Background: Hypertension (HTN) is a serious medical disease and the main cause of cardiovascular diseases and premature death worldwide. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of online mindfulness-based stress reduction (OMBSR) on systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) in…

Introduction: Depression impacts many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), carrying increased risk of functional impairment, hospitalization, and suicide. Prescribing medication to target depression in patients with ASD occurs despite limited available systematic data describing medication management of depression in this population.…

Adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often prescribed psychotropic medication on an "as needed" basis (PRN) in response to behavioural challenges. In the present study we conducted a retrospective analysis of medication administration records in the 6-months preceding and following discharge of 11 adults…

Objective: This study aimed to review the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and its different used types, characteristics of the studied cohorts, the reasoning for CAM use, and possible predictive factors for its use amongst ADHD patients. Method: The Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, and Scopus were searched…

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PHMDS)/22q13.3 deletion syndrome is a rare genetic disorder associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), and bipolar disorder. While numerous cases have been reported describing successful pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorder in PHMDS, there is currently little guidance available…

The aim of this work was to design, deliver, and evaluate group case studies focused on the integration of analytical and medicinal chemistry with pharmacy practice. A patient-centered beta-blocker workshop was developed and delivered to year two MPharm and BSc students. Students were tasked with reviewing patient clinical data along with…

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a growing problem in the United States and worldwide. Diabetes possesses a significant burden on the healthcare costs. An evidence-based, practical, and economically feasible strategy to tackle the growing burden of DM is imminent. Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) is the backbone to improve…

Objective: To assess long-term quit rates of a comprehensive smoking cessation group programme and identify factors that may influence outcomes. Design: Data from 199 patients who participated in the programme from June 2009 through June 2010 were evaluated regarding smoking history, nicotine dependence and attitudes toward smoking and quitting.…

Adverse drug events, resulting in preventable patient harm or death, are of great concern. To keep patients safe, hospitals have implemented barcode medication administration (BCMA) technology for RNs who have accepted this technology with varying levels of satisfaction. When nurses are dissatisfied with a BCMA system, they may find alternative…

A recent paper (Zald & Andreotti, 2010) reviewed neuropsychological tasks that assess the function of the orbital and ventromedial portions of the prefrontal cortex (OMPFC). Neuropathological studies have shown that the function of the OMPFC should be preserved in the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) but becomes affected in the advanced…

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects speech in the majority of patients. Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) is particularly effective in reducing tremor and rigidity. However, its effect on speech is variable. The aim of this pilot study was to quantify the effects of bilateral STN-DBS and medication on articulation, using…

Objective: To examine whether metacognitive psychological skills, acquired in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), are also present in patients receiving medication treatments for prevention of depressive relapse and whether these skills mediate MBCT's effectiveness. Method: This study, embedded within a randomized efficacy trial of MBCT,…

Objective: This study examined the efficacy and safety of clonidine hydrochloride extended-release tablets (CLON-XR) in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: This 8-week, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose trial, including 3 weeks of dose escalation, of patients 6 to 17 years old with ADHD evaluated the…

Introduction: Knowledge translation (KT) initiatives have the potential to improve prescribing quality and produce savings that exceed the cost of the KT program itself, including the cost of evaluation using pragmatic study methods. Our objective was to measure the impact and estimated savings resulting from the distribution of individualized…

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are multimorbid elderly at high risk of drug-related problems. A Web-based training program was developed based on a list of significant drug-related problems in CKD patients requiring a pharmaceutical intervention. The objectives were to evaluate the impact of the program on community…