Public healthcare costs associated with long-term exposure to mixtures of persistent organic pollutants in two areas of Southern Spain: A longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that had been banned or restricted in many countries, including Spain. However, their ubiquity still poses environmental and human health threats. OBJECTIVE: To longitudinally explore public healthcare costs associated with long-term exposure to a mixture of 8 POPs in a cohort of residents of two areas of Granada Province, Southern Spain. METHODS: Longitudinal study in a subsample (n = 385) of GraMo adult cohort. Exposure assessment was performed by analyzing adipose tissue POP concentrations at recruitment. Average primary care (APC) and average hospital care (AHC) expenditures of each participant over 14 years were estimated using the data from their medical records. Data analyses were performed by robust MM regression, weighted quantile sum regression (WQS) and G-computation analysis. RESULTS: In the adjusted robust MM models for APC, most POPs showed positive beta coefficients, being Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) significantly associated (ß: 1.87; 95% Confidence interval (95%CI): 0.17, 3.57). The magnitude of this association increased (ß: 3.72; 95%CI: 0.80, 6.64) when the analyses were restricted to semi-rural residents, where ß-HCH was also marginally-significantly associated to APC (ß: 3.40; 95%CI: -0.10, 6.90). WQS revealed a positive but non-significant mixture association with APC (ß: 0.14; 95%CI: -0.06, 0.34), mainly accounted for by ß-HCH (54%) and HCB (43%), that was borderline-significant in the semi-rural residents (ß: 0.23; 95%CI: -0.01, 0.48). No significant results were observed in G-Computation analyses. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to POP mixtures might represent a modifiable factor increasing healthcare costs, thus affecting the efficiency of the healthcare systems. However, and owing the complexity of the potential causal pathways and the limitations of the present study, further research is warranted to fully elucidate ascertain whether interventions to reduce human exposure should be considered in healthcare policies.

Recomendaciones sobre los fármacos empleados en pacientes oncohematológicos afectos de COVID-19. Una aproximación a las interacciones farmacológicas entre el tratamiento sintomático y el tratamiento "anti-COVID-19" / Recommendations on the drugs used for oncohematological patients with COVID-19. An approach to drug-drug interactions between symptom treatment and anti-COVID-19 treatment

La pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 que expuso a nuestros pacientes a una importante carga sintomática hizo de los cuidados paliativos una herramienta necesaria para la atención de estos pacientes. Los fármacos empleados para contrarrestar el virus y los tratamientos para el control de síntomas tienen múltiples interacciones debido tanto al hepatotrofismo del virus como a las vías de metabolismo de los tratamientos. Con este artículo pretendemos compartir nuestra experiencia y algunas recomendaciones farmacológicas para minimizar potenciales interacciones y efectos secundarios de los tratamientos empleados. Queda mucho por investigar, pero creemos que compartiendo información entre centros podremos brindar el mejor abordaje multidisciplinar que merecen los pacientes

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic that exposed our patients to a significant symptom burden made palliative care a necessary tool for the care of these patients. The drugs used to counteract the virus and the treatments used for the control of symptoms have multiple interactions due to both the hepatotrophism of the virus and the metabolism pathways of treatments. With this article we aim to share our experience and some pharmacological recommendations to minimize the potential interactions and side effects of treatments. Much remains to be investigated but we believe that by sharing information between centers we shall be able to provide the best multidisciplinary approach that patients deserve

Funciones y responsabilidades del farmacéutico de hospital con los medicamentos CAR-T / Hospital pharmacist's roles and responsibilities with CAR-T medicines

El desarrollo y la comercialización de medicamentos de terapia celular con células T con receptor de antígeno quimérico (CAR-T) suponen un nuevo reto para la farmacia hospitalaria en España. El objetivo de este artículo es revisar los aspectos clave de estos medicamentos y describir el papel del farmacéutico oncohematológico dentro del equipo clínico multidisciplinar en las diferentes fases del proceso transversal que implica el tratamiento con medicamentos CAR-T, desde la indicación hasta el seguimiento a corto y largo plazo de los pacientes tratados con este tipo de terapias, con una importante mención al manejo de sus principales efectos adversos. La terapia tipo CAR-T ofrece al farmacéutico hospitalario la oportunidad de trabajar en estrecha colaboración con el resto de los profesionales clínicos implicados en el proceso, permitiendo su contribución en el desarrollo de procedimientos, guías de práctica clínica de abordaje global y estableciendo puntos de partida para afrontar tratamientos futuros de complejidad similar e incluso mejorar procesos base anteriormente establecidos

The development and commercialization of cell therapy drugs with chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) represent a new challenge for Spain's hospital pharmacy. The aim of this article is to review the key aspects of these medicines and to describe the oncohematological pharmacist's role within the multidisciplinary clinical team. This includes the different phases in the transversal process that involves a therapy with CAR-T medicines, ranging from indication to short and long term follow-up of patients treated with this type of therapy, and emphasizing on the management of its main adverse effects. CAR-T therapy offers the hospital pharmacist the opportunity to work closely with the rest of the clinical professionals involved in the process, allowing their contribution to the development of procedures, clinical practice guidelines of global approach, and establishing starting points when facing future therapies of similar complexity -and even improving previously established basic processes

Hospital pharmacist's roles and responsibilities with CAR-T medicines.

