Social prescribing in the metaverse:a new frontier for primary care practice

The advent of immersive technologies such as the metaverse,extended reality,artificial intelligence,and blockchain offers novel possibilities to transform healthcare services.These innovations coincide with clinicians'aspirations to deliver more comprehensive,patient-centered care tailored to individuals singular needs and preferences.Integration of these emerging tools may confer opportunities for providers to engage patients through new modalities and expand their role.However,responsible implementation necessitates deliberation of ethical implications and steadfast adherence to foundational principles of compassion and interpersonal connection underpinning the profession.While the metaverse introduces new channels for social prescribing,this perspective advocates that its ultimate purpose should be strengthening,not supplanting,human relationships.We propose an ethical framework centered on respect for patients'dignity to guide integration of metaverse platforms into medical practice.This framework serves both to harness their potential benefits and mitigate risks of dehumanization or uncompassionate care.Our analysis maps the developing topology of metaverse-enabled care while upholding moral imperatives for medicine to promote healing relationships and human flourishing.

Understanding the Underlying Mechanisms of Action for Successful Implementation of Social Prescribing

There is growing evidence for the use of social prescribing as a means of facilitating healthy lifestyle behavior changes by linking patients to sources of support in the community. However, there are gaps in understanding about what works to facilitate and enable this behavior change i.e. , the mechanisms of actions underpinning social prescribing delivery. This study used a qualitative approach involving interviews with 18 Social Prescription Link Workers (SPLWs). Reflective thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Through this, an overall theme of “Theoretical underpinning: Solution-focused and strengths-based” was identified. This was made up of sub-themes relating to mechanisms underpinning: the SPLWs’ role (comprising asking questions, motivational interviewing and the therapeutic alliance);the patients’ role, (empowerment and active engagement);and the approach adopted (solution building, goal and action orientated). To formalize this, a framework could be developed for SPLWs that encapsulates the solution-focused strengths-based approach for application within social prescribing. This framework can then be embedded into practice facilitating more successful healthy lifestyle behavior change for social prescribing patients.

Dermatology nurse prescribing in China:a Delphi method

Objectives:To identify the dermatological system drugs that may be prescribed by Chinese dermatological nurses through expert consensus.Methods:A 2-round study,consisting of 32 medical and nursing exper ts,was conducted using the Delphi method from September 2019 to June 2020.Microsoft Excel 2019 and IBM SPSS Ver.22 were used to analyze the results of the consultations.Results:A total of 63 drugs across 13 categories were identified as relevant to Chinese nurses working in dermatological departments.Among these drugs,1 drug was generally prescribed independently,17 drugs tended to be prescribed collaboratively,and 45 were prescribed either independently or in collaboration with others.Conclusions:This exper t consensus determines the prescription drugs that may be prescribed by dermatology nurses in China,which can be used as the key content of prescription drug training for dermatology nurses in future.The results of the study could provide a basis for the implementation of nurses'prescription rights in China in future and provide a reference for the formulation of relevant legislation on nurses'prescription rights.

Antihypertensive prescribing patterns in non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease:Findings from the Salford Kidney Study

