Analysis of Evusheld safety and efficacy in multiple sclerosis patients.

Background: In December 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for the combination monoclonal antibodies tixagevimab and cilgavimab (Evusheld - AstraZeneca) for COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Advanced Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Navigating Payor and Financial Challenges.

Purpose Of Review: In the United Sates the cost of managing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two most common inflammatory bowel diseases, is a major factor that can alter the course of treatment. The increasing use of advanced therapies such as biologics and oral small molecules is a driver of these costs. Many IBD providers find navigating the payor and non-insurance cost assistance processes to be a significant challenge in care management.

Therapeutic Advances in Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system that causes significant disability and healthcare burden. The treatment of MS has evolved over the past three decades with development of new, high efficacy disease modifying therapies targeting various mechanisms including immune modulation, immune cell suppression or depletion and enhanced immune cell sequestration. Emerging therapies include CNS-penetrant Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as well as therapies aimed at remyelination or neuroprotection.

A Collaboration Among Primary Care-Based Clinical Pharmacists and Community-Based Health Coaches.

Background/objectives: Medication discrepancies and adverse drug events are common following hospital discharge. This study evaluates whether a collaboration between community-based health coaches and primary care-based pharmacists was associated with a reduction in inpatient utilization following hospitalization.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using propensity score matching.

Baseline Clearance of Infliximab Is Associated With Requirement for Colectomy in Patients With Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis.

Background & Aims: Hospitalized patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) often require surgery. Although the tumor necrosis factor antagonist infliximab is an effective salvage therapy to prevent colectomy in patients with ASUC, optimal dosing is unclear. Calculated infliximab clearance has been associated with important outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis, but its utility in patients with ASUC has not been established.

Efficacy and safety of simultaneous treatment with two biologic medications in refractory Crohn's disease.

Background: Biologic therapies in patients with Crohn's disease often yield low clinical and endoscopic remission rates. After multiple failed therapies, combining two biologic therapies is possibly the sole medical alternative to recurrent surgery. However, data on this approach are limited.

Physician experiences with clinical pharmacists in primary care teams.

Background: Improving medication management is an important component of comprehensive care coordination for health systems. The Managing Your Medication for Education and Daily Support (MyMeds) medication management program at the University of California Los Angeles addresses medication management issues by embedding trained clinical pharmacists in primary care practice teams.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to examine and explore physician opinions about the clinical pharmacist program and identify common themes among physician experiences as well as barriers to integration of clinical pharmacists into primary care practice teams.

Improving medication management competency of clinical trainees in geriatrics.

The authors hypothesized that an interprofessional workshop would improve geriatrics trainees' medication management. The workshop was based on a needs assessment and comprised an interactive session with pharmacists on managing medications in elderly adults. Participants were trainees in their geriatrics rotation at a tertiary care medical center.