The development and commercialization of cell therapy drugs with  chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) represent a new challenge for  Spain's hospital pharmacy. The aim of this article is to review the key  aspects of these medicines and to describe the oncohematological  pharmacist's role within the multidisciplinary clinical team. This includes  the different phases in the transversal process that involves a therapy  with CAR-T medicines, ranging from indication to short and long term  follow-up of patients treated with this type of therapy, and emphasizing  on the management of its main adverse effects. CAR-T therapy offers  the hospital pharmacist the opportunity to work closely with the rest of  the clinical professionals involved in the process, allowing their  contribution to the development of procedures, clinical practice  guidelines of global approach, and establishing starting points when  facing future therapies of similar complexity -and even improving previously established basic processes-.

El desarrollo y la comercialización de medicamentos de terapia celular con células T con receptor de antígeno quimérico (CAR-T)  suponen un nuevo reto para la farmacia hospitalaria en España. El  objetivo de este artículo es revisar los aspectos clave de estos  medicamentos y describir el papel del farmacéutico oncohematológico  dentro del equipo clínico multidisciplinar en las diferentes fases del  proceso transversal que implica el tratamiento con medicamentos CAR- T, desde la indicación hasta el seguimiento a corto y largo plazo de los  pacientes tratados con este tipo de terapias, con una importante  mención al manejo de sus principales efectos adversos. La terapia tipo  CAR-T ofrece al farmacéutico hospitalario la oportunidad de trabajar en  estrecha colaboración con el resto de los profesionales clínicos  implicados en el proceso, permitiendo su contribución en el desarrollo de  procedimientos, guías de práctica clínica de abordaje global y  estableciendo puntos de partida para afrontar tratamientos futuros de  complejidad similar e incluso mejorar procesos base anteriormente  establecidos.

Measurement of total and free docetaxel concentration in human plasma by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Docetaxel is a semi-synthetic taxane with cytotoxic anti-neoplastic activity and, currently used as anticancer agent in several types of cancer. Docetaxel is highly bound to plasma proteins, and this significantly determines its clearance and activity. Therefore, measurement of free docetaxel in plasma is pharmacologically important when pharmacokinetics is investigated. We developed and validated chromatographic methods by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to measure total and free docetaxel concentration in human plasma. The final validated methods involved liquid-liquid extraction followed by dryness under nitrogen evaporation. To measure free docetaxel concentration, sample preparation was preceded by ultrafiltration. Chromatographic separation was achieved using an Acquity(®) UPLC(®) BEH™ (2.1×100 mm id, 1.7 µm) reverse-phase C18 column at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min, using isocratic elution mode containing ammonium acetate/formic acid in water/methanol (30:70 v/v) as mobile phase. Docetaxel and its internal standard (paclitaxel) were detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive ion multiple reaction monitoring mode using mass-to-charge (m/z) transitions of 808.3→527.0 (quantifier) and 808.3→509.0 (qualifier); and 854.3→569.0 (quantifier) and 854,3→509,0 (qualifier), respectively. The run time per sample was 3.5 min. The limits of quantification were 1,95 and 0.42 µg/L and linearity was observed between 1.95 and 1000 and 0.42-100 µg/L for total and free docetaxel, respectively. Coefficients of variation and absolute relative biases were less than 13.8% and 10.0%. Recovery values were greater than 79.4%. Evaluation of the matrix effect showed ion suppression and no carry-over was observed. The validated methods could be useful for both therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies. They could be applied to daily clinical laboratory practice to measure the concentration of total and free docetaxel in plasma.

[Evaluating colorectal cancer screening strategies (immunological test vs biochemical test) in Catalonia, Spain 2008-2010]. / Evaluación de dos estrategias de cribado de cáncer colorrectal: test inmunológico versus test bioquímico. Cataluña, 2008-2010.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the screening strategy (quantitative immunological test vs biochemical test) in a population-based screening program for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Catalonia. METHODS: The fourth round of a screening program for CRC with a fecal occult blood test was implemented in Hospitalet de Llobregat during 2008-2010. A biochemical test was offered to 50,227 individuals and a quantitative immunological test was offered to 12,707 individuals. We analysed differences according to the screening strategy in the following variables: acceptability of the target population (participation, dropouts, and adherence to colonoscopy), diagnostic accuracy (positive predictive value and detection rates), results (size and location of lesions, staging of CRC) and resources (number of colonoscopies needed and time interval between the positive test and colonoscopy). RESULTS: Participation was higher among individuals who used the immunological test (OR: 1.35; CI95%:1.27-1.42). Detection rates for adenomas and cancer were also higher for the immunological test, hightlighting the detection rate for high-risk adenomas (26.7‰ vs. 3.0‰). The positive predictive value for high-risk adenomas was 45.0% and 46.9% in the immunological test and guaiac test, respectively. The number of colonoscopies needed to detect cancer with the immunological test was almost two-fold than those needed with the guaiac test (13.6 vs 7.4). CONCLUSIONS: The immunological test is a good screening strategy particularly sensitive for detecting high-risk adenomas. However, it is paramount to have enough resources to assure the quality of the CRC screening due to the large number of colonoscopies that would be required.