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Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of including the Dutch National Pharmacotherapy Assessment (DNPA) in the medical curriculum on the level and development of prescribing knowledge and skills of junior doctors. The secondary aim was to evaluate the relationship between the curriculum type and the prescribing competence of junior doctors. Methods: We re-analysed the data of a longitudinal study conducted in 2016 involving recently graduated junior doctors from 11 medical schools across the Netherlands and Belgium. Participants completed three assessments during the first year after graduation (around graduation (+ / − 4 weeks), and 6 months, and 1 year after graduation), each of which contained 35 multiple choice questions (MCQs) assessing knowledge and three clinical case scenarios assessing skills. Only one medical school used the DNPA in its medical curriculum; the other medical schools used conventional means to assess prescribing knowledge and skills. Five medical schools were classified as providing solely theoretical clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) education; the others provided both theoretical and practical CPT education (mixed curriculum). Results: Of the 1584 invited junior doctors, 556 (35.1%) participated, 326 (58.6%) completed the MCQs and 325 (58.5%) the clinical case scenarios in all three assessments. Junior doctors whose medical curriculum included the DNPA had higher knowledge scores than other junior doctors (76.7% [SD 12.5] vs. 67.8% [SD 12.6], 81.8% [SD 11.1] vs. 76.1% [SD 11.1], 77.0% [12.1] vs. 70.6% [SD 14.0], p < 0.05 for all three assessments, respectively). There was no difference in skills scores at the moment of graduation (p = 0.110), but after 6 and 12 months junior doctors whose medical curriculum included the DNPA had higher skills scores (both p < 0.001). Junior doctors educated with a mixed curriculum had significantly higher scores for both knowledge and skills than did junior doctors educated with a theoretical curriculum (p < 0.05 in all assessments). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the inclusion of the knowledge focused DNPA in the medical curriculum improves the prescribing knowledge, but not the skills, of junior doctors at the moment of graduation. However, after 6 and 12 months, both the knowledge and skills were higher in the junior doctors whose medical curriculum included the DNPA. A curriculum that provides both theoretical and practical education seems to improve both prescribing knowledge and skills relative to a solely theoretical curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Knowledge of clinical pharmacotherapy is essential for all who prescribe medication. The aims of this study were to investigate differences in the pharmacotherapy and polypharmacy knowledge of medical and surgical residents and consultants and whether this knowledge can be improved by following an online course. Methods: Design: A before-and-after-measurement. Setting: An online course available for Dutch residents and consultants working in hospitals. Study population: Dutch residents and consultants from different disciplines who voluntarily followed an online course on geriatric care. Intervention: An online 6-week course on geriatric care, with 1 week dedicated to clinical pharmacotherapy and polypharmacy. Variables, such as medical vs surgical specialty, consultant vs resident, age, and sex, that could predict the level of knowledge. The effects of the online course were studied using repeated measures ANOVA. The study was approved by the National Ethics Review Board of Medical Education (NERB dossier number 996). Results: A total of 394 residents and 270 consultants, 220 from surgical and 444 from medical specialties, completed the online course in 2016 and 2017. Residents had higher test scores than consultants for pharmacotherapy (73% vs 70%, p < 0.02) and polypharmacy (75% vs 72%, p < 0.02). The learning effect did not differ. Medical residents/consultants had a better knowledge of pharmacotherapy (74% vs 68%, p < 0.001) and polypharmacy (77% vs 66%, p < 0.001) than surgical residents/consultants, but the learning effect was the same. Conclusions: Residents and consultants had a similar learning curve for acquiring knowledge, but residents outperformed consultants on all measures. In addition, surgical and medical residents/consultants had similar learning curves, but medical residents/consultants had higher test scores on all measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Formative assessments can help motivate students and ease students' learning through feedback. There is a pressing need for improvement of clinical pharmacotherapy (CPT) education since junior doctors make many prescribing errors. The aim of this study was to determine whether a formative assessment with personalized narrative feedback helps medical students to increase their prescribing skills. