Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating Patient's Knowledge Regarding Opioid Prescriptions In An Independent Community Pharmacy: A Pilot Study, Lauren Chars Pharmd, Patricia Devine Pharmd, Tyler Girton Pharmd

BU Well

This study evaluated patients’ knowledge regarding their opioid prescriptions and identified what resources were used to educate patients on their opioid prescriptions. Patients receiving an opioid prescription from an independent pharmacy were given a link to complete a nine-question anonymous survey about their awareness of their prescription being an opioid, how and what education they received, and from whom. The authors hope that the findings of this research will help to better understand effective ways to combat the opioid epidemic and promote patient safety through effective opioid education.

A Workout A Day Keeps Depression Away, Hannah Voss

BU Well

The issue of mental health in adolescent females is vastly growing in America, especially depression. Depression is largely treated by pharmacologic therapy, but that can result in many side effects and is associated with a harsh stigma that can deter the patient from continuing their medication regimen. With this said, it remains important to look at other means to treat depression, and one of the best alternative solutions right now is exercise. This article presents research that shows how exercise can greatly improve and prevent depressive symptoms, while also decreasing the stigma associated with treating depression, particularly among adolescent females.

The Future Electronic Pharmaceutical Brain, Steve Varghese

BU Well

With the rise of technology in the healthcare setting, it is important to consider which form of technology will make the most beneficial change. The technology that can make that change is artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is being implemented more and more in our world, so it is the time for pharmacy to consider integrating it into its own field.

Animals On Drugs: The Role Of Pharmacists In Veterinary Medicine, Kylie Kelley

BU Well

With medication errors and unpreparedness of pharmacists in handling pet prescriptions becoming more prevalent, to compensate the deficiency there should be an increase in education and interprofessional collaboration. By providing pharmacists with a thorough education of animal pharmacology, pharmacists would more effectively thrive within their scope of practice and improve pet safety and collaboration with other veterinary healthcare providers. Whether a student pharmacist wants to specialize in veterinary pharmacy or retail pharmacy, it is important for the animal’s well-being that someone who verifies the prescriptions does so correctly and with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions for animal patients.

Improving Cough And Cold Otc Medication Use For Children In Hardin County, Kelly M. Kern, Molly Lipson

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Background: Ohio struggles with high infant mortality rates. This project was designed to combat incorrect use of cough and cold over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Parents or caregivers, especially those with low health literacy, often use these medications incorrectly in infants, sometimes leading to a fatal outcome.

Methods: Utilizing a three-pronged approach, this IRB-approved project addresses the issue of incorrect cough and cold OTC medications use for infants in Hardin County. Passive education was provided to community members via social media/flyers, educational interventions were performed with community members (virtual or in-person), and continuing professional development (CPD) was provided to pharmacists and pharmacy …

Classification Of Student Developed Annual Goals, Han Pham, John Mullin

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Objective: This study categorizes goals (personal vs professional and long vs short-term) of student pharmacists. An increase in the proportion of long-term, professional goals is expected as students advance through the program.

Methods: Annual student goals were classified into categories (personal vs professional and long vs short term). Definitions were developed and a beta-test was conducted to confirm interpretations were consistent between raters. Multiple one-tail Z-tests with Bonferroni correction were used to compare the proportion of personal/professional and short-term/long-term goals for P1 students to the proportion of each of the classes of P2-P5 for the years of 2018 and 2019, …

Implementation Of A Clinical Journal Club To Improve Student Knowledge, Christian J. Stang

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Evidence-based medicine is a crucial component of pharmacy practice that is utilized to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients. It is a concept that ensures clinical guidelines are constantly analyzed for quality improvement with therapeutic practices enhanced for the highest standards for patient care. At the heart of incorporating evidence-based medicine is literature review and analysis, a practice conducted not only by healthcare professionals but also students in healthcare programs. The implementation of literature review into these healthcare programs better prepares students to critically evaluate and review medical literature with the ultimate purpose to improve patient care in their …

Honors Capstone: Healthcare Disparities In Pharmacy Curriculum, Molly Ryan

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Due to the prevalence of disparities within the United States healthcare system, this Honors Program Pharmacy Capstone project is filling the opportunity to enhance the curriculum. The project is focused on improving the educational opportunities for the Raabe College of Pharmacy related to health disparities relevant to the profession of pharmacy. This information will include the history of healthcare abuses to minority groups throughout United States history. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy includes academic goals for pharmacy curricula regarding health disparities. The pharmacy accreditation body (ACPE) sets standards that include educating student pharmacists about health disparities. Congruent with …

