Identification of High-Yield Targets for Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Efforts Within a Nonfreestanding Children's Hospital.

Objectives: Identify diagnoses with the highest likelihood of prompting antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) recommendations and lowest probability of recommendation acceptance, investigate the impact of provider years in practice on recommendation receipt and acceptance, and simultaneously assess the influence of patient and provider-level variables associated with recommendations within a nonfreestanding children's hospital.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of antibiotic courses reviewed by the ASP staff from December 1, 2014 to November 30, 2016. Poisson regression was used to detect associations between diagnoses, provider years in practice, and the probability of recommendation receipt and acceptance.

Implementation and Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at a Non-freestanding Children's Hospital.

Objectives: Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) have been associated with improvements in antibiotic utilization and patient outcomes; however, ASP studies originating from non-freestanding children's hospitals are lacking. In this study, we present the implementation and impact of a multidisciplinary ASP that employs a collaborative physician and pharmacist driven thrice-weekly prospective audit-with-feedback approach at a non-freestanding children's hospital.

Methods: Implementation was assessed via descriptive design.

Efficacy of clonidine versus phenobarbital in reducing neonatal morphine sulfate therapy days for neonatal abstinence syndrome. A prospective randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of clonidine versus phenobarbital in reducing morphine sulfate treatment days for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Study Design: Prospective, non-blinded, block randomized trial at a single level III NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Eligible infants were treated with a combination of medications as per protocol.

Drug shortages as an impetus to improve parenteral nutrition practices.

Purpose: A medical center's implementation of adult and pediatric parenteral nutrition (PN) algorithms and other strategies for managing PN ingredient shortages are described.

Summary: In response to nationwide shortages of amino acids and other PN ingredients in 2010, a large Massachusetts teaching hospital undertook a quality-improvement initiative to ensure appropriate patient selection for PN therapy. A clinical pharmacist was designated as a nutrition support leader with responsibility for the management of PN practices.

Impact of pharmacy student and resident-led discharge counseling on heart failure patients.

Purpose: Many health systems have implemented interventions to reduce the rate of heart failure readmissions. Pharmacists have the training and expertise to provide effective medication-related education. However, few studies have examined the impact of discharge education provided by pharmacy students and residents on patients hospitalized with heart failure exacerbations.