Toward inclusive health care: Pharmacists' perceptions on academic preparedness and health care provision for the LGBTQIA+ community.

BACKGROUND: The community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other identities (LGBTQIA+), comprising sexual and gender minorities, frequently encounters violence, discrimination, and numerous obstacles in accessing health care services. Pharmacists have the potential to significantly contribute to the health care provision for this community. OBJECTIVE: To assess pharmacists' perceptions regarding academic preparedness and health care provision for the LGBTQIA+ community in Brazil. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from August 2022 to February 2023, focusing on the academic training of pharmacists and the provision of health care to the LGBTQIA+ community in Brazil. Data collection was achieved through a 28-question online questionnaire, comprising both closed-ended questions, and Likert-type items. The study variables were subjected to an exploratory descriptive analysis. RESULTS: We received 261 complete and valid responses. A majority of pharmacists indicated that they provided health care to the LGBTQIA+ community (n = 161, 61.7%); however, they lacked formal education on LGBTQIA+ health care during their pharmacy program (n = 256, 98.1%). Most participants strongly agreed that pharmacists play a crucial role in promoting health care for this community (n = 213, 81.6%). However, only a small percentage felt confident in addressing issues related to the effectiveness and safety of hormone use for transgender patients (n = 38, 14.6%). Furthermore, less than a third believed that the health care provided by pharmacists should be differentiated for patients within and outside of the LGBTQIA+ community (n = 76, 29.1%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study underscore the necessity and significance of incorporating this topic both in pharmacy training and continuing education. This approach is crucial to enhance and bolster the clinical practice of pharmacists.

Prevalence and incidence of depressive symptoms in pharmacy students: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacy students are at high risk of developing depressive symptoms that can adversely influence their professional future. However, there are no summarized data on the subject. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the prevalence and incidence of depressive symptoms in pharmacy students. METHODS: A literature search was performed using PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, LILACS, and SCOPUS databases until January 2022. We included observational studies that assessed the prevalence or incidence of depressive symptoms among pharmacy students using a validated screening instrument. Two independent investigators performed the study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for prevalence studies. The estimate of depressive symptoms was summarized as a narrative synthesis using structured tables. RESULTS: Of the 695 records retrieved in the search, 19 studies met the eligibility criteria. All were cross-sectional studies, published between 2009 and 2022. The number of pharmacy students ranged from 30 to 610. Most studies were conducted in Asia (n = 9) and the Americas (n = 7), and included only public university students (n = 12). The studies used several instruments to screen students for depressive symptoms, mainly Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (n = 7), Beck Depression Inventory (n = 5), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (n = 4). Most studies (n = 15) evaluated only the prevalence of depressive symptoms. The estimate of overall, mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms ranged from 4.8% to 78.8%, 9.1% to 42.1%, 5.8% to 30.0%, and 0% to 50.0%, respectively. Regarding methodological quality, the score ranged from 4 to 7 out of 9 points according to the JBI checklist. CONCLUSION: A high proportion of depressive symptoms were observed in pharmacy students. This finding points to the urgent need to develop strategies for screening, early identification of symptoms, and intervention to improve the mental health of students.

Use of ketamine and esketamine for depression: an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses.

PURPOSE: To summarize the evidence of efficacy and safety of the use of ketamine and esketamine for depression. METHODS: A literature search was performed in Medline, the Cochrane Library, LILACS, and CRD until November 2020. We included systematic reviews with meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials on the use of ketamine and esketamine in adult patients with depression. Two authors independently performed the study selection and data extraction. The AMSTAR-2 tool was used to appraise the quality of included reviews. RESULTS: A total of 118 records were identified, and 11 studies fully met the eligibility criteria. Compared to control, ketamine improved the clinical response at 40 min to 1 week and clinical remission at 80 min to 72 h, and esketamine improved both outcomes at 2 h to 4 weeks. Ketamine and esketamine also had a beneficial effect on the depression scales score and suicidality. For adverse events, oral ketamine did not show significant change compared to control, while intranasal esketamine showed difference for any events, such as dissociation, dizziness, hypoesthesia, and vertigo. Most reviews were classified as "critically low quality," and none of them declared the source of funding of the primary studies and assessed the potential impact of risk of bias in primary studies. CONCLUSION: Ketamine and esketamine showed a significant antidepressant action within a few hours or days after administration; however, the long-term efficacy and safety are lacking. In addition, the methodological quality of the reviews was usually critically low, which may indicate the need for higher quality evidence in relation to the theme.

