Concordance between pharmacy dispensing and electronic monitoring data of direct oral anticoagulants - A secondary analysis of the MAAESTRO study.

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants are the preferred treatment for stroke patients with atrial fibrillation. Pharmacy dispensing data represent a practical method to identify suboptimal medication adherence.

Objective: This study investigates whether pharmacy dispensing data are indicative of real-life adherence behavior, using data from 130 patients in the MAAESTRO study (2018-2022) in Basel, Switzerland.

Practices and Barriers in Developing and Disseminating Plain-Language Resources Reporting Medical Research Information: A Scoping Review.

Background: The intent of plain-language resources (PLRs) reporting medical research information is to advance health literacy among the general public and enable them to participate in shared decision-making (SDM). Regulatory mandates coupled with academic and industry initiatives have given rise to an increasing volume of PLRs summarizing medical research information. However, there is significant variability in the quality, format, readability, and dissemination channels for PLRs.

Relationship between electronically monitored adherence to direct oral anticoagulants and ischemic or hemorrhagic events after an initial ischemic stroke-A case control study.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have a high risk for recurrent clinical events after an ischemic stroke. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are prescribed for secondary prevention. Adherence to DOAC is crucial mainly because of their short elimination half-life.

Inconclusiveness of psychometric testing of medication adherence questionnaires.

Purpose: To propose a paradigm change for the validation procedures of medication adherence questionnaires.

Methods: A total of 121 validation procedures of unique questionnaires for medication adherence were analyzed.

Results: "Construct validity" and "internal consistency" were most often assessed, and test results varied largely.

Initiation of oral hepatitis C virus treatment: Which barriers are pertinent for ambulatory individuals with a history of illicit substance use? A qualitative interview study.

Background And Aims: The World Health Organization has set a goal to eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV) by the year 2030. Nonadherence to HCV treatment has substantial economic implications due to high treatment costs, among others. Barriers to start HCV treatment may be critical.

Adherence Monitoring Package (AMoPac) in patients suspected of non-response to antihypertensive treatment: perceived usefulness by general practitioners.

Background: Non-adherence to antihypertensive agents is common, mainly because of the low perceived burden of high blood pressure. General practitioners (GPs) are unable to predict whether patients are adhering to a recommended treatment. Knowledge about adherence might be of clinical interest in patients non-responding to antihypertensive treatment.

Knowledge and attitudes of German and Swiss community pharmacists towards biologicals and biosimilars - a prospective survey before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Knowledge, attitudes and substitution laws of biosimilars are not consistent across countries. Biosimilar acceptance among patients and healthcare professionals may be suffering from gaps in knowledge and understanding about biosimilars and their regulatory approval process. Pharmacists' roles and responsibilities changed considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Development and validation of the 15-STARS - A novel self-report pharmacy-based questionnaire to screen for medication non-adherence.

Background: Published scales measuring medication adherence are myriad. There is a need for a tool that guides towards downstream adherence interventions.

Objective: To develop and validate a self-report questionnaire able to detect modifiable determinants of medication non-adherence.

Intake reminders are effective in enhancing adherence to direct oral anticoagulants in stroke patients: a randomised cross-over trial (MAAESTRO study).

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) effectively prevent recurrent ischaemic events in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with recent stroke. However, excellent adherence to DOAC is mandatory to guarantee sufficient anticoagulation as the effect quickly subsides.

Aim: To investigate the effect of intake reminders on adherence to DOAC.

Rescue Analgesia for Opioid-Dependent Individuals on Opioid Agonist Treatment during Hospitalization: Adherence to Guideline Treatment.

Introduction: Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is the first-line treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Simultaneously, opioids are essential medicines in acute pain management. The literature is scarce on acute pain management in individuals with OUD, and guidelines are controversial for patients on OAT.

Development and acceptance of a new adherence monitoring package to identify non-adherent patients with polypharmacy in primary care: a feasibility study.

Background: Adherence to pharmacotherapy is crucial to prevent symptom deterioration in chronic diseases. However, non-adherence to chronic treatments is prevalent, especially in polypharmacy. Practical tools to assess adherence to polypharmacy in primary care are missing.

Renal insufficiency and magnesium deficiency correlate with a decreased formation of biologically active cholecalciferol: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin or supplied. Cholecalciferol is hydroxylated in the liver to 25(OH) vitamin D [25D]. 25D is further hydroxylated in the kidney to 1,25(OH) vitamin D [1,25D].

Towards better reporting of the proportion of days covered method in cardiovascular medication adherence: A scoping review and new tool TEN-SPIDERS.

Although medication adherence is commonly measured in electronic datasets using the proportion of days covered (PDC), no standardized approach is used to calculate and report this measure. We conducted a scoping review to understand the approaches taken to calculate and report the PDC for cardiovascular medicines to develop improved guidance for researchers using this measure. After prespecifying methods in a registered protocol, we searched Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL Plus and grey literature (1 July 2012 to 14 December 2020) for articles containing the terms "proportion of days covered" and "cardiovascular medicine", or synonyms and subject headings.

Community pharmacists' preparedness for substituting biologics and dispensing biosimilars - Lessons learned from a multinational survey.

