Geographic distribution of United States clinical trial sites utilized for guideline changing studies of cholesterol management.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the geographic distribution of United States (US) clinical trial sites utilizedfor guideline changing studies of cholesterol management. METHODS: Randomized trials evaluating pharmacologic interventions for cholesterol treatment and reporting location data (ie, zip code of trial sites) were identified. Location data was abstracted from ClinicalTrials.gov. RESULTS: Half of US counties were over 30 miles from a study site and, social determinants of health were more favorable in counties with versus without clinical trial sites. CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholders such as regulatory bodies andtrial sponsors should incentivize and support infrastructure that would enable a larger number of US counties to be utilized for clinical trial sites. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Successful Anticoagulation With Warfarin After Switching From Rifampin to Rifabutin.

PURPOSE: A case of a patient receiving warfarin for pulmonary embolism (PE) concomitantly with rifampin for treatment of active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is presented. A successful clinical intervention whereby the patient achieved therapeutic anticoagulation after switching to an alternative rifamycin antibacterial, rifabutin, is described. SUMMARY: The drug-drug interaction between warfarin and rifampin is well known and documented. However, to our knowledge, no case reports of the interaction between warfarin and rifabutin have been published, and literature describing this interaction is lacking. We describe the case of a 27-year-old African American female referred to a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinic for treatment of PE with warfarin. The patient was also being treated for active tuberculosis with rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. Warfarin was initiated and over the course of 1 month was continuously increased to a total weekly dose (TWD) of 140 mg without ever achieving the target international normalized ratio (INR) of 2 to 3. In an attempt to reach the target INR, rifampin was switched to rifabutin to minimize the drug-drug interaction with warfarin. Six days after this switch, the target INR was achieved with a lower warfarin TWD of 115 mg. Rifabutin interacts with warfarin to a lesser degree than rifampin and may be considered as an alternative in patients taking warfarin who require treatment with a rifamycin. CONCLUSION: For patients in whom therapeutic anticoagulation with warfarin has been difficult, the use of rifabutin may be considered in place of rifampin when the concomitant use of a rifamycin is required.

Pharmacists' warfarin therapy knowledge and counseling practices in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

CONTEXT: For several decades, warfarin has been considered the mainstay anticoagulant for patients who require long-term prevention or treatment of thromboembolic disorders in outpatient settings. Hospital and community pharmacists--with adequate knowledge level and counseling skills--can play a significant role in improving warfarin therapy. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the hospital and community pharmacists' warfarin therapy knowledge and counseling practices in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 2 months. A self-administered questionnaire was designed focusing on warfarin mechanism of action, indications, safety profile, management of toxicity, monitoring, drug/food interactions, and patient education. The questionnaire was distributed among a random sample of hospital and community pharmacists in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-three pharmacists participated in the study; ninety-seven of them were hospital-based (63.4%), whereas the remaining were community pharmacists. Participant's mean years' of experience was 5.67. In terms of the percentage of right answers, hospital pharmacists showed significantly better warfarin therapy knowledge than community pharmacists (P = 0.026). The percentages of right answers were 31.3% for drug/food interactions, 49.9% for safety profile/management of toxicity, 53.3% for patient education, and 58.2% for monitoring warfarin safety/efficacy. Neither the participants' educational level nor their duration of experience had a significant correlation with the percentage of right answers (P = 0.22 and 0.61). CONCLUSION: Inadequate knowledge and inappropriate practices were encountered among study participants, especially community pharmacists. Therefore, specialized training of pharmacists about warfarin therapy management is essential to optimize therapeutic outcomes and prevent complications.