Investigating health care pathways for anaphylaxis: Seeing the bigger picture through linked data.

Background: Anaphylaxis is increasing in Australia involving all levels of the health care system. Although guidelines recommend calling an ambulance and 4-hour observation, knowledge gaps exist regarding where people experiencing anaphylaxis receive care.

Objective: We sought to examine care pathways for anaphylaxis in Western Australia and factors associated with seeking care from ambulance versus the emergency department (ED), and subsequent hospital admission.

Utilising a 'Community of Practice' to support pharmacists to work in residential aged care: protocol for a longitudinal evaluation.

Introduction: A Community of Practice is briefly defined as a group of people with a shared interest in a given area of practice who work collaboratively to grow collective knowledge. Communities of Practice have been used to facilitate knowledge exchange and improve evidence-based practice. Knowledge translation within the residential aged care sector is lacking, with barriers such as inadequate staffing and knowledge gaps commonly cited.

Contemporary trends in anaphylaxis burden and healthcare utilisation in Western Australia: A linked data study.

Background: Anaphylaxis is a growing public health problem in Australia. To determine the extent of the problem, we linked multiple health datasets to examine temporal trends in anaphylaxis events across the health system in Western Australia (WA).

Methods: We identified an anaphylaxis cohort from 1980 to 2020 using linked datasets from ambulance, emergency departments, hospital inpatients and deaths.

Behaviours that contribute to pharmacist professionalism: a scoping review.

Objectives: Clearly understanding and describing professional behaviours of pharmacists allows the profession, researchers and policy-makers to observe and monitor the professionalism of pharmacists, and design interventions to improve it where needed. The primary objective of this review was to identify which behaviours are discussed to contribute to professionalism in registered pharmacists in peer-reviewed literature. The secondary objective was to review the identified behaviours using a behavioural specification framework to understand how they are expressed.

Overview of registries for anaphylaxis: a scoping review.

Objective: This review aimed to describe the scope and operational features of anaphylaxis registries, and to assess their contribution to improving knowledge of anaphylaxis and care of patients who experience anaphylaxis by measuring their research output.

Introduction: Structured data collection and reporting systems, such as registries, are needed to better understand the burden of anaphylaxis and to protect the growing number of patients with severe allergy. There is a need to characterize current anaphylaxis registries to identify their value in anaphylaxis surveillance, management, and research.

Exploring stakeholder roles in medication management for people living with dementia.

Background: Therapeutic decision making, prescribing, administering and managing medications can be difficult for people with dementia.

Objectives: To explore stakeholder roles in medication management for people with dementia, including barriers and enablers to achieving those roles.

Methods: Focus groups were held with stakeholders (consumers, general practitioners, nurses and pharmacists) from both rural and metropolitan communities in two Australian states.

Overview of registries for anaphylaxis: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: This review will describe the scope and operational features of global registries for anaphylaxis and assess their contribution to improving knowledge and care of anaphylaxis by measuring their research output.

Introduction: The incidence of anaphylaxis is increasing around the world. Structured reporting systems, such as patient registries, are needed to better understand the burden of anaphylaxis and protect the growing number of allergic patients.

Complementary and alternative medicine beliefs in type 2 diabetes: The Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase II.

Complementary medicine (CM) treatment beliefs of people with type 2 diabetes were assessed using a validated three-domain questionnaire. Belief in holistic health, but not natural treatments or participation in treatment, was independently associated with CM use (P = 0.003).

Complementary medicine use and its cost in Australians with type 2 diabetes: the Fremantle Diabetes Study Phase II.

Background: Few studies have examined complementary medicine (CM) use in diabetes. Australian data are inconsistent, limited in scope and have not considered cost.

Aims: To evaluate the prevalence, associates and costs of CM in a contemporary Australian urban, community-based cohort of people with type 2 diabetes.

The provision of advice by pharmacy staff in eastern Indonesian community pharmacies.

Background: Indonesian community pharmacies hold a strategic position from which to promote the rational use of medicines by providing appropriate advice for patients requesting self-medication. To date, published studies related to the provision of advice in Indonesian community pharmacies are limited and have been conducted only in more developed western Indonesia. No studies have been undertaken in eastern Indonesia, which is less developed than and culturally different from the western region.

A Theory Based Intervention to Enhance Information Exchange during Over-The-Counter Consultations in Community Pharmacy: A Feasibility Study.

Management of minor ailments through self-care and self-medication brings both benefits and risks that can be mitigated if consumers and pharmacy personnel engage in information exchange during over-the-counter (OTC) consultations. Explore the feasibility of interventions using situational cues to promote information exchange between pharmacy personnel and consumers, during OTC consultations. Intervention tools were developed prior to conducting the study, in two community pharmacies in Perth, Western Australia.

Development of a Theory-Based Intervention to Enhance Information Exchange during Over-The-Counter Consultations in Community Pharmacy.

(1) Background: Community pharmacy personnel help mitigate risks of self-care by consumers who seek over-the-counter (OTC) medicines or treatment of symptoms and/or conditions. Exchange of information facilitates the OTC consultation, but pharmacy personnel often report difficulties in engaging consumers in a dialogue. The aim of this study was to describe the development of a behaviour change intervention to enhance information exchange between pharmacy personnel and consumers during OTC consultations in community pharmacies.

