Residency preparation elective courses (and other factors) as predictors of pharmacy residency match rates.

INTRODUCTION: The current demand for pharmacy residencies far exceeds supply. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if presence of a pharmacy residency elective course has an effect on the American Society of Health System Pharmacists Residency Matching Program ("the Match") rates. METHODS: Data from the 2018 residency match were collected. Independent variables such as presence of a residency preparation elective course, residency track availability, school's affiliation with a residency program, interest in residency (as measured by the number of students enrolled in the Match divided by the number of degrees conferred), age of pharmacy school, first-time 2018 North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination pass rates, number of degrees conferred in 2018, funding status, and geographic region were analyzed to determine factors that could affect or had an association with match rates. RESULTS: From 139 accredited pharmacy schools, data from 135 schools of pharmacy were included in this study. The match rate for schools with a residency preparation elective course compared to those without was 61% and 62%, respectively. Following univariate linear regression analysis, availability of a residency course did not significantly affect residency match rates. The covariates of geographic region and funding source were significantly predictive of residency match success. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a residency preparation elective course in the curriculum did not have a significant effect on 2018 match rates when accounting for various variables. It is uncertain whether enrollment in such an elective would have an effect on match rates.

Impact of a pharmacistdeveloped protocol on the cardiac monitoring of methadone in chronic noncancer pain management.

Objectives: To describe the roles of pharmacists in a chronic pain management clinic (PMC) and to discuss the impact of a pharmacist-developed protocol on monitoring for rate-corrected QT interval prolongation with methadone when used for chronic noncancer pain.Setting: An academic family medicine department with an affiliated PMC in which pharmacists practice, from 2005 to 2008.Practice description: Pharmacy services in the PMC included taking medication histories and reconciling the medication record at each visit, assessing the efficacy and safety of drug therapy, making therapeutic recommendations to the two PMC physicians, and counseling patients on their drug regimens. These services were provided by faculty pharmacists and by student pharmacists completing their advanced pharmacy practice experiences at the site.Practice innovation: Based on a need identified in a medication use evaluation performed by the pharmacists, a protocol was developed with the objective of increasing the rates of cardiac monitoring in high-risk patients prescribed methadone in all of the department's clinics.Main outcome measure: Rates of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring pre- and postprotocol were compared to determine the impact of the protocol.Results: A 19% absolute (136% relative) increase occurred in the proportion of high-risk patients who had an ECG performed (P = 0.02). The proportion of high-risk patients from the PMC who had an ECG increased by 20% (absolute; 27% relative; P = 0.005), with no significant change in the other clinics.Conclusion: The implementation of a pharmacist-developed protocol resulted in improvements in monitoring practices. The improvement was most pronounced in the PMC, which uses pharmacists in the patient care process. This suggests that the involvement of pharmacists in the application of the protocol may be more important than the existence of a protocol.

Role of acetyl-L-carnitine in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search (1966-April 2008) of the English-language literature was performed using the search terms carnitine, diabetes, nerve, and neuropathy. Studies identified were then cross-referenced for their citations. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: The search was limited to clinical trials, meta-analyses, and reviews addressing the use of ALC for the treatment of DPN. Studies that included other disease states that could cause peripheral neuropathy were excluded. Two large clinical studies that used ALC for the treatment of DPN were identified. No case studies were identified. DATA SYNTHESIS: The results from 2 published clinical trials involving 1679 subjects were included. Subjects who received at least 2 g daily of ALC showed decreases in pain scores. One study showed improvements in electrophysiologic factors such as nerve conduction velocities, while the other did not. Patients who had neuropathic pain reported reductions in pain using a visual analog scale. Nerve regeneration was documented in one trial. The supplement was well tolerated. A proprietary form of ALC was used in both studies. CONCLUSIONS: Data on treatment of DPN with ALC support its use. It should be recommended to patients early in the disease process to provide maximal benefit. Further studies should be conducted to determine the effectiveness of ALC in the treatment and prevention of the worsening symptoms of DPN.

Effect of a seminar on pharmacy student attitudes toward residency training.

PURPOSE: Students at a college of pharmacy were surveyed before and after a one-hour seminar on residency training to determine whether the information changed their opinions of pursuing a residency and identify predisposing factors and barriers to pursuit of a residency. METHODS: Attendance at the seminar was mandatory for students in professional years 1 through 3 (P1-P3). Before the seminar, students provided information on demographics, grade point average (GPA), involvement in organizations, and previous pharmacy experience, degrees, and careers. They were asked to choose from a list of reasons they were or were not considering residency training and to answer yes or no questions about the residency application process. Students numbered their preseminar form for matching with their postseminar form. RESULTS: Before and after surveys were obtained for 221 students. Thirty-nine percent of the students before the seminar and 40% afterward were considering residency training, not a significant difference. Students with a GPA greater than 3.5, those in the P1 class, those with a previous career, and those involved in multiple organizations or holding office in an organization were more likely to consider a residency. Students' knowledge about the residency application process was significantly greater after the seminar. The most commonly cited barriers to residency were availability of pharmacy jobs without a residency, "burnout with school," lack of interest, and financial and family obligations. CONCLUSION: A mandatory one-hour seminar on residencies did not influence pharmacy students' opinions of and plans for residency training, but it did identify factors affecting their decisions.