Mitapivat: A Quinolone Sulfonamide to Manage Hemolytic Anemia in Adults With Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency.

Background: Pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency is a rare enzyme-linked glycolytic defect resulting in mild-to-severe chronic persistent erythrocyte hemolysis. The disease is an autosomal recessive trait caused by mutations in the PK liver and red blood cell gene characterized by insufficient erythrocyte PK activity. PK deficiency is most diagnosed in persons of northern European descent and managed with packed red blood cell transfusions, chelation, and splenectomy with cholecystectomy.

Pharmacist telehealth in an underserved urban population with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: During the pre-vaccine months of the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists providing comprehensive medication management to underserved patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at an urban Federally Qualified Healthcare Center shifted to telephone-based telehealth.

Objectives: This retrospective, observational cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of clinical pharmacist telehealth while identifying associations between patient characteristics and efficacy measures.

Methods: Patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥ 8%) with a clinical pharmacist visit between April 1 and August 31, 2020, were included.

Evaluation of group concept mapping during advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

Background And Purpose: Concept mapping is an active learning tool associated with meaningful learning. In the pharmacy education literature, most evaluations of concept mapping focused solely on students' perceptions of mapping without evaluating its effectiveness on students' ability to apply the information learned. This article describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of group concept mapping during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) by evaluating both application of the knowledge gained and students' reflections on the process.

Cost savings impact of a pharmacist-initiated teleservice program for Medicare Part D reviews.

Objectives: To (a) determine potential cost savings of a pharmacy outreach teleservice program conducting Medicare Part D plan reviews for a large population of beneficiaries allowing for comparison of multiple preferences; and (b) explore client demographic comparisons, plan features, and stratification by cost and number of medications.

Methods: Retrospective cohort evaluation of a Medicare D review service during open enrollment period (October 15 to December 7, 2012). Reviews were conducted at a university-based pharmacy outreach program in Massachusetts and completed by pharmacists (17%), case managers (52%), and students (31%).

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in medically ill patients: a mixed treatment comparison meta-analysis.

The American College of Chest Physicians guidelines recommend unfractionated heparin (UFH), low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) or fondaparinux for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), in medically-ill patients. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been evaluated relative to enoxaparin for VTE prophylaxis though head-to-head comparisons of these agents are lacking. Therefore, we conducted a mixed treatment comparisons meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of established treatments and DOACs for VTE prophylaxis in medically-ill patients.

Acute Pancreatitis Associated With Antipsychotic Medication: Evaluation of Clinical Features, Treatment, and Polypharmacy in a Series of Cases.

Background: Antipsychotic-associated acute pancreatitis presents like pancreatitis from other causes, requiring clinical judgment, tests, and decision support to establish the diagnosis. Many new cases of atypical antipsychotic pancreatitis have been established, and current decision supports are out of date as antipsychotic polypharmacy is being recognized. Given the population frequency of psychosis and frequency of antipsychotic prescribing, we reviewed published cases summarizing common clinical findings and antipsychotics associated with acute pancreatitis to updating earlier decision support.

Evaluation of oral anticoagulants for the extended treatment of venous thromboembolism using a mixed-treatment comparison, meta-analytic approach.

Purpose: Target-specific oral anticoagulants (apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran) are widely available for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Although analyses comparing these agents to placebo or warfarin exist, direct comparisons of these agents for extended VTE treatment have not been conducted. Therefore, this network meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of VKA and target-specific oral anticoagulants for extended VTE treatment using a mixed-treatment comparison, meta-analytic approach.

Evaluation of antiplatelet agents for secondary prevention of stroke using mixed treatment comparison meta-analysis.

Background: The current guidelines recommend various antiplatelet agents used alone or in combination for secondary prevention of noncardioembolic stroke.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct a mixed treatment comparison meta-analysis to determine which antiplatelet or combination of antiplatelet agents is most efficacious and tolerable in patients with prior stroke.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in MEDLINE (1945 through March 2012), EMBASE (1974 through March 2012), and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry (1975 through April 2012) to identify randomized trials evaluating the role of various antiplatelet agents and combinations for the secondary prevention of stroke.