Measuring Food Consumption Within A Foodrx Program, Katie Howell

Honors Theses

This pilot study set out to assess food consumption measures within the Charleston FoodRx program. Assessments made through this investigation aim to improve the Charleston program as well as provide suggestions for future programs. Charleston FoodRx provides enrolled households with fruits and vegetables in a supply intended to last for two weeks. These goals combine social and pharmaceutical science, by addressing barriers in food environment and insecurity, nutritional health, and preventative treatment. Though the idea behind FoodRx has existed prior to recent pilot programs, research behind FoodRx and its possible integration within the healthcare system lack published and replicable research …

Wastewater Surveillance For Sars-Cov-2 On College Campuses: Initial Efforts, Lessons Learned, And Research Needs, Sasha Harris-Lovett, Kara L. Nelson, Paloma Beamer, Heather N. Bischel, Aaron Bivins, Andrea Bruder, Caitlyn Butler, Todd D. Camenisch, Susan K. De Long, Smruthi Karthikeyan, David A. Larsen, Katherine Meiediercks, Paula J. Mouser, Sheree Pagsuyoin, Sarah M. Prasek, Tyler S. Radniecki, Jeffrey L. Ram, D. Keith Roper, Hannah Safford, Samendra P. Sherchan, William Shuster, Thibault Stalder, Robert T. Wheeler, Katrina Smith Korfmacher

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Wastewater surveillance for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging approach to help identify the risk of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. This tool can contribute to public health surveillance at both community (wastewater treatment system) and institutional (e.g., colleges, prisons, and nursing homes) scales. This paper explores the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from initial wastewater surveillance efforts at colleges and university systems to inform future research, development and implementation. We present the experiences of 25 college and university systems in the United States that monitored campus wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 during the fall 2020 academic …

The Context-Dependent Impact Of Integrin-Associated Cd151 And Other Tetraspanins On Cancer Development And Progression: A Class Of Versatile Mediators Of Cellular Function And Signaling, Tumorigenesis And Metastasis, Sonia F. Erfani, Hui Hua, Yueyin Pan, Binhua P. Zhou, Xiuwei H. Yang

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

As a family of integral membrane proteins, tetraspanins have been functionally linked to a wide spectrum of human cancers, ranging from breast, colon, lung, ovarian, prostate, and skin carcinomas to glioblastoma. CD151 is one such prominent member of the tetraspanin family recently suggested to mediate tumor development, growth, and progression in oncogenic context- and cell lineage-dependent manners. In the current review, we summarize recent advances in mechanistic understanding of the function and signaling of integrin-associated CD151 and other tetraspanins in multiple cancer types. We also highlight emerging genetic and epigenetic evidence on the intrinsic links between tetraspanins, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition …

Building Community-Engaged Multidisciplinary Partnerships To Improve Medication Management In Elderly Patients With Multiple Chronic Conditions, Ivy O. Poon, Felicia Skelton, Lena R. Bean, Dominique Guinn, Terica L. Jemerson, Ngozi D. Mbue, Creaque V. Charles, Uche Anadu Ndefo

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Many studies in preventing adverse drug events have been researcher-driven, yet few have engaged patients in the development of a project. This project aims to engage minority elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions in the development of research questions and strategies to improve medication safety.

Methods: Elderly patients (≥ 65 years old) who were prescribed 7 or more chronic medications were recruited through a university-based aging resource network in a historically African American community in Houston, Texas. Patients and a caregiver participated in a multidisciplinary workgroup comprised of a physician, pharmacists, a nurse, health educators, and a social worker. …

An Exploratory Survey On The Awareness And Usage Of Clinical Practice Guidelines Among Clinical Pharmacists, Jessica M. Downes, Lisa Appeddu, Jeremy L. Johnson, Kelsey S. Haywood, B. Jordan James, Kendrick D. Wingard

Faculty Articles & Research

Background: The NHLBI has not developed clinical practice guidelines since 2007. As a result, multiple organizations have released competing guidelines. This has created confusion and debate among clinicians as to which recommendations are most applicable for practice.

Objectives: To explore preliminary attitudes, awareness, and usage of clinical practice guidelines in practice and teaching for hypertension, dyslipidemia and asthma among clinical pharmacists.

Methods: Clinical pharmacists across the US were surveyed electronically over a two week period in Spring 2019 regarding utilization and knowledge of practice guidelines for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and asthma. Clinical cases were included to evaluate application of guidelines. Descriptive …

Usefulness Of Circulating Tumor Dna In Identifying Somatic Mutations And Tracking Tumor Evolution In Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Moom R. Roosan, Isa Mambetsariev, Rebecca Pharaon, Jeremy Fricke, Hatim Husain, Karen L. Reckamp, Marianna Koczywas, Erminia Massarelli, Andrea H. Bild, Ravi Salgia

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The usefulness of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in detecting mutations and monitoring treatment response has not been well studied beyond a few actionable biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Research Question

How does the usefulness of ctDNA analysis compare with that of solid tumor biopsy analysis in patients with NSCLC?

