Candace W. Barnett

Need for Community Pharmacist–Provided Food-Allergy Education and Autoinjectable Epinephrine Training

OBJECTIVE To determine whether community pharmacist-provided food-allergy education and auto-injectable epinephrine training is needed. DESIGN Cross-sectional assessment. SETTING United States. PARTICIPANTS 1,887 recently joined members of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. INTERVENTION Electronic survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES 35 items covering past education and training associated with food allergy and use of auto-injectable epinephrine, demographics, attitudes toward pharmacist-provided education about food allergy, training in the use of auto-injectable epinephrine, confidence in managing food allergies on a daily basis and in emergency situations, and the necessity for pharmacists to provide education and training about food allergy and auto-injectable epinephrine use. RESULTS Prescriber-provided food-allergy education and auto-injectable epinephrine training is incomplete (60.7%) or absent (16.3%) at the time auto-injectable epinephrine is first prescribed. These initial prescriptions are being dispensed from community pharmacies (94%), and written information is commonly provided with the medication (73.6%); however, oral counseling is largely absent (86.6%), and training in administration of auto-injectable epinephrine occurs infrequently (13.3%). Food-allergic patients and their care-givers are receptive to the idea of pharmacist-provided education and training. The majority (63.6% or more) feel confident about managing their food allergies. They are not requesting counseling when refill prescriptions are dispensed (81.4%); however, they would like to see routine review at refill time of the signs of allergic reaction (54.5%) and use of the epinephrine auto-injector (79.3%). CONCLUSION Community pharmacists have an opportunity to assist newly diagnosed food-allergic patients by working collaboratively with their pediatricians and allergists. Community pharmacists can provide ongoing assistance at refill time by retraining patients in the use of the epinephrine auto-injector and reviewing the signs of allergic reaction.

Cost of medication therapy in ambulatory HIV-infected patients

Objective To examine the use and cost associated with prescribed medications as well as the use of over-the-counter medications and nontraditional therapies among ambulatory HIV-infected patients at Ryan White Title IIIb grantee centers. Methods Study participants (n = 223) were enrolled from eight centers across the US and Puerto Rico. Data were collected by a nurse, pharmacist, or physician through review of medical records and medication profdes. Information on the use of over-the-counter drugs and alternative therapies was obtained from the patients. Results Two hundred eleven (94.6%) patients received a mean ± SD of 5.3 ± 3.8 prescription medications during a consecutive 90-day period. The cost of medication was

Risk of Adverse Drug Events Related to Ibuprofen Use in a Community Sample

1237.62 ±

Counseling techniques to address male communication characteristics: An application of the extended parallel process model

1751.49 per patient. Patients with a diagnosis of AIDS received a greater number of prescription drugs: an average of 6.6 compared with 3.4 among HIV-positive patients and 3.5 among asymptomatic patients. Anti-retroviral agents were used by 143 (68.7%) patients. Zidovudine and stavudine had the highest cost (

Nuclear Pharmacy in the Community Setting: An Assessment of Employment Conditions and Job Satisfaction:

611.81 ±

Patient-Guided Counseling in the Community Pharmacy Setting

254.10 and

Counseling Spanish-speaking patients: Atlanta pharmacists' cultural sensitivity, use of language-assistance services, and attitudes.

596.96 ±

Current Procedures Used to Evaluate Teaching in Schools of Pharmacy

352.80, respectively). Eighty-one (40.9%) patients reported the use of at least one over-the-counter product (range 0–11) and 11.8% reported use of alternative therapies. Conclusions This study shows the cost of drug treatment for HIV-infected patients has remained stable since the early 1990s. However, it is anticipated this will change due to the introduction of new anti-HIV agents, greater use of combination therapies, greater use of prophylactic therapies, and increased survival times.

Teaching Evaluation Practices in Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

Objective: To determine whether consumers are using nonprescription ibuprofen more predominantly to treat acute or chronic conditions, incidence of adverse effects, and whether a healthcare professional is providing patient information. Design: A questionnaire was developed and placed in 15 randomly selected community pharmacies in a major metropolitan area. Adult consumers who were purchasing an ibuprofen over-the-counter product or who had previously used an ibuprofen product were asked to complete a written questionnaire (n=190). The information collected included age, gender, prescription, and other over-the-counter drugs presently used, quantity, duration, present illnesses or conditions, both intended and past use of ibuprofen, and incidence of adverse reactions. Results: Most subjects who self-treated with ibuprofen were female (70.8 percent) with a mean age of 37 years. Consumers generally used ibuprofen for stress/tension headache (38.9 percent), menstrual cramps (34.2 percent), generalized pain (31.8 percent), or muscle strain/sprain (30.0 percent). Most (55.9 percent) took 400 mg when needed, and 42.2 percent used ibuprofen for a period of 24 hours. Counseling concerning ibuprofen use was provided by a physician (42.9 percent) or pharmacist (39.7 percent) in most cases. The label was read the majority of the time (75 percent), and everyone who read the label understood the printed information. Conclusions: The findings indicate that this community sample of consumers was using nonprescription ibuprofen appropriately for acute or as needed conditions over a short period of time. They experienced few adverse reactions to ibuprofen. Both pharmacists and physicians were providing patient information about ibuprofen. Counseling is needed regarding prescription and nonprescription drugs with a potential to interact with ibuprofen.

A Comparison Between Student Ratings and Faculty Self-ratings of Instructional Effectiveness

Evidence shows that the male ideology has a significant impact on men’s health status. Men who adhere to the traditional masculine ideology may find messages regarding healthcare to be threatening. Pharmacists can use the Extended Parallel Process (EPP) Model to counsel men in a manner that reduces their feelings of fear and danger regarding their health while controlling feelings of vulnerability and susceptibility. When counseling men using the EPP Model, pharmacists are encouraged to use universal statements and open-ended questions to create patient awareness of the disease state and foster discussion. Furthermore, since men engage in limited nonverbal communication, pharmacists need to be direct and ask for feedback to gauge the patient’s understanding of the counseling.