bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant: Why global communities should take it seriously?
Authors: Rahmani Shayan , Rezaei Nima 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIntroductionIn November 26th, 2021 a new strain of SARS‐CoV‐2 was designated by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern and named Omicron. The news broadcasted a global wave of panic and anxiety while many, like 2 years ago, were making themselves ready for the holiday season. After almost a month of its designation, countries from all 6 continents have been reported Omicron from their genomic sequences. This triggered an international alarm about a new era in the Covid‐19 pandemic, where despite the vast amount of vaccinations, a surge in new cases and hospitalizations are reported from all over the world.MethodsScientific literature published from November 26, 2021 to March 21, 2022 have been searched and retrieved by using “SARS‐COV‐2”, “Omicron”, “B.1.1.529”, “Covid‐19”, and “global community” keywords from “PubMed”, "Web o “Google Scholar”, and “MedRxiv” databases.ResultsOmicron have been evolved to spread faster than previous variants of concern, but it infects people lesser than other variants, Delta for example. Omicron can also escape vaccine‐induced immunity more than previous SARS‐CoV‐2 variants.DiscussionDespite possible lower lethal risks than previous strains, Omicron may provide populations with a higher community transmission and a higher hospitalization load, which potentially overwhelm already exhausted health care systems. Therefore, we need to get used to the “New Normal” and maintain health recommendations to help decrease spreading of the virus and buy more time for the scientists to dive deeper into potential ways of tackling Covid‐19, more than ever.
Evaluation of the reading level of commonly used medication‐related patient education sources
Authors: Perez Emily J. , Covert Kelly L. , Lewis Paul O. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIntroductionTo improve comprehension of medical care, the Joint Commission recommends that patient education materials (PEMS) be written at a fifth‐grade reading level or below.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the compliance of commonly used tertiary drug references to Joint Commission standards.MethodsPEMs for the top 100 most prescribed medications in 2017 were obtained from commonly used drug information tertiary references (Lexi‐comp patient drug information, Micromedex Care Notes, Micromedex Med Essential Fact Sheets, Medline Plus, and Drugs.com) to evaluate readability. The grade reading level of each medication‐related PEM was evaluated using the Flesch‐Kincaid Grade Level test and compared with a one‐way analysis of variance using correlated samples and Tukey's post‐hoc test for significance between groups.ResultsThe mean grade reading levels of Lexi‐comp, Micromedex Care Notes, Micromedex Med Essential Fact Sheets, Medline Plus, and Drugs.com were 4.2, 7.5, 7.8, 9.3, and 10.4, respectively. Lexi‐comp achieved a reading level at or below fifth grade for 99% of medications while Micromedex Med Essential Fact sheets was the next highest at 33%. No other reference contained drug information at or below a fifth‐grade reading level.ConclusionLexi‐comp patient drug information consistently met the Joint Commission recommendation for medical information at or below a fifth‐grade reading level, whereas Micromedex Med Essential Fact Sheets met this recommendation approximately one‐third of the time. When providing drug information resources to patients, health‐care providers should be diligent in selecting sources that meet the Joint Commission recommendations.
A brief history of pharmacy specialization in the United States
Authors: Erstad Brian L. , Webb Charles Edwin 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe origins of pharmacy specialization has its beginning in the efforts of Harvey A. K. Whitney, Sr. through his leadership in establishing progressive hospital pharmacy services and hospital‐focused programs and policies within the nation's professional pharmacy organizations. Later, Donald Francke spoke of specialization in the hospital pharmacy setting as a natural outgrowth of practice activities that required more time and specialized expertise. A broader national discussion and eventual codification of specialty recognition and attendant certification within pharmacy began in 1971 with a policy statement approved by the APhA House of Delegates that led to the creation of a Task Force on Specialties in Pharmacy followed by the creation of the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS). Given that specialization in any health profession is primarily a function of the reality of ever‐increasing scientific and technological developments, debate regarding the need, types, and value of specialization in pharmacy seem destined to be driven not by intra‐ or inter‐professional debates within pharmacy, but by the needs, expectations, and values of patients and health care systems.
Formulary management challenges and opportunities: 2020 and beyond ‐ an opinion paper of the drug information practice and research network of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy
Authors: Johnson Steven T. , Gosser Rena A. , Kier Karen L. , Anderson Keri C. , Douglas Janine S. , Heindel Gregory A. , Majerczyk Daniel , Manian Radha , Thornby Krisy‐Ann 
Published: April 2022

AbstractFormulary management systems in hospitals and health‐systems serve to ensure that medications are rigorously evaluated for efficacy, safety, and value. The increased complexity of these systems, along with the broadening of items for formulary inclusion, poses unique challenges and opportunities for the development of innovative formulary management processes. Pharmacists are challenged to evaluate different types of medications that are not all small molecule entities as well as deal with medication shortages that can impact patient care. The authors review unique formulary aspects of biosimilars, gene therapy, rare disease treatments, outpatient therapies, and formulary‐related challenges/opportunities with drug shortages. Core strategies for formulary management and drug shortage mitigation techniques in closed formulary settings are discussed. This information is intended to guide formulary decision‐makers and other clinicians to effectively manage health‐system formularies in 2020 and beyond.
