Metabolic Monitoring for Adults Living with a Serious Mental Illness on a Second-Generation Antipsychotic Agent: A Scoping Review.

Premature mortality in people living with a severe mental illness (SMI) is often attributed to multiple factors including the use of medicines such as antipsychotics. Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are known to cause metabolic syndrome which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Practice guidelines have recommended regular physical health monitoring, particularly of metabolic parameters, however, metabolic monitoring for people living with SMI using antipsychotics remains suboptimal.

Peer support as a potential tool to promote pharmacists' wellbeing.

Discussion regarding burnout in health professionals, including community pharmacists, has grown substantially since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid legislative and societal behavioural changes led to significant global disruption of physical and emotional wellbeing during the pandemic as pharmacists continued to provide care while under unprecedented levels of stress. Community pharmacists have had an essential role in maintaining face-to-face care as the number of COVID-19 diagnoses and deaths rose.

In-silico functional analyses identify TMPRSS15-mediated intestinal absorption of lithium as a modulator of lithium response in bipolar disorder.

Background: The therapeutic response to lithium in patients with bipolar disorder is highly variable and has a polygenic basis. Genome-wide association studies investigating lithium response have identified several relevant loci, though the precise mechanisms driving these associations are poorly understood. We aimed to prioritise the most likely effector gene and determine the mechanisms underlying an intergenic lithium response locus on chromosome 21 identified by the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen).

Consumer knowledge of mental health conditions, awareness of mental health support services, and perception of community pharmacists' role in mental health promotion.

Objective: To explore community pharmacy consumers' knowledge and attitudes of mental illness, support services, and community pharmacists' role in supporting people living with mental illness (PLMI).

Methods: This survey was conducted in 15 community pharmacies between June and September 2019. Participants were aged 18 years or older without prior or ongoing history of mental illness and/or with close family members with mental illness.

Pharmacogenomics of response to statin treatment and susceptibility to statin-induced adverse drug reactions in Asians: a scoping review.

Background: Statins are the most widely used lipid-lowering agents for patients with hyperlipidemia. However, interindividual variations in efficacy and risk of adverse drug reactions to statin treatment have been widely reported. Ethnicity is well known to be one of the contributing factors to this variation, particularly among Asians.

Guidelines and treatment for illicit drug related presentations in emergency departments: A scoping review.

Objective: This review aimed to identify current pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment employed in emergency departments (EDs) for the management of patients presenting with illicit drug-related presentations (IDP) and compare current treatments with recommendations provided in guidelines.

Method: The review consists of English peer-reviewed journal articles and grey literature published in electronic databases: Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase Classic+Embase, Ovid Emcare and APA PsycInfo between 2015 and 2022.

Results: Twelve studies were identified from the search, with agitation and aggression being the most common presentations, and cannabis being the most prevalent illicit drug.

Schizophrenia and co-morbidity risk: Evidence from a data driven phenomewide association study.

Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating psychiatric disorder with significant morbidity and mortality. In this study, we used information from 337,484 UK Biobank participants and performed PheWAS using schizophrenia genetic risk score on 1135 disease outcomes. Signals that passed the false discovery rate threshold were further analyzed for evidence on the causality of the association.

Design and implementation of a program wide pharmaceutical compounding curriculum using the scaffold learning approach.

Background And Purpose: We evaluated the design and implementation of a program wide pharmaceutical compounding curriculum covering five modules over four years using the scaffold learning approach in a pharmacy degree program.

Educational Activity And Setting: A programmatic approach was taken in the development of compounding expertise, which required moving away from a compartmentalized course design to a multi-course approach spanning all four years of the pharmacy program.

Findings: Since the intervention began in 2014, course failure rates, which were around 34% (2012-2014), have significantly decreased to 1.

Exploring consumers' perspective of community pharmacists delivering COVID-19 vaccinations: an Australian pilot study.

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian community pharmacists delivered a wide range of professional services, including COVID-19 vaccinations. The aim of this study was to understand the reasons for and attitudes of consumers receiving COVID-19 vaccinations from community pharmacists.

