Intervention assessment in an Indian health service pharmacy.

OBJECTIVE: To document and evaluate pharmacists' interventions in a setting that has complete and immediate access to patient information. DESIGN: Descriptive report evaluating self-reported interventions made by pharmacists during the conduct of routine dispensing activities. The data collection period was from February 15 to April 1, 1994. SETTING: Ambulatory care facility offering medical and dental care to high school residents, Native Americans, and Alaska Natives in Northwestern Oregon. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intervention rate per 100 new prescriptions dispensed. Each intervention was evaluated with regard to the information used to initiate it, when during the dispensing process it was initiated, and the intervention type. Outside evaluators determined the clinical significance of the interventions, including potential adverse health consequences, the likelihood of their occurrence, and the level of medical care that would have been required to treat the problem. RESULTS: Of 2,535 orders screened, 104 interventions (4.1%) were collected; 71% of these occurred during chart screening. Pharmacists most often used the medication order itself (60.6%) to detect prescribing problems, followed by other records in the patient's chart (29.8%). Outside evaluators identified 47.1% of the 104 interventions as clinically significant. The most common adverse health consequence prevented was inadequate control of the patient's condition. Outside evaluators also found that the most common level of corrective care that would have been needed if the intervention had not occurred, was a scheduled physician office visit (59.2%). CONCLUSION: This information suggests that pharmacists who have access to patient information may intervene at higher rates and that more of their interventions may be deemed clinically significant. However, larger, double-blinded, case-controlled studies are needed to definitively draw these conclusions.

Second-generation antihistamines: a comparative review.

Second-generation histamine H1 receptor antagonists (antihistamines) have been developed to reduce or eliminate the sedation and anticholinergic adverse effects that occur with older H1 receptor antagonists. This article evaluates second-generation antihistamines, including acrivastine, astemizole, azelastine, cetirizine, ebastine, fexofenadine, ketotifen, loratadine, mizolastine and terfenadine, for significant features that affect choice. In addition to their primary mechanism of antagonising histamine at the H1 receptor, these agents may act on other mediators of the allergic reaction. However, the clinical significance of activity beyond that mediated by histamine H1 receptor antagonism has yet to be demonstrated. Most of the agents reviewed are metabolised by the liver to active metabolites that play a significant role in their effect. Conditions that result in accumulation of astemizole, ebastine and terfenadine may prolong the QT interval and result in torsade de pointes. The remaining agents reviewed do not appear to have this risk. For allergic rhinitis, all agents are effective and the choice should be based on other factors. For urticaria, cetirizine and mizolastine demonstrate superior suppression of wheal and flare at the dosages recommended by the manufacturer. For atopic dermatitis, as adjunctive therapy to reduce pruritus, cetirizine, ketotifen and loratadine demonstrate efficacy. Although current evidence does not suggest a primary role for these agents in the management of asthma, it does support their use for asthmatic patients when there is coexisting allergic rhinitis, dermatitis or urticaria.

Manufacturers' distribution of drug samples to a family medicine clinic.

The distribution of drug product samples by pharmaceutical companies to a family medicine clinic was studied. Data on all deliveries of drug samples to the clinic site of a university-affiliated family medicine residency program from November 1992 through December 1993 were collected. In addition, the 11 faculty family physicians were surveyed about their experiences with the deliveries of samples. Forty-three manufacturers delivered samples of 331 drugs during the 14-month study period. There were 366 visits by the drug company representatives, who made 1117 separate deliveries. The total value of the samples, based on the average whole-sale price, was $240,782. Twenty-nine percent of the drugs were nonformulary, and only 49% were stocked by the pharmacy. The physicians surveyed indicated that they were either usually or always asked to sign for samples they did not in fact request, that they usually did not know what was recorded on the receipts for samples that they signed, and that they seldom verified what was actually delivered. Pharmaceutical manufactures delivered large quantities of drug samples during the study period, and many of the drugs were nonformulary or not stocked by the pharmacy. The physicians indicated that they were not well informed about delivered samples for which they signed receipts.

Treatment of nicotine dependence.

Drug and nondrug interventions used in treating nicotine dependence are reviewed. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Risks of smoking-related disease and death decline sharply when smokers quit, but 26% of Americans continue to smoke. Most smokers find it extremely difficult to quit smoking because of their nicotine addiction. Nonpharmacologic interventions used to promote smoking cessation include behavioral therapy, setting a specific date for quitting, receiving advice to quit from a health care professional, follow-up visits to review progress, self-help approaches, group counseling, filtration devices, hypnosis, and acupuncture. The efficacy of these approaches ranges from substantial to almost nil. The only pharmacologic agent with FDA-approved labeling for use in smoking-cessation therapy is nicotine. When used in conjunction with appropriate nonpharmacologic interventions, nicotine-replacement therapy roughly doubles the rate of quitting obtained with placebo. Nicotine-replacement therapies consist of nicotine transdermal (patch) systems and nicotine chewing gum. The nicotine patch is the first-line replacement therapy because it is effective when accompanied by only minimal (as opposed to more intensive) nonpharmacologic interventions and because it is easier to use and comply with than gum. Clonidine, antidepressants, and buspirone require further study to determine what role, if any, they should play in the treatment of nicotine dependence. The stages of smoking cessation are precontemplation, contemplation, action, and maintenance; interventions are selected on the basis of the stage the smoker is in. Nicotine dependence is difficult to treat, but there are aids that boost a smoker's chances of quitting. Nicotine patches and chewing gum offer the most effective pharmacologic options, especially when combined with behavioral interventions and counseling.

Family practice physicians' perceptions of the usefulness of drug therapy recommendations from clinical pharmacists.

Family practice physicians' perceptions of the usefulness and clinical outcome of drug therapy recommendations made by clinical pharmacists in a family medicine clinic were determined. For 15 weeks, pharmacists in the clinic recorded all consultations in which they made recommendations about the drug therapy of specific patients. At the time of each consultation, the pharmacists gave the physician a questionnaire designed to gauge the physician's opinion of the usefulness of the consultation. Physicians who implemented the recommendations were sent a second questionnaire and asked to indicate the extent to which the clinical pharmacist influenced their decision to implement the recommendation, the effect the recommendation had on the patient's clinical status, and the usefulness of the recommendation to the patient in ways unrelated to clinical status (such as greater patient acceptance, safety, or lower cost). Five clinical pharmacists provided 59 consultations to 33 physicians. The physicians rated 51 (88%) of the consultations as very useful, and they implemented 78 (98%) of the 80 recommended actions. Of the 56 physicians who attributed their decision to implement the recommendation to their consultation with the clinical pharmacist, 43 believed that the recommendations had improved the clinical status of the patient, and 38 believed that the recommendations were useful to patients in ways unrelated to clinical status. Physicians in a family medicine residency training program had positive perceptions of the usefulness of drug therapy recommendations made by clinical pharmacists. A majority of the physicians believed that the recommendations had a positive effect on patients' clinical status.