Results of our model showed that fidaxomicin may be a more cost-effective option for the treatment of CDIs when compared with oral vancomycin under most scenarios tested.

Regardless of practice setting, it is imperative that pharmacists be able to either participate in generating new knowledge or use the ever-expanding body of literature to guide patient care. However, competing priorities in Pharm.D. curricula and residency training programs have resulted in limited emphasis on acquiring research and scholarly skills. Factors likely contributing to this reduced focus include the lack of curricular and postgraduate training standards emphasizing the development of research skills, time to commit to scholarly activity, and accessibility to experienced mentors. Strategies for increasing scholarly activity for pharmacy students and residents should therefore continue to be a focus of professional degree and residency training programs. Several resources are available for academic planners, program directors, and institutions to augment scholarly experience for pharmacy trainees and clinicians. This commentary highlights the importance of providing research opportunities for students and residents, describes the potential barriers to these activities, and provides recommendations on how to increase the instruction and mentoring of trainees to generate and use research.

Despite growing evidence and promise as a cost-effective strategy for reducing cardiovascular risk, chronotherapy is not uniformly recommended in the treatment of hypertension. Careful selection of patients and antihypertensives for chronotherapy is required. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the definitive impact of chronotherapy on cardiovascular outcomes.

Introduction Antimuscarinics should be used with caution in older adults with overactive bladder (OAB) due to anticholinergic adverse events (AEs). Systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs) have analyzed safety-related outcomes but have not specified risk in the elderly, the population at highest risk for AEs. The aim of this review is to explore and evaluate AEs and treatment discontinuations in adults 65 or older taking antimuscarinics for OAB. Methods Keywords were searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) along with sub-analyses and pooled analyses that compared antimuscarinics to placebo or another antimuscarinic were performed in February 2015. Studies assessing AEs or treatment discontinuations in a population of adults 65 or older were included. The Jadad Criteria and McHarm Tool were used to assess the quality of the trials. Results A total of 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. Eighty AEs and 27 reasons for treatment discontinuation were described in the included studies and further explored. Anticholinergic AEs were more common in antimuscarinics compared to placebo. Incidence of dizziness, dyspepsia, and urinary retention with fesoterodine, headache with darifenacin, and urinary tract infections with solifenacin were significantly higher compared to placebo. Treatment discontinuation due to AEs and dry mouth were higher in the antimuscarinics when compared to placebo in older adults. Conclusions Treatment for overactive bladder using antimuscarinics in adults aged 65 or older resulted in significant increases in risk for several AEs compared to placebo including anticholinergic and non-anticholinergic AEs.

Objective To determine the publication rate among pharmacy resident research projects in a region of the United States and to compare characteristics of published and unpublished projects. Methods Research project abstracts from the Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Conference in 2003, 2005, and 2007 were reviewed. Two independent investigators collected all study data. Data on residency year, state, institution, study design, and whether results were reported were extracted from available abstracts. Publication rate was determined systematically using a search algorithm within the following databases: Scopus, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), and MEDLINE (PubMed). Kappa-statistic was used to determine inter-rater variability. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze nominal and continuous data. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to determine characteristics of publication success. Sensitivity analysis was performed on projects that were successfully published. Results Information was extracted from 655 abstracts in which 76 abstracts were published (11.4%). Publication rate trended down over the three years analyzed (2003=12.9%, 2005=12.2%, 2007=9.9%; p=0.57). Study design (interventional, observational, cross-sectional, or service development, p=0.115), direction of inquiry (prospective or retrospective; p=0.146), intervention of interest (drug, human, or other; p=0.096), results in abstract (p=0.096), and institution type (university-affiliated, veterans affairs, community-hospital, or retail; p=0.001) were entered into the multivariate model. Cross-sectional design (odds ratio (OR) 3.6), human (OR 1.9) and other (OR 2.1) interventions, as well as university-affiliated residency (OR 2.6) remained significant for publication success. The mean time to publication from abstract to presentation was 24.5 months, and 83% of projects were published within pharmacy journals. Conclusion Publication rate of pharmacy resident research projects presented at the Great Lakes Pharmacy Residency Conference is low, but it is consistent with other regions of the United States. Study design and study outcomes may influence chance of project publication as well as institution-type, which may have unique research resources, training, and mentorship.

Purpose The impact of resident research publication on early-career publication success was evaluated. Methods This study included a retrospective cohort of pharmacy residents’ abstracts presented at the Great Lakes Pharmacy Resident Conference (GLPRC). Published residency research projects at GLPRC were matched 1:1 to unpublished projects. Residents were followed forward for five years to identify early career publications (post-residency publication-positive) versus no publications (post-residency publication-negative). The following characteristics of post-residency publication-positive and publication-negative residents were compared; publication of residency project, university-affiliated residencies, median number and interquartile range of coinvestigators, presence or absence of a physician coinvestigators, highest nonphysician H-index of coinvestigators, and nonphysician H-index ≥ 1 for any coinvestigator (indicating that a coinvestigator has previously published and been cited). Results A total of 152 abstracts were reviewed (76 published and 76 unpublished projects). Using a predefined systematic search strategy, 55 former residents had a postresidency publication within 5 years after presenting their project at the GLPRC. Of the former residents who published their residency project, 38 (50%) were postresidency publication-positive, while 17 former residents (22.4%) who did not publish their residency research project were postresidency publication positive. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that publication of the pharmacy resident research project and a university-affiliated residency program was positively associated with postresidency publication success. Conclusions Pharmacy residents who published their residency research project after its presentation at GLPRC were twice as likely to have a publication success within five years compared with residents who did not publish their residency project. A university-affiliated residency was associated with postresidency publication success within five year after project presentation.

Practice-related projects and pharmacy practice research are requirements to complete postgraduate pharmacy residency programs. Many residents will complete residencies without fully developing the skills needed to perform research required for new clinical and academic positions. Many studies have quantified successes and identified characteristics that may be associated with successful resident publication. There are many benefits to gaining research and publication skills during residency training for the resident, preceptor/mentors, and the residency program. Published works have also suggested approaches than can be taken to improve research within a residency program. The aims of this article are to discuss the publication rates of resident research projects, suggest ways to improve residency research, review benefits of residency research, and briefly review research training alternatives.

Patients moving between health care settings or providers are at increased risk of complications, including unplanned hospital readmissions and medication errors. Several actions must occur in concert with members of the health care team and across settings to ensure coordinated and continuous care for patients undergoing these transitions of care (TOC). Clinical pharmacists support patients during care transitions by providing interventions and services designed to improve medication outcomes. Clinical pharmacists and team members who support clinical pharmacist activities (eg, pharmacy students, technicians, and residents) are located throughout the care continuum, from acute care to care in the community, with each contributing to improved TOC outcomes. This article provides information on evidence of high‐impact clinical pharmacist TOC practices to serve as a practical guide for practitioners interested in starting or improving TOC activities. This article also addresses current and emerging best practices and offers suggestions for improving clinical pharmacist involvement in care transition activities.