Impact of a Neuropsychiatric Therapeutics Course and a Case-Based Course on Pharmacy Students' Mental Health Stigma.

OBJECTIVE: Mental health education can reduce the stigma held by medical and nursing students; however, findings in this regard are limited in pharmacy academia. This study investigated the impact of a neuropsychiatric therapeutics course followed by a case-based course on the mental health stigma held by pharmacy students. METHODS: A survey was conducted of second-year pharmacy students (n = 202) on the first and last day of a neuropsychiatric therapeutics course and 4 months later, at the end of a case-based course. The questionnaires included the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for HealthCare Providers (OMS-HC) scale, Recovery scale, Empowerment scale, and Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-9). Omnibus Friedman tests evaluated the main effect of time, followed by Wilcoxon signed-rank post hoc tests to compare baseline and postcourse scores. RESULTS: Friedman test outcomes showed significant main effects of Time for OMS-HC, Recovery, Empowerment, and AQ-9 scales. Post hoc analysis indicated that compared to the baseline scores, the scores on Recovery and Empowerment scales significantly increased, OMS-HC scores decreased, but AQ-9 scores did not change after the therapeutics course. Compared to the baseline, OMS-HC and AQ-9 scores decreased, Recovery scale score increased, but the Empowerment scale score did not change after the case-based course. The scores did not decrease further after the case-based course compared to those after the therapeutics course. CONCLUSION: The decreases in OMS-HC and AQ-9 scores and increases in Recovery and Empowerment scores indicate reductions in mental health stigma. Stigma among students was overall reduced after the therapeutics course and this reduction was maintained after the case-based course.

Upadacitinib for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Extensive Review.

OBJECTIVES: To review the characteristics, efficacy, safety, pharmacoeconomics, and place in therapy of upadacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). DATA SOURCES: PubMed (January 2003-May 2022) was searched using upadacitinib and ABT-494. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Human studies published in peer-reviewed publications in English were the primary sources for efficacy and safety data. DATA SYNTHESIS: In randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical studies, upadacitinib demonstrated statistically significant improvement in RA symptoms as monotherapy and in combination with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) when compared with csDMARD monotherapy or to adalimumab or abatacept in combination with csDMARD therapy in patients with RA. American College of Rheumatology 20% response rates were 68% to 79% for upadacitinib monotherapy and 64% to 84% for upadacitinib plus csDMARD therapy, compared with 28% to 59% for csDMARD-only therapy and 63% to 74% for biologic DMARD (bDMARD) plus csDMARD therapy. Long-term extension studies demonstrated similar findings. Upadacitinib had similar rates of serious infections, herpes zoster, major cardiovascular events, and venous thromboembolic events as other JAK inhibitors. Upadacitinib was similar in cost to tofacitinib and twice as high as baricitinib based on current estimated costs to patients, but actual costs may vary. RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE: Upadacitinib is an alternative therapy to other JAK inhibitors and bDMARDs in patients with moderate to severe RA who have had an inadequate response to a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor alone or in combination with a csDMARD. CONCLUSIONS: Upadacitinib is an effective JAK inhibitor for use in RA.

Social and Emotional Development in a Telehealth-Based Ambulatory Care Skills Course.

Objective. To determine the impact of telehealth-based simulations on students' social and emotional development.Methods. First-year pharmacy students enrolled in a professional skills course were eligible to participate in the study. Before and after the course, students completed the Personal-Interpersonal Competence Assessment, which codes onto eight subcategories: situation monitoring, inspire others, intimacy, awareness of one's aptitude, initiative to pursue leadership, empathy, sociability, and awareness of one's emotions. Students participated in seven telehealth-based simulations. Prior to each simulation, students watched a role modeling video highlighting social and emotional competence techniques used by a pharmacist during a consultation. Students then participated in simulated consultations that occurred in Zoom breakout rooms. Each student completed one consult while a teaching assistant completed a rubric derived from the Personal-Interpersonal Competence Assessment. Teaching assistants then provided formative feedback related to the student's social and emotional competence. At the semester midpoint, students completed a video log reflecting on their social and emotional development. Statistical analyses compared different time points of students' scores on the Personal-Interpersonal Competence Assessment and scores given by teaching assistants, while qualitative analysis was used for the video logs.Results. At the end of the course, improvement was noted on all factors of the Personal-Interpersonal Competence Assessment. Scores given by teaching assistants showed significant improvement over the semester, with the highest improvement noted on the subcategories inspiration and situation monitoring. On the video log, 80% of students noted improvements in their consideration of others.Conclusion. These findings suggest value in using role modeling, telehealth-based simulations, and teaching assistant feedback on pharmacy students' social and emotional development.