Use of medications by patients who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Reflections for the promotion of rational use.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists are often unable to maintain satisfactory communication with people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHoH), potentially exposing those who are DHoH to various risks related to the use of medications. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of medications, knowledge on their rational use, and communication with the pharmacist during the dispensing of medications among people who are DHoH. METHODS: A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2020 and May 2020 among those who are DHoH in Brazil. Data were collected using an online questionnaire about sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, the use of medications, knowledge on the rational use of medications, and communication with the pharmacist during dispensing. The questionnaire was developed in Brazilian sign language. RESULTS: Twenty-one responses were obtained. The mean age of the respondents was 31.9 years, 67% were women, and 38% had cochlear implants. The most used medications were analgesics (22.2%) and anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic drugs (14.3%). The responses to the 20 statements on the rational use of medications resulted in a mean of 12.6 correct responses per individual. Almost all participants provided correct responses to the statements about medication intake times and expiration dates of medications. Only 33.3% of the patients responded that they would approach the pharmacist if they had questions regarding the medications. Most of the participants were dissatisfied with pharmacist counseling during the dispensing of medications. CONCLUSION: This study revealed an important reflection on possible self-medication by patients who are DHoH, poor knowledge on the rational use of medications, and dissatisfaction with pharmacist counseling during the dispensing of medications.

Economic evaluations on the use of aripiprazole for patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder and is associated with substantial economic and social burden. Cost-effectiveness analysis is important to assess the costs of different therapeutic options. However, there is a lack of information on the reporting quality of economic evaluations, cost drivers, as well as updated data focused on aripiprazole, an antipsychotic drug commonly prescribed in schizophrenia. This study evaluates and summarizes the evidence of economic evaluations of the use of aripiprazole in schizophrenia. In addition, we aimed to identify cost drivers and critically assess the reporting qualities of these studies. METHODS: A comprehensive literature research was conducted using PubMed, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, CEA Registry and LILACS databases dated until March 2018. Full economic analyses of aripiprazole in schizophrenia that were based on decision analytical models and published in English, Portuguese or Spanish languages were included. Two independent authors identified the studies and performed data extraction and quality assessment using 24 items from the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) statement. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 79 potential studies were identified, of which 17 studies performing model-based economic evaluations fully met the eligibility criteria. Of these, 15 were industry-funded studies. A trend favouring olanzapine, lurasidone and paliperidone could be observed, whereas aripiprazole was extensively described as a dominated alternative. However, notably, 93% of the industry-funded studies presented results favouring their sponsors, only two of them being the manufacturer of aripiprazole. Cost drivers were usually related to the relapse rates/probabilities regardless of the funding source. The overall quality of reporting of the economic analyses was poor, with most studies scoring around 12-13 points. The most frequent problems were the lack of description of relevance of the outcome measures, characteristics of the base case population and report of precision measures for all the parameters of the model. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: No consistent conclusion on the cost-effectiveness of aripiprazole could be drawn due to the context-specific costs, conflicting parameters of effectiveness and safety, and bias related to industry sponsorship. Cost drivers, though, were usually related to the relapse rates/probabilities. In addition, poor reporting quality of the studies performing full economic analysis requires further improvement to ensure greater transparency of the findings.

Identifying quality of life indicators to improve outpatient pharmacy services for prostate cancer patients: a comparison between Brazilian and British experiences.

OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer is the most common and fatal cancer amongst Brazilian males. The quality of prostate cancer care in Brazil was systematically reviewed and compared to United Kingdom (UK) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, which are considered an international benchmark in care, to determine any treatment gaps in Brazilian practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of Brazilian and UK literature was undertaken. Additionally, quality of life scores was measured using a FACT-P questionnaire of 36 prostate cancer patients attending the Farmácia Universitária da Universidade de São Paulo (FARMUSP). These scores were compared against NICE care measures for patient safety, clinical effi cacy and quality of life indicators determined by either quantitative or qualitative methods. Key fi ndings: The quality of prostate cancer care in Brazil was considered good when compared to NICE guidelines. However, FACT-P data strongly indicated a poor understanding of treatment received by Brazilian patients and that their mental health needs were not being met. CONCLUSIONS: NICE quality statements that address the holistic needs of patients should be implemented into Brazilian outpatient care plans. Addressing the non-medical concerns of patients may improve quality of life and can be easily rolled-out through existing Brazilian pharmacy services at no fi nancial cost to the Brazilian Unifi ed Health System (SUS).

