Pharmacy in transition: A work sampling study of community pharmacists using smartphone technology

Introduction

The nature of community pharmacy is changing, shifting from the preparation and distribution of medicines to the provision of cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS); however, often the provision of traditional services leaves little time for innovative services. This study investigated the time community pharmacists spend on the tasks and activities of daily practice and to what extent they are able to implement CPS-related services in daily practice.

Immunizations at Wisconsin Pharmacies: Results of a statewide vaccine registry analysis and pharmacist survey

BackgroundThere is currently limited data in the United States on the proportion of immunization doses given at pharmacies outside the influenza vaccine. This study aims to obtain baseline information on the percentage of vaccine doses administered at pharmacies in Wisconsin and to understand the immunization barriers for Wisconsin pharmacists, to inform interventions to increase immunization access at pharmacies.MethodsAggregated data from the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) was obtained for all vaccines administered at pharmacies to patients over the age of six from July 2017 through June 2018. In addition, a survey on attitudes towards and barriers to vaccination was sent to 2000 Wisconsin pharmacists with 236 respondents yielding a 12% response rate.ResultsWIR data demonstrates that zoster and influenza vaccines have the highest proportion of doses administered at pharmacies (39% and 20%, respectively). Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have the lowest proportion of doses at 0.2%. Pharmacy survey shows that 86% provide immunizations. Most stock influenza vaccines (84%), whereas much fewer stock HPV vaccines (21%). The greatest immunization barriers for the pharmacy respondents include billing and reimbursement challenges and competing demands for staff.ConclusionsDespite the barriers, community pharmacies have significant potential to address vaccination gaps. Physicians, patients, and legislative bodies are generally well-accepting of pharmacists as immunizers. Pharmacists, in order to be fully utilized as immunizers, must engage in active communication with patients and be willing to collaborate with physicians. Legislative policy and health insurance reimbursement reforms are also necessary to facilitate further pharmacist participation in immunization.     

Sleep time and sleep-related symptoms across two generations – results of the community-based RHINE and RHINESSA studies

Study objectivesTo analyze the association between sleep-related symptoms and sleep length in parents and their children in relation to other risk factors in both generations.MethodThe participants were parents (n = 5,855, age 54.3 ± 6.5 years, 45.2% men) who participated in the community-based Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study and one random member of their adult offspring (n = 5,855, age 30.2 ± 7.7 years, 41.5% men) who participated in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) study. Both generations responded to identical questionnaires on sleep symptoms, including difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS), early morning awakening (EMA), snoring, nocturnal sweating, nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux (nGER), sleep time and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Insomnia was defined as either, or both, DIS and DMS in combination with EDS.ResultsAll sleep variables except nocturnal sweating were more common in offspring whose parents had reported the same symptom. After adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking, physical activity, education, center and parents' total number of children, there were independent associations between sleep symptoms in parents and offspring for DIS (adj. OR, 95% CI: 1.52, 1.20–1.93), DMS (1.34, 1.15–1.56), snoring (1.45, 1.15,1.83), nGER (1.65, 1.15–2.37), insomnia (1.39, 1.13–1.73), short sleep time (<6 h/night) (2.51, 1.72–3.68) and EDS (1.48, 1.26,1.72). There were no independent relationships between symptoms in parents and offspring for EMA, nocturnal sweating or long sleep time (>9 h/night).ConclusionThe familiar aggregation of many sleep disturbances was not explained by investigated lifestyle and environmental factors. This supports a heritable factor in sleep problems.     

Systematic review of acceptability,cardiovascular, neurological,bone health and HRT outcomes following risk reducing surgery in BRCA carriers

Primary surgical prevention in the form of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) is the most effective option and the gold standard for ovarian cancer (OC) risk-reduction, particularly given the absence of an effective national OC screening programme. However, premenopausal RRSO leads to premature surgical menopause with detrimental long-term health sequelae particularly in women who do not/are unable to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT uptake in women undergoing pre-menopausal oophorectomy appears low and is dependent on informed counselling, the safety of HRT and efficacy in mitigating the health sequelae of premature menopause. Acceptance of a central role for the fallopian tube in OC etiopathogenesis, coupled with the detrimental consequences of premature menopause, has led to the attractive proposal of early-salpingectomy with delayed oophorectomy as an alternative OC surgical prevention strategy in premenopausal women who have completed childbearing but decline or wish to delay RRSO. The successful implementation of risk reducing surgery for OC prevention depends on the acceptability of surgery to both, recipients (e.g. BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers) and intervention deliverers (healthcare professionals/researchers). Acceptability is also informed by an understanding of health outcomes following risk reducing surgery and the safety of HRT. It is therefore vital to understand the effects of surgery on important health outcomes such as cardiovascular health, neurological function and bone health. We present a comprehensive review of acceptability, the selected health outcomes mentioned above and HRT safety following risk reducing surgery.     

