Knowledge Of Pharmacotherapy Research Articles

Determinants of self-care among Jordanian children with type 1 diabetes mellitus

BackgroundDiabetes Self-Care Management (DSCM) is crucial for managing diabetes mellitus and improving patients’ well-being. Research on the young age group in Jordan is limited, and there is a lack of studies using an evaluation tool for understanding diabetes pharmacotherapy. This study intends to fill the information gap by examining young Jordanian patients’ knowledge and comprehension of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and its treatment modalities, evaluating their psychological well-being, and examining the relationship between children’s psychological health and self-care.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in the Jordanian Ministry of Health hospitals in Amman from June 2021 to January 2022. A convenience sampling method was used to select Arabic-speaking diabetic patients aged 11-a8 years who provided signed consent. A sample size of 400 was estimated. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on a literature review to assess sociodemographic characteristics and diabetes and insulin knowledge, and validated scales were used to assess self-management (SMOD-A) and psychological well-being (ChilD-S).ResultsAnalysis of the questionnaire responses revealed varying levels of knowledge among the participants. Approximately half of the children (49.0%) demonstrated a lack of knowledge of diabetes pharmacotherapy. Psychological well-being indicators indicated moderate levels of happiness and feeling fine. The analysis of self-management indicators highlighted areas for improvement. Positive weak but significant correlations were found between children’s knowledge about diabetes (r = 0.255, p < 0.01), diabetes pharmacotherapy knowledge (r = 0.125, p < 0.05), psychological well-being (r = 0.112, p < 0.05), and their diabetic self-management scores. A multivariate regression analysis identified predictors of self-management, including the child’s school year (p = 0.035), ability to express feelings (p = 0.039), recent HbA1c levels (p = 0.028), and diabetes knowledge score (p < 0.001).ConclusionParticipants exhibited varying levels of knowledge about diabetes pharmacotherapy and self-management. Knowledge about diabetes was identified as a predictor for effective self-management. Moreover, glycemic control and diabetes mellitus awareness majorly impact overall self-management behaviors. Tailored education programs are necessary to fill knowledge gaps and enhance diabetes management among children.

Evaluation of clinicians' knowledge and practice regarding pharmacotherapy of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: A multi-center study in Yemen.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a hematological malignancy that requires effective pharmacotherapy for optimal management. There is limited information regarding Yemeni clinicians' knowledge and practice of NHL pharmacotherapy. This study aims to assess the knowledge and practice of physicians and nurses in Yemen regarding pharmacotherapy of NHL. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Sana'a, Yemen, from January 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023. Two self-administrated and validated questionnaires were distributed to 99 physicians and 164 nurses involved in pharmacotherapy for NHL in different oncology centers and units across Yemen. Convenience samples were used to recruit participants. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with nurses' and physicians' knowledge and practice. The correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between knowledge and practice. A total of 77 physicians and 105 nurses completed the questionnaires. The results showed that 54.3% of nurses and 66.2% of physicians had poor knowledge of NHL pharmacotherapy. In terms of practice, 83.8% of nurses and 75.3% of physicians exhibited poor practice regarding NHL pharmacotherapy. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified that nurses who received sufficient information about chemotherapy displayed a significant association with good knowledge, while nurses working in the chemotherapy administration department were significant predictors of good practice. Among physicians, those working in the National Oncology Center (NOC) in Sana'a demonstrated good practice. Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between nurses' knowledge and their practice. The study's results confirm deficiencies in knowledge and practice of pharmacotherapy for NHL among physicians and nurses in Yemen. Efforts should be made to enhance their understanding of treatment guidelines and to improve patient care. Improvement in educational programs and training opportunities may contribute to improving patient outcomes in the management of NHL.

