An Update from the Benchmark Survey of phactMI™ Member Companies on Providing Medical Information in the Digital Space.

Objective: The Pharma Collaboration for Transparent Medical Information (phactMI™) benchmarking survey of 32 pharmaceutical companies describes the use of technology by Medical Information Departments.

Methods: A survey was distributed to phactMI™ member companies in June 2022 and included 79 closed and open-ended questions. The survey's six sections included demographics, chatbot, social media, instant messaging applications, websites, and technology.

Defining Insights.

Background: Insights, when acted upon, can result in positive changes to the business, for HCPs, and ultimately for patients. Medical Information, as a customer facing function, is one of the groups that generate insights. Data and insights across different functions of an organization need to be compiled to provide a comprehensive view.

Medical Information Delivering Improved Customer Experience: A Guide.

Customer experience (CX) is essential in any business. In the pharmaceutical industry, the Medical Information Contact Center is a customer-facing unit that provides evidence-based, scientifically balanced information to healthcare professionals and patients in response to unsolicited inquiries. The purpose of this paper is to provide analysis and guidance for designing and measuring interactions in the Medical Information Contact Center to facilitate the delivery of a superior and continuously improving CX.

Enhancing Patient Care II: The Clinical Impact of Medical Information Services.

Background: Understanding the ways that healthcare providers (HCPs) utilize medical information received from the pharmaceutical industry is important so that the information can be tailored and customized to meet the HCPs needs. Additionally, this understanding supports the value of the information provided. The purpose of this study was to collect opinions of HCPs who recently requested information from a manufacturer's Medical Information (Med Info) Service.

The Medical Information Scientific Process: Define, Research, Evaluate, Synthesize, and Share (DRESS).

Medical information (MI) professionals are primarily responsible for researching and responding to unsolicited requests for information on their company's product(s). In an effort to set a standard for quality, the Pharma Collaboration for Transparent Medical Information (phactMI) created a code of practice for the provision of medical information to healthcare professionals. This code introduced the term "MI science skills" to describe the expertise required to perform the duties of an MI professional.

Preferences for Accessing Medical Information in the Digital Age: Health Care Professional Survey.

Background: Health care professionals (HCPs) routinely have questions concerning the medications they are recommending. There are numerous resources available; however, each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Objective: The purpose of this survey was to gain knowledge of the preferred methods and sources HCPs use to obtain information concerning medications.

Proposed Best Practice Guidelines for Scientific Response Documents: A Consensus Statement from phactMI.

The Medical Information Department of a pharmaceutical manufacturer provides written scientific responses to unsolicited requests from healthcare providers for information on products that extends beyond the product labeling (off-label). These scientific response documents are non-promotional, evidence-based, and scientifically balanced, conforming with internal pharmaceutical manufacturer's procedures and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Draft Guidance on Responding to Unsolicited Requests for Off-Label Information. Members of phactMI™ developed this proposal to offer best practices for content generation of scientific response documents.

Emerging Therapies for Peanut Allergy.

Peanut allergy (PA) is a food allergy that causes an IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity reaction. PA has become an increasing public health burden, with 2% of American children reported to have this condition in 2010. Current guidelines recommend allergen avoidance, patient education, and administration of H antihistamines, β-agonists, or epinephrine based on the severity of reaction.

Presentation of scientific poster information: Lessons learned from evaluating the impact of content arrangement and use of infographics.

Background: Scientific poster content and delivery methodology have evolved in recent years. The objective of this observational cross-sectional survey-based study was to evaluate pharmacists' preferences of two different scientific poster formats conducted at a conference in May 2017. Two posters on the same topic were developed and presented utilizing different formatting; one in the traditional, text-based format and the other in an infographic-based format.

Publish or perish: Success with publication in pharmacy residency training.

Background And Purpose: Pharmacy residency training standards require development of medical writing skills. These skills are fundamental to pharmacy clinicians and scholars alike. Despite this requirement, new practitioners and seasoned clinicians frequently struggle with scholarly development and manuscript generation for a variety of reasons, ranging from lack of experience or familiarity with the process of peer-review submission to time constraints.

Comparison of Postdoctoral Pharmacy Training Programs: Drug Information Residencies and Medical Information Fellowships.

Pharmacy graduates interested in postdoctoral training opportunities in drug information or Medical Information have the option to pursue either a fellowship within the pharmaceutical industry or a clinical residency. Limited resources exist for pharmacy students to gain insight into the differences between drug information (DI) and medical information (MI) training programs. The purpose of this project is to identify available opportunities for postdoctoral training in DI or MI disciplines and to identify similarities and differences between them.

Use of nitroglycerin ointment to treat primary and secondary Raynaud's phenomenon: a systematic literature review.

