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Objective: Norm Balance is an approach under the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) where subjective norm is weighted by the relative importance of others and self-identity is weighted by the relative importance of self. The relative importance was measured previously by a trade-off measure. In this study, we developed separate measures for the relative importance. The study objectives were to: 1) assess the construct validity of the separate measures; 2) examine the approach of Norm Balance in predicting pharmacists' intention to collaborate with physicians to improve medication therapy; and 3) establish a modified TPB. Methods: We selected a random sample of 750 Iowa pharmacists and conducted two surveys. The first survey was to examine intention prediction, and the second survey was to examine behavior prediction by measuring behavior among respondents to the first survey. The relative importance was measured by both the trade-off measure and the separate measures. Exploratory factor analyses were performed for the relative importance of others (separate measures) and subjective norm, and for the relative importance of self (separate measures) and self-identity. Regressions for intention prediction were conducted for TPB with self-identity and the approach of Norm Balance. The same regressions were also conducted for three subgroups according to the median of the relative importance of others (trade-off measure). Moreover, another regression was conducted for behavior prediction. Results: 239 practicing pharmacists responded to the first survey, and 188 responded to the second survey. The separate measures had cross factor loadings, whereas the trade-off measure had low correlations with other constructs. Both regressions for intention prediction explained 75% of the variance, with self-efficacy and attitude being strong predictors. Selfidentity was not a predictor in the TPB with self-identify, but self-identity weighted by the relative importance of self was a significant predictor in the approach of Norm Balance. Regression coefficients of subjective norm and selfidentify varied across subgroups. The regression for behavior prediction explained 30% of the variance, with intention and self-efficacy being two predictors. Conclusion: The trade-off measure was better than separate measures. The approach of Norm Balance appears to be a better model than the TPB with self-identity to examine pharmacist-physician collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Idiopathic male infertility is common, yet there is no approved treatment. This study aimed to understand practice patterns towards empirical medical therapy (EMT) for idiopathic male infertility in Australia and New Zealand (NZ). Design: Clinical members of the Endocrine Society of Australia, Fertility Society of Australia & NZ, and Urological Society of Australia & NZ were invited to complete a survey. Questions included demographics, EMT practice habits, and thoughts regarding infertility case scenarios. Unadjusted group differences between specialists, those with and without additional training in male infertility, and frequency of managing it were evaluated. Results: Overall, 147 of 2340 members participated (6.3%); majority were endocrinologists and gynaecologists. Participants were experienced; 35% had completed additional training in male infertility and 36.2% reported they frequently manage male infertility. Gynaecologists were more likely to manage male infertility and attend education courses than endocrinologists and urologists. Beliefs about the effect of EMT on sperm concentration and pregnancy did not differ between speciality types. Many respondents considered all patient scenarios suitable for EMT. Of medications, hCG and clomiphene were selected most. Two respondents indicated they would use testosterone to treat male infertility. Conclusions: This study demonstrates common use of EMT in Australia and NZ for idiopathic male infertility. The breadth of responses reflects a lack of consensus within the current literature, highlighting the need for further research to clarify their role in the management of idiopathic male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The etiology of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore the differences in the therapeutic efficacy of pain improvement between medication therapy and laser therapy in patients with BMS. METHODS: 45 BMS patients were randomly divided into three groups: The Combination therapy group (Group A, n = 15), The Medication therapy group (Group B, n = 15), and the Laser therapy group (Group C, n = 15). The pain condition of the patients was evaluated using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the improvement in pain before and after treatment was compared among the three groups. RESULTS: All three groups (A, B, and C) showed a significant reduction in NRS scores after treatment, with statistically significant differences observed among the different groups. Group A exhibited the most significant improvement, with a statistically significant difference before and after treatment. CONCLUSION: Laser and medication therapy are effective methods for reducing oral burning pain * symptoms, and their combined use yields more significant therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient safety strategies highlight patients' own active involvement in ensuring medication safety. A prerequisite for involving patients in their medication therapy is having tools that can assist them in ensuring safe medicine use. Older home-dwelling adults with multiple medications are at high risk for medication-related problems, yet only a few age-specific patient self-administered medication risk screening tools exist. This study aimed to develop, validate, and assess the feasibility of a self-administered medication risk checklist for home-dwelling older adults ≥65 years. The draft checklist was formed based on a validated practical nurse-administered Drug Related Problem Risk Assessment Tool supplemented with findings from two systematic literature reviews. The content validity of the draft checklist was determined by a three-round Delphi survey with a panel of 19 experts in geriatric care and pharmacotherapy. An agreement of ≥80% was required. A feasibility assessment (i.e. understandability of the items, fill-out time of the checklist) of the content-validated checklist was conducted among older adults ≥65 years (n = 87) visiting community pharmacies (n = 4). Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The final validated and feasibility-tested Medication Risk Checklist (LOTTA) for home-dwelling older adults consists of eight items screening the highest priority systemic risks (three items), potentially drug-induced symptoms (one item), adherence, and self-management problems (four items). The checklist proved feasible for self-administration, the mean fill-out time being 6.1 min. A wide range of potential medication risks related to the medication use process can be identified by patient self-assessment. Screening tools such as LOTTA can enhance early detection of potential medication risks and risk communication between older adults and their healthcare providers. A wider and more integrated use of the checklist could be facilitated by making it electronically available as part of the patient information systems. Patient safety strategies highlight patients' own active involvement in ensuring medication safety, which in turn, requires easy-to-use tools to self-assess potential medication risks and communicate them with healthcare providers. This study produced a short, age-specific eight item Medication Risk Checklist (LOTTA) to be self-administered by home-dwelling older adults to identify major systemic risks, potential drug-induced symptoms, adherence, and self-management problems related to medication taking. To facilitate the use of the checklist in early detection of potential medication risks, future studies should focus on converting the LOTTA list into electronic form and pilot its use as an integrated part of the electronic patient information system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the influence of risk factors on drug therapy measured by prolongation of the claudication distance in patients with functional lower extremity ischemia (FLEI) can significantly improve the individual approach to the treatment of these patients. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of risk factors on the effectiveness of medicament therapy in patients with FLEI. The study included 82 patients with diagnosed FLEI (Fontaine IIa, IIb), treated at the Clinic for Vascular Surgery of the University Clinical Center in Niš, starting from January 2020 to December 31, 2020. After 6 months of examination, there was a statistically significant difference in the prolongation of claudication distance in relation to the therapeutic modality in woman (p = 0.03), patients with dyslipidemia (p = 0.001) and patients with hypertension (p = 0.02), noting that higher efficacy was achieved in the group of respondents who used cilostazol and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Risk factors that have a significant effect on the applied therapeutic modality are female gender, dyslipidemia and hypertension, while age, obesity and male gender are risk factors where such correlation is not present. Cilostazol and ASA therapy were more effective than pentoxifylline and ASA therapy in the group of respondents suffering from hypertension and dyslipidemia as well as in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify key research gaps regarding medication therapy to prevent osteoporotic fractures in men. Data sources: Articles from the peer-reviewed literature containing empirical studies of the use of medication therapy for fracture prevention in men, either in clinical trials or observational studies. Study selection and data extraction: We searched PubMed with search terms including "osteoporosis AND medication therapy management". We read all articles to ensure that they were indeed empirical studies of our topic. For each included study, we searched for all articles in the bibliography, all articles that cited the article, and all related articles, using these functions in PubMed. Data synthesis: We have identified six research gaps that could inform the more rational, evidence-based treatment of male osteoporosis. Specifically, among men, we lack key information about: (1) whether treatment can prevent clinical fractures, (2) rates of side effects and complications of therapy, (3) the role of testosterone in treatment, (4) the comparative effectiveness of different therapeutic regimens, (5) role of drug holidays for those receiving bisphosphonates and sequential therapies, and (6) effectiveness of therapy for secondary prevention. Relevance to patient care and clinical practice: Addressing these six topics should be key goal for the next decade of research on male osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Our study aims to provide an overview of medication therapy monitoring practices carried out by pharmacists in hospitals across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Methods: This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of hospitals located in the GCC. Questions were adopted from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) national survey. Frequency analyses were used to examine the number and percentages of specific responses to the survey questions. Results: A total of 64 hospitals participated in this survey, reflecting an overall response rate of 52.0%. Almost half of participating hospitals (48.4%) were from Saudi Arabia. Among the 64 participating hospitals, 54.7% monitored their patients daily, 40.6% assigned pharmacists to patient care units for at least eight hours per day, and 42.2% held pharmacists accountable for medication-related outcomes. Moreover, the criteria used to identify patients requiring monitoring, 35.9% relied on the list of high-risk medications, 26.5% relied on specific medical services, 21.9% relied on directions from the hospital committee, and 17.2% relied on lab abnormalities. The most frequently utilized method for monitoring adverse drug events (ADEs) was through notifications from nurses or physicians, observed in 60.9% of participating hospitals. Conclusion: The survey emphasizes the need for hospitals in the GCC to promote increased pharmacist accountability for medication-related outcomes, explore technological solutions to enhance monitoring efficiency and extend the presence of pharmacists in patient care units beyond the current level.

