scholarly journals Evaluating the activity of dispensing opioid analgesic medication

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 139-144
Author(s):  
Elena DINTE ◽  
◽  
Radu BORZA ◽  
Oana MOCAN GURKA ◽  
◽  
...  

Objectives. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the drug dispensing activity of analgesic opioids in pharmacies. Materials and methods. The study was conducted in an observational and retrospective manner, based on a questionnaire distributed in different pharmacies across Romania. Results. The dispensing activity of opioid analgesics is conducted in 71 out of the 100 pharmacies that have received the questionnaire. These pharmacies are located in 12 out of the 41 counties, mostly in the urban area and 96% of them are community pharmacies. The most prescribed and dispensed pharmaceutical forms are solid forms, the injectable products and transdermic systems being dispensed in a high percentage, up to 40% respectively, only in 25% of the questioned pharmacies. The average time spent by a pharmacist for the entire activity of dispensing an opioid analgesic prescribed by a doctor was estimated at 17.82± 0.58 minutes. Conclusions. The activity regarding opioid analgesics in the community pharmacy is limited by the low rentability, high costs and time consumption. The results of the study impose a further analysis on the impact that this service has upon public health, in order to this activity be sustained by the national health insurance system. Measures must be implemented to ensure that patients from rural or unprivileged areas are able to get their analgesics from the nearest community pharmacy constantly.

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i35-i35
Author(s):  
S S Alghamdi ◽  
R Deslandes ◽  
S White ◽  
K Hodson ◽  
A Mackridge ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Since 2019, the role of independent pharmacist prescribers (IPPs) in primary care has extended to community pharmacies in Wales [1]. This was in response to a Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee report in 2019 that outlined a plan to include an IPP in each community pharmacy in Wales by 2030. This aimed to relieve pressure on general practices, enhance patient care and reduce referral and admission rates to secondary care [2]. As funding was provided by the Government, the number of community pharmacists completing the independent prescribing course increased and many have implemented their prescribing role. Aim To explore the views of community IPPs regarding their prescribing role within community pharmacies in Wales. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted with community IPPs from all seven health boards (HBs) in Wales. Ethical approval was obtained from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Cardiff University and the School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering at Keele University. Purposive sampling was used to identify potential participants. Gatekeepers (HB community pharmacy leads and directors of IPP courses in Wales) sent invitation emails, participant information sheet and consent form to potential participants. Written consent was obtained. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed ad verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Thirteen community IPPs across Wales participated. Six themes were identified, including the utilisation of their role as community IPPs, their experiences with their independent prescribing training, motivation to obtain their prescribing qualification and utilise it, the impact, barriers and facilitators to implement and utilise their role. Participants practised as IPPs in the management of minor ailments and some other conditions, such as respiratory and sexual health. The course and training for community IPPs was helpful, but there was a need to focus more on therapeutic and clinical examination skills. The main impact of the role was that it helped to improve communication between community pharmacies and general practices and relieved some pressure on general practices. The main barriers were the lack of appropriate funding by the Government to develop the role, lack of access to patients’ medical records, lack of support and high workload. “One of the areas identified as high risk is for pharmacy prescribers is the lack of access to clinical records. How can you [as community IPPs] make any sensible decisions with half the information?” IPP6 Facilitators included that some services were already in place and the drive from the 2030 vision. Conclusion This is the first study that explored the views of community IPPs regarding their prescribing role in community pharmacies in Wales. It provided an insight into this new role that can be considered by the Welsh Government to achieve the 2030 vision for this role. A limitation to this study was that the role is still new in community pharmacies, which may affect the views of the community IPPs. Many of them have obtained their prescribing qualification but have not started to utilise it yet. Further work is needed to explore a wider population of community IPPs’ experiences as the role develops. References 1. Wickware, C. 2019. All community pharmacies in Wales to have an independent prescriber as part of long-term plan for Welsh pharmacy. Available at: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/news/all-community-pharmacies. 2. Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee. 2019. Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales. Available at: https://www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/RPS%2.


2020 ◽  
pp. 2000454
Author(s):  
Jin Hwa Song ◽  
Bong Seong Kim ◽  
Nakwon Kwak ◽  
Kyung-do Han ◽  
Jae-Joon Yim