Efficacy and safety of aripiprazole for the treatment of schizophrenia: an overview of systematic reviews.

PURPOSE: To conduct an overview to summarize the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole for the treatment of schizophrenia. METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, LILACS, and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, for articles published until March 31, 2017. We included systematic reviews with meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy, and/or the safety of aripiprazole, for patients with schizophrenia. Two authors independently performed the study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and the Risk of Bias in Systematic Review (ROBIS) tool were used to appraise the quality of evidence and the risk of bias in the reviews, respectively. RESULTS: Fourteen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Aripiprazole showed efficacy similar to that of both typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs (except olanzapine and amisulpride). Aripiprazole caused significantly lower weight gain and alterations in glucose and cholesterol levels, as compared to clozapine, risperidone, and olanzapine. In addition, aripiprazole caused significantly fewer general extrapyramidal side effects, less use of antiparkinsonian drugs, and akathisia, compared with typical antipsychotic drugs and risperidone. The overall quality of evidence in the reviews ranged from "very low" to "moderate," principally because of the risk of bias of original trials, inconsistency, and imprecision in the outcomes. According to the ROBIS tool, there are four reviews with "high" risk of bias and five with "unclear" risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: Aripiprazole exhibited efficacy similar to that of other antipsychotic drugs and a better safety profile than that of typical (i.e., less some extrapyramidal side effects) and atypical (i.e., less metabolic changes) antipsychotic drugs.

Exploring the Quality of Systematic Reviews on Pharmacist Interventions in Patients With Diabetes: An Overview.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies on pharmacist interventions in patients with diabetes. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive literature search was performed in MEDLINE, Scopus, and LILACS databases for systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies published from January 1990 to June 2013. The standardized search strategy included the use of MeSH terms or text words related to pharmacist interventions, diabetes, and systematic reviews. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: The overview included systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish that evaluated the effect of pharmacist intervention on outcomes for diabetic patients. Two independent authors performed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment with a consensus process to address disagreements. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) and Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklists were used to assess reporting characteristics and methodological quality, respectively. DATA SYNTHESIS: The literature search yielded 101 records of potential interest, of which 7 satisfied the inclusion criteria. The total average (SD) for PRISMA and AMSTAR scores were 17.4 (5.6) out of 27 and 6.9 (2.0) out of 11, respectively. The most frequent problems included nonregistration of study protocol, absence of a list of excluded studies, and unclear acknowledgment of conflicts of interests. CONCLUSION: The reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies were suboptimal, with some areas needing further improvement. It is necessary to ensure better transparency and reproducibility in the literature of clinical pharmacy services for diabetic patients.

HTA criteria adopted in different models of public healthcare systems for orphan drugs: A scoping review.

Access to drugs for rare diseases constitutes a challenge to healthcare systems, especially those with public funding. This study aimed to map and summarize the criteria used by HTA agencies in different healthcare systems to evaluate reimbursement recommendations for orphan drugs. A comprehensive literature search was performed on the databases PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, and Embase and the gray literature (Google Scholar and websites of HTA agencies). Publications addressing the criteria used by HTA agencies in countries with public healthcare systems when evaluating reimbursement recommendations for orphan drugs were included. This scoping review included 23 studies published between 2014 and 2023, mostly consisting of reviews of HTA reports, guidance documents, and original articles. The criteria were mapped from 19 countries and ranked within three models of healthcare systems (National Health System, National Health Insurance, and Social Health Insurance). All models shared concerns about unmet needs and disease nature. In addition, NHS countries (e.g., United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy) prioritized innovation and system-level impact, while SHI countries (e.g., Germany, France, the Netherlands) usually valued budget impact and employed expedited evaluation processes. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the general tendencies of each healthcare system model in establishing differentiated criteria to address the challenges posed by the limited evidence and investment in the field of rare diseases.

Assessment of the implementation of pharmacist prescribing: Challenges and pathways for ambulatory practice.

