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Background: The risk of drug-drug interactions (DDI) has become a major issue in cancer patients. However, data in sarcoma patients are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the frequency and the factors associated with DDI with antitumor treatments, and to evaluate the impact of a pharmacist evaluation before anticancer treatment., Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of consecutive sarcoma patients starting chemotherapy (CT) or Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). A pharmacist performed medication reconciliation and established an early toxicity risk assessment. Potential DDI with antitumor drugs were identified using Micromedex electronic software., Results: One hundred and twenty-two soft-tissue and 80 bone sarcoma patients (103 males, median age 50 years,) were included before CT (86%) or TKI (14%). The median number of medications was 3; 34 patients (22% of patients with medication reconciliation) reported complementary medicine use. 37 potential DDI classified as major, were identified (12% of the 243 pre-therapeutic assessments). In multivariate analysis, TKI (p < 0.0001), proton pump inhibitor (p = 0.026) and antidepressant (p < 0.001) were identified as risk factors of DDI (p < 0.02). Only marital status (p = 0.003) was associated with complementary medicine use. A pharmacist performed 157 medication reconciliations and made 71 interventions among 59 patients (37%). In multivariate analysis, factors associated with pharmacist intervention were: complementary medicines (p = 0.004), drugs number (p = 0.005) and treatment with TKI (p = 0.0002) CONCLUSIONS: Clinical interventions on DDI are more frequently required among sarcoma patients treated with TKI than CT. Multidisciplinary risk assessment including a medication reconciliation by a pharmacist could be crucial to prevent DDI with TKI., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To identify factors in community pharmacy that facilitate error recovery from medication incidents (MIs) and explore medication safety prevention strategies from the pharmacist perspective., Methods: Thirty community pharmacies in Sydney, Australia, participated in a 30-month prospective incident reporting program of MIs classified in the Advanced Incident Management System (AIMS) and the analysis triangulated with case studies. The main outcome measures were the relative frequencies and patterns in MI detection, minimisation, restorative actions and prevention recommendations of community pharmacists., Results: Participants reported 1013 incidents with 831 recovered near misses and 165 purported patient harm. MIs were mainly initiated at the prescribing (68.2%) and dispensing (22.6%) stages, and most were resolved at the pharmacy (76.9%). Detection was efficient within the first 24 h in 54.6% of MIs, but 26.1% required one month or longer; 37.2% occurred after the patient consumed the medicine. The combination of specific actions/attributes (85.5%), appropriate interventions (81.6%) and effective communication (77.7%) minimised MIs. An array of remedial actions were conducted by participants including notification, referral, advice, modification of medication regimen, risk management and documentation corrections. Recommended prevention strategies involved espousal of medication safety culture (97.8%), better application of policies/procedures (84.6%) and improvements in healthcare providers' education (79.9%)., Conclusion: Incident reporting provided insights on the human and organisational factors involved in the recovery of MIs in community pharmacy. Optimising existing safeguards and redesigning certain structures and processes may enhance the resilience of the medication use system in primary care., (© 2020. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.)

Background Prescribing discharge medications is a potential "next step" for pharmacists in Australian hospitals, however, safety must be demonstrated via a randomised controlled study. Objective To determine if a collaborative, pharmacist led discharge prescribing model results in less patients with medication errors than conventional prescribing for both handwritten and digital prescriptions. Setting Geriatric Medical ward in a quaternary hospital, Australia Methods A prospective, single-blinded randomised controlled study of patients randomised to conventional (control) or a pharmacist-led prescribing (intervention) arms at discharge from hospital. This study had 2 phases; (1) handwritten prescribing and (2) digital prescribing. In addition, the two prescribing methods were compared. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with a medication error on their discharge prescription. Results In phase 1, 45 patients were recruited; 21 (control) and 24 (intervention). 95% of control patients and 29% in the intervention arm had at least one medication error, p < 0.0002, relative risk (RR) 0.31, confidence interval (CI) 0.16-0.58. The number of items with at least 1 error reduced from 69 to 4%; p < 0.0001, RR 0.06, CI 0.03-0.11 and fewer items had at least 1 clinically significant error (11% vs 2%, p = 0.0004, RR 0.15, CI 0.04-0.30). In phase 2, 39 patients were recruited; 18 (control) and 21 (intervention). 100% of control patients and 62% in the intervention arm had at least one medication error (p = 0.005, RR 0.62, CI 0.44-0.87). Items with at least 1 error decreased from 21 to 7% (p < 0.0001, RR 0.34, CI 0.44-0.56), there were fewer items with at least 1 clinically significant error (13% vs 5%, p < 0.003, RR 0.4, CI 0.22-0.72). There was no significant change in the primary outcome between handwritten and digital (60% vs 79%, p < 0.055). Conclusion In a geriatric setting, pharmacist-led partnered discharge prescribing results in significantly less patients with medication errors than the conventional method for both handwritten and digital methods., (© 2020. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Calls for papers for the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists' midyear clinical meeting in Atlanta, Georgia from December 8 to 12, 2002. Prior publication or presentation; Authorship; Publication rights; Preparation of paper for submission.

