Assessing pharmacy student confidence to answer patient questions regarding herbal medicines and natural product drugs.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To assess the change in confidence answering questions about herbal medicines and natural product drugs (HMNPD) in third year professional pharmacy students in an HMNPD course. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: A questionnaire was developed to query confidence in responding to patient questions, recommending specific products, and ability to retrieve resources regarding HMNPD. It was administered the first and last week of the semester; responses were evaluated using a Chi-squared test. FINDINGS: At baseline, 46 students (84%) were "very hesitant", "hesitant", or "neither hesitant nor confident" in responding to HMNPD questions; after the course, most students were "confident" or "very confident" (n=30, 54%) (p < .001). Confidence in finding reliable resources increased from the first week (29 students [40%] were "confident" or "very confident") to the last week (51 students [91%] were "confident" or "very confident" [p < .001]). At baseline, five students (9%) were "confident" or "very confident" in ability to recommend a specific product; after the course, 26 students (46%) were "confident" or "very confident" (p < .001). Nine students (16%) felt "very confident" or "confident" in HMNPD safety/effectiveness at baseline; the same proportion felt this way at conclusion (p = .93). Four students (7%) were confident in HMNPD efficacy at baseline and nine (16%) felt the same way at the end (p = .12). DISCUSSION: Significant increases in student confidence answering patient questions, responding to disease-specific queries, and using appropriate resources were found. There was no difference in confidence in HMNPD safety/efficacy. SUMMARY: This study supported continued HMNPD education in the pharmacy program.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery: Key Pharmacologic Considerations.

OBJECTIVE: To describe Mohs micrographic surgery and evaluate whether direct oral anticoagulants should be withheld in patients with atrial fibrillation (Afib) prior to the procedure and to consider what type of antibiotic prophylaxis should be used. SETTING: A community setting in which an elderly patient is living independently at home. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Academic-affiliated internal medicine clinic that cares for adult patients of all ages, including elderly patients living independently in their own home. The practice occasionally consults with geriatric specialty pharmacists to obtain drug information regarding drug therapy. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Identify and assess literature regarding therapeutic issues regarding patients with Afib, whether direct oral anticoagulants should be withheld prior to dermatologic surgery, and what type of antibiotic prophylaxis should be provided prior to the procedure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Highlight literature that assesses surgical bleeding risk if direct oral anticoagulants are continued, and alternatively, the risk of a thromboembolic event if discontinued; and address antibiotic prophylaxis prior to Mohs micrographic surgery in a patient with Afib. RESULTS: In an elderly patient with Afib, a pharmacist should evaluate bleeding risk if direct oral anticoagulants are continued, risk for stroke if anticoagulants are discontinued, and determine appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis prior to Mohs micrographic surgery. CONCLUSION: In patients with Afib treated with direct oral anticoagulants who will have dermatologic surgery, the bleeding risk is usually low, whereas risk of a possible thromboembolic event is high, and antibiotic prophylaxis should be done to prevent infection.

Patient needs and preferences for herb-drug-disease interaction alerts: a structured interview study.

BACKGROUND: While complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used in the United States and elsewhere, and hazardous interactions with prescription drugs can occur, patients do not regularly communicate with physicians about their CAM use. The objective of this study was to discover patient information needs and preferences for herb-drug-disease interaction alerts. METHODS: We recruited 50 people from several locations within the University of Utah Hospital to participate in this structured interview study. They were asked to provide their preferences for the herb-drug-disease interaction alerts. Qualitative methods were used to reveal the themes that emerged from the interviews. RESULTS: Most participants reported they had previously used, or they were currently using, CAM therapies. The majority had made the effort to inform their healthcare provider(s) about their CAM usage, although some had not. We found that most respondents were interested in receiving alerts and information about potential interactions. Many preferred to receive the alerts in a variety of ways, both in person and electronically. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to conventional medicine, many patients regularly use complementary and alternative therapies. And yet, communication between patients and providers about CAM use is not consistent. There is a demand for interventions in health care that provide timely, integrative communication support. Delivering the herb-drug-disease alerts through multiple channels could help meet critical patient information needs.

