Transforming Health Care Through Interprofessional Graduate Education.

Purpose: We provide an overview of the Recovery-based Interprofessional Distance Education (RIDE) rotation for graduate students in psychiatric mental health (PMH) nursing, pharmacy, nutrition, and exercise physiology, with faculty from the four professions represented.

Conclusions: Interprofessional education can enhance team concepts in these professions and is viewed positively by students and faculty.

Practice Implications: Interprofessional learning opportunities prepare graduates to contribute to team-based care.

Impact of the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative on Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Practice.

This paper describes the goals of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) and its recommendations for health-system pharmacy practice transformation to meet future patient care needs and elevate the role of pharmacists as patient care providers. PPMI envisions a future in which pharmacists have greater responsibility for medication-related outcomes and technicians assume greater responsibility for product-related activities. Although the PPMI recommendations have elevated the level of practice in many settings, they also potentially affect existing clinical pharmacists, in general, and clinical pharmacy specialists, in particular.

A Pilot Study to Assess Patient Adherence to New Chronic Medications Following the Use of a Novel Adherence Tool and Individualized Counseling.

Medication nonadherence leads to an increase in morbidity and mortality. In the United States, it results in an annual estimated cost of $290 billion in patients with chronic diseases. Several adherence screening tools are available for use, but none have been adopted for widespread use.

The Recovery-Based Interprofessional Distance Education (RIDE) Rotation: Content and Rationale.

A faculty team of two psychiatric nurse practitioners, an exercise physiologist, a registered dietician and a pharmacist developed the 8-week Recovery-Based Interprofessional Distance Education (RIDE) rotation for graduate students in the four disciplines. Organizing the RIDE rotation around the recovery model ensured an emphasis upon optimal health and quality of life. RIDE faculty engaged in project planning for several months before the RIDE rotation was offered to students.

Validation of the Spanish Version of the COPD-Q Questionnaire on COPD Knowledge.

Rationale: Although recognition of the importance of educating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients has grown in recent years, their understanding of this disease is not being measured due to a lack of specific instruments. The aim of this study was to validate the COPD-Q questionnaire, a 13-item instrument for determining COPD knowledge.

Methods: The COPD-Q was translated and backtranslated, and subsequently submitted to logic and content validation by a group of COPD experts and 8 COPD patients.

Pharmacoeconomic analysis of the diabetes initiative program: a pharmacist-physician collaborative care model.

Background: Diabetes treatment cost increased 41% from 2007 to 2011. Pharmacists have provided collaborative diabetes management for decades with improvement in disease-related end points. Few have reported economic benefits of pharmacist management of type 2 diabetes.

Perceptions of the incorporation of health literacy in pharmacy training programs.

Objectives: To assess pharmacy residents' perceptions regarding the incorporation of health literacy in pharmacy school and pharmacy residency training and to assess confidence while interacting with patients of limited health literacy.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.

Setting: United States from March to May 2012.

The clinical and economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the USA.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third most common cause of death in the USA. In 2010, the cost of COPD in the USA was projected to be approximately US$50 billion, which includes $20 billion in indirect costs and $30 billion in direct health care expenditures. These costs can be expected to continue to rise with this progressive disease.

β-Blocker use and incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations.

Background: β-Adrenergic antagonist (β-blocker) use in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been avoided as a result of potential risk of pulmonary adverse effects. However, recent studies indicate that β-blocker use in patients with COPD can decrease outpatient visits and either decrease or have no effect on the number of hospitalizations. Long-term treatment with β-blockers has been shown to increase survival and decrease exacerbations in patients with COPD.

Assessing the impact of mobile technology on order verification during pharmacist participation in patient rounds.

Purpose: Pharmacists' use of mobile technology (MT) to verify medication orders placed during their participation in medical rounds is investigated.

Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at a large academic medical center to assess the impact of MT on the average time to pharmacist verification of medication orders written by general medicine staff during pharmacist participation in patient rounds. A total of 260 medication orders for 129 patients were evaluated: 146 orders processed over a one-month period during which rounding pharmacists verified orders using stationary computer terminals on patient care units and 114 orders processed using an MT device.

