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American Journal of Pharmaceutical... Nov 2023A 3-day pharmacy summer camp for high school and college students was implemented, which included active learning and information on the pharmacy curriculum, preparatory...
OBJECTIVE
A 3-day pharmacy summer camp for high school and college students was implemented, which included active learning and information on the pharmacy curriculum, preparatory coursework, and the university community. The program served as a recruitment tool for participants to enter the pharmacy profession and our Doctor of Pharmacy program. Enrollment data from 4 cohorts (2016-2019) were examined, along with assessment data collected from 1 cohort (summer 2022).
METHODS
Enrollment data were collected for the 194 participants from 2016 to 2019 to examine the number that applied to the university and to a pharmacy program. All participants from the summer 2022 cohort (n = 55) were asked to complete a knowledge assessment and survey after camp completion. The knowledge assessment contained items related to content covered in the camp. The survey used a self-report retrospective pre-and-post format to assess self-efficacy, and career and degree intentions. In addition, there were items asking participants to evaluate the camp, including 2 open-ended items.
RESULTS
Data show that overall, 33% of past participants enrolled at the University at Buffalo, and 15% enrolled or intended to enroll in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. There were 50 respondents to the evaluation survey (91% response rate). Scores on the knowledge assessment suggested participants understood the content. There were statistically significant increases from pre to post on the self-efficacy and intentions scales with the largest change in intentions to pursue a career in pharmacy and to pursue a degree in pharmacy at this university. On the evaluation, 90% agreed that they would recommend the camp to other students interested in pharmacy. Of the 30 comments regarding changes to improve the camp, 17 (57%) were related to including more interactive activities.
CONCLUSION
Students who participated in a pharmacy hands-on educational camp demonstrated knowledge of and increased interest in the pharmacy profession.
Topics: Humans; Education, Pharmacy; Retrospective Studies; Pharmacy; Students; Pharmacies; Curriculum; Students, Pharmacy
PubMed: 37399896
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpe.2023.100567 -
The International Journal of Pharmacy... Feb 2024To explore pharmacy users' perceptions of current and future provision of community pharmacy services in England.
OBJECTIVE
To explore pharmacy users' perceptions of current and future provision of community pharmacy services in England.
METHODS
Qualitative, reconvened focus groups were conducted with community pharmacy users. An initial focus group explored preliminary views. Participants were then given an evidence brief describing community pharmacy before a reconvened focus group two weeks later. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
KEY FINDINGS
Eleven individuals participated across two reconvened focus groups. Participants valued community pharmacies and staff, but lacked awareness of their services and roles: '… I don't think the general public is aware of all of this … it gives you a very different perspective'. Urgent care and long-term conditions management were identified as suitable for future development, facilitated by training, closer collaboration with general practices, shared access to health records, and premises with more space and confidentiality: 'I still think of it as a retail space more than as a health service'. Concerns were expressed about working conditions in community pharmacy and unplanned closures: 'doesn't sound like a great place to work'. Participants anticipated greater use of technology but did not want this to replace face-to-face contact with pharmacy staff: 'I am not saying it's inaccurate, it is so remote and impersonal'.
CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacy users would value a greater role for community pharmacy in addressing the challenges currently faced by the health service in England, provided that their concerns on a range of issues are addressed.
Topics: Humans; Focus Groups; Pharmacies; Motivation; Pharmacists; England; Community Pharmacy Services; Pharmacy
PubMed: 37978897
DOI: 10.1093/ijpp/riad082 -
Journal of Managed Care & Specialty... Oct 2023The AMCP Poster Abstract Program provides a forum for authors to share their research with the managed care pharmacy community. Authors submit their abstracts to AMCP,...
The AMCP Poster Abstract Program provides a forum for authors to share their research with the managed care pharmacy community. Authors submit their abstracts to AMCP, and each abstract is reviewed by a team of peer reviewers and editors. All accepted abstracts are presented as posters at AMCP's Annual and Nexus meetings. These abstracts are also available through the AMCP meeting app. This JMCP supplement publishes all abstracts that were peer reviewed and accepted for presentation at AMCP NEXUS 2023. Abstracts submitted in the Student and Encore categories did not undergo peer review; therefore, these abstracts are not included in the supplement.
