Assessment of education in a community hospital on healthcare providers' knowledge of and attitudes toward medical marijuana.

Introduction: Although medical marijuana usage continues to become more socially acceptable and is increasingly regarded as a legitimate treatment alternative for certain medical conditions such as cancer and epilepsy, stigma remains.

Methods: This study examined whether offering an educational session addressing several key aspects of medical marijuana (e.g.

Health-care Worker Engagement in Federally Qualified Health Centers and Associations with Confidence in Making Health-care Recommendations: Evidence from the Louisiana Community Engagement Alliance.

Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been numerous demands on primary care practices and providers affecting work engagement and burnout, which can affect health-care delivery and patient outcomes. We determined potentially modifiable factors associated with work engagement among employees of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) throughout Louisiana. Resilient coping, spirituality, and social support were associated with being engaged at work.

Vancomycin-Induced Leukopenia and Neutropenia: Time Will Tell.

Neutropenia is an uncommon adverse effect associated with prolonged vancomycin therapy. This was a case report on a 62-year-old African American male with hypertension, paranoid schizophrenia, and a history of polysubstance abuse developed foot osteomyelitis. The patient was initially maintained on intravenous Vancomycin & Ceftriaxone for ~3 weeks but adjusted to Daptomycin & Ceftriaxone while in hospital due to neutropenia.

The Impact of Post-Myocardial Infarction (MI) Depression on Cardiovascular-Related Hospitalizations.

Routine depression screening and subsequent treatment in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients may lead to improved cardiac outcomes. However, screening for depression is not a standard of post-MI care. Though the American Heart Association (AHA) published an advisory recommending routine depression screening in post-MI patients, there is conflicting evidence on the benefit that routine depression screening has on cardiovascular outcomes.

Lessons from a cross-institutional online professional development pilot.

Purpose: To reflect on a collaborative approach used by a group of faculty and administrators from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) and predominantly Black institution (PBI) pharmacy programs to provide high quality, multiple institution, faculty development programming in online environments.

Description: A pilot for a shared online professional development initiative between pharmacy programs at five HBCUs and one PBI was implemented as a two-hour combined video conference and webinar, with structured networking, instructional programming, and breakout group sessions. Learning outcomes focused on increasing knowledge and awareness of mindsets in faculty and students with additional project goals of beta-testing interactive web conference formats, developing cross-institutional networking, and identifying avenues for sharing resources and expertise.

Ribosomal Profiling by Gradient Fractionation of Cell Lysates.

Ribosomal profiling is a widely used technique for deep sequencing of ribosome-protected mRNA and for measuring ribosome status in cells. It is a powerful method that is typically employed for monitoring and measuring protein translation status and ribosome activity. Also, it has been used for monitoring the ribosomal stress-responsive events in the ribosome activity.

Qualitative evaluation of postdoctoral trainee and faculty advisor experiences within a research-intensive school of pharmacy.

Background: Postdoctoral trainees play a vital role in securing grant funding, building alliances, and mentoring graduate students under the guidance of a mentor who can help develop their intellectual independence. However, the experiences of postdoctoral trainees, particularly within health professions schools, is largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of postdoctoral trainees and faculty advisors at a public four-year school of pharmacy and identify areas of opportunity to improve postdoctoral training.

Antimicrobial Prophylaxis and Anticoagulation Therapy in Pediatric ECMO: A Survey Study.

Objective: The purpose was to characterize antimicrobial and anticoagulation therapies used in health systems with children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Methods: An anonymous electronic survey assessing health system demographics and antimicrobial and anticoagulation therapies during ECMO was distributed to the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Pediatric Practice and Research Network and the Pediatric Pharmacy Association Critical Care Special Interest Group. The primary objective was to identify the number of respondents using antimicrobial prophylaxis for ECMO cannulation and ECMO runs.

Impact and feasibility of a pharmacist-delivered pharmacotherapy rotation on pediatric resident education.

Pharmacotherapy training for pediatric residents is an important part of their overall education. Limited data exist describing formal engagement of clinical pharmacists in residency training. The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel pharmacotherapy rotation for learner gains and program feasibility.

What is the role of andexanet alfa in the reversal of anticoagulant effects?

Although using direct oral anticoagulants increases patient risk for hemorrhagic events, FDA-approved options for reversing anticoagulant effects are limited. This article discusses one of the more recent FDA-approved antidotes, andexanet alfa, and provides guidelines for its safe and effective use.

Care erosion in sedation assessment: A prospective comparison of usual care Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale assessment with protocolized assessment for medical intensive care unit patients.

Objectives: To determine concordance between an explicit protocolized assessment of the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale and an assessment performed during usual care nursing practice.

Research Design: In an urban, safety-net hospital, intensive care nurses previously trained in sedation assessment recorded a bedside Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale assessment, while study investigators used an explicit script to perform the assessment at a similar time point. Kappa indices determined concordance of the assessments.

Positive association between neighborhood retail alcohol outlet access and hospital admissions for alcohol withdrawal syndrome in New Orleans.

We used treatment for alcohol withdrawal syndrome as an objective surrogate marker to investigate the relationship between alcohol-related health outcomes and home neighborhood alcohol outlet density and alcohol advertising density. Mixed effects logistic regression examined whether alcohol outlet density or alcohol advertisement density within either one-quarter mile or one-half mile of individuals' home address was associated with treatment for alcohol withdrawal. Adjusted models showed outlet and advertising density, particularly off-sale outlet density within one-quarter mile of the home, increased the risk of hospital admission for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AOR = 1.