Amongst the current, most important, international priorities in public health is the issue of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. This issue is due to the wide misuse and overuse of these drugs, both in human and veterinary medicine. Veterinarians fulfil a very important role as guardians of animal health and as public health actors; if they do not use antimicrobials judiciously, animal health and welfare as well as public health will be severely compromised. Therefore it is of particular importance to study the professional ethos of veterinarians as regards the delivery of antibiotics for animals. In Europe laws and practices regarding the delivery of antimicrobial drugs for animals differ from state to state. In some states, veterinarians are not allowed to sell drugs, they only prescribe, and pharmacists deliver the drugs. In other states, including France, veterinarians are allowed to deliver the drugs they prescribe. In France, veterinarians have thus been accused of conflict of interest; of overprescribing to sell more antibiotics and thus earn more money. Therefore, it appeared particularly accurate to not only study the ethos of veterinarians regarding the delivery of antibiotics to animals, but to also compare this ethos to that of pharmacists. To the authors' knowledge, such a study has never been carried out in any country. Veterinarians' and pharmacists' professional literature was studied and compared using qualitative and quantitative content analysis. A sample of comparable journals was selected for both professions. The study was carried out over a relevant five year period extending from the beginning of 2008 till the end of 2012. All papers dealing with antimicrobial resistances as well as the prescription and delivery of antibiotics for animals were objectively and comprehensively searched and collected using keywords. The selected papers were subsequently independently coded by a multidisciplinary team of coders using conventional, inductive, thematic analysis. The final coding grid was obtained after consensus meetings were held in order to ensure reliability and validity of the data. The results showed that the veterinarians' professional literature studied reflected a primary concern for ethics whereas the pharmacists' professional literature primarily focused on marketing. Half of the veterinary continuing education papers dealt with different aspects of ethics; the other half focused on the scientific aspects of antimicrobial resistances. Amongst other papers, more than 30% tackled ethical questions in relation with the delivery of antibiotics for animals. Conversely, in the pharmacists' literature, half of the continuing education papers concentrated on marketing; the other half described the pharmacology of drugs. Amongst other papers, 60% addressed marketing issues. Ethical questions per se were not approached in the pharmacists' professional literature studied. In conclusion, veterinary ethos for prescription ethics, good antibiotic use and animal welfare seems to be a feature of the profession. According to this research, the claim that veterinarians are responsible for antibiotic resistances because of conflict of interest is not true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure ( HF) care takes place in multiple settings, with a variety of providers, and generally involves patients who have multiple comorbidities. This situation is a 'perfect storm' of factors that predispose patients to medication errors. The goals of this paper are to outline potential roles for clinical pharmacists in a multidisciplinary HF team, to document outcomes associated with interventions by clinical pharmacists, to recommend minimum training for clinical pharmacists engaged in HF care, and to suggest financial strategies to support clinical pharmacy services within a multidisciplinary team. As patients transition from inpatient to outpatient settings and between multiple caregivers, pharmacists can positively affect medication reconciliation and education, assure consistency in management that results in improvements in patient satisfaction and medication adherence, and reduce medication errors. For mechanical circulatory support and heart transplant teams, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services considers the participation of a transplant pharmacology expert (e.g., clinical pharmacist) to be a requirement for accreditation, given the highly specialized and complex drug regimens used. Although reports of outcomes from pharmacist interventions have been mixed owing to differences in study design, benefits such as increased use of evidence-based therapies, decreases in HF hospitalizations and emergency department visits, and decreases in all-cause readmissions have been demonstrated. Clinical pharmacists participating in HF or heart transplant teams should have completed specialized postdoctoral training in the form of residencies and/or fellowships in cardiovascular and/or transplant pharmacotherapy, and board certification is recommended. Financial mechanisms to support pharmacist participation in the HF teams are variable. Positive outcomes associated with clinical pharmacist activities support the value of making this resource available to HF teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of papers of interest to pharmacists contributed to the APhA2010 annual meeting of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) held in Washington, D.C. in March, including "Assess the Value of a Community Pharmacist's Role in Increasing or Modifying Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation Intake in Women on Osteoporosis Treatment," "Assessing Patients' Awareness of the Complications Associated With Uncontrolled Hypertension" and "Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy: An Epidemiological Study in Six Community Pharmacies."

