Health and Safety Training to Include Disaster Response: Building Better Resiliency Through Union Leadership.

Eleven trade union leaders, many familiar with basic occupational safety and health, but many not significantly trained in the field, received two weeks of disaster response training. In zoom interviews they told of how their unions responded to such disasters as 9-11, the Covid-19 pandemic, and Hurricanes Sandy, Maria, and Harvey. Unions, as is their historical practice, helped individuals, workplaces, and communities with resilience, but all participants said there needed to be much better at pre-disaster planning, training, and hard work to be able to respond adequately to future events.

Chemical Workers Union Consortium Trains Trainers in Disaster Response While Building Both Resiliency in Disasters and Preparedness.

This paper studies disaster training work of one of the original grantees of the Worker Training Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: The International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC) and its consortium of unions and national organizations. The consortium developed disaster train-the-trainer curriculum in English and in Spanish, so worker trainers would be poised to do training during, after, and in prevention of disasters. This paper reviews the program and its impact on affected communities - with both a historical perspective and with interviews of 20 of those who were trained to be disaster response trainers. At least half the trainees actively trained at one or more disaster sites provided important information to keep community residents safer and to help them build resilience in their communities. Other trainers have used their knowledge to improve their workplaces during a disaster or to help prevent mold contamination and other post-disaster hazards in underserved neighborhoods.

Social Determinants of Health in People Living with Psychiatric Disorders: The Role of Pharmacists.

Introduction: Social determinants of health (SDOH) affect outcomes of people living with psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. As experts in medication optimization, pharmacists play a vital role in identifying and addressing medication-related problems associated with SDOH. However, there is a paucity of literature on how pharmacists can be part of the solution. Objective: The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative review and commentary on the intersection between SDOH, medication-related outcomes in people living with psychiatric disorders, and the role of pharmacists in addressing them. Method: The American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists appointed an expert panel to research the issue, identify barriers, and develop a framework for including pharmacists in addressing medication therapy problems associated with SDOH in people with psychiatric disorders. The panel used Healthy People 2030 as the framework and sought input from public health officials to propose solutions for their commentary. Results: We identified potential connections between SDOH and their impact on medication use in people with psychiatric disorders. We provide examples of how comprehensive medication management can afford opportunities for pharmacists to mitigate medication-related problems associated with SDOH. Conclusion: Public health officials should be aware of the vital role that pharmacists play in addressing medication therapy problems associated with SDOH to improve health outcomes and to incorporate them in health promotion programs.

Holding pharmacy educators accountable in the wake of the anti-racism movement: A call to action.

INTRODUCTION: The recent murders of Black Americans has forced our society to reevaluate how the various systems in our nation view race and to attempt to dismantle and rebuild the structures that reinforce and perpetuate racial group inequity. PERSPECTIVE: Cultural awareness education has been broadly integrated into pharmacy curricula across the country to comply with accreditation standards. Health disparities are currently addressed in the context of race and ethnicity but lack the connection to racism. Cultural awareness education should focus more on racism and its impact on healthcare. IMPLICATIONS: In order to properly address racism in cultural awareness education, there has to be a deliberate curricular integration of anti-racism education addressing historical factors that have set the foundation of structural racism in this country. The current manifestations and impact on healthcare can be connected to this history. As a primary influencer of one of the most accessible healthcare professionals, pharmacy educators are at the forefront to educate and equip the next generation to strive for health equity in the context of racism.

Trends in hospital admissions due to antidepressant-related adverse drug events from 2001 to 2011 in the U.S.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a prevalent mental health disorder and the fourth leading cause of disability in the world as per the World Health Organization. Use of antidepressants can lead to adverse drug events (ADEs), defined as any injury resulting from medication use. This study aimed to examine changes in hospital admissions due to antidepressant-related ADEs (ArADEs) among different socio-demographic groups and changes in lengths of stay (LOS) and hospital charges in ArADE admissions from 2001 to 2011. METHODS: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database was used. ArADE admissions in different socio-demographic groups were examined including characteristics such as age, gender, rural/urban, and income. LOS and hospital charges for ArADE cases were compared between 2001 and 2011. Chi-square test and t test were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: There were 17,375 and 20,588 ArADE related admissions in 2001 and 2011, respectively. There was a 17.6% increase among the group of 18 to 64 years old and a 64.8% increase among the group of 65 years or older while the other age groups experienced decreased admission rates. Males and females had similar increases. Patients from the lower income areas experienced a two-fold increase while those from the higher income areas experienced a decrease. The mean LOS for all ArADE related admissions increased from 2.18 to 2.81 days and mean hospital charges increased from $8,456.2 to $21,572.5. CONCLUSIONS: There was an increase in ArADE hospital admissions. The greater increase in ArADE admissions among elderly, urban or low-income patients should be noted and addressed by practitioners and policy makers. The large increase in hospital charges needs further research.

Factors Associated with Self-Reported Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Aged 18 Years and Older in the United States.

In 2016, an estimated 4120 women will die as a result of cervical cancer. The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with cervical cancer screening among women 18 years of age and older in the United States (U.S.). Using the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, women over the age of 18 in the U.S. were examined to assess factors associated with cervical cancer screening. Analyses were conducted using SAS 9.2. Of the 272,692 study participants, 258,496 (95 %) had obtained cervical cancer screening. After adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, being non-Hispanic White, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, in the age group 18-44 years and 75 years and above, having less than a high school education and an annual household income of less than a $25,000, having never married, and residing in the West region of the U.S. reduced the likelihood of participation in cervical cancer screening. Also, after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, being between the ages of 45-74 years of age, having more than a high school education, having a higher income, and residing in the South region of the U.S. increased the likelihood of participation in cervical cancer screening. The results of this study suggest that socio-demographic factors and region of residence are predictors of cervical cancer screening. These findings highlight the need to identify potential prevention strategies to promote cervical cancer screening among at-risk populations and groups.

Pharmacist-initiated prior authorization process to improve patient care in a psychiatric acute care hospital.

A prior authorization (PA) is a requirement implemented by managed care organizations to help provide medications to consumers in a cost-effective manner. The PA process may be seen as a barrier by prescribers, pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies, and consumers. The lack of a standardized PA process, implemented prior to a patient's discharge from a health care facility, may increase nonadherence to inpatient prescribed medications. Pharmacists and other health care professionals can implement a PA process specific to their institution. This article describes a pharmacist-initiated PA process implemented at an acute care psychiatric hospital. This process was initiated secondary to a need for a standardized process at the facility. To date, the process has been seen as a valuable aspect to patient care. Plans to expand this process include collecting data with regards to adherence and readmissions as well as applying for a grant to help develop a program to automate the PA program at this facility.