BACKGROUND: Prescribing by pharmacists is an increasingly common practice worldwide. In Brazil regulation of this practice began in 2013, and the practice remains unexplored as a research topic. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore and gain insights into pharmacist prescribing practices in Brazil and assessing pharmacist's perceptions of their training and preparedness to prescribe medications. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2022 and March 2023 via convenience sampling. Data were collected using an online questionnaire covering sociodemographic issues, academic training, prescribing practices, and perceptions regarding the provision of pharmacist prescribing in ambulatory care. Exploratory descriptive analysis and Poisson regression were performed to estimate the associations between pharmacist characteristics and their practices in prescribing medicines. RESULTS: Among the 305 valid responses, 58.7% of the outpatient pharmacists stated that they had not prescribed any medication in the previous three years. Over-the-counter medication prescriptions were most common (42.0%). Only 4.6% of respondents had prescribed prescription-only medicines provided through collaborative agreement, with 2.6% reporting that they had adjusted doses, and 2.3% played a role in prescription renewal. Pharmacists living in Northeast regions tended to be more active prescribers (PR = 1.42; 95%CI 1.03-2.18), whereas those in primary healthcare (PR = 0.61; 95%CI 0.39-0.96) and self-declared Black pharmacists (PR = 0.30; 95%CI 0.10-0.97) prescribed less. Respondents strongly believed in the pharmacist's role as a prescriber, although they remained ambivalent regarding their responsibility for patient outcomes. Progress barriers include infrastructure gaps and strained relationships with physicians. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that pharmacists in Brazil predominantly prescribe over-the-counter medications, and variations in setting, region, and race can influence prescribing by pharmacist in ambulatory care.

Medications Adverse Effects on Voice: Comparison Between Different Sources of Information.

INTRODUCTION: The analysis of drugs with adverse effects on voice provides relevant data for the vocal clinic. It is essential that professionals involved in voice care are aligned on the topic of voice pharmacovigilance in order to understand adverse effects from safe and reliable sources. OBJECTIVES: To compare the voice adverse effects of self-reported medications by dysphonic individuals in different sources of information. METHODS: Descriptive and analytical study based on self-reported active ingredients by dysphonic individuals and their adverse effects on voice listed in Electronic Database of the National Health Surveillance Agency of Brazil (Anvisa). Adverse effects were comparatively analyzed between the Anvisa's Electronic Database and information from the Micromedex and UpToDate databases. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics that compared the three sources researched in relation to the number of adverse effects and in relation to the occurrence of adverse effects to the voice. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the databases regarding the occurrence of adverse effects of cough, dyspnea, xerostomia, vomiting and hoarseness, with a higher occurrence in the UpToDate database. The UpToDate database showed a statistically significant difference in the amount of drug effects compared to the Anvisa database (P < 0.001, d = 0.744) and compared to the Micromedex database (P < 0.001, d = 0.598), and in the two cases the mean number of drug effects was higher for the UpToDate database. CONCLUSIONS: UpToDate proved to be the most suitable source to complement the data from the medication package inserts at the time of the speech-language pathology assessment. It is recommended that professionals from all countries involved in voice care seek additional evidence-based sources of information to gain access to accurate and up-to-date data on adverse effects of drugs on voice.

Pharmacists' contribution to benzodiazepine deprescribing in older outpatients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Consolidated and reliable evidence regarding the effectiveness of pharmacist interventions for deprescribing benzodiazepines in older outpatients is lacking. AIM: This study evaluated and summarized the impact of pharmacist interventions on benzodiazepine deprescribing among older outpatients. METHOD: A literature search was conducted until August 2022 in PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. The review included randomized controlled trials that assessed the impact of pharmacist interventions on deprescribing benzodiazepine in older outpatients. Two independent investigators conducted the study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effect models in the RStudio software. RESULTS: A total of 893 records were identified. Five studies, including 3,879 patients, met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. All five studies used health education as an intervention strategy, and three also conducted medication reviews. There was no evidence of the pharmacist's authority to modify prescriptions during benzodiazepine deprescribing. One study was classified as having a low risk of bias, whereas the other had some concerns or a high risk of bias. Three studies were included in the meta-analysis and a significant impact of pharmacist interventions on benzodiazepines deprescribing rates in older outpatients was observed (RR = 2.75 [95%CI 1.29; 5.89]; p = 0.04; I2 = 69%; low certainty of evidence). CONCLUSION: Pharmacists may contribute to deprescribing benzodiazepines in older outpatients. Further studies are needed to increase the reliability of these findings. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022358563.

[Does the pharmaceutical industry interfere in the sustainability of the public health system in Brazil? A reflection on the pressure for the incorporation of medicines]. / A indústria farmacêutica interfere na sustentabilidade do sistema de saúde pública no Brasil? Uma reflexão sobre a pressão por incorporação de medicamentos.

