Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research最新文献

{"title":"Impact of sacubitril/valsartan on atrial fibrillation burden in heart failure: a retrospective observational study","authors":"Ana Barradas MD,&nbsp;Diogo de Almeida Fernandes MD,&nbsp;Inês Fonseca BHSc,&nbsp;Natália António MD, PhD,&nbsp;Luís Elvas MD,&nbsp;Lino Gonçalves MD, PhD","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1942","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Sacubitril/valsartan (an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors [ARNI]) might improve atrial fibrillation (AF) condition, but its added value remains controversial.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We aimed to analyse the effect of ARNI on AF burden.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted a single-centre, retrospective self-controlled study in a tertiary centre. Data were retrieved from January 2019–January 2023. All cardiac resynchronisation therapy-implantable cardioverter defibrillator (CRT-D) carriers on ARNI were included if implantation had been at least 3 months before drug initiation. Proarrhythmic events, equal time length control (before ARNI initiation), and exposure (after ARNI initiation) periods were defined. Echocardiographic data were retrieved if they were up to 1 year old before ARNI initiation and if they were available 3 months to 1 year after initiation. AF burden was defined by frequency and median value of paroxysmal events and the overall variation in AF status was determined. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (Reference no: PI OBS.SF.174-2022) and the study conforms with the Declaration of Helsinki.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Seventy-two patients were included in the study (73.3% men). After ARNI, there was a reduction in New York Heart Association functional class ± standard deviation (2.00 ± 0.75 to 1.85 ± 0.61, p = 0.043) and an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction ± standard deviation (from 31.67% ± 9.28% vs 37.33% ± 14.49%, p = 0.027). Before ARNI initiation, 34 patients did not have AF, 19 had paroxysmal AF, 15 had permanent AF, and 2 had persistent AF. The total amount of AF episodes (91 vs 44, p = 0.808) and median paroxysmal episodes (among those with paroxysmal AF or no AF) (5 vs 3, p = 0.121) were numerically reduced after ARNI initiation, though variation was not statistically significant. No differences were found as well regarding ventricular arrhythmias or device therapies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>ARNI did not significantly decrease the number of AF paroxysmal episodes or median number of paroxysmal events per patient. Even though ARNI may have a positive impact on AF burden of heart failure patients, larger studies are needed to provide unequivocal evidence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"55 1","pages":"53-60"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143423579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A retrospective study of duloxetine for phantom limb pain post lower-limb amputation","authors":"Duncan Long BPharm,&nbsp;Jonathon Beck BPharm,&nbsp;Nazanin Falconer BPharm, PhD,&nbsp;Salih Salih MBCHB, MBH, FRACP","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1937","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1937","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Phantom limb pain (PLP) refers to the painful sensory perception of a missing limb after amputation, which can have physical and psychological impacts.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To determine the effectiveness of duloxetine for pain management in PLP by the reduction of opioid doses and other neuropathic analgesics when introduced into multimodal pain management strategies in the subacute rehabilitation setting.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This was a retrospective observational case-matched cohort study of patients who were admitted to a geriatric and rehabilitation unit at a tertiary Australian hospital from January 2005–December 2017 with PLP after lower-limb amputation. Patients were included if they had a new amputation and experienced PLP. The primary outcome was a difference in oxycodone dose equivalents at discharge between the two cohorts. Univariable analysis was used to compare groups. Ethical approval was granted by the Metro South Low Negligible Risk Ethics Committee (Reference no: LNR/2018/QMS/47370) and the study conforms with the <i>National statement on ethical conduct in human research</i>.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Thirty patients from the duloxetine treatment cohort and 57 patients from the non-duloxetine cohort were identified. Participants were predominantly male (81%) and had a median age of 63 years (interquartile range = 10.7). Both populations showed a similar rate of opioid dose reduction comparing doses at admission with those at discharge. There were no significant differences in absolute oxycodone equivalent doses at the two observed check points: admission and discharge.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study demonstrated that opioid consumption in post-surgical lower-limb amputees reporting PLP was not significantly different between populations that used and did not use duloxetine. Future research should evaluate the efficacy of duloxetine in PLP pain management using a multisite prospective study design.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"55 1","pages":"46-52"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jppr.1937","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143423578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Active Ingredient Prescribing in Australia: exploring pharmacists' experiences","authors":"Taylah Swifte BPharm, MPharm,&nbsp;Michelle Bowden BPharm, GradDipClinPharm,&nbsp;Henry Ndukwe BPharm, MSc, PhD","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1935","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1935","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Active Ingredient Prescribing (AIP) mandate was introduced Australia-wide on 1 February 2021. The AIP legislation makes the pharmacist a stakeholder who can provide valuable information to customers and patients.