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted among masters' medical students at Erasmus Medical Centre, The Netherlands. Students made a formative and a summative skill-based prescription assessment, both during clerkships as part of their regular curriculum. Errors in both assessments were categorized by type and possible consequence and compared with each other. Results: A total of 388 students made 1964 errors in the formative assessment and 1016 in the summative assessment. Most improvements after the formative assessment were seen for mentioning the weight of a child on the prescription (n = 242, 19%). Most new and repeated errors in the summative assessment were missing usage instructions (n = 82, 16% and n = 121, 41%). Conclusions: This formative assessment with personalized and individual narrative feedback has helped students to increase the technical correctness of their prescriptions. However, errors repeated after the feedback were predominantly errors showing that only one formative assessment has not yet enhanced the clinical prescribing enough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia. In this umbrella systematic review (SR), we summarized the efficacy of different pharmacological interventions in improving cognitive function in patients with AD. Methods: A systematic search was performed through the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane databases for SRs of studies assessing the efficacy of pharmacological interventions versus placebo in improving cognitive function in AD or mild cognitive impairment due to AD. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the Risk of Bias in SRs (ROBIS) tool. Results: Out of 1748 articles found through the database survey, 33 SR articles were included. These studies assessed effects of immunotherapy, cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), memantine, statins, lithium, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidiabetic agents, Cerebrolysin, RAS-targeting antihypertensive drugs (ARBs and ACEIs), psychostimulants, glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) inhibitors, melatonin, and herbal medications on cognitive function in AD patients. There was no notable overall RoB in 18 studies (54.5%), the RoB in 14 studies (42.4%) was high, and in one study (3.0%) it was unclear. Conclusions: The use of ChEIs, including rivastigmine, galantamine, and donepezil, as well as memantine has demonstrated a positive impact on improving cognitive outcomes of AD patients, but no considerable effects were found for immunotherapies. Melatonin, statins, antihypertensive drugs, antidiabetic agents, Cerebrolysin, psychostimulants, and some herbal drugs such as Danggui-Shaoyao-San and Ginkgo biloba seem to be effective in improving cognitive function of AD patients, but the evidence in this regard is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Polystyrene sulfonate is used for binding potassium in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Because of its binding properties, it can potentially bind other medications and thereby decrease their bioavailability and effectiveness. Amitriptyline, often used by CKD patients for neuropathic pain, shows significant binding to polystyrene sulfonate in vitro. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of polystyrene sulfonate on the exposure of amitriptyline in vivo when taken concomitantly in healthy volunteers. Methods: We performed a prospective cross-over study in nine healthy volunteers. Participants were 18 years of age or older, did not use any medication, and had no known allergy to amitriptyline or polystyrene sulfonate. Participants visited Deventer Teaching Hospital twice. Once they received a single dose of amitriptyline 50 mg and once they received a single dose of both polystyrene sulfonate 15 g and amitriptyline 50 mg taken concomitantly, with a wash out period of at least 1 week. After intake of the medication, six blood samples were collected, at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 h. Blood samples were analysed to determine maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve 0–8 h after intake (AUC0–8 h). Difference in Cmax and AUC0–8 h was analysed with a paired T-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test, depending on normality of the data. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the nine participants included, eight participants completed both visits to the hospital. Mean maximum concentration (Cmax) of amitriptyline was 35.61 µg l−1 (95% CI 27.90–43.33 µg l−1) when taken alone, compared to 9.25 µg l−1 (95% CI 6.59–11.92 µg l−1) when taken with polystyrene sulfonate (p < 0.001). Mean AUC0–8 h of amitriptyline was 168.20 µg × h l−1 (95% CI 139.95–196.45 µg × h l−1) when taken alone and 45.78 µg × h l−1 (95% CI 30.20–61.36 µg × h l−1) when taken with polystyrene sulfonate (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: These results show a significant decrease in exposure of amitriptyline of approximately 75% when taken concomitantly with polystyrene sulfonate, thereby probably compromising therapy efficacy. Patients using both amitriptyline and polystyrene sulfonate should be informed to separate intake of these medications. Trial registration: NL8539 (17 April 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As a substantial proportion of bariatric surgery patients use psychotropic/antiepileptic drugs, we investigated the impact of this procedure on serum concentrations. Methods: In a naturalistic, longitudinal, prospective case series, we compared dose-adjusted trough concentrations of antidepressants, antipsychotics, or antiepileptics in consecutive patients before and after bariatric surgery. Adherence to treatment over 2 weeks preceding each sampling was considered. Results: In all, 85 participants were included (86% female, median age 45 years, median body mass index 42 kg/m2). They were being treated with 18 different psychotropic/antiepileptic drugs (7 substances: 6–17 individuals, 11 substances: 1–4 individuals) and contributed 237 samples over