Assessing the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of primary care clinicians toward pharmacogenetics
Authors: Johengen Emily K. , Ward Kristen M. , Coe Antoinette B. , Pasternak Amy L. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIntroductionPharmacogenetics (PGx) testing is becoming increasingly available to patients and clinicians, but investigations of PGx testing in primary care and the pharmacist's role in educating clinicians have been limited.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to: (a) determine the utilization of PGx testing in primary care clinics, (b) identify how clinicians document and act on PGx test results, and (c) determine clinician interest in PGx education or consultation from pharmacists.MethodsA 16‐item survey was distributed via email. Eligible participants included physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who work in family medicine, general medicine, geriatric, or pediatric primary care clinics at one academic medical center. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the frequency of PGx tests ordered in primary care clinics, provider comfort with PGx test interpretation, documentation practices, and interest in PGx education or consultation from pharmacists.ResultsThe overall survey response rate was 15.8% (n = 55). Most respondents were physicians (84%). Nearly 40% of respondents reported having a patient bring PGx test results to a visit, while only 9% reported ordering a PGx test. Documentation practices were variable, and response to PGx results was most commonly no change in therapy (52%). Only two (3.6%) respondents agreed with the statement, “I feel confident in my ability to interpret PGx test results,” and the majority reported interest in PGx education. Eighty percent of respondents reported they would be likely or very likely to consult a PGx‐trained pharmacist for help interpreting PGx results.DiscussionClinicians in this survey were more likely to have patients bring in results than to order PGx tests, did not feel confident in result interpretation, and expressed interest in working with pharmacists for PGx test interpretation. This research can help guide the development of PGx‐focused pharmacy services and education for clinicians who are encountering PGx testing in their practice.
Forging ahead from adaptations of teaching during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Perspectives from multiple pharmacy programs
Authors: Higbea Ashley , Bald Elizabeth , Isaacs Alex N. , Richter Sara K. , Stamm Pamela L. , Kassel Lynn E. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe introduction of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic in the Spring semester of 2020 sent many educational units, elementary to higher education, scrambling to move content to remote learning. Within a professional program, this push highlighted gaps or potential pitfalls in preparing students to enter the health care field. This article highlights lessons learned in remote teaching during the pandemic from six unique colleges and schools of pharmacy: Auburn University, Drake University, Purdue University, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, and University of Utah. These lessons learned pertain to remote content delivery, student engagement, skill development, and assessments within the classroom and experiential settings. Within the classroom setting, the challenges, literature, personal experiences, and key recommendations for lecture‐based learning, group‐based learning, lab‐based learning, and assessments are described. Similarly, for the experiential setting, the challenges, literature, personal experiences, and key recommendations are also described, including training learners for remote patient care as well as examples for remote experiential activities and assessment. Forging ahead, there will be a continued need for future research for remote learning within pharmacy education.
Increasing access to care for rural veterans through intensive hands‐on‐training of advanced practice pharmacists
Authors: Ourth Heather L. , Jorgenson Terri L. , Moore Tera , McFarland M. Shawn , Nelson Jordan , Morreale Anthony P. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIntroductionThe “Increasing Access to Care for Rural Veterans by leveraging Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) Providers,” known as the CPS Rural Veteran Access Initiative (CRVA), focused on providing access to comprehensive medication management (CMM) for rural Veterans in the areas of primary care, mental health, and pain management. Clinical pharmacy boot camps trained CPS to accomplish this goal.ObjectivesThe objectives of the boot camps were to address training needs ensuring consistency and quality for the provision of CMM for the CRVA CPS to increase access to care.MethodsA needs assessment survey was administered to determine curriculum content. Participants completed pre‐ and post‐boot camp knowledge assessments for the topics taught in the curriculum. An analysis was performed comparing the results before and after the training program for participants completing one pre‐ and one post‐boot camp survey.ResultsThere were 87 primary care boot camp attendees and 52 mental health and pain attendees included in the analysis. For primary care, 13 courses (59%) saw ≥50% growth in the number of participants deeming themselves to have a working knowledge or better from pre to post boot camp. For mental health/pain, seven courses (29%) saw ≥50% growth in the number of participants deeming themselves to have a working knowledge or better from pre to post. Direct patient care encounter tracking 6 months pre‐ and post‐training showed an average monthly mean encounter total increase for the primary care group from 134.4 pre‐training to 146.1 post‐training (P = .08) and for the mental health/pain group from 124.5 pre‐training to 136.1 post‐training (P = .32).ConclusionBased on the results, this program was successful in accomplishing its goals of improving the participants' knowledge, especially in areas lacking practice experience. These results were found across participants in both programs. Successes seen in these programs are now serving as models for CPS training in the VA for the future.
