Volume 29: Issue 2

The concept of the second victim, described as the sense of victimization of health care professionals following the exposure to a traumatic, unanticipated medical error, was first introduced in 2000 by Albert W. Wu. Since then, the concept has gained immense traction and inspired the generation of assistance programs for second victims. With most second victim occurrences resulting from medication errors, pediatric pharmacists are at a high risk of experiencing second victim phenomenon. Second victims may experience both psychological and physical symptoms of distress often akin to post-traumatic stress disorder. Typical trajectories for second victims, as well as typical support needs, have been previously described, with several organizations responding by creating formal programs designed to support their staff in the events of traumatic workplace experiences. Most support programs involve peer-to-peer support, group sessions, and programs designed to increase coping skills. Additional resources are available for health care workers who do not have formalized support programs at their institution, although these are limited. Despite these resources, institutions across the country have room for additional growth in their support of employees who become second victims to tragedy.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood with approximately 6 million children (age 3 to 17 years) ever diagnosed based on data from 2016–2019. ADHD is characterized by a constant pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms that interferes with development or functioning. Specific criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition Text Revision assist with the diagnosis with multiple guidelines available providing non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic recommendations for the treatment of ADHD in the pediatric population. While all guidelines similarly recommend behavioral and/or stimulant therapy as first-line therapy based on age, not all stimulant products are equal. Their differing pharmacokinetic profiles and formulations are essential to understand in order to optimize efficacy and safety for patients. Additionally, new stimulant products and non-stimulant medications continue to be approved for use of ADHD in the pediatric population and it is important to know their differences in formulation, efficacy, and safety to other products currently available. Lastly, due to drug shortages, it is important to understand product similarities and differences to select alternative therapy for patients.

OBJECTIVE

Care coordination for children and youth with special health care needs and medical complexity (CYSHCN-CMC), especially medication management, is difficult for providers, parents/caregivers, and patients. This report describes the creation of a clinical pharmacotherapy practice in a pediatric long-term care facility (pLTCF), application of standard operating procedures to guide comprehensive medication management (CMM), and establishment of a collaborative practice agreement (CPA) to guide drug therapy.

METHODS

In a prospective case series, 102 patients characterized as CYSHCN-CMC were included in this pLTCF quality improvement project during a 9-month period.

RESULTS

Pharmacists identified, prevented, or resolved 1355 drug therapy problems (DTP) with an average of 13 interventions per patient. The patients averaged 9.5 complex chronic medical conditions with a median length of stay of 2815 days (7.7 years). The most common medications discontinued due to pharmacist assessment and recommendation included diphenhydramine, albuterol, sodium phosphate enema, ipratropium, and metoclopramide. The average number of medications per patient was reduced from 23 to 20. A pharmacoeconomic analysis of 244 of the interventions revealed a monthly direct cost savings of $44,304 ($434 per patient per month) and monthly cost avoidance of $48,835 ($479 per patient per month). Twenty-eight ED visits/admissions and 61 clinic and urgent care visits were avoided. Hospital readmissions were reduced by 44%. Pharmacist recommendations had a 98% acceptance rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a CPA to conduct CMM in CYSHCN-CMC decreased medication burden, resolved, and prevented adverse events, reduced health care-related costs, reduced hospital readmissions and was well-accepted and implemented collaboratively with pLTCF providers.

The pharmaceutical supply chain is growing increasingly intricate, with various challenges arising in drug inventory management, procurement, distribution, and dispensing processes. Issues such as shortage mitigation, inconsistency in regulatory compliance, cost control, cold-chain storage, adaptation to technologic advances, and secure information sharing all pose significant difficulties to pharmaceutical supply chain management.¹ Consequently, this adds immense pressure on health system pharmacies to enhance their arsenal of available tools.²

Pediatric hospitals in particular encounter unique challenges relating to pharmaceutical and supply shortages, which can cause delays in vital patient procedures, alterations in care protocols, and even unexpected changes in

Pediatric Antibiotic Stewardship Programs: The Path Forward

Jennifer E. GirottoPharmD,

Kristen NicholsPharmD,

Sara L. OgrinPharmD,

Sarah ParsonsPharmD, and

William S. WilsonPharmD; on behalf of the Advocacy Committee of the Pediatric Pharmacy Association