Patient engagement and pharmacist interventions, through programs such as the CMP, are important to help patients manage these complex, high-risk medications.

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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive lung disease which results in thickening and scarring of the interstitial tissue. As the only 2 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications on the market, it is valuable to compare the impact of nintedanib and pirfenidone on clinical outcomes. Records of patients who started nintedanib or pirfenidone between calendar years 2015 and 2016 at a national specialty pharmacy were retrospectively reviewed. Data collection was derived from patient management applications and statistical data analysis was completed in SAS (SAS Institute Inc®). The nintedanib population contained 2605 patients and of the population completing clinical assessment surveys (n = 1343), 46% of respondents (n = 612) reported no adverse events, with the remaining 54% reporting at least 1 adverse event. Average proportion of days covered (PDC) was 84.2% (SD = 17.0). Average final monthly copay for this group was $235. The pirfenidone population had 1322 patients, and of the surveyed population (n = 764), 58% of respondents (n = 445) reported no adverse events, with the remaining 42% reporting at least 1 adverse event. Average PDC was 83.4% (SD = 17.3). Average final monthly copay for this group was $339. Outcomes in the studied IPF population were similar for nintedanib and pirfenidone.

Objective. To implement and evaluate the impact of 2 elective courses, Pregnancy & Lactation and Pediatrics on student acquisition of knowledge and development of lifelong learning skills related to these special populations. Design. Two 3-credit elective courses were implemented using various student-driven learning techniques, such as case-based exercises, group presentations, pro-con debates, and pharmacist "grab bag" questions. Strong emphasis was placed on medication literature retrieval and analysis, and a wiki was used to create an electronic resource for longitudinal use. Assessment. Pre-and post-course tests showed significant improvement in knowledge related to pregnancy, lactation, and pediatrics. Pre-and post-course confidence and ratings on satisfaction survey tools also revealed significant improvement in several domains relating to lifelong-learning skills, knowledge related to medication use within these special populations, use of technology to enhance learning, and overall course design. Conclusion. The combination of student-directed learning techniques used in 2 pediatric-concentration courses is an effective teaching model.