Assessment of education in a community hospital on healthcare providers' knowledge of and attitudes toward medical marijuana

IntroductionAlthough medical marijuana usage continues to become more socially acceptable and is increasingly regarded as a legitimate treatment alternative for certain medical conditions such as cancer and epilepsy, stigma remains. MethodsThis study examined whether offering an educational session addressing several key aspects of medical marijuana (e.g., pharmacology, legality) to healthcare providers in a community hospital setting improved knowledge about and/or altered attitudes toward marijuana use. This information was collected through administration of pre- and post-education session surveys. Multiple choice questions were utilized to assess knowledge of marijuana pharmacotherapy, pharmacodynamic interactions, and regulations, whereas descriptive analyses via Likert-scale questions determined attitudes toward medical marijuana. A secondary outcome entailed analysis of drug interactions with marijuana users via retrospective chart review. ResultsA total of 43 healthcare providers participated in the study. There were statistically significant increases in healthcare provider knowledge post-education session across multiple occupations (physician, P < .01; nurse, P < .001; pharmacist, P < .01; and nurse technician, P < .05). A total of 72 patients (83%) who self-reported marijuana use for medical or recreational purposes had a potential drug-drug interaction with marijuana. ConclusionsAs both medical and recreational marijuana continue to become legalized across the United States, formal education surrounding marijuana use and laws becomes increasingly important for healthcare providers and can be highly effective in preventing misinformation.

An interprofessional approach to collaborative management of low-back pain in primary care: A scholarly analysis of a successful educational module for prelicensure learners.

In 2008, an interprofessional education (IPE) working group was formed to develop a module on interdisciplinary low-back pain management to fill a curricular gap at our institution. This article describes the program evaluation outcomes and highlights factors contributing to its successful implementation over 8 years through reference to Brigg's Presage-Process-Product (3-P) Model of Teaching and Learning. Program evaluation occurred through administration of a pre- and postmodule Health Professional Collaborative Competency Perception Scale, with scores compared using paired t tests. Descriptive statistics were analyzed from 5-point Likert scales for module session components. A total of 853 students from 9 health care occupations (medicine, chiropractic, physiotherapy, pharmacy, nursing, nurse practitioner, occupational therapy, physiotherapy assistants, and occupational therapist assistants) participated in 51 iterations of the module from 2011 to 2019, averaging 16 participants each session. All Health Professional Collaborative Competency Perception Scale items significantly improved from pre- to postintervention (p < .001) for learners from 6 health professions. Module components were rated highly, with the majority of learners rating these as 4 (helpful) or 5 (very helpful) for their learning. Participants also improved their scores in perceived history and physical exam comfort, knowledge of pharmacotherapy, management options, and attitudes regarding an interprofessional approach to back pain (p < .001). This article describes the presage, process factors, and products of this model IPE program that provides learners from various health care professions with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary management of low-back pain, as demonstrated through improvement in collaborative competencies.

Self-perceived learning outcomes of virtual and in-person academic detailing among general practitioners in Norway.

Self-perceived learning outcomes of virtual academic detailing (AD) are poorly studied. We compared self-perceived learning outcomes of virtual and in-person AD among general practitioners (GPs). GPs from the Western region of Norway received a questionnaire before and after AD concerning rational pharmacotherapy of migraine in the autumn 2022. Five statements addressing specific knowledge and two statements addressing general knowledge and skills in pharmacotherapy of migraine were rated in both questionnaires. A 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1: Strongly disagree to 7: Strongly agree was applied to all the statements. Histograms that showed the difference in the mean composite scores before and after AD were used to compare learning outcomes of virtual and in-person AD. Positive self-perceived learning outcomes were observed among 80%-88% of the GPs. No significant differences between virtual and in-person AD were observed.