Partnering for health: collaborative leadership between a community health center and the YWCA central Massachusetts.

Background: A collaborative partnership among community-based organizations (CBOs)-a community-health center, a YWCA, and 2 academic health centers-developed and implemented open access to physical activity for health center patients.

Objective: To describe partnership approach taken by 2 CBOs; determine staffs' views of this unique partnership, highlight aspects of the partnership that contributed to its success, identify challenges and mechanisms for overcoming them, and note lessons learned. Assess health center patients' use of YWCA facility.

Pharmacy student impact on inappropriate prescribing of acid suppressive therapy.

Objective: To examine the impact that having pharmacy students on internal medicine patient care teams had on inappropriate prescribing of acid suppressive therapy (AST).

Methods: In this observational cohort study, internal medicine patients who received care from teams with a pharmacy student were compared to patients who received care from teams without a pharmacy student. The primary endpoint was proportion of patients on inappropriate AST.

Correlation of inhibition of platelet aggregation after clopidogrel with post discharge bleeding events: assessment by different bleeding classifications.

Aims: To correlate inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) with bleeding events assessed by TIMI, GUSTO, and BleedScore scales in a large cohort of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischaemic stroke (IS) treated with chronic low-dose aspirin plus clopidogrel. Data from recent trials and registries suggest a link between increased risk of bleeding and cardiovascular mortality. However, the potential association of bleeding risk and IPA is not established.

Post-PharmD industry fellowship opportunities and proposed guidelines for uniformity.

The focus of this paper is to examine the surge in the development of post-PharmD industry fellowships (ie, pharmacy fellowship programs sponsored by the biopharmaceutical or pharmaceutical industry). These post-PharmD training programs do not fit the currently accepted definition of a pharmacy fellowship; therefore, the authors propose a new and distinct definition to encompass these fellowships. The authors provide program examples to showcase the establishment of the post-PharmD industry fellowship institutional centers.

Meta-analysis of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in medically Ill patients.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in medically ill patients has received a level 1A recommendation in previously published clinical guidelines. Pharmacologic prophylaxis for VTE includes unfractionated heparin (UFH), low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), and fondaparinux. Few direct comparisons between anticoagulants exist in medically ill patients.

Platelet inhibitors in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes and percutaneous coronary intervention: glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, clopidogrel, or both?

The role of glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists remains controversial and these agents are infrequently utilized during non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS) despite American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines. Despite recommendations, the NRMI-4 (National Registry of Myocardial Infarction 4) and CRUSADE (Can rapid risk stratification of unstable angina patients suppress adverse outcomes with early implementation of the ACC/AHA guidelines?) registries observed that only 25%-32% of eligible patients received early Gp IIb/IIIa therapy, despite a 6.3% absolute mortality reduction in NRMI-4 and a 2% absolute mortality reduction in CRUSADE.

Statin-related adverse events: a meta-analysis.

Background: The absolute frequencies of adverse events (AEs) between statins and placebo are very low in clinical trials, making clinical interpretation and application difficult.

Objectives: This meta-analysis was intended to synthesize the collective AE data observed in prospective randomized clinical trials to facilitate clinical interpretation.

Methods: Using the search terms atorvastatin, simvastatin,pravastatin, rosuvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, prospective trial, and randomized trial, the MEDLINE/EMBASE and the Cochrane Collaboration databases were reviewed for prospective randomized primary and secondary prevention trials of statin monotherapy.

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors for lowering elevated levels of C-reactive protein.

Purpose: Clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of therapy with hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors for reducing elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and associated coronary events are reviewed.

Summary: Atherosclerotic plaque growth may be attenuated with therapy aimed at minimizing inflammation. Because increased levels of CRP have been associated with arterial-wall inflammation, statins can prevent ischemia by both inhibiting deposition of lipids and decreasing inflammation.

Using personal digital assistants to document pharmacist cognitive services and estimate potential reimbursement.

The use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) to document pharmacist cognitive services and estimate potential reimbursement was studied. Between September 2001 and February 2002, four pharmacy residents and four clinical pharmacists used PDAs for documenting cognitive services. Interventions recorded on paper during the same six-month period one year earlier were reviewed for comparison.