Primary Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: Can We Afford the Cost of Cardioverter-Defibrillators? Data from the Search-MI Registry-Italian Sub-study

Background: Large randomized trials show that in appropriately selected patients with left ventricular dysfunction, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) can improve overall survival at 2–5 years. Since direct implementation of the criteria used in the MADIT II and SCD-HeFT will lead to a marked rise in ICD implants, there is a growing fear that increased use of ICDs may cause a dramatic burden to health care systems. The ICD has traditionally been seen as an expensive form of treatment, which is difficult to accept at the first look. This is mainly due to the nonlinear character of the ICD investment, characterized by high initial expenditure, followed by a deferred pay-off in terms of clinical benefits. Cost-effectiveness analysis may help provide a different perspective on the problem of ICD cost, as may estimation of the daily cost of ICD treatment, assuming a time horizon of 5–7 years—a particularly interesting subject for further registry studies.
Methods and Results: Based on real expenditure data from 2002 to 2005, as recorded in the Search-MI Registry-Italian Sub-study of patients implanted on MADIT II indications, we estimated the daily costs associated with the device and leads. Over a 5–7 year time horizon, the average daily cost was estimated to be €4.60–€6.70. Translation of these figures into U.S. market conditions suggests a daily cost of around $7.90–$11.40.
Conclusions: These findings appear useful to help evaluate the affordability of ICD in comparison with other therapeutic options in a context of limited available economic resources.     

胆囊结石伴胆囊癌的诊治分析

目的探讨胆囊癌与胆囊结石的关系及胆囊结石伴胆囊癌的诊断和治疗特点。方法对1993年1月至2004年12月间收治的27例胆囊癌合并胆囊结石患者进行回顾性临床分析。结果27例胆囊癌合并胆囊结石患者,男10例,女17例,男女之比为1:1.7。平均年龄68.5岁,其中60岁以上22例。临床症状最常见为腹痛(85.2%)。既往有明确胆结石病史患者15例,入院后发现胆结石的有12例。行B超检查的23例,诊断胆囊癌的有12例(52.2%)。CT结合增强扫描检查12例,诊断胆囊癌的有8例(66.7%)。行肿瘤根治切除者8例,根治率29.6%。随访13例,随访期为3个月~7年,获随访者的平均存活时间为12个月。结论胆囊结石是胆囊癌的发病因素之一,胆囊癌早期诊断困难,晚期治疗效果差,伴胆囊结石的胆囊癌关键是要引起重视,不能满足胆囊结石的诊断而遗漏胆囊癌。对胆囊结石患者要密切随访,高危患者要尽早手术。     

社区护理工作绩效评价体系的建立与实践

目的为了探索一套适合我国社区卫生服务机构持续健康发展的护理管理模式，以提高社区护理管理效应。通过专家评定法以及全体护理人员讨论的方法，给予每项护理工作以适当的权重，以此建立社区护理工作绩效量化评价体系，并组织实施。实施后，在社区护理工作方面形成了良好的管理导向，建立了有效的激励机制，提高了护理工作质量、效率和效益。因此，可以认为在社区护理实施工作绩效量化评价体系，是值得推广的一项举措。     

深圳市全人口结核病控制实施效果评价

目的　研究深圳市实施包含非户籍人口在内的全人口结核病控制模式。方法 在全人口中推行以发现和彻底治疗传染性肺结核病为主的现代结核病控制和监测策略。结果 从1993年至2001年,登记涂阳肺结核8483例,治愈率96.3%。肺结核疫情明显下降,深圳市户籍人口涂阳患病率下降55.9%,非户籍人口涂阳患病率下降38.6%。结论 实施全人口结核病控制是必要的、可行的和科学的。