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BACKGROUND: Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience a variety of visible and invisible symptoms and, as they age, comorbidities related and unrelated to their MS. This can result in a complex medication regimen that includes disease-modifying therapies, symptom management drugs, and prescriptions for other comorbid disorders. METHODS: We reviewed the existing literature to discover how to optimally integrate neurology clinical pharmacists into the MS care team and how clinical pharmacists can directly support both providers and patients through their expertise in pharmacology and medication management. RESULTS: With approaches founded on a shared decision-making process alongside neurology providers, patients, and care partners, clinical pharmacists can help meet the complex challenges of MS care in a variety of ways. Especially within MS clinics, they are well positioned to enhance current neurology practices given their extensive training in comprehensive medication management and their ability to identify nuances in medication management to promote pharmacovigilance and patient-centered care. CONCLUSIONS: Neurology clinical pharmacists bring multifaceted medication management and patient counseling and education skills to the MS care team and can support the shared decision-making process by serving as an accessible resource for patients and clinicians. By building trusted partnerships between neurology providers and clinical pharmacists, MS care teams can achieve effective and efficient patient care. Future research should compare clinical and patient-reported outcomes between patients receiving standard care and those receiving multidisciplinary, pharmacist-integrated care.
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OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence, associated factors, and opinions regarding nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. METHODS: An electronic survey was distributed to professional year 1 through 4 for students at 2 schools of pharmacy (public and private) in North Carolina. The survey was available for 3 weeks. Descriptive statistics (proportion of responders plus 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were used to describe the primary objective. RESULTS: Of the 1043 surveys distributed, 407 were completed giving a 39% response rate. The results indicated that 9% (95% CI: 6.44-11.93) of PharmD students acknowledge NMUPS at least once during their pharmacy education. Additionally, 3% (95% CI: 1.90-5.45) acknowledge NMUPS at least once during the current pharmacy school year (past 5 months). Nonmedical prescription stimulant users were 9 times more likely to participate in NMUPS prior to pharmacy school (P < .0001) and 4.5 times more likely to use other illicit substances (P = .0076). CONCLUSION: The study identified the PharmD student population as high risk of abuse of prescription drug stimulants, which requires further research and attention. Additionally, there was a clear upward trend in the prevalence of NMUPS, and this misuse was associated with other detrimental behaviors.