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 370 adult patients with NSCLC treated at the City of Hope between November 2015 and August 2019 to assess the usefulness of ctDNA in mutation identification, survival, concordance with matched tissue samples in 32 genes, and tumor evolution.

Results

A total of 1,688 somatic …

Correlations Between Coffee Consumption And Metabolic Phenotypes, Plasma Folate, And Vitamin B12: Nhanes 2003 To 2006., Pratibha V Nerurkar, Krupa Gandhi, John J Chen

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is prevalent not only among the overweight and obese but also normal weight individuals, and the phenotype is referred to as a metabolically unhealthy phenotype (MUHP). Besides normal weight individuals, overweight/obese individuals are also protected from MetS, and the phenotype is known as a metabolically healthy phenotype (MHP). Epidemiological studies indicate that coffee and micronutrients such as plasma folate or vitamin B12 (vit. B12) are inversely associated with MetS. However, correlations among coffee consumption metabolic phenotypes, plasma folate, and vit. B12 remain unknown. Our objective was to investigate the correlation between coffee consumption, metabolic phenotypes, plasma folate, …

Measures Of Anxiety And Mindfulness In Student Pharmacists After Conducting A Relaxation Activity, Joseph Nguyen, Landon Santa-Pinter, Neenu Thomas, Caleb Bell, Emma Leffler, Sally Drinnon, Stephen Drinnon, Lisa Appeddu

Student Research

Student pharmacists experience stress, work overload, and burnout throughout the intensive Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. In Spring 2016, ninety-five student pharmacists were recruited from Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy to be a part of a study to investigate the potential usefulness of relaxation in improving personal well-being. Study participants were assigned to conduct one of the following activities: body scan, mindful meditation, 4x4 breathing meditation, power posing, or mental stimulation by using the Word Streak mobile app. After conducting the activity and providing saliva samples for evaluation of physiological biomarkers, participants completed validated surveys to assess anxiety (Generalized …

Case Report: The Complexities Of Managing Medications And The Importance Of Deprescribing Anticholinergics In Older Adults, Taylor Elliott, Lynne Eckmann, Daniela C. Moga

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Potentially inappropriate anticholinergic medications (including over-the-counter products), polypharmacy, and the existence of communication barriers among members of the interprofessional team frequently contribute to clinical complexity in older adults. We present the case of a frail 86-year old female from the perspective of a community pharmacist managing outpatient medications and transitions of care. CD’s past medical history is significant for dementia, multiple falls, recurrent urinary tract infections, depression, cardiac arrhythmia, macular degeneration, chronic pain, depression, and cerebrovascular disease.

Functional Activation Of Newborn Neurons Following Alcohol-Induced Reactive Neurogenesis, Natalie N. Nawarawong, Chelsea G. Nickell, Deann M. Hopkins, James R. Pauly, Kimberly Nixon

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Abstinence after alcohol dependence leads to structural and functional recovery in many regions of the brain, especially the hippocampus. Significant increases in neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and subsequent “reactive neurogenesis” coincides with structural recovery in hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). However, whether these reactively born neurons are integrated appropriately into neural circuits remains unknown. Therefore, adult male rats were exposed to a binge model of alcohol dependence. On day 7 of abstinence, the peak of reactive NSC proliferation, rats were injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells. After six weeks, rats underwent Morris Water Maze (MWM) training then were …

Keap1 Is Required For Artesunate Anticancer Activity In Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer, Kristen S. Hill, Anthony Mcdowell Jr., J. Robert Mccorkle, Erin Schuler, Sally R. Ellingson, Rina Plattner, Jill M. Kolesar

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Artesunate is the most common treatment for malaria throughout the world. Artesunate has anticancer activity likely through the induction of reactive oxygen species, the same mechanism of action utilized in Plasmodium falciparum infections. Components of the kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway, which regulates cellular response to oxidative stress, are mutated in approximately 30% of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC); therefore, we tested the hypothesis that KEAP1 is required for artesunate sensitivity in NSCLC. Dose response assays identified A549 cells, which have a G333C-inactivating mutation in KEAP1, as resistant to artesunate, with an IC50 of …

Home Blood Pressure Monitoring To Improve Hypertension Control: A Narrative Review Of International Guideline Recommendations, John Andraos, Luma Munjy, Michael S. Kelly

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is a convenient way to assess out-of-office blood pressure control and is recommended by numerous international guidelines to aid clinicians in the diagnosis and management of essential hypertension. Although available guidelines recommend the use of HBPM in patients receiving antihypertensive medication, their specific recommendations regarding optimal monitoring schedule, duration, and clinician interpretation of home blood pressure readings may differ among guidelines. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review available international hypertension guideline recommendations related to the use of HBPM to improve hypertension control among patients receiving antihypertensive therapy. We also briefly highlight …