scholarly journals Pharmacy Technician Review of Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) within Care Homes

Pharmacy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Clare Collins ◽  
Catherine Tucker ◽  
Carol Walton ◽  
Sian Podbur ◽  
Steven Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Nutritional Supplements ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Oral Nutritional Supplements ◽  
Collaborative Working ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
The Cost

Up to 42% of patients admitted to care homes are at risk of malnutrition. Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) can be prescribed to increase nutritional intake when diet alone is insufficient to meet daily nutritional requirements. Where ONS are inappropriately initiated or continued beyond treatment goals this can contribute to significant waste and unnecessary costs. This study reviewed whether pharmacy technicians working in care home settings can support the cost-effective use of ONS. A quality improvement project using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology was undertaken by pharmacy technicians working in care homes to review the prescribing and monitoring of ONS. A sample of 330 residents were reviewed across 5 care homes. 45 residents were prescribed ONS, 16 of whom were unknown to dietitians. In collaboration with the dietetic service an oral nutritional support flow chart was developed and tested. Thirteen of the 16 residents unknown to the dietetic team did not require ONS and could be considered for alternative dietary options. Through collaborative working with dietetic services, pharmacy technicians can support effective use and review of ONS for care home residents, reduce unnecessary prescribing, and ensure appropriate referral to dietitians where indicated.

Telemedicine in care homes in Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Hex ◽  
Justin Tuggey ◽  
Dianne Wright ◽  
Rebecca Malin
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Acute Hospital ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Hospital Resources ◽  
The Cost

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to observe and analyse the effects of the use of telemedicine in care homes on the use of acute hospital resources. Design/methodology/approach – The study was an uncontrolled retrospective observational review of data on emergency hospital admissions and Emergency Department (ED) visits for care home residents in Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven. Acute hospital activity for residents was observed before and after the installation of telemedicine in 27 care homes. Data from a further 21 care homes that did not use telemedicine were used as a control group, using the median date of telemedicine installation for the “before and after” period. Patient outcomes were not considered. Findings – Care homes with telemedicine showed a 39 per cent reduction in the costs of emergency admissions and a 45 per cent reduction in ED attendances after telemedicine installation. In the control group reductions were 31 and 31 per cent, respectively. The incremental difference in costs between the two groups of care homes was almost £1.2 million. The cost of telemedicine to care commissioners was £177,000, giving a return on investment over a 20-month period of £6.74 per £1 spent. Research limitations/implications – The results should be interpreted carefully. There is inherent bias as telemedicine was deployed in care homes with the highest use of acute hospital resources and there were some methodological limitations due to poor data. Nevertheless, controlling the data as much as possible and adopting a cautious approach to interpretation, it can be concluded that the use of telemedicine in these care homes was cost-effective. Originality/value – There are very few telemedicine studies focused on care homes.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians to Person-Centred Care within a Medicine’s Optimisation in Care Homes Service: A Qualitative Evaluation

Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Sally Fowler Davis ◽  
Rachel Cholerton ◽  
Louise Freeman-Parry ◽  
Jo Tsoneva
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Medicines Management ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Care Home Staff ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians seek to improve person-centred care. Improvements to systems for care homes seeks to reduce medicines waste and inefficiency, particularly through supporting care home staff, to enhance safer administration of medicines. A complex evaluation used qualitative design and utilised narrative enquiry, and team members and key stakeholders were interviewed. Framework analysis was used, aligning findings to a person-centred care framework for older people. The Medicines Optimisation in Care Homes (MOCH) team brokered improvement practices across care homes to enhance person-centred care. The framework analysis confirms that the team used ‘authentic attention’ in relation to the residents’ experiences and flexibility in relation to negotiating medication. The importance of transparency of processes and systems in medicines management is highlighted, alongside requirements for person-centred care to make explicit the reason for taking a medication, and the continuous discussion with a range of stakeholders about the continuing need for particular medications. The outcome of the evaluation includes insights into a new area of pharmacy practice in community, based on the skills, knowledge, and experience of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in the care home sector. Further study is needed into the efficacy and outcomes of medicines management interventions.

Cascade Strengthening of Bent Elements by Polymers with Adhesive Joints

2019 ◽  
Vol 974 ◽  
pp. 583-588
Author(s):  
Alexander I. Danilov
Keyword(s):  
Fem Simulation ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Adhesive Joints ◽  
Joint Analysis ◽  
Analysis And Design ◽  
Full Analysis ◽  
Cascade Method ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
The Cost

The subject of the article is to give a full analysis of the cascade type layouts in elements strengthening design in bending by gluing the fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials on their surfaces’ applicability and effectiveness. The research objectives are the substantiation elements cascade method application reinforcement with adhesive joints. Materials and methods are revealed in a few variants of FRP-reinforcement with application of FEM simulation. A number of diagrams and tables represent the results. The results are defined in the cost-effective efficient method presentation of the bent elements strengthening to increase their bearing capacity reserves, the features of the bonded joint behavior, the equations and formulae for the glue joint analysis and design. Conclusions are formulated in depicting the “cascade” reflects, the features of the proposed strengthening design, the base element unloading, which is gradual with each successive element attached. The design examples are oriented on the adhesive joints’ application possibility analysis of attaching the FRP elements. The results suggest the effective use possibility of the adhesive joints to strengthen rather stiff, including steel, elements in bending. The cascade method eliminates the indispensability of highly expensive high-strength materials, thereby reducing the reinforcement structures cost.

scholarly journals Improving Access to Cancer Treatments: The Role of Biosimilars

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 596-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Chopra ◽  
Gilberto Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cancer Treatments ◽  
Reference Drug ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
The Cost

Biologics play a key role in cancer treatment and are principal components of many therapeutic regimens. However, they require complex manufacturing processes, resulting in high cost and occasional shortages in supply. The cost of biologics limits accessibility of cancer treatment for many patients. Effective and affordable cancer therapies are needed globally, more so in developing countries, where health care resources can be limited. Biosimilars, which have biologic activity comparable to their corresponding reference drugs and are often more cost effective, have the potential to enhance treatment accessibility for patients and provide alternatives for decision makers (ie, prescribers, regulators, payers, policymakers, and drug developers). Impending patent expirations of several oncology biologics have opened up a vista for the development of corresponding biosimilars. Several countries have implemented abbreviated pathways for approval of biosimilars; however, challenges to their effective use persist. Some of these include designing appropriate clinical trials for assessing biosimilarity, extrapolation of indications, immunogenicity, interchangeability with the reference drug, lack of awareness and possibly acceptance among health care providers, and potential political barriers. In this review, we discuss the potential role and impact of biosimilars in oncology and the challenges related to their adoption and use. We also review the safety and efficacy of some of the widely used biosimilars in oncology and other therapeutic areas (eg, bevacizumab, darbepoetin, filgrastim, rituximab, and trastuzumab).

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