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8 pages, 212 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparison of Nursing and Pharmacy Students’ Perceptions of an Acute Care Simulation

by Jill Pence, Shannon Ashe, Georges Adunlin and Jennifer Beall

Healthcare 2022, 10(4), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10040715 - 12 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1467

Abstract

Patient outcomes are improved when healthcare professionals work collaboratively. In order for future professionals to have these entry-level skills, students from different disciplines must work together in scenarios simulating patient care. This paper provides an overview of a large-scale, acute care simulation involving [...] Read more.

Patient outcomes are improved when healthcare professionals work collaboratively. In order for future professionals to have these entry-level skills, students from different disciplines must work together in scenarios simulating patient care. This paper provides an overview of a large-scale, acute care simulation involving students of different disciplines, including nursing and pharmacy. A survey using the validated Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education Revised (SPICE-R2) tool was administered to students participating in the simulation prior to and within 1 week of the simulation. There were between-group statistically significant differences on two items on the pre-simulation survey and two items on the post-simulation survey. Student participants reported more positive perceptions after the simulation on every item except for “During their education, health professional students should be involved in teamwork with students from other health professions to understand their perspective roles”. The authors concluded that an interprofessional acute care simulation allowed students in both professions to recognize the value of a team approach to patient care. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

17 pages, 242 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pharmacy Students’ Attitudes and Perceptions toward Financial Management Education

by Georges Adunlin and Kevin Pan

Healthcare 2022, 10(4), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10040683 - 05 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1886

Abstract

(1) Background: Pharmacy-related financial management training and education are an integral part of the pharmacy curriculum. This study aims to evaluate pharmacy students’ perceptions toward financial management education, their attitudes on its clinical relevance, and their ability to use financial management knowledge in [...] Read more.

(1) Background: Pharmacy-related financial management training and education are an integral part of the pharmacy curriculum. This study aims to evaluate pharmacy students’ perceptions toward financial management education, their attitudes on its clinical relevance, and their ability to use financial management knowledge in introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences. (2) Methods: An online survey was sent to third- and fourth-year pharmacy students. The survey assessed the following three themes: perceptions toward financial management education; attitudes toward the clinical relevance of financial management education; and the student’s ability to use knowledge of financial management in practice. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. (3) Results: The overall response rate for the survey was 60% (139/233). Overall, the study showed a positive perception and attitude toward financial management education. Results indicate that pharmacy students were confident in their ability to use financial management knowledge in pharmacy practice. (4) Conclusions: This survey found an overall optimism in financial management education’s role in pharmacy practice and the ability to obtain financial management competencies in professional pharmacy training. With the evolving practice requirements, pharmacy schools should adapt their financial management curricula with relevant skills to prepare students to become effective entrepreneurs, innovators, and practice leaders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

13 pages, 1119 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating the Impact of Medication Risk Mitigation Services in Medically Complex Older Adults

by Hubert Jin, Sue Yang, David Bankes, Stephanie Finnel, Jacques Turgeon and Alan Stein

Healthcare 2022, 10(3), 551; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10030551 - 16 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4056

Abstract

Adverse drug events (ADEs) represent an expensive societal burden that disproportionally affects older adults. Therefore, value-based organizations that provide care to older adults—such as the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)—should be highly motivated to identify actual or potential ADEs to [...] Read more.

Adverse drug events (ADEs) represent an expensive societal burden that disproportionally affects older adults. Therefore, value-based organizations that provide care to older adults—such as the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)—should be highly motivated to identify actual or potential ADEs to mitigate risks and avoid downstream costs. We sought to determine whether PACE participants receiving medication risk mitigation (MRM) services exhibit improvements in total healthcare costs and other outcomes compared to participants not receiving structured MRM. Data from 2545 PACE participants from 19 centers were obtained for the years 2018 and 2019. We compared the year-over-year changes in outcomes between patients not receiving (control) or receiving structured MRM services. Data were adjusted based on participant multimorbidity and geographic location. Our analyses demonstrate that costs in the MRM cohort exhibited a significantly smaller year-to-year increase compared to the control (MRM: USD 4386/participant/year [95% CI, USD 3040–5732] vs. no MRM: USD 9410/participant/year [95% CI, USD 7737–11,084]). Therefore, receipt of structured MRM services reduced total healthcare costs (p < 0.001) by USD 5024 per participant from 2018 to 2019. The large majority (75.8%) of the reduction involved facility-related expenditures (e.g., hospital admission, emergency department visits, skilled nursing). In sum, our findings suggest that structured MRM services can curb growing year-over-year healthcare costs for PACE participants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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9 pages, 715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pharmacy Student Perceptions of a Virtual Pharmacogenomics Activity

by Darrow Thomas, John A. Soldner, Cheryl D. Cropp and Jennifer Beall

Healthcare 2022, 10(2), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10020286 - 01 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1461

Abstract

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) utilizes a patient’s genome to guide drug treatment and dosing. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) included PGx as a critical content area. Pharmacists are increasingly involved in providing this service, which necessitates training. Second-year pharmacy students at Samford University [...] Read more.

