Early Clinical Experiences for Second-Year Student Pharmacists at an Academic Medical Center

Objective. To examine student outcomes associated with the Student Medication and Reconciliation Team (SMART) program, which was designed to provide second-year student pharmacists at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy direct patient care experience at UNC Medical Center

Economic Potential of Unmanned Aircraft in Agricultural and Rural Electric Cooperatives

The Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) predicts that 80% of the U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market will be in agricultural and rural areas where cooperatives have a strong presence. Agricultural cooperatives could use UAVs in crop scouting to provide timely high-resolution imagery of crop conditions. Rural electric cooperatives (RECs) could use UAVs to detect line-loss, perform line inspections, and assess storm damage. Our research investigated the level of interest and awareness of these rural cooperatives towards UAVS and analyzed the feasibility of UAV adoption. Surveys were sent to Oklahoma grain and farm supply cooperatives and RECs. The survey investigated the knowledge of and interest in UAVs, and elicited information on crop scouting fees and costs, distribution line inspection costs and preventable line loss. The results indicated a low level of knowledge but a high level of interest in UAV technology. Modeling suggests that UAV applications could be feasible for both REC and agricultural cooperatives. Final regulations from the Federal Aviation Administration, particularly restrictions on line-of-sight operation and altitude appear to be a major impediment to UAV adoption. Our survey results suggest that REC applications would be particularly sensitive to the regulatory structure

Impact of vitamin D status on statin-induced myopathy

Introduction: There is a multitude of evidence supporting the benefit of statin use in cardiovascular disease; however, statin-induced myopathy is a major reason for statin discontinuation and non-adherence. Vitamin D deficiency has been independently associated with muscle weakness and severe myopathy, and may be a confounder for statin-induced myopathies. Since there is no consensus on a treatment course of action for statin-induced myopathy, investigation into potential confounders to elucidate the dynamics of statin-induced myopathy is warranted. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 105 patients in a cardiometabolic clinic with a vitamin D drawn from December 2006 to April 2008. Patients exposed to statins were divided into two groups: (1) patients with low vitamin D (<32 ng/mL) [n = 52] and (2) patients with a sufficient vitamin D level (⩾32 ng/mL) [n = 32]. Data were compared via t-tests or Fisher’s Exact, as appropriate. Results: There were 41 statin-specific myopathies amongst the 24 statin-intolerant patients. Low vitamin D was significantly associated with statin-induced myopathy (p = 0.048). Following prescription vitamin D supplementation, statin tolerance rates were significantly higher in patients with a baseline vitamin D ⩽20 ng/mL than those with a baseline vitamin D >20 ng/mL (90% vs 33%; p = 0.036). Conclusion: Vitamin D status may be considered a modifiable risk factor for muscle-related adverse effects of statins, and supplementation of vitamin D (particularly when ⩽20 ng/mL) may improve statin tolerance