Nature and frequency of prescription modifications in community pharmacies: A nationwide study in the Netherlands.

Aims: To investigate the nature and frequency of prescription modifications in Dutch community pharmacies.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Dutch community pharmacists documented prescription modifications in their pharmacy during 1 predetermined day. Pharmacists from all Dutch community pharmacies were invited to participate.

Alignment of CanMEDS-based Undergraduate and Postgraduate Pharmacy Curricula in The Netherlands.

In this article the design of three master programs (MSc in Pharmacy) and two postgraduate specialization programs for community or hospital pharmacist is described. After a preceding BSc in Pharmacy, these programs cover the full pharmacy education capacity for pharmacists in primary and secondary health care in the Netherlands. All programs use the CanMEDS framework, adapted to pharmacy education and specialization, which facilitates the horizontal integration of pharmacists' professional development with other health care professions in the country.

Development of a Postgraduate Community Pharmacist Specialization Program Using CanMEDS Competencies, and Entrustable Professional Activities.

To develop and implement a postgraduate, workplace-based curriculum for community pharmacy specialists in the Netherlands, conduct a thorough evaluation of the program, and revise any deficiencies found. The experiences of the Dutch Advisory Board for Postgraduate Curriculum Development for Medical Specialists were used as a guideline for the development of a competency-based postgraduate education program for community pharmacists. To ensure that community pharmacists achieved competence in 10 task areas and seven roles defined by the Canadian Medical Education Directions for Specialists (CanMEDS), a two-year workplace-based curriculum was built.

Missed drug therapy alerts as a consequence of incomplete electronic patient records in Dutch community pharmacies.

Background: Complete and up-to-date medical and pharmaceutical information in the electronic patient record (EPR) is a prerequisite for risk management in community pharmacy.

Objectives: To analyze which information is missing in the EPR and which drug therapy alerts, therefore, fail to appear.

Methods: Pharmacy students selected patients who were dispensed a prescription drug and enlisted for >3 months in the participating pharmacies.

NSAID-antihypertensive drug interactions: which outpatients are at risk for a rise in systolic blood pressure?

Background: Management guidelines for drug-drug interactions between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antihypertensives recommend blood pressure monitoring in hypertensive patients. We measured the short-term effect of initiating NSAIDs on systolic blood pressure (SBP) in users of antihypertensives, aiming to investigate which outpatients are at risk for an increase in SBP in daily clinical practice.

Design: A cohort study with a nested case-control design in Dutch community pharmacies.

Clarity and applicability of drug-drug interaction management guidelines: a systematic appraisal by general practitioners and community pharmacists in the Netherlands.

Background: Despite the availability and daily use of computerized drug-drug interaction surveillance systems, exposure to potentially relevant drug-drug interactions (DDIs) continues. DDI management guidelines are often inadequate and clear management options are lacking, which attributes to overriding of DDI signals. Although general criteria for the development and reporting of high-quality clinical practice guidelines have been identified, it appears these have not yet been applied to DDI management guidelines.

Documentation quality in community pharmacy: completeness of electronic patient records after patients' first visits.

Background: When patients visit a community pharmacy for the first time, the creation of an electronic patient record (EPR) with relevant and up-to-date data is a prerequisite for adequate medication surveillance and patient counseling.

Objective: To investigate the level of completeness of documentation in the EPR after a patient's first visit to a Dutch community pharmacy.

Methods: In each participating pharmacy, newly enlisted (<3 mo) patients to whom at least one medication had been dispensed were enrolled in this survey.

Compliance with national guidelines for the management of drug-drug interactions in Dutch community pharmacies.

Background: Pharmacists contribute to the detection and prevention of drug therapy-related problems, including drug-drug interactions. Little is known about compliance with pharmacy practice guidelines for the management of drug-drug interaction alerts.

Objective: To measure the compliance of community pharmacists with Dutch guidelines for the management of drug-drug interactions and to determine patient- and prescriber-related determinants for noncompliance.

Clinical risk management in Dutch community pharmacies: the case of drug-drug interactions.

Background: The prevention of drug-drug interactions requires a systematic approach for which the concept of clinical risk management can be used. The objective of our study was to measure the frequency, nature and management of drug-drug interaction alerts as these occur in daily practice of Dutch community pharmacies.

Methods: In total, 63 Dutch pharmacies collected all drug-drug interaction alerts during 153 research days (on average 2.

Disease and intolerability documentation in electronic patient records.

Background: Documentation of diseases and intolerabilities in electronic patient records (EPRs) in pharmacies is needed to produce an alert in case a contraindicated medicine is prescribed. Limited research is available concerning EPRs in pharmacies.

Objective: To study the prevalence and quality of documentation of diseases and intolerabilities in EPRs in a sample of Dutch community pharmacies.

Drug related problems identified by European community pharmacists in patients discharged from hospital.

Introduction: Drug related problems (DRPs) are perceived to occur frequently when patients are discharged from the hospital. Community pharmacists' interventions to detect, prevent and solve DRPs in this population are scarcely studied.

Objective: To examine the nature and frequency of DRPs in community pharmacies among patients discharged from hospitals in several countries, and to examine several variables related to these drug related problems.

Evaluation of the clinical value of pharmacists' modifications of prescription errors.

Aims: Our objective was to examine the clinical value of pharmacists' interventions to correct prescription errors.

Methods: In this study, we reviewed a random sample of prescriptions that had been modified in pharmacies. These prescriptions were collected on one predetermined day between 25th February and 12th March 1999 from 141 Dutch community pharmacies.

Frequency, nature and determinants of pharmacy compounded medicines in Dutch community pharmacies.

Aims: To examine the frequency, nature and determinants of pharmacy compounded medicines in Dutch community pharmacies.

Methods: A prospective nested case-control study comparing prescriptions for pharmacy compounded medicines (cases) with non-pharmacy compounded medicines (controls) was carried out in 79 Dutch community pharmacies. 991 Prescriptions for compounded medicines (cases), dispensed by the pharmacy on a predetermined day in a specific period (29 March until 11 April 2001), and 993 prescriptions for non-compounded medicines (controls) randomly selected on the same day, were studied.

Determinants for successful smoking cessation with bupropion in daily practice.

Objective: To describe the patterns of use of bupropion in daily clinical practice and factors which determine successful smoking cessation.

Methods: Retrospective follow-up study in 36 pharmacies in the Netherlands. Patients who received at least one prescription for bupropion between January and April, 2000 were included.

Drug therapy for prevention of recurrent myocardial infarction.

Objective: To provide an evidence-based overview of drug treatment for long-term secondary prevention of myocardial infarction (MI).

Data Sources: We conducted searches of MEDLINE (1966-August 2002), the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register, and the reference list of each identified study.

Study Selection/data Extraction: Trials and meta-analyses were included using the following criteria: (1) randomized trials, (2) description of identification procedure, inclusion criteria, outcome measures, and statistical methods, (3) confirmed MIs, (4) treatment continued for at least 1 month, and (5) all-cause mortality as primary outcome; other events as secondary outcomes.

Oral antithrombotic use among myocardial infarction patients.

Objective: To examine the use of oral antithrombotics (i.e., antiplatelet agents, oral anticoagulants) after myocardial infarction (MI) in the Netherlands from 1988 to 1998.