ALBANY, N.Y. – September 30, 2015 – Amy Barton Pai, Pharm.D., BCPS, FASN, FCCP, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, has received a two-year, $203,732 research grant from the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Dr. Barton Pai and her team will first seek to quantify the adverse effects on kidney function from commonly used over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers (known clinically as Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs or NSAID’s). A community-based education program will then be developed and implemented for both health care providers and patients to help draw attention to the potential risks.
Researchers have demonstrated that the use of NSAID’s – a drug class which includes naproxen and ibuprofen – restricts blood flow to the kidneys. When these drugs are taken by otherwise healthy individuals, the risks to kidney function are typically very small.
However, when NSAID’s are used by patients with additional health complications (e.g., pre-existing kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, heart failure), the risks of kidney impairment are increased. This is attributable to the fact that these disease states also restrict blood flow to the kidneys; consequently, the use of NSAID’s further strains kidneys that are already overworked.
For the first phase of the project, Dr. Barton Pai will partner with the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network. Using the DARTNet database, which houses a national collection of data from electronic health records, claims, and patient-reported outcomes, researchers will identify which patient populations are most at risk from the use of NSAID’s.
Once the database phase of the project is complete, Dr. Barton Pai will work locally with the CapitalCare Medical Group to launch a pilot program geared towards educating health care providers and high risk patients about the use of NSAID’s. The program is expected to include print materials, video, and even a mobile app. Information will be distributed primarily to physician offices and pharmacies. Dr. Barton Pai will be assisted in this phase of the project by two ACPHS students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. They will serve as clinical research assistants piloting a medication label literacy tool at CapitalCare sites.
“Patients, and to a lesser extent, health care providers are not always fully aware of how NSAID’s can lead to acute kidney injury,” said Dr. Barton Pai. “Through our research, we hope to identify the patient populations most at risk for kidney impairment from NSAID’s, and then embark on an educational program to reduce the number of preventable kidney injuries, and in turn, decrease the total cost of care associated with these incidents.”
About Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution with a long tradition of academic and research excellence. The College is committed to educating the next generation of leaders in the health care professions and translating scientific discoveries into therapies that benefit humankind. In addition to its doctor of pharmacy program, ACPHS offers six bachelor’s programs and five graduate programs in the health sciences. The College’s main campus is located in Albany, New York; its satellite campus is in Colchester, Vermont.