a median of 379 days after surgery. For four out of seven substances with pre-/post-surgery samples available from six or more individuals, the dose-adjusted concentration was reduced (sertraline: 51%, mirtazapine: 41%, duloxetine: 35%, citalopram: 19%). For sertraline and mirtazapine, the low-calorie-diet before surgery entirely explained this reduction. A consistent finding, irrespective of drug, was the association between the mean ratio of the post-/pre-diet dose-adjusted concentration and the lipophilicity of the drug (logD; correlation coefficient: −0.69, P = 0.0005), the low-calorie diet often affecting serum concentration more than the surgery itself. Conclusions: Serum concentrations of psychotropic/antiepileptic drugs vary after bariatric surgery and can be hard to predict in individual patients, suggesting that therapeutic drug monitoring is of value. Conversely, effects of the pre-surgery, low-calorie diet appear generalizable, with decreased concentrations of highly lipophilic drugs and increased concentrations of highly hydrophilic drugs. Interaction effects (surgery/dose/concentration) were not evident but cannot be excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To characterize the safety, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of vericiguat in healthy males. Methods: Six phase I studies were conducted in European, Chinese, and Japanese males. Subjects received oral vericiguat as a single dose (0.5–15.0 mg solution [for first-in-human study] or 1.25–10.0 mg immediate release [IR tablets]) or multiple doses (1.25–10.0 mg IR tablets once daily [QD] or 5.0 mg IR tablets twice daily for 7 consecutive days). Bioavailability and food effects on vericiguat PK (IR tablets) were also studied in European subjects. Results: Overall, 255 of 265 randomized subjects completed their respective studies. There were no deaths or serious adverse events. Vericiguat was generally well tolerated at doses ≤ 10.0 mg. In the first-in-human study, the most frequent drug-related adverse events were headache and postural dizziness (experienced by five subjects each [7.2%]). Three of four subjects who received vericiguat 15.0 mg (oral solution, fasted) experienced orthostatic reactions. Vericiguat (≤ 10.0 mg, IR tablets) was rapidly absorbed (median time to reach maximum plasma concentration ≤ 2.5 h [fasted]) with a mean half-life of about 22.0 h (range 17.9–27.0 h for single and multiple doses). No evidence for deviation from dose proportionality or unexpected accumulation was observed. Administration of vericiguat 5.0 mg IR tablets with food increased bioavailability by 19% (estimated ratio 119% [90% confidence interval]: 108; 131]), reduced PK variability, and prolonged vericiguat absorption relative to the fasted state. Conclusion: In general, vericiguat was well tolerated. These results supported further clinical evaluation of vericiguat QD in patients with heart failure. Registry numbers: EudraCT: 2011-001627-21; EudraCT: 2012-000953-30 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The involvement of an inter-professional healthcare student team in the review of medications used by geriatric patients could not only provide patients with optimized therapy but also provide students with a valuable inter-professional learning experience. We describe and evaluate the clinical and learning outcomes of an inter-professional student-run mediation review program (ISP). Subject and method: A variable team consisting of students in medicine, pharmacy, master advanced nursing practice, and master physician assistant reviewed the medication lists of patients attending a specialized geriatric outpatient clinic. Results: During 32 outpatient visits, 188 medications were reviewed. The students identified 14 medication-related problems, of which 4 were not recognized by healthcare professionals. The ISP team advised 95 medication changes, of which 68 (71.6%) were directly implemented. Students evaluated this pilot program positively and considered it educational (median score 4 out of 5) and thought it would contribute to their future inter-professional relationships. Conclusion: An inter-professional team of healthcare students is an innovative healthcare improvement for (academic) hospitals to increase medication safety. Most formulated advices were directly incorporated in daily practice and could prevent future medication-related harm. The ISP also offers students a first opportunity to work in an inter-professional manner and get insight into the perspectives and qualities of their future colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Twenty-five years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the Guide to Good Prescribing (GGP), followed by the accompanying Teacher's Guide to Good Prescribing (TGGP). The GGP is based on a normative 6-step model for therapeutic reasoning and prescribing, and provides a six-step guide for students to the process of rational prescribing. Method: We reviewed the need to update both WHO publications by evaluating their use and impact, including new (theoretical) insights and demands. Based on information from literature, Internet, and other (personal) sources, we draw the following conclusions. Results: 1. An update of the GGP and TGGP, both in terms of content and form, is necessary because of the current need for these tools (irrational medicine use and unavailability of medicines), the lack of similar documents, and the lack of connection with recent developments, such as Internet and modern education; 2. The