Measuring changes in pharmacy and nursing students' perceptions following an interprofessional high-fidelity simulation experience.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of interprofessional high-fidelity simulation-based learning (SBL) on third-year pharmacy and senior nursing students' perceptions of interprofessional care. Students participated in an interprofessional high-fidelity SBL experience consisting of two hospital-based scenarios followed by a debriefing. The "Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised" (SPICE-R) instrument was administered pre- and post-SBL.

A review and study of aspirin utilization for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in a psychiatric population.

In April 2016, the US Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF) updated the aspirin guidelines for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and colorectal cancer. This review assesses the importance of appropriate use of aspirin for the primary prevention of CVD and, specifically, how individuals with psychiatric disorders may benefit from such use. This study examined how current prescribing practices of aspirin in a state psychiatric hospital align with these new guidelines and how inappropriate prescribing may jeopardize patient safety.

Examining prescriber perceptions of statin therapy and the potential implications these perceptions may have on guideline adherence.

Not all psychiatric inpatients who are candidates for statin therapy are prescribed statin medication. It is unclear whether this is because of prescriber guideline uncertainty or purposeful avoidance because of other reasons. This study aims to determine prescribers' perceptions of recent cholesterol treatment guidelines, and whether their prescribing may be influenced by recent, potentially oversimplified headlines in the media.

Pharmacokinetic Monitoring of Vancomycin in Cystic Fibrosis: Is It Time to Move Past Trough Concentrations?

Background: A correlation between vancomycin (VAN) trough concentrations (VTC) and area under the curve (AUC) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratio (AUC/MIC) has not been established in children/adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF). The primary objective of this study was to determine the correlation between measured VTCs and AUC/MIC using population-based pharmacokinetics.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of children/adolescents diagnosed with CF, 6 to <18 years of age, treated with VAN for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection was conducted.

Effects of Statins and Cholesterol on Patient Aggression: Is There a Connection?

: Psychiatric adverse effects, including aggression, have been reported with the use of statin medications; however, there is little data to support or refute the theory that statins or low serum cholesterol do in fact increase a patient's risk of aggression. : This study examined 1) statin use and increased aggression, measured by the requirement of either emergent psychiatric intervention referred to as "Code Green" (CG) or "Restraint and Seclusion" (RS) and 2) cholesterol level and increased aggression in psychiatric inpatients. : Patient charts from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2015 were reviewed.

Chronic kidney disease, uremic milieu, and its effects on gut bacterial microbiota dysbiosis.

Several lines of evidence suggest that gut bacterial microbiota is altered in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), though the mechanism of which this dysbiosis takes place is not well understood. Recent studies delineated changes in gut microbiota in both CKD patients and experimental animal models using microarray chips. We present 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of both stool pellets and small bowel contents of C57BL/6J mice that underwent a remnant kidney model and establish that changes in microbiota take place in the early gastrointestinal tract.

Guide for Drug Selection During Pregnancy and Lactation: What Pharmacists Need to Know for Current Practice.

Objective: To provide guidance for clinicians on risk assessment of medication use during pregnancy and lactation.

Data Sources: Authors completed PubMed searches to identify articles focused on the use of medications in pregnancy, including fetal development, drug transfer across the placenta, trimester exposure, chronic conditions in pregnancy, medications in lactation, and lactation and chronic disease.

Study Selection And Data Extraction: Articles were reviewed to provide overall guidance to medication selection during pregnancy.

The use of brexpiprazole amongst individuals with insufficient outcomes with aripiprazole or bupropion: A case series.

Purpose: We sought to characterize the clinical experience of outpatients treated with brexpiprazole after achieving suboptimal outcomes with aripiprazole or bupropion as determined by the treating psychiatric provider.

Design And Methods: Case series; inefficacy, intolerability, or other unsatisfactory outcome to previous trial with aripiprazole or bupropion.

Findings: The majority of individuals in our sample exhibited tolerability of brexpiprazole.

Characterization of Vaccination Policies for Attendance and Employment at Day/Summer Camps in New York State.

Introduction: New York state requires day/summer camps to keep immunization records for all enrolled campers and strongly recommends requiring vaccination for all campers and staff. The objective of this study was to characterize immunization requirements/recommendations for children/adolescents enrolled in and staff employed at day/summer camps in New York state.

Methods: An electronic hyperlink to a 9-question survey instrument was distributed via e-mail to 178 day/summer camps located in New York state cities with a population size greater than 100 000 people.

Comparison of prescribing patterns between United States and Dominican Republic prescribers on short-term medical mission trips.

Background: Short-term medical missions (STMMs) have increased and are viewed as a way to extend care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although benefits may exist, visiting teams may lack insight into using medications safely and effectively. The primary objective was to assess prescribing differences between US-based and Dominican Republic (DR) healthcare providers on STMMs in the DR.

Triple combination antibiotic therapy for carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae: a systematic review.

Background: The spread of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (CPKP) has become a significant problem worldwide. Combination therapy for CPKP is encouraging, but polymyxin resistance to many antibiotics is hampering effective treatment.

Overtreatment of Asymptomatic Candiduria among Hospitalized Patients: a Multi-institutional Study.

Candiduria is common in hospitalized patients, and asymptomatic candiduria contributes to antifungal overuse. The guidelines for management of asymptomatic candiduria do not recommend antifungal use, but rather the elimination of predisposing factors. It is unknown whether these recommendations are being followed.

Early Administration of Adjuvant β-Lactam Therapy in Combination with Vancomycin among Patients with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infection: A Retrospective, Multicenter Analysis.

