A review of international pharmacy-based minor ailment services and proposed service design model

© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Background: The need to consider sustainable healthcare solutions is essential. An innovative strategy used to promote minor ailment care is the utilisation of community pharmacists to deliver minor ailment services (MASs). Promoting higher levels of self-care can potentially reduce the strain on existing resources. Aim: To explore the features of international MASs, including their similarities and differences, and consider the essential elements to design a MAS model. Methods: A grey literature search strategy was completed in June 2017 to comply with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standard. This included (1) Google/Yahoo! search engines, (2) targeted websites, and (3) contact with commissioning organisations. Executive summaries, table of contents and title pages of documents were reviewed. Key characteristics of MASs were extracted and a MAS model was developed. Results: A total of 147 publications were included in the review. Key service elements identified included eligibility, accessibility, staff involvement, reimbursement systems. Several factors need to be considered when designing a MAS model; including contextualisation of MAS to the market. Stakeholder engagement, service planning, governance, implementation and review have emerged as key aspects involved with a design model. Conclusion: MASs differ in their structural parameters. Consideration of these parameters is necessary when devising MAS aims and assessing outcomes to promote sustainability and success of the service

Alteraciones cromosómicas en leucemias linfoides agudas; un estudio de nueve años en 632 pacientes: implicaciones en el diagnóstico, pronóstico, tratamiento y seguimiento de la enfermedad

Las leucemias linfoides agudas son las neoplasias más comunes en niños, produciendo todavía alta mortalidad en nuestro medio. En estos tumores se han descrito una amplia variedad de alteraciones cromosómicas que se asocian con el pronóstico, diagnóstico morfológico y que sirven de marcadores para escoger la terapia y seguir la enfermedad. En esta investigación se quizo analizar el tipo y frecuencia de las aberraciones cromosómicas en una población colombiana de niños y adultos con diagnóstico de LLA

Alteraciones cromosómicas en leucemias mieloides agudas, un estudio de nueve años en 312 pacientes, implicaciones en el diagnóstico, pronóstico, tratamiento y seguimiento de la enfermedad

Definir el tipo, frecuencia y distribución de las alteraciones cromosómicas presentes en una población colombiana con diagnóstico de leucemia mieloide aguda. Determinar su asociación con las características clinicopatológicas y analizar su impacto sobre la sobrevida de los pacientes

A cost utility analysis alongside a cluster-randomised trial evaluating a minor ailment service compared to usual care in community pharmacy.

BACKGROUND: Minor ailments are "self-limiting conditions which may be diagnosed and managed without a medical intervention". A cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT) was designed to evaluate the clinical, humanistic and economic outcomes of a Minor Ailment Service (MAS) in community pharmacy (CP) compared with usual care (UC). METHODS: The cRCT was conducted for 6 months from December 2017. The pharmacist-patient intervention consisted of a standardised face-to-face consultation on a web-based program using co-developed protocols, pharmacists' training, practice change facilitators and patients' educational material. Patients requesting a non-prescription medication (direct product request) or presenting minor ailments received MAS or UC and were followed-up by telephone 10-days after the consultation. The primary economic outcomes were incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) of the service and health related quality of life (HRQoL). Total costs included health system, CPs and patient direct costs: health professionals' consultation time, medication costs, pharmacists' training costs, investment of the pharmacy and consultation costs within the 10 days following the initial consultation. The HRQoL was obtained using the EuroQoL 5D-5L at the time of the consultation and at 10-days follow up. A sensitivity analysis was carried out using bootstrapping. There were two sub-group analyses undertaken, for symptom presentation and direct product requests, to evaluate possible differences. RESULTS: A total of 808 patients (323 MAS and 485 UC) were recruited in 27 CPs with 42 pharmacists (20 MAS and 22 UC). 64.7% (n = 523) of patients responded to follow-up after their consultation in CP. MAS patients gained an additional 0.0003 QALYs (p = 0.053). When considering only MAS patients presenting with symptoms, the ICUR was 24,733€/QALY with a 47.4% probability of cost-effectiveness (willingness to pay of 25,000€/QALY). Although when considering patients presenting for a direct product request, MAS was the dominant strategy with a 93.69% probability of cost-effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Expanding community pharmacists' scope through MAS may benefit health systems. To be fully cost effective, MAS should not only include consultations arising from symptom presentation but also include an oversight of self-selected products by patients. MAS increase patient safety through the appropriate use of non-prescription medication and through the direct referral of patients to GP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN17235323 . Registered 07/05/2021 - Retrospectively registered

Clinical impact of a pharmacist-led medication review with follow up for aged polypharmacy patients: A cluster randomized controlled trial

