Pharmacy-faculty work-life balance and career satisfaction: Comparison of national survey results from 2012 and 2018.

Background: Changes in demographics and composition of pharmacy faculty, along with faculty perceived stress, work-life balance and career satisfaction have yet to be fully documented.

Objective: To compare recent results from a national survey of work-life balance and career satisfaction of United States (U.S.

Identifying Potential Drug-Related Problems Among Geriatric Patients With Use of an Integrated Clinical Decision Support Tool.

Drug-related problems (DRPs) which arise from potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are a common problem in older people with multi-morbidity and polypharmacy. To develop an integrated PIM clinical decision support tool for identification of DRPs in geriatric multi-morbid polypharmacy patients, using the EU(7)-PIM and EURO-FORTA lists, with a focus on high-risk medications. The integrated PIM tool used the information on PIMs in both databases-the EU(7)-PIM and EURO-FORTA.

Multicenter Cohort Study of Ceftaroline Versus Daptomycin for Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Bloodstream Infection.

Background: Observational data suggest ceftaroline may be effective for methicillin-resistant (MRSA) bloodstream infection (BSI), but comparative data with standard of care are limited. This analysis compares the outcomes of MRSA BSI treated with ceftaroline or daptomycin.

Methods: Multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study of adult patients with MRSA BSI from 2010 to 2017.

Performance on advanced pharmacy practice experiences after implementation of mock acute care patient simulations.

Introduction: We sought to compare student performance on acute care advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) pre- and post-incorporation of mock acute care patient simulations into the curriculum.

Methods: A series of mock acute care APPE simulations (MACAS) were developed and incorporated into Touro University California College of Pharmacy curriculum for first- and second-year pharmacy students. Results for student performance on Acute Care I and Acute Care II APPEs were collected for students who received none, one year, or two years of the MACAS.

Controlled power: how biology manages succinate-driven energy release.

Oxidation of succinate by mitochondria can generate a higher protonmotive force (pmf) than can oxidation of NADH-linked substrates. Fundamentally, this is because of differences in redox potentials and gearing. Biology adds kinetic constraints that tune the oxidation of NADH and succinate to ensure that the resulting mitochondrial pmf is suitable for meeting cellular needs without triggering pathology.

Advancing a global pharmacy support workforce through a global strategic platform.

The pharmacy support workforce (PSW) is the mid-level cadre of the global pharmacy profession, referring to pharmacy technicians, assistants and other cadres that assist in the delivery of pharmaceutical services in a variety of practice contexts. The PSW undertake technical tasks delegated under the supervision of a pharmacist or performed collaboratively. The PSW are not intended to replace pharmacists, but rather work side-by-side with the pharmacist to achieve a shared goal.

Coping, resilience, and emotional well-being in pharmacy students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the significant contributions of coping, resilience, personal characteristics, and health behaviors on the emotional well-being of pharmacy students during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was identified in December 2019 and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Pharmacy students may experience greater stress during this outbreak because of interruptions in classes or rotations, concerns regarding personal or family health, and social isolation from peers.

Pre Versus Post Implementation of a Pharmacologic Antishivering Protocol During Targeted Temperature Management Following Cardiac Arrest.

Background: Targeted temperature management (TTM) is endorsed by various guidelines to improve neurologic outcomes following cardiac arrest. Shivering, a consequence of hypothermia, can counteract the benefits of TTM. Despite its frequent occurrence, consensus guidelines provide minimal guidance on the management of shivering.

Harnessing Placebo Responses to Improve Health Outcomes.

Variations in the psychosocial aspects of the provision of health care treatments can measurably affect the health outcomes resulting from the use of such treatments. These benefits (or harms) in outcomes result from processes beyond the specific physiological mechanisms induced by the treatments. Such phenomena can be most clearly seen when physiological improvements are induced by administering inert placebo medications in the same manner as if they were actual medications.

What are academic pharmacy organizations doing to reward performance and retain their star faculty?

Background: Evidence suggests that stars in an organization, including academia, drive much of its productivity and reputation. There has been much said within academic pharmacy about recruitment, but little in regard to retaining its top faculty.

Objective: To identify perceptions among pharmacy faculty on how faculty are currently rewarded; what is done versus what should be done at their institution to recruit and retain star faculty; what is versus what should be done in developing faculty, and compare these perceptions across certain personal and work characteristics.

Multiple comparisons: To compare or not to compare, that is the question.

Researchers attempt to minimize Type-I errors (concluding there is a relationship between variables, when there in fact, isn't one) in their experiments by exerting control over the p-value thresholds or alpha level. If a statistical test is conducted only once in a study, it is indeed possible for the researcher to maintain control, so that the likelihood of a Type-I error is equal to or less than the significance (p-value) level. When making multiple comparisons in a study, however, the likelihood of making a Type-I error can dramatically increase.

A narrative review of using prescription drug databases for comorbidity adjustment: A less effective remedy or a prescription for improved model fit?

