Evaluation of a Hospital Pharmacist Annual Competency Program.

The purpose of this project was to evaluate a pharmacist annual competency evaluation (PACE) program for pharmacists at a single site. The results of this evaluation will be utilized to understand the effectiveness of PACE and provide suggestions for programmatic improvement. The primary outcome of this study was to evaluate the change in pharmacist composite self-efficacy (PSE) scores before and 1 month after the PACE program.

Predicting Maintenance Doses of Vancomycin for Hospitalized Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis.

Background: Methicillin-resistant is a leading cause of death in patients undergoing hemodialysis. However, controversy exists about the optimal dose of vancomycin that will yield the recommended pre-hemodialysis serum concentration of 15-20 mg/L.

Objective: To develop a data-driven model to optimize the accuracy of maintenance dosing of vancomycin for patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Factors influencing vancomycin loading dose for hospitalized hemodialysis patients: prospective observational cohort study.

Background: The increasing use of vancomycin to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has resulted in reduced susceptibility of MRSA to this drug. It is important to optimize vancomycin dosing in patients who are undergoing hemodialysis to attain a pre-hemodialysis serum concentration sufficient to eradicate MRSA, in accordance with recent guideline recommendations.

Objectives: To establish the optimal strategy for vancomycin loading dose in patients undergoing hemodialysis and to explore the determinants of pre-hemodialysis serum concentration of vancomycin measured in these patients.

Pancreatic enzyme products: digesting the changes.

Objective: To review the pharmacology, dosage regimens, efficacy, and safety of currently marketed pancreatic enzyme products (PEPs).

Data Sources: Studies were identified by PubMed (1966-January 2011), clinicaltrials.gov, fda.

Prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Objective: To review the literature on the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in adults.

Data Sources: Literature retrieval was accessed through MEDLINE (1966-December 2006) using the terms postoperative nausea and vomiting, prevention and treatment. Article references were hand-searched for additional relevant articles and abstracts.