Transition Hand-Off from Inpatient to Outpatient Treatment of Acute Pyelonephritis in an Elderly Male.

Pyelonephritis is the progression of a urinary tract infection (UTI) to the kidney. In younger patients the infection may not be as severe and may even be treated with oral antibiotics. However, in elderly males pyelonephritis can be more complex and may require hospitalization and treatment with intravenous antibiotics. In the United States UTIs are responsible for frequent visits to emergency departments by elderly individuals. Current literature suggests that pyelonephritis in elderly males is a serious infection that may result in significant morbidity and mortality. Pharmacists are in a unique position to oversee the transition of antibiotic treatment from the inpatient to outpatienT SETTING.

Balanitis: A Unique Presentation of Diabetes in an Elderly Male.

While diabetes is a common medical condition, the initial presentation of patients with diabetes may vary. In some cases, different types of infections or inflammatory conditions may prompt a patient to seek medical attention. Males may present to their primary care provider with a bothersome inflammation of the penis that may be the first recognition of previously undiagnosed diabetes. Balanitis is an inflammation of the glans of the penis that may prompt a patient to seek medical care. While there are several different causes of balanitis, underlying medical conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes have been associated with balanitis. The genital irritation prompts patients to seek medical evaluation, and at that point diabetes is diagnosed. It is important for pharmacists to recognize that balanitis is a potential though uncommon type of diabetes presentation. It is also important for pharmacists to review other aspects of diabetes care once a patient is diagnosed with diabetes.

Automated alerts and reminders targeting patients: A review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Information technology supporting patient self-management has the potential to foster shared accountability for healthcare outcomes by improving patient adherence. There is growing interest in providing alerts and reminders to patients to improve healthcare self-management. This paper describes a literature review of automated alerts and reminders directed to patients, the technology used, and their efficacy. METHODS: An electronic literature search was conducted in PubMed to identify relevant studies. The search produced 2418 abstracts; 175 articles underwent full-text review, of which 124 were rejected. 51 publications were included in the final analysis and coding. RESULTS: The articles are partitioned into alerts and reminders. A summary of the analysis for the 51 included articles is provided. CONCLUSION: Reminders and alerts are advantageous in many ways; they can be used to reach patients outside of regular clinic settings, be personalized, and there is a minimal age barrier in the efficacy of automated reminders sent to patients. As technologies and patients' proficiencies evolve, the use and dissemination of patient reminders and alerts will also change. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Automated technology may reliably assist patients to adhere to their health regimen, increase attendance rates, supplement discharge instructions, decrease readmission rates, and potentially reduce clinic costs.

Pharmacist-provided diabetes management and education via a telemonitoring program.

OBJECTIVE: To assess clinical outcomes (glycosylated hemoglobin [A1C], blood pressure, and lipids) and other measurements (disease state knowledge, adherence, and self-efficacy) associated with the use of approved telemonitoring devices to expand and improve chronic disease management of patients with diabetes, with or without hypertension. SETTING: Four community health centers (CHCs) in Utah. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Federally qualified safety net clinics that provide medical care to underserved patients. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Pharmacist-led diabetes management using telemonitoring was compared with a group of patients receiving usual care (without telemonitoring). INTERVENTIONS: Daily blood glucose (BG) and blood pressure (BP) values were reviewed and the pharmacist provided phone follow-up to assess and manage out-of-range BG and BP values. EVALUATION: Changes in A1C, BP, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) at approximately 6 months were compared between the telemonitoring group and the usual care group. Patient activation, diabetes/hypertension knowledge, and medication adherence were measured in the telemonitoring group. RESULTS: Of 150 patients, 75 received pharmacist-provided diabetes management and education via telemonitoring, and 75 received usual medical care. Change in A1C was significantly greater in the telemonitoring group compared with the usual care group (2.07% decrease vs. 0.66% decrease; P <0.001). Although BP and LDL levels also declined, differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. Patient activation measure, diabetes/hypertension knowledge, and medication adherence with antihypertensives (but not diabetes medications) improved in the telemonitoring group. CONCLUSION: Pharmacist-provided diabetes management via telemonitoring resulted in a significant improvement in A1C in federally qualified CHCs in Utah compared with usual medical care. Telemonitoring may be considered a model for providing clinical pharmacy services to patients with diabetes.