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) utilizes a patient’s genome to guide drug treatment and dosing. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) included PGx as a critical content area. Pharmacists are increasingly involved in providing this service, which necessitates training. Second-year pharmacy students at Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy have didactic training in the principles of PGx and managing drug therapy using PGx data. A clinical skills lab activity was developed to reinforce these principles and allow students to navigate resources to develop and communicate recommendations for drug therapy. The activity was initially planned as synchronous, but transitioned to asynchronous when students began remote learning in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigators sought students’ perceptions of the PGx lab activity and the delivery of its content via a virtual format. This study gathered data from an anonymous, voluntary student survey through Samford University’s course management system, Canvas, in the spring of 2020 soon after completion of the virtual PGx learning activity. The investigators’ goal is to obtain the information and insights obtained from the students who participated in the PGx lab activity to provide guidance for the improvement of their PGx lab activity and for other schools of pharmacy to deliver a PGx lab activities using nontraditional teaching methodologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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10 pages, 236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Affecting Pharmacy Students’ Decision to Study in Pharmacy Colleges in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Analysis

by Ahmed M. Alshehri, Lara A. Elsawaf, Shaikah F. Alzaid, Yasser S. Almogbel, Mohammed A. Alminggash, Ziyad S. Almalki and Majed A. Algarni

Healthcare 2021, 9(12), 1651; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9121651 - 28 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1877

Abstract

(1) Background: Many factors may play a role in deciding to opt for pharmacy as a major. However, no previous studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia to explore these factors. This study aims to identify the potential factors that prompted students to [...] Read more.

(1) Background: Many factors may play a role in deciding to opt for pharmacy as a major. However, no previous studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia to explore these factors. This study aims to identify the potential factors that prompted students to join the pharmacy program. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed among undergraduate pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia, addressing areas such as reasons that encourage them to choose pharmacy as a major, and students’ socio-demographic characteristics. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study variables, and a simple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the potential factors. (3) Results: A total of 491 students completed the questionnaire. Around 40% of them had chosen to study pharmacy as their first choice. Only gender, current GPA, and reasons related to the pharmacy field were found to have a statistically significant association with students selecting pharmacy as their first choice. (4) Conclusions: This study shows that pharmacy students have a future-oriented outlook and selected pharmacy as their first choice because it will develop them professionally, financially, and intellectually. Educating high school students about the characteristic of pharmacy would help attract more talented students to the pharmacy carrier. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

12 pages, 1888 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regulation Awareness and Experience of Additional Monitoring among Healthcare Professionals in Finland

by Andreas Sandberg, Pauliina Ehlers, Saku Torvinen, Heli Sandberg and Mia Sivén

Healthcare 2021, 9(11), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111540 - 11 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1984

Abstract

Background: Challenges in post-marketing adverse event reporting are generally recognized. To enhance reporting, the concept of additional monitoring was introduced in 2012. Additional monitoring aims to enhance reporting of adverse events (AE) for medicines for which the clinical evidence base is less well [...] Read more.

Background: Challenges in post-marketing adverse event reporting are generally recognized. To enhance reporting, the concept of additional monitoring was introduced in 2012. Additional monitoring aims to enhance reporting of adverse events (AE) for medicines for which the clinical evidence base is less well developed. Purpose: The purpose was to get a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons why additional monitoring has not increased AE reporting as much as initially hoped. We examined how healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Finland perceive additional monitoring, why they do or do not report AEs more readily for these medicines and how they interact with patients treated with additionally monitored medicines. Methods: An anonymous, open questionnaire was developed and made available online at the e-form portal of University of Helsinki. Physicians, nurses, and pharmacists were invited to complete the questionnaire via their respective trade or area unions. Content analysis of answers to open-ended questions was performed by two independent coders. Results: Pharmacists have the best understanding about additional monitoring but at the same time do not recognize their role in enhancing monitoring. Only 40% of HCPs working with patients knows always or often if a specific medicine is additionally monitored. Half (53%) of HCPs do not tell or tell only rarely patients about additional monitoring. 18% of HCPs reported having received additional monitoring training whereas 29% had received general AE reporting training. AE reporting was more common among HCPs who had received training. Conclusions: Additional monitoring awareness among HCPs and patients should be increased by organizing regular educational events and making additional monitoring more visible. Educational events should emphasize the significance additional monitoring has on patient safety and promote a reporting culture among HCPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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11 pages, 481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Pharmacists Prescribing Practices in Poland—A Descriptive Study