Interventions to enhance effective communication during over-the-counter consultations in the community pharmacy setting: A systematic review.

Background: Easy access to effective over-the-counter (OTC) treatments allows self-management of some conditions, however inappropriate or incorrect supply or use of OTC medicines can cause harm. Pharmacy personnel should support consumers in their health-seeking behaviour by utilising effective communication skills underpinned by clinical knowledge.

Objective: To identify interventions targeted towards improving communication between consumers and pharmacy personnel during OTC consultations in the community pharmacy setting.

Exploring the enablers and barriers to implementing the Medication Appropriateness Tool for Comorbid Health conditions during Dementia (MATCH-D) criteria in Australia: a qualitative study.

Objectives: The Medication Appropriateness Tool for Comorbid Health conditions in Dementia (MATCH-D) criteria provide expert consensus guidance about medication use for people with dementia. This study aimed to identify enablers and barriers to implementing the criteria in practice.

Setting: Participants came from both rural and metropolitan communities in two Australian states.

Factors influencing the current practice of self-medication consultations in Eastern Indonesian community pharmacies: a qualitative study.

Background: Research has shown that the current practice of pharmacy staff when providing self-medication consultations in Indonesia is suboptimal. To improve the performance of pharmacy staff when providing self-medication consultations in community pharmacies, the factors that influence current practice need to be understood. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence current practice of pharmacy staff when handling self-medication consultations in Eastern Indonesian community pharmacies.

The feasibility and effect of deprescribing in older adults on mortality and health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: Deprescribing is a suggested intervention to reverse the potential iatrogenic harms of inappropriate polypharmacy. The review aimed to determine whether or not deprescribing is a safe, effective and feasible intervention to modify mortality and health outcomes in older adults.

Methods: Specified databases were searched from inception to February 2015.

Development of the My Medicines and Me (M3Q) side effect questionnaire for mental health patients: a qualitative study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the acceptability, content validity and usability of the My Medicines and Me (M3Q) self-report side effect questionnaire.

Methods: Eight focus groups consisting of mental health patients, carers, general practitioners, psychiatrists, mental health nurses and pharmacists were conducted, involving 78 participants. Two researchers independently examined the transcriptions and analysed the data thematically using an inductive method.

Deprescribing in frail older people--Do doctors and pharmacists agree?

Background: Deprescribing may reduce harmful polypharmacy in older people and is an accepted clinical practice; however, data to guide deprescribing decisions are scarce.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine if physicians and pharmacists agree on medicines to deprescribe.

Methods: Two physicians and two pharmacists independently applied a deprescribing decision-making aid to clinical and medicines data collected during a deprescribing trial of frail older people in four residential aged care facilities.

Construction and validation of the My Medicines and Me Questionnaire for assessment of the self-reported side effects of psychotropic medication.

We aimed to construct and assess the psychometric properties of the My Medicines and Me Questionnaire (M3Q), a self-report side-effect questionnaire for mental health patients. Thirty individuals taking a psychotropic medication completed the M3Q side-effect checklist along with the Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale. Thirty healthy comparison individuals also completed the M3Q checklist.

Information-gathering for self-medication via Eastern Indonesian community pharmacies: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Gathering sufficient information when handling self-medication requests in community pharmacies is an important factor in assisting patients to obtain appropriate health outcomes. Common types of information usually gathered include patient identity, signs and symptoms, action taken, medical history, and current medications being used. The aims of the study were (1) to describe the types and amount of information gathered by Eastern Indonesian community pharmacy staff when handling self-medication requests, and (2) to identify factors associated with the reported amount of information gathered.

Demonstration of epinephrine autoinjectors (EpiPen and Anapen) by pharmacists in a randomised, simulated patient assessment: acceptable, but room for improvement.

Background: Successful treatment of anaphylaxis in the community relies on early and correct use of epinephrine autoinjectors. Community pharmacists supply these devices and have a crucial role teaching patients how to use them. Supply of epinephrine autoinjectors in Australia increased 70-fold in the past decade.

Long-term effectiveness of online anaphylaxis education for pharmacists.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of an Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) anaphylaxis e-learning program compared to lectures or no training.

Design: A controlled interrupted-time-series study of Australian pharmacists and pharmacy students who completed ASCIA anaphylaxis e-learning or lecture programs was conducted during 2011-2013. Effectiveness was measured using a validated test administered pretraining, posttraining, and 3 and 7 months after training.

A review of the provision of appropriate advice by pharmacy staff for self-medication in developing countries.

Background: Patients in developing countries often prefer to self-medicate via community pharmacies. Pharmacy staff are therefore in a strategic position to optimize the health of the public by providing appropriate advice to patients who self-medicate.

Objective: To determine the proportion of pharmacy staff who provide appropriate advice when handling self-medication requests in developing countries.

Pharmacists' response to anaphylaxis in the community (PRAC): a randomised, simulated patient study of pharmacist practice.

Objective: To evaluate how community pharmacists manage patients with anaphylaxis.

Design: A randomised, cross-sectional, simulated patient study of community pharmacist practice.

Setting: 300 metropolitan pharmacies located in Perth Australia, randomised to three groups of 100 pharmacies.