Background: Medication review with follow-up (MRF) is a service where community pharmacists undertake a medication review with monthly follow-up to provide continuing care. The ConSIGUE Program assessed the impact and implementation of MRF for aged polypharmacy patients in Spanish Community Pharmacies. The present paper reports on the clinical impact evaluation phase of ConSIGUE. Objective: The main objective of the study was to measure the effect of MRF on the primary outcome of the number of uncontrolled health problems. Secondary objectives were to analyze the drug-related problems (DRPs) identified as potential causes of ineffective or unsafe medications and the pharmacists’ interventions implemented during MRF provision. Methods: An open-label multi-centered cluster randomized study with comparison group (CG) was carried out in community pharmacies from 4 provinces in Spain during 6 months. The main inclusion criteria were patients over 64 years old, using 5 or more medicines. The intervention group (IG) received the MRF service (advanced medication review-type 3 MR) whereas patients in the CG received usual care. Results: 178 pharmacies recruited 1403 patients (IG= 688 patients; CG= 715 patients). During the 6 months of the study 72 patients were lost to follow up. The adjusted multi-level random effects models showed a significant reduction in the number of uncontrolled health problems over the periods in the IG (-0.72, 95% CI: -0.80, -0.65) and no change in the CG (-0.03, 95%CI: -0.10, 0.04). Main DRPs identified as potential causes of failures of uncontrolled health problems’ treatment were undertreated condition (559 DRPs; 35.81%), lack of treatment adherence (261 DRP; 16.67%) and risk of adverse effects (207 DRPs; 13.53%). Interventions performed by pharmacist to solve DRP mainly included the addition (246 interventions; 14.67%) and change (330 interventions; 19.68%) of a medicine and educational interventions on medicine adherence (231 interventions; 13.78%) and non-pharmacological interventions (369 interventions; 22.01%). Conclusions: This study provides evidence of the impact of community pharmacist on clinical outcomes for aged patients. It suggests that the provision of an MRF in collaboration with general medical practitioners and patients contributes to the improvement of aged polypharmacy patients’ health status and reduces their problems related with the use of medicines.Cinfa Laboratorie

Lifestyle and fat distribution in asthmatic and healthy adolescents

Introducción: el objetivo es analizar el estilo de vida, en función del ejercicio y la dieta, de un grupo de adolescentes de la Comunidad de Madrid, teniendo en cuenta género y patología y su relación con el estado nutricional, la distribución de grasa y la función pulmonar. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo de 207 sujetos que analizó el estilo de vida a partir del nivel de actividad física (AF) y la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea, el estado nutricional y la distribución de grasa, y la salud respiratoria. Resultados: El grupo de no asmáticos fue más activo (p=0,003) y presentó menor ICT (p=0,001) que el grupo de asmáticos. Se encontraron diferencias significativas dentro del grupo sin asma en nivel de AF siendo los varones más activos (p=0,01) y presentando menor índice cintura-talla (ICT) que las mujeres del mismo grupo (p=0,001). Conclusiones: Los adolescentes no asmáticos fueron más activos y presentaron mejor distribución de grasa que los asmáticosObjectives: objective is to analyze the lifestyle, integrating exercise and diet, of a group of adolescents from the Community of Madrid, taking into account gender and pathology and its relationship with nutritional status, fat distribution and lung function in adolescents with or without asthma. Methods: This was a descriptive study including 207 subjects aged 13.20 ± 0.62 years. Lifestyle was assessed in terms of physical activity (PA) levels, Mediterranean diet, nutritional status, and respiratory health measured through FEV1 (z). Results: In the non-asthma group, boys were more active (p = 0.01) and showed a lower waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) than girls (p = 0.001). Participants without asthma were more active (p = 0.003), and had a better WHtR (p = 0.001) and FEV1 (p = 0.001) than those with asthma. Conclusions: In this Spanish population sample, non-asthmatic adolescents were more active and showed a better nutritional status, fat distribution and respiratory health than their peers with asthmaFinanciado a través de la VII Convocatoria Real Madrid-Universidad Europea (Ref 2015/03RM); Tercer premio en los XV Premios Neumomadrid; Beca Jóvenes Investigadores de la SENP 2015

Factores que influyen en la participación de farmacéuticos comunitarios en un servicio de atención farmacéutica para pacientes asmáticos