by Agnieszka Zimmermann, Jakub Płaczek, Natalia Wrzosek and Artur Owczarek

Healthcare 2021, 9(11), 1505; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111505 - 05 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2515

Abstract

Pharmacists play a beneficial role in supplying medicines to patients. Pharmacist prescribing practices were introduced into law in Poland in 2002, permitting pharmacists to prescribe medications in emergency situations and in 2020 the new law allowed to prescribe in all situation where it [...] Read more.

Pharmacists play a beneficial role in supplying medicines to patients. Pharmacist prescribing practices were introduced into law in Poland in 2002, permitting pharmacists to prescribe medications in emergency situations and in 2020 the new law allowed to prescribe in all situation where it is needed because of the health risks reasons. Our aim was to analyze pharmacist prescribing practices in Poland and confirm the useful of pharmacists’ activity in this area. Additionally, pharmacists were also authorized to issue reimbursed prescriptions for themselves or their family members. Since January 2020, only e-prescriptions are allowed in Poland. A retrospective analysis of the inspection written reports from 842 community pharmacies in the representative region of Poland with a population of two million, carried out in the time period from 2002 to 2016 was performed (2189 prescriptions) to assess the emergency pharmacist prescribing practices in Poland. The second part of the research was based on digital data on pharmacists prescriptions (18,529) provided by the e-Health Centre (a governmental organization under the Ministry of Health responsible for the development of health care information systems in Poland), enabling to conduct the analysis of pharmacist’s prescribing from 1 of April 2020 to 31 of October 2020. The analysis gave the insight of the evolution of the pharmacy prescribing patterns. In general, pharmaceutical prescriptions were issued in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, in town- or city center pharmacies, and in pharmacies in residential areas. The most common reason for a pharmaceutical prescription was that the patient was running out of a medicine and was unable to contact their physician. Cardiovascular, respiratory, dermatological, and digestive medications were most frequently prescribed. An analysis of pharmacists’ prescribing data from 1 April 2020 to 31 October 2020 confirmed the rapid increase of pharmaceutical prescriptions following implementation of the new legislative act during the COVID-19 epidemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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10 pages, 235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Population-Based Study on the All-Cause and Cause-Specific Risks of Mortality among Long-Term Opioid Analgesics Users without Cancer in Taiwan

by Po-Feng Lee, Chung-Yi Li, Yen-Chin Liu, Chang-Ta Chiu and Wen-Hsuan Hou

Healthcare 2021, 9(11), 1402; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111402 - 20 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1513

Abstract

(1) Background: The prevalence of opioid use in Taiwan increased by 41% between 2002 and 2014. However, little is known regarding the risk of mortality among long-term opioid analgesics users who do not have cancer. This study investigated this mortality risk with an [...] Read more.

(1) Background: The prevalence of opioid use in Taiwan increased by 41% between 2002 and 2014. However, little is known regarding the risk of mortality among long-term opioid analgesics users who do not have cancer. This study investigated this mortality risk with an emphasis on the calendar year and patients’ age and sex. (2) Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 12,990 adult individuals without cancer who were long-term users of opioid analgesics and were randomly selected from the data set of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance program from 2000 to 2012. They were then followed up through 2013. Information on the underlying causes of death was retrieved from the Taiwan Death Registry. Age, sex, and calendar year-standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of all-cause and cause-specific mortality were calculated with reference to those of the general population. (3) Results: With up to 14 years of follow-up, 558 individuals had all-cause mortality in 48,020 person-years (cumulative mortality: 4.3%, mortality rate: 11.62 per 1000 person-years). Compared with the general population, the all-cause SMR of 4.30 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 3.95–4.66) was significantly higher: it was higher in men than in women, declined with calendar year and age, and was significantly higher for both natural (4.15, 95% CI: 3.78–4.53) and unnatural (5.04, 95% CI: 3.88–6.45) causes. (4) Conclusions: Long-term opioid analgesics use among individuals without cancer in Taiwan was associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality. The notably increased mortality in younger adults warrants attention. Strategies to reduce long-term opioid analgesics use, especially their overuse or misuse, are in an urgent need. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

