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Introduction: Pharmacy education and postgraduate training in the United States (US) are esteemed, drawing international students to American Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)‐accredited schools and pursuing residency training after graduation. Despite this, limited literature addresses the obstacles international students face in pursuing American Society of Health‐System Pharmacists (ASHP) accredited residency programs. Objectives: To summarize potential eligibility barriers for international graduates of ACPE programs during the residency application process from residency program directors' (RPDs) perspectives. Methods: A 16‐question electronic survey was developed and distributed to all RPDs of US‐based ASHP‐accredited postgraduate year‐1 (PGY‐1) programs in July 2021. Questions addressed whether non‐US citizens were eligible to apply, barriers to recruiting non‐US citizen candidates, and barriers to offer visa sponsorships. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Results: A total of 196 programs responded to the survey (response rate, 13.5%). Eighty‐nine (45.4%) programs reported that candidates with F‐1/optional practical training (OPT) status were eligible to apply for their program, while 86 programs (43.9%) reported candidates were not eligible. Barriers for recruiting candidates with F‐1/OPT status included lack of resources to support application process (n = 42), citizenship requirements (n = 41), institution policy (n = 33), department preference (n = 12), and unfamiliar with procedures in selecting these candidates (n = 18). Over 70% (n = 146) would not offer visa sponsorship for pharmacy resident positions. Barriers to offering sponsorship were lack of support resources (n = 62), cost (n = 60), time preparing applications (n = 46), citizenship requirements (n = 45), and department preference (n = 23). Conclusion: This study investigates the obstacles encountered by non‐US citizens in the residency application process, as perceived by program directors. The primary obstacle in recruiting candidates with F‐1/OPT status and providing visa sponsorships revolves around the inadequate support and resources available for the application process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: coenzyme Q10; bioavailability; oral formulations; bioequivalence 1580 A Randomized Study of the Bioavailability of Different Formulations of Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone) SAGE Publications, Inc.200710.1177/0091270007307571 RaduConstantinescu MD Department of Neurology, Clinical [...]

This document is a response to a letter from Choye and Ohler regarding an article titled "Navigating obstacles: Perspectives of US pharmacy residency directors on non-US candidates for PGY-1 residencies: A survey-based research." The authors express gratitude for the affirmation and insights shared by the University of Illinois Chicago, particularly regarding the use of optional practical training (OPT) and challenges with H1B visa sponsorship. They also mention the pursuit of a J1 visa as an effective approach for program directors exploring alternatives like fellowships. The authors agree that international graduates bring valuable experiences to residency programs and hope that their article and the letter will inspire further discussion and improvements in policies affecting international pharmacy graduates. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: In response to the opioid crisis, New York State (NYS) mandated training for all licensed professionals authorized to prescribe controlled substances. Content included state and federal requirements for prescribing controlled substances, pain management, appropriate prescribing, managing acute pain, palliative care, prevention, screening and signs of addiction; responses to abuse and addiction; and end‐of‐life care. Training was required to be completed by 1 July 2017. Objectives: The primary aim of this analysis was to answer the question: Would a large‐scale, enduring, online training program administered in an academic environment be feasible? Methods: An interdisciplinary team from the University at Buffalo developed a 4‐hour accredited enduring training program which was launched on 15 March 2017. Pre‐ and posttests were required, with a score of ≥70% on the posttest set as successful completion of the course. Results: As of 1 July 2017, 31 909 participants had completed Module 1, with 26 511 (83.1%) originating from NYS. For Module 2, 29 450 participants completed the training, with 24 460 (83.1%) originating from NYS. A participant survey found that the overwhelming majority of participants were satisfied with the course. Prescribers (physicians, residents, dentists, nurse practitioners, midwives, and physician assistants) all demonstrated significant improvement for both course modules. Aggregate Module 1 scores improved from (mean ± SD) 79.88 (14.67) at baseline to 93.18 (7.45) postcourse (P <.0001). Aggregate Module 2 scores improved from 67.21 (14.8) to 89.13 (8.09; P <.0001). Conclusions: Our experience demonstrates the feasibility of deploying a credible, enduring, multiprofessional online educational program. The program has been well‐accepted, with a demonstration of increased knowledge across disciplines through pre‐ and posttraining assessment. Further study is needed to address the impact of this training on patterns of opioid prescribing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Pharmacies are venues in which patients seek out products and professional advice in order to improve overall health. However, many pharmacies in the United States continue to sell tobacco products, which are widely known to cause detrimental health effects. This conflict presents a challenge to pharmacists, who are becoming increasingly more involved in patient health promotion activities. This study sought to assess Western New York (WNY) area pharmacists’ opinions about the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies, and pharmacists’ opinions on their role in patient smoking cessation. Methods Participants responded to two parallel surveys; a web-based survey was completed by 148 university-affiliated pharmacist preceptors via a list based sample, and a mail-based survey was completed by the supervising pharmacist in 120 area pharmacies via a list-based sample. The combined response rate for both surveys was 31%. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed to determine any significant differences between the preceptor and supervising pharmacist survey groups. Results Over 75% of respondents support legislation banning the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies. Over 86% of respondents would prefer to work in a pharmacy that does not sell tobacco products. Differences between preceptor and supervising pharmacist groups were observed. Action regarding counseling patients was uncommon among both groups. Conclusions Pharmacists support initiatives that increase their role in cessation counseling and initiatives that restrict the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies. These data could have important implications for communities and pharmacy practice.

Background: The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was introduced to reduce readmission rates among Medicare beneficiaries, however little is known about readmissions and costs for HRRP-targeted conditions in younger populations. The primary objective of this study was to examine readmission trends and costs for targeted conditions during policy implementation among younger and older adults in the U.S.Methods: We analyzed the Nationwide Readmission Database from January 2010 to September 2015 in younger (18-64 years) and older (≥65 years) patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), pneumonia, and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Pre- and post-HRRP periods were defined based on implementation of the policy for each condition. Readmission rates were evaluated using an interrupted time series with difference-in-difference analyses and hospital cost differences between early and late readmissions (≤30 vs. > 30 days) were evaluated using generalized linear models.Results: Overall, this study included 16,884,612 hospitalizations with 3,337,266 readmissions among all age groups and 5,977,177 hospitalizations with 1,104,940 readmissions in those aged 18-64 years. Readmission rates decreased in all conditions. In the HRRP announcement period, readmissions declined significantly for those aged 40-64 years for AMI (p < 0.0001) and HF (p = 0.003). Readmissions decreased significantly in the post-HRRP period for those aged 40-64 years at a slower rate for AMI (p = 0.003) and HF (p = 0.05). Readmission rates among younger patients (18-64 years) varied within all four targeted conditions in HRRP announcement and post-HRRP periods. Adjusted models showed a significantly higher readmission cost in those readmitted within 30 days among younger and older populations for AMI (p < 0.0001), HF (p < 0.0001), pneumonia (p < 0.0001), and AECOPD (p < 0.0001).Conclusion: Readmissions for targeted conditions decreased in the U.S. during the enactment of the HRRP policy and younger age groups (< 65 years) not targeted by the policy saw a mixed effect. Healthcare expenditures in younger and older populations were significantly higher for early readmissions with all targeted conditions. Further research is necessary evaluating total healthcare utilization including emergency department visits, observation units, and hospital readmissions in order to better understand the extent of the HRRP on U.S. healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]