Ginkgo and Warfarin Interaction in a Large Veterans Administration Population.

Ginkgo biloba is a widely used herbal product that could potentially have a severe interaction with warfarin, which is the most frequently prescribed anticoagulant agent in North America. Literature, however, provides conflicting evidence on the presence and severity of the interaction. In this study, we developed text processing methods to extract the ginkgo usage and combined it with prescription data on warfarin from a very large clinical data respository. Our statistical analysis suggests that taking concurrently with warfarin, gingko does significantly increase patients' risk of a bleeding adverse event (hazard ratio = 1.38, 95%CI: 1.20 to 1.58, p<.001). This study also is the first attempt of using a large medical record databaseto confirm a suspected herb-drug interaction.

The Utah Remote Monitoring Project: improving health care one patient at a time.

BACKGROUND: The expanding role of technology to augment diabetes care and management highlights the need for clinicians to learn about these new tools. As these tools continue to evolve and enhance improved outcomes, it is imperative that clinicians consider the role of telemonitoring, or remote monitoring, in patient care. This article describes a successful telemonitoring project in Utah. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a nonrandomized prospective observational preintervention-postintervention study, using a convenience sample. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes and/or hypertension from four rural and two urban primary care clinics and one urban stroke center participated in a telemonitoring program. The primary clinical outcome measures were changes in hemoglobin A1C (A1C) and blood pressure. Other outcomes included fasting lipids, weight, patient engagement, diabetes knowledge, hypertension knowledge, medication adherence, and patient perceptions of the usefulness of the telemonitoring program. RESULTS: Mean A1C decreased from 9.73% at baseline to 7.81% at the end of the program (P<0.0001). Systolic blood pressure also declined significantly, from 130.7 mm Hg at baseline to 122.9 mm Hg at the end (P=0.0001). Low-density lipoprotein content decreased significantly, from 103.9 mg/dL at baseline to 93.7 mg/dL at the end (P=0.0263). Other clinical parameters improved nonsignificantly. Knowledge of diabetes and hypertension increased significantly (P<0.001 for both). Patient engagement and medication adherence also improved, but not significantly. Per questionnaires at study end, patients felt the telemonitoring program was useful. CONCLUSIONS: Telemonitoring improved clinical outcomes and may be a useful tool to help enhance disease management and care of patients with diabetes and/or hypertension.

Development of an Alert System to Detect Drug Interactions with Herbal Supplements using Medical Record Data.

While potential medication-to-medication interaction alerting engines exist in many clinical applications, few systems exist to automatically alert on potential medication to herbal supplement interactions. We have developed a preliminary knowledge base and rules alerting engine that detects 259 potential interactions between 9 supplements, 62 cardiac medications, and 19 drug classes. The rules engine takes into consideration 12 patient risk factors and 30 interaction warning signs to help determine which of three different alert levels to categorize each potential interaction. A formative evaluation was conducted with two clinicians to set initial thresholds for each alert level. Additional work is planned add more supplement interactions, risk factors, and warning signs as well as to continue to set and adjust the inputs and thresholds for each potential interaction.

Assessing and treating hepatic encephalopathy in the older patient.

Altered mental status (AMS) and confusion are common reasons older patients may be admitted to a hospital. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is associated with confusion and AMS. The following case describes an older male presenting with confusion. The patient is treated for both a urinary tract infection and HE. The differential diagnosis for AMS is important for pharmacists to understand and evaluate to ensure appropriate treatment as well as rule out other medication-related causes of AMS. Managing patient compliance for the pharmacotherapy necessary to treat and prevent HE is particularly important to avoid future hospital admissions and complicated placements to an extended-care facility.

