Community pharmacy services to optimise the use of medications for mental illness: a systematic review

The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the impact of pharmacist delivered community-based services to optimise the use of medications for mental illness. Twenty-two controlled (randomised and non-randomised) studies of pharmacists' interventions in community and residential aged care settings identified in international scientific literature were included for review. Papers were assessed for study design, service recipient, country of origin, intervention type, number of participating pharmacists, methodological quality and outcome measurement. Three studies showed that pharmacists' medication counselling and treatment monitoring can improve adherence to antidepressant medications among those commencing treatment when calculated using an intention-to-treat analysis. Four trials demonstrated that pharmacist conducted medication reviews may reduce the number of potentially inappropriate medications prescribed to those at high risk of medication misadventure. The results of this review provide some evidence that pharmacists can contribute to optimising the use of medications for mental illness in the community setting. However, more well designed studies are needed to assess the impact of pharmacists as members of community mental health teams and as providers of comprehensive medicines information to people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder     

How Should Functionally Equivalent Drugs be Reimbursed?

Statutory reimbursement agencies as well as private insurers throughout member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reimburse the cost of medicines on the basis of criteria that include robust clinical evidence, budget impact analysis, and incremental cost effectiveness. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the US are no exception to this rule and are, in principle, seeking to maximize benefit for their Medicare enrollees, whilst ensuring reasonable drug outlays for the small number of drugs that they reimburse. This paper provides a retrospective analysis of the way two functionally equivalent drugs are treated for reimbursement purposes by the CMS; the period under consideration was 2001–3. The two drugs, epoetin-α and darbepoetin-α, are used for the treatment of anemia in renal failure and in patients receiving chemotherapy. By reviewing the publicly available pharmacological and clinical data of epoetin-α and darbepoetin-α, the paper confirms the two drugs’ functional equivalence, despite their structural differences. The implications of dose conversion ratios and costs to Medicare are subsequently explored. It is argued that the issue of dose equivalence between epoetin-α and darbepoetin-α has significant implications for patients, practitioners, and payors. A payor’s perspective is adopted in this respect, whereby clinical evidence and pricing data are used simultaneously. Based on the clinical evidence, a dose conversion ratio for epoetin-α:darbepoetin-α is established, which achieves a comparable clinical effect for the two drugs and this is set to be <254IU:1μg. The incremental costs to Medicare are calculated subsequently. The Average Wholesale Price and the Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule that Medicare uses to reimburse providers are used and suggest that treatment of cancer patients with chemotherapy-related anemia with epoetin-α would save Medicare an estimated $US600 million each year. Patients would also benefit significantly in terms of lower co-payments for epoetin-α. The evidence is supportive of the decision made by the CMS to reimburse the two drugs at the rate reflecting the achievement of comparable clinical effects and therefore reducing the pass-through payments for darbepoetin-α to zero for the 2002–3 fiscal year.     

产科危重患者多器官功能障碍综合征的临床分析

目的 :分析产科危重患者多器官功能障碍综合征 (MODS)的发病特点及诱因 ,以及与急性生理与慢性健康状况评分II(APACHEII)的关系。方法 :回顾分析 2 0 0 0年1月至 2 0 0 4年 4月转入GICU产科危重患者中发生MODS 6 6例的临床资料 ,并计算其A PACHEII评分。结果 :产科MODS患者诱因主要是产科因素 ,共 4 8例 (72 .73% ) ,死亡 7例 (14 .5 8% ) ,以重度子痫前期或子痫及产后出血为主 ;诱因 18例妊娠合并内外科疾病 ,死亡 11例 ,死亡率为 6 1.11% ,以妊娠合并心脏病和妊娠合并重症肝炎为主。产科MODS患者死亡率随着器官损害数的增多而上升 ,差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;随着器官损害数的增多 ,APACHEII评分逐渐升高 ,差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;APACHEII评分用于预测MODS死亡阳性率 ,2 ,3,4 ,5个器官受损害 ,其阳性率分别为 33.4 5 % ,5 7.12 % ,97.0 9% ,10 0 %。结论 :产科多器官功能障碍 /衰竭的产科主要诱因是重度子痫前期 /子痫 ,产后出血 ;产科MODS患者死亡率也随着器官损害数的增多而上升 ;APACHEII评分可在一定程度上作为评定产科MODS患者病情危重程度和预测预后的指标。     

肩胛骨骨折的螺旋CT多平面和三维重建诊断

目的 探讨螺旋CT多平面重建（MPR）、表面遮盖显示法（SSD）及最大密度投影法（MIP）在肩胛骨骨折诊断中的价值。方法 回顾性分析40例肩胛骨骨折患者的MPR、SSD及MIP图像；所有病例均用Mareoni Ultra Z型螺旋CT机扫描，并在图像工作站上用MPR、SSD及MIP技术获得多平面和三维图像。结果 MPR、SSD及MIP重建图像清晰显示了40例共45处肩胛骨骨折及7例肩关节脱位；MPR、SSD及MIP能多方位、立体、全面地显示肩胛骨骨折部位和程度。MPR在显示微小骨折方面较好，而MIP、SSD在显示骨折的位置、形态、范围及移位方面较好。结论 MPR、SSD及MIP是诊断肩胛骨骨折的有效方法，对肩胛骨骨折分类、手术入路及内固定器选择等方案的制定有帮助。     

Traumatic Injury of the Superior Mesenteric Vein: Ligate,Repair or Shunt?

Abstract We report a case of SMV injury in a critically ill patient. The patient was a 19-year-old woman involved in a motor vehicle collision. Her injuries included grade II splenic and renal lacerations, devascularized and lacerated right and transverse colon, a transected transverse mesocolon, a massive shear injury of her abdominal wall, and two partial SMV transections. At initial damage control laparotomy, the SMV was ligated, the devascularized bowel resected and a temporary abdominal closure applied. At re-operation, a mesocaval shunt using saphenous vein was employed. The shunt failed and the patient required a saphenous vein jump graft. Although visceral vascular injuries are rare, ligation of the SMV in a damage control situation is acceptable. This case study is the first to discuss appropriate treatment when interruption to a patient's collateral visceral venous drainage limits the surgeon’s ability to ligate. In these situations, bypass shunts may be successful.     

Policy Perspective on Housing and HIV/AIDS

For persons battling HIV/AIDS a stable place to live may decide the length and quality of life itself. It is nearly impossible for a person on the streets to engage in a needed continuous AIDS treatment regimen when the very basic question of where that person will rest his or her head when darkness comes in just a few hours is unresolved. When danger lurks on the streets, when cold numbs the limbs, when tiredness overwhelms the mind, when fear breaks the spirit, a place to call home would make all the difference.