The objective is to analyze the contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to the sustainability of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS), based on the pressure for the incorporation of medicines. For this purpose, a descriptive study was conducted on requests for the incorporation of medicines sent to Commission for Incorporation of Technologies in the SUS (CONITEC) from 2012 to 2020. Characteristics such as technology indication, economic evaluation, financing component, public consultation, and CONITEC decision were analyzed. The results were compared according to the type of solicitor using statistical tests. 514 requests were analyzed, of which 438 related to incorporation. The pharmaceutical industry accounted for 37% of the requests and 33.5% of the incorporations. Differences were observed between the solicitors regarding the type of economic evaluation and incremental cost-utility ratio value, with half of the industry's demands above the threshold of 3 PIB per capita/QALY. The pharmaceutical industry obtained more contributions in public consultations of its requests and presented concentration of requests for antineoplastic and immunomodulatory agents and for anti-infectious, especially for hepatitis C and HIV. There was also a lower number of demands from the pharmaceutical industry in the Basic and Strategic Components of Pharmaceutical Assistance. Our findings point to the tension between the significant participation of the industry as an applicant, the high mobilization of public consultations, the emphasis on Specialized Component drugs, and CONITEC's resistance to this pressure, with a tendency of greater refusal and greater participation of other solicitors in requests for expansion of use, exclusion, and incorporation of drugs that are less requested by the pharmaceutical industry.

O objetivo foi analisar a contribuição da indústria farmacêutica na sustentabilidade do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), a partir da pressão pela incorporação de medicamentos. Para tanto, foi realizado estudo descritivo das solicitações de incorporação de medicamentos enviadas à Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologias no SUS (CONITEC) entre 2012 e 2020. Foram analisadas características como a indicação da tecnologia, avaliação econômica, componente de financiamento, consulta pública e decisão da CONITEC. Os resultados foram comparados segundo o tipo de demandante por teste estatístico. Foram analisadas 514 solicitações, sendo 438 referentes à incorporação. A indústria farmacêutica foi responsável por 37% das solicitações e 33,5% das incorporações. Foram observadas diferenças entre os demandantes quanto ao tipo de avaliação econômica e ao valor de razão custo-utilidade incremental, com metade das demandas da indústria acima do limiar de 3 PIB per capita/QALY. A indústria farmacêutica obteve mais contribuições nas consultas públicas de suas solicitações e apresentou concentração das solicitações em agentes antineoplásicos e imunomoduladores e em anti-infecciosos, sobretudo, para hepatite C e HIV. Também notou-se menor quantidade de demandas da indústria farmacêutica nos Componentes Básico e Estratégico da Assistência Farmacêutica. Os achados apontam o tensionamento entre a expressiva participação da indústria como solicitante, alta mobilização em consultas públicas e ênfase em medicamentos do Componente Especializado e a resistência da CONITEC a essa pressão, com tendência de maior recusa e maior participação de outros solicitantes nos pedidos de ampliação de uso, exclusão e incorporação de medicamentos menos requisitados pela indústria farmacêutica.

El objetivo fue analizar la contribución de la industria farmacéutica a la sostenibilidad del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS), con base en la presión por la incorporación de medicamentos. Para ello, se realizó un estudio descriptivo de las solicitudes de incorporación de medicamentos enviadas a Comisión de Incorporación de Tecnologías en el SUS (CONITEC) entre el 2012 y el 2020. Se analizaron características como la indicación de tecnología, evaluación económica, componente de financiación, consulta pública y decisión de la CONITEC. Los resultados se compararon según el tipo de demandante por prueba estadística. Se analizaron 514 solicitudes, de las cuales 438 se refieren a la incorporación. La industria farmacéutica fue responsable del 37% de las solicitudes y del 33,5% de las incorporaciones. Se observaron diferencias entre los demandantes en cuanto al tipo de evaluación económica y al valor de la relación costo-utilidad incremental, con la mitad de las demandas de la industria por encima del umbral de 3 PIB per cápita/QALY. La industria farmacéutica obtuvo más contribuciones en las consultas públicas de sus solicitudes y presentó una concentración de solicitudes en agentes antineoplásicos e inmunomoduladores y en antiinfecciosos, especialmente para hepatitis C y VIH. También se constató una menor cantidad de demandas de la industria farmacéutica en los Componentes Básicos y Estratégicos de la Asistencia Farmacéutica. Los hallazgos apuntan a la tensión entre la expresiva participación de la industria como solicitante, alta movilización en las consultas públicas y énfasis en los medicamentos del Componente Especializado y la resistencia de CONITEC a esta presión, con una tendencia de mayor negativa y mayor participación de otros solicitantes en las solicitudes de ampliación del uso, exclusión e incorporación de medicamentos menos requeridos por la industria farmacéutica.