“Prescribing for the whole person”: A qualitative study exploring prescribing pharmacist views on type 2 diabetes management in New Zealand

BackgroundPharmacist prescribers have comprehensive pharmacotherapy knowledge that can be useful for management of complex health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, yet the number of pharmacist prescribers working in New Zealand primary care is low.AimTo explore the experiences of pharmacist prescribers in supporting type 2 diabetes management in New Zealand primary care.MethodsQualitative research design using semi-structured interviews with six pharmacist prescribers working in NZ primary care. Thematic analysis guided this study and themes were finalised with the wider research team.ResultsThree major themes were identified: team approach, health inequity and the role of a pharmacist prescriber. This study found that pharmacist prescribers may improve health equity by providing advanced pharmacotherapy knowledge within a wider primary care team to support complex patient needs and understanding the wider social determinants of health that impact effective diabetes management. Participants reportedly had more time to spend with patients (than GPs or nurses) and could also contribute to improving health outcomes by directly educating and empowering patients.ConclusionThe views of pharmacist prescribers have seldom been explored and this study suggests that their role may be under-utilised in primary care. In particular, pharmacist prescribers can provide specialist prescribing (and often mobile) care, and may contribute to improving health outcomes and reducing inequity when used as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

Expanding pharmacotherapy knowledge in elective hepatopancreatobiliary surgeries at a single ERAS® Center of Excellence

Expanding pharmacotherapy knowledge in elective hepatopancreatobiliary surgeries at a single ERAS® Center of Excellence

Investigating effective methods of clinical pharmacy training on oncology for community pharmacists: An observational study.

Kitasato University Hospital offers a training course for community pharmacists that focus on advanced pharmacy management care in outpatient cancer chemotherapy. The objective of this training program is to facilitate the transition from general to oncology certification for community pharmacists with limited experience in outpatient oncology to support the acquisition of an oncology specialty. To evaluate the relationship between the changes in awareness, knowledge, and self-assessment that advanced pharmacy management care traineeship in an outpatient oncology unit for community pharmacists brings to trainees and the duration of training. A quantitative text analysis was conducted of the daily training reports of six community pharmacists who had participated previously in the training course and had received in-service training in oncology for at least 30 days. The pre- and post-training results of the knowledge tests and self-assessments of confidence, understanding, and performance were compared. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Kitasato Institute Hospital in October 2019 (Study No. 19044). The terms Prescription, Recommendation were extracted from the daily report after the 21st day of oncology in-service training. Furthermore, factors such as knowledge of cancer pharmacotherapy, confidence in patient education regarding the side effects of chemotherapy, and understanding of the work of pharmacists in outpatient cancer chemotherapy significantly increased at the end of the training. Community pharmacists with limited experience in outpatient oncology could improve their knowledge, understanding, and awareness of outpatient oncology patient care through 30 days of in-service oncology training in a hospital setting. The issues that emerged included training pharmacists to send follow-up documents on the patients' side effects and medication status as well as developing the literature search environment in community pharmacies.

Student Perception of Knowledge and Skills in Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy in a Bachelor’s Medical Curriculum

Background: Pharmacology and pharmacotherapy (P&amp;PT) is a foundational subject within the medical curriculum, preparing students for safe prescribing. The characteristics of students entering medical school change with time, and novel insights on teaching and learning also become available. A periodic review of the curriculum is required to investigate whether the current P&amp;PT teaching optimally supports learning. Methods: To investigate this, the students’ perceptions of their knowledge and competence in various P&amp;PT topics were studied. A total of 152 third-year bachelor’s students were invited to answer a 40-point online questionnaire. Results: The response rate for completing the questionnaire was 32% (N = 49). Students valued P&amp;PT teaching, did not skip P&amp;PT topics and desired more P&amp;PT classes. Interestingly, students were hesitant to use recommended literature and textbooks to prepare themselves for classes. Concerning perceptions of knowledge and competence, students rated lower confidence in prescription writing skills and knowledge of drugs acting on the central nervous system. Conclusions: Although there are many positive elements within the current curriculum, the incorporation of teaching methodologies to ensure active student engagement is warranted. These modifications are essential to properly training the current generation of medical students for their role as future prescribers. A relatively low response rate and overestimation of one’s competencies remain potential biases in the study.