14 pages, 547 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reproductive Health Services: Attitudes and Practice of Japanese Community Pharmacists

by Shigeo Yamamura, Tomoko Terajima, Javiera Navarrete, Christine A. Hughes, Nese Yuksel, Theresa J. Schindel, Tatta Sriboonruang, Puree Anantachoti and Chanthawat Patikorn

Healthcare 2021, 9(10), 1336; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9101336 - 08 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1897

Abstract

The provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is an important part of a community pharmacist’s role in many countries. However, such services are not traditionally provided by pharmacists in Japan. We surveyed the practice and attitudes regarding the provision of SRH [...] Read more.

The provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is an important part of a community pharmacist’s role in many countries. However, such services are not traditionally provided by pharmacists in Japan. We surveyed the practice and attitudes regarding the provision of SRH services among Japanese community pharmacists with a focus on reproductive health (RH) topics. The participants were asked about the provision of RH services, attitudes toward their role as SRH providers, and self-reported confidence in providing education to patients on RH topics. We obtained 534 effective responses. About half of the participants reported providing RH services, and only 21% were involved in dispensing emergency contraception pills. Although the proportion of pharmacists providing education on these topics was considerably lower, about 80% recognized the importance of their role as SRH advisors. Confidence in providing patient education about RH topics depended on their experience in providing such services. Most participants were interested in additional SRH training (80%). Our results suggest that training programs could help to expand Japanese community pharmacists’ roles as SRH providers and increase their confidence in the education of patients. This study provides useful insights to expand pharmacists’ roles in Japan as providers of comprehensive SRH services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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12 pages, 573 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Community Pharmacists’ Perceptions towards the Misuse and Abuse of Pregabalin: A Cross-Sectional Study from Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

by Sultan M. Alshahrani, Khalid Orayj, Ali M. Alqahtani and Mubarak A. Algahtany

Healthcare 2021, 9(10), 1281; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9101281 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2033

Abstract

Pregabalin is a first-line therapy for neuropathic pain and for chronic pain. It has abuse potential. This study was conducted to assess community pharmacists’ perceptions towards pregabalin abuse and misuse in the Aseer region, Saudi Arabia, and identify predictors and associated factors. A [...] Read more.

Pregabalin is a first-line therapy for neuropathic pain and for chronic pain. It has abuse potential. This study was conducted to assess community pharmacists’ perceptions towards pregabalin abuse and misuse in the Aseer region, Saudi Arabia, and identify predictors and associated factors. A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire following a self-administrative study was conducted across community pharmacies in the Aseer region (Abha, Khamis Mushait, Mahayel, Sarat Abeeda, Ahad-Rufaida, and Bishah). A total of 206 respondents from community pharmacists participated in the study. Over the last six months, 136 respondents (66.0%) suspected pregabalin abuse in community pharmacies; male dominance in pregabalin abusers was also recorded (n = 165, 80.1%). Additionally, 40 (19.4%) respondents stated that a prescription was not issued for pregabalin demands. Over half (61.7%) of community pharmacists recorded an increased change in pregabalin abuse compared to the previous year. This is the first study to explore pharmacists’ perceptions in the community of the Aseer region towards customers’ misuse and abuse of pregabalin. Further monitoring and regulations on the prescribing and procurement of pregabalin are needed to avoid abuse. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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11 pages, 259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Facilitating and Hindering Development of a Medication Use Review Service in Eastern Europe and Iran-Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

by Anita Tuula, Daisy Volmer, Liisa Jõhvik, Ieva Rutkovska, Indre Trečiokienė, Piotr Merks, Magdalena Waszyk-Nowaczyk, Mariola Drozd, Alena Tatarević, Maja Radovanlija, Carmen Pacadi, Arijana Meštrović, Réka Viola, Gyöngyvér Soós, Cristina Rais, Adriana-Elena Táerel, Magdalena Kuzelova, Marziyeh Zare, Payam Peymani, Marje Oona and Michael Scott Show full author list Hide full author list

Healthcare 2021, 9(9), 1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9091207 - 14 Sep 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2953

Abstract

Polypharmacy is a common issue in patients with chronic diseases. Eastern-European countries and Iran are exploring possibilities for implementing the Medication Use Review (MUR) as a measure for optimizing medication use and ensuring medication safety in polypharmacy patients. The aim of this study [...] Read more.