Topics: Humans; Academies and Institutes; Community Pharmacy Services; Managed Care Programs; Pharmacies; Pharmacy
PubMed: 37792397
DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2023.29.10-a.s1 -
American Journal of Health-system... Jan 2024The 2024 ASHP Pharmacy Forecast identifies and contextualizes emerging issues and trends that will influence healthcare, health systems, and the pharmacy profession and...
PURPOSE
The 2024 ASHP Pharmacy Forecast identifies and contextualizes emerging issues and trends that will influence healthcare, health systems, and the pharmacy profession and provides recommendations to inform long-term strategic planning that should prompt action by pharmacists and health-system leaders.
METHODS
Drawing on the “wisdom of crowds” concept, a survey was constructed with 6 general themes, each with 6 to 9 focused statements and a seventh theme on preparedness (58 survey items in total). The size of and representation within the survey panel were intended to capture opinions from a wide range of pharmacy leaders. The survey instructed panelists to consider the likelihood of the events/scenarios described in the statements occurring in the next 5 years as being likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or very unlikely. Then, survey panelists assessed the preparedness (from very unprepared to very prepared) for 12 of the statements.
RESULTS
The 6 survey themes identified were Urgent Public Health Priorities, Responding to the Mental Health Crisis, Achieving Care Equity, New Disease Paradigms and Treatment Innovations, Workforce: Focus on Culture for the Future, and Artificial Intelligence: Can Ethics and Regulators Catch Up? The survey was completed by 250 respondents, yielding an 88% response rate. Analysis of survey results was provided by chapter authors along with strategic recommendations to guide actions for each theme.
CONCLUSION
The focus of the Pharmacy Forecast is on large-scale, long-term trends that will influence healthcare and the pharmacy profession over months and years and not on day-to-day situational dynamics. The report provides insight to stimulate thinking and discussion and provides a starting point to proactively position leaders, their teams, and departments for potential future events and trends.
Topics: Humans; United States; Strategic Planning; Pharmacy; Pharmaceutical Services; Pharmacies; Hospitals; Pharmacy Service, Hospital; Societies, Pharmaceutical; Pharmacists; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38048298
DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxad231 -
Lancet (London, England) Nov 2023Pharmacy professionals (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians; PPs) are recognised for delivering public health interventions (micro level). There is increased policy...
BACKGROUND
Pharmacy professionals (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians; PPs) are recognised for delivering public health interventions (micro level). There is increased policy focus on population health management, but limited knowledge regarding the role of PPs within UK's public health meso and macro levels. This study aimed to explore UK PPs' public health qualifications, specialisations, and motivations and barriers to pursuing advanced public health practice.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, we developed and piloted two surveys, and we disseminated them separately via email to UK pharmacy and public health networks and social media, between June 19, and Oct 26, 2021. PPs with an interest or experience in public or population health were invited to participate in the study. We asked PPs questions about public health qualifications, specialisations, motivations, and barriers, and we also asked PHPs for opinions regarding the value of specialist public health skills for PPs. Numerical data were summarised, and responses collated into themes. NHS Health Research Authority tool identified ethics approval not required; and the questionnaire included consent request.
FINDINGS
128 PPs (85% pharmacists) and 54 PHPs responded. Of the PPs who responded, 90 (70%) were female and 35 (27%) were male; 62 (48%) were White British, 19 (14%) were Asian or Asian British, 14 (12%) were Black or Black British. They worked in primary care (34%, n=43), secondary care (26%, n=33), Community Pharmacy (13%, n=16), and public health bodies (13%, n=16). Overall, 34 (27%) of 128 PPs (32 pharmacists; 2 pharmacy technicians) possessed public health qualifications (MPH, PhD). Motivations for these qualifications were ambition to work as PP in public health PP (31%; 17/55 respondents), public health as alternative career (29%; 16/55), general interest (27%; 15/55) recommended or required for current role (11%; 6/55). Themes of barriers included limited training opportunities and poor career pathways. For the PHP survey, 36 (67%) of 54 were female and 16 (30%) were male. They worked as Consultants or Directors (28%, n=15), Registrars (24%, n=13), Practitioners (15%, n=8). 45 (87%) of 52 PHP respondents agreed that specialist PPs in public health would be beneficial to public health; 13 (45%) of 29 respondents recommended a public health Master's degree, eight (27%) recommended experience or postgraduate modules in health economics and health inequalities, three (10%) recommended credentialing for PPs to specialise.
