Alogliptin and Heart Failure Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: In 2016, the FDA issued a warning for saxagliptin and alogliptin regarding an increased risk of heart failure (HF), potentially limiting the use of effective medications in type 2 diabetes. Current data and guideline recommendations regarding HF risk are conflicting, especially with alogliptin. In March 2019, the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center made a formulary change from saxagliptin to alogliptin, creating an opportunity to evaluate a large number of patients receiving alogliptin. Objective: To evaluate the risk of HF with alogliptin use in type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients prescribed alogliptin was performed. The primary outcome was the composite number of HF hospital admissions and ED visits. Secondary outcomes included exacerbation rates among established HF patients, incidence of new-onset HF, incidence of alogliptin discontinuation due to HF, comparison of HF exacerbations between saxagliptin and alogliptin in patients with prior saxagliptin use, and evaluation of concomitant cardiotoxic medications. Results: 455 patients were included. A composite of 28 hospital admissions and ED visits occurred for a HF exacerbation. Fourteen patients (26.4%) of 53 patients with established HF had an exacerbation, whereas 5 patients (1.2%) of 402 patients with no history of HF had an exacerbation. Eight patients (2%) developed new-onset HF. Alogliptin was discontinued in 4 patients (0.9%) due to HF. No statistically significant difference in HF exacerbations was found between patients on alogliptin who previously received saxagliptin (4.8% vs 4.2%, P = 0.726). Conclusions: Alogliptin may increase the risk of HF exacerbation in patients with established HF.

Implementation of a pharmacist-led transitional care clinic.

PURPOSE: To describe a pharmacist-led transitional care clinic (TCC) for high-risk patients who were recently hospitalized or seen in the emergency department (ED). SUMMARY: The Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) established a pharmacist-led face-to-face and telephone follow-up TCC to improve posthospitalization follow-up care through medication optimization and disease state management, particularly for veterans with high-risk disease states such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF). The clinic's clinical pharmacy specialists (CPSs) ordered diagnostic and laboratory tests, performed physical assessments, and consulted other providers and specialty services in addition to performing medication reconciliation, compliance assessment, and evaluation of adverse drug events. TCC patients were typically seen within 2 weeks of discharge and subsequently referred back to their primary care provider or a specialty care provider for continued management. A retrospective review of 2016 TCC data found that 7.8% of patients seen in the TCC were readmitted within 30 days of discharge; readmission rates for COPD and HF were reduced to 13% and 10%, respectively, compared to hospital-wide readmission rates of 17% and 24%. A separate observational analysis found that 30-day readmissions for COPD and HF were reduced in TCC patients, with pharmacists documenting an average of 6.2 interventions and 3.3 medication-related problems per patient. To reduce clinic appointment no-shows, the CPSs worked with inpatient providers and schedulers to emphasize to patients the importance of clinic attendance; also, TCC services were expanded to include telehealth appointments to increase access for rural and/or homebound patients. CONCLUSION: A pharmacist-led TCC effectively reduced readmissions and prevented medication-related problems for high-risk patients who were hospitalized or seen in the ED.

Low-Dose Alteplase for the Treatment of Submassive Pulmonary Embolism: A Case Series.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary embolism (PE) can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Thrombolytics are currently approved for the treatment of massive PE; however, the CHEST guidelines recommend against systemic thrombolytic use in acute PE patients without hypotension, unless these patients deteriorate on anticoagulation alone. Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of thrombolysis in submassive PE; however, the full thrombolytic dose resulted in significantly increased risk of non-intracranial bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke. The MOPETT trial demonstrated that low-dose tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) significantly reduced the risk of pulmonary hypertension and recurrent PE compared to anticoagulation alone in submassive PE patients without any bleeding events. SUMMARY: This case series highlights 5 patient cases utilizing low-dose tPA for submassive PE. All patients had successful resolution of their symptoms and improvement in vitals and laboratory values. Furthermore, no patient had any bleeding during or after tPA administration. Three patients showed improved right ventricle function and reduced or normal right ventricle size on echocardiogram after tPA administration. CONCLUSION: The potential for low-dose tPA as a safe and efficacious treatment option for submassive PE is illustrated by this case series. However, larger, randomized controlled trials are needed to establish low-dose tPA as an accepted treatment modality.