Background: The use of claims data for identifying comorbid conditions in patients for research purposes has been widely explored. Traditional measures of comorbid adjustment included diagnostic data (e.g.

Pharmacy Technicians, Stigma, and Compassion Fatigue: Front-Line Perspectives of Pharmacy and the US Opioid Epidemic.

The opioid epidemic in the United States has led to a quadrupling of opioid overdoses since the 1990s. Stigmas exist among healthcare professionals, and it is essential to educate the next generation of pharmacy technicians regarding opioid use disorder. The main objective of this study was to characterize the phenomenon of stigma through the pharmacy technician lens when taking care of patients who are using opioid medications.

Pharmacy Faculty Burnout: Cause for Concern that Requires Our Support and Use of Best Evidence.

Recent attention has been afforded to the concept of burnout and other quality of worklife issues among pharmacy faculty, underscoring the importance of organizational culture, citizenship, collegiality, and support. Support comes from the larger academic institution, the college/school, and individual colleagues. Evidence points to reassurance of worth, guidance, and positive affirmation as being among the most salient factors in mitigating burnout of faculty, who are caught in the midst of increasing demands and higher administrative burdens.

Variability in perceptions of organizational culture across U.S. colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Background: Despite its importance on myriad outcomes, there is little information on the organizational culture of colleges and schools of pharmacy (CSOPs).

Objectives: This study sought to: (1) identify faculty and administrator perceptions across 5 dimensions of organizational culture in CSOPs; (2) describe differences in these perceptions among faculty varying in type of appointment and type of institution where employed.

Methods: A questionnaire survey designed in Qualtrics was distributed via email link to a census sample of 3378 members within 2018 AACP list-servs.

The intersection of pharmacy leadership and management with clinical skills: Education plays a key role.

Introduction: Clinical pharmacy service expansion is a challenge of scalability, and education can play a big part in the profession's transition to patient care. Underdeveloped staff management and leadership skills may prohibit scalability of innovative patient care service models observed in research and academic pharmacy environments.

Commentary: In today's rapidly evolving healthcare industry, formal education in leadership and management may provide the prerequisite skills for frontline pharmacists to innovate and scale clinical care services thereby improving quality patient outcomes.

Comparing perceptions of professionalism by pharmacy students, faculty, and staff during didactic education.

Introduction: The objectives were to describe pharmacy students' perceptions of professionalism and to compare students and faculty/staff perceptions of professionalism during the didactic years at Touro University California College of Pharmacy in California (TUC COP).

Methods: A two-part online survey was administered to the TUC COP faculty/staff and first-year (P1) and second-professional year (P2) students in May 2016. The first part of the survey collected demographic information, assessment of faculty/staff and students' overall opinions on behavior and conduct displayed by P1 and P2 students, students' responses about the average of missed lectures per month, and the average number of days of late arrival to lecture per week.

Total Cellular ATP Production Changes With Primary Substrate in MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells.

Cancer growth is predicted to require substantial rates of substrate catabolism and ATP turnover to drive unrestricted biosynthesis and cell growth. While substrate limitation can dramatically alter cell behavior, the effects of substrate limitation on total cellular ATP production rate is poorly understood. Here, we show that MCF7 breast cancer cells, given different combinations of the common cell culture substrates glucose, glutamine, and pyruvate, display ATP production rates 1.

Effects of a Clonidine Taper on Dexmedetomidine Use and Withdrawal in Adult Critically Ill Patients-A Pilot Study.

Objectives: Prolonged use of dexmedetomidine has become increasingly common due to its favorable sedative and anxiolytic properties. Hypersympathetic withdrawal symptoms have been reported with abrupt discontinuation of prolonged dexmedetomidine infusions. Clonidine has been used to transition patients off dexmedetomidine infusions for ICU sedation.

The impact of COVID-19 on pharmacy transitions of care services.

COVID-19 has necessitated alterations to the delivery of healthcare services. Modifications include those made to improve patient and healthcare worker safety such as the use of personal protective equipment. Pharmacy services, specifically pharmacy transitions of care services have not been immune to change which have brought along their own set of unique challenges to consider.

Systematic review of the impact of appropriate versus inappropriate initial antibiotic therapy on outcomes of patients with severe bacterial infections.

We investigated the impact of appropriate versus inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy on the clinical outcomes of patients with severe bacterial infections as part of a systematic review and meta-analyses assessing the impact of delay in appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Literature searches of MEDLINE and Embase, conducted on 24 July 2018, identified studies published after 2007 reporting the impact of delay in appropriate antibiotic therapy for hospitalised adult patients with bacterial infections. Results were statistically pooled for outcomes including mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS) and treatment failure.

Community pharmacists' lack of knowledge and confidence in non-prescription cannabidiol products.

Background: Non-prescription cannabidiol (CBD) products have recently been available in community pharmacies. However, there is only limited data to support its use, placing community pharmacists in a challenging position to provide evidence-based information to patients.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, experience, and confidence of non-prescription CBD products among community pharmacists.