PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M D Shepherd

Publications and source records attributed to M D Shepherd.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Users' perceptions of mail-service pharmacy.

This survey studied the satisfaction of university employees with the mail-service pharmacy option of their major health insurance provider. Nearly 92% reported good or excellent satisfaction with the mail order service. Of the 76.5% who reported receiving drug information brochures with some or all of their prescriptions, 91.5% rated the information excellent or good. When asked what sources they used to get additional information, 31.2% used a mail service pharmacist. These data suggest that mail order pharmacies, which have increased volume 50% per year since 1981, can expect to maintain and expand their market share. All pharmacy sectors should use this information to determine ways to enhance their competitive position.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1991

A controlled trial of the cost benefit of computerized bayesian aminoglycoside administration.

We studied the effect of a bayesian pharmacokinetic dosing program on the outcome of aminoglycoside therapy in patients with clinical infections. Patients were randomized to a control (dosing based on physician choice; n = 75) or experimental group (dosing based on the bayesian program; n = 72). Both groups used serum aminoglycoside concentration data when making dosing decisions. Improved response rates were seen in the experimental (60%; 42/68) compared with the control group (48%; 36/68). A higher, but not statistically significant, incidence of toxicity was found in the control (7/75; 9.7%) versus the experimental group (4/72; 5.1%). Mean length of total hospital stay was significantly longer for patients in the control group (20.3 days) compared with the experimental group (16.0 days) (p = 0.028). The variables from multivariate analysis with a significant impact on length of stay were patient group and length of aminoglycoside therapy. On the basis of a reduced length of stay, a potential cost savings of $1311 per patient can be achieved.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1989

Use of a path model to analyze factors that influence hospital pharmacists' salaries.

The direct and indirect effects of eight factors on Texas hospital pharmacists' salaries are described. Data for a path analysis (a method of examining relationships among specific variables while controlling for the effects of other variables) were collected by mail survey during the fall of 1985 from randomly selected hospital pharmacists residing in Texas. A path model was constructed to examine the effects of the following variables on the annual salary earned by full-time pharmacists: position, gender, seniority, academic degree, age, number of hours worked per week, size of hospital, and location of hospital. The relationships among the variables were evaluated using linear regression analysis. Of 1500 questionnaires mailed, 502 usable responses from full-time pharmacists were received. Six factors--gender, position, seniority, size of hospital, academic degree, and number of hours worked per week--had significant direct impact on financial compensation. Pharmacists' position also had an indirect effect on salary through the number of hours worked per week, with managers working more hours than nonmanagers. Position was influenced by seniority, gender, size of hospital, and academic degree. Male pharmacists earned more than their female counterparts. Age and hospital location had no significant influence on annual salary, position, or the number of hours worked per week. Overall, path analysis showed only 11 of 21 relationships among the nine variables to be significant. Seniority, gender, size of hospital, academic degree, position, and number of hours worked per week all had a significant effect on salary.

Data Collection↗