Milestones in managed care pharmacy.

Managed care pharmacy has a relatively short history, but one that is defined by significant achievements. Since the late 1960s, managed care pharmacists have applied their unique skills to formulary management, clinical programs, benefit design, and contract negotiations to support patient access to life-saving therapies, while also ensuring cost-effective use of limited health care resources. Key milestones include establishing the pharmacy benefit as an essential component of the U.

Physician Responses to Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Profiles.

Objective: Many states have begun implementing enhancements to PDMP patient profiles such as summaries or graphics to highlight issues of concern and enhance comprehension. The purpose of this study was to examine how physicians respond to sample enhanced PDMP profiles based on patient vignettes.

Design: Brief semistructured interviews with physicians.

Research to support optimization of prescription drug monitoring programs.

Purpose: Research is needed to evaluate the impact of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). This paper describes research priorities for PDMPs that were initially discussed at a 2015 meeting of PDMP administrators, researchers, public health officials, and other stakeholders.

Methods: Meeting participants defined the current landscape of PDMP research and identified research gaps.

Exploring the scope of post-intensive care syndrome therapy and care: engagement of non-critical care providers and survivors in a second stakeholders meeting.

Background: Increasing numbers of survivors of critical illness are at risk for physical, cognitive, and/or mental health impairments that may persist for months or years after hospital discharge. The post-intensive care syndrome framework encompassing these multidimensional morbidities was developed at the 2010 Society of Critical Care Medicine conference on improving long-term outcomes after critical illness for survivors and their families.

Objectives: To report on engagement with non-critical care providers and survivors during the 2012 Society of Critical Care Medicine post-intensive care syndrome stakeholder conference.

Impact of shortages of injectable oncology drugs on patient care.

Purpose: Results of a survey regarding shortages of injectable oncology drugs in U.S. hospitals and health systems are presented.

Impact of drug shortages on U.S. health systems.

Purpose: A study was performed to quantify the personnel resources required to manage drug shortages, define the impact of drug shortages on health systems nationwide, and assess the adequacy of information resources available to manage drug shortages.

Methods: An online survey was sent to the 1322 members of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists who were identified as directors of pharmacy. Survey recipients were asked to identify which of the 30 most recent drug shortages listed affected their health system, to identify actions taken to manage the shortage, and to rate the impact of each shortage.

Adolescents with tracheostomies--communications in cyberspace.

Objective: Social networking sites such as Facebook are popular avenues of social discourse among adolescents and young adults, allowing for communication through photographs, videos, and chat features. These websites are also emerging as portals for health-centered support groups, bringing together people with common medical conditions. Adolescents with tracheostomies represent a special and vulnerable patient population.

Experience of the school-aged child with tracheostomy.

Background: Little is known about the school experience of children with tracheostomy tubes. These children may represent a population that qualifies for special services in school. Understanding how tracheostomy affects school-aged children may provide information needed to develop programs that provide these children with invaluable experiences.