The incidence and prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) have been increasing worldwide. The risk of NTM-PD may be higher in undernourished populations. We tried to elucidate the impact of body mass index (BMI) and its change on development of NTM-PD in this study.We performed a retrospective cohort study including South Koreans age >40 years who underwent biennial National Health Insurance System (NHIS) health checkups in both 2005 and 2009 or 2006 and 2010. We monitored eligible individuals from the study initiation date (NHIS health checkup date on 2009 or 2010) until the diagnosis of NTM-PD or December 31, 2017. Enrolled individuals were classified based on BMI at initiation date. We compared NTM-PD incidence per 100 000 person-years by BMI group as well as by BMI change by calculating hazard ratio (HR).A total of 5 670 229 individuals were included in the final analysis. Compared with the BMI <18.5 kg·m−2 group, the incidence of NTM-PD gradually decreased with increased BMI: adjusted HR (aHR) 0.38 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.35–0.42) for BMI 18.5–22.9, 0.17 (0.15–0.19) for BMI 23–24.9, 0.1 (0.09–0.11) for BMI 25–29.9, and 0.01 (0.07–0.13) for BMI ≥30. A BMI decrease of ≥1 kg/m2 over 4 years increased the incidence of NTM-PD (aHR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01–1.16) whereas a BMI increase of ≥1 decreased the NTM-PD incidence (0.77, 95% CI 0.71–0.83).In conclusion, BMI was inversely related to development of NTM-PD and weight loss increased the risk of NTM-PD.


BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e015664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Rivas ◽  
Ratna Sohanpal ◽  
Virginia MacNeill ◽  
Liz Steed ◽  
Elizabeth Edwards ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo determine communication strategies associated with smoking cessation in the National Health Service community pharmacy Stop Smoking programme.Setting11 community pharmacies in three inner east London boroughs.Participants9 stop smoking advisers and 16 pairs of smokers who either quit or did not quit at 4 weeks, matched on gender, ethnicity, age and smoking intensity.Method1–3 audio-recorded consultations between an adviser and each pair member over 5–6 weeks were analysed using a mixed-method approach. First a content analysis was based on deductive coding drawn from a theme-oriented discourse analysis approach and the Roter Interaction Analysis System. Core themes were identified through this quantification to explore in detail the qualitative differences and similarities between quitters and non-quitters.ResultsQuantitative analysis revealed advisers used a core set of counselling strategies that privileged the ‘voice of medicine’ and often omitted explicit motivational interviewing. Smokers tended to quit when these core strategies were augmented by supportive talk, clear permission for smokers to seek additional support from the adviser between consultations, encouragement for smokers to use willpower. The thematic analysis highlighted the choices made by advisers as to which strategies to adopt and the impacts on smokers. The first theme ‘Negotiating the smoker–adviser relationship’ referred to adviser judgements about the likelihood the smoker would quit. The second theme, ‘Roles of the adviser and smoker in the quit attempt’, focused on advisers’ counselling strategies, while the third theme, ‘Smoker and adviser misalignment on reasons for smoking, relapsing and quitting’, concerned inconsistencies in the implementation of National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training recommendations.DiscussionAdvisers in community pharmacies should use the advantages of their familiarity with smokers to ensure appropriate delivery of patient-centred counselling strategies and reflect on the impact on their counselling of early judgements of smoker success.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iichiro Yokoyama ◽  
Hiroki Yamaguchi ◽  
Kaori Yamazaki ◽  
Misato Sekiya ◽  
Sayaka Arai ◽  
...  

AbstractTo evaluate the impact of pharmacotherapy on efficacy and safety by providing laboratory data information linked to medicines on outpatient prescriptions from the hospital to the community pharmacy. Beginning on October 28, 2014, standardized laboratory data and drug-linking laboratory data were included with outpatient prescriptions at our hospital. We have created a database of drug-linking laboratory data for all drugs that can be prescribed in Japan. We counted the number of prescription inquiries related to laboratory data from community pharmacies, including those leading to prescription changes. Before laboratory data were listed on outpatient prescriptions, 4 prescription inquiries from community pharmacies per year were related to laboratory data. After our hospital started to list laboratory data, this number rose to 643, 576, 563, and 847 in the first, second, third, and fourth year (P < .05). Of these, 132, 143, 152, and 224 inquiries resulted in prescription changes. Listing laboratory data on outpatient prescriptions avoided 153 contraindications and 84 exacerbations of adverse drug reactions in four years by a prescription inquiry that had never been done before. The efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy can be improved by listing relevant laboratory data on outpatient prescriptions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Divino, BA ◽  
M. Soledad Cepeda, MD, PhD ◽  
Paul Coplan, ScD, MBA, MPH ◽  
Jean-Yves Maziere, MD, PhD ◽  
Yingli Yuan, PhD ◽  
...  

