Identifying Medicine Shortages With the Twitter Social Network: Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: Early identification is critical for mitigating the impact of medicine shortages on patients. The internet, specifically social media, is an emerging source of health data.

Objective: This study aimed to explore whether a routine analysis of data from the Twitter social network can detect signals of a medicine shortage and serve as an early warning system and, if so, for which medicines or patient groups.

[Medicines from nature: old fashioned concept or promise for the future?].

Scientific research into natural products has substantially contributed to our current drug armamentarium. This research has yielded numerous novel molecular structures and it has also increased our knowledge of pharmacological mechanisms of action. Moreover, ethnopharmacological studies have regularly shown that the traditional use of a natural product may correlate with the pharmacological action of its components and their derivatives.

Medicine shortages: impact behind numbers.

Introduction: Current research to assess the impact that medicine shortages have on patients is limited to general aspects, such as the prevalence of shortages and product characteristics. The aim of this study is to assess the overall impact that medicine shortages have on economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes.

Methods: A cohort of all known products in shortage in the Netherlands between 2012 and 2015 were characterized by their route of administration, anatomical therapeutic chemical class, and whether they were originator or generic products.

Impact of medicine shortages on patients - a framework and application in the Netherlands.

Background: Medicine shortages are often described in plain numbers, suggesting all shortages have a uniform impact. However, some shortages have a direct and serious effect on patients and need a prompt reaction from stakeholders. This study aims to create a broad framework to assess the impact of a shortage.

Adherence to guideline recommendations for asthma care in community pharmacies: actual and needed performance.

Pharmaceutical care guidelines aim to provide recommendations for pharmaceutical care, reduce unwanted pharmacy practice variation and ultimately improve the quality of healthcare. This study evaluated community pharmacists' adherence to recommendations for the provision of care to asthma patients with first dispensing and follow-up refill encounters in The Netherlands. Data were pharmacists' self-assessment of adherence to guideline recommendations, independent observations of dispensing encounters and a nationwide questionnaire on pharmacists' views on the desirable (clinical) necessity of applying guideline recommendations to their patient population.

Barriers and facilitators for community pharmacists' participation in pharmacy practice research: a survey.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore pharmacists' barriers and facilitators regarding participation in pharmacy practice research.

Methods: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in 1974 community pharmacies in the Netherlands.

Key Findings: A total of 252 pharmacists completed the questionnaire.

Drug Shortages From the Perspectives of Authorities and Pharmacy Practice in the Netherlands: An Observational Study.

Drug shortages are a potential threat to public health. Reliable data on drug shortages is limited. The objective was to examine the extent and nature of potential drug shortages signaled by authorities and pharmacy practice in the Netherlands The primary working systems of Dutch authorities (Medicines Evaluation Board and Health and Youth Care Inspectorate) and the archives of pharmacy practice (Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association) from 2012 to 2015 were searched for number, characteristics, overlap, and date of signals on potential drug shortages.

The effects of substitution of hospital ward care from medical doctors to physician assistants on non-adherence to guidelines on medication prescribing.

Aim: This study determined the effect of substitution of inpatient care from medical doctors (MDs) to physician assistants (PAs) on non-adherence to guidelines on medication prescribing.

Methods: A multicenter matched-controlled study was performed comparing wards on which PAs provide medical care in collaboration with MDs (PA/MD model), with wards on which only MDs provide medical care (MD model). A set of 17 quality indicators to measure non-adherence to guidelines on medication prescribing by PAs and MDs was composed by 14 experts in a modified Delphi procedure.

Prediction of clinically relevant adverse drug events in surgical patients.

Background: Risk stratification of hospital patients for adverse drug events would enable targeting patients who may benefit from interventions aimed at reducing drug-related morbidity. It would support clinicians and hospital pharmacists in selecting patients to deliver a more efficient health care service. This study aimed to develop a prediction model that helps to identify patients on the day of hospital admission who are at increased risk of developing a clinically relevant, preventable adverse drug event during their stay on a surgical ward.

Recognizing and Addressing Limited PHarmaceutical literacy: Development of the RALPH interview guide.

Background: In the context of medication use, pharmaceutical literacy skills are crucial for appropriate and safe use of medication. Recognition of patients with inadequate pharmaceutical literacy in daily pharmacy practice is difficult. No instrument is yet available to support pharmacists herein.

Recognizing pharmaceutical illiteracy in community pharmacy: Agreement between a practice-based interview guide and questionnaire based assessment.

Background: Patients with limited pharmaceutical literacy are at increased risk of drug-related problems. Recognizing these patients in daily practice is difficult. The Recognition and Addressing of Limited Pharmaceutical Literacy (RALPH) interview guide was developed as practical set of questions to recognize patients with limited pharmaceutical literacy in daily pharmacy practice.

Considerations of prescribers and pharmacists for the use of non-selective β-blockers in asthma and COPD patients: An explorative study.

Rationale, Aims, And Objectives: Despite recommendations in prevailing guidelines to avoid the use of non-selective (NS) β-blockers in patients with asthma or COPD, on average, 10 patients per community pharmacy receive NS β-blockers monthly. The aim of our study was to identify the reasons of prescribers and pharmacists to treat asthma and COPD patients with NS β-blockers.

Methods: Fifty-three community pharmacists in the Netherlands selected patients with actual concurrent use of inhalation medication and NS β-blockers.

Patient-reported common symptoms as an assessment of interventions in medication reviews: a randomised, controlled trial.