BackgroundGender and age differences in the clinical manifestations of patients with bipolar disorder can affect the clinical diagnosis and treatment process. The current treatment effect of bipolar disorder in adolescents is not ideal， which has become the main reason for disability during the learning period.ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical features and medication therapy status of bipolar disorder in adolescents， and to provide references to support for personalized diagnosis and treatment.MethodsOn January 16， 2023， 1 169 patients with bipolar disorder who were hospitalized at Beijing Anding Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University from January 1， 2014 to December 31， 2017 were retrospectively enrolled. Medical records were collected and analyzed to compare the clinical features among patients of different gender and age groups， and to explore the differences in medication use among patients of different genders in different types of seizures.ResultsMale patients reported a larger proportion of manic episodes， and a smaller proportion of depressive episodes than female patients （P

AbstractBackground Patient safety strategies highlight patients’ own active involvement in ensuring medication safety. A prerequisite for involving patients in their medication therapy is having tools that can assist them in ensuring safe medicine use. Older home-dwelling adults with multiple medications are at high risk for medication-related problems, yet only a few age-specific patient self-administered medication risk screening tools exist. This study aimed to develop, validate, and assess the feasibility of a self-administered medication risk checklist for home-dwelling older adults ≥65 years.Materials and methods The draft checklist was formed based on a validated practical nurse-administered Drug Related Problem Risk Assessment Tool supplemented with findings from two systematic literature reviews. The content validity of the draft checklist was determined by a three-round Delphi survey with a panel of 19 experts in geriatric care and pharmacotherapy. An agreement of ≥80% was required. A feasibility assessment (i.e. understandability of the items, fill-out time of the checklist) of the content-validated checklist was conducted among older adults ≥65 years (n = 87) visiting community pharmacies (n = 4). Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.Results The final validated and feasibility-tested Medication Risk Checklist (LOTTA) for home-dwelling older adults consists of eight items screening the highest priority systemic risks (three items), potentially drug-induced symptoms (one item), adherence, and self-management problems (four items). The checklist proved feasible for self-administration, the mean fill-out time being 6.1 min.Conclusions A wide range of potential medication risks related to the medication use process can be identified by patient self-assessment. Screening tools such as LOTTA can enhance early detection of potential medication risks and risk communication between older adults and their healthcare providers. A wider and more integrated use of the checklist could be facilitated by making it electronically available as part of the patient information systems.

AbstractObjective To identify key research gaps regarding medication therapy to prevent osteoporotic fractures in men.Data sources Articles from the peer-reviewed literature containing empirical studies of the use of medication therapy for fracture prevention in men, either in clinical trials or observational studies.Study selection and data extraction We searched PubMed with search terms including “osteoporosis AND medication therapy management”. We read all articles to ensure that they were indeed empirical studies of our topic. For each included study, we searched for all articles in the bibliography, all articles that cited the article, and all related articles, using these functions in PubMed.Data synthesis We have identified six research gaps that could inform the more rational, evidence-based treatment of male osteoporosis. Specifically, among men, we lack key information about: (1) whether treatment can prevent clinical fractures, (2) rates of side effects and complications of therapy, (3) the role of testosterone in treatment, (4) the comparative effectiveness of different therapeutic regimens, (5) role of drug holidays for those receiving bisphosphonates and sequential therapies, and (6) effectiveness of therapy for secondary prevention.Relevance to patient care and clinical practice Addressing these six topics should be key goal for the next decade of research on male osteoporosis.