Study Objective: To determine whether early administration of adjuvant β-lactam in combination with vancomycin (COMBO) affects clinical outcomes compared to standard vancomycin therapy alone (STAN) among patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infection.

Design: Retrospective, multicenter cohort study.

Setting: Five academic or community hospitals throughout the United States.

Advanced glycation end products dietary restriction effects on bacterial gut microbiota in peritoneal dialysis patients; a randomized open label controlled trial.

The modern Western diet is rich in advanced glycation end products (AGEs). We have previously shown an association between dietary AGEs and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in a population of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). In the current pilot study we explored the effects of dietary AGEs on the gut bacterial microbiota composition in similar patients.

Increased Risk of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Children Treated With Vancomycin and Piperacillin/Tazobactam.

Objectives: Compare the rates of acute kidney injury in critically ill children treated with vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam versus vancomycin and ceftriaxone.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A large tertiary care children's hospital in an urban setting.

Association of Vancomycin Trough Concentration With Response to Treatment for Acute Pulmonary Exacerbation of Cystic Fibrosis.

Background: Our goal was to determine the relationship between serum vancomycin trough concentrations (VTCs) and changes in pulmonary function among individuals with an acute pulmonary exacerbation (APE) of cystic fibrosis (CF).

Methods: We included subjects who were ≥6 years of age, were hospitalized for an APE of CF between May 1, 2012, and April 30, 2014, were administered vancomycin for ≥48 hours, and had a history of airway infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Pearson correlations were performed to characterize the relationship between VTC and pulmonary function.

Career Progression of the Pharmacy/MBA Professional: Characterization and Perceptions of the Combined Degree.

To characterize pharmacy/MBA professionals during their entry-level and current positions and to describe their attitudes and perceptions toward their combined degree. A cross-sectional survey of University at Buffalo (UB) alumni who obtained both pharmacy and MBA degrees was used. An electronic survey was developed through collaboration with the UB School of Management and administered in winter 2015.

Attitudes and Perceptions of Dual PharmD/MBA Degree Program Students.

To understand pharmacy students' reasons for pursuing a dual PharmD/MBA degree and their perceptions of the impact a dual degree will have on their careers. This was a cross-sectional survey of registered students in the University at Buffalo PharmD/MBA program. An electronic survey was developed through collaboration with the UB School of Management and administered in January 2015.

An integrated epidemiological and neural net model of the warfarin effect in managed care patients.

Introduction: Risk assessment tools are utilized to estimate the risk for stroke and need of anticoagulation therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). These risk stratification scores are limited by the information inputted into them and a reliance on time-independent variables. The objective of this study was to develop a time-dependent neural net model to identify AF populations at high risk of poor clinical outcomes and evaluate the discriminatory ability of the model in a managed care population.

Towards Precision in HF Pharmacotherapy.

Purpose Of Review: Heart failure (HF) is a disease state with great heterogeneity, which complicates the therapeutic process. Identifying more precise HF phenotypes will allow for the development of more targeted therapies and improvement in patient outcomes. This review explores the future for precision medicine in HF treatment.

Introduction and Assessment of a Blended-Learning Model to Teach Patient Assessment in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

To integrate a blended-learning model into a two-course patient assessment sequence in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program and to assess the academic performance and perceptions of enrolled students. A blended-learning model consisting of a flipped classroom format was integrated into a patient assessment (PA) course sequence. Course grades of students in the blended-learning (intervention) and traditional-classroom (control) groups were compared.

A combination of ceftaroline and daptomycin has synergistic and bactericidal activity in vitro against daptomycin nonsusceptible methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

There is an urgent need to optimize therapeutic options in patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia who have failed conventional therapy. Two clinical isolates were obtained from a 68-year-old male with persistent MRSA bacteremia before and after the development of daptomycin nonsusceptibility. The pharmacodynamic activity of monotherapies and combinations of ceftaroline, daptomycin, cefoxitin, nafcillin and vancomycin were evaluated in time-kill experiments versus 10 CFU/mL of the pre- and post-daptomycin nonsusceptible MRSA isolates.

Influence of and on Polymyxin Pharmacodynamics in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Implications for Quorum Sensing Inhibition with Azithromycin.

The impact of quorum sensing on polymyxin and azithromycin pharmacodynamics was assessed in PAO1 and an isogenic / double knockout. For polymyxin B, greater killing against the / knockout than against PAO1 was observed at 10 CFU/ml (polymyxin B half-maximal effective concentration [EC], 5.61 versus 12.

Potential for Pharmacy-Public Health Collaborations Using Pharmacy-Based Point-of-Care Testing Services for Infectious Diseases.

Context: Health care professionals must continually identify collaborative ways to combat antibiotic resistance while improving community health and health care delivery. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA)-waived point-of-care (POC) testing (POCT) services for infectious disease conducted in community pharmacies provide a means for pharmacists to collaborate with prescribers and/or public health officials combating antibiotic resistance while improving community health and health care delivery.

Objective: To provide a comprehensive literature review that explores the potential for pharmacists to collaborate with public health professionals and prescribers using pharmacy-based CLIA-waived POCT services for infectious diseases.

Engaging Postgraduate Year-2 Pharmacy Residents in Formal Co-evaluation of Platform Presentations at a Regional Residency Conference.

To implement and assess the perceived impact of a program designed to engage postgraduate year-2 (PGY2) pharmacy residents in formal co-evaluation of platform presentations at a regional residency conference. A PGY2 formal co-evaluator program was designed and conducted over two years. Postgraduate year-2 residents were paired with a preceptor for modeling, coaching, and facilitating.