INTERPRETATION
Findings suggest responding PPs are motivated to advance in public health practice, despite barriers. Collaboration with PHPs and development of communities of practice might address barriers identified and contribute to advanced public health practice for PPs, supporting the increased focus on population health management in the UK. Limitations include the exploratory nature of the study, and the fact that PPs responding to public health surveys might be more motivated to advance in public health practice than those not responding.
FUNDING
NHS England and UK Health Security Agency.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pharmacies; Public Health; Motivation; Pharmacy; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 37997064
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02106-2 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Aug 2023Point-of-care testing (POCT) using rapid diagnostic tests for infectious disease can potentially guide appropriate use of antimicrobials, reduce antimicrobial... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Point-of-care testing (POCT) using rapid diagnostic tests for infectious disease can potentially guide appropriate use of antimicrobials, reduce antimicrobial resistance, and economise use of healthcare resources. POCT implementation in private retail settings such as pharmacies and drug shops could lessen the burden on public healthcare. We performed a narrative review on studies of POCTs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and explored uptake, impact on treatment, and feasibility of implementation.
METHODS
We searched MEDLINE/PubMed for interventional studies on the implementation of POCT for infectious diseases performed by personnel in private retail settings. Data were extracted and analysed by two independent reviewers.
RESULTS
Of the 848 studies retrieved, 23 were included in the review. Studies were on malaria (19/23), malaria and pneumonia (3/23) or respiratory tract infection (1/23). Nine randomised controlled studies, four controlled, non-randomised studies, five uncontrolled interventions, one interventional pre-post study, one cross-over interventional study and three retrospective analyses of RCTs were included. Study quality was poor. Overall, studies showed that POCT can be implemented successfully, leading to improvements in appropriate treatment as measured by outcomes like adherence to treatment guidelines. Despite some concerns by health workers, customers and shop providers were welcoming of POCT implementation in private retail settings. Main themes that arose from the review included the need for well-structured training with post-training certification covering guidelines for test-negative patients, integrated waste management, community sensitization and demand generation activities, financial remuneration and pricing schemes for providers, and formal linkage to healthcare and support.
CONCLUSION
Our review found evidence that POCT can be implemented successfully in private retail settings in LMICs, but comprehensive protocols are needed. High-quality randomised studies are needed to understand POCTs for infectious diseases other than malaria.
Topics: Humans; Health Facilities; Pharmacies; Pharmacy; Point-of-Care Testing; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37612636
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08480-w -
Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023The opioid epidemic has been an ongoing public health concern in the United States (US) for the last few decades. The number of overdose deaths involving opioids,... (Review)
Review
The opioid epidemic has been an ongoing public health concern in the United States (US) for the last few decades. The number of overdose deaths involving opioids, hereafter referred to as overdose deaths, has increased yearly since the mid-1990s. One treatment modality for opioid use disorder (OUD) is medication-assisted treatment (MAT). As of 2022, only three pharmacotherapy options have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating OUD: buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. Unlike buprenorphine and naltrexone, methadone dispensing and administrating are restricted to opioid treatment programs (OTPs). To date, Tennessee has no medication units, and administration and dispensing of methadone is limited to licensed OTPs. This review details the research process used to develop a policy draft for medication units in Tennessee. This review is comprised of three parts: (1) a rapid review aimed at identifying obstacles and facilitators to OTP access in the US, (2) a descriptive analysis of Tennessee's geographic availability of OTPs, pharmacies, and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and (3) policy mapping of 21 US states' OTP regulations. In the rapid review, a total of 486 articles were imported into EndNote from PubMed and Embase. After removing 152 duplicates, 357 articles were screened based on their title and abstract. Thus, 34 articles underwent a full-text review to identify articles that addressed the accessibility of methadone treatment for OUD. A total of 18 articles were identified and analyzed. A descriptive analysis of Tennessee's availability of OTP showed that the state has 22 OTPs. All 22 OTPs were matched to a county and a region based on their address resulting in 15 counties (16%) and all three regions having at least one OTP. A total of 260 FQHCs and 2294 pharmacies are in Tennessee. Each facility was matched to a county based on its address resulting in 70 counties (74%) having at least one FQHC and 94 counties (99%) having at least one pharmacy. As of 31 December 2022, 17 states mentioned medication units in their state-level OTP regulations. Utilizing the regulations for the eleven states with medication units and federal guidelines, a policy draft was created for Tennessee's medication units.