Background Gender and age differences in the clinical manifestations of patients with bipolar disorder can affect the clinical diagnosis and treatment process. The current treatment effect of bipolar disorder in adolescents is not ideal, which has become the main reason for disability during the learning period. Objective To analyze the clinical features and medication therapy status of bipolar disorder in adolescents, and to provide references to support for personalized diagnosis and treatment. Methods On January 16, 2023, 1 169 patients with bipolar disorder who were hospitalized at Beijing Anding Hospital Affiliated Capital Medical University from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2017 were retrospectively enrolled. Medical records were collected and analyzed to compare the clinical features among patients of different gender and age groups, and to explore the differences in medication use among patients of different genders in different types of seizures. Results Male patients reported a larger proportion of manic episodes, and a smaller proportion of depressive episodes than female patients(P<0. 05). Female patients reported a larger proportion of non-suicidal self-harm behaviors than male patients(χ² =7. 761, P<0. 01). And patients in low-age group featured a larger proportion of mixed seizures, impulsive behaviors and family history of bipolar disorders along with a smaller proportion of manic episodes than those in high-age group(P<0. 05 or 0. 01). High-age group had a longer average length of hospital stay than low-age group(t=-2. 930, P<0. 01). In manic episode patients, males were found to have a larger proportion of valproate and atypical antipsychotic drug administration than females(P<0. 01). Among atypical antipsychotic drugs, males accounted for a larger proportion of administration of risperidone and olanzapine(χ² =26. 957) than females(P<0. 05 or 0. 01), while females constituted a larger proportion of administration of quetiapine(χ² =14. 865) and aripiprazole than males(P<0. 01). In depressive episode patients, females had a larger proportion of administration of olanzapine than males(P<0. 01). In patients with mixed seizures, females occupied a larger proportion of administration of lithium carbonate than males(χ2 =9. 253, P<0. 01), and males exhibited a larger proportion of administration of valproate than females(P<0. 05). Conclusion Differences have been shown in diagnostic classification and concomitant symptoms among adolescent bipolar disorder of different genders and ages. Furthermore, medications of lithium carbonate, valproate, atypical antipsychotic and other drugs differ by gender among adolescents of different subtypes of bipolar disorder. ［Funded by Key Special Project of the National Key R&D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology for "Major Chronic Non communicable Disease Prevention and Control Research"(number, 2017YFC1311101). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symptoms and medication use in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) affect the quality of life of patients and caregivers, yet prior research seldom focused on their experiences with medications. This study explored comprehensive living and medication experience from patients with PD and their caregivers. Patients diagnosed with PD for ≥2 years, with or without their caregivers, were recruited from an outpatient clinic in Taiwan. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted based on the Common Sense Model. A qualitative content analysis was used to identify salient themes from verbatim transcripts. In total, 15 patients and eight caregivers were interviewed. Five themes were derived: (1) symptoms and help-seeking behaviours before a diagnosis, (2) emotional impacts and life adaptations after a PD diagnosis, (3) life affected by medications, (4) experiences of caregivers in taking care of PD patients, and (5) communication between doctors and patients. Patients frequently adjusted their daily schedules to live with PD and the medication side effects. Caregivers struggle to overcome caring burdens and to stay positive to support patients. More attention on providing medication information, mental support, and communication between stakeholders is needed to improve the quality of life of patients and caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Symptoms and medication use in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) affect the quality of life of patients and caregivers, yet prior research seldom focused on their experiences with medications. This study explored comprehensive living and medication experience from patients with PD and their caregivers. Methods Patients diagnosed with PD for ≥2 years, with or without their caregivers, were recruited from an outpatient clinic in Taiwan. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted based on the Common Sense Model. A qualitative content analysis was used to identify salient themes from verbatim transcripts. Results In total, 15 patients and eight caregivers were interviewed. Five themes were derived: (1) symptoms and help-seeking behaviours before a diagnosis, (2) emotional impacts and life adaptations after a PD diagnosis, (3) life affected by medications, (4) experiences of caregivers in taking care of PD patients, and (5) communication between doctors and patients. Conclusions Patients frequently adjusted their daily schedules to live with PD and the medication side effects. Caregivers struggle to overcome caring burdens and to stay positive to support patients. More attention on providing medication information, mental support, and communication between stakeholders is needed to improve the quality of life of patients and caregivers.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a substantial risk factor in developing coronary artery disease (CAD), coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions are discovering 10–35% in patients who underwent coronary angiography. This study compares the long-term clinical outcomes of two treatment strategies, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with complete recanalization versus medication therapy (MT) with CTO lesion in DM patients with CTO. This study is a single-center, prospective, all-comer registry designed to reflect "real world" practice since 2004. Of a total of 4909 consecutive patients were diagnosed with significant CAD by coronary angiography (CAG). A total of 372 patients has DM and CTO lesions. Patients were divided into the PCI group (n = 184) and the MT group (n = 179). The primary endpoint, defined as the composite of death or myocardial infarction (MI), was compared between the two groups up to 5 years. In addition, inverse probability weighting (IPTW) analysis, derived from the logistic regression model, was performed to adjust for potential confounders. Compared to the MT group, the PCI group was associated with a significantly reduced incidence of the primary endpoint before [hazard ratio; HR 0.267, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.116–0.614] and after (HR 0.142, 95% CI 0.032–0.629) adjusting confounding factors by IPTW. Complete revascularization by CTO-PCI with MT in DM patients should be the preferred treatment strategy compared with the MT alone strategy since it reduces the composite of death or MI up to 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Norm Balance is an approach under the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) where subjective norm is weighted by the relative importance of others and self-identity is weighted by the relative importance of self. The relative importance was measured previously by a trade-off measure. In this study, we developed separate measures for the relative importance. The study objectives were to: 1) assess the construct validity of the separate measures; 2) examine the approach of Norm Balance in predicting pharmacists' intention to collaborate with physicians to improve medication therapy; and 3) establish a modified TPB., Methods: We selected a random sample of 750 Iowa pharmacists and conducted two surveys. The first survey was to examine intention prediction, and the second survey was to examine behavior prediction by measuring behavior among respondents to the first survey. The relative importance was measured by both the trade-off measure and the separate measures. Exploratory factor analyses were performed for the relative importance of others (separate measures) and subjective norm, and for the relative importance of self (separate measures) and self-identity. Regressions for intention prediction were conducted for TPB with self-identity and the approach of Norm Balance. The same regressions were also conducted for three subgroups according to the median of the relative importance of others (trade-off measure). Moreover, another regression was conducted for behavior prediction., Results: 239 practicing pharmacists responded to the first survey, and 188 responded to the second survey. The separate measures had cross factor loadings, whereas the trade-off measure had low correlations with other constructs. Both regressions for intention prediction explained 75% of the variance, with self-efficacy and attitude being strong predictors. Self-identity was not a predictor in the TPB with self-identify, but self-identity weighted by the relative importance of self was a significant predictor in the approach of Norm Balance. Regression coefficients of subjective norm and self-identify varied across subgroups. The regression for behavior prediction explained 30% of the variance, with intention and self-efficacy being two predictors., Conclusion: The trade-off measure was better than separate measures. The approach of Norm Balance appears to be a better model than the TPB with self-identity to examine pharmacist-physician collaboration., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liu, Farris, Nayakankuppam, Sorofman, Urmie and Doucette.)

Purpose: To outline hospital pharmacy practices across the Gulf Cooperation Councils (GCC) countries’ hospitals. Methods: A modified survey questionnaire was prepared from the original 2019 American Society of Health-System Pharmacist (ASHP) survey questions. Survey details were discussed with some pharmacy directors for clarity and relevance. A list of hospitals were obtained from the Ministry of Health of each of the targeted GCC countries. A secure invitation link containing a survey questionnaire was sent to the participants directly. Results: Sixty four hospitals responded to this survey. The overall response rate was 52%. About 47% of the surveyed hospitals considered their drug formularies as closed, and strict. Additionally, only 44% of hospitals compare the effectiveness of products, when taking formulary decisions for drug inclusion. Forty-four percent of hospitals have computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE / EHR) system functionality for formulary system management. At about 39.1% hospitals, pharmacists have the responsibility for managing medication therapies, majority were engaged in providing anticoagulation therapies. About 61% of hospital pharmacies in GCC countries receive medication orders electronically, through CPOE/EHR. Majority (66%) of the hospitals in GCC countries have an active Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) while only 40% of pharmacists have a key role in providing clinical support. About 57.8% of hospital pharmacy directors reported that pharmacists do not provide ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services in their hospitals. Conclusion: In GCC countries’ hospitals, there are major areas for improvement to patient care of which pharmacists are uniquely qualified as the medication experts to have the most meaningful outcomes in all of the domains of safe medication use, medication therapy management, antimicrobial stewardship program and participation in outpatient clinics.