Purpose: In preparation for the complete decentralization of pharmacists at our institution, we were asked to create a user-friendly intervention program the pharmacists could use on the patient floors. Summary: The current system was cumbersome; the paper-based system made it hard to retrieve meaningful data and many interventions were not being captured. We felt that personal digital assistants (PDAs), with a tailored intervention program developed with Pendragon forms, would best meet our needs. A form was developed and modified based on the feedback of specific staff. After staff training, the program was implemented in June 2002. In an attempt to simplify the program, more forms were added and current forms were streamlined also based on staff feedback. The program is bridged with a Microsoft Access database and reports generated from this database provide essential information for administration to justify current positions, as well as, new positions. A literature search was performed and evaluated to determine our cost avoidance data (based on published cost avoidance associated with clinical pharmacy interventions). Institution-specific ingredient costs were used for cost savings data. Based on pre-PDA data, the number of interventions increased from an average of 112/mo to 361/mo (322% increase). An increase in the number of accepted interventions was also noted. The total cost savings and avoidance by pharmacists for the 21-month period assessed was $1,827,286: intervention total cost savings and avoidance of $1,580,593 and drug information cost avoidance of $246,693. Conclusion: This program has increased the documentation of clinical pharmacy services at our institution, while reaping the additional benefit of transferring our total cost avoidance and savings into additional fulltime equivalent positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides abstracts of original research papers presented at the American Pharmacists Association 2004 conference in Seattle, Washington. "Business Model for a Self-Sustaining Pharmacy Program in a Community Health Center," by J. Stubbings, S. Talsania Patel and A. Assam; "Analysis of the Patient Life of New Molecular Entities Approved by the FDA Between 1980 and 2001," by E. Seoane, S. Schondelmeyer, H. Ronald and R. Rodriguez; "Characteristics of New Independently Owned Community Pharmacies in NC," by J. Boyd, J. Evans and C. Robert.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk for clinically significant medication therapy problems (MTPs) due primarily to the complex pharmacotherapy prescribed by numerous providers, and the significant changes in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of many medications due to their kidney disease. While MTPs are well recognized, pharmacists are not routinely involved in the health care teams that provide care for patients with CKD. The Advancing American Kidney Health initiative was announced in July 2019 and is poised to shift models of care in nephrology toward value‐based payment. This represents an opportunity for pharmacists to integrate into teams to improve quality of care and outcomes for patients with CKD. Pharmacists should engage in medication reconciliation, transitions of care, and medication‐focused kidney disease education programs within a comprehensive medication management (CMM) framework to optimize pharmacotherapy outcomes. To implement these services, pharmacists need to utilize certified pharmacy technicians, telehealth, interprofessional skills, and other tools in innovative ways. Current models of successful practice from Canada can serve as a template for United States‐based nephrology pharmacy practice. In this opinion paper, we characterize the current state of nephrology practice and identify significant opportunities for advancement. We propose metrics to evaluate pharmacy services and a framework for key stakeholder engagement which will be critical to advance the profession of pharmacy within nephrology. The Advancing American Kidney Health initiative offers a distinct opportunity to demonstrate the value of CMM provided by pharmacists in the nephrology arena to optimize patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving the identification of depression in adults in primary care can produce clinical and economic benefits. Community Pharmacists may play a role in screening for depression., Objective: To systematically review and evaluate the evidence for the feasibility, impact and cost-effectiveness of community pharmacists screening adults for depression., Methods: An electronic literature search using the databases EMBASE, PubMed and CINAHL Complete from January 2000 to September 2019 was undertaken to identify studies involving community pharmacists screening for depression. Data relating to sample size, population demographics and medical conditions of adults screened were extracted. Details around the screening model, process-related outcomes, clinical outcomes and economic outcomes were also extracted., Results: Ten studies using eight unique depression screening tools were identified. Ease of administration was the most common selection criterion (n = 4) while no reason was given in four studies. Seven studies reported that through screening, pharmacists could identify adults with undiagnosed depression. Pharmacists referred adults screening positive for assessment in seven studies and followed up participants in two studies. No study assessed the impact of screening on depressive symptoms or the cost-effectiveness of pharmacists screening for depression., Conclusion: Community pharmacists are able to use depression screening tools to identify undiagnosed adults having symptoms of depression. However, there is little evidence around the impact of this screening on clinical and economic outcomes. Larger, well-designed studies that use a highly accurate, easily administered screening tool and include patient referral and follow-up and pharmacist training are warranted to provide evidence on the impact of community pharmacists screening adults for depression., (© 2020 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

