Implementation of a pharmacist care manager model to expand availability of medications for opioid use disorder

Purpose The rise in opioid prescribing, often for chronic pain management, resulted in an increased prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) throughout the United States, including within the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. The veteran population has been especially vulnerable to opioid-related harms, but rates of prescribing medications for OUD have been low. Use of care manager models for OUD have increased access to treatment. In this article we provide an overview of a clinical pharmacist care manager (CPCM) model for medications for OUD treatment implemented within the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Summary A CPCM model for medications for OUD was identified as a care model that would address patient and facility barriers to effective OUD treatment. Pharmacists were integral in program development and implementation and served as the main care providers. An interim evaluation of the program established that the proportion of patients with OUD receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) had increased, with use of the program resulting in treatment of 109 unique patients during 625 visits. Key program implementation facilitators included the facility leadership establishing increased use of MOUD as a priority area, identification of a physician champion, and a history of successful expansion of clinical pharmacy specialist practice within the VA system. Implementation barriers included factors related to provider engagement, patient identification, and program support. The CPCM model of provision of MOUD expanded the pharmacist role in buprenorphine management. Conclusion The need to increase the number of patients receiving MOUD led to the implementation of a CPCM model. The program was effectively implemented into practice and expanded the availability of MOUD, which allowed patients to access treatment in multiple care settings.

Development Of Community Psychiatric Crisis Management Indicators And Assessment Framework In Taiwan: A Focus Group Study

This study was to develop the Community Psychiatric Crisis Management (CPCM) Model for community-dwelling psychiatric patients of Taiwan. Purposes of this study were: 1. To develop psychiatric patients’ community crisis management indictors; 2. To develop the psychiatric patients’ community crisis management framework. Methods: Three focus group interviews involving a total of 42 experts, included psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social worker, and community mental health service providers were implemented. Interview data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results: The model of CPCM concretized the objectives, crisis assessment indicators, and crisis intervention services for community psychiatric patients, and proved to be an important part of CPCM. The level of crisis severity and impact of patient can be assessed by the four indicators: medical care seeking behaviors, psychiatric symptom severity and impact, history of violence and substance abuse, and protective factors of family and social support system. In addition, the severity and impact of CPCM score could be implement to provide home visiting care and crisis management interventions. The recommended CPCM model enabled community mental health care professionals’ assessment and management the patient’s crisis problems in three stages, from crisis, acute and maintenance stage. Conclusions: The CPCM model was improved practically, and the contents of the intervention were constructed. It is important to integrate crisis management with the preventive intervention to the community psychiatric patient care.

Theoretical study of inclusion complexes of dopamine with β-cyclodextrin based on PM6, ONIOM, and natural bonding orbital analysis

The inclusion process involving β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with dopamine (DA) was investigated by using PM6, HF, and ONIOM methods. The most stable structure was obtained at the optimum position and angle. The complex orientation in which the catechol ring of dopamine penetrates into the β-CD cavity near primary hydroxyls is preferred in energy. The structures show the presence of several intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions that were studied on the basis of natural bonding orbital analysis, employed to quantify the donor–acceptor interactions between dopamine and β-CD. A study of these complexes in solution was carried out using the CPCM model to examine the influence of solvation on the stability of the dopamine β-CD complex.