Interchangeability between biological medicines and biosimilars, and subsequent substitution by pharmacists represent an important opportunity for costs savings for health care systems. Because biological medicines are complex products, the expert role of the pharmacist to inform patients and support physicians is indispensable. However, regulations on substitution of biosimilars differ around the globe, such that a substitution that is allowed in one country may be forbidden in another.

Development and testing of a framework for defining a strategy to address medication adherence during patient encounters in community pharmacies.

Background: Counseling patients on medication adherence could be ameliorated in pharmacy practice. There is a lack of simple and practical strategies to address medication adherence with patients in daily practice. The goal was to develop and test a framework that allows pharmacy teams to define and apply a strategy to address medication adherence in community pharmacies.

Delta T, a Useful Indicator for Pharmacy Dispensing Data to Monitor Medication Adherence.

Introduction: Calculating patients' medication availability from dispensing or refill data is a common method to estimate adherence. The most often used measures, such as the medication possession ratio (MPR), average medication supplies over an arbitrary period. Averaging masks the variability of refill behavior over time.

Communicating Electronic Adherence Data to Physicians-Consensus-Based Development of a Compact Reporting Form.

Information on medication adherence is missing in patient files, although it might be helpful to optimize treatment. An adherence report that presents data from electronic adherence monitoring and provides recommendations regarding pharmacological treatment could close this gap. We aimed to develop an adherence reporting form that combines suitable calculations and graphical representations to facilitate the physicians' interpretation of (non-)adherence.

Vitamin D oral intermittent treatment (DO IT) study, a randomized clinical trial with individual loading regimen.

Comparison of several regimens of oral vitamin D including an individually calculated loading regimen with the aim of achieving serum values > 75 nmol/l. Interventional, randomized, 3-arm study in vitamin D-deficient outpatients. Participants were allocated to supplementation of 24,000 IU vitamin D monthly over three months, using either a monthly drinking solution (Vi-De 3) or capsule (D VitaCaps), or an individualized loading regimen with the capsules taken weekly.

How do elderly outpatients manage polypharmacy including DOAC - A qualitative analysis highlighting a need for counselling.

Background: Patients with polypharmacy are challenged with the management of their daily medication. Medication management strategies for direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are especially important to guarantee medication adherence and to prevent thromboembolic events. Patients are often left alone with finding an appropriate strategy.

Assessing Medication Adherence Barriers to Short-Term Oral Antibiotic Treatment in Primary Care-Development and Validation of a Self-Report Questionnaire (BIOTICA).

Background: Pharmacists are increasingly involved in strategies to fight antimicrobial resistance by ensuring optimised antibiotic (AB) use, including adherence support. Successful adherence interventions should be tailored to patients' barriers and validated instruments are needed. This study aimed to identify adherence barriers to AB treatment, develop a self-report questionnaire, and validate it in outpatients.

Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the adherence of stroke patients to direct oral anticoagulants: a secondary analysis from the MAAESTRO study.

Background: The negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on stroke care has been reported, but no data exist on the influence of the lockdown on medication adherence to antithrombotic treatment for stroke prevention. We present a comparison of electronic adherence data of stroke patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) prior to and during the COVID-19 lockdown in spring 2020 in Switzerland.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis using data from the ongoing MAAESTRO study, in which stroke patients with atrial fibrillation electronically monitor their adherence to DOAC treatment.

Identification of Patients with Cobalamin Deficiency Crucially Depends on the Diagnostic Strategy.

Background: Our goal was to determine vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency with different diagnostic strategies, to propose the best possible laboratory strategy, and to synthesize the relevance of biomarkers in the diagnosis of a cobalamin deficiency.

Methods: We performed a secondary data analysis. The testing strategies were (i) vitamin B12 solely, (ii) holotranscobolamin solely, (iii) vitamin B12 and holotranscobolamin, and (iv) reflex testing of holotranscobalamin in samples with vitamin B12 < 300 pmol.

Who Is Best to Test? A Systematic Review of Chlamydia Infections in Switzerland.

In many countries, community pharmacies provide sexual-health-related services to limit the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia testing. To identify suitable target groups for pharmacy-based chlamydia testing in Switzerland, we aimed to assess chlamydia prevalence, identify risk groups, and delineate screening strategies. We conducted a systematic literature search up to December 2019 in PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, according to the PRISMA guidelines, using as keywords "chlamydia", "screening", and "Switzerland".

Insights Into Direct Oral Anticoagulant Therapy Implementation of Stroke Survivors with Atrial Fibrillation in an Ambulatory Setting.

Objectives: To describe how stroke survivors with atrial fibrillation implement direct oral anticoagulant treatment and propose appropriate metrics to describe adherence.

Materials And Methods: Stroke patients with atrial fibrillation electronically recorded their self-administered direct oral anticoagulants (apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, rivaroxaban) during a 6-month observation phase after hospitalisation for ischemic stroke. Taking and timing adherence, correct dosing days, drug holidays, time of the day and day of the week subsets, dose-to-dose intervals and longest intervals between two consecutive doses were calculated from electronic monitoring data to describe and discuss the implementation phase of adherence.