basic (6-step) model of the GGP is effective in terms of rational prescribing in the undergraduate situation and is still consistent with current theories about (context) learning, clinical decision-making, and clinical practice; 3. The dissemination and introduction of the GGP and TGGP in education has been successful so far, but is still not optimal because of lack of support and cooperation. Conclusions: On the basis of the evaluation results, a plan for the revision of the GGP and TGGP is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate whether an educational intervention based on collegial discussions on patient cases could increase interns' professional confidence in prescribing. Methods: In a randomized controlled study at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, 69 interns (median age: 29 years, 54% female) were allocated to an intervention or control group. The intervention consisted of two 3-h seminars based on collegial discussions of patient cases focused on performing medication reviews. This included reconciling the drug treatment and ascertaining that it is reasonable given the patient's current health status, as well as tips on practical handling of the medical records system and integrated decision support. Self-assessed confidence in performing medication reviews was evaluated with questionnaires distributed at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. Results: Fifty-seven (83%) interns completed the questionnaires. Although the opposite was found at baseline, intervention interns, in comparison with controls, at follow-up, were more confident in performing medication reviews (4.3 ± 0.9 vs. 3.6 ± 1.3, P = 0.034; 1 = completely disagree to 5 = completely agree). At follow-up, the intervention participants had increased their confidence in prescribing to a greater extent compared with the control participants, including performing medication reviews as well as taking responsibility for the medication list at discharge: + 1.5/+ 1 vs ± 0 on the 5-point agreement scale (all P ≤ 0.01). Among other positive outcomes, the intervention increased the interns' awareness of adverse effects as a potential cause of symptoms and their confidence in withdrawing a medication. Conclusion: Structured collegial discussions on pharmacotherapy, even of a relatively short duration, can increase junior physicians' professional confidence in prescribing medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Pharmacovigilance education is essential since adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a serious health problem and contribute to unnecessary patient burden and hospital admissions. Healthcare professionals have little awareness of pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting, and only few educational interventions had durable effects on this awareness. Our future healthcare providers should therefore acquire an adequate set of pharmacovigilance competencies to rationally prescribe, distribute, and monitor drugs. We investigated the pharmacovigilance and ADR-reporting competencies of healthcare students to identify educational interventions that are effective in promoting pharmacovigilance.Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases were searched using the terms “pharmacovigilance,” “students,” and “education.”.Results: Twenty-five cross-sectional and 14 intervention studies describing mostly medical and pharmacy students were included. Intentions and attitudes on ADR reporting were overall positive, although most students felt inadequately prepared, missed the training on this topic, and lacked basic knowledge. Although nearly all students observed ADRs during clinical rounds, only a few had actually been involved in reporting an ADR. Educational interventions were predominately lectures, sometimes accompanied by small interactive working groups. Most interventions resulted in a direct increase in knowledge with an unknown long-term effect. Real-life learning initiatives have shown that healthcare students are capable of contributing to patient care while increasing their ADR-reporting skills and knowledge.Conclusions: There is an urgent need to improve and innovate current pharmacovigilance education for undergraduate healthcare students. By offering real-life pharmacovigilance training, students will increase their knowledge and awareness but can also assist current healthcare professionals to meet their pharmacovigilance obligations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) withdrawal is a life-threatening condition that does not always respond to standard treatment with benzodiazepines. Baclofen has potential utility as a pharmacological adjunct and anecdotal reports suggest that it is being used by drug users to self-manage GHB withdrawal symptoms. Here, we investigate current patterns of use and the online availably of baclofen.Methods: Data triangulation techniques were applied to published scientific literature and publicly accessible Internet resources (grey literature) to assess the use of baclofen in GHB withdrawal. An Internet snapshot survey was performed to identify the availability of baclofen for online purchase and the compliance of retailers with the UK regulations. Data were collected according to pre-defined criteria.Results: A total of 37 cases of baclofen use in GHB withdrawal were identified in the scientific literature, as well as 51 relevant discussion threads across eight Internet forums in the grey literature. Baclofen was available to purchase from 38 online