A needs assessment of pharmacokinetic skills performed on advanced pharmacy practice experiences by student pharmacists.

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacokinetic (PK) calculations are an important competency for pharmacy students, however, there is little to guide which medications should be included in pharmacy curricula. Additionally, many new medications require therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)-but not PK calculations-to ensure safe use. The objectives of this study were to quantify which medications are most frequently encountered by pharmacy students during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE's) and to what extent PK calculations or TDM were completed by students while on APPE's at the University of New England. METHODS: Fourth-year students were surveyed upon completion of their advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE's). RESULTS: Pharmacokinetic calculations occurred most frequently on institutional rotations. Vancomycin and aminoglycosides were the two most common medications pharmacy students were asked to perform PK calculations for while on APPE's. Therapeutic drug monitoring occurred most frequently on institutional rotations. Therapeutic drug monitoring also occurred more often than pharmacokinetic monitoring on ambulatory care rotations. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacokinetic calculations as well as therapeutic drug monitoring requiring no calculations were both commonly encountered by student pharmacists while on APPE rotations. Changes to clinical guidelines have impacted the types of medications students are expected to have proficiency with, and more broadly defined therapeutic drug monitoring competencies may be important for ambulatory care APPE's.

Current Practices in Hosting Non-US Pharmacy Students at US Pharmacy Schools in Experiential Clerkships.

Objective: To provide specific considerations for hosting non-U.S. pharmacy students at U.S.-based colleges/schools of pharmacy (C/SOP) for experiential clerkships and training. Findings: A literature review (2000-2016) in PubMed, Google Scholar and IPA databases was conducted using specific keywords. Recommendations and future directions for development of experiential rotations for non-U.S. students in U.S. experiential rotations are presented for both the home and host country. Summary articles and best practices across the disciplines, as well as expert opinion, were found across U.S. models for hosting non-U.S. students in advanced practice rotations in the medical disciplines. Consistent themes regarding legal agreements, acculturation, standardized calendars and social and safety considerations were considered for inclusion in the final document. Conclusion: Development of a successful experiential rotation/training for non-U.S. students requires consideration for well-developed objectives, qualified preceptors, multitude of legal and cultural considerations and recommendations for longevity and sustainability.

Current Practices in Global/International Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences: Preceptor and Student Considerations.

The objective of this article is to describe the key areas of consideration for global/international advanced pharmacy practice experience (G/I APPE) preceptors, students and learning objectives. At the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the GPE SIG prepared and presented an initial report on the G/IAPPE initiatives. Round table discussions were conducted at the 2014 AACP Annual Meeting to document GPE SIG member input on key areas in the report. Literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar and EMBASE with keywords was conducted to expand this report. In this paper, considerations related to preceptors and students and learning outcomes are described. Preceptors for G/I APPEs may vary based on the learning outcomes of the experience. Student learning outcomes for G/I APPEs may vary based on the type of experiential site. Recommendations and future directions for development of G/IAPPEs are presented. Development of a successful G/I APPE requires significant planning and consideration of appropriate qualifications for preceptors and students.

Epileptogenic potential of carbapenem agents: mechanism of action, seizure rates, and clinical considerations.

Antimicrobials are the most frequently implicated class of drugs in drug-induced seizure, with ß-lactams being the class of antimicrobials most often implicated. The seizure-inducing potential of the carbapenem subclass may be directly related to their ß-lactam ring structure. Data on individual carbapenems and seizure activity are scarce. To evaluate the available evidence on the association between carbapenem agents and seizure activity, we conducted a literature search of the MEDLINE (1966-May 2010), EMBASE (1974-May 2010), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-May 2010) databases. Reference citations from the retrieved articles were also reviewed. Mechanistically, seizure propensity of the ß-lactams is related to their binding to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. There are numerous reports of seizure activity associated with imipenem-cilastatin, with seizure rates ranging from 3-33%. For meropenem, doripenem, and ertapenem, the seizure rate for each agent is reported as less than 1%. However, as their use increases and expands into new patient populations, the rate of seizures with these agents may increase. High-dose therapy, especially in patients with renal dysfunction, preexisting central nervous system abnormalities, or a seizure history increases the likelihood of seizure activity. Although specific studies have not been conducted, data indicate that carbapenem-associated seizure is best managed with benzodiazepines, followed by other agents that enhance GABA transmission. Due to the drug interaction between carbapenems and valproic acid, resulting in clinically significant declines in valproic acid serum concentrations, the combination should be avoided whenever possible. Clinicians should be vigilant regarding the possibility of carbapenem-induced seizures when selecting and dosing antimicrobial therapy.