Pharmacy technician involvement in community pharmacy medication therapy management.

Objectives: To assess the impact of technician involvement on the completion of medication therapy management (MTM) services in a community pharmacy setting and to describe pharmacists' and technicians' perceptions of technician involvement in MTM-related tasks and their satisfaction with the technician's role in MTM.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting And Participants: In the fall of 2015, pharmacists and selected technicians from 32 grocery store-based community pharmacies were trained to use technicians within MTM services.

SMN Blood Levels in a Porcine Model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Background: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive motor neuron disease that results in loss of spinal motor neurons, muscular weakness and, in severe cases, respiratory failure and death. SMA is caused by a deletion or mutation of the SMN1 gene and retention of the SMN2 gene that leads to low SMN expression levels.The measurement of SMN mRNA levels in peripheral blood samples has been used in SMA clinical studies as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for response to therapies designed to increase SMN levels.

Prevalence of antipsychotic prescriptions among patients with anxiety disorders treated in inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings.

Background: An increasing number of prescribers are using antipsychotics for treatment of anxiety disorders, despite lack of FDA-approved indications and mixed efficacy results from clinical trials. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of antipsychotics prescription in psychiatric inpatients and outpatients with anxiety disorders.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of de-identified data from patients with a DSMIV-TR anxiety disorder diagnosis in an academic psychiatric setting in 2013.

Pharmacotherapy in Conjunction with a Diet and Exercise Program for the Treatment of Weight Recidivism or Weight Loss Plateau Post-bariatric Surgery: a Retrospective Review.

Background: Bariatric surgery is an effective therapeutic option for management of obesity. However, weight recidivism (WR) and weight loss plateau (WLP) are common problems. We present our experience with the use of two pharmacotherapies in conjunction with our standard diet and exercise program in those patients who experienced WR or WLP.

Magnetic resonance imaging fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence signal reduction after endoscopic endonasal transcribiform total resection of olfactory groove meningiomas.

Background: Olfactory groove meningiomas grow insidiously and compress adjacent cerebral structures. Achieving complete removal without further damage to frontal lobes can be difficult. Microsurgical removal of large lesions is a challenging procedure and usually involves some brain retraction.

Effect of pulmonary hypertension on survival in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after lung transplantation: an analysis of the United Network of Organ Sharing registry.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a comorbidity associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). There is limited research regarding the effect on survival after lung transplantation (LTx).

Methods: To assess the effect of PH on survival in patients with IPF who received LTx, the United Network for Organ Sharing was queried for eligible patients with recorded mean (PAmean) and systolic (PAsystolic) pulmonary artery pressure.

Survival benefit of induction immunosuppression in cystic fibrosis lung transplant recipients.

Background: Despite resistant microbes, induction immunosuppression is used in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) undergoing lung transplantation (LTx).

Methods: To evaluate the effect of induction immunosuppression on survival, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) was queried restricting analysis to transplant patients 6-55years old from 2001 to 2012, who received induction agents (INDUCED) or did not (NONE).

Results: A total of 1721 CF patients who underwent LTx were included in the analysis; of these 791 (46%) were INDUCED.

Impact of pulmonary hypertension on survival in patients with cystic fibrosis undergoing lung transplantation: an analysis of the UNOS registry.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a comorbidity reported in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) with research limited to single-center studies.

Methods: To assess the impact of PH in patients with CF who received a lung transplant (LTx), the United Network for Organ Sharing was queried from 1987 to 2012, restricting analysis to transplant patients 6-55 years old between 1/1/2005 and 7/6/2011.

Results: Of 23,951 lung transplants, 1177 met inclusion criteria with 831 having mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) data available.

A contemporary analysis of induction immunosuppression in pediatric lung transplant recipients.

There is an increasing trend in the use of induction immunosuppression in children undergoing lung transplantation (LTx). To evaluate the effect of this practice on survival, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) was queried from 1987 to 2012, restricting analysis to transplant patients 6-17 years old from 2001 to 2012, who received no induction (NONE) or induction (INDUCED) with the contemporary agents of basiliximab, alemtuzumab, thymoglobulin, antilymphocyte globulin (ALG), or antithymocyte globulin (ATG). Of 23 951 lung transplants, 330 met inclusion criteria with 177 (54%) being INDUCED.