Background: Pharmacists are in demand now more than ever to provide high-quality expertise about the effectiveness, safety and use of medications. Amidst an increasingly complex and costly healthcare system, policy makers need robust evidence to justify public spending on pharmacy services. Research on the impact of existing and emerging pharmacy practices is required., Objective: To explore barriers and opportunities to enhance research among pharmacists in Ireland utilising a World Café methodology., Methods: A pharmacy research discussion day was held in November 2018, open to all pharmacists in Ireland. A World Café methodology was utilised as a mechanism to facilitate group discussions about pharmacy practice research., Results: Discussions with 63 attendees identified four themes and seventeen subthemes. The four themes were challenges undertaking research, research motivations, leadership and training. Subthemes included robust evidence, clinical, economic and societal outcomes, alignment with national and international health system priorities, need for incentives from professional training bodies, competitive business model and embed within schools of pharmacy., Conclusions: The most commonly discussed barriers inhibiting research were workload, technology limitations and financial considerations. Organisational leadership to prioritise and coordinate research efforts, training to build research capacity, building on existing examples of excellence and initiation of bottom-up community-based research projects were identified in our study as opportunities to enhance pharmacist involvement in research and ultimately patient health outcomes., (© 2020 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

Objective: To explore the feasibility of integrating a residential care pharmacist and describe the activities they subsequently undertake in an established residential aged care facility., Methods: A residential care pharmacist was integrated part-time (15 hours per week) into a 104-bed residential aged care facility in the Australian Capital Territory, for 6 months. The pharmacist documented all activities performed during the study period., Results: The residential care pharmacist documented 335.3 hours performing 284 activities. The two broad classes of activities were as follows: (1) organisation-oriented, which were system-level interventions to improve medication safety, and (2) resident-oriented, which were clinical interventions conducted at the individual level. The activities most frequently performed were pharmaceutical opinion, quality improvement and comprehensive medication review. The stakeholder and organisational demand for these activities indicated feasibility for the role., Conclusion: Pharmacists working collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary aged care team can perform a range of clinically and operationally beneficial activities., (© 2020 AJA Inc.)