Background: The prevalence and mortality of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are high in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there is still a lack of recommendations for the medication therapy of these patients in the guideline so far. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all the studies assessing medication therapy for patients with CKD and HFpEF by July 21, 2021. Pooled analysis was performed using a random-effect model and the quality assessment was performed. In our research, we followed to the Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The meta-analysis was registered on PROSPERO. Results: We finally identified six studies, three of which were randomized controlled trials and the others were retrospective cohort studies. The results of meta-analysis including three retrospective cohort studies showed that renin–angiotensin system inhibitors had significantly reduced all-cause mortality by 14% (3 studies, 3816 patients, HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.79–0.95; I2 = 49%; P = 0.003), and all-cause hospitalization by 11% (2 studies, 2350 patients, HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.85–0.94; I2 = 0%; P < 0.00001) in patients with CKD and HFpEF. However, there was no significant reduction in the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (3 studies, 3816 patients, HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.75–1.04; I2 = 75%; P = 0.13). One of the studies focused on the sacubitril–valsartan showed that sacubitril–valsartan was associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.66–0.95). The study focused on the carvedilol did not show a significant reduction in the risk of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death (HR 0.917, 95% CI 0.501–1.678). Conclusions: For patients with CKD and HFpEF, renin–angiotensin system inhibitors is associated with significant benefits in all-cause mortality and all-cause hospitalization but has no significant effect on hospitalization for heart failure. The subgroup analysis of one RCT study focused on ARNI showed that although long-term treatment with sacubitril–valsartan may reduce the risk of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death, more studies are needed to confirm that. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Various psychotropic prescription drugs are known to have potential for misuse. Among teenagers, non‐medical use of prescription drugs may predate illicit drug use or occur concomitantly. Aims: Our aim was to examine prescriptions of psychotropic medications among drug crime offenders and non‐criminal controls in a psychiatric inpatient cohort of 13–17‐year‐olds. Our research question was: were prescribed psychotropic and potentially addictive drugs associated with later drug crime offending. Methods: Our sample was of all 60 adolescents who had been convicted of a drug crime by young adulthood with a twice‐sized control group, matched for gender, age and family‐type, from a cohort of 508 adolescents consecutively admitted to a psychiatric inpatient care in Finland between April 2001 and March 2006. Adolescence‐related information on substance use and psychiatric disorders was obtained by semi‐structured interviews. Follow‐up information on crimes and medication purchases was obtained from Finnish nationwide registers. The association of studied factors to drug crime offending was examined using stepwise binary logistic regression analysis. Results: 75% of drug crime offenders and 47% of non‐criminal controls had used addictive psychotropic medications during the follow‐up period (p < 0.001). 74% of all drug crime offenders' purchases of prescribed addictive drugs occurred within the year preceding drug crimes. Of addictive drugs, the use of clonazepam and gabapentinoids was most likely to associate with drug crime offending (AOR 7.77, p < 0.001). Conduct and substance use disorders diagnosed in adolescence (AOR 3.49, p = 0.010; AOR 2.34, p = 0.050) were predictors for drug crime offending. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, when treating young adults with conduct disorder and a history of substance use, physicians should prescribe addictive medications with caution, favouring instead non‐addictive medications complemented by psychosocial interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronary artery disease is among the first causes of death in Iran. Secondary prevention with drug therapy is recommended following acute myocardial infarction (MI) to reduce the risk of new cardiovascular events and death. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study on data collected from 21 181 cases of MI recorded by the MI Registry of Iran from 2013 to 2014. Ten therapies that were prescribed to patients at the time of discharge were divided into 6 groups. Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Results: The most common MI location was in the anterior wall (31.87%). Anticoagulants, aspirin, clopidogrel were the most common prescribed medications (94.73%). Overall, 28-day (short-term) and 3-year survival rates were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.95-0.96) and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.81-0.82). In non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients, the lowest short- and long-term survival rates were observed when diuretic, anticoagulants/ aspirin and clopidogrel, beta-blockers and statins medication were simultaneously taken and the highest short- and long-term survival rates were observed in patients who took anticoagulants, aspirin and clopidogrel, nitrate agent and calcium blockers, beta-blockers and statins medication. In STEMI patients, the lowest short- and long-term survival rates were observed when diuretic, anticoagulants, aspirin and clopidogrel, nitrate agent and calcium blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) were simultaneously taken. The highest short- and long-term survival rates were observed in patients who received anticoagulants, aspirin and clopidogrel, nitrate agent and calcium blockers, beta-blockers, statins, ACEIs and ARBs. Conclusion: Prescription of the best combination of drugs, in addition to adherence to a healthy lifestyle and medication, can improve the survival rates after MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review considers the clinical and epidemiological significance of hospitalizations for decompensated heart failure, as well as using it as an indicator of therapy effectiveness. The data on the frequency of using medications that reduce the hospitalization risk in randomized clinical trials and in real practice are presented. The reasons for inadequate prescription of drugs for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and their use in insufficient doses, which include therapeutic inertness and physiological limitations, as well as the need to introduce drugs with alternative mechanisms of action into clinical practice, are iscussed.

