Two physicians receive Junior Investigator Recognition Awards at Internal Medicine 2013

Annals of Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians (ACP) will honor Adrienne Allen, MD, MPH and Matthew Spitzer, MD with the Junior Investigator Recognition Awards at Internal Medicine 2013, the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Physicians. Both honorees will be on site in San Francisco on Saturday, April 13, to present their winning research.

Now in its third year, Annals' Junior Investigator Recognition Awards are presented annually to two junior physicians. Annals and ACP award the most outstanding article by a first author who is in an internal medicine residency program or a general medicine or internal medicine subspecialty fellowship program. An award also is given for the most outstanding article with a first author who is within three years of completing his or her training in internal medicine or one of its subspecialties.

Dr. Allen, Associate Medical Director of Quality, Safety, and Risk at North Shore Physicians Group at North Shore Physicians Group in Boston, is being recognized for an article she authored while in training. "Pharmacy Dispensing of Electronically Discontinued Medications" was published in the November 20, 2012 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Her research highlighted an important patient safety concern. More than 85,000 medications are discontinued each year by physicians. While physicians may share this information with their patients, it is not always shared with the pharmacists. The researchers found that 1.5 percent all off discontinued medications were refilled by the pharmacy and that 12 percent of those refilled medications had the potential to cause some degree of harm to the patients.

Dr. Spitzer, Endocrinology Fellow at Boston Medical Center, is being recognized for an article he authored within three years of completing his training. "Effects of Testosterone Replacement on Response to Sildenafil Citrate in Men with Erectile Dysfunction: A Randomized Controlled Trial" was also published in the November 20, 2012 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The research showed that men with erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels who received a replacement dose of testosterone with sildenafil did not have greater improvement in erectile function than men who received sildenafil plus placebo.

Winners are selected based on the article's novelty, methodological rigor, clarity of presentation, and potential to influence practice, policy, or future research. Judges include Annals' editors and representatives from Annals' Editorial Board and ACP's Education and Publication Committee.

Source: American College of Physicians