The use of a metacognition and contemplation intervention in improving student abilities to recognize order entry errors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To describe a pilot study testing a metacognition and contemplative pedagogy intervention designed to improve student abilities to identify errors on orders entered into a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system. Educational activity and setting: Student teams worked up five patient cases and entered new orders into a CPOE system. All orders entered by teams were analyzed for errors and faculty members identified fifteen orders representing the top errors and selected these for the pre-exercise, in-class contemplation activity, and post-exercise. Course instructors instructed students to identify all errors on these orders. Students completed a pre/post-survey rating their ability to enter new orders. Two weeks later, students worked up a new patient case and entered orders into the CPOE. These orders were graded and scores were compared to the 2017 cohort to determine any differences in error rates. FINDINGS: Study participants included 205 students The average score of correctly identified errors increased from 22% on the pre-exercise to 62.8% on the post-exercise. On the survey of their skills, students rated their ability to "accurately enter medication orders into the [electronic health record] EHR" more highly after the intervention. The 2017 cohort made 73 errors on 170 orders compared to 45 errors on 165 orders by the 2018 cohort. SUMMARY: Based on improvements in student ability to identify order entry errors and overall positive student feedback, this strategy may be adopted by other educators looking to improve student identification of errors on orders entered into a CPOE system.

Factors Associated With a Higher Risk of Undiagnosed Prediabetes in a Community-Dwelling Medicare Population.

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics in an ambulatory Medicare population that are significantly more likely to be associated with a high risk of undiagnosed prediabetes.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.
SETTING: Fourteen health clinics targeting Medicare beneficiaries were held throughout northern and central California during the fall of 2017.
PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries receiving medication therapy management services without self-reported diabetes.
INTERVENTIONS: Beneficiaries were screened for their risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through the use of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) risk assessment (score of ≥ 5 indicates increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes) by pharmacy students. For this study, patients with a score of ≥ 5 were considered to be at high risk for undiagnosed prediabetes.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Characteristics significantly more likely to be identified in patients at high risk for undiagnosed prediabetes.
RESULTS: A total of 683 Medicare beneficiaries without self-reported diabetes completed the ADA risk assessment, with 457 (66.9%) receiving a score of 5 or more. In those, the presence of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity, coronary heart disease, and use of aspirin were all characteristics researchers identified as significantly more likely to be found in this group. In contrast, those of Asian race or who took dietary supplements were significantly less likely to score 5 or higher in the questionnaire.
CONCLUSION: Identification of older adults at higher risk for undiagnosed prediabetes through the use of appropriate screening tools allows for targeted preventive interventions, potentially lowering risk of developing T2DM for selected patients.

Factors associated with medication-related problems in an ambulatory medicare population and the case for medication therapy management.

BACKGROUND: Medication-related problems (MRPs) are a major healthcare burden. The rate of MRPs in those ≥65 years old is ∼50 events per 1000 person-years, and contributes to a four-fold higher hospitalization rate when compared to younger patients. Medication therapy management (MTM) can identify MRPs in high-risk patients. However, in 2015, only 12.9% of Medicare patients qualified for MTM services through their Part D plan. OBJECTIVE: To examine the type and frequency of MRPs in community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries and which patient factors are associated with having ≥1 MRP. METHODS: Fourteen health clinics targeting Medicare beneficiaries were held in 10 Northern/Central California cities during Fall 2017. Trained student pharmacists, supervised by licensed pharmacists, conducted comprehensive medication reviews. Sociodemographic, chronic condition, medication, and MRP data were collected via standardized surveys. RESULTS: MTM services were provided to 910 patients, of which 633 (69.6%) had at least 1 MRP. The most common MRPs were severe drug-drug interaction [n = 297(33.4%)] and untreated condition [n = 134 (14.7%). Individuals with MRPs took significantly more prescription and over-the-counter medications. Additionally, those with MRPs were more likely to be subsidy recipients and in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan. A total of 120 (13%) individuals were found to have had an MRP severe enough to warrant prescriber follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Although only a fraction of Medicare beneficiaries qualify for MTM services through their Part D plan, many can benefit from such services. Understanding the type, frequency, and factors contributing to MRPs is imperative to identify and avoid negative sequelae. Reduction of MRPs can potentially improve patient clinical outcomes, increase quality-of-life, and decrease overall cost of care.

Exploring the Valley of Savings: Minimizing Part D Costs and Optimizing Drug Therapy Outcomes in Medicare Beneficiaries With Developmental Disability.

Nonelderly disabled Medicare beneficiaries have a higher prevalence of chronic conditions, higher utilization of prescription medications, and increased demand for clinical services when compared to beneficiaries 65 years of age and older who are not disabled. Out-of-pocket costs and medication-related problems are major barriers to medication compliance and achievement of therapeutic goals. A school of pharmacy partnered with a nonprofit organization that provides care to individuals with developmental disabilities. The present study highlights outcomes resulting from (a) providing Medicare Part D plan optimization services to lower prescription drug costs and (b) Medication Therapy Management services to evaluate safe and effective medication use in this beneficiary population. Provided interventions were shown to reduce overall medication costs and identify significant medication-related problems.

