Publications by authors named "Eline Tommelein"
Background: Frailty is associated with increased susceptibility to medication-related harm, highlighting the importance of medication review for frail older adults. Community pharmacists are increasingly involved in the initiation of medication reviews. Yet, current frailty measurement methods are impractical in this setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAttention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has long been considered a concern only in the pediatric population. However, symptoms often sustain into adulthood and may require medication. For women with ADHD, this also means dealing with the disorder during the reproductive period.
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- Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) can interact with other drugs, increasing the risk of bleeding or blood clots, so proper management of these drug-drug interactions (DDIs) is crucial for patient safety.
- A study in 201 Belgian community pharmacies screened DOAC users for DDIs and involved pharmacists contacting doctors for management advice, using a specific DDI list for guidance.
- The study found 875 DDIs among 751 patients, with many resulting in pharmacotherapy changes, showing that active management of DDIs can significantly enhance the safe use of DOACs in at-risk patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the effects of carob bean gum and sodium carboxymethylcellulose as thickening agents in infant formula, highlighting significant increases in viscosity with minor dosage changes.
- Findings indicate that achieving the desired thickness requires careful dosing and preparation, including a recommended 30-minute wait time for optimal thickening with carob bean gum.
- The research underlines the necessity for parents to be educated on proper handling to ensure that the thickened formula meets the infant's feeding needs, taking into account the variability in viscosity and appropriate bottle teat sizes.
Background/aim: Human breast milk is the recommended source of nutrition for infants due to its complex composition and numerous benefits, including a decline in infection rates in childhood and a lower risk of obesity. Hence, it is crucial that environmental pollutants in human breast milk are minimized. Exposure to black carbon (BC) particles has adverse effects on health; therefore, this pilot study investigates the presence of these particles in human breast milk.
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- The study investigates health care providers' knowledge and practices regarding medication use in breastfeeding women during surgical procedures in Flanders, Belgium.
- Many HCPs believe they are knowledgeable about breastfeeding, recognize its benefits, and value its continuation; however, most are not familiar with guidelines for managing surgical cases.
- A knowledge gap exists regarding the use of medications during breastfeeding, highlighting the need for comprehensive guidelines and better training in this area.
Objectives: The availability of new vaccines against COVID-19 urges for guidance about vaccination during lactation. We aimed to review the literature to get an insight into the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on lactating women.
Design: Systematic review.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pregnancy is associated with a higher risk for severe morbidity and mortality when compared with infection in non-pregnant women of childbearing age. An increasing number of countries recommend immunization against SARS-CoV-2 in pregnant women. Recent studies provide preliminary and supportive evidence on safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in pregnant women; however, important knowledge gaps remain which warrant further studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Alcohol and medication use are increasingly prevalent in the older population. Concurrent use of alcohol and alcohol-interactive (AI) medication can lead to significant adverse consequences.
Methods: Three reference works were used to create an explicit list of drug substances for which information about the interaction with alcohol was available in at least one of them.
The utilization of serious games and simulations in health professional education has increased. The Pharmacy Game is one such concept that intersects gamification and simulation, in which pharmacy student teams competitively manage simulated pharmacies; a concept included in the pharmacy curricula of seven international universities. This study aimed to compare the implementation and conduct of the Pharmacy Game of participant universities and their students' performance in the same educational task.
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- The study addressed the rising issue of alcohol and medication use among older adults, highlighting the risks of combining these substances.
- It involved creating a list of 256 medications known to have interactions with alcohol, using multiple reference works and data from older patients living in the community.
- Findings revealed that nearly half of the older patients consumed alcohol regularly, with a significant percentage using medications that could potentially interact negatively with alcohol.
Article Synopsis
- The study surveyed 136 community pharmacies in Belgium to assess nutritional topics in order to enhance pharmacy education.
- A total of 1004 cases were recorded, with food supplements, baby food, and healthy eating being the most frequently discussed topics.
- The findings indicate that pharmacy interns often address nutrition-related queries confidently, highlighting the need for improved nutrition education in healthcare curriculums.