BACKGROUND Hypertension is commonly observed in patients living with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Finding an optimal treatment regime remains challenging due to the complex bidirectional cause-and-effect relationship between hypertension and CKD.There remains variability in antihypertensive treatment practices.AIM To analyze data from the Salford Kidney Study database in relation to antihypertensive prescribing patterns amongst CKD patients.METHODS The Salford Kidney Study is an ongoing prospective study that has been recruiting CKD patients since 2002.All patients are followed up annually,and their medical records including the list of medications are updated until they reach study endpoints[starting on renal replacement therapy or reaching estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)expressed as mL/min/1.73 m2≤10 mL/min/1.73 m2,or the last follow-up date,or data lock on December 31,2021,or death].Data on antihypertensive prescription practices in correspondence to baseline eGFR,urine albumin-creatinine ratio,primary CKD aetiology,and cardiovascular disease were evaluated.Associations between patients who were prescribed three or more antihypertensive agents and their clinical outcomes were studied by Cox regression analysis.Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated differences in survival probabilities.RESULTS Three thousand two hundred and thirty non-dialysis-dependent CKD patients with data collected between October 2002 and December 2019 were included.The median age was 65 years.A greater proportion of patients were taking three or more antihypertensive agents with advancing CKD stages(53%of eGFR≤15 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs 26%of eGFR≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2,P<0.001).An increased number of patients receiving more classes of antihypertensive agents was observed as the urine albumin-creatinine ratio category increased(category A3:62%vs category A1:40%,P<0.001),with the upward trends particularly noticeable in the number of individuals prescribed renin angiotensin system blockers.The prescription of three or more antihypertensive agents was associated with all-cause mortality,independent of blood pressure control(hazard ratio:1.15;95%confidence interval:1.04-1.27,P=0.006).Kaplan-Meier analysis illustrated significant differences in survival outcomes between patients with three or more and those with less than three antihypertensive agents prescribed(log-rank,P<0.001).CONCLUSION Antihypertensive prescribing patterns in the Salford Kidney Study based on CKD stage were consistent with expectations from the current United Kingdom National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guideline algorithm.Outcomes were poorer in patients with poor blood pressure control despite being on multiple antihypertensive agents.Continued research is required to bridge remaining variations in hypertension treatment practices worldwide.

Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns in Adult Patients According to the WHO AWaRe Classification: A Multi-Facility Cross-Sectional Study in Primary Healthcare Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia

Introduction: Indiscriminate prescribing and using of antibiotics have led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). To reduce this problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the “Access”, “Watch”, and “Reserve” (AWaRe) classification of antibiotics that promotes antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). In Zambia, there are gaps in practice regarding prescribing of antibiotics based on the AWaRe protocol. This study assessed antibiotic prescribing patterns in adult in-patients in selected primary healthcare hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using 388 patient medical files from September 2021 to November 2021, five primary healthcare hospitals namely;Chawama, Matero, Chilenje, Kanyama, and Chipata. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. Results: Of the selected medical files, 52.3% (n = 203) were for male patients. Overall, the prevalence of antibiotic use was 82.5% (n = 320) which was higher than the WHO recommendation of a less than 30% threshold. The most prescribed antibiotic was ceftriaxone (20.3%), a Watch group antibiotic, followed by metronidazole (17.8%) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (16.3%), both belonging to the Access group. Furthermore, of the total antibiotics prescribed, 41.9% were prescribed without adhering to the standard treatment guidelines. Conclusion: This study found a high prescription of antibiotics (82.5%) that can be linked to non-adherence to the standard treatment guidelines in primary healthcare hospitals. The most prescribed antibiotic was ceftriaxone which belongs to the Watch group, raising a lot of concerns. There is a need for rational prescribing of antibiotics and implementation of AMS programs in healthcare facilities in Zambia, and this may promote surveillance of irrational prescribing and help reduce AMR in the future.

The necessity and possibility of implementation of nurse prescribing in China: An international perspective

Background:The number of countries where nurses are legally permitted to prescribe has grown rapidly due to a variety of external and internal forces.Despite its international popularity,nurse prescribing has not yet been implemented in China widely.Objective:The intent of this paper is to review the current international literature regarding nurse prescribing so as to explore the necessity and possibility of implementation of nurse prescribing in China and classify the research gap.Methods:Eight electronic databases including Embase,SpringerLink,EBSCO,CINAHL,Medline,Wiley,Science Direct,CochraneLibrary were electronically searched to identify related peer-review articles published in the English language only from 2007 to 2017.Relative references found from the identified studies were traced back to ensure that potentially eligible articles were included.Results:Thirty-three publications which met the inclusion criteria were included in this literature review.The literature shows that not only could nurse prescribing provide quicker service,improvements in quality,but also could make better utilization of the nurses' professional skills and increase nurses' autonomy.Moreover,the barriers of nurse prescribing are explored to identify the factors that may facilitate the success of its implementation.Conclusion:The review advises that nurses' views towards nurse prescribing have played a significant role in the success of nurse prescribing.While no literature regarding Chinese nurses' attitudes towards nurse prescribing could be identified,it is imperative to examine their attitudes on it.This would help Chinese healthcare policymakers ascertain the necessity of the introduction of nurse prescribing and provide them with valuable information for service planning.