Objectives: To identify consultation tools cited in the published literature and undertake a narrative review which establishes their scope to support the delivery of person-centred medicine-focused consultations between community pharmacists and patients in the United Kingdom (UK)., Key Findings: Nine consultation tools used in a pharmacy context were identified. Four tools (Calgary-Cambridge guide, MRCF, MUR and NMS advanced services and PaCT) were selected for further appraisal. None of the tools identified provided a suitable format or sufficient guidance to address all components required for the delivery of a person-centred patient consultation in practice., Summary: Tools available to UK pharmacists are inadequate for fully supporting delivery of a person-centred consultation in practice. Revision of existing tools or creation of more pharmacy-specific tools will support UK pharmacists' delivery of person-centred consultations in practice., (© 2019 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

Background The inclusion of pharmacist in health care system is essential to ensure optimal patient care. However, with the passage of time, pharmacist's role has transcended from dispensing, compounding and counting of pills, to more sophisticated clinical duties. Objective To evaluate doctors' experience, perceptions and expectations regarding pharmacists' role in Pakistani healthcare settings. Setting All tertiary care hospitals across 26 cities of Pakistan. Method A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out targeting doctors practising in Pakistan. The survey was conducted from January to April 2018. Chi square (χ 2 ) test was used to analyse responses of doctors regarding pharmacist's role in the healthcare system of Pakistan. The associations were considered significant at p value less than 0.05. The study was approved by concerned ethical committee. Main outcome measure Doctors' experience, perceptions and expectations regarding pharmacists' role. Results A total of 483 questionnaires were received and analysed (response rate; 87.9%). Most participants (67.5%) reported interaction with pharmacists at least once daily, and that was mostly related to drug availability inquiry (73.7%). 86.7% of doctors expected pharmacists to ensure safe and appropriate use of medicines to patients. 87.6% of doctors expected pharmacists to monitor patient's response to drug therapy (p < 0.05) and 66.5% expected pharmacists to review patient's medicines as well as discuss possible amendments to therapy (p < 0.05). Besides, most doctors (84.9%) disagreed with the notion of pharmacists prescribing medicine for patients (p < 0.05). Most participants (81.6%) did not want pharmacists to prescribe independently. Conclusion The study highlights that doctors considered pharmacists as drug information specialists, dispensers, educators and counsellors; however, their expectation of pharmacists performing the clinical role and being involved in direct patient care was limited. They negated the idea of prescription intervention and direct involvement of pharmacists in pharmacotherapy plan for patients. It is imparative  to increase doctors' awareness regarding the role pharmacists could play in Pakistan's healthcare system. Currently, the clinical role of pharmacists in Pakistan's healthcare system seems minimal and is seen with scepticism within the community of doctors.

Objectives: Despite the increasingly complex care and demanding health challenges shaping pharmacy, little work has been carried out to understand the global status of advanced and/or specialised pharmacy practice scopes and the models in which they exist. This study aims to describe the current global status of initiatives relating to advancement of pharmacy practice., Methods: A global survey was conducted between January and May 2015 to collect country-level data from member organisations of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), and national-level contacts from regulatory, professional and government agencies or universities; data requests were sent to 109 countries. The collected data were triangulated (comparing multiple sources from single countries, e.g.), cleaned and analysed by descriptive and comparative statistics., Key Findings: Full data sets from 48 countries and territories were obtained. The findings demonstrate varying systems of advanced pharmacy practice and specialisation often linked to income level. The study found that there are variations within terminology and definitions, frameworks for specialisation and advanced practice, professional recognition mechanisms and benefits across countries., Conclusions: This survey of 48 countries and territories was the first of its kind to describe the range of specialisation and professional recognition systems for advanced pharmacy practice worldwide. Despite the variance, it is clear from this global study that professional advancement and the recognition of advancement in practice are developing around the world and this could be due to the increasingly complex nature of pharmaceutical care delivery and a consequent need to be able to endorse professional capabilities., (© 2020 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