Objective: Explicit screening tools and implicit evaluation methods have been developed to assist healthcare professionals in the management of pharmacotherapy in older adults. As prescribing habits and locally available medications vary considerably between countries, guides tailored to the needs of specific regions may be required. We aimed to report the results of the international Delphi validation study for the Turkish Inappropriate Medication use in the Elderly (TIME) criteria set, which aims to detect inappropriate prescribing in older adults in Eastern Europe.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Reflux occurs in 50% of healthy infants at some point. This is most often a physiological condition and does not require drug treatment. Various studies have shown that the use of drugs affecting gastric acidity (DAGAs) in infants is increasing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs children are unable to make health-related decisions themselves, parents play a central role in consultations with healthcare providers. Parents' perspectives are therefore the focus of this study. Our first aim was to determine parents' expectations of a healthcare visit with a general practitioner and a community pharmacist.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Renal function progressively worsens with age. Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) of renally excreted active drugs (READs) is common in older adults, leading to an increased rate of iatrogenic illness. The Ghent Older People's Prescription community Pharmacy Screening (GheOPS-) tool is an effective, explicit instrument that was developed for community pharmacists (CPs) to detect PIP.
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- A study was conducted in a Belgian hospital to assess the challenges and successes of implementing a pharmacist-led medication review process in the geriatric ward for older patients with polypharmacy.
- The process involved medication reconciliation upon admission, a detailed review using specific criteria, and another reconciliation at discharge, focusing on improving medication appropriateness and communication among healthcare providers.
- Despite positive outcomes, including the detection of numerous drug discrepancies and patient satisfaction, barriers such as time constraints, insufficient trained staff, and inadequate electronic communication platforms were identified.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) among older patients using the GheOP³S tool in community pharmacies.
- A total of 3721 PIP items were identified in 987 patients, with central nervous system medications being the most common culprits.
- Key risk factors for higher PIP prevalence included polypharmacy, female gender, higher body mass index, and poorer functional status, with pharmacists finding the GheOP³S tool feasible but suggesting digitalization for better use.
Article Synopsis
- The GheOP³S-tool was developed to screen for potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in older nursing home residents with polypharmacy.
- A study in Belgium found that a high prevalence of PIP (97% of participants) was detected among 400 nursing home residents, with a median of 4 PIPs per person.
- Common PIPs included excessive use of central nervous system drugs, anticholinergic medications, and insufficient osteoporosis prophylaxis, indicating a need for improved prescribing practices at both patient and institutional levels.
Background: Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) is one of the main risk factors for adverse drug events (ADEs) in older people.
Purpose: This systematic literature review aims to determine prevalence and type of PIP in community-dwelling older people across Europe, as well as identifying risk factors for PIP.
Methods: The PubMed and Web of Science database were searched systematically for relevant manuscripts (January 1, 2000-December 31, 2014).
Background: Ageing of the population often leads to polypharmacy. Consequently, potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) becomes more frequent. Systematic screening for PIP in older patients in primary care could yield a large improvement in health outcomes, possibly an important task for community pharmacists.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The PHARMACOP-intervention significantly improved medication adherence and inhalation technique for patients with COPD compared with usual care. This study aimed to evaluate its cost-effectiveness.
Methods: An economic analysis was performed from the Belgian healthcare payer's perspective.
Background: A protocol-based pharmaceutical care program (the PHARMACOP-protocol) focusing on patient counselling during prescription filling has shown to be effective in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, implementation of this protocol in daily practice has not yet been studied.
Objective: To describe current implementation level of the items included in the PHARMACOP-protocol in Belgian community pharmacies and to evaluate pharmacists' perspectives on the implementation of this protocol in daily practice.
Article Synopsis
- Self-reporting medication adherence using the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5) lacks accuracy according to a study involving patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- A comparison of MARS-5 scores with pharmacy refill records revealed poor correlation, indicating that MARS-5 may not effectively identify patients who are nonadherent to their inhalation medication.
- Overall, the findings suggest that reliance on self-reported measures like MARS-5 is insufficient for accurately assessing medication adherence in clinical practice for COPD patients.