This investigation pinpointed several alterations in patient interactions with community pharmacy services during the pandemic. Community pharmacists can apply these findings to improve patient care strategies during and after this public health event.
Patient care transitions mark a vulnerable stage in treatment, susceptible to unintended shifts in therapy. Ineffective communication about patient details often results in medication errors. Pharmacists' influence on patient care transitions is considerable; however, their experiences and professional roles are seldom addressed in the existing medical literature. A greater understanding of how British Columbian hospital pharmacists perceive the hospital discharge process and their contributions was sought by this study. To gain a deeper understanding of British Columbia hospital pharmacists' perspectives, a qualitative study using focus groups and key informant interviews was conducted between April and May 2021. Interview questions, encompassing inquiries about frequently investigated interventions, were designed based on a comprehensive literature review. selleck compound Following transcription, thematic analysis of interview sessions was conducted using NVivo software and manual coding. The research employed three focus groups with a total of 20 participants, as well as a single key informant interview. From the data, six major themes were recognized: (1) diverse perspectives; (2) the critical roles of pharmacists during patient discharge; (3) strategies for patient education; (4) obstacles hindering optimal discharge processes; (5) proposed strategies for addressing these obstacles; and (6) establishing priorities for intervention. Despite pharmacists' vital role in facilitating patient discharge, practical limitations, including inadequate resources and staffing, often prevent them from reaching their full potential. A deeper comprehension of pharmacists' opinions and insights on the discharge procedure is critical for strategizing the allocation of finite resources and guaranteeing patients receive superior care.
Pharmacy schools face the challenge of designing and facilitating experiential learning environments for their student pharmacists within the context of complex health systems. The incorporation of clinical faculty practices within health systems, designed to expand student placements, sometimes results in faculty prioritizing individual clinical experience over the development of experiential learning opportunities throughout the site. The experiential liaison (EL), a novel clinical faculty position established at the school's largest health system partner, will prioritize improving the quantity and quality of experiential learning opportunities in the academic medical center (AMC). Homogeneous mediator The University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science (SSPPS) critically analyzed the landscape to identify suitable preceptors, structured preceptor development programs, and facilitated high-quality experiential learning opportunities on-site through the implementation of the EL position. Since the EL position was established, student placement at the site amounted to 34% of SSPPS's experiential placements by 2020. Preceptors overwhelmingly agreed or strongly agreed on the clarity of SSPPS's curriculum, school expectations, the correct utilization of assessment tools for evaluating student performance during rotations, and the methods for providing feedback to the school. The collaborative relationship between the school and hospital is further enhanced by the routine and effective preceptor development programs. Establishing a clinical faculty position focused on experiential learning within a healthcare system presents a viable approach for schools to augment hands-on training opportunities for their students.
An elevated dosage of ascorbic acid may contribute to an increased risk of phenytoin toxicity. Elevated phenytoin levels, a potential adverse effect of co-administering high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid) for coronavirus (COVID) prevention, are documented in this case report. The patient's phenytoin medication running low prompted a severe seizure. Initiation of phenytoin, followed by subsequent high-dose AA administration, caused truncal ataxia, falls, and bilateral wrist and finger extension weakness. The cessation of Phenytoin and AA treatments enabled the patient to return to their baseline state. This was achieved through a new medication regimen featuring lacosamide and gabapentin, keeping major seizures at bay for twelve months.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a crucial therapeutic strategy, plays a key role in preventing HIV infection. PrEP's most recently approved oral agent is Descovy. Even with PrEP's availability, at-risk individuals continue to demonstrate suboptimal use of this preventative measure. Emphysematous hepatitis Disseminating health information, including education about PrEP, is an aspect of the role played by social media platforms. Content analysis procedures were used to examine Twitter posts posted during Descovy's initial year of FDA approval for PrEP. Encoded within the Descovy coding structure were specifics regarding indication, optimal application, financial aspects, and safety characteristics. Data on the Descovy target patient group, the dosage strategy, and its side effects were a prominent feature in the majority of the collected tweets. Information concerning costs and the proper application was often lacking. To ensure patients are well-informed when considering PrEP, health educators and providers should be diligent in identifying and addressing any inadequacies in social media messaging concerning this.