Antipsychotic and Anticholinergic Drug Prescribing Pattern in Psychiatry: Extent of Evidence-Based Practice in Bahrain

The aim of this study is to determine the antipsychotic prescribing pattern and the prevalence of concurrent anticholinergic prescribing in a psychiatric referral hospital. A retrospective audit of prescriptions issued for outpatients was carried out at the Psychiatric Hospital, the only facility that provides psychiatric services for both inpatients and outpatients in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Antipsychotic monotherapy was prescribed for 89.2% patients, whereas polytherapy with two- and three-drugs in 10.4 and 0.4%, respectively. Atypical antipsychotics were prescribed more often (67.7%) than typical antipsychotics. Risperidone and haloperidol were the most frequently prescribed antipsychotics. Long-acting risperidone injection was the only depot preparation prescribed. The mean antipsychotic dose expressed as chlorpromazine equivalent (CPZeq;mg/day) was 242 (220 for monotherapy and 414 for polytherapy). The prevalence of high dose antipsychotic (mean CPZeq > 1000 mg/day) was 1.8%, prescribed at a mean CPZeq dose of 1531 (1925 for monotherapy and 1137 for polytherapy), mainly attributed to haloperidol. Anticholinergics were co-prescribed for almost two third of patients receiving antipsychotics, particularly for those on polytherapy (monotherapy 57.3%;poly-therapy 87.5%). Antipsychotic polytherapy, high dose and co-prescription of an oral with a depot antipsychotic preparation were strongly associated with concurrent prescription of anticholinergics. Procyclidine and orphenadrine were the most often prescribed anticholinergics. In Bahrain, antipsychotic monotherapy is a common practice for outpatients with psychotic disorders. Some of the antipsychotic polytherapies, dosage strategies, and high prevalence of anticholinergic use are therapeutic issues that need to be addressed to foster evidence-based prescribing practice.

Prescribing Chinese patent medicines without traditional Chinese medicine training is now banned in China

On July 1, 2019, the website of the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China issued the “Notice on printing and distributing the first batch of national key monitoring and rational drugs (chemicals and biological products)”(National Health Office Medical Letter [2019] No. 558)[1], where the third article stipulates:“Other types of physicians, after not less than one year of systematically studying Chinese medicine professional knowledge and passing the examination, in accordance with the basic principles of syndrome differentiation, can issue prescriptions for Chinese patent medicine”.

Antibiotics’ Prescribing and Pharmacovigilance Attitudes among Pediatricians and Pediatric Residents in Cyprus

Background: The inappropriate, irrational use or misuse of antibiotics is observed in all health systems and in all patients’ groups worldwide, especially for children, where antibiotics continue to be the drugs most commonly prescribed. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in all public pediatric clinics in the Republic of Cyprus, from April to May 2015. A questionnaire was distributed to pediatricians in order to identify the antibiotic prescription practices in common childhood diseases and attitudes towards Pharmacovigilance. The SPSS 19.0 was used for the statistical analysis. In total 42 pediatricians and pediatric residents filled out the questionnaire. Results: A significant percentage of the respondents administered empirical therapy for possible group A streptococcus infection (59.5%), they implemented the “watchful waiting” tactic in acute otitis media (66.7%), whereas 11.9% of them administered antibiotics for the prevention of secondary respiratory tract infections. The majority of physicians did not feel diagnostic uncertainty leading to antibiotics prescribing (90.2%) and their prescribing habits were not influenced by parental demand (80.5%). Although 23.1% of physicians observed often/very often Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) after antibiotic administration during their clinical practice, however, 47.6% of the pediatricians declared that they did not report them. Conclusion: Health professionals’ continuing education on the use of therapeutic guidelines and protocols and the development of Pharmacovigilance programs could significantly contribute to the avoidance of the misuse of antibiotics in hospital care as well as to health professionals’ awareness on rational prescribing.