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is a microvascular condition in which reversible ischemic attacks occur in the extremities. Due to the unpredictable nature of these attacks, pharmacologic agents that can be administered on as-needed basis are currently being sought after. Topical nitrates are well suited for as-needed use, and several different formulations have been studied for the treatment of RP, including ointments, gels, patches, and tapes.

Transdermal estradiol for the management of refractory uremic bleeding.

Purpose: The efficacy and thrombogenicity of transdermal estradiol in the management of refractory uremic bleeding in adults are examined.

Summary: Platelet dysfunction from chronic kidney disease may induce uremic bleeding. This type of bleeding may involve the skin, oral and nasal mucosa, gingivae, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal or urinary tract.

Disaster Preparedness: Biological Threats and Treatment Options.

Biological disasters can be natural, accidental, or intentional. Biological threats have made a lasting impact on civilization. This review focuses on agents of clinical significance, bioterrorism, and national security, specifically Category A agents (anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, and smallpox), as well as briefly discusses other naturally emerging infections of public health significance, Ebola virus (also a Category A agent) and Zika virus.

A Review of the Safety and Efficacy of Vaccines as Prophylaxis for Clostridium difficile Infections.

This review aims to evaluate the literature on the safety and efficacy of novel toxoid vaccines for the prophylaxis of infections (CDI) in healthy adults. Literature searches for clinical trials were performed through MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science using the keywords bacterial vaccines, , and vaccine.

Differentiating predatory scholarship: best practices in scholarly publication.

Objective: The intent of this article is to define predatory publishing, identify the risks and costs associated with publishing scholarship with these types of organizations and to provide recommendations for best practices how a potential author can protect themselves against predatory organizations.

Methods: A thorough review of the literature concerning predatory publishing was conducted and gleaned for best practices along with the authors' experiences.

Key Findings: Pharmacy scholars and researchers worldwide recognize the virtues of the open access (OA) publication system, which is intended to freely disseminate research electronically, stimulate innovation and improve access to scholarship.

Evidence for the Use of Epoprostenol to Treat Raynaud's Phenomenon With or Without Digital Ulcers.

Objective: To review the evidence for using intravenous (IV) epoprostenol to treat Raynaud's phenomenon (RP).

Data Sources: The databases MEDLINE (1946 to March 2016), PubMed, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched using the terms epoprostenol, Flolan, Raynaud's disease, and CREST syndrome. Further literature sources were identified by reviewing article citations.

The role of colesevelam hydrochloride in hypercholesterolemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of colesevelam hydrochloride for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Data Sources: Literature retrieval was accessed through MEDLINE/PubMed (1950-March 2010), Web of Science (1980-March 2010), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1977-March 2010) using the terms colesevelam, dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. References from publications identified were reviewed for additional resources.

Enhancing survival outcomes in the management of patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a collection of clonal myeloid neoplasms characterized by bone marrow failure and cytopenias. Patients classified with higher-risk disease include those with intermediate-2 or high-risk disease as classified by the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS). These patients represent 29% of the MDS population and were originally reported to have a median survival without therapy of only 0.

Use of erythropoietin-stimulating agents in breast cancer patients: a risk review.

Purpose: The treatment of cancer-induced anemia with erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) is reviewed.

Summary: Before the introduction of ESAs, the only treatment option for cancer-related anemia was red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. The use of ESAs in multiple disease states has been well established and is now considered first-line treatment for many forms of anemia.

Treatment of congenital tuberculosis.

Purpose: The diagnosis and treatment of congenital tuberculosis are discussed.

Summary: Congenital tuberculosis is rare and fatal if left untreated. If a pregnant woman with tuberculosis is not treated, infection of the fetus can occur by hematogenous spread through the umbilical cord or by aspiration or ingestion of amniotic fluid.

Future directions in myelodysplastic syndrome: newer agents and the role of combination approaches.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is not a single disease, but a collection of hematopoietic disorders that require newer strategies. Currently, azacitidine, decitabine, and lenalidomide are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of MDS. A recent study demonstrated an improved overall survival (24.

Treatment of complications associated with systemic sclerosis.

Purpose: Current and emerging drug therapy options for patients suffering from the complications of systemic sclerosis are presented.

Summary: Systemic sclerosis is a devastating and rare, chronic, autoimmune disease and is characterized by various disease complications due to skin thickening, vascular damage, and inflammation affecting numerous organs. There are two major subtypes of systemic sclerosis: limited cutaneous scleroderma and diffuse cutaneous scleroderma.

Treatment of viral myocarditis caused by coxsackievirus B.

Purpose: The treatment options for viral myocarditis caused by coxsackievirus B are summarized.

Summary: Myocarditis is a common cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. The most common causes of infectious myocarditis are viruses.