Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of A Pharmacist-Led Medication Assessment Used To Identify Prevalence Of And Associations With Polypharmacy And Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use Among Ambulatory Senior Adults With Cancer., Ginah Nightingale, Emily Hajjar, Kristine Swartz, Jocelyn Andrel-Sendecki, Andrew Chapman

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: The use of multiple and/or inappropriate medications in seniors is a significant public health problem, and cancer treatment escalates its prevalence and complexity. Existing studies are limited by patient self-report and medical record extraction compared with a pharmacist-led comprehensive medication assessment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined medication use in ambulatory senior adults with cancer to determine the prevalence of polypharmacy (PP) and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and associated factors. PP was defined as concurrent use of five or more and less than 10 medications, and excessive polypharmacy (EPP) was defined as 10 or more medications. PIMs were …

Heart Failure Transition Of Care Program: The Pharmacist’S Role In Reducing Readmissions, Joseph Favatella, Pharmd Candidate 2013, Joanne Heil, Pharmd, Bcps

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Presented at: ASHP Mid-Year Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas.

Introduction & Background

Current Trends¹

•Approximately 19.6% of Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days

•These readmissions accounted for $15 billion of Medicare spending in 2009

Changes Coming

•As part of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare will not be reimbursing hospitals for patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge

•Hospitals have already begun improving discharge protocols to provide a greater continuity of care and minimize the financial loss of future readmissions

A Model²

•Boston University Medical Center's Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) was the first program to improve …

The Use Of Glucarpidase In An Open-Label Treatment Protocol As Adjunctive Treatment For A Patient With Delayed Methotrexate Elimination, Cheryl A. Abbas, Pharmd, Anne Marie Valorie-Oberle, Bs, Pharmd, Bcop

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Presented at: ASHP Clinical MidYear Meeting in Las Vegas.

Background

Methotrexate (MTX)

• Cytotoxic agent that competitively inhibits dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), the intracellular enzyme responsible for converting folic acid to reduced folate inhibitors, necessary for DNA synthesis
• Used since 1948 in the treatment of various malignancies and as a disease-modifying agent in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis
• High-dose mexthotrexate (HDMTX) began in 1960s solely or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents

Methotrexate Toxicity

• Almost exclusively cleared through the kidneys
  • Precipitation of drug occurs in the renal tubules
  • Prolonged elevations of systemic MTX concentrations results in potential serious toxicity
• Increased use of HDMTX …

Interprofessional Education In Didactic And Experiential Settings At The Jefferson School Of Pharmacy, Elena M. Umland, Cynthia A. Sanoski, Emily R. Hajjar, Bhavik Shah

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Presented at: 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in Kissimmee, Florida.

Objective:

To evaluate the various IPE offerings at a new school of pharmacy at a large academic medical center.