Vision 2020 measures University of New Mexico's success by health of its state.

The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNMHSC) adopted a new Vision to work with community partners to help New Mexico make more progress in health and health equity than any other state by 2020. UNMHSC recognized it would be more successful in meeting communities' health priorities if it better aligned its own educational, research, and clinical missions with their needs. National measures that compare states on the basis of health determinants and outcomes were adopted in 2013 as part of Vision 2020 target measures for gauging progress toward improved health and health care in New Mexico.

Preparing clinical pharmacy scientists for careers in clinical/translational research: can we meet the challenge?: ACCP Research Affairs Committee Commentary.

Developing clinical pharmacists' research skills and their ability to compete for extramural funding is an important component of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy's (ACCP) vision for pharmacists to play a prominent role in generating the new knowledge used to guide patient pharmacotherapy. Given the recent emphasis on clinical/translational research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the key role of drug therapy in the management of many diseases, there is an unprecedented opportunity for the profession to contribute to this enterprise. A crucial question facing the profession is whether we can generate enough appropriately trained scientists to take advantage of these opportunities to generate the new knowledge to advance drug therapy.

Building a multi-institutional community of practice to foster assessment.

This paper discusses the development of a multi-institutional community of practice that formed over 5 years. This community of practice was intentionally designed to support the evolution of student learning and programmatic assessment within member colleges and schools. Critical phases to the community's development are outlined, as well as its mission and goals.

Does body weight impact the efficacy of vasopressin therapy in the management of septic shock?

Background: Vasopressors used for the management of septic shock are often dosed according to body weight. Use of vasopressin for physiologic replacement in patients with septic shock is usually administered as a standard non-weight-based dose. We hypothesized that the efficacy of vasopressin may be influenced by body weight.

Cardiovascular risk among university students from developed and developing nations.

Background: A key aspect in halting global increase in cardiovascular events is prevention and especially prevention at an early age. Unfortunately, global data regarding cardiovascular risk factors in the young are limited. Therefore the objectives of this study were to identify the most common cardiovascular risk factors among young adults in a university setting in both developed and developing countries.

The impact of paroxetine coadministration on stereospecific carvedilol pharmacokinetics.

Study Objective: to assess the impact of paroxetine coadministration on the stereoselective pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of carvedilol.

Design: prospective, randomized, 2-phase crossover.

Setting: the University of Michigan General Clinical Research Unit and Michigan Clinical Research Unit.

Influence of metoprolol dosage release formulation on the pharmacokinetic drug interaction with paroxetine.

Studies have demonstrated an influence of dosage release formulations on drug interactions and enantiomeric plasma concentrations. Metoprolol is a commonly used beta-adrenergic antagonist metabolized by CYP2D6. The CYP2D6 inhibitor paroxetine has previously been shown to interact with metoprolol tartrate.

Key articles and guidelines relative to intensive care unit pharmacotherapy: 2009 update.

Compilations of key articles and guidelines in a particular clinical practice area are useful not only to clinicians who practice in that area, but also to all clinicians. We compiled pertinent articles and guidelines pertaining to drug therapy in the intensive care setting from the perspective of experienced critical care pharmacists. A broad assembly of practitioners with expertise in various areas of intensive care unit pharmacology were involved in the compilation of this update.

Intestinal dipeptide absorption is preserved during thermal injury and cytokine treatment.

Background: Intestinal barrier function is impaired during thermal injury; however, the effects of thermal injury on the absorption of dietary peptides are not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of thermal injury on dipeptide absorption in rats and to describe the influence of inflammatory cytokines on the expression of the oligopeptide transporter PEPT1 and dipeptide permeability in cultured intestinal cells (Caco-2 cells).

Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to 30% body surface area burn (n = 7) or sham (n = 8) groups.

Continuous infusion of pantoprazole with octreotide does not improve management of variceal hemorrhage.

Study Objective: To assess the effect of a prolonged continuous infusion of pantoprazole on patient outcomes when the drug was combined with standard octreotide therapy in patients with variceal hemorrhage.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Large academic hospital.

Lack of interaction between the peptidomimetic substrates captopril and cephradine.

Intestinal peptide transporters, including hPEPT1, facilitate the absorption of cephalosporins and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and have been investigated as a means to improve oral drug absorption. Renal peptide transporters including hPEPT2, may also facilitate renal reabsorption of such compounds. In vitro and animal studies suggest that co-administration of peptidomimetic compounds may alter oral pharmacokinetics, although this has not been well studied in humans.