pharmacies, of which only one conformed to the UK regulations.Conclusions: There is limited published evidence on the use of baclofen in GHB withdrawal, but both scientific and grey literature suggests clinical utility. Online pharmacies are readily offering prescription-only-medication without prescription and due to inadequate regulation, pose a danger to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the Trondheim Hip Fracture Trial, 397 home-dwelling patients with hip fractures were randomised to comprehensive geriatric care (CGC) in a geriatric ward or traditional orthopaedic care (OC). Patients in the CGC group had significantly better mobility and function 4 months after discharge. This study explores group differences in drug prescribing and possible associations with the outcomes in the main study. Methods: Drugs prescribed at admission and discharge were registered from hospital records. Mobility, function, fear of falling and quality of life were assessed using specific rating scales. Linear regression was used to analyse association between drug changes and outcomes at 4 months. Results: The mean age was 83 years, and 74% were females. The mean number (± SD) of drugs in the CGC and OC groups was 3.8 (2.8) and 3.9 (2.8) at inclusion and 7.1 (2.8) and 6.2 (3.0) at discharge, respectively ( p = 0.003). The total number of withdrawals was 209 and 82 in the CGC and OC groups, respectively ( p < 0.0001), and the number of starts was 844 and 526, respectively ( p < 0.0001). A significant negative association was found between the number of drug changes during the hospital stay and mobility and function 4 months later in both groups. However, this association disappeared when adjusting for baseline function and comorbidities. Conclusion: These secondary analyses suggest that there are significant differences in the pharmacological treatment between geriatric and orthopaedic wards, but these differences could not explain the beneficial effect of CGC in the Trondheim Hip Fracture Trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ᅟ: Medical students should be better prepared for their future role as prescribers. A new educational concept to achieve this is learning by doing. This encompasses legitimate, context-based training and gives students responsibility as early as possible in their medical education. Student-run clinics (SRCs) are an example of this concept. Aim: Describe the development of a new SRC for insured patients, primarily focused on medical (pharmacotherapy) education, the learner-centered student-run clinic (LC-SRC), and its feasibility. Methods: Teams each comprising of three students (first, third, and fifth year) performed consultations including proposing management plans, all under the supervision of an internist. Patients were voluntary selected from the internal medicine outpatient clinic for follow-up in the LC-SRC. Feasibility was evaluated using a set of questionnaires for patients, supervisors, and students. Results: In total, 31 consultations were conducted; 31 students and 4 clinical specialists participated. A pharmacotherapeutic treatment plan was drawn up in 33 % of the consultations. Patients were content with the care provided and rated the consultation with a 7.9 (SD 1.21) (1(min)-10(max)). Supervisors regarded LC-SRC safe for patients with guaranteed quality of care. They found the LC-SRC a valuable tool in medical education although it was time-consuming. Students appreciated their (new) responsibility for patient care and considered the LC-SRC a very valuable extracurricular activity. Discussion: The LC-SRC is feasible, and all participants considered it to be a valuable educational activity. It offers students the opportunity to learn in a real interprofessional and longitudinal setting for their future role as prescriber in clinical practice. The benefits and learner effects need to be investigated in a larger study with a longer follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pharmacology and pharmacotherapy education is being increasingly integrated in medical curricula, which might lead to a specific loss of knowledge in these subjects. This, in turn, could lead to harmful prescribing errors, especially in vulnerable older patients. Methods: Teachers who coordinated education in Dutch medical schools completed a structured interview on (geriatric) pharmacology and pharmacotherapy education. A list of core learning goals was developed. Pharmacology and pharmacotherapy education in general was compared to geriatric pharmacology and pharmacotherapy education. Results: All Dutch medical schools participated. Contact hours for education in pharmacology and pharmacotherapy ranged from 39 to 107 h; ECTSs (representing 28 study hours) ranged from 0 to 3. The various curricula covered, on average, 79 % of all learning goals for these subjects: knowledge 85 %, skills 76 %, and attitudes 66 %; the curricula also covered specific geriatric goals: knowledge 87 % and skills 65 %. All geriatric learning goals were met if a geriatrician was among the coordinators. Half (4 of 8) of the medical schools lacked appropriate assessment procedures. Evaluation was mostly based on students' opinions. Teachers rated students as being moderately well prepared for daily practice. Conclusions: There are large differences in the quantity and quality of (geriatric) pharmacology and pharmacotherapy education in Dutch medical schools. In general, more time should be devoted to skills and attitude, and the assessment procedures should be