PubMed: 37736904
DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy11050131 -
American Journal of Health-system... Apr 2024The objective of this study was to understand at what level of the Autonomous Pharmacy Framework facilities are operating, in terms of the current state of data...
PURPOSE
The objective of this study was to understand at what level of the Autonomous Pharmacy Framework facilities are operating, in terms of the current state of data collection and analysis in the medication-use process, and to gather insights about systems integration and automation use.
METHODS
The Autonomous Pharmacy Advisory Board, a group of chief pharmacy officers and operational leaders, developed a self-assessment instrument based on the previously published Autonomous Pharmacy Framework, made the self-assessment instrument available via the internet, and reviewed respondents' self-reported results. The data collection period for the survey started in March of 2021 and ended in January of 2023.
RESULTS
A total of 119 facility-level self-assessments were completed and analyzed. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 represented little or no data-driven automation with lots of manual tasks and 5 represented the utmost data-driven automation with few manual tasks, the average overall facility-level score was 2.77 (range, 1.38-4.41). Results revealed slight variance by facility bed capacity. Much more variation was found in the degrees to which individual facilities have automated core processes like inventory management, intravenous medication preparation, and financial reporting.
CONCLUSION
As a baseline, this automation-focused facility self-assessment suggests that for essentially all health-system pharmacy facilities and their larger organizations, a substantial body of work needs to be done to further develop and upgrade technology and practice in tandem, greatly expand data collection and analysis, and thereby achieve better operational, financial, and clinical outcomes. Significant advancements are needed to arrive at the highly reliable, highly automated, data-driven medication-use process involving few repetitive manual tasks envisioned in the Autonomous Pharmacy Framework.
Topics: Humans; Self-Assessment; Automation; Pharmacy Service, Hospital; Pharmacies; Pharmacy
PubMed: 38146919
DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxad329 -
Research in Social & Administrative... Sep 2023It is important to understand the factors impacting the quality of services provided through community pharmacies. Exploring how key stakeholders perceive good quality...
INTRODUCTION
It is important to understand the factors impacting the quality of services provided through community pharmacies. Exploring how key stakeholders perceive good quality in these services is a logical first step. This could also inform the development of quality measures, such as quality indicators (QIs).
AIM
To identify key stakeholders' perspectives on the quality of services provided through community pharmacies in Norway, specifically by exploring their experiences and perceptions about what constitutes good service quality.
METHODS
A convenient sampling approach was used to recruit participants for five semi-structured focus groups from Facebook, pharmacy chains, and patient organizations. The interviews with twenty-six participants were conducted via Microsoft Teams. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and an inductive thematic analysis with a reflexive approach was used.
RESULTS
Four main themes emerged from the analysis; 1) sufficient and substantively suitable information to cover individual needs, 2) communication skills and relationships with the pharmacy professionals, 3) customer satisfaction with knowledgeable employees and conveniently located pharmacies, and 4) factors that affect the pharmacy working environment.
CONCLUSION
This study has identified areas that pharmacy professionals and customers regard as essential to define good quality of community pharmacy services. Effective communication skills, appropriate provision of information, customer satisfaction, and working environment are all essential factors when developing quality metrics for community pharmacies.
Topics: Humans; Pharmacies; Pharmacists; Community Pharmacy Services; Focus Groups; Consumer Behavior
PubMed: 37296059
DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.05.015 -
The Senior Care Pharmacist Dec 2023Professional practice in any complex health care delivery can proceed at a hectic pace. There are often competing demands for the allocation of time and expertise....
Professional practice in any complex health care delivery can proceed at a hectic pace. There are often competing demands for the allocation of time and expertise. Senior care pharmacists are among several subsets within the pharmacy profession who shoulder the responsibility to provide care for and to protect older people who can be at grave risk for health problems from a variety of sources, in particular: medication-related problems. This was elegantly elaborated by influential pharmacy practitioners in practice and academia a little more than 30 years ago.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Community Pharmacy Services; Pharmacy; Pharmacists; Pharmacies; Professional Practice
PubMed: 38041228
DOI: 10.4140/TCP.n.2023.488