Ustekinumab infusion to subcutaneous transition: Coordinating care and identifying potential gaps.

Background: Ustekinumab, approved for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), requires a clinic-administered intravenous (IV) induction infusion (loading dose) followed by transition to self-administered, subcutaneous (SC) injection for maintenance every 8 weeks. Many patients need subsequent dose escalations to obtain or maintain effectiveness. As an increasing number of CD and UC therapies require a similar dosing and escalation strategy, research evaluating care coordination requirements and clinical outcomes for patients prescribed ustekinumab can help guide best practices.

Integrated health system pharmacy role in adherence, persistence, and adverse effect management for oral chronic lymphocytic leukemia therapy.

Background: Oral oncolytic therapy for the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL), such as ibrutinib, acalabrutinib, and venetoclax, have vastly changed CLL treatment. Although effective, adverse effects of these agents remain challenging. Pharmacists have an important role in managing oral chemotherapy, educating patients, and intervening to reduce adverse effects.

Getting to specialty treatment in dermatologic inflammatory conditions: Treatment requirements and patient journey.

Background: Many payers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) use step therapy requirements and formulary alternatives to reduce prescription spending. The clinical utility and ultimate therapy outcomes for patients participating in these programs is an area of needed research.

Objective: To evaluate medication outcomes and time requirements to access therapy in patients required to use a step therapy or formulary alternative after being prescribed a specialty medication for psoriasis (PsO) or atopic dermatitis (AD).

Ultra-complex specialty medications: Meeting the challenges of significant medication requirements through an integrated specialty pharmacy model.

Purpose: There is a growing number of specialty medications with accompanying requirements that exceed standard characteristics, which may be referred to as "ultra complex." This article details examples of ultra-complex specialty medications, including the characteristics that make them ultra complex, and strategies implemented by an integrated health-system specialty pharmacy (IHSSP) to maintain an optimal patient journey.

Summary: Before therapy initiation, ultra-complex specialty medications often require additional steps that go beyond what is required of traditional specialty treatments, such as ensuring patients have appointments scheduled and attended and coordinating medical procedures.

Evaluating patient-reported adherence and outcomes in specialty disease states: A dual-site initiative.

Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are often used by clinicians to evaluate patient response to specialty medications used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatologic conditions. Identifying associations among PROs and patient characteristics could inform patient-centered treatment monitoring.

Objective: To examine the association among patient characteristics and PROs, including patient-reported adherence (defined as no missed doses), medication tolerance, patient perceived effectiveness, and health care resource utilization (HCRU; defined as emergency department visits or hospitalizations), for patients prescribed specialty medications in 2 health system specialty pharmacies.

Early skills laboratory warnings: Laboratory faculty perspectives on student barriers for progression to experiential education.

Introduction: This study characterized faculty perceptions of student barriers to achieving an Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) level 2 or higher in the Patient Care Provider domain.

Methods: Pharmacy skills laboratory faculty participated in a nominal group technique (NGT) session. Participants reflected on two questions: "What behaviors would result in a student not achieving a rank of EPA readiness level 2 or higher?" and "What knowledge and skills would result in a student not achieving a rank of EPA readiness level 2 or higher?" Participants developed a ranked list using silent brainstorming, idea generation, clarification, and discussion.

Successful Development and Implementation of a Large Virtual Interprofessional Education Activity Applying the Social Determinants of Health.

Interprofessional education (IPE) activities provide students insight into healthcare teams, shared decision-making, and social determinants of health (SDOH). Virtual IPE activities with large student populations or across multicampus have not been evaluated. The study aimed to explore the interprofessional competency growth in students, across several disciplines, following participation in a large-scale, virtual IPE activity.

Patients' use of smartphone apps for health record access in 2019: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The 21st Century Cures Act has expanded patients' access to portals through smartphone applications (apps). To date, the prevalence of patient portal smartphone apps use is unclear, especially on a national scale.

Methods: Using the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey, we assessed factors associated with patient portal adopters accessing their records through a smartphone app.

Improving Pharmacy Students' Clinical Knowledge on Providing Care for Patients Belonging to the LGBTQ+ Community.

A 12-question survey instrument was developed, pilot-tested, and administered to 191 pharmacy students in their first professional year after engaging in a learning activity focusing on topics across five categories with clinical relevance to providing care to the LGBTQ+ community. A paired student t-test was performed on survey tool pre-test and post-test survey responses, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

The Lean Six Sigma Define, Measure, Analyze, Implement, Control (LSS DMAIC) Framework: An Innovative Strategy for Quality Improvement of Pharmacist Vaccine Recommendations in Community Pharmacy.

Community pharmacies represent a highly accessible and convenient setting for vaccination. However, setting-specific barriers exist which contribute to suboptimal vaccination rates, particularly for pneumococcal vaccinations. One proven quality improvement framework growing in use within healthcare settings is Lean Six Sigma (LSS).

Comparison of student performance in therapeutics and communications courses to outcomes of objective structured clinical examinations: A retrospective analysis.

Introduction: The objective was to examine the association between course grades and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) performances in a pharmacy student cohort.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of demographics, final grades in the Therapeutics I through IV and Communications courses, and multiple OSCE scores (therapeutic knowledge and general communication skills [GCS]) was performed for two cohorts.

Results: Female students scored higher than male students on the warfarin OSCE therapeutic knowledge (P = .