optimized with high priority. Other curricula with a problem-based approach might benefit from the points of improvement described in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of different levels of realism of context learning on the prescribing competencies of medical students during the clinical clerkship in internal medicine. Methods: Between 2001 and 2007, 164 medical students took part in the prospective explorative study during their clinical clerkship in internal medicine at the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In a fixed order, each student had to formulate a treatment plan for a real patient in three situations of increasing realism: a minimal level (studying a patient record), medium level (preparing for a therapeutic consultation), and optimal level (preparing for and performing a therapeutic consultation with the patient). Results: In comparison to studying a patient record (minimal context level), preparing a therapeutic consultation (medium context) improved four of the six steps of the WHO six-step plan. Preparing and performing a therapeutic consultation with a real patient (optimal context) further improved three essential prescribing competencies, namely checking for contraindications and interactions, prescription writing, and instructions to the patient. Conclusion and recommendations: The results of this first explorative study suggest that enrichment of the learning context (responsibility for patient care) might be an important factor to improve the training of rational prescribing skills of medical students during their clinical clerkship in internal medicine. Clinical (pharmacology) teachers should be aware that seemingly small adaptations in the learning context of prescribing training during clinical clerkships (i.e., with or without involvement with and responsibility for patient care) may have relatively large impact on the development of prescribing competencies of our future doctors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Finnish Medicines Agency published a new consensus categorization for potentially inappropriate drug (PID) use among persons aged 75 years and older (A = suitable, B = limited evidence, C = suitable for use under certain conditions only, D = inappropriate) in 2010. We investigated factors associated with use of one or more Category D drugs. Method: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using baseline data from the Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly (GeMS) Study collected in Kuopio, Finland, in 2004. From a random sample of 1000 persons aged 75 years and older, 781 persons provided consent to participate. Logistic regression was used to compute unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) for factors associated with PID use. Results: PIDs were used by 30 % ( n = 234) of all participants on a regular or as-needed basis. Among the 764 persons (98 %) who used prescription or non-prescription drugs, PID use was associated with the number of drugs in use (adjusted OR 1.20; 95 % CI 1.13-1.28) and moderate self-rated health compared to good self-rated health (adjusted OR 1.74; 95 % CI 1.19-2.55). PID use was associated with poor maximum walking speed (adjusted OR 1.64; 95 % CI 1.10-2.45), poor Timed Up and Go (TUG) test scores (adjusted OR 1.66; 95 % CI 1.11-2.47), impaired instrumental activities of daily living (adjusted OR 1.50; 95 % CI 1.06-2.12) and Mini Mental State Examination scores <18 (adjusted OR 2.27; 95 % CI 1.41-3.65). Conclusion: PID use was highly prevalent and associated with impaired functional outcomes. This highlights the importance of clinicians conducting regular reviews of drug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Risk factors for stroke are well known in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, while less is known on the effect of these factors on total mortality. Objective: Our aim was to study the impact of cardiovascular drug classes on mortality in AF patients treated in primary care. Methods: The study population was chosen based on patient data from 75 primary care centres in Sweden compiled in a database. Individuals diagnosed with AF who were older than 45 years were enrolled ( n = 12,302, of whom 6,660 were men). Cox regression analysis with mortality (years to death) as outcome was conducted in the men and women separately, as well in the age categories <80 and ≥80 years, with cardiovascular drugs as independent factors, and age, cardiovascular diagnoses and educational level as covariates. Results: Lower mortality was shown for anticoagulant treatment among men, both younger (<80 years) [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.43, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.31-0.61] and older (≥80 years) (adjusted HR 0.47, 95 % CI 0.32-0.69), and among younger women (adjusted HR 0.46, 95 % CI 0.29-0.74), and for antiplatelet treatment in older men (adjusted HR 0.51, 95 % CI 0.35-0.74). Treatment with thiazides was associated with lower mortality among younger men (adjusted HR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.48-0.96), older men (adjusted HR 0.67, 95 % CI 0.46-0.98) and older women (adjusted HR 0.70, 95 % CI 0.52-0.94). Statins were associated with lower mortality among younger patients, in both men (adjusted HR 0.47, 95 % CI 0.32-0.68) and women (adjusted HR 0.54, 95 % CI 0.35-0.82). Conclusions: The differences in age and gender patterns need further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about prescription trends in atrial