Factors Associated With Use of Medications for Anxiety and Depression in Pharmacy Students in Brazil.

Objective. To map undergraduate pharmacy students' use of medications for anxiety and depression and associated factors at one university in Brazil.Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July 2019 among undergraduate pharmacy students at one university. Data regarding sociodemographic issues and the use of psychotropics were collected using an online questionnaire. Exploratory descriptive analysis of data, the chi-square test, and multivariate binary logistic regression were performed to identify factors associated with the use of medications for anxiety and depression.Results. Of 900 students enrolled, usable survey responses were received from 198. Most respondents were female with a mean age of 22.3 years. Among these, 17.7% of pharmacy students used medications to treat anxiety and 13.1% used medications for depression. The most common psychotropics were escitalopram and fluoxetine. There were two peak usage times: the initial and final year of pharmacy school. Dissatisfaction with the pharmacy program and psychological care were significantly associated with the use of medications for anxiety. In contrast, monthly income from three to 15 times the minimum wage, religiosity/spirituality, and psychological care were associated with students' use of medications for depression.Conclusion. There was a high prevalence of medication use to treat anxiety and depression among undergraduate pharmacy students, and this use was associated with psychological care, monthly income, and religiosity/spirituality.

Association Between Intra-Hospital Uncontrolled Glycemia and Health Outcomes in Patients with Diabetes: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.

BACKGROUND: Many people are still getting affected by uncontrolled glycemic events during hospital admission, which encompasses hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and high glycemic variability. INTRODUCTION: Primary studies have shown an association of glycemic dysregulation with increased length of hospital stay and mortality among overall patients, however, there is no systematic review of current evidence on the association between uncontrolled in-hospital glycemia in patients with diabetes and health outcomes. This study aimed to systematically review the current evidence on the association between uncontrolled in-hospital glycemia in patients with diabetes and health outcomes. METHODS: The association between glycemic dysregulation and health outcomes for inpatients with diabetes was systematically reviewed. PubMed, Embase, and LILACS databases were searched. Two independent reviewers were involved in each of the following steps: screening titles, abstracts, and fulltexts; assessing the methodological quality; and extracting data from included reviews. Descriptive analysis method was used. RESULTS: Seven cohort studies were included, and only two had a prospective design, consisting of 7,174 hospitalized patients with diabetes. In-hospital occurrence of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and glycemic variability were assessed, and outcomes were mortality, infections, renal complications, and adverse events. Among the exposure and outcomes, an association was observed between severe hypoglycemia and mortality, hyperglycemia and infection, and hyperglycemia and adverse events. CONCLUSION: In-hospital uncontrolled glycemia in patients with diabetes is associated with poor health outcomes. More studies should be conducted for proper investigation because diabetes is a complex condition. Effects of glycemic dysregulation should be investigated on the basis of overall health of a patient instead from only organ-target perspective, which makes the investigation difficult.

Incorporation of drugs for rare diseases in Brazil: is it possible to have full access to these patients? / Incorporações de medicamentos para doenças raras no Brasil: é possível acesso integral a estes pacientes?

This study aims to describe the profile for the requested incorporation of rare disease drugs submitted to CONITEC and its recommendations, comparing the incorporation criteria employed by other HTA agencies globally. To this end, requests for the treatment of rare diseases submitted to CONITEC from July 2012 to June 2019 and its recommendations to the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) were included in this study. Subsequently, we compared the criteria used by CONITEC and other HTA agencies to incorporate these drugs. Sixty medicine incorporation requests to treat thirty rare diseases were submitted to CONITEC. Pharmaceutical companies made the most requests (66%). Budget impact analyses were presented in 85% of the requests and HT economic analyses in 68%. A total of 52% of the requests were incorporated into the SUS. CONITEC's justifications for the non-incorporation were the lack of quality clinical evidence, non-cost-effective technologies, and modest clinical benefits that do not justify the high prices. International HTA agencies (CAN, UK, FR, AUS) use different criteria for rare diseases assessments. The data indicate that most of the evaluated drugs were incorporated into the SUS, and adopting different criteria to assess the incorporation of rare diseases medicines will possibly strengthen decision-making.