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To explore the experiences of community pharmacists with AIP legislation with a focus on attitude, health literacy, and medication safety.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted and guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Transcripts were analysed using a deductive approach to categorise data and inductive thematic analysis to identify concepts and themes. Ethical approval was granted by the Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference no: 2021/878) and the study conforms to the <i>Australian National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research</i>. Informed consent from all participants was obtained via a study information sheet distributed to all potential participants and completion of written consent forms prior to participation in the study. Participants received gift cards as compensation for their time.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Six pharmacists participated, and thematic analysis of collected data revealed three main themes. These included education, integration, and trust. Insights on patients' acceptance of their prescriptions and the expanded patient-facing opportunities were highlighted. Participants' opinions leaned towards enhancing the smooth integration into the AIP process of other stakeholders like prescribers and regulatory bodies. Establishing multilevel communication between stakeholders and customers was pivotal to improving health literacy and medication safety. Pharmacists' views on process integration provided unique insight into the practical challenges with the AIP mandate. In addition, ‘trust’ in the prescriber enhanced patient acceptance of generic medicines.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study provided baseline evidence to show that the AIP mandate enhances health literacy and empowers patients to know the active ingredients in their medicines, which in turn supports medication safety. Examining the implementation of the AIP legislation facilitated a nuanced understanding of the effect that these AIP changes have on patients.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"54 5","pages":"402-411"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jppr.1935","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142664658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A surgical preadmission pharmacist service in a tertiary paediatric hospital: a pilot study","authors":"Bruce Chio BPharm, GDipClinPharm,&nbsp;Syeda Farah Zahir PhD, MSc(HM), MBBS,&nbsp;Jenny Lee-Peters BPharm, GDipClinPharm, CHIA,&nbsp;Emily Elliott BPharm, BPharm(Hons),&nbsp;Lana Steward-Harrison BPharm, GDipClinPharm, MHLM, MSHP,&nbsp;Gemma Burns BPharmSci, MPharm,&nbsp;Sonya Stacey BPharm, PhD, FANZCAP","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1933","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1933","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Pharmacist surgical preadmission review is common in adult healthcare settings, however there is little evidence of this practice in the paediatric setting. This research describes a pilot surgical preadmission pharmacist service in a paediatric hospital.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To evaluate the impact of a surgical preadmission pharmacist service on patient flow and the quality of medication management.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A retrospective review (2 months) was conducted to compare an intervention group (1 May 2019–30 June 2019) to historical baseline (1 October 2018–30 November 2018). Children and adolescents (aged 0–18 years) presenting for elective surgery and overnight admission were included. Relevant clinical data and timestamps were extracted from the electronic medical record. Multiple linear regression models were built to examine the difference in outcomes between the control and intervention groups. This project was exempt due to the local policy requirements that constitute research by the Queensland Children's Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference no: LNR/19/QCHQ/53406). The justification for this exemption was as follows: the study presented no foreseeable risk of patient harm as it involved evaluation of an established standard of clinical care and involved the use of existing collections of records that contain only non-identifiable patient data.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In total, 135 patients were included in the baseline and 96 patients were included in the intervention group. The intervention group had statistically significant lower time to best possible medication history (BPMH) by 47.57 h (95% confidence interval [CI] −53.25 to −41.89, p &lt; 0.001). Time to prescription of home medications was significantly reduced in the intervention group by 5.26 h (95% CI −10.45 to −0.08, p = 0.05). There was no difference in proportion of patients with home medications omitted (71–62%, p = 0.38) or requiring modification (14–12%, p = 0.58) between the two groups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Implementation of a surgical preadmission pharmacist service in our paediatric hospital demonstrated earlier BPMH documentation and prescription of home medications, without negative effects on perioperative patient flow.