Objectives: To identify factors influencing Australian consumer decision-making and attitudes towards non-prescription medicine (NPM) purchases, pharmacy's role in providing these medications and views around sources of evidence for effectiveness of these products., Methods: Cross-sectional survey of a general population sample of 1731 adults using an Australian online consumer panel stratified by gender, age and location (State/Territory). Beliefs about NPM purchases and evidence of their efficacy were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree-strongly agree). Non-parametric measures (Ridit analysis and Mann-Whitney U-test) were used to explore associations between responses and previous experience with medicines., Key Findings: The most important factors when purchasing NPMs were effectiveness and safety. However, personal experience was the most common method of determining effectiveness. Most respondents believed buying NPMs in pharmacies gave access to advice, but were less likely to agree that pharmacies were associated with safe and effective treatments. Around half the respondents agreed that it is wrong to sell treatments lacking scientific evidence; many also agreed that it is up to consumers to decide what they want even without scientific evidence. Individuals experiencing an ineffective NPM were less likely to trust scientific evidence of efficacy as the sole source of effectiveness information; regular prescription medicine users often agreed that scientific evidence is needed to support effectiveness., Conclusions: Consumers have conflicting views regarding the need for scientific evidence and the desire for patient autonomy in NPM purchases. This presents a challenge for pharmacists wishing to maintain professional obligations to provide evidence-based treatments to consumers., (© 2019 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

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The article presents abstracts of research presented at the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) 2011, including "Assessing Barriers to Medication Adherence in Underserved Diabetes Patients in Texas," "The Effect of Adjunctive Psychotherapy on Medication Adherence Among Patients With Schizophrenia," and "Effectiveness of a Pharmacist-Based Patient-Centered Medication Adherence Service."

The article presents abstracts of research related to pharmacy in the U.S. which include the assessment of basic medication management knowledge for individuals with diabetes and hypertension in an indigent care setting, assessment of pharmacists' confidence in Ohio in giving pharmaceutical care to children in a community setting and assessment of patient perceptions related to antidepressants and depression in the community pharmacy practice.

The article presents abstracts on topics related to pharmacy which include the creation and implementation of a state association practitioner network, the cost of training student pharmacists and development of a campus student pharmacy organization.

Five years ago we conducted a study of continuing professional development (CPD) among community pharmacists at the time the pharmacists' professional body was beginning to pilot its CPD framework. We found that most pharmacists were engaged in continuing education (CE) rather than CPD, and were confused about the difference between them. Few pharmacists based their learning activity on identified needs, and both the concept and practice of reflection were poorly understood and rarely carried out. Almost half of the pharmacists said they were recording their CPD, although we were not able to ascertain exactly what was being recorded. Since our original study there has been a great deal of activity to raise pharmacists' awareness and understanding of CPD and to encourage recording of CPD. In this article we reflect on the findings of our original study and draw on recent material from pharmacy journals to assess where progress has been made and where further work is still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To address the value of Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) certification, particularly as perceived by different stakeholders (pharmacists, employers, government, and academia), and to draw a parallel between specialization and certification in pharmacy and in medicine.Data Sources: Electronic databases (Medline, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts), associations/health care organizations Web sites, outside reports, and clinical pharmacists involved in certification processes.Study Selection: Studies and reports that addressed the value of specialty certification were selected by the authors.Data Extraction: By the authors.Data Synthesis: Pharmacists with specialty certification report enhanced feelings of self-worth, improved competence, and greater marketability. Other values of certification include increased acceptance by health care professionals, salary increases, and job promotions. Employers have acknowledged board-certified pharmacists through public recognition, increase in responsibility, and some types of monetary compensation. In some governmental organizations, certified pharmacists receive salary raises and are granted prescribing authority. However, the overall value of specialty certification in pharmacy as perceived by the public or payers lags behind when compared with the status of specialty certification in medicine.Conclusion: Board-certified pharmacists appreciate the value of pharmacy specialty certification, and in a number of organizations and practice settings, board-certified pharmacists are perceived as valuable. Still, unlike board-certified physicians, board-certified pharmacists are not widely recognized outside or even within the pharmacy profession. To address this challenge, board-certified pharmacists ought to market their services to assure that other stakeholders recognize their value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical pharmacists have been incorporating precision medicine into practice for decades. Drug selection and dosing based on patient‐specific clinical factors such as age, weight, renal function, drug interactions, plasma drug concentrations, and diet are expected as part of routine clinical practice. Newer concepts of precision medicine such as pharmacogenomics have recently been implemented into clinical care, while other concepts such as epigenetics and pharmacomicrobiomics still predominantly exist in the research area but clinical translation is expected in the future. The purpose of this paper is to describe current and emerging aspects of precision medicine as it relates to clinical pharmacy across a variety of specialty areas of practice, with perspectives from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Practice and Research Network membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Heart failure is an escalating 'pandemic' with malignant outcomes. Clinical pharmacist heart failure services have been developing for the past two decades. However, little clarity is available on the additional advanced knowledge, skills and experience needed for pharmacists to practice safely and competently. We aimed to provide an expert consensus on the minimum competencies necessary for clinical pharmacists to deliver appropriate care to patients with heart failure., Methods: There were four methodological parts; (1) establishing a project group from experts in the field; (2) review of the literature, including existing pharmacy competency frameworks in other specialities and previous heart failure curricula from other professions; (3) consensus building, including developing, reviewing and adapting the contents of the framework; and (4) write-up and dissemination to widen the impact of the project., Key Findings: The final framework defines minimum competencies relevant to heart failure for four different potential levels of specialism: all pharmacists regardless of role (Stage 1); all patient-facing clinical pharmacists (Stage 2); clinical pharmacists with specific planned roles in the care of heart failure patients (Stage 3); and regionally/nationally/internationally recognised expert pharmacists with a direct specialism in heart failure (Stage 4)., Conclusions: The framework delivers the vital first step needed to help standardise care, give pharmacists a blueprint for career progression and continuing professional development and bring clarity to the role of the pharmacist. Future collaboration between professional bodies and training providers is needed to develop structured programmes to align with the framework and facilitate training and resultant accreditation., (© 2018 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

