Evaluating Perceptions of Test Anxiety Among Student Pharmacists and Faculty Members: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine student perceptions versus actual level of test anxiety, as measured by the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale-2 (CTAS-2), and student and faculty perceptions of test anxiety with regard to prevalence, impact, ease of treatment, and importance in pharmacy education. METHODS: Two independent Qualtrics questionnaires were distributed via email to all students and faculty in the professional pharmacy program (years 1-4) at the University of Mississippi. The first questionnaire evaluated pharmacy students' perceptions of test anxiety and self-awareness of personal test anxiety. The second questionnaire evaluated faculty members' perceptions of student test anxiety. The questionnaires had 50 and 21 questions, respectively, and were developed from validated, reliable questionnaires used in Cognitive Test Anxiety (CTA) research. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 123 students and 19 faculty. Overall, 46 % of students had a self-perception of "high test anxiety", with 28 % having a CTAS-2 score that correlated to severe test anxiety. A majority of faculty respondents (84 %) believed severe test anxiety affects 30 % or less of pharmacy students and may be associated with poor academic performance. CONCLUSION: Student pharmacists' self-perception of test anxiety and perception of difficulty mitigating test anxiety may be overestimated. Overall, faculty accurately estimated the degree of test anxiety, felt confident in being able to help students, and believed it should receive attention from both faculty and the university.

Evaluating the Efficacy of 3 Recruitment Methods for Enrolling Patients in Chronic Care Management Services: A Pilot Study.

Chronic Care Management (CCM) is a billable service that pharmacists can provide either in person or via telephone in ambulatory clinics or community pharmacies. Pharmacists may use this service to expand current roles in patient care and add billable services to an ambulatory care practice. The number of clinics employing CCM is steadily increasing, and to date, there has been limited information published to aid pharmacists who are considering implementing these services. The purpose of this study is to compare enrollment success in a clinic-based, pharmacist-led CCM service using three recruitment strategies to enroll patients: in person, telephone, and provider referred recruitment. This pilot study examined the success of three recruitment strategies using 94 patients eligible for CCM services in a rural health clinic. The primary outcome was successful enrollment in the CCM program with differences in recruitment strategy enrollment success examined using a Chi-square test. Overall, 42 of 94 patients (45%) were successfully enrolled in the CCM program with no statistical difference appreciated between telephone, in person, and provider referred recruitment. Nearly 33% (14/42) of patients enrolled in person, 40% (17/42) enrolled via telephone, and 26% (11/42) enrolled when referred from a provider. Ten patients (11%) declined enrollment outright. The remaining 42 patients were hesitant to enroll and requested follow up. In conclusion, there was no statistical difference in CCM enrollment success with in person, telephone, or provider referred recruitment, although more patients were enrolled via telephone than with the other two strategies. Pharmacists implementing new CCM programs may tailor their recruitment and enrollment strategy to suit their specific needs.

Appetite Stimulants for Treatment of Protein Energy Wasting of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Nutritional and metabolic abnormalities, or protein energy wasting, is a common complication of chronic kidney disease, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The cause of these abnormalities is multifactorial, and therefore, difficult to treat. The International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism suggests appetite stimulants, including megestrol, dronabinol, mirtazapine, and cyproheptadine, as adjunctive treatment options in addition to parenteral or oral nutritional supplementation. This article reviews the evidence for use of these drugs as appetite stimulants and discusses their use in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Electronic Health Record and Parenteral Nutrition Functionality: A Gap Analysis.

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a complex, high-alert medication that contains up to 40 different ingredients. Surveys have shown that current electronic health record (EHR) systems may lack functionality for safe and optimal delivery of PN. A gap analysis was performed by a multihospital system to identify opportunities to enhance the current PN process using the EHR utilized by the organization.

Assessing Quality of Pharmacist-Led Education for Patients with COPD Using the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Transitioning a patient from the hospital to home is an area of vulnerability for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Patients with COPD frequently readmit as they often do not understand their disease state, medications or when to seek medical attention. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to determine the impact that pharmacist-led education has on a patient's understanding of their disease state by assessing the results of the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ). METHODS: This study uses a quasi-experimental design to formally assess pharmacist-led education provided to patients with COPD using the LINQ. The LINQ was used to assess knowledge of the disease state and medications before and after receiving education on disease state management, smoking cessation and proper medication use. RESULTS: A total of 17 patients completed the LINQ. The survey results showed a statistically significant improvement in patient understanding in 4 of the 6 targeted areas. CONCLUSION: Results from the formal assessment using the LINQ suggest that pharmacist-lead education for COPD patients is beneficial and reliable. This study presents a continued need for patient education and research in this high-risk patient population.