October 24th 2024
Nina Vadiei, PharmD, BCPP, a clinical associate professor at UT Austin and a clinical pharmacy specialist in psychiatry at San Antonio State Hospital, discusses her career as a psychiatric pharmacist.
Warfarin safer than heparin for patients undergoing ablation
June 10th 2014In a study of patients at high risk for stroke, patients without periprocedural warfarin who were bridged with low-molecular weight heparin showed a >10-fold increased odds of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the 48 hours after ablation for atrial fibrillation, compared with those on uninterrupted warfarin.
Insulin added to metformin for T2DM associated with increased risk of death
June 10th 2014Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who received metformin and then added insulin were at higher risk of all-cause mortality than those who added a sulfonylurea, according to a report published June 11 in JAMA.
Flying into pharmacy (eyes wide shut)
June 5th 2014From reader Bill Tarr comes the second article in Drug Topics' new series, Pathways through Pharmacy. While the first signs of his professional direction may have come as something of a surprise, he rose to the challenge and found that it gave him a vehicle for the good life.
Antimicrobial stewardship teams help save lives
June 3rd 2014Antimicrobial stewardship teams that include infectious disease (ID) pharmacists and physicians in hospital settings can encourage more judicious use of antibiotics, resulting in lower mortality and cost savings, according to a report published online for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
Advancing pharmacy practice model initiatives
June 2nd 2014Current healthcare reform initiatives emphasize high quality, safe, and cost-effective care, and greater accountability for those who seek to provide it. The ability of key stakeholders along the care continuum to work collaboratively will be critical to achievement of these goals. In response to these priorities, the Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) highlights a future-oriented model that supports and recognizes the impact of pharmacists, in particular, as providers of direct patient care.
Advanced clinical pharmacy services praised by hospitalist group
May 28th 2014In a nonacademic healthcare system, an advanced clinical pharmacy services program, created and led by an internal medicine-trained clinical pharmacy specialist, made a positive impact on hospitalized patients through a number of drug intervention recommendations.
Report: Dabigatran moves from mother to fetus
May 14th 2014New research published in Obstetrics & Gynecology indicates the oral thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran, and its prodrug, dabigatran etexilate mesylate transfer from pregnant women to their fetuses via the placenta and could potentially affect fetal blood coagulation.
Greatest impact of pharmacist transition care seen in elderly
May 13th 2014A care transition program for hospital patients with bedside delivery of postdischarge medications and follow-up calls by pharmacists shortly after discharge had the greatest impact on elderly patients, resulting in a lower likelihood of 30-day readmission, according to a report published May 1 in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.