Polypharmacy is a common issue in patients with chronic diseases. Eastern-European countries and Iran are exploring possibilities for implementing the Medication Use Review (MUR) as a measure for optimizing medication use and ensuring medication safety in polypharmacy patients. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the development of the community pharmacy sector and map facilitators and barriers of MUR in Eastern Europe and Iran. The representatives of the framework countries received a questionnaire on community pharmacy sector indicators, current and future developments of pharmacies, and factors encouraging and hindering MUR. To answer the questionnaire, all representatives performed document analysis, literature review, and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders. The socio-ecological model was used for inductive thematic analysis of the identified factors. Current community pharmacist competencies in framework countries were more related to traditional pharmacy services. Main facilitators of MUR were increase in polypharmacy and pharmaceutical waste, and access to patients’ electronic list of medications by pharmacists. Main barriers included the service being unfamiliar, lack of funding and private consultation areas. Pharmacists in the framework countries are well-placed to provide MUR, however, the service needs more introduction and barriers mostly on organizational and public policy levels must be addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

17 pages, 2352 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Consumption of Non-Oncological Medicines: A Methodological Study on Patients of the Ada Cohort

by Giulio Barigelletti, Giovanna Tagliabue, Sabrina Fabiano, Annalisa Trama, Alice Bernasconi, Claudio Tresoldi, Viviana Perotti, Andrea Tittarelli and Ada Working Group

Healthcare 2021, 9(9), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9091121 - 30 Aug 2021

Viewed by 1539

Abstract

Cancer patients are identified as fragile patients who are often immunodepressed and subject to secondary diseases. The Ada cohort comprises cancer survivors aged 15–39 years at diagnosis included in 34 Italian cancer registries. This study aimed to analyze the possible excess of non-cancer [...] Read more.

Cancer patients are identified as fragile patients who are often immunodepressed and subject to secondary diseases. The Ada cohort comprises cancer survivors aged 15–39 years at diagnosis included in 34 Italian cancer registries. This study aimed to analyze the possible excess of non-cancer medicines use on the basis of the medicine database of the Ada cohort. Records of medicines present in the pharmaceutical flows collected by eight Lombardy cancer registries and used by patients with any type of cancer were extracted for the year 2012. Medicine consumption data were processed to assign a defined daily dose value and to evaluate the consumption of medicines belonging to different groups of the ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical) classification. The values were compared with values in the Lombardy population. Medicine consumption related to 8150 patients was analyzed, for a total of 632,675 records. ATC groups A and C for females and group N for both sexes showed significant increases. Group J for males and group M for females showed intermediate increases, and group H for both sexes showed smaller increases. This method allowed the identification of excess medicine use to reduce cancer therapy side effects and primary disease sequelae in this group of patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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9 pages, 1349 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Community Pharmacists’ Opinions towards Poor Prescription Writing in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

by Saad Saeed Alqahtani

Healthcare 2021, 9(8), 1077; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9081077 - 21 Aug 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2638

Abstract

Avoidance of medication errors is imperative for the safe use of medications, and community pharmacists are uniquely placed to identify and resolve the errors that may arise due to poorly handwritten prescriptions. Purpose: To explore the opinion and attitudes of community pharmacists towards [...] Read more.

Avoidance of medication errors is imperative for the safe use of medications, and community pharmacists are uniquely placed to identify and resolve the errors that may arise due to poorly handwritten prescriptions. Purpose: To explore the opinion and attitudes of community pharmacists towards poor prescription writing and their suggestions to overcome this concern. Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted among the community pharmacists in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Descriptive analysis and chi-square test were used at 5% p-value (p > 0.05) as the significance level. Results: The response rate for the survey was 78.66%, and 140 community pharmacists agreed to participate. Among the study subjects, the majority (73.57%) had a bachelor’s degree. Nearly three-fourths (3/4) of the pharmacists (72.29%) chose to send the patient back to the prescriber when they found difficulty in interpreting the information from an illegible prescription. As many as 80.71% of the pharmacists believed that poorly handwritten prescriptions were the cause of actual errors when dispensing medications. The most commonly encountered problem due to poorly handwritten prescriptions was the commercial name of medicine, which was reported by around two-thirds (67.86%) of the pharmacists. The use of e-prescription was suggested by 72.86% of the pharmacists as a probable solution to encounter this problem. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the belief and attitudes of community pharmacists in the region and their opinions to solve this impending problem of poor prescription writing. Continuous professional development courses can be adopted to tackle the problem. Additionally, health authorities can work on incorporating and facilitating the use of e-prescription in the community sector, which can be a boon to physicians, pharmacists, and patients. Proper and extensive training is however needed before the implementation of e-prescribing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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19 pages, 614 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Impact of a Global Health Fellowship on Pharmacists’ Leadership Skills and Consideration of Benefits to the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom

by Claire Brandish, Frances Garraghan, Bee Yean Ng, Kate Russell-Hobbs, Omotayo Olaoye and Diane Ashiru-Oredope