Descrever o perfil de solicitações de incorporação de medicamentos para doenças raras (DR) enviadas à Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologias no SUS (CONITEC) e suas recomendações, comparando critérios usados para incorporação com outras agências de avaliações de tecnologias em saúde (ATS) no mundo. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as solicitações submetidas à CONITEC e suas recomendações ao SUS, de julho de 2012 a junho de 2019, para tratamento de DR. A seguir, foi feita comparação dos critérios utilizados pela CONITEC e por outras agências de ATS para incorporação destes medicamentos. Houve 60 solicitações de incorporação para 30 DR à CONITEC. A maioria das solicitações (66%) foi feita por indústrias farmacêuticas. Análises de impacto orçamentário foram apresentadas em 85% das solicitações e análises econômicas de tecnologias em saúde em 68% delas. Trinta e duas (52%) do total de avaliações foram incorporadas ao SUS. As justificativas da CONITEC para a não incorporação foram ausência de evidência clínica, tecnologias não custo-efetivas e modestos benefícios clínicos que não justificam o preço. Agências de ATS internacionais (UK, FR, CAN, AUS) usam critérios diferenciados para avaliações de DR. Os dados apontam que a maioria dos medicamentos avaliados foi incorporada ao SUS e que a adoção de critérios diferenciados para avaliação da incorporação de medicamentos para DR possivelmente trará robustez à tomada de decisão.

Development and validation of key performance indicators for medication management services provided for outpatients.

BACKGROUND: One of the elements of quality improvement of medication management services is measuring the quality of care and key performance indicators (KPIs) can be used in this assessment. There has been no publishing yet about a KPI instrument developed for ambulatory setting. OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate KPI instrument for medication management services provided for outpatients in Brazilian context. METHODS: A working group established 7 possible KPIs for assessment of the expert panel. For content validity, 16 experts were invited to participate in an internet based 2-round Delphi approach. Expert panel rated 7 possible KPIs using 7 attributes on a 5-point Likert scale for consensus. In order to construct validity and reliability, an internet questionnaire was developed for pharmacists that work in primary care to understand their views. In addition, a comparison between expert and pharmacist views about the indicators relevance was performed. RESULTS: Eleven (68.8%) experts participated in the Delphi round 1 and nine (81.8%) experts completed the 2 Delphi rounds. A new KPI was develop after expert panel assessment in the first round. Overall, content and construct validity were reached for 6 KPIs: pharmaceutical consultation provided (I1), pharmacist interventions accepted by the prescriber (I2), drug therapy problems resolved (I3), patient clinical status (I4), patient satisfaction (I5), and patient quality of life (I6). CONCLUSIONS: A set of 6 KPIs was developed for medication management services provided for outpatients. The instrument presented a good reliability and validity evidence. It is expected that these KPIs will improve the quality of medication management services.

Pharmacist-Patient Communication in Prostate Cancer as a Strategy to Humanize Health Care: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists require effective communication skills to enhance involvement in patient care. Nevertheless, there are few qualitative studies exploring "how" pharmacist-patient communication occurs and none targets patients with cancer. OBJECTIVE: To describe the perceptions of outpatients with prostate cancer regarding the communication process during clinical pharmacy service in a community pharmacy. METHODS: A qualitative study was performed from semistructured interviews with 10 patients. These interviews were audiotape-recorded and transcribed comprehensively, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. The validation of the categories and registration units was made by 2 independent authors and reviewed by a third author. RESULTS: Three categories were established from the content analysis (general perceptions of the pharmacist-patient communication, potentialities of effective communication, and points for improvement). Communication is a complex process and involves, in addition to information exchange, the sharing of thoughts, desires, and fears. Our findings hold that effective communication skills by pharmacist can help patients validate their concerns, develop a trusting patient-pharmacist relationship, address drug therapy problems, and lead to better health outcomes. CONCLUSION: Pharmacist-patient communication is an important strategy for humanized practice. This allows the pharmacist to see beyond an individual with health problems to a human being with particularized needs.

Pharmacist-participated medication review in different practice settings: Service or intervention? An overview of systematic reviews.