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"54 5","pages":"393-401"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142664788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The pharmacologic management of status epilepticus in pregnant patients: a scoping review","authors":"Emily M. Laswell PharmD, BCPS,&nbsp;David Peters Jr PharmD, BCCCP,&nbsp;Jordan Orchard PharmD","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1934","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1934","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Status epilepticus (SE) is defined as 5 min or more of seizure activity or two recurrent seizures without a return to baseline. Healthcare providers encounter a challenge when a patient with SE is pregnant. SE is not only detrimental to the mother but can also put the baby at risk of severe harm. SE must be treated rapidly and therefore healthcare providers have very little time to thoroughly review the risk and benefits of available antiseizure medication in this population.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To evaluate the current available evidence related to the management of SE in pregnancy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A literature search of PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest Nursing &amp; Allied Health Source, and Web of Science databases was conducted (2012–2022) using the following search terms: ‘pregnancy’, ‘pregnant women’ OR ‘gestation’ AND ‘status epilepticus’, ‘generalized status epilepticus’, ‘generalized convulsive status epilepticus’, ‘non convulsive status epilepticus’ OR ‘non-convulsive status epilepticus’. Full-text randomised controlled trials, clinical trials, observational studies, and case reports published in English were included. Data were extracted and the quality of the studies was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The literature described 29 pregnancies and 30 total foetuses. Intravenous benzodiazepine use for emergent control was reported in 45% of patients. Phenytoin and levetiracetam were primarily utilised for urgent control, with a variety of agents used for refractory SE. Ninety-seven percent of maternal outcomes were reported as positive. The most common outcome was the birth of a healthy term infant. There were seven cases of pregnancy loss.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Publications pertaining to the treatment of SE in pregnancy are limited to case reports and small observational studies. Use of a benzodiazepine followed by levetiracetam or phenytoin is appropriate, whereas valproic acid should be utilised only when necessary due to the risk of major congenital malformation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"54 5","pages":"353-367"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jppr.1934","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142664587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pharmacotherapy profile for mothers with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder in a psychiatric mother–baby unit","authors":"Anna Cooter BArts (Hons), BPharm, BMedSt, MD,&nbsp;Sushreya Saluja BMedSt, MD,&nbsp;Susan Roberts MBBS, FRANZCP,&nbsp;Grace Branjerdporn BOccThy(Hons), PhD","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1939","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1939","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Background&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Pharmacotherapy treatment is used to manage women with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder admitted to a mother–baby unit (MBU).&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Aim&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;The aims of this study were (1) to examine prescribing practices for women with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder in an MBU, (2) to assess alignment with the &lt;i&gt;Mental health care in the perinatal period: Australian clinical practice guideline&lt;/i&gt; and (3) to examine the classes of typical and atypical antipsychotics prescribed to mothers with schizophrenia.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Method&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;A retrospective audit of women with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder admitted to a psychiatric MBU, located in Queensland, Australia, was conducted from March 2017–July 2019. The exclusion criteria included women admitted with depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and postpartum psychosis. Pharmacotherapy treatment details were extracted at commencement of admission, mid-way through admission, and discharge. Descriptive statistics were completed. This project was exempt due to the local policy requirements that constitute research by the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference no: EX/2023/QGC/102306). The justification for this exemption was as follows: the study was deemed a quality improvement activity and complied with Chapter 2.3 of the &lt;i&gt;National Statement of Ethical Conduct in Research&lt;/i&gt; and involved only routinely collected data.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Of the 53 mothers included in the study, 29 (55%) had schizophrenia and 24 (45%) had bipolar affective disorder. In addition, 97% of women with schizophrenia received atypical antipsychotics. Five women (21%) with bipolar affective disorder (mean age = 31.60 years, standard deviation = 6.19 years) were prescribed sodium valproate, with four women given contraception. Sodium valproate or lamotrigine were prescribed to four women (67%) with bipolar affective disorder whilst breastfeeding. Of mothers prescribed lithium, 92% did not breastfeed. Overall, 44% of women involuntarily admitted received antipsychotic depot medication compared with 38% of voluntary patients. Results are discussed in relation to the national guidelines.