Clinical utility of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease knowledge questionnaire.

Background And Objectives: Although typically symptomatic, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is undertreated as compared to many asymptomatic conditions such as hypertension. Unfortunately, many patients lack basic information about their major disease states, including COPD. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical utility of the valid and reliable COPD Questionnaire (COPD-Q) in a sample of underserved patients carrying a diagnosis of COPD.

Guidelines for resident teaching experiences.

Postgraduate year one (PGY1) and postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies serve to develop pharmacists into skillful clinicians who provide advanced patient-centered care in various general and specialized areas of pharmacy practice. Pharmacy residencies are a minimum requirement for many clinical pharmacy positions, as well as for positions in academia. The role of clinical pharmacists typically includes teaching, regardless of whether they pursue an academic appointment.

Pharmacy student knowledge retention after completing either a simulated or written patient case.

Objective: To determine pharmacy students' knowledge retention from and comfort level with a patient-case simulation compared with a written patient case.

Design: Pharmacy students were randomly assigned to participate in either a written patient case or a simulated patient case in which a high-fidelity mannequin was used to portray a patient experiencing a narcotic and acetaminophen overdose.

Assessment: Participants' responses on a multiple-choice test and a survey instrument administered before the case, immediately after the case, and 25 days later indicated that participation in the simulated patient case did not result in greater knowledge retention or comfort level than participation in the written patient case.

Indacaterol: a novel long-acting β(2) -agonist.

Bronchodilator drugs are the foundation for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The principal inhaled bronchodilator treatments used are β(2) -agonists and anticholinergics, either alone or in combination. Currently available β(2) -agonists are of either short duration and used multiple times/day, or of long duration, which requires twice-daily administration.

Smoking cessation: barriers to success and readiness to change.

Background And Objectives: Smoking cessation interventions should be individualized based on patient history and readiness for change. The objective of this study was to assess stages of change and key components of smoking and cessation history among a sample of primary care patients.

Methods: A telephone survey of current or recent smokers identified smoking status, stage of change, motivation, concerns, relapse history, pharmacotherapy, and social support.

Impact of an educational intervention on steroid prescribing and dosing effect on patient outcomes in COPD exacerbations.

Unlabelled: The increasing number of patients affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and associated exacerbations has led to both rising hospital admissions and significant economic impact. Evidence-based guidelines have been formulated for COPD management recommending the use of low dose, oral corticosteroid therapy in the treatment of exacerbations. However, fewer than 50% of physicians' prescribing practices appropriately reflect the published clinical guidelines on the use of systemic corticosteroids in these patients.

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in a college student athlete population.

Objective: This study evaluated the prevalence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) nasal carriage, risk factors for nasal carriage, and antibiotic susceptibility patterns in college student athletes.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal samples and data collection forms were obtained at athletic team training rooms at 2 colleges.

Development and validation of a low-literacy Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease knowledge Questionnaire (COPD-Q).

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a content valid, understandable, readable, and reliable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease knowledge Questionnaire (COPD-Q).

Methods: Twenty-one questions were generated as potential items to include in the COPD-Q. Twenty-two content experts provided both qualitative and quantitative assessments of two COPD-Q drafts.

Do medication samples jeopardize patient safety?

Background: Medication samples are commonly dispensed by prescribers. Written consumer medication information (CMI) provided with sample packaging is an important source of patient information. Although one-third of Americans have health literacy deficiencies, previous studies have found that CMI is often too complex for many patients to understand.

Tobramycin-induced hepatotoxicity.

Objective: To report a case of tobramycin-induced hepatotoxicity.

Case Summary: A 20-year-old female was hospitalized for treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia and osteomyelitis. Empiric intravenous antibiotic therapy with piperacillin/tazobactam, vancomycin, and ciprofloxacin was started, and based on the results of culture and sensitivity testing, was changed to intravenous ceftazidime and tobramycin 70 mg every 8 hours on hospital day 3.