INTRODUCTION: Medication review (MR) is a pharmacy practice conducted in different settings that has a positive impact on patient health outcomes. In this context, systematic reviews on MR have restricted the assessment of this practice using criteria such as methodological quality, practice settings, and patient outcomes. Therefore, expanding research on this subject is necessary to facilitate the understanding of the effectiveness of MR and the comparison of its results. AIM: To examine the panorama of systematic reviews on pharmacist-participated MR in different practice settings. METHODS: A literature search was undertaken in Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Embase, PubMed, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases through January 2018 using keywords for "medication review", "systematic review", and "pharmacist". Two independents investigators screened titles, abstracts, full texts; assessed methodological quality; and, extracted data from the included reviews. RESULTS: Seventeen systematic reviews were included, of which sixteen presented low to moderate methodological quality. Most of reviews were conducted in Europe (n = 7), included controlled primary studies (n = 16), elderly patients (n = 9), and long-term care facilities (n = 8). Seven reviews addressed MR as an intervention and thirteen reviews cited collaboration between physicians and pharmacists in the practice of MR. In addition, thirteen terminologies for MR were used and the main objective was to identify and solve drug-related problems and/or optimize the drug use (n = 11). CONCLUSION: There is considerable heterogeneity in practice settings, population, definitions, terminologies, and approach of MR as well as poor description of patient care process in the systematic reviews. These facts may limit the comparison, summarization and understanding of the results of MR. Furthermore, the methodological quality of most systematic reviews was below ideal. Thus, international agreement on the MR process is necessary to assess, compare and optimize the quality of care provided.

Interface entre a saúde mental de crianças e adolescentes e a atuação clínica do farmacêutico: um estudo qualitativo / The interface between child and adolescent mental health and clinical pharmacy: a qualitative study / Interfaz entre la salud mental de niños y adolescentes y la actuación clínica del farmacéutico: un estudio cualitativo

O estudo objetivou analisar a percepção do farmacêutico sobre a sua atuação clínica em Centros de Atenção Psicossocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSi). Foi realizado estudo qualitativo, por meio de entrevistas on-line individuais e semiestruturadas com seis farmacêuticas de CAPSi. As entrevistas foram gravadas, transcritas, analisadas e categorizadas segundo o método de análise de conteúdo. As categorias temáticas foram "Equipe multidisciplinar e as diferentes formas de produção de cuidado", "Inserção do farmacêutico no serviço", "Aspectos que se relacionam ao uso de psicofármacos" e "Nuances do trabalho farmacêutico em rede na infância e adolescência". Os resultados mostram uma gradual mudança de paradigma da atuação do farmacêutico em direção ao cuidado da pessoa em sofrimento mental, culminando em ampla atuação na equipe multidisciplinar. Apesar disso, foi apontada a necessidade de documentos que guiem a atuação clínica deste profissional com o público infantojuvenil.(AU)

This study analyzes pharmacists' perceptions of clinical pharmacy in child and adolescent psychosocial care centers (CAPSi). We conducted a qualitative study with six pharmacists working in CAPSis using online semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, analyzed, and categorized using content analysis. The thematic categories were: "Multidisciplinary team and different forms of care delivery"; "The integration of pharmacists into services"; "Aspects linked to the use of psychotropic drugs"; and "The nuances of the network-based approach to pharmaceutical care for children and adolescents". The findings show a gradual shift in the paradigm of clinical pharmacy towards care for people with mental suffering, culminating in pharmacists playing a broad role within a multidisciplinary team. However, the results also highlight the need for documents that provide guidance on pharmaceutical care for children and adolescents.(AU)

El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la percepción del farmacéutico sobre su actuación clínica en Centros de Atención Psicosocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSi). Se realizó un estudio cualitativo, por medio de entrevistas online individuales y semiestructuradas con seis farmacéuticas de CAPSi. Las entrevistas se grabaron, transcribieron, analizaron y categorizaron según el método de análisis de contenido. Las categorías temáticas fueron: Equipo multidisciplinario y las diferentes formas de producción de cuidado"; "La inserción del farmacéutico en el servicio"; "Aspectos relacionados con el uso de psicofármacos"; y "Los matices del trabajo farmacéutico en red en la infancia y adolescencia". Los resultados muestran un cambio gradual de paradigma de la actuación del farmacéutico en dirección hacia el cuidado de la persona en sufrimiento mental, culminando en una amplia actuación en el equipo multidisciplinario. A pesar de ello, se señaló la necesidad de documentos que guíen la actuación clínica de este profesional con el público infantojuvenil.(AU)