Healthcare 2021, 9(7), 890; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070890 - 15 Jul 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4752

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global, public health concern that affects humans, animals and the environment. The UK Fleming Fund’s Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) scheme aimed to support antimicrobial stewardship initiatives to tackle AMR through a health partnership model that utilises [...] Read more.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global, public health concern that affects humans, animals and the environment. The UK Fleming Fund’s Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) scheme aimed to support antimicrobial stewardship initiatives to tackle AMR through a health partnership model that utilises volunteers. There is evidence to indicate that NHS staff participating in international health projects develop leadership skills. Running in parallel with the CwPAMS scheme was the first Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Global Health (CPhOGH) Fellowship for pharmacists in the UK. In this manuscript, we evaluate the impact, if any, of participation in the CwPAMS scheme and the CPhOGH Fellowship, particularly in relation to leadership skills, and consider if there are demonstrable benefits for the NHS. The 16 CPhOGH Fellows were invited to complete anonymised baseline and post-Fellowship self-assessment. This considered the impact of the Fellowship on personal, professional and leadership development. Senior colleagues were invited to provide insights into how the Fellows had performed over the course of the Fellowship. All Fellows responded to both the pre- and post-Fellowship questionnaires with a return of 100% (16/16) response rate. There was a significant improvement in Fellows’ perception of their confidence, teaching abilities, understanding of behaviour change, management and communication skills. However, there was no change in the Fellows’ attitude to work. Feedback was received from 26 senior colleagues for 14 of the CPhOGH Fellows. Overall, senior colleagues considered CPhOGH Fellows to progress from proficient/established competencies to strong/excellent when using the national pharmacy Peer Assessment Tool and NHS Healthcare Leadership Model. The majority (88%) of senior colleagues would recommend the Fellowship to other pharmacists. The analysis of the data provided suggests that this CPhOGH Fellowship led to the upskilling of more confident, motivated pharmacist leaders with a passion for global health. This supports the NHS’s long-term plan “to strengthen and support good compassionate and diverse leadership at all levels”. Constructive feedback was received for improvements to the Fellowship. Job satisfaction and motivation improved, with seven CPhOGH Fellows reporting a change in job role and five receiving a promotion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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11 pages, 3552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pharmacist Workforce at Primary Care Clinics: A Nationwide Survey in Taiwan

by Wei-Ho Chen, Pei-Chen Lee, Shu-Chiung Chiang, Yuh-Lih Chang, Tzeng-Ji Chen, Li-Fang Chou and Shinn-Jang Hwang

Healthcare 2021, 9(7), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070863 - 08 Jul 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2334

Abstract

Although dispensing is usually separated from prescribing in healthcare service delivery worldwide, primary care clinics in some countries can hire pharmacists to offer in-house dispensing or point-of-care dispensing for patients’ convenience. This study aimed to provide a general overview of pharmacists working at [...] Read more.

Although dispensing is usually separated from prescribing in healthcare service delivery worldwide, primary care clinics in some countries can hire pharmacists to offer in-house dispensing or point-of-care dispensing for patients’ convenience. This study aimed to provide a general overview of pharmacists working at primary care clinics in Taiwan. Special attention was paid to clarifying the relationship by location, scale, and specialty of clinics. The data source was the Government’s open database in Taiwan. In our study, a total of 8688 pharmacists were hired in 6020 (52.1%) 11,546 clinics. The result revealed significant differences in the number of pharmacists at different specialty clinics among levels of urbanization. Group practices did not have a higher probability of hiring pharmacists than solo practices. There was a higher prevalence of pharmacists practicing in clinics of non surgery-related specialties than in surgery-related specialties. Although the strict separation policy of dispensing and prescribing has been implemented for 2 decades in Taiwan, most primary care clinics seem to circumvent the regulation by hiring pharmacists to maintain dominant roles in dispensing drugs and retaining the financial benefits from drugs. More in-depth analyses are required to study the impact on pharmacies and the quality of pharmaceutical care. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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7 pages, 209 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Community Pharmacists’ Practice, Awareness, and Beliefs about Drug Disposal in Saudi Arabia

by Sultan Alghadeer and Mohammed N. Al-Arifi

Healthcare 2021, 9(7), 823; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070823 - 29 Jun 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3601

Abstract

The awareness among Saudi people regarding the good and safe practice of drug disposal is fairly low. Community pharmacists’ potential toward drugs disposal directions and practice are not emphasized enough. Therefore, a cross sectional study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to evaluate [...] Read more.