Background A 'Patient-Reported Outcome Measure, Inquiry into Side Effects' (PROMISE) instrument was developed for patients to report common symptoms in clinical medication reviews. Objective To determine changes in patient-reported drug-associated symptoms collected by PROMISE before and after community pharmacist-led clinical medication reviews compared with usual care. Setting Community pharmacies in the Netherlands.

Better specification of triggers to reduce the number of drug interaction alerts in primary care.

Objective: Drug interaction alerts (drug-drug and drug-disease interaction alerts) for chronic medications substantially contribute to alert fatigue in primary care. The aim of this study was to determine which events require (re)assessment of a drug interaction and whether using these events as triggers in clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) would affect the alert rate.

Methods: Two random 5% data samples from the CDSSs of 123 community pharmacies were used: dataset 1 and 2.

Aspects influencing patients' preferences for the management of drug-drug interactions: A focus group study.

Objective: The management of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) involves a complex risk-benefit assessment, in which patients' preferences should be taken into account. The aim of this study was to examine the aspects influencing patients' preferences with regard to DDI management options.

Methods: A qualitative study consisting of five focus groups with patients chronically using cardiovascular drugs was conducted.

Clinical Decision Support and Optional Point of Care Testing of Renal Function for Safe Use of Antibiotics in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Study in Community Pharmacy Practice.

Objective: The aim was to investigate the management of drug therapy alerts on safe use of antibiotics in elderly patients with (potential) renal impairment and the contribution of optional creatinine point of care testing (PoCT) in community pharmacy practice.

Methods: Community pharmacists used a clinical decision support system (CDSS) for seven antibiotics. Alerts were generated during prescription processing in the case of previously registered renal impairment and when no information on renal function was available for patients aged 70 and over.

A multifaceted intervention to reduce guideline non-adherence among prescribing physicians in Dutch hospitals.

Background Despite the potential of clinical practice guidelines to improve patient outcomes, adherence to guidelines by prescribers is inconsistent. Objective The aim of the study was to determine whether an approach of introducing an educational programme for prescribers in the hospital combined with audit and feedback by the hospital pharmacist reduces non-adherence of prescribing physicians to key pharmacotherapeutic guidelines. Setting This prospective intervention study with a before-after design evaluated patients at surgical, urological and orthopaedic wards.

No Evidence for an Association Between Renal Function and Serious Bleeding Events in Patients Treated With Coumarins: A Population-Based Study.

Background: Although anticoagulation therapy is closely monitored in the Netherlands, coumarin-induced serious bleeding events are still observed. Current literature suggests that renal impairment may contribute to this.

Objective: To explore the association between renal function and bleeding events during coumarin treatment.

Preferences of Patients and Pharmacists with Regard to the Management of Drug-Drug Interactions: A Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis.

Introduction: The management of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) is a complex process in which risk-benefit assessments should be combined with the patient's perspective.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine patients' and pharmacists' preferences regarding DDI management.

Methods: We conducted a choice-based conjoint survey about a fictitious DDI concerning the combination of a cardiovascular drug and an antibiotic for pneumonia.

Evaluation of Potentially Drug-Related Patient-Reported Common Symptoms Assessed During Clinical Medication Reviews: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Introduction: Healthcare professionals tend to consider common non-alarming drug-related symptoms to be of little clinical relevance. However, such symptoms can have a substantial impact on the individual patient. Insight into patient-reported symptoms could aid pharmacists to identify improvements in medication treatment, for instance in the patient interview at the start of a clinical medication review (CMR).

The effect of prescriber education on medication-related patient harm in the hospital: a systematic review.

Aims: Educating prescribers is a strategy to reduce prescription errors in hospitals. The present systematic review gives an overview of original research papers on the education of prescribers and reporting outcomes on (potential) patient harm.

Methods: A search of the databases Embase and Medline, using the Ovid interface, was performed.

Use of pharmacy dispensing data to measure adherence and identify nonadherence with oral hypoglycemic agents.

Purpose: A framework for calculation of adherence for oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) based on data from health-insurance claims is available. Pharmacy dispensing data aid identification of nonadherent patients in pharmacy practices. However, use of these data for calculation of OHA adherence requires additional methodological categories.

A multifaceted intervention to reduce drug-related complications in surgical patients.

Aim: The P-REVIEW study was a prospective, multicenter, open intervention study, designed to determine whether a multifaceted intervention of educating the prescriber combined with medication review and pharmaceutical visits to the ward by the hospital pharmacist could lead to a reduction in drug-related complications among surgical patients.

Methods: A total of 6780 admissions of 5940 patients to surgical, urological and orthopaedic wards during the usual care period and 6484 admissions of 5711 patients during the intervention period were included. An educational programme covering pain management, antithrombotics, fluid and electrolyte management, prescription in case of renal insufficiency and antibiotics was developed.

Drug therapy management in patients with renal impairment: how to use creatinine-based formulas in clinical practice.

Purpose: The use of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in daily clinical practice.

Methods: eGFR is a key component in drug therapy management (DTM) in patients with renal impairment. eGFR is routinely reported by laboratories whenever a serum creatinine testing is ordered.

Beliefs about inhaled corticosteroids: Comparison of community pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and patients with asthma.

Objectives: To compare pharmacists' and pharmacy technicians' perceptions of patients' beliefs regarding inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with those of patients and to compare the ICS beliefs of pharmacists and technicians with those of patients with asthma.

Methods: 1269 community pharmacies were approached to fill out an online questionnaire; 1952 patients were sent a questionnaire by post. Beliefs (i.