Stop, collaborate, and listen: Encouraging interprofessional education through critical care simulations for pharmacy students

AbstractThe ability to work effectively on an interprofessional team is a key skill for pharmacy students, especially in the critical care setting. Successful interprofessional teamwork between pharmacists and the health care team has been shown to improve patient outcomes. Subsequently, early exposure to interprofessionalism in the critical care setting may benefit student pharmacist confidence and performance prior to advanced hospital rotations. Simulation training offers an ideal, low‐risk educational methodology for student pharmacists to practice key skills. To describe changes in student pharmacist confidence in pharmacotherapy interventions and interprofessional skills using team‐based critical care simulations. Teams of two student pharmacists and six student physicians executed two simulated cases of myocardial infarction and emergent hypertension under the auspices of a physician resident or senior student physician. After diagnosis by the student physicians, student pharmacists consulted on treatment decisions including drug selection, dose, and frequency. Confidence in clinical skills and interprofessionalism were assessed via an unvalidated, pre‐ and post‐simulation survey unique to each profession. Questions were a combination of free responses and a five‐point Likert scale. A total of 105 students participated in the simulations with 26 student pharmacists and 79 student physicians. After the simulations, student pharmacist confidence in their pharmacotherapy knowledge of emergent hypertension and myocardial infarctions (p &lt; 0.02) improved; however, their confidence in effectively communicating with their physician counterparts did not increase significantly (p = 0.06). Student physician confidence in the pharmacist's role during codes increased (p &lt; 0.001), which coincided with student pharmacists' feeling respected and included by the physician team. Interprofessional simulations can supplement critical care exposure and pharmacotherapy education for student pharmacists and student physicians. The simulation design discussed in this report can provide pharmacy educators with a model for implementing team‐based critical care scenarios within pharmacotherapy or foundational professional skills curricula.

A comparison of the clinical pharmacotherapy knowledge of medical and surgical residents and consultants

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

Pharmacist-led clinical medication review service in primary care: the perspective of general practitioners

BackgroundAn advanced level medication review service (CMR) is systematically reimbursed and available nationwide in Slovenian primary care since 2016. CMR is performed by clinical pharmacists (CP). Close collaboration with general practitioner (GP) is required as they perform patient selection and make clinical decisions regarding patient’s medication.MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted in 2018 aiming to evaluate the perspective of GPs on the implementation of pharmacist-led medication review service in Community Health Care Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia. GPs of the patients, who provided written informed consent were invited for the interviews. The semi-structured interview consisted of 5 open ended questions addressing reasons for referral of the patients, implementation of CP recommendations and the GPs’ perspective of the service in general. Interviews were audio recorded with GPs written consent, transcribed verbatim and inductive content analysis was performed in NVivo11 Pro.ResultsIn total 38 interviews with 24 GPs were performed. The emerged themes were nested under 3 main domains representing Donabedian model of quality healthcare – structure, process, outcomes. The service structure is built on broad pharmacotherapy knowledge as the main CP competency, good accessibility, and complementarity of healthcare professions. Patients are mainly referred to the CMR due to polypharmacotherapy, however in majority there is a more in-depth reason behind (e.g., adverse events, etc.). Lack of time to recognize eligible patients and additional workload to study and implement the recommendations present the major challenges in the service process and therefore low number of referrals. CPs recommendations are mostly accepted, although the implementation time varies. When recommendation addresses medicines prescribed by a clinical specialist, the CMR report is forwarded to them for decision regarding implementation. The empowerment of the patients in medicines use was emphasized as the major benefit of the CMR, which consequently supports and enhances the quality of GP’s patient care. Transferability of recommendations to similar cases and high satisfaction with the service of GPs and patients, were mentioned.ConclusionGPs experiences with CMR are encouraging and supportive and present a base for further growth of the service.