To outline hospital pharmacy practices across the Gulf Cooperation Councils (GCC) countries' hospitals. A modified survey questionnaire was prepared from the original 2019 American Society of Health-System Pharmacist (ASHP) survey questions. Survey details were discussed with some pharmacy directors for clarity and relevance. A list of hospitals were obtained from the Ministry of Health of each of the targeted GCC countries. A secure invitation link containing a survey questionnaire was sent to the participants directly. Sixty four hospitals responded to this survey. The overall response rate was 52%. About 47% of the surveyed hospitals considered their drug formularies as closed, and strict. Additionally, only 44% of hospitals compare the effectiveness of products, when taking formulary decisions for drug inclusion. Forty-four percent of hospitals have computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE / EHR) system functionality for formulary system management. At about 39.1% hospitals, pharmacists have the responsibility for managing medication therapies, majority were engaged in providing anticoagulation therapies. About 61% of hospital pharmacies in GCC countries receive medication orders electronically, through CPOE/EHR. Majority (66%) of the hospitals in GCC countries have an active Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) while only 40% of pharmacists have a key role in providing clinical support. About 57.8% of hospital pharmacy directors reported that pharmacists do not provide ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services in their hospitals. In GCC countries' hospitals, there are major areas for improvement to patient care of which pharmacists are uniquely qualified as the medication experts to have the most meaningful outcomes in all of the domains of safe medication use, medication therapy management, antimicrobial stewardship program and participation in outpatient clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveThis study sought to determine the correlation between baseline cardiac medications and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosed by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA).Methods1637 patients (mean age 64.8 ± 10.2 years, 69.6% male) with obstructive CAD from the CONFIRM (COronary CT Angiography EvaluatioN For Clinical Outcomes: An InteRnational Multicenter) registry were followed over the course of three years. Obstructive CAD was defined as a ≥50% stenosis in an epicardial vessel. Medications analyzed included statins, aspirin, beta-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Using Cox proportional-hazards models, we calculated the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as death, acute coronary syndrome, or myocardial infarction.ResultsAt the time of CCTA, 59%, 54%, 40%, and 46% of patients were using statins, aspirin, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors or ARBs, respectively. Statins were associated with a 43% (95% CI = 0.38-0.87, p = 0.008) lower adjusted risk of MACE. Following adjustment, aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors and ARBs did not attenuate the risk of MACE. When restricted to patients with multivessel obstructive CAD, only statins were associated with lower risk of MACE.ConclusionIn patients with obstructive CAD by CCTA, the baseline use of statins was associated with improved clinical outcomes. Other cardiac medications-including aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and ARBs-were not associated with reduced risk of MACE.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of hyperarousal are mediated through sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity. PTSD symptoms, including distressing thoughts and memories, flashbacks, hyperarousal, and sleep disturbances, have been linked with elevated norepinephrine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. Clonidine, an alpha2-adrenergic agonist, reduces the release of norepinephrine and has been suggested as a treatment for PTSD. However, literature for use of clonidine in PTSD is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical records of patients with PTSD treated with clonidine to assess reported efficacy and safety. A cohort of veterans with PTSD treated with clonidine at a midwestern VA hospital between July 2015 and January 2018 were studied retrospectively. Medical records of 79 patients with moderate to severe PTSD symptoms were reviewed by three independent clinicians using the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale to quantify symptom severity (CGI-S) before starting clonidine and subjects' change in symptoms (CGI-I) after starting clonidine. Data on adverse events were also collected. Subgroup analyses were conducted on the impact of comorbid diagnoses, concurrent medications, and substance use. Mean CGI-S score at baseline was 4.8 (5 = markedly ill). After treatment with low-dose clonidine, 72% of patients experienced improvement, and 49% scored "much improved" or "very much improved." Adverse effects were reported by 18 out of 79 subjects. In this retrospective analysis of veterans prescribed clonidine for PTSD, CGI-I scores suggested improvement in PTSD symptoms, and minimal side effects were reported. In addition, some comorbid diagnoses and concurrent medications were correlated with variations in outcomes. • Veterans with PTSD prescribed clonidine had significant reductions in severity of PTSD as measured by the CGI scale. • Substance use disorders, comorbid diagnoses, and concurrent medications were associated with variations in clinical outcomes. • Adverse events during low-dose clonidine use were minor and only occurred in a subpopulation of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aims to provide an overview of medication therapy monitoring practices carried out by pharmacists in hospitals across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of hospitals located in the GCC. Questions were adopted from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) national survey. Frequency analyses were used to examine the number and percentages of specific responses to the survey questions. A total of 64 hospitals participated in this survey, reflecting an overall response rate of 52.0%. Almost half of participating hospitals (48.4%) were from Saudi Arabia. Among the 64 participating hospitals, 54.7% monitored their patients daily, 40.6% assigned pharmacists to patient care units for at least eight hours per day, and 42.2% held pharmacists accountable for medication-related outcomes. Moreover, the criteria used to identify patients requiring monitoring, 35.9% relied on the list of high-risk medications, 26.5% relied on specific medical services, 21.9% relied on directions from the hospital committee, and 17.2% relied on lab abnormalities. The most frequently utilized method for monitoring adverse drug events (ADEs) was through notifications from nurses or physicians, observed in 60.9% of participating hospitals. The survey emphasizes the need for hospitals in the GCC to promote increased pharmacist accountability for medication-related outcomes, explore technological solutions to enhance monitoring efficiency and extend the presence of pharmacists in patient care units beyond the current level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a major contributor to nationwide morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs in the United States. Over 92 million adults have at least one form of ASCVD, and annual costs for treatment are anticipated to surpass one trillion dollars within the next 15 years. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the medication therapy of a population of adults in comparison to the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) recommendations for statin therapy for ASCVD risk reduction. Methods: The adult population receiving care from a group of hospital outpatient clinics was examined using a database query. Rates of ASCVD in a multicounty area were compared and provider adherence to current guidelines was assessed. Results: Rural counties showed higher rates of ASCVD. Rates of statin medication prescribing for patients of each ACC/AHA statin benefit group ranged from 66.2% to 74.8%. Conclusions and Implications for Nurse Practitioners: Adherence to guidelines varied among counties and optimal adherence was not achieved. Providers were also more likely to prescribe statin medications to men than women within each group regardless of risk. These findings can assist nurse practitioners and other providers in addressing areas of nonadherence to guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main reason for incomplete myocardial revascularization is the presence of chronic coronary total occlusion (CTO), which is detected in every fourth patient during coronary angiography. At the same time, a generally accepted approach to the treatment of CTO has not yet been developed.Aim. To assess the rationale of complete myocardial revascularization in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) with chronic total occlusion and high surgical risk.Material and methods. This retrospective, open-label, non-randomized clinical trial was carried out included 180 patients multivessel CAD and CTO. The patients underwent endovascular surgery for complete myocardial revascularization. Depending on the success of surgery, the patients were divided into groups of complete and incomplete myocardial revascularization. Endpoints were death, acute coronary syndrome, re-revascularization after 1-year follow-up. Left ventricular (LV) contractility and clinical status of patients in the study groups after 1 year of observation was assessed.Results. The median follow-up was 12,1 months. The successful rate of revascularization was 79,4%. The incidence of main composite endpoint in the group of complete myocardial revascularization was 5,59%, while in the group of incomplete revascularizations — 21,6% (p=0,005).Conclusion. The study showed that low incidence of intraoperative complications and a high successful rate of revascularization are characteristic of complete myocardial revascularization in patients at high surgical risk with multivessel CAD and CTO. Complete myocardial revascularization leads to a significant decrease in the incidence of major coronary events.

The cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) survey II is a joint initiative between the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Failure Association. It compiles real world data about cardiac resynchronisation therapy in European Society of Cardiology member states. 11 088 patients assigned to implantation of CRT with pacemaker function (CRT-P) or CRT with an incorporated defibrillator (CRT-D) were enrolled in the survey starting 1 October 2015 till 31 December 2016 and for each patient, an electronic case report form (eCRF) was completed. Each participating country had each eCRF data-point benchmarked against the total cohort. In total, 79 patients were included from Latvia. The mean age of patients was 68.1, similar to the total cohort of other ESC member states, and 21.8% of patients were female. Latvian patients compared to other countries more often had permanent atrial fibrillation, NYHA class III and IV, ejection fraction 35 %. CRT-Ds and multipolar lead implantation rates were higher. Peri-procedural complication rates were similarly low in both groups. At discharge, prescribed medication rates were similar but more frequently MRAs, ivabradine and calcium channel blockers were prescribed and slightly less frequently ACE inhibitors/ARBs were prescribed. The CRT survey II is a valuable resource that describes ongoing practice of cardiac resynchronisation therapy around Europe and benchmarking against the total cohort is nationally significant for each participating country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread globally since it outbroke in December 2019. The urgent pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge to develop and identify effective medication therapy strategies to combat the COVID-19. Here, we summarized and evaluated the current treatment drugs and regimens, and put forward the treatment recommendations, including using the potential repurposed or experimental drugs against COVID-19, e.g. chloroquine (CQ), hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), remdesivir (RDV), and favipiravir (FPV). We also analyzed the specific drugs and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 ongoing development and formulated the comprehensive treatment regimens based on condition of patients, diseases and drugs as well as concomitant medications. No drugs and vaccines have been proven to be particularly effective against SARS-CoV-2 up to now. The recommended comprehensive medication therapy strategies have already displayed favorable effect in the fight against COVID-19. Research should be focused on the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs and vaccines based on high-quality clinical trial evidence, treatment guidelines and expert consensus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourette syndrome (TS) is often comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and depression. Medications are the main treatment for TS. Relationships between TS medication therapy and psychiatric comorbidities remain unclear. This study explored the impacts of TS medication on the risk of psychiatric comorbidities using a nationally representative sample of TS in Taiwan. Data from National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan was used to identify 997,213 children and adolescents aged 6–18 years who had received a diagnosis of TS based on ICD-9-CM codes in 2000–2010. Cox's proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to estimate the risk of comorbidities among subjects with and without tic medication therapy. We found that in TS patients, a lower risk of psychiatric comorbidities occurred in the tic medication therapy group (p = 0.012) and the crude hazard ratio (HR) was 0.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.4–0.8, p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders of gender, age, income, level of care, department visited, brain injury, and the number of suicide attempts, the risk of comorbidities was still significantly lower in the tic medication therapy group (adjusted HR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3–0.6, p < 0.001). One limitation was that we did not include all mediations used to treat psychiatric comorbidities among TS patients. This study found the effectiveness of TS medications on improving psychiatric comorbidities. Compared to those without medication, medication therapy appears to have a benefit of decreasing the risk of psychiatric comorbidities. Strategies to improve medication regimens should be considered in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: 1) To examine the effectiveness of interventions to support shared decision making (SDM) for medication therapy in long term conditions on patient outcomes; 2) to identify characteristics of SDM interventions that are associated with positive patient outcomes.Methods: A systematic search for randomized controlled trials up to February 2019. A best evidence synthesis was performed. Intervention characteristics that are likely to be associated with positive patient outcomes were identified using descriptive statistics.Results: Twenty-five articles reporting 23 studies were included. Seventeen patient outcomes were assessed using a variety of measurement instruments. There was evidence for a positive effect of SDM interventions on risk estimation and involvement in decision making. Evidence for no effect was found on four outcomes (e.g. medication adherence) and conflicting evidence on ten outcomes (e.g. decisional conflict). Electronically delivered SDM interventions and those comprising value clarification exercises were likely to be associated with positive patient outcomes.Conclusion: There is a lack of evidence for a positive effect of SDM interventions on the majority of patient outcomes. The mode and content of SDM interventions seem to affect patient outcomes.Practice Implications: There is a need for standardization of patient outcomes and measurement instruments to evaluate SDM interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To verify the efficacy of low level laser application, GaAIAs, in oral manifestations of Necrotizing Ulcerative Periodontitis (NUP) in HIV seropositive patients. The initial aim was to reduce the use of systemic analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications. Materials and Methods: Fourteen HIV-positive patients with NUP were divided into two groups as follows: Group A, control: no laser but conventional periodontal treatment. Group B, laser: conventional periodontal treatment with reduced systemic medications plus therapeutic laser application. Results: The patients from group B exhibited better results in terms of pain control and tissue recovery when compared with patients from group A. Conclusion: Laser application resulted in better pain relief and tissue healing, and it is recommended that it be included in the clinical treatment of NUP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Heart Team (HT) comprises integrated interdisciplinary decision making. Current guidelines assign a Class Ic recommendation for an HT approach to complex coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there remains a paucity of data in regard to hard clinical end points. The aim was to determine characteristics and outcomes in patients with complex CAD following HT discussion. Methods and Results This observational study was conducted at St Thomas’ Hospital (London, UK). Case mixture included unprotected left main, 2‐vessel (including proximal left anterior descending artery) CAD, 3‐vessel CAD, or anatomical and/or clinical equipoise. HT strategy was defined as optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone, OMT+percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or OMT+coronary artery bypass grafting. From April 2012 to 2013, 51 HT meetings were held and 398 cases were discussed. Patients tended to have multivessel CAD (74.1%), high SYNTAX (Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) scores (median, 30; interquartile range, 23–39), and average age 69±11 years. Multinomial logistic regression analysis performed to determine variables associated with HT strategy demonstrated decreased likelihood of undergoing PCI compared with OMT in older patients with chronic kidney disease and peripheral vascular disease. The odds of undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting compared with OMT decreased in the presence of cardiogenic shock and left ventricular dysfunction and increased in younger patients with 3‐vessel CAD. Three‐year survival was 60.8% (84 of 137) in the OMT cohort, 84.3% (107 of 127) in the OMT+PCI cohort, and 90.2% in the OMT+coronary artery bypass grafting cohort (92 of 102). Conclusions In our experience, the HT approach involved a careful selection process resulting in appropriate patient‐specific decision making and good long‐term outcomes in patients with complex CAD.

Background: Traditional treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), including medication and therapy, often fail and have undesirable side effects. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses electrical currents to induce brief seizures in the brain, resulting in rapid and potent antidepressant effects. However, owing to misconceptions and controversies, ECT is not as widely used as it could and often faces stigmatization., Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ECT compared to those of medication and/or therapy in patients with severe MDD., Methods: This prospective cohort study included 220 individuals with severe MDD who were divided into the ECT and non-ECT groups. The patients in the ECT group underwent bilateral ECT three times a wk until they either achieved remission or reached a maximum of 12 sessions. The non-ECT group received medication and/or therapy according to clinical guidelines for MDD. The primary outcome was the variation in the hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) score from treatment/ECT initiation to week 12. In addition, patients' quality of life, cognitive abilities, and biomarkers were measured throughout the study., Results: Although both groups showed significant improvements in their HDRS scores over time, the improvement was more pronounced in the ECT group than in the non-ECT group. Additionally, the ECT group exhibited a more substantial improvement in the quality of life and cognitive function than those of the non-ECT group. Compared with the non-ECT group, the ECT group exhibited evi-dently lower variations in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. The side effects were generally mild and comparable between the two groups. ECT is safer and more potent than medication and/or therapy in mitigating depressive symptoms, enhancing well-being, and bolstering cognitive capabilities in individuals with severe MDD. ECT may also affect the levels of BDNF and IL-6, which are indicators of neuroplasticity and inflammation, respectively., Conclusion: ECT has emerged as a potentially advantageous therapeutic approach for patients with MDD who are unresponsive to alternative treatments., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors of this manuscript having no conflicts of interest to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim. To evaluate long term results of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in stable ischemic heart disease patients (IHD) under real clinical circumstances.Material and methods. The PCI group consisted of 150 patients with stable IHD after PCI, randomly selected from the Registry of Coronary Angiography. Comparison group consisted of randomly selected from the Registry 150 patients with stable IHD receiving only drug therapy (DT).Results. In long term perion it was found that total mortality (4,0% vs. 11,3%, p=0,017) and cardiovascular mortality (3,3% vs. 10,7%, p=0,013) were lower in PCI group. After PCI there was rarer coronary bypass operation need (2,0% vs. 10,0%, p=0,004). By the prevalence of myocardial infarction in compared groups there were no statistically significant differences (6,7% vs. 5,3%, p=0,627). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that positive effect of PCI was fulfilled in 15 months and progressively increased until the end of follow-up. In stepped regression of Cox proportional risks it was revealed that in long term period PCI performing associated with the increase of survival rate 2,8 times (RR=2,81, 95% CI 1,03-7,69, p=0,044). Long term survival showed independent relation with the grade of coronary lesion. In PCI group, as in DT group, there were no positive dynamics of angina functional classes. In MT group during the follow-up functional class of heart failure became harder than in PCI group, and in PCI groupthere were no significant dynamics of heart failure functional class.Conclusion. Real clinical practice proved the effectiveness of PCI with DT in treatment of stable IHD. In long term results evaluation, PCI for stable IHD associated with the increase of survival 2,8 times comparing with the group with only DT. Positive PCI effect realized after 15 months and progressively increased to the end of follow-up.