Assessment of Rational Prescribing in General Outpatient Department of Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Western Uganda

Introduction: Prevention of irrational use of medicines may reduce healthcare costs and potentially save lives. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess rational drug prescribing using World Health Organization (WHO) and International Network of Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD) indicators on prescribing in the General Outpatient Department of Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Ishaka-Bushenyi, Western Uganda. Methodology: The study design was retrospective, descriptive and cross-sectional. A total of 884 prescriptions were selected by systematic sampling using an interval of 27 from 23,868 prescriptions available in the medical records of the General Out-Patient Department (GOPD) of Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (KIUTH) from April, 2016 to March, 2017. The selected samples were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2013, to assess for conformity with the prescribing indicators. Results: The results showed that the percentage of recording of diagnosis was 90.72% (index of diagnosis—0.91). The average number of drugs per encounter was 2.6 (index of non-polypharmacy—0.77), and the percentage of drugs prescribed with the generic name was 90.21% (index of generics—0.9). Percentages of encounters with antibiotics and injectable drugs prescribed were 61.88% (index of antibiotics—0.48) and 5.43% (index of injectable drugs—1) respectively. Only 78.96% (index of EMSLU—0.79) of the medicines prescribed were from the Essential Medicines Supplies List of Uganda (EMSLU) or Uganda Clinical Guidelines 2016. The index of rational drug prescribing (IRDP) was found to be 4.85. Conclusion: The findings showed that only the percentage of encounters with injectable drugs was in line with WHO/INRUD prescribing indicators. On the over all, the index of rational drug prescribing (IRDP) was poor (observed 4.85 versus optimum 6). The authors recommended continuous sensitization, counselling and education of prescribers in KIUTH in order to achieve rational prescribing.

Improving the Appropriateness of Antipsychotic Prescribing for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD): A Pilot Study of the Psychotropic Use Monitoring (PUM) Program

In nursing homes, antipsychotic prescribing decisions (APDs) for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) depend on the nursing staff’s feedback. Inappropriate APDs can result in the lack of timeliness, objectivity and important clinical information when nursing staff’s feedback on residents’ behavior and pharmacotherapy outcomes. Currently, there are no reported interventions for improving psychiatrists’ APDs through nursing staff’s monitoring and feedback processes. This one-group pre-and-post pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and impact of implementing a newly-developed Psychotropic Use Monitoring (PUM) program for improving the appropriateness of APDs in a 50-bed dementia ward of a nursing home. The PUM intervention involved 16 pharmacist-trained nursing staff, who monitored and reported residents’ BPSD changes and psychotropic side effects for 24 weeks, while carrying out their routine care duties. A face-to-face interview was then administered to determine the nursing staff’s perceptions of PUM. Data of 51 residents were collected from hardcopy individual patient records to evaluate the changes in APDs and the number of resident falls before and after implementing PUM. The nursing staff reported increases in their knowledge, awareness, confidence, and actual frequency of monitoring for side effects, as well as their ability in differentiating and managing BPSD (p < 0.05). After PUM, there was a significant increase in the number of APDs due to side effect-related reasons (4 versus 16) (p < 0.031). Although not significant, the number of APDs with no documented reasons (5 versus 9) and the number of resident falls (7 versus 15) appeared to be lesser after PUM. This study demonstrated the nursing staff’s positive participation in PUM intervention, specifically in monitoring and feedback of side effects. Furthermore, a potential exists for PUM to encourage more judicious APDs, which may be useful in settings with heavy patient load, limited human resources and dependence on foreign nursing staff from differing cultural backgrounds.

Brain Tumours and Prophylactic Antiepileptic Drug Prescribing Patterns by Neurosurgeons Practising in Australasia

Prescribing patterns amongst practising Australasian neurosurgeons regarding the use of prophylactic antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in patients with newly diagnosed intrinsic brain tumours are not well established. This study aimed to determine the rate of prophylactic AED prescribing in this clinical context and to determine if there were some particular factors that influenced prescribers in their decision. A survey was conducted, and of the 91 respondents, 23 (25.3%) prescribed prophylactic AEDs. No neurosurgeons practising in New Zealand prescribed, whereas within Australian states/territories, prescribing was most common in Western Australia (3/4, 75.0%) and Queensland (8/18, 44.4%) and less common in the Australian Capital Territory (0/2, 0.0%) and South Australia (1/7, 14.3%). The most commonly prescribed first-line AED was phenytoin (n = 15, 68.2%) followed by levetiracetam (n = 5, 22.7%). The duration of prescription varied from 1 week to 6 months, with 6 weeks chosen by most prescribers (n = 7, 35%). Important factors that influence the decision to prescribe include tumour location and a history of previous seizure/s, whereas the presence of oedema or haemorrhage and patients’ age do not seem to be major influences amongst prescribers.