The pharmacy residency program guide to Twitter
Authors: Webb Andrew J. , Margetak Danielle , Schramm Garrett E. , Mordino Jason 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundTwitter has emerged as a powerful networking and educational tool within the health care community. The instantaneous and casual nature of Twitter allows for easy access to a near limitless pool of medical professionals and the opportunity to share intra‐ and interprofessional knowledge. Beyond individual development, Twitter has the potential to positively impact pharmacy residency programs in a multitude of ways.ObjectiveThis article serves as a practical guide for pharmacy residency programs to implement and maintain a successful Twitter account.RecommendationsAt the program level, a Twitter account creates an official voice and brand while simultaneously providing detail and perspective beyond what a residency website may offer. Additionally, it allows for dynamic ground‐level engagement with prospective residency candidates, current residents, and preceptors which is mutually beneficial to the program audience. In the age of virtual recruitment, successfully utilizing digital tools to meet candidates where they are is essential for attracting the right candidate for the program. Implementation of a successful social media strategy has potential barriers that include garnering buy‐in from departmental leadership, operationalizing a social media team, and maintaining engagement momentum.ConclusionPharmacy residency programs should consider starting an official Twitter account.
Examination of critical care pharmacist work activities and burnout
Authors: Smith Susan E. , Slaughter Aubrey A. , Butler Sydney A. , Buckley Mitchell S. , MacLaren Rob , Newsome Andrea Sikora 
Published: April 2022

AbstractPurposeCritical care pharmacy services have progressed since their origination in the 1970s and have been supported by a position paper that categorized these services as fundamental (eg, provides drug information to the critical care team), desirable (eg, responds to resuscitation events in the hospital), and optimal (eg, publishes clinical research in peer‐reviewed journals). Burnout syndrome is a serious problem with far‐reaching consequences and may be heightened by the demanding nature of critical care. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between pharmacy services provided (fundamental, desirable, optimal) and the incidence of burnout syndrome among critical care pharmacists.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey was distributed via email to critical care pharmacists through a professional association listserv and included three areas of assessment: position and institution‐based characteristics, activities performed, and burnout. The primary outcome was the number of activities performed in each category and was compared between respondents who did and did not experience burnout using the Mann‐Whitney U test. Logistic regression was performed to characterize the relationship between activities performed and burnout.ResultsIn total, 211 pharmacists (14.5%) completed the survey. Sixty percent (n = 128) experienced burnout and performed a median of 13 (interquartile range [IQR] 7‐15) fundamental (of 18 assessed), 11 (IQR 4‐13) desirable (of 16 assessed), and 6 (IQR 5‐8) optimal (of 12 assessed) activities. In logistic regression, performing desirable activities was associated with higher risk of burnout while performing optimal activities was associated with lower risk of burnout.ConclusionsOver half of critical care pharmacists experienced burnout. The performance of optimal activities was associated with reduced burnout. It is possible that higher level, higher yield activities increase personal engagement and decrease burnout.
Medication‐related problems in chronic inflammatory conditions: A pharmacy claims and electronic health record analysis
Authors: Chang Susan , Stebbins Marilyn , Witt Edward A. , Kirkham Heather , Santos Troy , Cocohoba Jennifer 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundSpecialty medications have transformed management of chronic inflammatory conditions. There is a critical need to elucidate underlying barriers and medication‐related problems (MRPs) that might contribute to specialty medication non‐adherence in order to minimize disease progression, treatment failure, and increased healthcare utilization.ObjectiveTo characterize MRPs for patients taking specialty medications for chronic inflammatory conditions and identify factors associated with experiencing MRPs.MethodsRetrospective cohort study of patients prescribed specialty medications for chronic inflammatory conditions at a single, regional, tertiary medical center, who filled their prescriptions at Walgreens pharmacy between 1/1/2014 and 12/31/2016. Electronic health records were manually reviewed to find documented medication problems. MRPs were then analyzed to identify common themes. Differences in baseline characteristics for patients with or without documented MRPs were compared using Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Mann Whitney U test for continuous variables. Student's t test was used to determine associations between 12‐month proportion of days covered (PDC) and the presence of any MRP.ResultsOf 272 patients who were prescribed specialty medications for chronic inflammatory conditions, 98 patients (36%) experienced a total of 131 documented MRPs. Four major themes associated with these problems emerged: prescription processing issues (31%), insurance problems (24%), medication use problems (22%), and side effects (18%). Patients were less likely to have a documented MRP if they were African American (P = .032) and patients with MRPs had a greater proportion of missed clinic visits. Mean 12‐month PDC (n = 167) was 0.61 and was not significantly associated with having a documented MRP (P = .7).ConclusionUse of specialty medications for patients with chronic inflammatory conditions continues to increase. Gaining a greater understanding of the MRPs that affect specialty medication use for chronic inflammatory conditions can help identify practice innovations and policies to improve patient care.
