The Fundamentals of Antiseizure Medications: A Through Z.

Since bromides were first used in 1857 to treat epilepsy, numerous antiseizure medications (ASM) have been developed. Many of these are available for the treatment of epilepsy and status epilepticus today. With so many ASM available, questions arise as to whether all of these medications are needed and when should they be used.

Medical Cannabis Received by Patients According to Qualifying Condition in a US State Cannabis Program: Product Choice, Dosing, and Age-Related Trends.

Background: Little is known about the distribution of cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to patients participating in state medical cannabis programs. The Minnesota cannabis program requires third-party testing of products with limited formulations of cannabis for distribution to patients.

Objective: To characterize the distribution of cannabis products, their CBD/THC content, and dosing among patients with qualifying conditions.

Assessing pharmacy students' baseline tolerance for ambiguity, burnout, empathy, quality of life, and stress.

Introduction: Several factors may affect student wellbeing, including tolerance for ambiguity, burnout, empathy, quality of life, and stress. A better understanding of how pharmacy students score on these scales relative to other health professional students could help educators and schools address and improve student wellbeing. The study objective was to determine a baseline measure of pharmacy student tolerance for ambiguity, burnout, empathy, quality of life, and stress.

Inclusion of the Pharmacist Patient Care Process in Doctor of Pharmacy Curricula.

With the inclusion of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP) in the most recent Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards, institutions must determine how best to vertically and horizontally integrate and assess the PPCP in the curriculum. The objective of this study was to identify the breadth and depth of PPCP implementation as well as faculty involvement in teaching the PPCP at ACPE-accredited institutions. A survey to address the study objectives was developed, piloted, and distributed electronically to all US pharmacy institutions in candidate or accredited status.

Moving out of disciplinary silos - Integration of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process.

Introduction: In order to better delineate the specific roles of the pharmacist in generating positive health outcomes, pharmacy programs have incorporated the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP). However, there has been limited integration in disciplines outside of pharmacy practice.

Perspective: This article makes the case that schools need to commit to fully integrating the PPCP that is inclusive of all disciplines.

Multitargeting the sleep-pain interaction with pharmacological approaches: A narrative review with suggestions on new avenues of investigation.

The multimorbidity formed by sleep disturbances and pain conditions is highly prevalent and has a significant impact in global health and in the socioeconomic system. Although different approaches have been directed toward its management, evidence regarding an optimal treatment is lacking, and pharmacological options are often preferred. Health professionals (e.

Pharmacy Education Needs to Address Diagnostic Safety.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education frame patient safety from the perspective of medication management, which is also the current focus of pharmacy education and training. With the growing appreciation that diagnostic errors represent an urgent and actionable patient safety concern, the National Academy of Medicine has recommended diagnostic safety training for all health care professions. The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine has worked with an interprofessional consensus group to identify a set of 12 key competencies necessary to achieve diagnostic quality and safety that focuses on individual, team-based, and system-related competencies.

Iron supplements in nursing home patients associated with reduced carbamazepine absorption.

Unlabelled: Persons in nursing homes receive a number of medications that may interfere with the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine (CBZ). The aim of our study was to determine factors that may affect the pharmacokinetics of CBZ in elderly nursing home patients.

Methods: CBZ concentration data collected from 60 nursing homes across the US were evaluated.

AACP Special Taskforce White Paper on Diversifying Our Investment in Human Capital.

The 2015-2017 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Special Taskforce on Diversifying our Investment in Human Capital was appointed for a two-year term, due to the rigors and complexities of its charges. This report serves as a white paper for academic pharmacy on diversifying our investment in human capital. The Taskforce developed and recommended a representation statement that was adapted and adopted by the AACP House of Delegates at the 2016 AACP Annual Meeting.

Factors in Variability of Serial Gabapentin Concentrations in Elderly Patients with Epilepsy.

Objectives: To characterize and quantify the variability of serial gabapentin concentrations in elderly patients with epilepsy.

Methods: This study included 83 patients (age ≥ 60 yrs) from an 18-center randomized double-blind double-dummy parallel study from the Veterans Affairs Cooperative 428 Study. All patients were taking 1500 mg/day gabapentin.

Pharmacokinetics and Saturable Absorption of Gabapentin in Nursing Home Elderly Patients.

Pharmacokinetic data of gabapentin (GBP) in community-dwelling elderly patients show a significant effect of advanced age on GBP pharmacokinetics due to altered renal function. However, there are no data in elderly nursing home (NH) patients to evaluate gabapentin absorption and elimination. Our objective was to characterize the pharmacokinetics of GBP in elderly nursing home patients maintained on GBP therapy.

Strategies and steps fostering the success of medication management services in community pharmacies.

Objectives: To identify and describe the steps and strategies that community pharmacies with established medication management services have used to integrate medication management services into their practice settings.

Design: Qualitative case study with semistructured interviews and focus groups.

Setting: Community pharmacy organizations in Minnesota.

Safety of an intravenous formulation of lamotrigine.