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This is the first naturalistic study to examine the pharmacotherapy management of postpartum women admitted to a psychiatric MBU with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. The study highlights that prescribing p","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"55 1","pages":"36-45"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143424317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Person- and carer-centred palliative care: consensus for the pharmacy profession","authors":"Michael J. Dooley BPharm, GradDipHospPharm, PhD, FSHP, AdvPracPharm","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1944","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1944","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;In the previous issue of the &lt;i&gt;Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research&lt;/i&gt;, the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) Standard of practice in palliative care for pharmacy services was published.&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; This Standard describes current best practice for the provision of palliative care pharmacy services and demonstrates the depth and breadth of these services that have continued to evolve over the recent decade. This includes describing essential and emerging services and challenges the profession to strive to provide emerging services, in addition to essential services wherever possible. This is indeed a challenge when these services are provided in non-specialist and specialist palliative care settings by individual practitioners with varying degrees of experience and expertise. This professional Practice Standard sets the scene and provides guidance to pharmacists within palliative care interdisciplinary teams, through to those working in more generalist roles in settings with clinicians without palliative expertise and, most importantly, entrenches the essence of the palliative care approach in the profession.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fundamental to this approach is the description within the Standard that everyone shares a fundamental right to safe and high-quality health care, including palliative care services, as is clearly prioritised in the &lt;i&gt;Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; However, there is clear evidence both internationally and within Australia that many patients who would benefit from palliative care service unfortunately do not have access to these.&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3, 4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; This includes the continued lack of awareness within the healthcare sector and the wider community that palliative care services can be complementary to active treatment and not reserved for end-of-life care.&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; Continued effort must be made to reduce these barriers to care and integrate palliative care services as early as possible, from when curative or life-prolonging (disease-modifying) treatment is occurring through to when death may be imminent. This is addressed within the Standard where the benefits of palliative care are highlighted for patients first diagnosed with a life-limiting condition receiving active interventions through to patients with progressive, advanced disease with little to no prospect of cure.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A conceptual framework to underpin access to palliative care services has also been developed to help guide health professionals.&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; This, along with key messaging to facilitate engagement with and promotion of palliative care services, has been advocated as an approach to improve the care of individuals with serious illness. There remain significant challenges to adopting these concepts into routine clinical practice. Unfortunately, palliative care, for many healthcare professionals and patients, is perceived to be only for end-of-life ca","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"54 4","pages":"271-272"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jppr.1944","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142099970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Standard of practice in women's and newborn health for pharmacy services","authors":"James Dwyer BPharm, MPH, FANZCAP (Lead&Mgt, MedSafety), FSHP,&nbsp;Megan Clark BPharm(Hons), GradCertPharmPrac, MClinPharm, FANZCAP (Neonatol.), MSHP,&nbsp;Luke Grzeskowiak BPharm(Hons), GradCertClinEpid, PhD, FANZCAP (Neonatol., ObsGynae), FSHP,&nbsp;Charis Lau BPharm (Hons), GradCertPharmPrac, FANZCAP (Neonatol., ObsGynae), MSHP,&nbsp;Tamara Lebedevs BPharm, GradDipPharm, FANZCAP (MedInfo, ObsGynae), MSHP,&nbsp;Kate Luttrell BPharm (Prof Hons), MSHP,&nbsp;Treasure McGuire PhD, BSc(Pcol), GradDipClinHospPharm, GCHEd, AdvPracPharm, TAECertIV, FANZCAP (Edu., ObsGynae), FACP, FPS, MSHP,&nbsp;Kate O'Hara BMedSci (Hons), MPharm, PhD, FANZCAP (Paeds, Neonatol.), MSHP,&nbsp;Jia Yin Soo BPharm (Hons), PhD, FANZCAP (Neonatol., ObsGynae), MSHP,&nbsp;Yee Mellor BPharm, MCncrSc, FANZCAP (Generalist, Edu.), MSHP","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1941","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1941","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"54 4","pages":"333-351"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142100430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stability of flucytosine 100 mg/mL suspension as an alternative to intravenous administration","authors":"Pamela Huang BPharm,&nbsp;Carmela Corallo BPharm,&nbsp;Cherie Chiang MBBS (Hons), FRACP, FRCPA, MAACB, MD, FFSc,&nbsp;Yoke Chee Leong BSc, MAACB,&nbsp;Bianca Tong BPharm (Hons)","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1924","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1924","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Flucytosine is an antifungal agent used in combination with other medicines for the treatment of fungal infections. It was available as intravenous (IV), oral tablet, and capsule formulations up until October 2021, when the IV product, Ancotil, was discontinued with no alternative brands available.