audits in five inpatient units. Information regarding pain intensity, painful procedures and pain management strategies was obtained from children and/or caregivers by interview. Patient charts were reviewed for information regarding pain assessment, pain scores, and pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. RESULTS: Sixty-two children (four days to 17 years of age) participated. Most children or their caregivers (n=51 [84%]) reported that pain was experienced during their hospitalization, with 40 (66%) reporting their worst pain as moderate or severe. Almost one-half reported analgesics were administered before or during their most recent painful procedure. Nineteen (32%) reported sucrose, topical anesthetics or nonpharmacological interventions were used; however, they were documented in only 17% of charts. Pain scores were documented in 34 (55%) charts in the previous 24 h. The majority of the children or their caregiver (n=44 [71%]) were satisfied with pain management at the study hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Most infants and children had experienced moderate or severe pain during their hospitalization. Analgesics were frequently used, and although nonpharmacological strategies were reported to be used, they were rarely documented. Most parents and children were satisfied with their pain management.