In this issue
Insight
Reducing preventable hospital readmissions: a way forward Subscription
Medicines-related hospital readmissions are a huge cost to the NHS, but there are ways to reduce this.
Correspondence
Electronic discharge advice letters for community pharmacistsSubscription
The 2009 Care Quality Commission annual report revealed limitations in the transfer of information between sectors. When a patient is discharged from hospital with a change of medicine, completeness and timeliness of the information were highlighted as issues. In Wales, to improve communication between primary and secondary care and to aid the seamless transition of care for the patient, the discharge medicines review (DMR) service was established in autumn 2011.
Reducing hospital admissions of frail elderly patientsSubscription
The proactive care service in Coastal West Sussex (CWS), which was shortlisted for the HSJ Awards in 2015, provides medicines optimisation for frail elderly patients, reduces the risk of hospital admissions and made estimated savings of more than £600,000 in one year.
Pharmacist interventions on a cardiothoracic critical care unitSubscription
During ward rounds in hospitals, pharmacists often make interventions and recommendations that help optimise the care of patients. At Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, we carried out a service evaluation to analyse pharmacist interventions on a 16-bed cardiothoracic critical care unit. We wanted to find out the frequency and types of interventions made by the ward pharmacist; evaluate the effect of pharmacist attendance to ward rounds on the total number ...
Absolute levels of risk are needed to make informed decisions for patientsSubscription
Renal adverse effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were described in your research briefing ‘Proton pump inhibitors linked with chronic kidney disease’ (Clinical Pharmacist
CPD article
Insulin initiation in patients with diabetesSubscription
How to select and start insulin in a patient with diabetes mellitus.
Chronic Kidney Disease – Mineral and Bone Disorder: pathophysiology and treatmentSubscription
How the pathophysiological mechanisms behind development of Chronic Kidney Disease - Mineral and Bone Disorder can be managed, using appropriate therapeutic interventions to prevent complications.
Review
Antiepileptic drug safety in pregnancy: possible dangers for the pregnant woman and her foetusSubscription
In addition to the safety issues that apply whenever antiepileptic drugs are taken by patients, additional safety-related matters arise in pregnant women. These may involve the women themselves or their foetuses, and apply both during, and for a time after, pregnancy. During pregnancy, the safety of women with epilepsy may be endangered by loss of seizure control caused by increased antiepileptic drug clearances not being compensated for by appropriate adjustments of drug dosages. ...