Beta Blockers Use in Cardiac Failure: Does the Current Prescribing Practice at a Large Urban Hospital in Zimbabwe Exhibit Evidence Based Care and Offer Optimal Therapy for Cardiac Failure Patients?

Background: Cardiac failure treatment largely focused on symptomatic relief at the expense of the address of the underlying disease process of cardiac remodelling. This old wisdom of practice has been turned around by clinical research findings that have shown that there are agents that reverse cardiac remodelling and offer long-term benefits to cardiac failure patients. This has led to the recommendation of evidence-based practice in chronic heart failure management using reverse modelling agents such as beta blockers. Objectives: To ascertain the prescribing patterns of beta blockers in cardiac failure patients by doctors in a public hospital setting and determine the prevalence of cardiac failure hospitalisation and the age groups involved. Study design: A retrospective medical records review observational study. Methodology: A sample size of 385 cardiac failure cases was used. Data on cardiac failure patients who were once hospitalised at the hospital of study were abstracted from the patients’ medical records files using data collection forms. Results: There were 36 (9.4%) patients who were prescribed beta blockers, 7 patients had their beta blocker substituted for another. Atenolol was prescribed to 30 (7.8%) patients, propranolol to 7 (1.8%) and carvedilol to 6 (1.6%) patients. Metoprolol and bisoprolol were not prescribed at all. There were more females (57.9%) than males (42.1%) and the mean age was 41.9 (standard deviation 24.0) years. The prevalence of cardiac failure hospitalisation was 1.54%. Conclusion: The rate of beta blocker prescribing was low. There is need for emphasis on evidence-based treatment options in the management of cardiac failure in Zimbabwe.

Factors Affecting Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Infection by Emergency Physicians

Background: Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for upper acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) in the emergency department. To reduce inappropriate overprescribing, it is necessary to understand factors influencing physicians’ decisions to prescribe antibiotics. Objective: Analyze the judgment policies of emergency physicians to determine factors predicting antibiotic use. Design: Paper case vignette study. Participants: 104 emergency physicians from Wisconsin. Measurements: We used judgment analysis to derive the policies of 104 emergency physicians from their responses to 20 case vignettes. We designed the cases such that each physician’s use of clinical findings and patient factors could be inferred from the decisions they made about each case. Findings were compared to primary care practitioners (PCPs) in Colorado responding to the same paper cases to examine differences in factors influencing prescribing among the two groups. Results: The emergency physicians said they would prescribe an antibiotic (yes/no) in 51.4% of cases compared with 44.5% in the Colorado study. The majority of emergency physicians gave the greatest weight to duration of illness (51%), followed by temperature (20%) and cough (12%). Conclusions: These emergency physicians prescribed antibiotics more frequently than the Colorado PCPs. There was little difference in how clinical findings were weighted, suggesting this was not the source of the higher prescription rate among the emergency physicians. The considerable emphasis on duration of illness suggests that this would be a productive area for educational efforts to reduce antibiotic prescribing for ARI in the emergency department.