Education and research in pharmaceutical sciences has had a major impact on the roles of pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacists due to the rapid development at the molecular level in the life science research fields of molecular biology and molecular pharmacology. Therefore, this review paper will first report on the historical background of the "medicinal division of labor/* which is tiie most important professional fonction for pharmacists, and the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists as "health support pharmacies" and "family pharmacies/pharmacists.n The results described in this paper are as follows. 1) Historical background of the udivision of pharmaceutical duties" for phannacists, 2) Regarding the division of labor in medicine and medicine in Japan, 3) Pharmacists* shift from "material duties'* to "interpersonal duties", 4) The role and importance of pharmacists in the "medicinal and pharmaceutical division of labor", 5) "Health support pharmacy" and 6

Calls for professional papers for presentation at the mid-year Clinical Meeting of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists in Orlando, Florida. Changes in the submission process to improve the quality of the presentations; Deadline for Management Case Study, professional, student and resident poster submissions; Selection criteria that will be used by a blinded peer review panel.

Reports on the position paper of the American College of Physician-American Society of Internal Medicine on pharmacist scope of practice. Roles of pharmacists; Limitations on pharmacists' professional relationships and responsibilities.

Introduction: The contributions of transplant pharmacists to clinical and translational research in the United States are ill‐defined and have not been systematically reviewed. Objectives: The American College of Clinical Pharmacy Immunology/Transplantation Practice and Research Network conducted a systematic review of available pharmacist‐led research publications involving solid organ transplantation with the intent to quantify and describe pharmacist‐led research endeavors and their changes over time. Methods: An electronic search of Scopus was conducted to identify publications in the field of solid organ transplantation by pharmacist authors between January 1, 1975 and May 25, 2017. Articles were excluded if they were written in non‐English languages or originated from non‐US countries. Review articles, case reports, surveys, basic science research, pre‐clinical studies, and non‐transplant research were further excluded. Studies were categorized as one of four phases on the clinical and translational research spectrum, adapted from the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center description of a T1 to T4 classification system. Results: A total of 10 354 publications were identified by the systematic search with 547 full‐text English‐language publications included in the analysis. Pharmacists served as the first author in 87% of the articles and as the senior author in 67% of the articles. A total of 71% of the articles included more than one pharmacist author. Transplant pharmacists published more studies that employed a retrospective or observational study design (55% and 78%, respectively). A total of 37% of studies were funded. On the spectrum of clinical and translation research, pharmacists were most involved in T3 (translation to practice) research (72%), followed by T2 (translation to patients) research (23%). Conclusions: Transplant pharmacists are increasingly represented in the US literature and frequently published across domains. Further demonstrating the relevance of pharmacist‐delivered interventions and outcomes is a critical area of practice focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]