Purpose: Intravenous (IV) formulations are useful when treating patients where oral administration is not possible and to study certain pharmacokinetic parameters such as bioavailability. We developed a stable-labeled IV formulation of lamotrigine (LTG) for studying pharmacokinetics in epilepsy patients.

Methods: Stable-labeled IV LTG was given to 20 persons with epilepsy (6 men; 14 women) with a mean age of 34.

A flowchart for selecting an ointment base.

Unlabelled: OBJECTIVES. To improve students' skills in selecting appropriate ointment bases through the development and implementation of a flowchart.

Design: A flowchart was designed to help students select the appropriate base for an ointment.

A pharmacotherapy capstone course to advance pharmacy students' clinical documentation skills.

Objective: To implement and assess the effectiveness of a capstone pharmacotherapy course designed to integrate in-class curriculum using patient cases and drug-information questions. The course was intended to improve third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' clinical documentation skills in preparation for beginning advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).

Design: This 2-credit, semester-long course consisted of 6 patient cases and 12 drug-information questions posted electronically on an Internet-based medical chart, a public health presentation, a knowledge examination, and an objective standardized performance assessment.

Variability of carbamazepine and valproate concentrations in elderly nursing home residents.

Purpose: Measuring antiepileptic drug (AED) concentrations is common practice in nursing homes. Phenytoin (PHT) concentrations fluctuate substantially in many nursing home residents under constant dose conditions; however, the stability of other AED concentrations has not been studied. We investigated the variability of carbamazepine (CBZ) and valproate (VPA) concentrations under constant dose conditions in US nursing home residents.

A sensitive capillary GC-MS method for analysis of topiramate from plasma obtained from single-dose studies.

Topiramate (Topamax®) is an antiepileptic medication used as adjunctive and monotherapy in patients with epilepsy and for migraine prophylaxis. A GC-MS assay was developed that was capable of detecting topiramate plasma concentrations following a single rectal or oral dose administration. Topiramate plasma samples were prepared by solid-phase extraction and were quantified by GC-MS analysis.

Safety of an IV formulation of carbamazepine.

An intravenous formulation of carbamazepine (CBZ) was administered to 113 (60 male; 53 female) persons with epilepsy aged 19-87 years. Subjects received 100mg of study drug as replacement for 100mg of their usual morning dose of CBZ. There were no significant changes in blood pressure or heart rate suggesting that this formulation can be developed as replacement therapy for persons unable to take oral CBZ.

Population pharmacokinetics of valproic acid concentrations in elderly nursing home residents.

The objective of this study was to identify factors that affect valproic acid (VPA) apparent clearance (CL/F) in elderly nursing home residents. Inclusion criteria included residency in a nursing home for at least 2 months, aged 65 years or older, a stable dosing regimen of VPA for at least 4 weeks, VPA concentration, and complete dosing information. CL/F was analyzed by a nonlinear mixed effects model.

Carbamazepine dose-concentration relationship in elderly nursing home residents.

Purpose: To describe the dose-concentration relationships of carbamazepine (CBZ) in elderly nursing home residents and the effect of sex, age, and type of co-medications.

Results: This is a cross-sectional study of elderly (> or = 65 years) nursing home residents across the United States (N=92). Data collection was from 1 June 1998 to 31 December 2000.

Integration of an Internet-based medical chart into a pharmacotherapy lecture series.

Objectives: To integrate an Internet-based medical chart (IMC) system into a pharmacotherapy course to facilitate evaluation and feedback processes, foster development of written documentation skills, and prepare pharmacy students for future changes in electronic medical documentation systems.

Design: An IMC system was introduced into a pharmacotherapy course for third-professional year pharmacy students and 4 "finish the SOAP note" activities were added to the curriculum. Students' performance on the SOAP notes were assessed by a team of evaluators.

Valproic acid doses, concentrations, and clearances in elderly nursing home residents.

VPA daily dose and total VPA concentrations for 146 elderly (> or =65 years) nursing home residents collected from June 1998 to December 2000 in homes located throughout the United States are presented. Average age was 78.5+/-8.

Phenytoin use in elderly nursing home residents.

Background: Phenytoin (PHT) dosing regimens are often determined based on experience in those aged <65 years rather than in those aged >or=65 years.

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the impact of sex, age, receipt of concomitant inhibitors or inducers of PHT metabolism, and albumin levels on doses and total serum concentrations of PHT in elderly nursing home residents.

Methods: Consulting pharmacists to nursing homes located throughout the United States collected data from June 1998 to December 2000.

Divalproex-ER pharmacokinetics in older children and adolescents.

Valproic acid pharmacokinetic profile and tolerability after administration of divalproex sodium extended-release tablets was characterized in older children and adolescents. In this multiple-dose, open-label, pharmacokinetic study, the patients were divided into two age groups, 8-11 years (older children; n = 15) and 12-17 years (adolescents; n = 14). Once-daily administration of divalproex sodium extended-release tablets (doses ranged from 250 to 1750 mg) in older children and adolescents produced relatively flat plasma valproic acid concentration-time profiles over the entire 24-hour dosing interval, similar to the pharmacokinetic performance of this formulation in adults.