Administration, Billing, and Payment for Pharmacy Student-Based Immunizations to Medicare Beneficiaries at Mobile Medicare Clinics.

Training student pharmacists to administer vaccinations requires a substantial investment in vaccines, supplies, and time. Few schools of pharmacy seek out or receive any reimbursement for the provision of vaccines, despite the fact it is a covered service. This study sought to implement, deliver, and demonstrate an innovative, financially sustainable curriculum-based immunization program by trained pharmacy students as part of their experiential learning. Thirty-nine community health clinics targeting Medicare beneficiaries were conducted throughout Northern/Central California during Medicare's fall open enrollment periods between 2014⁻2016. American Pharmacists Association (APhA)-trained student pharmacists (under licensed pharmacist supervision) administered 1777 vaccinations. Vaccines were billed via a secure Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)-compliant web-based portal. The total net income was $11,905 and $8032 for 2015 and 2016, respectively. Return on investment was greatest for the influenza vaccine > Tdap > pneumococcal. Pharmacy students are already being trained to provide immunizations and can utilize their skills to deliver financially viable public health programs.

Training Students to Address Vaccine Hesitancy and/or Refusal.

Objective. To determine the impact of a vaccine hesitancy learning unit on student knowledge, attitudes, and ability to address vaccine hesitancy and/or refusal. Methods. The learning unit consisted of two standardized patient simulation encounters performed one week apart. A 13-item attitudes survey was administered prior to the simulations to determine student confidence and knowledge regarding vaccine hesitancy. Students then participated in an encounter with a simulated patient who assessed the students' abilities using a 16-item grading rubric related to the art of the rhetoric, communication skills, and social, emotional competence. Post-simulation, students received feedback, completed a self-reflection exercise, and received formal coursework on addressing vaccine hesitancy. The following week, students participated in a second simulated patient encounter and thereafter completed the same attitudes and satisfaction surveys. Results. There were 203 students who went through the learning unit, with 180 (88.6% response rate) completing all the survey tools. The results showed significant improvements in all 16 items of the assessment rubric. On the pre/post attitudes questions, 9 out of 13 items showed significant improvement. Gains were largest for knowledge on the use of thimerosal as a preservative, speaking about how vaccines will not overwhelm a child's immune system, and knowledge about vaccinations not overwhelming a child's immune system. Overall, 94% of students were satisfied with the learning unit. Conclusion. This learning unit was effective in improving student confidence and ability to address vaccine hesitancy.

Use of Standardized Patient Simulations to Assess Impact of Motivational Interviewing Training on Social⁻Emotional Development.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of motivational interviewing (MI) training on students' social⁻emotional development. Two simulations using standardized patients (SP) were conducted within a smoking cessation module. Students first completed a 4 h self-study module focused on smoking cessation tools and general counseling techniques. Faculty then administered a 15-item rubric focused on students' self-assessment of their verbal/non-verbal communication, social⁻emotional competence and MI skills. Students then participated in a smoking cessation counseling session with an SP. SPs used the same rubric to assess student performance. Teaching assistants (TAs) observed and assessed the students using the same rubric and an additional 22 items related to clinical skills. TAs and SPs then provided feedback on areas of improvement. The following week, students first completed a 3 h self-study module on MI then participated in a different smoking cessation scenario. After completion, the 15-item self-assessment rubric was administered. There was a significant improvement in TA assessed student performance with an average score improvement of 8% (pre-intervention score = 67%; post-intervention mean = 75%). Students had dramatic gains in their self-assessment with their scores rising by an average of 22%. Using MI techniques can improve students' self-assessed and perceived social⁻emotional competency.

Sarilumab: Review of a Second IL-6 Receptor Antagonist Indicated for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Major Objectives: To review the efficacy, safety, and economics of sarilumab, an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor antagonist, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). DATA SOURCES: PubMed (1966 to January 2018), Clinicaltrials.gov (January 2018), and Scopus (1970 to January 2018) were searched using sarilumab, Kevzara, REGN88, and SAR153191. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Human studies published in peer-reviewed publications in English were the primary sources for efficacy and safety. DATA SYNTHESIS: Data from randomized, double-blind, controlled, published clinical studies weeks demonstrated statistically significantly higher American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20, ACR50, and Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) remission response rates and improvements in DAS28 and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index scores for sarilumab monotherapy versus adalimumab monotherapy (P < 0.05) and for sarilumab versus placebo in patients receiving methotrexate or other conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs); P < 0.05. The ACR20 and ACR50 response rates were, respectively, 56-72% and 35-46% for sarilumab, 58% and 30% for adalimumab, and 33-34% and 15-18% for placebo. DAS28 remission rates were 20-34% for sarilumab, 7% for adalimumab, and 7-10% for placebo. Sarilumab has a higher risk for neutropenia than tocilizumab, the other IL-6 inhibitor, but a lower risk for dyslipidemia, injection site reactions, and gastrointestinal perforation. The acquisition costs of sarilumab are expected to be similar to those of most other biologic DMARDs. CONCLUSION: Sarilumab is an alternative to biologic DMARDs or targeted synthetic DMARDs in patients with moderate to severely active RA who have not responded adequately to prior conventional synthetic DMARDs or tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors.