The awareness among Saudi people regarding the good and safe practice of drug disposal is fairly low. Community pharmacists’ potential toward drugs disposal directions and practice are not emphasized enough. Therefore, a cross sectional study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to evaluate the practice, awareness and beliefs of community pharmacists about disposal of unused drugs. Out of 360 subjects who participated in the study, more than 70% returned the unused drugs to the pharmaceutical distributors. Around 80% of the participants confirmed the risk of environmental damage due to the inappropriate disposal of drugs, and 87.5% of them held themselves responsible for preventing such risk. Approximately 85% of surveyed pharmacists believed community pharmacies to be an appropriate location for the collection of unused drugs. There was no significant association between the community pharmacists’ age group and years of practice as community pharmacists with either the awareness of unused medication disposal on environmental hazards, or the beliefs about the appropriate location for collecting unused drugs (p > 0.05). The awareness and proactive accountable responsibility, along with community pharmacists’ belief of appointing pharmacies to collect unused drugs, strongly support the institution of drug take-back programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

7 pages, 250 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Profile of Prescription Medication in an Internal Medicine Ward

by Carla Perpétuo, Ana I. Plácido, Jorge Aperta, Maria Teresa Herdeiro and Fátima Roque

Healthcare 2021, 9(6), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9060704 - 10 Jun 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2185

Abstract

Aging-related loss of resilience associated with the lack of evidence regarding the therapeutic efficacy of medicines can prompt a lack of efficacy of treatments and multiple prescriptions. This work aims to characterize the medication profile of Portuguese older adult inpatients and explore the [...] Read more.

Aging-related loss of resilience associated with the lack of evidence regarding the therapeutic efficacy of medicines can prompt a lack of efficacy of treatments and multiple prescriptions. This work aims to characterize the medication profile of Portuguese older adult inpatients and explore the relationship between hospitalization days and the consumption of medicines. A retrospective data analysis study in older patients who were admitted to a medical internal medicine ward during 2019. The median age of the 616 patients included was 85 years. During the hospitalized period, patients took on average 18.08 medicines. The most prescribed drugs belong to the subgroup of (a) anti-thrombotic agents (6.7%), with enoxaparin being the most prescribed, (b) other analgesics and antipyretics (6.6%), paracetamol being the most frequent, and (c) the Angiotensin Conversion Enzyme Inhibitor (ACE) (6.5%), captopril being the most frequent. The high number of prescriptions in older adults during their hospitalization suggests the need of changing therapeutics to achieve a better efficacy of treatment, which corroborates the hypothesis that the lack of scientific evidence concerning the risk/benefits of many medical therapies in older adults can make it difficult to achieve good clinical outcomes and promote the wastage of health resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

Review

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18 pages, 2419 KiB

Open AccessReview

Clinical and Humanistic Outcomes of Community Pharmacy-Based Healthcare Interventions Regarding Medication Use in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Christina Malini Christopher, Bhuvan KC, Ali Blebil, Deepa Alex, Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim, Norhasimah Ismail and Alian A. Alrasheedy

Healthcare 2021, 9(11), 1577; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9111577 - 18 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2486

Abstract

This review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the clinical and humanistic outcomes of community pharmacy-based interventions on medication-related problems of older adults at the primary care level. We identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the impact of various community pharmacy-based interventions from five [...] Read more.