Dietary supplements and probiotics for diabetes.

An overview of the most popular alternative therapeutic modalities.

Feasibility and potential benefit of collecting Complementary and Alternative Medicine data through a computerized patient interview.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of gathering Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) data directly from the patient via a computerized patient interview. DESIGN: A quantitative descriptive study was utilized to determine whether patients would be willing to self-report their CAM usage and whether the self-reported data complements clinicians perceptions and medical records. MEASUREMENTS: 40 patients were recruited to test the computerized patient interview application. Clinicians and staff (n=15) were also surveyed to determine their perceived CAM usage. In addition, a retrospective chart review (n=100) was done to estimate the documented CAM usage rate. RESULTS: In this study, we had a 85% participation rate, suggesting patients are willing to share their CAM use through the computer application. The self reported usage rate was 85%, as compared to the chart documented usage rate of 9.5% and the average clinician/staff estimated usage rate of 43%.

Dietary supplements for women: clinician considerations.

Approximately 49% of Americans take dietary supplements and spend approximately $15 billion annually. Most patients believe that supplements are innocuous substances, and they use them for added health benefits or for certain diseases. However, problems may be associated with dietary supplement use, including potential side effects and drug interactions. It is important that clinicians are aware of the legislative issues related to supplements, are informed about their risks, and are able to work with their patients to ensure safe use. Evidence-based resources and guides to provide optimal medical care for patients who wish to use supplements are available for clinicians.

Prediabetes in a nursing facility patient with renal insufficiency.

OBJECTIVES: Prediabetes encompasses a variety of abnormalities, including impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and metabolic syndrome. Prediabetes also increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by 3- to 10-fold, but the complications associated with hyperglycemia begin early in the patient's progression from normal glucose levels to diabetes. Early identification and treatment of prediabetes has the potential to reduce or delay progression to overt diabetes, to preempt related cardiovascular and microvascular disease, and to significantly improve morbidity and mortality. This clinical review provides a vehicle to examine management of prediabetes in patients 65 years of age and older, including diagnostic criteria and recommendations for management. DATA SOURCES: Live symposium presentation based on clinical practice and research, medical literature, and studies published between May 1999 and March 2010 on managing diabetes in older adults, government statistics, and medical society guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Effective prediabetes management is important to reducing the risk of progression to T2DM. Recommended first-line therapy is lifestyle modification that may include exercise, nutritional therapy, and weight loss. Pharmacological therapies, when indicated, can aid in improving glucose, blood pressure, and lipid parameters in this patient subgroup.

Health economics and compliance of vials/syringes versus pen devices: a review of the evidence.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this review was to assess the state of the published literature on health economics and compliance of vials/syringes versus pen devices. METHODS: A literature search was performed using the Embase search engine for publications that linked drug terms (insulin and insulin lispro) to disease terms (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) and other terms (accuracy, article, clinical trial, controlled clinical trial, controlled study, cost benefit analysis, drug delivery system, drug dosage form, drug dosage form comparison, drug dose comparison, drug preference, equipment design, force, glycemic control, healthcare cost, human, insulin treatment, needle, patient attitude, patient compliance, patient safety, torque) along with author keywords (Diabetes, Dose accuracy, FlexPen [Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark], Insulin, Next Generation FlexPen). RESULTS: The search yielded 39 articles, of which five articles met our study criteria. The focus of the critical outcomes was patient adherence to insulin pen devices versus insulin vials (syringes), hypoglycemic events, emergency department visits due to hypoglycemic events, and costs associated with diabetes and health care. The observation period, mean age of patients, and data sources differed across the studies. The studies indicated that there was an improved adherence with insulin pen devices as opposed to insulin vials (syringes) and that the associated healthcare resource utilization and costs associated with them were found to decrease with the use of pen devices, compared to vials. CONCLUSIONS: The use of pen devices improves the health economics benefits and adherence to insulin therapy.

