1. Use the following CASE to answer questions 1 through 6:
AH is a 4-year-old boy who presents with complaints of lack of growth (2nd percentile for
height/weight), fatigue, malaise, and 1-month history of dyspnea on exertion. His physical exam is normal except for the presence of splenomegaly: spleen volume on computed tomography (CT) scan noted to be 12 times normal volume. His complete blood count (CBC) reveals white blood cell count of 6300/μL, hemoglobin level of 9.2 g/dL, and platelet count of 98,000/mm3 . This patient is diagnosed with Gaucher disease.
According to his presentation, which type of Gaucher disease is AH most likely to have?
A. Type 1
B. Type 2
C. Type 3a
D. Type 3b
E. Unsure
2. You are working with a pharmacy student today who has never heard of Gaucher disease. He asks to learn more about it from you. Which of the following describes the pathophysiology of Gaucher disease?
A. A deficiency of lysosomes within cells of the bone and bone marrow, resulting in the inability of bone and bone marrow to function
B. A deficiency of glucocerebrosidase, resulting in accumulation of glycolipids in macrophage lysosomes
C. An overproduction of acid ß-glucosidase, resulting in destruction of organs such as bone, bone marrow, spleen, and liver
D. An overproduction of saposin C, resulting in accumulation of glucose in cells causing organ dysfunction
E. Unsure
3. AH is about to start treatment for his Gaucher disease. Which of the treatments is an option for AH at this time?
A. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with velaglucerase alfa
B. ERT with alglucerase
C. Substrate reduction therapy (SRT) with eliglustat
D. SRT with miglustat
E. Unsure
4. As a pharmacist, you review the following order for AH: velaglucerase alfa 30 units/kg intravenously (IV) every 2 weeks. This is the first time your hospital has used velaglucerase alfa. Which of the following best describes the appropriate preparation and administration techniques for velaglucerase alfa?
A. Must be reconstituted with sterile water for injection (SWI) and administered over 2 hours
B. Must be reconstituted with SWI, diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline; NS) to a final volume of 100 mL and infused over 2 hours
C. Must be reconstituted with SWI and diluted with NS to a final volume of 100 mL and infused immediately
D. Must be reconstituted with SWI, diluted in NS to a final volume of 100 mL, and administered through a low-protein-binding infusion set and in-line, low-protein-binding 0.2-?m filter over 1 hour
E. Unsure
5. After 6 months of velaglucerase alfa therapy, AH returns to his pediatrician for a follow-up visit to assess if he is meeting his goals of therapy. His symptoms have resolved and he is tolerating ERT without any side effects. A CT scan reveals a spleen volume that is 5 times normal volume and a CBC reveals a white blood cell count of 5900/?L, a hemoglobin level of 10.3 g/dL, and a platelet count of 102,000/mm3. Which of the following statements describes the best treatment option at this time?
A. AH should continue velaglucerase alfa 30 units/kg IV every 2 weeks because he has achieved improvement in symptoms and is tolerating the infusions well
B. AH should continue velaglucerase alfa but the dose should be increased to 45 units/kg IV every 2 weeks because, although he has improvement in symptoms and is tolerating the infusions well, he has not yet met his short-term management goals
C. AH should be switched to another ERT product because, although he has improvement in symptoms and is tolerating the infusions well, he has not yet met his short-term management goals
D. AH should undergo a splenectomy
E. Unsure
6. AH has been receiving velaglucerase alfa for 12 months; he is experiencing a good response and is on track to meet his short-term goals of therapy. His parents would like to go on a 1-month long vacation to visit their family in Eastern Europe. They have asked if they can do a “holiday” from treatment during this time and resume infusions upon his return. Which of the following statements best describes the safety and permissibility of this option?
A. ERT is a life-long treatment, but, once symptoms are improving, occasional treatment holidays are permitted to improve quality of life
B. ERT is a life-long treatment; interruptions in treatment have resulted in worsening symptoms and disease progression, so they should be avoided
C. ERT is a life-long treatment, so taking occasional drug holidays is expected and safe
D. ERT is a life-long treatment, but treatment holidays of less than 2 months have been found to be safe
E. Unsure
7. Use the following CASE to answer questions 7 through 10:
KB is a 59-year-old female diagnosed with type 1 Gaucher disease (GBA1:c1226A>G [NS70S] mutation) during adulthood. She is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
Which of the following signs and symptoms of Gaucher disease are more common in middle-aged or elderly adults like KB than in younger patients?
A. Bone involvement, such as osteolytic lesions leading to pathologic vertebral compression fractures
B. Leukopenia
C. Parkinsonism-like symptoms
D. Pulmonary hypertension
E. Unsure
8. KB has been stable and meeting long-term goals on imiglucerase therapy but would like to initiate an oral regimen to improve her quality of life by not needing to receive an infusion every 2 weeks. Which of the following best describes the outcomes most patients have while receiving eliglustat therapy?
A. For patients receiving imiglucerase therapy, switching to eliglustat is only recommended if therapeutic goals are not yet met
B. For patients who have achieved stable therapeutic goals on imiglucerase therapy, switching to eliglustat is not detrimental to maintaining hematologic function and organ volume
C. For patients who have achieved stable therapeutic goals on imiglucerase therapy, switching to eliglustat will improve organ volume and maintain hematologic function
D. Outcomes of patients switching between therapies have not been well studied; thus, outcomes are unknown
E. Unsure
9. KB underwent cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 metabolizer status testing with a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved test. Her CYP2D6 metabolizer status was found to be intermediate. Her hepatic and renal function are normal, and she takes levothyroxine and alendronate for osteoporosis. Which of the following dosing regimens is most appropriate for KB?
A. Eliglustat 84 mg by mouth 2 times daily
B. Eliglustat 84 mg by mouth once daily
C. Eliglustat 84 mg by mouth 3 times daily
D. None of these regimens: eliglustat is contraindicated in this patient
E. Unsure
10. Which of the following pharmacist-driven interventions can reduce the risk of adverse effects or drug-drug interactions with eliglustat for KB?
A. Coordinating care with home infusion centers for subsequent cycles to allow the patient to receive at-home infusions and improve quality of life
B. Monitoring for neurologic symptoms and avoiding use of neurotoxic drugs
C. Monitoring for changes in medications to avoid any potential interactions with drugs that affect CYP2D6, CYP3A4, P-glycoprotein, and Class IA and III antiarrhythmics
D. Monitoring for diarrhea, as this affects dosing
E. Unsure
Evaluation Questions
11. How confident are you in your treatment decisions for AH in the case above?
A. Not at all confident
B. Somewhat confident
C. Confident
D. Highly confident
12. How confident are you in your treatment decisions for KB in the case above?
A. Not at all confident
B. Somewhat confident
C. Confident
D. Highly confident