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Checklists, memos, reports, and other standardized forms take up much space on ethnographers' desks and pervade the lives of their research respondents. Despite the omnipresence and significance of paperwork, methodological descriptions of how to use forms as ethnographic research tools remain limited, however. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork conducted at a US transgender clinic, I describe three techniques with which ethnographers can study documents, namely by tracing paper forms' origins, studying norms inscribed in them, and examining how people use forms. These three techniques help capture the powerful consequences of, and ethical dilemmas embedded in, health care institutions' documentary practices, dynamics that may be impacted by shifts toward the digitalization of paperwork. I propose that ethnographers are to expand their ethnographic toolbox to include attention to documents as central features of social and institutional life that enable and problematize human action and individual decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legalization of marijuana for medical use is increasingly common in the United States. The marijuana plant contains a number of cannabinoids along with chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is known to be psychoactive. In states where medical marijuana is legal, physicians may be trained to certify patients for medical marijuana use. Patients then take their certification and obtain medical marijuana from a dispensary. The dispensary provides advice on which marijuana species or strain to purchase as well as dosing and administration. Forms of medical marijuana are the same as recreational marijuana. Forms include dried leaves or buds for smoking or ingestion and hashish which may also be smoked or ingested. Marijuana concentrates are becoming more popular as they are easier to conceal and require a smaller amount to produce the desired effect. Types of concentrates include butane honey oil, CO2 honey oil, wax or budder, and shatter. Dabbing is a technique used for consuming concentrates that involves placing a "dab" of the concentrate on a heated surface and inhaling the vapors. As products are not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration, there is concern that potency and product-labeling of THC content varies widely among dispensaries and patients are at risk for under- and overdosing. Overall, more research is needed about the effects of specific cannabinoids on individual body systems and health conditions in order to standardize forms of administration and their efficacy as well as dosing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a critical, new historical analysis of the 2010 U.S. Census form. The authors demonstrate that the Hispanic origin and race questions, as currently formulated, imply a “double occupancy of Hispanics” that serves a dual function: to simultaneously monitor the Hispanic population growth and inflate the white count by incorporating Hispanics into the white racial category. This double occupancy of Hispanics results in skewed data analyses that support specific political agendas and ultimately produce racial inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose. The rationale for and steps of pharmacist credentialing and privileging are described. Summary. As pharmacy evolves to include direct patient care, health care organizations are under increasing scrutiny to verify that their pharmacists are not only licensed to practice but are capable providers of direct patient care. Credentialing is a process conducted by a health care organization to review and verify a pharmacist's credentials. Privileging authorizes a pharmacist to perform within a specified scope of practice. The steps in developing a process for pharmacist privileging consist of gathering background information from national, state, and local sources; defining the services a privileged pharmacist may provide; developing policies and procedures; and obtaining approval from the appropriate institutional bodies. An ad hoc committee convened by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists in 2003 produced two documents, an application for privileging and a general privileging form, that may be used as templates by institutions or individuals developing a pharmacist-privileging process. Barriers to pharmacist privileging may be personal, institutional, and regulatory. Conclusion. As pharmacist roles continue to expand, there is increasing need to verify pharmacists' ability to provide direct patient care services. One way to achieve this is for institutions to develop a pharmacist-privileging process that better aligns pharmacists with the methods used to authorize scopes of practice of other types of practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]