Clinical pharmacy has continually evolved, with significant expansion in clinical pharmacists' qualifications and roles. However, this growth has not necessarily correlated with improved job satisfaction among clinical pharmacists. A survey of practicing clinical pharmacists performed by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Clinical Practice Affairs Committee A identified low satisfaction with the time allocated for clinical activities, quality improvement, research and scholarship, and teaching and mentorship. There was also low satisfaction with the recognition provided, despite a high desire for recognition and strong agreement that recognition affects job satisfaction. Rewards for workplace successes and advancement pathways are also not commonly provided. This white paper provides an update to the previous ACCP publications from 1995 and 2010 on the current state of rewards, recognition, and advancement for clinical pharmacists. Suggestions for the pharmacy profession and administrators on how to improve job satisfaction and retention and reduce burnout were developed by the committee and are provided as best practice recommendations.

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Safe and thoughtful medication management of pregnant patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) level of care is key to optimizing outcomes for both mother and fetus. Pregnancy induces physiologic alterations that closely mirror the changes expected in a critically ill patient. These changes can be predictable depending on the gestational age and trimester and will directly impact the pharmacokinetic profile of medications commonly used in the ICU; examples include decreased gastric emptying, increased blood and plasma volume, increased glomerular filtration, and increased cardiac output. When pregnant patients require ICU care, the resulting impact on drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination can be difficult to predict. In addition, there are many nuances of medication metabolism and interface with the placental barrier that should be considered when selecting pharmacotherapy for the pregnant patient. Critical care clinicians need to be aware of medication interactions with the placenta and weigh the risk versus benefit profile of medication use in this patient population. Obstetric critical care admissions have increased over the years, especially during the coronavirus waves. Therefore, understanding the interplay between pregnancy and critical illness to optimize pharmacotherapy selection is crucial to improving health outcomes of mother and fetus. This review highlights pharmacotherapy considerations in the pregnant ICU patient for the following topics: physiologic alterations, categorizing medication risk, supportive care, sepsis, cardiogenic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and venous thromboembolism.

Maternal mortality continues to be an issue globally despite advances in technology and pharmacotherapy. Pregnancy can lead to complications that necessitate immediate action to prevent severe morbidity and mortality. Patients may need escalation to the ICU setting for close monitoring and administration of advanced therapies not available elsewhere. Obstetric emergencies are rare but high‐stakes events that require clinicians to have prompt identification and management. The purpose of this review is to describe complications of pregnancy and provide a focused resource of pharmacotherapy considerations that clinicians may encounter. For each disease state, the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management are summarized. Brief descriptions of non‐pharmacological (e.g., cesarean or vaginal delivery of the baby) interventions are provided. Mainstays of pharmacotherapy highlighted include oxytocin for obstetric hemorrhage, methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy, magnesium and antihypertensive agents for preeclampsia and eclampsia, eculizumab for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive agents for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, diuretics, metoprolol, and anticoagulation for peripartum cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary vasodilators for amniotic fluid embolism.

Background Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve infective endocarditis (SA-PVIE) is associated with high mortality. Gentamicin (GEN) with anti-staphylococcal antibiotics and rifampin are guideline recommendations for SA-PVIE extrapolated from in vitro data. GEN can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI), meanwhile, the clinical benefit on infection-related outcomes remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of GEN on outcomes in SA-PVIE. Methods This is a multicenter, retrospective cohort conducted at HonorHealth and UCHealth systems. Adults admitted between January 2014-2022 with definite/possible SA-PVIE by Duke Criteria were included if they received ≥2 days of treatment within 2 days of index culture. Cohorts were stratified by GEN receipt. The primary outcome was 90-day all-cause mortality. The secondary outcomes were treatment failure (change in antimicrobials, abscess development, new indication for cardiac surgery), 30-day all-cause mortality, and incidence of AKI by KDIGO Criteria. Results Overall, 38 patients with definite (40%) and possible SA-PVIE (60%) met inclusion (13 GEN, 25 without GEN [no-GEN]). At baseline, 15 (40%) patients were in an ICU, median Pitt bacteremia score was 2, and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus predominated (71%). A total of 10 (26%) patients had valve surgery; median bacteremia duration was similar between GEN and no-GEN (4 vs 3 days, p = 0.26). Common antibiotics were vancomycin (95%), cefazolin (63%), and nafcillin (21%); rifampin was more common in GEN than no-GEN (20% vs 77%, p < 0.001). Baseline AKI (44% vs 46%) and renal impairment (8% vs 0%) were not different between GEN and no-GEN, respectively. GEN was initiated a median 3 days after index culture, most commonly as intermittent strategy (69%) with 3 mg/kg daily equivalent (84.6%). There was no statistical difference in treatment failure (23% vs 24%, p=0.17), 30-day mortality (20% vs 39%, p=0.22), or 90-day mortality (28% vs 43%, p=0.263) between GEN and no-GEN, respectively. Three in the (23%) GEN group experienced AKI, compared to 10 (40%) in no-GEN. Conclusion We did not find that the addition of GEN to SA-PVIE therapy enhanced mortality benefit, yet patients without GEN may live to experience adverse events. Further studies were warranted. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.