Medical or Common Knowledge? Knowledge of Medical Professionals on Obesity Diagnosis Criteria and Treatment

Introduction: Proper diagnosis of obesity, its severity, and complications and their effective treatment requires an interdisciplinary healthcare approach. Nevertheless, obesity remains under-identified and undertreated. Academic knowledge concerning obesity pathology, diagnosis, and treatment is advancing. It is not clear whether this translates into clinical practice. The goal of the study was to assess the knowledge of healthcare professionals (HCPs) on obesity and particularly on the criteria for diagnosis as well as for conservative and surgical treatment. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among active HCPs (N = 184), including physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and paramedics who had contact with adult patients with obesity. The proprietary research survey, implemented in an online tool, was used to assess knowledge on the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and self-assessment of that knowledge. The analysis was limited to the following: body mass index (BMI) definition, BMI values, visceral obesity definition, bariatric surgery indications, choice of treatment method, role of diet and physical activity, knowledge of obesity pharmacotherapy, length of obesity pharmacotherapy, financing of bariatric procedures, and goals of bariatric treatment. The correct answers were determined according to the Polish guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of obesity. Results: Half of the respondents (52.2%) were doctors, 20.7% were nurses and midwives, 19.0% were physiotherapists, and 8.2% were other medical professionals. Among questions related to knowledge on obesity, 67.1% of respondents provided correct answers, with respondents answering questions concerning obesity diagnosis correctly more frequently (70.1%) than those concerning methods of treatment (64.6%). The largest number of correct answers was related to the definition of BMI and normal BMI values. The smallest number of correct answers pertained to the diagnostic criteria for visceral obesity and pharmacological treatment of obesity. There was no statistically significant impact of a responder's knowledge levels on the obesity of different HCPs. Workplace and participation in training sessions were found to have the largest impact on the level of knowledge on obesity. HCPs’ own assessment of their knowledge on obesity was negatively correlated with their actual level of knowledge. Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity implies that essentially every HCP has daily contact with patients with excessive body weight. Knowledge of BMI values cannot be considered as exclusively medical knowledge: these values were established years ago and are present in widely available sources. Our research showed that 32.9% of HCPs did not have sufficient knowledge about how to diagnose and treat obesity.

Insights Into Metformin XR Pharmacotherapy Knowledge Among Community Pharmacists: A Cross-Sectional Study.

There is a little knowledge on the extent to which healthcare providers understand and accept the professional recommendations and appropriate dosing strategy regarding metformin XR. To evaluate UAE community pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) concerning metformin XR. This is a cross-sectional research study conducted amongst licensed community pharmacists. The survey took place via a questionnaire and physical interviews were held. The survey used in this study included questions on demographics and questions on the participants' attitudes, knowledge and practices concerning metformin XR. The factors influencing KAP regarding metformin XR were examined via simple logistic regression analysis. Threehundred fifty-three (n = 353) participants were recruited in the study. Independent pharmacies constituted 57.5% of this study sample and 42.5% were chain pharmacies. The average knowledge score about metformin XR tablets was 42.5% with a confidence interval (CI) of 95% [37.3%, 47.4]. Better knowledge scores on metformin XR tablets was observed in respondents aged ⩾40 years (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.63-5.4), having greater than 10 years in terms of experience (OR 2.28; 95% CI 1.25-4.16) and pharmacist graduated from Regional or international universities (OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.34-3.24). About 78% (n = 275) of the participants believed that metformin XR tablets have better efficacy and 63.2% (n = 233) indicated that metformin IR was associated with greater adverse effects. This study demonstrated a distinct gap in knowledge, attitude and practice pertaining to metformin XR among community pharmacists in the UAE. The community pharmacists need to enhance their practice by receiving accurate and reliable data to support their decision-making on the prescribing of metformin XR. The implementation of novel guidelines and evidence dissemination strategies may help bridge this gap.