Caring for the underserved: exemplars in teaching.

The objective was to identify exemplars in teaching pharmacy students awareness, knowledge, and the skills needed to provide care and services to the underserved. A call for exemplars was sent out in spring 2007. A subcommittee of the AACP Task Force on Caring for the Underserved reviewed all applications received. The 3 best exemplars for teaching pharmacy students the awareness, attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to care for the underserved were selected and are described in this manuscript. Included are 1 didactic, 1 experiential, and 1 international experience. These exemplars in educating students on working with the underserved provide schools with models which could be adapted to fit individual programmatic curricular needs.

Curriculum recommendations of the AACP-PSSC task force on caring for the underserved.

A task force was convened by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the Pharmaceutical Services Support Center (PSSC) and charged with the development of a curriculum framework to guide pharmacy programs in educating students on caring for the underserved. Utilizing a literature-based model, the task force constructed a framework that delineated evidence-based practice, clinical prevention and health promotion, health systems and policy, and community aspects of practice. Specific learning outcomes tailored to underserved populations were crafted and linked to resources readily available to the academy. The AACP-PSSC curriculum framework was shared with the academy in 2007. Schools and Colleges are urged to share experiences with implementation so that the impact of the tool can be evaluated. The task force recommends that the AACP Institutional Research Advisory Committee be involved in gathering assessment data. Implementation of the curriculum framework can help the academy fulfill the professional mandate to proactively provide the highest quality care to all, including underserved populations.

Evaluation of adverse events of oral antihyperglycemic monotherapy experienced by a geriatric population in a real-world setting: a retrospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the risk of adverse events (AEs) associated with the use of metformin, sulfonylureas and thiazolidinediones among geriatric patients in a usual care setting. METHODS: An electronic medical record database was utilized to identify geriatric patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged > or =65 years from 1996 to 2005. Patients naive to oral antihyperglycemic drug (OAD) therapy were followed for 395 days post initiation of metformin, sulfonylurea or thiazolidinedione treatment. AEs related to study drugs were evaluated during the follow-up period, and the risks of developing an AE were evaluated and adjusted for differences in baseline characteristics by OAD treatment. RESULTS: A total of 5438 patients (mean age 73.2 [SD 5.08] years, 56.1% female) were identified. During the follow-up period, 12.5% of patients experienced an AE (8.3% of metformin, 13.9% of sulfonylurea and 19.8% of thiazolidinedione recipients). Sulfonylurea (odds ratio [OR] 1.74; 95% CI 1.41, 2.13) and thiazolidinedione (OR 2.86; 95% CI 2.23, 3.65) recipients were more likely to experience an AE than metformin recipients, after adjustment for baseline demographic and co-morbidity differences. The average time to onset of a metformin AE (175 days) was less than that for sulfonylurea or thiazolidinedione treatment (192 and 201 days, respectively). The most common AEs were abdominal pain with metformin (42.3%) and weight gain >4.5 kg for sulfonylureas (63.2%) and thiazolidinediones (68.2%). Hypoglycaemia occurred in 2.6% and 2.2% of sulfonylurea and thiazolidinedione recipients, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric patients in a real-world setting experienced AEs with metformin, sulfonylurea and thiazolidinedione therapy, although rates differed from those seen in clinical trials, particularly for weight gain and hypoglycaemia. Lactic acidosis occurred at a higher rate with metformin therapy than has been reported in clinical trials, but our results were in the same range for abdominal pain and lower for diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting and dyspepsia. AEs related to sulfonylurea therapy were in the same range as in clinical trials for weight gain but lower for hypoglycaemia, dizziness and headaches. AEs related to thiazolidinedione therapy were more common in our study than in clinical trials, and within the same range for weight gain and elevated liver enzymes but lower for hypoglycaemia and oedema. While AE reporting is likely to be different in a real-world setting than in clinical trials, the observed variances may also be due to the aetiology of diabetes and the physiological response to hypoglycaemia in an older population.