Using Continuing Professional Development with Portfolio in a Pharmaceutics Course

The introduction of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to encourage individual life-long learning as a way of maintaining professional competency in pharmacy has faced resistance. To investigate ways to address this barrier we included CPD with portfolio in a university Pharmaceutics course. Underpinning knowledge for the course was delivered using a flipped classroom approach and students used the CPD model to address clinical scenarios presented in a simulated pharmacy setting. Students produced portfolio items for the different case scenarios and submitted these for assessment. This provided the opportunity for students to carry out repeated application of the CPD cycle and, in so doing, develop skills in critical thinking for self-reflection and self-evaluation. This course was designed to encourage the development of higher level learning skills for future self-directed learning. Thirty six students submitted a completed portfolio. Twenty nine students achieved a result of >70%, five students scored between 57%–69%, one student obtained a mark of 50% and one student failed. The end of course survey revealed that while students found portfolio development challenging (40%), they also reported that it was effective for self-learning (54%). Differentiating between the concepts “reflection” and “evaluation” in CPD was problematic for some students and the use of clearer, simpler language should be used to explain these processes in future CPD work

The impact of factor infusion frequency on health-related quality of life in people with haemophilia

Some studies suggest that people with haemophilia (PwH) who use prophylaxis value low frequency of clotting factor administration more than a lower risk of bleeding. However, more frequent infusions offer the potential of reducing joint disease and pain, which in turn may improve functioning and quality of life

The impact of factor infusion frequency on health-related quality of life in people with haemophilia

From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: ppub 2020-01-01, issued 2020-01-01, epub 2020-08-15Publication status: PublishedAbstract Background Some studies suggest that people with haemophilia (PwH) who use prophylaxis value low frequency of clotting factor administration more than a lower risk of bleeding. However, more frequent infusions offer the potential of reducing joint disease and pain, which in turn may improve functioning and quality of life. Aims To explore the impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) aspects of haemophilia associated with adherence and annual infusion rate in the context of factors influencing treatment that are important to patients, including prophylaxis, chronic pain, concomitant conditions and hospital admission. Materials and methods HRQoL was assessed in participants with severe haemophilia in the ‘Cost of Haemophilia in Europe: a Socioeconomic Survey’ (CHESS) study who were using prophylaxis. Patients using on-demand treatment were excluded. This multivariate analysis examined the interaction between factors potentially influencing treatment and HRQoL, and minor and major bleeds. Results From the total CHESS population (n=1,285), 338 (26%) participants provided responses for major and minor bleeds and target joints, and 145 (11%) provided EQ-5D-3L responses. Major and minor bleeds were associated with pain. Patients with severe chronic pain reported a substantial negative impact on HRQoL; but this was significantly improved by increases in the annual infusion rate. This was not apparent in participants with mild or moderate pain. Conclusion Increasing the frequency of prophylaxis infusions is associated with improved quality of life in PwH who have severe chronic pain. However, increasing the number of infusions per week in those with mild or moderate chronic pain with the intention of improving prophylactic effect may not have the same effect

Regression models for air pollution and daily mortality: analysis of data from Birmingham, Alabama

Remifentanil is a short acting opioid currently used in anesthesia and as an analgesic. This paper describes a simple, fast HPLC-MS/MS methodology that allows detection of remifentanil in low volume plasma samples. Acetonitrile protein precipitation is used for sample extraction and clean up. The assay has a lower limit of detection of 0.25 ng/mL and a 3 min run time

Relative abundance of individual methanogen and Succinivibrionaceae OTUs in group R and group A.

<p>Relative abundance of OTUs identified as family Succinivibrionaceae, kingdom Archaea or class Thermoplasmata (recently reclassified as members of the order Methanomassiliicoccales) in individual liquid (L) and solid (S) rumen samples from groups R and A are shown. Different colours represent different OTU numbers. Taxonomic assignments for all OTU numbers are given in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0133234#pone.0133234.s001" target="_blank">S1 Table</a>.</p