Gift Acceptance and Its Effect on Prescribing Behavior among Iraqi Specialist Physicians

Background: The interaction between physicians and medical representatives (MRs) through gift offering is a common cause for conflicts of interest for physicians that negatively influence prescribing behaviors of physicians throughout the world. This study aimed to evaluate the interaction between MRs and Iraqi specialist physicians through the acceptance of MRs gifts and the effect of such acceptance on physician’s prescribing patterns. Methods: A survey in a questionnaire format for specialist physicians was done during March-October 2013 in Iraq, Baghdad. The questionnaire involves four major parts regarding the approximate number of patients and medical representatives, gift acceptance, medical conferences, and prescribing pattern. Results: In Iraq specialist physicians were visited by 1 - 3 MRs/day. 50% of the Iraqi physicians like to get the educational information by attending conferences outside Iraq. Regarding Gift acceptance, 41% of participated physicians showed a general acceptance to promotional gifts, and 91% of physicians accept low cost gifts but only 41% of them accept high cost recreational gifts. Free samples were used by 59% of Iraqi physicians to treat some people. 77% of physicians prefer prescribing new medications, while more than 95% of participated physicians stated that they stop prescribing these new drugs either due to their ineffectiveness or due to their side effects. On the other hand physicians significantly change their prescribing behavior through shifting not only among generic drugs, but also from brand to generic drugs in their prescriptions. Gift acceptance is directly correlated with such shift and change in prescribing behavior. Conclusion: Iraqi physicians accept various types of gifts from pharmaceutical companies;this can influence physician prescribing pattern and result in early adoption to prescribe newly medications depending on promotional information even in absence of clinical evidence about the drug effectiveness or side effects, which may result in undesirable outcomes to the patient.

Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns and Prevalence of Surgical Site Infections in Caesarean Section Deliveries at Two Tertiary Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia

Introduction: A caesarean section (CS) is one of the most frequently performed obstetric surgeries in the world and its use has increased dramatically in recent years. The number of caesarean section cases worldwide has been increasing each year, and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an excess of 10% - 15% of CS procedures for all births. However, some women experience surgical site infections (SSIs) after undergoing CS delivery. This study investigated the prescribing patterns of antibiotics in CS deliveries and the prevalence of SSIs at two tertiary hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2020 to December 2020 at the Women and Newborn University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and the Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital, in Lusaka, Zambia. Results: Of a total of 838 women who delivered via CS, more than half were aged between 21 and 25 years (n = 461, 55.0%), 56.3% were from low-cost residential areas, and 57% had emergency CS delivery. The prevalence of SSIs was 6.0%, with the level of education (OR 0.377, 95% CI 0.150 - 0.946), type of caesarean section (OR 6.253, 95% CI 2.833 - 13.803), and oral antibiotics post-caesarean (OR 0.218, 95% CI 0.049 - 0.963). The duration of IV antibiotic treatment significantly predicted SSI (p Conclusion: This study found that the third-generation cephalosporin (cefotaxime) and triple combination therapy (benzylpenicillin, gentamicin, and metronidazole) were the most frequently prescribed antibiotics before and after CS. The level of education, type of CS, oral antibiotics post-CS, facility, and duration of administering IV antibiotics were all predictors of SSIs.

Emergency medicine providers＇ opioid prescribing practices stratified by gender, age, and years in practice

BACKGROUND: Emergency medicine providers(EMPs) prescribe about 25% of opioids, but the effect of EMP risk perception on decisions to prescribe opioids is unknown. This study was undertaken to identify factors that infl uence EMP risk and opioid prescribing practices.METHODS: We distributed an anonymous questionnaire to EMPs at a military trauma and referral center. Response frequencies and distributions were assessed for independence using the Chi-square test.RESULTS: Eighty-nine EMPs completed the questionnaire(100% response). Respondents were primarily younger male physicians(80%) in practice under fi ve years(55%). Male EMPs were more likely to prescribe more opioid tablets than female ones both when and when not concerned for opioid misuse(P<0.001, P<0.007, respectively). Of the providers, 70% stated that patient age would inf luence their prescribing decisions. Hydrocodone and oxycodone were the opioids prescribed most frequently. About 60% of the providers reported changing their prescribing behavior would not prevent opioid misuse. Additionally, 40% of the providers believed at least 10% of patients seen at this military ED misused opioids.CONCLUSION: Female EM providers reported prescribing fewer opioid tablets. Patient age infl uenced prescribing behavior, but the effect is unknown. Finally, EM providers reported that altering their prescribing behavior would not prevent prescription opioid misuse.

