Impact of a pharmaceutical care intervention on blood pressure control in a chain pharmacy practice.

Background: Hypertension affects over 50 million Americans, with only 50% of patients being adequately controlled. Several pharmacist counseling and pharmacist-physician comanagement studies have documented that community pharmacist interventions improve blood pressure (BP) management.

Objective: To determine whether community pharmacists can improve clinical endpoints including hypertension control, drug therapy dosing, adherence to prescribed regimens, adverse drug reaction incidence, patient understanding, response to therapy, and quality-of-life.

Key articles and guidelines for the prevention of venous thromboembolism.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important medical problem that affects millions of patients each year. With appropriate prophylaxis, many of these thromboembolic events can be prevented. Although strong evidence supporting VTE prophylaxis spans several decades, several large American and global registries have documented very poor use of appropriate prophylaxis.

Increased cardiovascular risk with second-generation antipsychotic agent switches.

Objective: To model the risk of long-term, adverse cardiovascular events after switching from one second-generation antipsychotic medication (SGA) to another in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

Data Sources: PubMed from 1985 to 2004 using the search terms atypical antipsychotics, obesity, weight, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, lipids, second generation antipsychotics, antipsychotic agents, schizophrenia, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular risk factors.

Study Selection: By the authors.

Influence of coagulation factor, vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1, and cytochrome P450 2C9 gene polymorphisms on warfarin dose requirements.

Introduction: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether variability in warfarin dose requirements is determined by common polymorphisms in genes whose products are involved in the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of warfarin, namely, the coagulation factors, vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1), and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9.

Methods: Patients (N = 350) receiving stable doses of warfarin at 3 consecutive visits were enrolled, and a deoxyribonucleic acid sample was collected. Samples were genotyped for polymorphisms in the factor II, factor VII, factor X, VKORC1, and CYP2C9 genes.

Depressive symptoms in coronary artery disease patients after hypertension treatment.

Background: Depression is highly prevalent and frequently recurs in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension. Certain medications used to treat hypertension are alleged to be associated with higher risk of depression.

Objective: To compare depressive symptoms before and during treatment with 2 equivalent hypertension treatment strategies in patients with CAD stratified according to a self-reported history of physician-diagnosed depression.

Rosuvastatin: a high-potency HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor.

Objective: To summarize the relevant pharmacologic, clinical, and safety data regarding rosuvastatin (Crestor--AstraZeneca), the most recently marketed 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor approved for the treatment of dyslipidemia.

Data Sources: Medline search from years 1990 thru 2005 using the keywords HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, hypercholesterolemia, lipid-lowering agents, rosuvastatin, and statins.

Study Selection: Review articles, clinical trials, case reports, abstracts, and data on file from the manufacturer concerning rosuvastatin and other statins were considered for inclusion.

Cholesterol: point-of-care testing.

Objective: To review the literature regarding point-of-care (POC) cholesterol monitors and describe their role in pharmacy practice.

Data Sources: Primary articles were identified by a MEDLINE search (1966-May 2003); references cited in these articles provided additional resources.

Study Selection And Data Extraction: All of the articles identified from this search were reviewed, and all information deemed relevant was included.

Home blood pressure monitoring: point-of-care testing.

Objective: To review the literature regarding point-of-care blood pressure monitoring and describe its role in pharmacy practice.

Data Sources: Primary articles were identified by a MEDLINE search (1966-May 2003); references cited in these articles provided additional resources.

Study Selection And Data Extraction: All articles identified from this search were reviewed and all information deemed relevant was included in this article.

Comparison of dobutamine versus milrinone therapy in hospitalized patients awaiting cardiac transplantation: a prospective, randomized trial.

Background: The use of dobutamine or milrinone for inotropic support in patients with heart failure awaiting cardiac transplantation is largely arbitrary and based on institutional preference. The costs and effectiveness of these drugs have yet to be compared in a prospective, randomized study.

Methods: We compared clinical outcomes and costs associated with the use of dobutamine or milrinone in 36 hospitalized patients awaiting cardiac transplantation.

Managing hyperlipidemia: current and future roles of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

The current and future roles of statins as antilipemic agents for the prevention and management of coronary artery disease (CAD) are reviewed. Therapy with hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) substantially reduces total cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. Large clinical trials have documented the efficacy of statin therapy for both primary and secondary prevention of CAD.