Use of 2015 Beers Criteria Medications by Older Medicare Beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries based on the updated 2015 American Geriatrics Society Beers criteria. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Thirteen mobile Medicare clinics were held throughout Northern and Central California during the fall of 2015. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries 65 years of age and older taking one or more medications. INTERVENTIONS: Pharmacy students under direct supervision of licensed pharmacists performed medication therapy management (MTM). Drug and disease state data were collected and used to identify PIMs based on the 2015 Beers criteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of beneficiaries who are taking a PIM, have a potential drug-drug or drug-disease interaction, and common factors associated with receiving a PIM. RESULTS: MTM services were provided to 703 beneficiaries 65 years of age or older taking 1 or more medications. In total, 204 (29%) beneficiaries were taking 1 or more PIM. Drug-drug interactions were found in 54 beneficiaries, and 12 beneficiaries were found to have a significant drug-disease interaction. PIM prescribing was associated with certain chronic conditions (e.g., pain and insomnia). The prevalence of PIM use was significantly higher in women compared with men, whites compared with non-whites, and low-income beneficiaries compared with high income. CONCLUSION: Prescribers and pharmacists should work in concert to minimize PIM use in older adults. Practitioners knowledgeable about the updated 2015 Beers criteria may monitor drug use more closely, hopefully minimizing potentially harmful drug and/or disease-state problems, and preventing avoidable health-related sequelae.

Impact of tofacitinib on patient outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis - review of clinical studies.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive autoimmune disease associated with inflammation and destruction of joints and systemic effects, which result in significant impact on patient's quality of life and function. Tofacitinib was approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the USA in 2012 and subsequently in other countries, but not by the European Medicines Agency. The goal of this review was to evaluate the impact of tofacitinib on patient-reported and patient-specific outcomes from prior clinical studies, focusing on quality of life, functionality, pain, global disease assessment, major adverse consequences, and withdrawals. A total of 13 reports representing 11 clinical studies on tofacitinib in rheumatoid arthritis were identified through PubMed and reference lists in meta-analyses and other reviews. Data on improvements in patient-driven composite tools to measure disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis, such as the Health Assessment Questionnaire, served as a major outcome evaluated in this review and were extracted from each study. Additional data extracted from those clinical studies included patient assessment of pain (using a 0-100 mm visual analog scale), patient global assessment of disease (using a 0-100 mm visual analog scale), patient withdrawals, withdrawals due to adverse effects or lack of effect, and risk of serious adverse effects, serious infections, and deaths. Tofacitinib 5 mg bid appears to have a favorable impact on patient outcomes related to efficacy and safety when compared with baseline values and with comparator disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and placebo. Improvements were seen in the composite and individual measures of disease activity. Serious adverse effects, other adverse consequences, overall withdrawals, and withdrawals due to adverse effects and lack of efficacy are similar or more favorable for tofacitinib versus comparator disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and placebo. At this point, tofacitinib appears to have an important role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis through improvement in these patient outcomes. However, it may require years of additional clinical studies and postmarketing surveillance to fully characterize the benefit-to-risk ratio of tofacitinib in a larger and diverse patient population.

Use of Cumulative Assessments in U.S. Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy.

The Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education (ACPE) has taken a strong stance on assessment in pharmacy education. One available assessment tool is cumulative assessments, which may be administered at various points in the curriculum. This article presents the results of a survey of U.S. schools of pharmacy regarding the use of cumulative assessments within their curriculum. A 20-question survey tool was emailed to 125 schools of pharmacy. A total of 105 out of 125 schools participated (response rate 84%). Of these, 52 schools currently have a cumulative assessment program; 18 have one cumulative exam prior to advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs); 19 have a cumulative exam every didactic year; and seven have accumulative exams every semester, except during APPEs (n = 44). Increased faculty workload emerged as the top challenge faced by schools that have implemented a cumulative assessment program. Eighteen schools indicated that no outcomes are measured to determine the utility of the cumulative assessment. From these results, it appears that almost half of participating U.S. schools have implemented a cumulative assessment plan. However, it is apparent that more research needs to be done to determine which outcomes are expected to improve with the implementation of such an assessment plan.