Herbal medicine prescribing patterns from contemporary famous old TCM doctors for treating coronary heart disease: an analysis based on data mining

To analyze the herbal medicine prescribing patterns of contemporary famous old traditional Chinese medicine doctors in treating coronary heart disease,based on data mining technology,so as to provide useful insights into the clinical practice.Methods:Databases,including Medline(January 1966 to December 2019),Wanfang(January 1982 to December 2019),VIP Database(January 1989 to December 2019),CNKI(January 1979 to December 2019),CBMdisc(January 1978 to December 2019),and Classic Case Collection from Contemporary Famous Old Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors were searched,and 224 eligible studies involving 416 patients were entered into the case study database after data processing.Frequency analysis and association rule analysis were used to investigate the prescribing patterns of contemporary famous old traditional Chinese medicine doctors in treating coronary heart disease.Results:In total 290 kinds of Chinese herbal drugs and 19 core drugs were used in the cases studied.The most commonly used categories were“Qi-Tonifying Drugs”,“Blood-Activating Drugs”,and“Phlegm-Eliminating Drugs”.The association rule analysis identified 14 commonly used herbal pairs,19 three-drug combinations,and 1 four-drug combination.Conclusion:Contemporary famous old traditional Chinese medicine doctors considered warming heart yang as an extremely important approach to treat coronary heart disease based on Zhang Zhongjing’s treatment for chest painful obstruction caused by“Inactivity of Chest Yang”(blockade of phlegm turbidity).Both symptoms and root causes were addressed in the formulas prescribed by these doctors.“Tonifying Qi,Nourishing Yin,Activating Blood,and Eliminating Phlegm”were the most commonly used therapeutic methods for patients with coronary heart disease.

Suboxone Prescribing Availability in Orange County, NY

Background: The opioid epidemic is a major threat to public health in the United States of America. Orange County, New York has been chosen for this study of Suboxone, a prescription medicine that is used to treat addiction to opioid analgesics. This drug is underutilized throughout Orange County because of several impediments, including insurance coverage, social stigmas, and a non-compliant patient population. Objective: The objective is to analyze the accessibility and utilization of Suboxone to treat opioid dependence in Orange County, New York. Method: Two survey instruments have been created for this research project, one for Suboxone providers and one for non-Suboxone providers. Each is 10 questions long, and includes multiple choice and open-response questions. Participants were contacted by means of email and telephone. Results: The results displayed that many Suboxone providers prefer not treating this patient population for the following reasons: insurance coverage problems, lack of time to see these demanding patients, and a non-compliant patient population. Almost all of the doctors surveyed believed that there is a social stigma among physicians to prescribe as well as among patients to use Suboxone. The non-Suboxone providers did not want to prescribe Suboxone because of a non-compliant patient population, and not having enough time in their practice. Almost all of the non-Suboxone providers prescribed other opiates. For most of the doctors, having more ancillary staff (psychologists, physical therapists, mid level providers) would motivate them to prescribe Suboxone. Discussion and Conclusion: Recommendations made by the local physicians for treating the current opioid epidemic include the following: more police enforcement of street drug dealers, patient education of narcotic misuse, physician education of both the opioid epidemic and patient treatment, and expanding access to rehabilitation and care for these patients.

Prescribed Performance Tracking Control of Time-Delay Nonlinear Systems With Output Constraints

The problem of prescribed performance tracking control for unknown time-delay nonlinear systems subject to output constraints is dealt with in this paper. In contrast with related works, only the most fundamental requirements, i.e., boundedness and the local Lipschitz condition, are assumed for the allowable time delays. Moreover, we focus on the case where the reference is unknown beforehand, which renders the standard prescribed performance control designs under output constraints infeasible. To conquer these challenges, a novel robust prescribed performance control approach is put forward in this paper.Herein, a reverse tuning function is skillfully constructed and automatically generates a performance envelop for the tracking error. In addition, a unified performance analysis framework based on proof by contradiction and the barrier function is established to reveal the inherent robustness of the control system against the time delays. It turns out that the system output tracks the reference with a preassigned settling time and good accuracy,without constraint violations. A comparative simulation on a two-stage chemical reactor is carried out to illustrate the above theoretical findings.