Heart Failure in Older People Part 2: Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy.

Heart failure is a common cardiovascular disease that affects older people and has a high rate of mortality. Treatment for heart failure has evolved in the past 10 years to include novel evidence-based agents as well as changes in how medications are initiated and up-titrated. Despite evidence of the importance of using four guideline-directed medications, older people are often undertreated with these lifesaving therapies.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Series Part 4: Identifying, Managing, and Preventing Exacerbations.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a leading cause of death in the United States, with exacerbations significantly contributing to overall morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. The purpose of this review is to discuss the recognition, treatment, and prevention of COPD exacerbations, with an emphasis on the role that pharmacists can have of ensuring appropriate treatment of acute exacerbations and preventing future exacerbations.

From Olive Oil Emulsions to COVID-19 Vaccines: Liposomes Came First.

It has been a long journey from Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) to the FDA approval of the first injectable nanomedicine in 1997. A journey powered by intellectual curiosity, which began with sprinkling olive oil on seawater and culminated in playing around with smears of egg lecithin on microscopic slides. This brief review highlights how a few pairs of gifted hands attached to highly motivated brains have turned a curious discovery made under a microscopic lens into novel nanotherapeutics including liposome-based anti-cancer drugs and potent liposomal vaccines given to millions.

Fractured Timelines: Reporting Patterns for Bisphosphonate-Associated Atypical Fractures and Implications for Postmarket Surveillance.

Case reports of atypical fractures associated with bisphosphonates first appeared in the literature in 2005, with a larger number of reports published in 2007-2009. To describe reporting trends of bisphosphonate-associated atypical fractures relative to increasing awareness across medical and lay communities. Disproportionality analyses were performed to assess odds of reporting atypical fractures associated with oral bisphosphonates using the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database.

Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Case Series: Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension.

This case illustrates the pharmacist's role in the outpatient management of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH) in a community-dwelling older person. In this case, the patient has a long-standing history of asymptomatic hypotension with recent onset of falls with temporary loss of consciousness prompting initiation of pharmacologic therapy. This case reviews nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatment options for older people with symptomatic nOH.

Penicillin plus Ceftriaxone versus Ampicillin plus Ceftriaxone Synergistic Potential against Clinical Enterococcus faecalis Blood Isolates.

Penicillin plus ceftriaxone is a promising alternative to ampicillin plus ceftriaxone for the treatment of Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis. Limited data is available supporting the utilization of penicillin plus ceftriaxone. A total of 20 E.

Course design, delivery, and assessment strategies for pharmaceutical calculations course in a doctor of pharmacy program: A review.

Background: Pharmaceutical calculations is a fundamental course taken by doctor of pharmacy students in United States schools and colleges of pharmacy. To minimize medical errors and increase the accuracy with which future pharmacists perform calculations, a comprehensive training during the program is deemed. This review attempts to summarize research outcomes of interventions described thus far in the literature concerning the improvement of course design, delivery, and assessment strategies.

Association of Asthma Exacerbation Risk and Physician Time Expenditure With Provision of Asthma Action Plans and Education for Pediatric Patients.

Objective: To provide information about factors underlying provision of asthma action plans (AAPs) to a minority of pediatric patients with asthma, assess whether risk of exacerbation acts on provision of AAP and asthma education directly, suggesting targeting to highest-risk patients, or indirectly by influencing physician-patient interaction time.

Methods: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of physician office visits that consisted of patients aged 2 to 18 years with asthma. Exacerbation risk comprised proxy indicators of control and severity.

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.

Validation of a pre-/post-survey to measure change in student social justice attitudes and empathy.

Introduction: Despite endorsement by the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE), doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students are infrequently taught concepts related to social justice and empathy in a formal capacity. In addition, no validated measure exists to examine changes in these attitudes. Therefore, we tested the ability of a survey to predict changes in social justice and professional empathy attitudes in PharmD students.

Outcome Benefits Seen With 1 Year of Optimized Sacubitril/Valsartan for the Treatment of Systolic Heart Failure Managed by Pharmacists in a Cardiology Practice.

Background: Pharmacists' care in heart failure (HF) management has been shown to better clinical outcomes, including use of guideline-directed medical therapy and hospital readmission, although the impact observed has varied among studies.

Objective: To investigate the rates of all-cause hospitalization and hospitalization from HF (hHF) and changes in surrogate markers (left-ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association Functional Classification [NYHA FC], diuretic requirements) for patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) on angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) therapy optimized within a pharmacist clinic.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients with HFrEF on sacubitril/valsartan from July 7, 2015, through January 1, 2018.