A multicenter retrospective review of antibiotic prescribing patterns for treatment of urinary tract infections in the primary care setting
Authors: Mullakary Jenny , Visintainer Sarah , Tucci Mitchell , Dionne Brandon , Conley Michael P. , Reid Debra J. , Matta Thomas M. , Bartucca Macayla A. , Bouwmeester Carla J. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIntroductionIt has been estimated that nearly 50% of antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed in the outpatient setting. Despite much discussion surrounding the importance of reducing these occurrences, the literature is limited in describing antibiotic prescribing patterns for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the primary care setting.ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study was to evaluate if antibiotics for UTIs in primary care settings are prescribed concordantly with evidence‐based guidelines.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study reviewed female patients 18 years and older treated in a primary care setting with a diagnosis of uncomplicated UTI. Treatment was analyzed for appropriateness of empiric antibiotic choice, duration of therapy, and dose. This information was then compared with treatment recommendations for UTIs per the 2010 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines. Antibiotic prescribing patterns were also analyzed in relation to the 2016 United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety warning for fluoroquinolones.ResultsA total of 388 UTI encounters over the 42‐month study period were included for analysis. Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic (50.0%) followed by nitrofurantoin (26.3%) and fluoroquinolones (16.8%). A total of 71.6% of antibiotic agents selected for treatment of UTIs were not first line agents per the 2010 IDSA guidelines, which increased to 92.3% when considering dosing, duration, and renal adjustments. Culture and susceptibility results led to changes in empiric therapy, yet only 38.1% of the changes were considered guideline concordant. Linear regression comparing pre‐ and post‐FDA warnings indicated a 15% reduction in the proportion of fluoroquinolone prescriptions (P < .001).ConclusionA large disparity exists between antibiotic prescribing patterns and IDSA guideline recommendations. By identifying divergences from standards of practice, pharmacists can justify the need to integrate stewardship programs into primary care settings in order to optimize patient care.
Changes to summative skills‐based assessments within the Big Ten Academic Alliance Performance‐Based Assessment Collaborative (BTAA‐PBAC) due to COVID‐19
Authors: Nolan Mary , Maes Marina , Tran Deanna , Driscoll Tara , Knockel Laura , Van Hooser Jared , Dula Colleen , Cook Kristen , Stoa Morgan , Ives Amy , Volino Lucio , Rupnow Nichole , Parbuoni Kristine , Woodyard Jamie L. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundIn Spring 2020 many academic institutions transitioned to remote learning in response to the developing COVID‐19 pandemic. These changes affected skills‐based training, as schools of pharmacy were forced to transition traditionally in‐person assessments to a remote setting. The purpose of this article is to describe the experience of pharmacy skills lab coordinators when transitioning summative skills‐based assessments (SSBA).MethodsA web‐based survey instrument administered through QualtricsXM was sent to all institutions in the Big Ten Academic Alliance‐Performance Based Assessment Collaborative. Only one member from each institution completed the survey on behalf of the institution. The survey consisted of four sections: changes made to skills evaluated; changes made to the delivery of those evaluations; challenges to and strategies used by the skills lab program when switching to remote learning; and recommendations for incorporating remote learning within future SSBAs. Survey respondents were invited to participate in an optional unstructured interview regarding survey answers.ResultsNine of ten invited institutions responded to the survey. Of the nine respondents, three participated in the post‐survey interview. Overall, 79.5% (93/117) of skills planned to be assessed were assessed with or without modification, with 8.5% (10/117) of skills canceled and 10.3% (12/117) of skills assessments postponed. The most common challenges mentioned were the lack of preparation time, inability to assess certain skills virtually, and student barriers. The most common recommendations made were to prioritize lab components and incorporate flexibility in planning and scheduling.DiscussionThe results indicate that most skills were still assessed during the Spring 2020 semester. Though the transition to remote learning was challenging and unique for each institution, common strategies and recommendations identified here provide opportunities for academics to analyze and prioritize learning objectives and to rethink how to develop and deliver SSBAs as remote assessments.