Clinical Pharmacist’s top five research articles of 2016

Collage of the most popular research articles published in 2016

This year was a big year for Clinical Pharmacist, which started with its relaunch in January as a peer-reviewed journal and it being sent to all members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society as part of their membership.

The relaunch has positioned Clinical Pharmacist as a leading forum for publishing the best evidence-based pharmacy practice, perspectives on the future of the science of pharmacy, and review articles on our state of knowledge about particular therapeutic areas and latest advancements in drug development and medical interventions. 

Over the course of 2016 Clinical Pharmacist has published 11 review articles, three perspective articles and four research articles in the research section and here are the top five:


  1. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with statins: assessing the evidence base behind clinical guidance

    In a year where the role and use of statins in clinical practice has attracted further attention, and where evidence-based medicine has become even more of a focus, it is unsurprising that this review article is the most read within the research section. Written by Scott M Grundy (UT Southwestern Medical Center, Texas, United States), this article examines different viewpoints and attempts to provide a reasonable approach for use of statins in primary prevention, with reference to evidence-based guidelines produced by major guideline committees in the UK, Europe and the United States.

  2. Statins: general safety profile and association with myopathy

    Following on, and this time focusing on statin safety, this review article authored by Negar Maghsoodi and Anthony Wierzbicki (Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals, London, UK) outlines the incidence, diagnosis, prevention and management of statin-induced adverse effects, in order to highlight the importance of statin use in high-risk populations and to reduce the rate of under-prescription and withdrawal of the treatment.

  3. Antiepileptic drug safety in pregnancy: possible dangers for the pregnant woman and her fetus

    Another review article, written by Mervyn J. Eadie (University of Queensland & Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia) was the third most popular research article of 2016. Although the safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy is not significantly different from the safety of these drugs in women in general, there are exceptions. These exceptions relate to the consequences of pregnancy affecting the female body’s handling of the drugs, and the drugs’ effects on the foetus in utero
    and afterwards. This article focuses on these additional pregnancy-related safety aspects, and not with more extensive matters of antiepileptic drug safety in general.

  4. Impact of electronic prescribing on patient safety in hospitals: implications for the UK

    With NHS hospitals in England expected to be paperless by 2020, the use of hospital electronic prescribing (EP) systems is therefore likely to increase rapidly in the near future. This review article, authored by Zamzam Ahmed, Sara Garfield, Yogani Jani, Seetal Jheeta and Bryony Dean Franklin (
    Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust & UCL School of Pharmacy, London, UK), aimed to summarise the available evidence of the impact of inpatient EP on patient safety, with a focus on implications for the UK. The review concludes with considerations of the evolution of EP in healthcare, especially in relation to advances in health information technology, inpatient involvement with their medication in the context of EP, and how EP may be used by policymakers and end users to further benefit patient safety.

  5. E-cigarettes in smoking cessation: a harm reduction perspective

    The last article rounding-off our top five, is this perspective article authored by Chris Bullen, Carla López-Núñez and Oliver Knight-West (The University of Auckland, New Zealand). Evidence for the efficacy of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation, based on several randomised controlled trials of older devices, suggests a modest effect and they appear to be far less harmful than tobacco smoking, but the health effects of long-term use are unknown. This article describes the ‘disruptive innovation’ of e-cigarettes, their potential in tobacco control and the challenges they present, while also offering advice for clinicians and considering future developments.

The top articles from 2016 cover a broad range of topics, with contributions from key opinion leaders and experts from across the world, and highlight the global focus and reach of the relaunched journal. Our full collection of articles published in the research section can be found here, including our four research articles focusing on innovative services and initiatives within pharmacy.

I would be delighted to hear your feedback, receive ideas for future articles and article submissions for consideration for publication — please email me on Michael.Dowdall@rpharms.com or send me a tweet @michael_dowdall

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Citation
The Pharmaceutical Journal, Clinical Pharmacist’s top five research articles of 2016;Online:DOI:10.1211/PJ.2016.20202096

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