Indication or diagnosis should be required on prescriptions.

Although prospective drug utilization review and patient counseling have long been recognized as professional and ethical responsibilities of pharmacists, the implementation of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 made them legal responsibilities. Ensuring the safety and effectiveness of prescription pharmaceutical care requires that all members of the prescriber-patient-pharmacist triad are equally informed about the therapeutic plan for which the pharmacist is professionally, ethically, and legally responsible for properly implementing. Providing pharmacists with the clinical indication or diagnosis is an important and long overdue first step.

Evaluation of serum calcium differences in hypertensive crises and control patients: A randomly matched case-control study.

The role of calcium in blood pressure has been widely studied among hypertensive patients; however, no study has explored the role of calcium in hypertensive crises. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the differences in serum calcium levels between hypertensive crises patients and a 1:1 random matched controls (age-, sex-, race-, diabetes, and body mass index matched). This study is a single-center, retrospective, chart review, case-control study of patients with hypertensive crises (case group) and patients without hypertensive crises (control group).

DQAsomes as the Prototype of Mitochondria-Targeted Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers : An Update.

DQAsomes (dequalinium-based liposome-like vesicles) are the prototype for all mitochondria-targeted vesicular pharmaceutical nanocarrier systems. First described in 1998 in a paper which has been cited as of May 2020 over 150 times, DQAsomes have been successfully explored for the delivery of DNA and low-molecular weight molecules to mitochondria within living mammalian cells. Moreover, they also appear to have triggered the design and development of a large variety of similar mitochondria-targeted nanocarriers .

Evaluation of serum magnesium differences in hypertensive crises and control patients: A randomly matched case-control study.

Although the role of magnesium in blood pressure has been well studied among hypertensive patients, no study has explored the role of magnesium in hypertensive crises. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the differences in serum magnesium levels between hypertensive crises patients and matched controls (age-, sex-, race-, and diabetes-matched) in a 1:1 random match. This study is a single-center, retrospective, chart review, case-control study of patients with hypertensive crises (case group) and patients without hypertensive crises (control group).

Amisulpride: A New Drug for Management of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting.

Objective: To review the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of amisulpride and determine its role in the management of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

Data Sources: A PubMed search (1946 to November 2020) using the terms and was conducted.

Study Selection And Data Extraction: Relevant reports on intravenous amisulpride were included.

Recommendations for integration of foundational and clinical sciences throughout the pharmacy curriculum.

Introduction: Pharmacy faculty have the often difficult task of translating and incorporating existing concepts and advances from the foundational sciences into the clinical sciences and practice. This commentary focuses on content integration as a curricular and educational strategy, outcomes data from integration, and recommendations for programs employing or considering curricular integration.

Commentary: Integration of foundational and clinical sciences across the curriculum has been emphasized in accreditation standards but met with mixed reactions by faculty across different disciplines in the academy.

Item analysis of emotional exhaustion in pharmacy practice faculty.

Introduction: The primary objective of this study was to identify the single question on the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educator Survey (MBI-ES) that correlated with high emotional exhaustion (EE) among pharmacy practice faculty.

Methods: We analyzed data collected from the electronic administration of the MBI-ES to faculty at United States (US) colleges and schools of pharmacy in 2014. For our primary outcome, we used Spearman's rho correlation (r) to identify a single question on the MBI-ES that was highly correlated with high EE (one of three subscales of MBI-ES).

Evaluation of an interactive simulated patient educational tool on course performance among current pharmacy students.

Background And Purpose: In an accelerated doctor of pharmacy program, student examination performance on a key knowledge concept, the Cockcroft-Gault equation (CGE) for creatinine clearance estimation, was suboptimal. A scenario-based online tutorial using a virtual patient activity was developed to provide just-in-time access to an active-learning opportunity, consistent with Millennial learning styles. The purposes of this study were to assess the association between tutorial use and CGE examination performance and to explore learner characteristics that may affect this association, including student age group.

Assessment of contraceptive curricula in US pharmacy programs.

Introduction: Pharmacists prescribe contraception in some states following expansions in scope of practice. Adequate education on contraception in pharmacy curricula is crucial to effectively deliver these services.

Methods: A 26-item survey assessing contraception curricula regarding was administered by email to instructors and administrators at 139 pharmacy schools in the United States.

Beneficial Agents for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease or Obesity: Utilization in an Era of Accumulating Evidence.

This study was an analysis of a national sample of U.S. medical office visits from 2014 to 2016, a period when evidence of effectiveness was emerging for a variety of beneficial type 2 diabetes agents with regard to potential reduction in diabetes comorbidities.