Objective: The Food and Drug Administration approved the extended-release/long-acting (ER/LA) opioid analgesics risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) in July 2012 to educate healthcare providers and patients about safe and appropriate opioid analgesic use. The authors evaluated the impact of the REMS on ER/LA opioid analgesic utilization, overall and stratified by patient characteristics and prescriber type associated with greater expected need for analgesia. Design: Retrospective repeated cross-sectional study. QuintilesIMS's National Prescription Audit™ and LifeLink™ patient-level longitudinal prescription databases measured prescription volumes, projected to national estimates.Main Outcome Measures: Changes were assessed in ER/LA opioid analgesic prescriptions dispensed from the 2-year pre-REMS implementation (July 2010 to June 2012) to the 18-month post-REMS implementation (July 2013 to December 2014) periods (with 12-month transitional implementation period in between).Results: Average quarterly ER/LA opioid prescription volume significantly decreased by 4.3 percent from Preimplementation to the Active Period (5.58 vs 5.34 million, p < 0.001). Differences in prescription volume change were observed between age, gender, and payer types. Prescription volume either significantly decreased or remained stable from Preimplementation to the Active Period among most provider specialties evaluated. The largest volume decreases were observed for dentists (–48.5 percent) and emergency medicine specialists (–25.5 percent) (both p < 0.001). The largest increases were observed for nurse practitioners (+33.7 percent) and physician assistants (+31.2 percent; both p < 0.001), whose overall prescribing of nonopioid medications also increased. Conclusions: A significant decrease in dispensed ER/LA opioid prescriptions was observed following REMS implementation compared to Preimplementation. The impact on volume varied by patient characteristics and prescriber specialty. The REMS program, in conjunction with other healthcare policies and initiatives, likely influenced these observations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 796-806
Author(s):  
Sana M Kamal ◽  
Ali Al-Samydai ◽  
Rudaina Othman Yousif ◽  
Talal Aburjai

COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, which considered a relative of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with possibility of transmission from animals to human and effect each of health and economic. Several preventative strategies and non-pharmaceutical interventions have been used to slow down the spread of COVID-19. The questionnaire contained 36 questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on children`s behaviors and language have been distributed online (Google form). Data collected after asking parents about their children behavior during quarantine, among the survey completers (n=469), 42.3% were female children, and 57.7 were male children. Results showed that quarantine has an impact on children`s behaviors and language, where stress and isolationism has a higher effect, while social relations had no impact. The majority of the respondents (75.0%) had confidence that community pharmacies can play an important role in helping families in protection their children`s behaviors and language as they made the highest contact with pharmacists during quarantine. One of the main recommendations that could be applied to help parents protection and improvement their children`s behaviors and language in quarantine condition base on simple random sample opinion is increasing the role of community pharmacies inpatient counseling and especially towards children after giving courses to pharmacists in child psychology and behavior. This could be helpful to family to protect their children, from any changing in them behaviors and language in such conditions in the future if the world reface such the same problem.


2017 ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Quoc Duong Doan ◽  
Thi Ha Vo

Background: Community pharmacists play an important role in counseling of rational drug use for population. The study aimed to characterize counselling activities of drug use and demand of counselling tools at some community pharmacies at Hue City. Materials and method: A 17-question survey were asked to fill pharmacy staffs of a convenient sample of 100 community pharmacies at Hue City from 2/2017 to 7/2017. Results: There were 58 pharmacies (58.0%) answered this survey. Cough, headache, fever, high blood pressure and diabetes were the most popular symptoms/diseases presented in pharmacies. Patients often need counselling about dose (82.8%) and when to take medicine (79.3%). The main bariers for counselling were a lack of time (53.4%), and of skills/medthods for counseling (31.7%). About 96.6% pharmacies demanded counselling tools and favorite formats were book (32.9%) or pocket handbook (29.3%). Conclusion: Most pharmacies demanded counselling tools. Other studies should be conducted to develop supporting tools for counseling and to assess the quality of counseling in pharmacies. Key words: community pharmacy, counseling of drug use, pharmacist, Hue


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-184
Author(s):  
Raymond Brewer ◽  
Kenneth Blum ◽  
Abdalla Bowirrat ◽  
Edward J. Modestino ◽  
David Baron ◽  
...  

Neuroscientists and psychiatrists working in the areas of “pain and addiction” are asked in this perspective article to reconsider the current use of dopaminergic blockade (like chronic opioid agonist therapy), and instead to consider induction of dopamine homeostasis by putative pro-dopamine regulation. Pro-dopamine regulation could help pharmaceutical opioid analgesic agents to mitigate hypodopaminergia-induced hyperalgesia by inducing transmodulation of dopaminergic signaling. An optimistic view is that early predisposition to diagnosis based on genetic testing, (pharmacogenetic/pharmacogenomic monitoring), combined with appropriate urine drug screening, and treatment with pro-dopamine regulators, could conceivably reduce stress, craving, relapse, enhance well-being and attenuate unwanted hyperalgesia. These concepts require intensive investigation. However, based on the rationale provided herein, there is a good chance that combining opioid analgesics with genetically directed pro-dopamine-regulation using KB220 (supported by 43 clinical studies). This prodopamine regulator may become a front-line technology with the potential to overcome, in part, the current heightened rates of chronic opioid-induced hyperalgesia and concomitant Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) behaviors. Current research does support the hypothesis that low or hypodopaminergic function in the brain may predispose individuals to low pain tolerance or hyperalgesia.


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