Background Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program assesses financial penalties to hospitals based on risk‐standardized readmission rates after specific episodes of care, including acute myocardial infarction. Detailed information about the type of patients included in the penalty is unknown. Methods and Results Starting with administrative data from Medicare, we conducted physician‐adjudicated chart reviews of all patients considered 30‐day readmissions after acute myocardial infarction from July 2012 to June 2015. Of 197 readmissions, 68 (34.5%) received percutaneous coronary intervention and 18 (9.1%) underwent coronary artery bypass grafting on index hospitalization. The remaining 111 patients did not receive any intervention. Of the 197 patients, 56 patients (28.4%) were considered too high risk for invasive management, 23 (11.7%) had nonobstructive coronary artery disease on diagnostic catheterization and therefore no indication for revascularization, 19 patients had a type II myocardial infarction (9.6%) for which noninvasive, outpatient workup was recommended, and 13 (6.6%) declined further care. The most common readmission diagnoses were cardiac causes and noncardiac chest discomfort, infection, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that more than a quarter of the patients included in the penalty do not receive revascularization either because of provider assessment of risk or patient preference, and nearly one tenth have type II myocardial infarction. As such, administrative codes for prohibitive procedural risk, patient‐initiated “do not resuscitate” status, or type II myocardial infarction may improve the risk‐adjustment of the metric. Furthermore, provider organizations seeking to reduce readmission rates should focus resources on the needs of these patients, such as care coordination, hospice services when requested by patients, and treatment of noncardiac conditions.

Background: People from ethnic minorities are often exposed to unsafe care contributing to poorer health care outcomes. Medication safety is a high-risk area requiring intervention to improve care outcomes. Using an adapted, experience-based co-design process with cancer service staff and patients from ethnic minorities, a medication communication tool was created: Making it Meaningful (MiM)., Objective: We aim to test whether the MiM tool is feasible and acceptable for use with ethnic minority consumers in cancer services in Australia., Methods: A single site, controlled before and after this pilot study, will be used. Patients from Mandarin- and Russian-speaking backgrounds are eligible for inclusion. In total, 40 patients from these cultural backgrounds will be recruited and stratified by language to the intervention and control groups, with 20 participants in the intervention and 20 in the control group. Further, 4 health practitioners will be recruited and trained to use the MiM. Clinicians providing care for patients in the intervention will use the MiM during their usual appointment while providing medication communication using standard care processes for the control group. Telephone surveys will be conducted with participants at 3 time points, T1 before the intervention, T2 1 week post intervention, and T3 1 month post intervention, to assess knowledge and self-efficacy in medication management, perceived usability, and acceptability of the MiM. Qualitative interviews with clinicians who have used the MiM will be conducted 1 month postintervention to explore their perceptions of MiM feasibility and acceptability., Results: Ethical approval for this research has been provided by the South Eastern Sydney Area Health Human Research Ethics Committee (HRECXXX). Bilingual field-workers, 1 Mandarin-speaking and 1 Russian-speaking, are contacting eligible patients to enroll. It is anticipated that recruitment will be completed by October 2023, with data collection completed by December 2023., Conclusions: Using experience-based co-design, we identified communication about medication, particularly between appointments, as a key issue impacting the safety of care for patients from ethnic minorities accessing cancer services. Increasing consumer engagement in medication management was identified as a strategy to reduce medication safety problems in cancer care; the MiM strategy was developed to address this issue. It is anticipated that by using the MiM, patient knowledge about prescribed medications and confidence in medication management will increase. Evidence from the pilot study will be used to inform a full-scale trial of the MiM tool with a range of ethnic minority communities accessing cancer services. A full-scale trial will seek to determine whether the MiM intervention is effective in knowledge and confidence about medication management, but also whether this improves patient outcomes in cancer care., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials ACTRN12622001260718p; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384658&isReview=true., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/49902., (©Bronwyn Newman, Melvin Chin, Louisa Robinson, Ashfaq Chauhan, Elizabeth Manias, Carlene Wilson, Reema Harrison. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 18.09.2023.)

In the review the most prominent foreign registries of stroke are explored, those concern the evaluation of the treatment, and several Russian registries. The importance of treatment evaluation is discussed, and better and worse sides of the evaluating systems are estimated as their possibility to be used it Russia.

Introduction: Medication therapy for type 2 diabetes has become increasingly complex, and there are few reliable data on the current state of clinical practice. We report treatment pathways and associated costs of medication therapy for people with type 2 diabetes in the UK, their variability and changes over time. Methods: Prescription and biomarker data for 7159 people with type 2 diabetes were extracted from the GoDARTS cohort study, covering the period 1989-2013. Average follow-up was 10 years. Individuals were prescribed on average 2.4 (SD: 1.2) drugs with average annual costs of £241. We calculated summary statistics for first- and second-line therapies. Linear regression models were used to estimate associations between therapy characteristics and baseline patient characteristics. Results: Average time from diagnosis to first prescription was 3 years (SD: 4.0 years). Almost all first-line therapy (98%) was monotherapy, with average annual cost of £83 (SD: £204) for 3.8 (SD: 3.5) years. Second-line therapy was initiated in 73% of all individuals, at an average annual cost of £219 (SD: £305). Therapies involving insulin were markedly more expensive than other common therapies. Baseline HbA1c was unrelated to future therapy costs, but higher average HbA1c levels over time were associated with higher costs. Conclusions: Medication therapy has undergone substantial changes during the period covered in this study. For example, therapy is initiated earlier and is less expensive than in the past. The data provided in this study will prove useful for future modelling studies, e.g. of stratified treatment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adverse drug events and medication nonadherence are two problems associated with prescription medication use for chronic conditions. These issues often develop because patients have difficulty managing their medications at home. To guide patients and providers for achieving safe and effective medication use at home, the Systems Approach to Home Medication Management (SAHMM) model was derived from a systems engineering model for health care workplace safety.Objective: To explore how well concepts from the SAHMM model can represent home medication management by using patient descriptions of how they take prescription medications at home.Methods: Twelve patients were interviewed about home medication management using an interview guide based on the factors of the SAHMM model. Each interview was audio-taped and then transcribed verbatim. Interviews were coded to identify themes for home medication management using MAXQDA for Windows.Results: SAHMM concepts extracted from the coded interview transcripts included work system components of person, tasks, tools & technology, internal environment, external environment, and household. Concepts also addressed work processes and work outcomes for home medication management.Conclusions: Using the SAHMM model for studying patients' home medication management is a promising approach to improving our understanding of the factors that influence patient adherence to medication and the development of adverse drug events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundStigma against the obese is well described in health care and may contribute to disparities in medical decision‐making. It is unknown whether similar disparity exists for obese patients in cardiovascular care. We evaluated the association between body mass index (BMI) and prescription of guideline‐recommended medications in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods and ResultsUsing data from the Veterans Affairs Clinical Assessment, Reporting, and Tracking System Program, we identified patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention from 2007 to 2012, stratifying them by category of BMI. We described rates of prescription for class I guideline recommended medications for each BMI category (normal, overweight, and obese). Multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between BMI category and medication prescription. Seventeen thousand thirty‐seven patients were identified, with 35.3% having overweight BMI, and 50.8% obese BMI. Obese patients were more likely than normal BMI patients to be prescribed β‐blockers (OR 1.34), statins (OR 1.39), or ACE/ARB (odds ratio [OR] 1.52; all significant) when indicated. Overweight patients were more likely than normal BMI patients to be prescribed statins (OR 1.29) and angiotensin‐converting enzymes/angiotensin II receptor blockers (OR 1.41) when indicated. There was no association between BMI category and prescription of anticoagulants. ConclusionsOver 85% of patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention in the Veterans Affairs are overweight or obese. Rates of guideline‐indicated medication prescription were