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to formulate a suitable formulation with appropriate stability data for medium to long-term nasogastric (NG) administration use.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Flucytosine 500 mg tablets (Ancotil) were crushed and suspended in (1) Ora-Plus (OP) + Ora-Sweet (OS) and (2) Ora-Blend (OB) to produce 100 mg/mL suspensions (<i>n</i> = 3 for each suspending base) that were stored at 2–8°C in amber glass bottles until assayed. Appearance, odour and pH, and the concentrations of flucytosine in the suspensions were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography on days 1, 8, and 15. A subjective assessment of the ease of suspension for NG administration via a size 10fr nasogastric tube (NGT) was also tested. Ethics approval was not required for this research article as it was a stability study and did not contain human participants or human data.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>One of the three OB suspension bottles demonstrated significant suspension clumping resulting in all OB suspensions being excluded from further analysis. There was no change in appearance, odour or pH with the OP + OS based flucytosine suspensions and they extruded easily through a size 10fr NGT with minimal force. The three OP + OS bottles of flucytosine suspension were stable (&gt;98% at all timepoints assessed) for 15 days at 2–8°C when stored in amber glass bottles.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The OP + OS suspensions showed chemical stability for up to 15 days when stored under refrigerated conditions and protected from light, making this a suitable multidose enteral alternative to IV flucytosine.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"54 4","pages":"323-327"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142100431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rise in paracetamol therapeutic errors in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Nicole O'Shea BPharm, MClinPharm, MSHP, GradCertPharmPrac, GradCertHlthMgmt, FANZCAP (Tox, MedSafety),&nbsp;Rohan A. Elliott BPharm, BpharmSc(Hons), MClinPharm, PhD, FSHP, FANZCAP (GeriMed, Research),&nbsp;Anselm Wong MBBS, DipTox, PhD, FACEM, FACMT, FAACT, FEAPCCT","doi":"10.1002/jppr.1936","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jppr.1936","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Treatment guidelines for COVID-19 recommend basic analgesics/antipyretics such as paracetamol.&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; Paracetamol therapeutic errors are associated with morbidity and mortality.&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; The Victorian Poisons Information Centre (VPIC), the statewide poisons centre for Victoria, Australia, receives calls from members of the public for advice regarding errors made with medicines. Paracetamol therapeutic errors are usually accidental overdoses (e.g. double-dose, maximum daily dose exceeded, incorrectly measured liquid paracetamol, or use of two paracetamol-containing medicines). The aim of this research was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of paracetamol therapeutic error cases in the community (outside of hospitals) that were reported to VPIC.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Call records were extracted from the VPIC database from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2022 (approximately 2.5 years before and after the first cases of COVID-19 in Victoria). Retrospectively, records were reviewed where callers reported a therapeutic error with any form of paracetamol that occurred in an adult or child in the home or community.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the 2.5 years prior to the pandemic there was an average of 120 (standard deviation [SD] 21) paracetamol therapeutic error cases per month. In the 2.5 years from January 2020 there was an average of 116 (SD 33) cases per month, but case numbers varied as the Victorian population went into and out of lockdown (lockdowns were a stay-at-home order to reduce the spread of COVID-19). During the first two Melbourne lockdowns, which occurred between 31 March 2020–12 May 2020 and 9 July 2020–27 October 2020,&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; the average number of paracetamol therapeutic error cases per month fell to 60 (SD 19) and 80 (SD 5) per month, respectively. During this time, COVID-19 cases remained low (Figure 1).&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; When the number of COVID-19 cases rose in the second half of 2021, the average number of paracetamol therapeutic error cases per month increased.&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; The mean number of cases after lockdowns ended (22 October 2021–30 June 2022) was 145 per month compared to 120 per month pre-pandemic (p &lt; 0.001).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In reviewing cases related to paediatrics and adolescents (defined in the database as people ≤19 years of age) prior to COVID-19, the average number of therapeutic error cases was 62.66 (SD 13) per month. After the COVID-19 lockdown periods, the average number of therapeutic error cases per month increased to 80 (SD 26, p &lt; 0.001).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The lower number of paracetamol therapeutic error cases reported to VPIC during the first two lockdowns could be explained by an overall reduction in viral illness due to prolonged lockdowns and improved infection control (e.g. social distancing, face masks, improved hand hygiene).&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; The statistically significant increase in paracetamol therapeutic errors in the post-lockdown period, compare","PeriodicalId":16795,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research","volume":"54 5","pages":"436-438"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jppr.1936","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141797046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}