fibrillation (AF) in primary health care in Sweden. Objective: The aim was to study time trends in pharmacotherapy, in men and women with AF. We also aimed at studying doctors' adherence to CHADS2 for prescribing warfarin. CHADS2 assesses stroke risk by presence of known risk factors, i.e., congestive heart failure, hypertension, age >75 years, diabetes, previous stroke and transient ischemic attack. Methods: Data were obtained from primary health care records that contained individual clinical data. In total, 371,036 patients were included in the sample from 2002, and 424,329 patients were included in the sample from 2007. The study population consisted of individuals aged 45+ years who were diagnosed with AF in 2002 (1,330 men and 1,096 women) and 2007 (2,748 men and 2,234 women). The pharmacotherapies prescribed in 2002 and 2007 were analyzed separately in men and women. Logistic regression was used to calculate the association between the CHADS2 score and prescribed warfarin treatment. Results: Selective beta-blockers, anti-coagulant therapy and lipid-lowering drugs were prescribed more frequently in 2007 than in 2002. In 2007, antithrombotic and RAS-blocking agents were prescribed more frequently to men, whereas beta-1 selective beta-blockers were prescribed more frequently to women. There was no consistent association between the CHADS2 score and prescribed warfarin treatment. Conclusions: Pharmacotherapy of AF has improved over time, though CHADS2 guidelines need to be implemented systematically in primary health care in Sweden to decrease the risk of stroke and improve quality of life in patients with AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the importance of rational prescribing is generally accepted, the teaching of pharmacotherapy to undergraduate medical students is still unsatisfactory. Because clinical teachers are an important role model for medical students, it is of interest to know whether this extends to therapeutic decision-making. The aim of this study was to find out which factors contribute to the drug choices made by medical students and their teachers (general practitioners and clinical specialists). Final-year medical students ( n = 32), and general practitioners ( n = 29), lung specialists ( n = 26), orthopaedic surgeons ( n = 24), and internists ( n = 24) serving as medical teachers from all eight medical schools in the Netherlands participated in the study. They were asked to prescribe treatment (drug or otherwise) for uncomplicated (A) and complicated (B) written patient cases and to indicate which factors influenced their choice of treatment, using a list of factors reported in the literature to influence drug prescribing. Final-year medical students primarily based their drug choice on the factors ‘effectiveness of the drugs’ and ‘examples from medical teachers’. In contrast, clinical teachers primarily based their drug choice on the factors ‘clinical experience’, ‘effectiveness of the drugs’, ‘side effects of the drugs’, ‘standard treatment guidelines’, and ‘scientific literature’. Medical teachers would appear to base their drug choice mainly on clinical experience and drug-related factors, whereas final-year medical students base their drug choice mainly on examples provided by their medical teachers. It is essential that medical teachers clearly explain to their students how they arrive at a specific choice of medication since medical students tend to copy the therapeutic drug choices from their teachers, mainly because of a lack of experience. Presenting students with clinical therapeutic problems early during undergraduate training will not only give them a chance to gain experience in solving medical problems but will also give meaning to what they are studying as opposed to merely reproducing what they learn or copying what they are told. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate genetic and pharmacokinetic factors affecting the initial pharmacotherapeutic effect of paroxetine (PAX) in Japanese patients with panic disorder (PD). Plasma concentration of PAX was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) variants were determined by polymerase chain reaction techniques. PD severity was assessed using the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the plasma concentration of PAX, 5-HTTLPR genotype, and comorbid physical illness were significant factors affecting the initial pharmacotherapeutic effect of PAX in PD and indicated that these factors accounted for 52.4% ( R2 = 0.524) of the variability in the percent reduction in PAS score. The final model was described by the following equation ( P = 0.001): percent reduction in PAS score (%) = 68.5 − 1.2 × [plasma concentration of PAX (ng/ml)] − 33.0 × (L/S = 1, S/S = 0) − 21.8 × (with comorbid physical illness = 1, without comorbid physical illness = 0). The high plasma concentration of PAX, the L/S genotype of 5-HTTLPR, and comorbid physical illness might be associated with a poor response to the initial phase of pharmacotherapy of PD with PAX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational prescribing of drugs is an essential skill of medical doctors. Clinical pharmacologists play an important role in the development of these skills by teaching clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CP&T) to undergraduate medical students. Although the approaches to teaching CP&T have undergone many changes over the last decennia, it is essential that the actual teaching of CP&T continues to be a major part of the undergraduate