Background: As the population of older adults continues to increase, there will be an increase in the number of older patients requiring pain and symptom management in the setting of advanced, serious illness. Objectives: To review age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and to put these changes in the context of providing palliative care to geriatric patients. Method: Review of literature relevant to age-related changes in physiology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics; and the practice of palliative care for geriatric patients. Results: Multiple age related changes occur which affect the choice and dosing of medications, including those used for pain and symptom management. Conclusion: The safe and effective management of symptoms in advanced illness for older adults depends on having a clear understanding of physical and metabolic changes and their impact of selection of drug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Limited data exist regarding clinical outcomes of multiple chronic total occlusions (CTOs) according to therapeutic strategies, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and medical treatment (MT). Methods From March 2003 to February 2012, a total of 2024 patients with at least one CTO were enrolled in retrospective, single-center registry. 393 patients with at least two CTOs were categorized based on the intention-to-treat principle. Propensity-score matching was performed. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE). Results Of 393 patients with multiple CTOs, 169 patients (43%) were referred for CABG, 130 (33%) for PCI, and 94 (24%) for MT. Median overall follow-up duration was 46.5 (interquartile range 22.7 to 74.6) months. After propensity-score matching analysis, CABG had lower rates of MACCE when compared with PCI (HR = 0.43, 0.21–0.85, P = 0.01) and MT (HR = 0.10, 0.04–0.27, P < 0.01). Rates of repeat revascularization was significantly lower in CABG, compared with PCI (HR = 0.05, 0.01–0.40, P < 0.01) and MT (HR = 0.01, 0.00–0.54, P = 0.02). CABG had similar rates of cardiac death compared with PCI group (HR = 0.97, 0.37–2.53, P = 0.95), but had significantly lower rates of cardiac death compared with MT (HR = 0.24, 0.08–0.75, P = 0.01). Conclusions For management of multiple CTOs, MT alone was associated with higher incidence of cardiac death and MACCE compared with CABG. PCI was associated with higher incidence of MACCE, as driven by higher repeat revascularization rate. These findings suggest that CABG might be associated with better clinical outcome and considered as the preferred treatment strategy in patients with multiple CTOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: When comorbid patients with diabetes have 30-days Unplanned Readmission (URA), they attract more burdens to the healthcare system due to increased cost of treatment, insurance penalties to hospitals, and unavailable bed spaces for new patients. This paper, therefore, aims to develop a risk stratification and a predictive model for identifying patients at various risk severities of 30-days URA.Methods: Patients records of comorbid patients with diabetes treated with different medications were collected from different hospitals and analysed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multivariate Logistic Regression (MLR) to determine the probability of 30-days URA, which is classified into very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. The risk classes are later modelled using ANOVA feature selection to identify the optimal predictors and the best random forest (RF) hyperparameters for 30-days URA risk stratification. Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) was used to balance the risk classes while employing a10-fold cross-validation.Results: After analysing 17,933 episodes of comorbid diabetes patients' treatment, 10.71% are identified to have 30-days URA with 61.95% of patients at moderate risk, 35.5% at low risk, 2.25% at very low risk, 0.37% at high risk, and 0.08% at very high risk. The predictive accuracy of RF is: - recall: 0.947 ± 0.035, precision: 0.951 ± 0.033, F1-score: 0.947 ± 0.035, AUC: 0.994 ± 0.007 and Average Precision (AP) of 0.99. The predictive accuracies of the risk classes measured with F1-score are: - very low: 0.985 ± 0.019, low risk: 0.871 ± 0.079, moderate: 0.881 ± 0.093, high: 0.999 ± 0.003, and very high: 1.000 ± 0.00.Conclusion: This study identified the risk severity of comorbid patients with diabetes treated with different medications, making it easier to identify those that will be prioritized on hospitalization to minimize 30-days URA. By relying on the technique developed, vulnerable patients to 30-days URA can be given better post-discharge monitoring to build critical self-management skills that will minimize the cost of diabetes care and improve the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including coronary artery disease treatment, myocardial infarction and medical therapy in lesions.

Objectives Despite being a common admitting diagnosis, there is very little published literature on medication management in hospice patients admitted with a diagnosis of failure to thrive or debility. The purpose of this study was to describe medication prescribing practices in hospice patients with either of these primary diagnoses by characterizing prescribed medications by name and by pharmaceutical class, and determining whether the patient or the hospice organization provided each medication. Methods A retrospective review of a patient information database compiled by a national hospice organization was conducted. Patients were included in this retrospective study if they were admitted to hospice care with a primary diagnosis of failure to thrive or debility, and if they were admitted on or after 1 January 2010, and discharged by death on or before 31 December 2010. Results Overall 293 patients and 6181 medication entries were evaluated. The most commonly prescribed drugs were acetaminophen, lorazepam, morphine, atropine, prochlorperazine, haloperidol, docusate, aspirin, and bisacodyl. The most commonly prescribed pharmacological classes were opioid and non-opioid analgesics, anxiolytics, anticholinergics, antihypertensives, laxatives, antidepressants, and supplements. The hospice organization provided over 90% of prescriptions for analgesics, antipsychotics, anticholinergics, and anxiolytics, and these medications were discontinued before death in less than 5% of patients. Conclusion Recognized clinical components of failure to thrive syndrome include cognitive impairment, malnutrition, and depression. The hospice organization provided 80% of antidepressants, but infrequently provided appetite stimulants and drugs treating dementia. The most commonly provided drugs were those used for symptoms associated with most end-stage diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]