Methods: A nationwide anonymous online survey recruited consumers above the age of 18 years who had received their COVID-19 vaccinations at community pharmacies between September 2021 and April 2022.

Pharmacogenomics of Cancer Pain Treatment Outcomes in Asian Populations: A Review.

In advanced cancer, pain is a poor prognostic factor, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. It has been shown that up to 30% of cancer patients in Southeast Asian countries may receive inadequate analgesia from opioid therapy. This significant under-management of cancer pain is largely due to the inter-individual variability in opioid dosage and relative efficacy of available opioids, leading to unpredictable clinical responses to opioid treatment.

Exploring mental health clients' current medication knowledge, beliefs and experience with healthcare providers in the community in South Australia.

In Australia, mental illness has been recognised as a National Health Priority area, with the coronavirus pandemic adding a layer of urgency to the need to address the multiple health problems faced by clients with mental illnesses. Whilst much has been done in efforts to support these clients, little is known about their medication knowledge and experience with health professionals. The aim of the study was to explore the knowledge and beliefs of clients on the use of psychotropic medications and study their experiences with healthcare providers.

Feasibility of a pharmacist-led physical health monitoring for patients on antipsychotic medications: protocol for a longitudinal study.

Introduction: Physical health conditions are the leading causes of death in people living with severe mental illness. In particular, the risk of metabolic syndrome; the constellation of abnormalities in weight, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid levels, is high in this cohort. It has been recognised that commonly prescribed pharmacological agents for mental illness can further amplify the risk of developing metabolic syndrome; therefore, monitoring guidelines are in place for consumers prescribed antipsychotics.

Hospitalisation and associated costs of gastrointestinal bleeding from primary prevention aspirin use in South Australia: a retrospective case series analysis.

We assessed hospitalisations for gastrointestinal bleeding directly related to primary prevention aspirin in lower risk patients for a 6-month period in three South Australian hospitals. Those with related underlying pathology or concurrent causative medication were excluded. Identified patients (n = 22) carried little co-morbidity, 41% received prior proton-pump inhibitors and 68% were aged >70 years.

Acceptability and feasibility of the NPS MedicineWise mobile phone application in supporting medication adherence in patients with chronic heart failure: Protocol for a pilot study.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is an increasing global concern. Despite evidence-based pharmacotherapy, morbidity and mortality remain high in HF. Medication non-adherence is a crucial factor in optimising clinical outcomes.

A smartphone program to support adherence to oral chemotherapy in people with cancer: Proof-of-concept trial.

Aim: Nonadherence to oral chemotherapy (OC) can lead to health complications, including premature death. Mobile phones are increasingly used to deliver medication adherence interventions. However, there is limited evidence about mobile phone-based interventions to increase adherence to OC, specifically.

Interventions to support adherence to oral anticancer therapies: research challenges, lessons learned, and strategies to overcome them from Australia and Switzerland.

Not monitoring adherence to oral anticancer therapies (OAT) can lead to poor clinical outcomes, including premature death as reported by Foulon et al. (Acta Clin Belg 66(2):85-96, 2011) and Greer et al. (Oncologist 21(3):354-76, 2016).

Ensuring best practice in genomics education and evaluation: reporting item standards for education and its evaluation in genomics (RISE2 Genomics).

Purpose: Widespread, quality genomics education for health professionals is required to create a competent genomic workforce. A lack of standards for reporting genomics education and evaluation limits the evidence base for replication and comparison. We therefore undertook a consensus process to develop a recommended minimum set of information to support consistent reporting of design, development, delivery, and evaluation of genomics education interventions.

Bushfires, COVID-19 and Australian community pharmacists: ongoing impact on mental health and wellbeing.

Objectives: The nation was recovering from the aftermath of the catastrophic 2019-2020 bushfires when the first cases of the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Australia. During the peak of the pandemic, Australia closed both its state and international borders to all travelers and interstate travel was very tightly regulated. Community pharmacists and pharmacy staff were one of the very few primary healthcare workers still serving their communities during these periods of strict lockdown.