medical curriculum. The learning objectives of CP&T teaching in terms of developing the therapeutic competencies of undergraduate medical students are described, with an emphasis on therapeutic decision-making. On the basis of current theories of cognitive psychology and medical education, context-learning is presented as an effective approach by which to achieve therapeutic competencies. An example of a CP&T curriculum is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the current drug-interaction management in Swiss community pharmacies, with a particular focus on electronic systems, and to compare the results with those expressed by German general practitioners in a recent survey. Data were collected with a postal questionnaire which was randomly sent to 500 out of 833 community pharmacies in the German part of Switzerland. The response rate was 57.4%, and only 24.7% pharmacists reported that they were confronted less than daily with potential drug interactions. Use of computer software to identify potential drug interactions was widespread in community pharmacies (90.2%), and the software was the primary source of information (81.2 ± 29.6%). The quality of the interaction software was judged sensitive (identifying all dangerous interactions) by 80.5 ± 21.5%, but specific (identifying only relevant interactions) by only 38.3 ± 32%. Pharmacists declared a low override rate (14%) of drug interaction alerts, although unjustified alerts were reported by 60.6 ± 33.1%. In contrast to general practitioners, pharmacists opted less often for information on the mechanism of the interaction, and more frequently for details for dose adjustment. Both groups complained about deficient information on non-interacting alternatives. The information needs of community pharmacists differed considerably from general practitioners, and pharmacists were overwhelmed by inappropriate alerts because of a lack of specificity of their drug-interaction systems. Substantial improvement of drug-interaction software systems is thus required at least in two important aspects, the suppression of inappropriate alerts and the tailoring to the needs of the user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity has been described as the greatest current threat to human health. Although diet and lifestyle changes remain the cornerstones of therapy for obesity, weight losses are often small, and long-term success is disappointing. When these lifestyle-modifying attempts fail, the use of anti-obesity drugs is warranted. Drug treatment is often indicated, but is somewhat limited by the minimal number of well-tolerated drugs that have proven to have long-term efficacy in maintaining body weight loss. The currently available drugs, sibutramine and orlistat, appear modestly effective in promoting weight loss. However, pharmacological therapy for obesity is in transition; expanding knowledge of the physiological mechanisms of body weight regulation has revealed new molecular targets, and more than 150 novel agents are under active development. Because weight regulation is complex, and redundant systems protect against perceived starvation, optimal treatment of obesity will likely require combinations of therapies. In addition, a better comprehension of the problem prior to its treatment would be preferable before targeting homeostatic pathways which could be irrelevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prescribed drugs dispensed to 13% (17 000) of the inhabitants in the county of Jämtland, Sweden, have been continuously recorded since 1970. Individual patients in the investigation are fully identifiable by their identity number as used in Sweden, so patients exposed to a particular drug or group of drugs can be reached subsequently, e. g. for studies of the incidence and nature of side effects. The following information is coded at the local pharmacies: prescribing physician, dispensing pharmacy, year and week of dispensation, name, amount and price of drug, dosage, type of prescription record. In a five year period the drop-out rate has decreased from 9% in 1970 to 4% in 1974. Every year at least one drug is prescribed for approximately 60% of the population. During the five year period 74% of the male and 80% of the female population purchased prescription drugs. The representative nature of the data is discussed, as well as their value in detection of irrational drug usage and ascertaining any particular patient's drug history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific quality of research is an important ethical issue. To clarify the quality of research projects in pharmacotherapy/pharmacology, 40 randomly selected research projects in pharmacotherapy/pharmacology submitted to a research ethics committee were reviewed. Eight of the projects would not have contributed new knowledge nor were they necessary as controls for the results of previous research. Fifteen of the research protocols were of good quality, 15 could be used after revisions, and 10 were unfit for use. Eleven of the research projects were not finished 5 years after they were started. A written report was produced from 26 of the projects. Nine were of good quality and could be accepted for publication in a medical journal, 10 of the reports were in need of revision before publication, and 7 should not be accepted for publication. Research in this field ought to be improved, and ways to improve the standard of clinical trials in pharmacotherapy are dicussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]