A cross-sectional study of community pharmacists' self-reported disease knowledge and competence in the treatment of childhood autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioural challenges. Given the rising prevalence of autism and multiple medication use, healthcare professionals, including community pharmacists, are required to have sufficient ASD knowledge to affect positivelythe disease prognosis and related comorbidities. To assess community pharmacists' knowledge of disease and pharmacotherapy of ASD, along with the provision of patient education and counselling provided by, community pharmacists in Turkey. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among community pharmacists in Turkey using a structured, validated questionnaire to assess ASD knowledge, awareness, and the provision of patient education and counselling by community pharmacists. 486 community pharmacists were included, with a mean age of 39.69 ± 13.10years, and most (n = 151, 31.1%) in the age range between 20 and 29years. 96.3% of community pharmacists never had training about ASD. 32.9% of the participants were aware of the medicines for ASD treatment, and 25.7% were aware of the drugs' side effects. The mean overall knowledge about childhood autism among health workers questionnaire (KCAHW) score was 11.83 ± 3.91, and there was a statistically significant KCAHW score difference between other pharmacists and those with ASD training (p = 0.006). There is a lack of disease and pharmacotherapy knowledge about childhood ASD among Turkish community pharmacists, particularly about communication impairment, type, onset, and comorbidities, as well as poor knowledge about drug pharmacotherapy and patient counselling services. This potentially creates a barrier to the adequate provision of healthcare to autistic patients.

Insights into disease and pharmacotherapy knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease among community pharmacists: a cross-sectional study

Objective To assess the knowledge level and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, including knowledge about the disease, pharmacotherapy, provision of patient education and associated factors among community pharmacists across Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among community pharmacists working in Turkey (Group A) and Northern Cyprus (Group B). Disease and pharmacotherapy knowledge of AD were assessed using AD Knowledge Scale (ADKS), and drug treatment (KADT) scale, respectively. Results Both groups reported a moderate level of knowledge of AD, especially medically-oriented domains, with no significant difference regarding the mean ADKS domains (18.8 ± 2.8 vs. 18.9 ± 3.4; p = .98). Nevertheless, participants from both groups reported a good level of KADT knowledge about AD treatment (p = .03). Group A reported a statistically significant higher level of knowledge about drug interactions compared with Group B (54.6% vs. 45.8%; p = .01), and knowledge about proper information (79.6% vs. 31.8%; p = .02). There was a statistically significant KADT difference correlated with gender, those having a Master degree, more than 5 years of work experience, and those taking AD training courses. Conclusion There is still a lack of knowledge regarding AD reported by moderate ADKS score, especially in medically-oriented domains, which creates a barrier to early provision of care and preventing AD, noted with no difference among community pharmacists across Turkey and Northern Cyprus.

Medicinal chemistry: The key to critical thinking in pharmacotherapy

IntroductionMedicinal chemistry is a polarizing subject for pharmacy students where, if not embraced, future pharmacists may be limited in their role as drug experts. An understanding of medicinal chemistry and its structure-activity relationships creates a strong foundation upon which our knowledge of pharmacotherapy is built. PerspectiveAs the field of pharmacy has shifted to an increasingly clinical role, with an emphasis on patient care as a member of the interprofessional team, pharmacy has also seen an increase in postgraduate training, specifically residencies and fellowships. Pharmacy students noting this trend may depreciate medicinal chemistry early in the curriculum and place more focus on therapeutics and clinical rotations. However, forgoing the fundamental understanding of medicinal chemistry may hinder pharmacy students' current breadth and understanding, and the ability to rationalize future developments in their practice. Medicinal chemistry empowers pharmacists with the ability to reason through medications' impact versus simply memorizing their actions. Pharmacists play a unique role as drug experts, with advanced problem-solving and critical thinking skills that set them apart from drug references and search engines. ImplicationsAs the field moves towards pharmacists as a member of the clinical team, the faculty should integrate medicinal chemistry throughout the doctor of pharmacy curricula. Faculty without this ability for a curriculum change should consider integration in their content. The field of pharmacy must take care to not allow clinical knowledge to significantly overshadow the importance of medicinal chemistry or run the risk of saturating the field with underprepared pharmacists.

