iForumRx.org

Are You Sure? Tolerance of Uncertainty and the Risk of Stress-Related Harm

Health professionals must deal with a lot of uncertainty in their work, such as weighing the risks and benefits of various treatment options, determining whether a patient’s symptoms are an adverse effect of medication therapy, or deciding if adding a new drug to the formulary will be cost-effective. A lower tolerance of uncertainty increases the risk of burnout and other stress-related harms. A new study sheds light on several contextual factors that contribute to low tolerance of uncertainty and some potential opportunities for intervention.

Guest Author: Brent Reed, PharmD, MS, BCCP

Music by Good Talk

Top Ten Things Every Clinician Should Know About the 2022 Heart Failure Guidelines

The 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Heart Failure Guidelines is a much-needed update and consolidates previously published recommendations. In the written commentary we describe the top ten things every clinician should know about the 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Heart Failure Guidelines.  This podcast episode highlights some of the key recommendations from the guidelines and addresses some of the practical implications.

Guest Authors:  Madison Yates, PharmD and Megan Supple, PharmD, BCACP, CPP

Music by Good Talk

SAGE Wisdom: Analysis of a Self-Administered Gerocognitive Test

When was the last time your patients or loved ones were screened for cognitive changes and dementia? Patients and caregivers both fear and accept cognitive decline as part of the aging process, but often delay screening. However, early detection of cognitive impairment can assist healthcare teams to make proactive interventions to slow cognitive decline and promote healthy aging.

 

Guest Authors:  Rebecca Heath, PharmD, MSCR and Kimberly L. Zitko, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP

 

Music by Good Talk

Educating Patients and Prescribers About Deprescribing to Reduce Medication Burden May Not Be Enough

Unsurprisingly, medication burden increases as we age. At each clinic visit, we consider starting new medications, but it’s still relatively uncommon to critically evaluate medications that could be deprescribed. How can we change the culture to embrace deprescribing as an integral part of patient care?  The OPTIMIZE study was a provider- and patient-level educational intervention that attempted to increase deprescribing.

Guest Authors:  Kashelle Lockman, PharmD, MA and Sarah Greiner, PharmD

Music by Good Talk

Treating mild hypertension during pregnancy: Time for a new CHAPter!

Most practitioners won’t hesitate to start drug therapy in an adult patient with chronically elevated blood pressure (BP) … except, perhaps, if the patient is pregnant. In this vulnerable population, we frequently take a “wait-and-see” approach and withhold therapy unless the BP elevations become severe. But is this the right decision?

Guest Authors:  Timothy D. Gladwell, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP and Scott Baker, PharmD, BCPS

Music by Good Talk

Finally! Something FDA-Approvable for Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)?

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is quickly emerging as one of the most common reasons for both liver cirrhosis and liver transplant in the United States – soon predicted to overtake hepatitis C virus as the predominant etiology.  Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications to treat these disorders.  Hopefully, that will soon change.

Guest Author: Scott Malinowski, PharmD

Music by Good Talk

Managing Pain in Patients with High Blood Pressure: Is There No Safe PATH?

Pain and hypertension are two of the most prevalent conditions worldwide. Acetaminophen is often considered the “go-to” and the “safe” over-the-counter analgesic for patients with hypertension because it is not commonly believed to increase blood pressure or cardiovascular events. But is that assumption grounded in evidence?

Guest Authors: Lizzie Baumeister, PharmD and Austin Morgan, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES

Music by Good Talk

Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) - Patient Management Strategies and Getting Paid!

This episode is a collaboration between the ACCP Ambulatory Care Practice and Research Network (PRN) ... and iForumRx.org.

Wondering if a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is right for your patient?  Worried about workflow, prior authorization, billing, and payment?  Our expert panelists explain how they manage patients in their practices and how they bill for their services.

Guests:  Jennifer Trujillo, PharmD, BCPS, CDCES, BC-ADM; Edward Saito, PharmD, BCACP; and Christina Sherrill, PharmD, BCACP, CPP

Produced by Jonathan Hughes, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP and Anna Love, PharmD, BCACP

Music by lemonmusicstudio from Pixabay

A Healthier Way to Commute? Cycling Reduces Mortality in Patients with Diabetes

Physical activity is critical to preventing and treating diabetes and reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality.  Although moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise of any type is likely beneficial, cycling is particularly attractive because it is a low-impact exercise (e.g. easier on the joints) and can potentially be used as a transportation method.

Guest Author:  Kristin Lutek, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES

Special Guest:  Seena L. Haines, PharmD, BCACP, NBC-HWC

Music by Good Talk

Annual Wellness Visits: Pharmacists Closing Care Gaps

Many older adults do not receive recommended screening exams or treatments and frequently take multiple medications that place them at high risk of adverse effects and drug-drug interactions. Pharmacists performing an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) provides an opportunity to conduct a comprehensive medication review to identify and correct medication-related problems as well as close care gaps.

Guest Authors: Brenna Gelen, PharmD and Nicole Slater, PharmD, BCACP

Music by Good Talk