This review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the clinical and humanistic outcomes of community pharmacy-based interventions on medication-related problems of older adults at the primary care level. We identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the impact of various community pharmacy-based interventions from five electronic databases (namely, MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), CINAHL, APA PSYInfo, and Scopus) from January 2010 to December 2020. Consequently, we assessed these interventions’ clinical and humanistic outcomes on older adults and compared them with non-intervention. We included 13 RCTs in the current review and completed a meta-analysis with six of them. The included studies had a total of 6173 older adults. Quantitative analysis showed that patient education was significantly associated with an increase in the discontinuation of sedative–hypnotics use (risk ratio 1.28; 95% CI (1.20, 1.36) I2 = 0%, p < 0.00001). Moreover, the qualitative analysis showed that medication reviews and education with follow-ups could improve various clinical outcomes, including reducing adverse drug events, reducing uncontrolled health outcomes, and improving appropriate medication use among the elderly population. However, medication review could not significantly reduce the number of older adults who fall (risk ratio 1.25; 95% CI (0.78, 1.99) I2 = 0%, p = 0.36) and require hospitalization (risk ratio 0.72; 95% CI (0.47, 1.12) I2 = 45%, p = 0.15). This study showed that community pharmacy-based interventions could help discontinue inappropriate prescription medications among older adults and could improve several clinical and humanistic outcomes. However, more effective community pharmacy-based interventions should be implemented, and more research is needed to provide further evidence for clinical and humanistic outcomes of such interventions on older adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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7 pages, 385 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biosensing Technology to Track Adherence: A Literature Review

by Cody K. Dukes and Elizabeth A. Sheaffer

Healthcare 2021, 9(10), 1339; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9101339 - 09 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1687

Abstract

Tracking adherence can be a useful means of identifying opportunities to provide educational intervention to nonadherent patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of biosensing technology to track medication adherence. Searches of PubMed and Ovid IPA were conducted. The [...] Read more.

Tracking adherence can be a useful means of identifying opportunities to provide educational intervention to nonadherent patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of biosensing technology to track medication adherence. Searches of PubMed and Ovid IPA were conducted. The criteria for inclusion were studies that tracked and reported ingestion events. Studies that did not track ingestion events were excluded from this review. Titles and abstracts were assessed for relevance, and full-text reviews were performed on all potentially relevant studies. References from the studies retrieved from the literature searches were assessed for additional applicable articles. Overall, ingestion events were detected 91.3% of the time, with many of the failed detections being related to patients not using or inappropriately using the system. In the studies that looked at the latency time, the overall mean time to detection by the wearable sensor was between 1.1 and 5.1 min. With medication nonadherence being a persistent problem in healthcare, biosensing technology presents an innovative approach to tracking adherence. The technology has been shown to be accurate in its ability to track actual medication use in patients. It has also been shown to detect ingestions with a minimal delay after administration. Accessibility may be an issue with this technology in the future, and further studies may be necessary to access the viability of biosensing technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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Other

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17 pages, 966 KiB

Open AccessStudy Protocol

A Nationwide Mystery Caller Evaluation of Oral Emergency Contraception Practices from German Community Pharmacies: An Observational Study Protocol

by Christian Kunow, Moulika Aline Bello, Laura Diedrich, Laura Eutin, Yanneck Sonnenberg, Nele Wachtel and Bernhard Langer

Healthcare 2021, 9(8), 945; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9080945 - 26 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3435

Abstract

To prevent unwanted pregnancies, oral emergency contraception (EC) with the active ingredients levonorgestrel (LNG) and ulipristal acetate (UPA) is recommended by the guidelines of the German Federal Chamber of Pharmacists (BAK). In this respect, community pharmacies (CPs) in Germany have a major responsibility [...] Read more.

To prevent unwanted pregnancies, oral emergency contraception (EC) with the active ingredients levonorgestrel (LNG) and ulipristal acetate (UPA) is recommended by the guidelines of the German Federal Chamber of Pharmacists (BAK). In this respect, community pharmacies (CPs) in Germany have a major responsibility for information gathering, selecting the appropriate medicine, availability and pricing, among other things. Therefore, it would be appropriate to conduct a study with the aim of investigating information gathering, a possible recommendation as well as availability and pricing for oral EC in German CPs. A representative nationwide observational study based on the simulated patient methodology (SPM) in the form of covert mystery calls will be conducted in a random sample of German CPs stratified according to the 16 federal states. Each selected CP will be randomly called once successfully by one of six both female and male trained mystery callers (MCs). The MCs will simulate a product-based scenario using the request for oral EC. For quality assurance of the data collection, a second observer accompanying the MC is planned. After all mystery calls have been made, each CP will receive written, pharmacy-specific performance feedback. The only national SPM study on oral EC to date has identified deficits in the provision of self-medication consultations with the help of visits in the CPs studied. International studies suggest that UPA in particular is not always available. Significant price differences could be found analogous to another German study for a different indication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacy Practice and Administration)

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