Interferon-gamma increases expression of the di/tri-peptide transporter, h-PEPT1, and dipeptide transport in cultured human intestinal monolayers.

The di/tri-peptide transporter h-PEPT1 plays an important role in the oral absorption of di/tri-peptides and numerous drugs. Inflammatory conditions may influence intestinal xenobiotic transporter function; however, the effects of inflammation on h-PEPT1 have not been well described. This study was conducted to determine the effects of the inflammatory cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on h-PEPT1 mediated dipeptide absorption.

Mechanistic understanding of time-dependent oral absorption based on gastric motor activity in humans.

The relationship of gastric motor activity and gastric emptying of 0.7 mm caffeine pellets with their absorption was investigated in the fed state in healthy human subjects by simultaneous monitoring of antral motility and plasma concentrations. A kinetic model for gastric emptying-dependent absorption yielded multiple phases of gastric emptying and rate constants (k(g)) with large inter-individual differences and large variability in onset of gastric emptying (50-175 min).

Proton pump inhibitor formulary considerations in the acutely ill. Part 2: Clinical efficacy, safety, and economics.

Objective: To review, using an evidence-based approach, the clinical efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for treatment of common acid peptic disorders in the acutely ill and provide clinicians with guidance when making hospital formulary decisions with this class of agents.

Data Sources: MEDLINE (1966-May 2005) and the Cochrane Library databases were searched using the key words proton pump inhibitor, acid suppression, peptic ulcer disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, stress ulcer prophylaxis, critical care, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Bibliographies of cited references were reviewed, and a manual search of abstracts from recent gastroenterology, critical care, and surgery scientific meetings was completed.

Proton pump inhibitor formulary considerations in the acutely ill. Part 1: Pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and available formulations.

Objective: To review important proton pump inhibitor (PPI) pharmacologic, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic principles in acutely ill patients, compare PPI formulation options for patients unable to swallow a tablet or capsule, and provide clinicians with guidance when making hospital formulary decisions with this class of agents.

Data Sources: MEDLINE (1966-May 2005) and the Cochrane Library databases were searched using the key words proton pump inhibitor, acid suppression, peptic ulcer disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, stress ulcer prophylaxis, and critical illness. Bibliographies of cited references were reviewed, and a manual search of abstracts from recent gastroenterology, critical care, and surgery scientific meetings was completed.

Key articles and guidelines relative to intensive care unit pharmacology--2004.

Compilations of key articles and guidelines in a particular clinical practice area are useful not only to clinicians who practice in that area, but to all clinicians. We compiled pertinent articles and guidelines pertaining to drug therapy in the intensive care setting from the perspective of actively practicing critical care pharmacists. This document differs from the original 2002 version in that a broader assembly of intensive care practitioners was involved in the compilation.

Overview of pharmacologic agents for acid suppression in critically ill patients.

Purpose: The physiology of acid secretion, rationale and goals for acid suppression in critically ill patients, and mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of histamine H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are discussed.

Summary: Acid-suppressant therapy may be used in critically ill patients to prevent stress-related mucosal disease or the recurrence of peptic ulcer bleeding. The intragastric pH goal is 3.

Review article: diagnosis and management of night-time reflux.

Symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) range from mild to severe and, when they occur during night-time hours, can interfere with sleep patterns and reduce overall quality of life. The clinical presentation of GERD is characterized by oesophageal as well as supra-oesophageal symptoms, including otolaryngologic and pulmonary complications. However, GERD may be overlooked as the cause of a patient's supra-oesophageal symptoms because these complaints can occur in the absence of oesophageal symptoms or endoscopic changes.

Prevention of stress ulceration: current trends in critical care.

Objective: To identify the level of current intensivist's knowledge regarding risk assessment and intensive care unit (ICU) clinical practice pertaining to stress-related mucosal bleeding, including pharmacologic approaches for stress ulcer prevention.

Design: A nationwide survey of critical care physicians.

Study Population: Two thousand random physician members of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

The effects of thermal injury on transcellular permeability and intestinal P-glycoprotein in rats.

This study was designed to assess intestinal drug transport via transcellular absorption and intestinal P-glycoprotein content following thermal injury in rats using propranolol as a marker substrate. Male, Sprague Dawley rats (n=30) underwent either a 30% total body surface area full thickness burn or sham treatment. Twenty-four hours later, animals were anesthetized, underwent laparotomy and the proximal jejunum was cannulated.