Use of value stream mapping to improve the medication synchronization process.

Background: Lean methodology, specifically value stream mapping, can be used to identify and reduce inefficiencies in the medication synchronization process.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate potential medication synchronization process improvements to reduce nonvalue-added actions, (2) assess fidelity to the medication synchronization core components, and (3) identify the best process for medication synchronization for an independent community pharmacy with multiple locations.

Methods: This study used an observational, cross-sectional design.

The catalyst for change in teaching and assessing virtual laboratory skills.

Introduction: Historically, pharmacy skills laboratory courses have primarily been delivered utilizing in-person instruction; however, changes in methods of healthcare delivery serve as a catalyst to consider best practices for virtual learning in the skills laboratory setting.

Perspective: Shifting to a virtual delivery method is valuable for future curriculum and course development. Three specific delivery methods including flipped classroom, virtual formative simulations, and telehealth objective structured clinical examinations, provide examples of the opportunities and challenges instructors may encounter when shifting delivery methods.

A social media microinfluencer intervention to reduce coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine hesitancy in underserved Tennessee communities: A protocol paper.

Background: Central to effective public health policy and practice is the trust between the population served and the governmental body leading health efforts, but that trust has eroded in the years preceding the pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy among adults is also a growing concern across the United States. Recent data suggest that the trustworthiness of information about the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine was a larger concern than the vaccine's adverse effects or risks.

A Scoping Review of Active-Learning Strategies for Teaching Social Determinants of Health in Pharmacy.

To review current conceptualizations and measurements of active-learning education within Doctor of Pharmacy degree programs as it pertains to social determinants of health (SDOH) and to determine the gaps and limitations in available literature. A secondary objective was to assess simulation-based educational methods related to SDOH in pharmacy. Sixteen articles were eligible for inclusion.

Use of Rapid Assessment Procedures when analyzing qualitative data in pharmacy research.

Qualitative research analytics and methodology are a useful part of many research projects. However, qualitative data analysis may be time intensive causing delays in results. This is especially problematic in time-sensitive projects where there an urgent need for results and a rapidly evolving situation being studied, such as during health crisis or early stages of project implementation.

Screening for social determinants of health in community pharmacy: Identifying best practices, barriers, and strategies for success.

The social determinants of health (SDOH) play a key role in patients' access to health care and medications. There exists an area of opportunity to leverage community pharmacists to make a large impact in identifying and incorporating an understanding of a patient's SDOH into their treatment plan. Community pharmacies are accessible and trusted avenues for health care interventions.

Facilitating pneumococcal vaccination among high-risk adults: Impact of an assertive communication training program for community pharmacists.

Background: Community pharmacies are vital access points to provide a range of vaccines to adults, including pneumococcal vaccines; however, despite a growth in the number of vaccines given at these sites, the most recent rates of adults being immunized against pneumococcal disease remain below the goals set by Health People 2020. Low patient awareness is a leading reason for suboptimal vaccination rates, suggesting that a need exists to improve provider communication in recommending pneumococcal vaccination in high-risk adults.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of a communication training program to improve pharmacist promotion of the pneumococcal vaccine among high-risk adults in Tennessee.

Extent of and Reasons for Vaccine Hesitancy in Adults at High-Risk for Pneumococcal Disease.

Purpose: To determine the extent of and reasons for hesitancy toward vaccination among adults at high-risk for pneumococcal disease.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Online survey in March-April 2019 via QuestionPro.

Medication synchronization adoption and pharmacy performance.

Background: While medication synchronization programs are becoming a staple in community pharmacies, a standard process needs to be identified to provide consistent positive outcomes. Many studies demonstrate how medication synchronization affects individual level patients but have not examined how medication synchronization affects the pharmacy's performance. Because community pharmacies are calibrated based on performance to adherence measures for all patients, it is important to understand whether resource-intensive interventions, such as medication synchronization, lead to improved performance.

Longitudinal examination of perceived stress and academic performance of first-year student pharmacists.

Introduction: First-year pharmacy students (P1s) may experience a number of stressors that may affect academic performance due to the transition into a professional program. Study objectives were to evaluate student demographic and pre-pharmacy factors associated with perceived stress among P1s, analyze relative change in perceived stress over the P1 year, and assess associations between perceived stress and academic performance.

Methods: The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was administered three times to P1s: during orientation, midpoint of fall semester, and midpoint of spring semester.

Using the Drug Burden Index to identify older adults at highest risk for medication-related falls.

Background: The Drug Burden Index (DBI) was developed to assess patient exposure to medications associated with an increased risk of falling. The objective of this study was to examine the association between the DBI and medication-related fall risk.

Methods: The study used a retrospective cohort design, with a 1-year observation period.

Impact of STEADI-Rx: A Community Pharmacy-Based Fall Prevention Intervention.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of a community pharmacy-based fall prevention intervention (STEADI-Rx) on the risk of falling and use of medications associated with an increased risk of falling.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: A total of 65 community pharmacies in North Carolina (NC).

Exploring Pharmacy Technician Roles in the Implementation of an Appointment-Based Medication Synchronization Program.

The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore the role of pharmacy technicians in the implementation of an appointment-based model (ABM) medication synchronization program. The purposeful sampling of technicians working within six different locations of a supermarket chain pharmacy in Mississippi and Tennessee was carried out, and the technicians were interviewed between January and April 2018. A semi-structured interview guide was developed based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).