Objetivo: Identificar, mediante el modelo PRECEDE, los factores predisponentes, facilitadores y reforzantes que influían en la participación de un grupo de farmacéuticos en el proyecto AFasma. Método: Estudio cualitativo mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas y observación participante de los farmacéuticos incluidos en el grupo de intervención del estudio AFasma. Resultados: Los factores predisponentes motivantes para el farmacéutico fueron: formación en asma, realización profesional, fidelización del paciente y valoración de la farmacia. Los factores desmotivantes fueron: dedicación de tiempo, ausencia de relación farmacéutico-médico, falta de personal y de publicidad, y dificultades para ofrecer el servicio. Los factores facilitadores presentes fueron: habilidades de comunicación farmacéutico-paciente, cumplimentación correcta de las hojas de recogida de datos, uso correcto del inhalador y pago por servicio. Por el contrario, se detectó: baja capacidad para ofertar el servicio, ausencia de una zona de atención personalizada, dudas con la valoración de la técnica de inhalación y educación en asma, y ausencia de implicación de todo el personal de la farmacia. Los factores reforzantes identificados con mayor frecuencia a favor de la realización del estudio fueron: satisfacción personal y profesional, mejora de la relación farmacéutico-paciente y actualización en farmacología, mientras que entre los identificados en contra el más frecuente fue la alta dedicación de tiempo requerida. Conclusiones: La utilización del modelo PRECEDE logró identificar los factores predisponentes, facilitadores y reforzantes que condicionaron la participación de un grupo de farmacéuticos en el estudio AFasma. Con los resultados obtenidos se podría diseñar un conjunto de estrategias para apoyar la realización de estudios similares y facilitar una posible implantación del servicio

Factores que influyen en la participación de farmacéuticos comunitarios en un servicio de atención farmacéutica para pacientes asmáticos

Objetivo: Identificar, mediante el modelo PRECEDE, los factores predisponentes, facilitadores y reforzantes que influían en la participación de un grupo de farmacéuticos en el proyecto AFasma. Método: Estudio cualitativo mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas y observación participante de los farmacéuticos incluidos en el grupo de intervención del estudio AFasma. Resultados: Los factores predisponentes motivantes para el farmacéutico fueron: formación en asma, realización profesional, fidelización del paciente y valoración de la farmacia. Los factores desmotivantes fueron: dedicación de tiempo, ausencia de relación farmacéutico-médico, falta de personal y de publicidad, y dificultades para ofrecer el servicio. Los factores facilitadores presentes fueron: habilidades de comunicación farmacéutico-paciente, cumplimentación correcta de las hojas de recogida de datos, uso correcto del inhalador y pago por servicio. Por el contrario, se detectó: baja capacidad para ofertar el servicio, ausencia de una zona de atención personalizada, dudas con la valoración de la técnica de inhalación y educación en asma, y ausencia de implicación de todo el personal de la farmacia. Los factores reforzantes identificados con mayor frecuencia a favor de la realización del estudio fueron: satisfacción personal y profesional, mejora de la relación farmacéutico-paciente y actualización en farmacología, mientras que entre los identificados en contra el más frecuente fue la alta dedicación de tiempo requerida. Conclusiones: La utilización del modelo PRECEDE logró identificar los factores predisponentes, facilitadores y reforzantes que condicionaron la participación de un grupo de farmacéuticos en el estudio AFasma. Con los resultados obtenidos se podría diseñar un conjunto de estrategias para apoyar la realización de estudios similares y facilitar una posible implantación del servicio

The impact of a medication review with follow-up service on hospital admissions in aged polypharmacy patients

© 2016 The British Pharmacological Society Aims: The aims were to assess the impact of a medication review with follow-up (MRF) service provided in community pharmacy to aged polypharmacy patients on the number of medication-related hospital admissions and to estimate the effect on hospital costs. Methods: This was a sub-analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trials carried out in 178 community pharmacies in Spain. Pharmacies in the intervention group (IG) provided a comprehensive medication review during 6 months. Pharmacists in the comparison group (CG) delivered usual care. For the purposes of this sub-analysis, an expert panel of three internal medicine specialists screened the hospitalizations occurring during the main study, in order to identify medication-related hospitalizations. Inter-rater reliability was measured using Fleiss's kappa. Hospital costs were calculated using diagnosis related groups. Results: One thousand four hundred and three patients were included in the main study and they had 83 hospitalizations. Forty-two hospitalizations (50.6%) were medicine-related, with a substantial level of agreement among the experts (kappa = 0.65, 95% CI 0.52, 0.78, P < 0.01). The number of medication-related hospitalizations was significantly lower in patients receiving MRF (IG 11, GC 31, P = 0.042). The probability of being hospitalized was 3.7 times higher in the CG (odds ratio 3.7, 95% CI 1.2, 11.3, P = 0.021). Costs for a medicine-related hospitalization were €6672. Medication-related hospitalization costs were lower for patients receiving MRF [IG: €94 (SD 917); CG: €301 (SD 2102); 95% CI 35.9, 378.0, P = 0.018]. Conclusion: MRF provided by community pharmacists might be an effective strategy to balance the assurance of the benefit from medications and the avoidance of medication-related hospitalizations in aged patients using polypharmacy