BACKGROUND Appropriate drug selection and dosing for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is important to avoid unwanted drug effects and ensure optimal patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE To assess the rate of inappropriate dosing in patients with CKD in a nephrology unit and to evaluate the impact on dose adjustment, adverse drug events (ADEs), and drug cost of having a pharmacist accompany a...

Over 80 million American adults were diagnosed with hypertension in 2011, and there was a 39% increase in deaths related to hypertension between 2001 and 2011. Hypertension was associated with $46.4 billion in direct and indirect costs in the United States in 2011. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data analyses have found that individuals from under-represented minority groups o...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate therapeutic education delivered in a pediatric emergency department to improve parents' satisfaction and attitudes about judicious antibiotic use. METHODS In an emergency department of a tertiary pediatric hospital, children aged 1 month to 6 years and discharged with an oral antibiotic prescription for an acute respiratory or urinary tract infection were randomized to a...

BACKGROUND There is still debate as to which features, types or components of primary care interventions are associated with improved depression outcomes. Previous reviews have focused on components of collaborative care models in general practice settings. This paper aims to determine the effective components of depression care in primary care through a systematic examination of both general p...

Background A high rate of prescription errors exists in pediatric teaching hospitals, especially during initial training. Objectives To determine the effectiveness of a two-hour lecture by a pharmacist on rates of prescription errors and quality of prescriptions. Methods A two-hour lecture led by a pharmacist was provided to 11 junior pediatric residents (PGY-1) as part of a one-month immer...

BACKGROUND The Medication Management Program was established at the Fraser Health Authority in 2005, in response to evidence suggesting that having pharmacists provide care to patients in their homes after discharge from hospital could reduce subsequent utilization of health service resources. OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of the Medication Management Program in its first 2 years o...

BACKGROUND Heart failure is one of the most common reasons for hospital admissions in patients aged 65 years and older, with an estimated 1 million hospitalizations annually. In 2010, health care expenditures for heart failure were estimated to be $32 billion. Nonadherence to medications and lifestyle contributes to hospital admissions in up to one-third of patients. Efforts to reduce readmissi...

For patients with diabetes, suboptimal medication adherence contributes to disease progression, complications, and increased healthcare costs. Identification of, and intervention for patient-identified reasons for nonadherence are essential to improving medication adherence. This prospective, quality improvement study was conducted at an independent community pharmacy in the Mid-West United Sta...