Health inequities disproportionately affect individuals residing in primary care health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Community pharmacists, being healthcare professionals, have the opportunity to cater to the needs of underserved populations. The comparison of non-dispensing services provided by Ohio community pharmacists in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and non-HPSA areas constituted the study's objective.
A 19-item, IRB-approved, electronic survey was distributed to all Ohio community pharmacists actively engaged in full-county HPSAs and a randomly selected group in other counties (n=324). Current non-dispensing services were evaluated in terms of provision, and the questions also considered the interest and obstructions.
The survey garnered seventy-four usable responses, equivalent to a 23% response rate. Non-HPSA respondents demonstrated a stronger tendency to identify their county's HPSA status than those within an HPSA, a statistically significant finding (p=0.0008). A statistically significant difference (p=0.0002) existed in the provision of 11 or more non-dispensing services across pharmacies, with those situated outside of HPSAs exhibiting a higher likelihood of offering such services compared to those within HPSAs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a substantial disparity in the initiation of new non-dispensing services was found between respondents in non-HPSA and full HPSA counties. Approximately 60% of respondents in non-HPSA areas started new services, in contrast to 27% in full HPSA counties (p=0.0009). Among the most frequently reported hindrances to offering non-dispensing services, both county types identified insufficient reimbursement (83%), problematic workflows (82%), and inadequate space (70%) as key concerns. Respondents expressed a keen interest in expanding their understanding of public health and collaborative practice agreements.
While HPSAs often require a range of non-dispensing services, community pharmacies located within full-county HPSAs in Ohio demonstrated a decreased tendency to provide these services or to develop new service offerings. To improve access to care and health equity, the obstacles to community pharmacists providing more non-dispensing services in HPSAs need to be overcome.
While the need for non-dispensing services is significant in HPSAs located throughout Ohio counties, community pharmacies within such full-county HPSAs demonstrated a reduced likelihood of offering or implementing novel services. Improving access to care and health equity in HPSAs hinges on addressing barriers to enable community pharmacists to expand their provision of non-dispensing services.
Service-learning projects, guided by student pharmacists and designed for community engagement, generally incorporate health education and promote the pharmacy profession. Community-based projects frequently prioritize the perceived needs of residents, often neglecting the vital input of crucial community stakeholders in the planning process. This paper provides student organizations with a roadmap for project planning, emphasizing the importance of collaborative partnerships with local communities to produce meaningful and sustainable outcomes.
A mixed-methods approach will be used to quantify the impact of an emergency department simulation on the interprofessional team skills and attitudes of pharmacy students. During a simulated emergency department event, interprofessional teams, comprised of pharmacy and medical students, actively participated. The two rounds of the same encounter were divided by a brief debriefing session, a collaborative effort of the pharmacy and medical faculty. The second round concluded, and a full, comprehensive debriefing session immediately followed. Pharmacy students underwent evaluation by the pharmacy faculty, utilizing a competency-based checklist after each simulation round. Pre-simulation, pharmacy students assessed their interprofessional skills and attitudes; post-simulation, they repeated the assessment. Pharmacy students demonstrated a substantial rise in their ability to communicate clearly and concisely in interprofessional verbal exchanges and in using shared decision-making for creating a collaborative care plan, as evidenced by student self-assessment and faculty observation. The perceived growth in student contributions to the team's care plan, as indicated by self-assessments, was significant, as was the demonstration of active listening skills within the interprofessional team. Pharmacy students utilized qualitative analysis to document perceived self-improvement in a wide variety of team-based skills and attitudes, including confidence, critical analysis, role definition, communication, and self-perception.