Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA
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J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) · Jan 2021
Alaska pharmacists: First responders to the pandemic in the last frontier.
Pharmacists are among the nation's most accessible and underused health professionals. Within their scope of practice, pharmacists can prescribe and administer vaccines, conduct point-of-care testing, and address drug shortages through therapeutic substitutions. ⋯ The primary barrier to pharmacists augmenting the current COVID-19 response is an inability to cover the costs of providing these health services. Pharmacists in Alaska are ready to meet COVID-19-related clinical needs if public and private insurers and legislators can help address the barriers to service sustainability.
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J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) · Jan 2021
Managing medication supply chains: Lessons learned from Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic and preparedness planning for the future.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed unprecedented challenges for nations worldwide, among which medication shortages can cause a devastatingly negative impact on global health. Using Taiwan as an example, this report describes the sources of potential medication shortages, discusses the preparedness and contingency strategies to address medication shortages, and outlines the evidence-based recommendations on ensuring a stable medication supply and improving the quality and security of medicines. Many drug shortages have focused on shortfalls of overseas manufacturing, but the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on misallocation of medications within the nation's internal supply chains is also a great concern. ⋯ Strategies have been documented and recommended in Taiwan and the United States to mitigate drug shortages and ensure the long-term quality and security of medicines. Barriers to accessing medicines are nothing new, but the COVID-19 pandemic poses urgent and even novel challenges to the stability and integrity of medication supply, which urges for a need to reconsider and reinforce effective management strategies for pharmaceuticals. Active management, transparent information, and timely communications are essential to ensure a stable supply of key therapeutic medications, especially during a pandemic.
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J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) · Jan 2020
Effect of cannabis on opioid use in patients with cancer receiving palliative care.
Opioids are the primary therapy for cancer-related pain in patients receiving palliative care. More states are legalizing medical cannabis, which may provide a pain management alternative for some of these patients. This study aimed to estimate the effect of cannabis on opioid use in patients with cancer receiving palliative care. ⋯ A possibly meaningful difference in MEDD increase was seen when comparing the opioid monotherapy group with the opioid plus cannabis group. However, the study was not powered to test this hypothesis; the findings suggest that further research is warranted to determine the impact of cannabis use on opioid dosing in patients receiving palliative care for cancer.
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J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) · May 2020
Naloxone availability and dispensing in Indiana pharmacies 2 years after the implementation of a statewide standing order.
This study examined changes in rates of pharmacy naloxone stocking and dispensing in Indiana between 2016 and 2018 and explored supplemental variables and factors that may have affected observed differences. ⋯ Pharmacy naloxone stocking and dispensing increased in the 2 years after the statewide standing order was issued. The effect of the order itself was likely moderated or mediated by corporate responses to the law. Research examining the impact of naloxone-availability policies on pharmacy practice and patient incomes should longitudinally examine data after policy implementation and with covariates that include type of pharmacy (e.g., chain or independent), location, and opioid overdose-associated mortality rates.
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J Am Pharm Assoc (2003) · May 2004
Collaborative working relationships between pharmacists and physicians: an exploratory study.
To determine the degree of collaboration in a limited number of pharmacist-physician professional relationships and identify variables important in establishing collaboration between pharmacists and physicians. ⋯ The development of collaboration between pharmacists and physicians is influenced by characteristics of exchanges occurring between them. Continued study of collaborative working relationships between physicians and pharmacists can assist health care practitioners in developing a team-based approach to patient care, improving the ability of pharmacists and physicians to work together to coordinate patient care.