Pharmacist Prescribing in Pediatric and Neonatal Acute Care: An Observational Study.

Objective: The intent of this project was to objectively describe the frequency of pharmacist prescribing in acute care pediatrics and neonatology and to determine the medications most often prescribed by pharmacists practicing in a jurisdiction that permits pharmacists' prescribing.

Methods: This was a subgroup analysis of a retrospective observational study using prescribing data from an electronic medical record system used in 5 acute care hospitals (1 pediatric, 4 primarily adult but with pediatric and neonatal units) within Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Results: Considering orders for pediatric or neonatal patients only, there was a mean (SD) of 126 (226) prescriptions per pharmacist per year, with a wide range (1-1101 per year).

Strategies to optimize implementation of novel preceptorship models: Peer-assisted learning and near-peer teaching.

Introduction: Hospital experiential placements have traditionally used a 1:1 (student to preceptor) ratio. Two models, peer-assisted learning (PAL) and near-peer teaching (NPT), have been described in the literature for education of health professions. This research explored the use of PAL and NPT, as well as advantages, challenges, and strategies to address challenges for implementation.

CAPABLE: Calgary zone usage of Additional Prescribing Authorization By pharmacists in an inpatient setting: review of the prescribing Landscape and Environment.

Background: In Alberta, Canada, pharmacists have been granted the ability to prescribe most medications independently after completing an additional authorization process. While there are data to support the use of pharmacists' prescribing in the community setting, little is known about its use in the inpatient hospital setting.

Objectives: To describe the prescribing patterns of pharmacists in an inpatient setting including the percentage of pharmacists using their prescribing authority, the care areas where prescribing occurred, and the frequency of prescribing.

Assessing the Physicochemical Stability of a Compounded Neonatal Trace Element Solution.

Purpose: Alberta Health Services (AHS) recommends the adoption of a new neonatal multi-trace element formulation containing zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, selenious acid and sodium iodide to be compounded internally in appropriate AHS pharmacies. The objective of this study was to assess the physicochemical stability of this formulation under commonly used storage conditions.

Method: Three batches of trace element solution were compounded by University of Alberta Hospital pharmacy staff using sterile compounding procedures.

Pharmacists as Care Providers for Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review.

Background: Pharmacists have become an integral member of the multidisciplinary team providing clinical patient care in various healthcare settings. Although evidence supporting their role in the care of patients with other disease states is well-established, minimal literature has been published evaluating pharmacist interventions in stroke patients. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the evidence evaluating the impact of pharmacist interventions on stroke patient outcomes.

The road to pharmacist prescribing in Alberta Health Services.

Purpose: The implementation of policy within a health organization to support a new legislative and regulatory framework of pharmacist prescribing in the Canadian province of Alberta is described.

Summary: The evolution of pharmacists' practice activities to encompass medication management through independent prescribing authority has occurred in many jurisdictions around the world. In 2007, Alberta pharmacists were granted the most progressive scope of practice in all of North America.

Independent prescribing by hospital pharmacists: Patterns and practices in a Canadian province.

Purpose: Results of a survey to determine the frequency of prescribing by Canadian hospital pharmacists with independent prescribing authority are reported.

Methods: A Web-based questionnaire was used to collect data on the prescribing activities of a designated group of hospital-affiliated pharmacists in the province of Alberta who had been granted "additional prescribing authorization" (APA) through a peer-review process and were providing clinical pharmacy services in inpatient and/or outpatient settings at the time of the survey (January-March 2014). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to determine the median weekly frequency of prescribing, factors associated with increased use of APA, and perceived prescribing barriers and enablers.

Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations: secondary prevention of stroke guidelines, update 2014.

Every year, approximately 62,000 people with stroke and transient ischemic attack are treated in Canadian hospitals. The 2014 update of the Canadian Secondary Prevention of Stroke guideline is a comprehensive summary of current evidence-based recommendations for clinicians in a range of settings, who provide care to patients following stroke. Notable changes in this 5th edition include an emphasis on treating the highest risk patients who present within 48 h of symptom onset with transient or persistent motor or speech symptoms, who need to be transported to the closest emergency department with capacity for advanced stroke care; a recommendation for brain and vascular imaging (of the intra- and extracranial vessels) to be completed urgently using computed tomography/computed tomography angiography; prolonged cardiac monitoring for patients with suspective cardioembolic stroke but without evidence for atrial fibrillation on electrocardiogram or holter monitoring; and de-emphasizing the need for routine echocardiogram.

Secondary stroke prevention: practice patterns in a tertiary care stroke service.

Background: Stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) have a high personal and financial cost to society and prevention is critical. Outside of registries in Ontario, there has been little effort to determine whether care gaps exist for secondary preventative care within Canada. The objective of this study was to evaluate inpatient medical team compliance to four secondary stroke prevention interventions: antithrombotic therapy, antihypertensive therapy, lipid lowering therapy and smoking cessation.