Activity

The nutritional management of canine and feline chronic kidney disease and protein-losing nephropathy is discussed. Special attention is paid to assessment of body composition (body weight, body condition score, and muscle condition score) and the dysrexia that often occurs with kidney disease. Various nutrients of concern are discussed and specific dietary options are provided.Although the companion animal population is predominantly canine and feline, the popularity of domesticated small mammals (or pocket pets) has been steadily increasing. As a result, ferrets, rabbits, and rodents can be expected to present for veterinary evaluation. Many common medical problems in pocket pets are often associated with poor husbandry and/or inappropriate nutrition and are thus responsive to nutritional therapies. Although this article touches on minor background information and husbandry, the primary foci are the basic nutritional needs of, and common nutrition-responsive diseases in, pocket pets. Detailed husbandry needs are beyond the scope of this article.Sustainability has become a watchword for a wide array of resource-intensive goods and services. This is promulgated by an increasing global population and concerns that natural resources and a hospitable climate will not be preserved for future generations. Life-cycle analysis is a tool that provides a framework to determine the magnitude products contribute to carbon emissions and depletion of natural resources. In this review, published research has been summarized to provide an overview of the impacts that pet food production and pet ownership have on the environment and the prospective role of veterinary practitioners in advocating for sustainability.Veterinarians are faced with the challenge of understanding and discussing the wide array of commercial pet foods with their clients. To promote these discussions, a pet food processing categorization system is applied to define familiar heat processed dry and can pet foods as ultra-processed commercial diets (UPCD) and other less processed diets as minimally processed commercial diets. A review of the FDA pet food recalls on commercial diets are used to discuss well-known health risks, such as nutritional imbalances, bacterial pathogens, aflatoxin, and toxic contaminations. A less-known concern of advanced glycation end products found in UPCDs is presented.Commercial pet food in the United States includes a diverse range of products. There is a tremendous amount of variation among companies regarding the financial resources invested into producing their products, research, and marketing. Commercial pet food is a regulated industry at both the state and federal levels, and many of the same standards applied to the human food industry apply to pet food. Many foods that both pets and people consume are processed; however, the type and extent of processing do not correlate with the nutritional value. Commercial pet food does not meet the needs of every pet.The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) population is at a substantially elevated risk for myriad health complications, due in large part to structural and social inequities. As such, the LGBTQ population is an important demographic to survey regarding their health. As with many populations facing inequality, the LGBTQ population is often hard to sample. In light of this challenge, several approaches may be required in order to effectively surveying this population. Specifically, advances in sampling methodologies, leveraging community partnerships, and culturally aware question design appear to increase the likelihood of a successful LGBTQ-focused health survey. The Southern LGBTQ Health Study is examined as a case study in effectively conducting a large, multi-state LBTQ health survey. They used a simple snowball sampling strategy where their online health survey was distributed through a wide network of community organizations across several states. They also employed members of the LGBTQ community as “Survey Ambassadors” to help recruit their peers to participate in the study. This case study demonstrated several successful methods. Their combined sampling methodology resulted in almost 6000 respondents. Their question for sexual orientation (“Check all that apply”) resulted in rich, easy to interpret data and was well received by the participants. However, this case study also provided valuable learning opportunities. Had they used a more formalized approach to their sampling, they would have had greater generalizability to their target population. Also, the use of an open-ended question regarding gender identity generated data that was not conducive to formal analysis without significant resources dedicated to cleaning the data.

The opioid crisis is a worldwide public health concern. In North America, evidence suggests that the increase in opioid prescriptions correlates with the observed increase in opioid-related mortality and morbidity. Pharmacists are in a strategic position to promote effective opioid stewardship as they have a central role on healthcare teams. However, in many contexts, pharmacists do not have a harmonized scope of practice and no standardized opioid stewardship approach has been implemented.

A scoping review will be conducted to identify and summarize evidence on the role of pharmacists in opioid stewardship and identify areas for future study.

The scoping review will be conducted according to the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley, which was further modified by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Pifithrin-α Six databases will be searched which include PubMed, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and APA PsycInfo.

The findings of this review will identify opioid stewardship activities that can contribute towards reducing the impact of the opioid crisis. Additionally, it will provide foundational strategies to promote policy level change and foster a harmonized scope of practice. This review has the potential to inform future research, impact pharmacy practice, and drive policy change.

The findings of this review will identify opioid stewardship activities that can contribute towards reducing the impact of the opioid crisis. Additionally, it will provide foundational strategies to promote policy level change and foster a harmonized scope of practice. This review has the potential to inform future research, impact pharmacy practice, and drive policy change.