PCR ribotypes of across Texas from 2011 to 2018 including emergence of ribotype 255.

infection (CDI) is the most prevalent healthcare-associated infection in the United States and carries a significant healthcare system burden. As part of an ongoing, active surveillance system of throughout Texas, the objective of this study was to assess changes in ribotypes of clinical isolates obtained from hospitalized patients in Texas over the past seven years. Fifty hospitals located in Texas, USA sent .

Time Spent at Work and Its Impact on the Academic Performance of Pharmacy Students.

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of time spent at work (workload) on the academic performance of pharmacy students. A cross-sectional 12-item survey was administered to pharmacy students at the end of the spring 2011 semester to primarily assess the type of employment and their weekly workload during the 2010-2011 academic year. Academic performance was determined by semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Clinical Outcomes Following the Use of Archived Proviral HIV-1 DNA Genotype to Guide Antiretroviral Therapy Adjustment.

Background: Evidence regarding the safety of using proviral HIV-1 DNA genotype (DNA GT) to guide antiretroviral therapy (ART) is limited. We hypothesized that HIV RNA would not increase following ART adjustment guided by DNA GT in a university HIV clinic.

Methods: Data were obtained from electronic medical records of adult persons living with HIV-1 (PWH) who underwent DNA GT testing and changed ART between October 2014 and November 2017.

Is Ciprofloxacin in Combination With Beta-lactam Antibiotics a Recipe for Thrombocytosis?: A Case Report of Thrombocytosis in a Patient Receiving Ciprofloxacin and Ceftriaxone.

Thrombocytosis is defined as a platelet count greater than 400,000/mcL. We report the case of a patient who developed thrombocytosis after receiving ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone therapy. A 73-year-old African-American female presented to the hospital with altered mental status attributed to sepsis and urinary tract infection.

Cardiac Collapse Secondary to Phenytoin Toxicity in a Neonate Treated with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support (ECMO).

Introduction: Although medication toxicity is uncommon in neonates, there are several medications used in this population that pose a risk. Phenytoin has an increased risk of toxicity given its narrow therapeutic window and variations in drug elimination.

Case Report: We describe the case of a 3-day-old male infant who developed cardiovascular collapse secondary to severe phenytoin toxicity (max phenytoin level 86 μg/mL) and was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support (ECMO).

Consideration of Aggressive and Strategic Approaches to Address Declining Enrollment in US Pharmacy Schools.

Members from Cohort 13 of the Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) 2016-2017 were challenged to present a debate on the topic: "In Turbulent Times, Pharmacy Education Leaders Must Take Aggressive Action to Prevent Further Declines in Enrollment" at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy INfluence 2017 meeting in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. This paper is the result of thoughtful insights emerging from this debate. We present a discussion of the question of whether pharmacy education leaders must take aggressive action or strategic approaches to prevent further declines in enrollment.

Patients' perception of community pharmacists as healthcare providers and willingness to participate in pharmacist services: a pilot study.

Objectives: To explore the extent to which patients identify community pharmacists as healthcare providers and the relationship of this perception to a willingness to engage in pharmacist-provided services.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a retail pharmacy and a patient centered medical home (PCMH) in the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area. The survey assessed patients' perception of community pharmacists and their roles in the provision of healthcare, as well as willingness to participate in commonly offered pharmacist-provided services.

What do I eat? Impact of an interactive teaching method for improving pharmacy students' diabetes nutrition knowledge and comfort in providing nutrition counseling.

Background And Purpose: Didactic approaches for instructing students about diabetes nutrition and self-management have been described previously in the pharmacy education literature. There is a need for diabetes nutrition active learning approaches that can be incorporated into the advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) setting so students can apply previous didactic learning in a real world setting. The goal was to add to students' knowledge of diabetes nutrition thereby increasing their comfort in discussing nutrition with patients.

Venous thromboembolism following initiation of atypical antipsychotics in two geriatric patients.

Background: Although not formally highlighted as a risk factor in current practice guidelines, several observational studies have reported a possible association between antipsychotic use and development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, it is unclear to what extent the risk is elevated.

Case Report: Described are 2 cases of VTE following recent initiation of second-generation antipsychotics in elderly patients.

Do Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics Prevent or Delay Hospital Readmission?

Introduction: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics were developed as a way to decrease pill burden and simplify medication regimens by allowing less frequent administration to assist with medication adherence.

Methods: The purpose of this study was to determine whether LAI antipsychotics prevent or delay hospital readmission in patients with a known history of medication non-adherence. The study is a retrospective evaluation of 240 men and women 18-65 years of age diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder discharged from an inpatient state hospital over a 2 year period of time on a LAI antipsychotic (fluphenazine LAI, haloperidol LAI, risperidone LAI or paliperidone LAI) or oral antipsychotic.

The role of transdermal compounding in opioid safety.

Since the number of prescriptions for opioid medications have continued to rise, there have been questions about the safety of using opioids in pain management. Traditionally, opioid analgesics were reserved for a few select conditions, such as terminal illness and surgery, but currently opioids have been readily prescribed for multiple conditions. The objective of this manuscript is to clarify the current state of opioid use and to discuss alternative transdermal analgesic therapies in pain management.