Glycemic control and associated factors in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in primary care in Southeastern Brazil

Diabetes is a self-managed condition with knowledge, attitudes and practices that can influence the overall treatment and outcomes delay the complications of diabetes. However, the few reported studies published point out that: low education level, poor adherence to pharmacotherapy and diet recommendations, infrequent monitoring of blood glucose, and insulin dosage regimen are associated with higher hemoglobin levels. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, adherence medication, and complexity of pharmacotherapy in T1DM patients in Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 156 T1DM patients who were attending in primary care. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the variables associated with glycemic control. The overall assessments of T1DM patients for the glycemic control were bad (121, 77.6%). However, T1DM patients with high MedTake Test (OR=2.4, CI=1.1-5.7) and Morisky-Green Test (OR= 2.5, CI=1.1-6.1), and in the use of dosage insulin (>40 units, OR=0.3, CI=0.1-0.7) and postprandial glucose (100-125mg/dl, OR=3.8, CI=1.1-14.6) had better glycemic control compared to uncontrolled patients. Glycemic control in Brazilians adults with T1DM is low. We suggested the screening patients with low MedTake and Morisky-Green Tests, increasing patient knowledge as part of a complex intervention that may lead to substantially improved treatment outcomes in primary care.

Better performance of medical students on pharmacotherapy knowledge and skills tests is associated with practising with e-learning program P-scribe.

AimsJunior doctors write most hospital prescriptions, yet are more than twice as likely to make an error in their prescriptions compared to senior doctors. A possibility to enhance pharmacotherapy education is through the use of e‐learning modules. The aim of this study was to determine whether P‐scribe, as the chosen e‐learning resource, helps students in passing their pharmacotherapy assessments.MethodsThis retrospective study was undertaken in the Erasmus Medical Center, the Netherlands. All 270 medical students who started their master's curriculum in the academic session of 2017–2018 were included. Data were analysed to identify the frequency of student's use per e‐learning module, total time students spent on e‐learning modules and timing of the use of e‐learning modules in relation to their assessments. The results of the assessments were analysed to identify possible correlations between the time students spent using P‐scribe, their timing of use and their assessment results.ResultsStudents who passed their knowledge‐based assessment first time had a mean practice time of five more hours than students who did not pass first time (P < .05, 95% CI: 3.4–6.6). These students practised on average six e‐learning modules more (P < .05, 95% CI: 4.1–7.0) than students who failed their first attempt. Students who passed their skill‐based prescription test first time, practised on average five more e‐learning modules (P = .006, 95% CI: 1.4–8.3) than students who failed their first attempt.ConclusionStudents who passed their pharmacotherapy assessments first time spent more time, and practised more frequently, with e‐learning modules.

Impact of Pharmacist Education on Incoming Medical Residents.

Introduction: The graduating medical student transitioning to the role of a first-year medical resident is expected to know the proper medications and dosages for routine patient conditions. Pharmacists on an interdisciplinary health care team can be effective teachers of medical residents. Given the small amount of pharmacy-based education included in medical school curricula, it is important that medical residents have a basic foundation of pharmacotherapeutic knowledge. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a pharmacist-led education session in improving medical resident pharmacotherapy knowledge. Methods: During orientation in 2016 to 2019, first-year medical residents completed an 8-item pre-test assessing their choices of medications and dosages on 8 patient conditions. A post-test assessing these same items was taken after a 50-minute lecture from a pharmacist experienced in resident education. First-year medical residents at a separate institution within the university system completed the pre-test only. Results: Overall, 243 medical residents received the lecture and took both tests and 170 medical residents at the other institution completed the pre-test only (100% response rate). Using descriptive statistics, the 2 groups of medical residents were comparable in age, gender, and scores on the pre-test. Medical residents receiving the lecture showed an average 32% point change improvement in performance on the post-test. The pharmacist-led lecture consistently received the highest ratings (4.7 ± 0.5 out of 5) from residents of all the orientation topics presented. Conclusions: A pharmacist-led education session increased the pharmacotherapy knowledge of first-year medical residents at their resident orientation. Medical residents value reinforcement of basic pharmacotherapy knowledge to start their training.