Pharmacy Students and Pharmacy Technicians in Medication Reconciliation: A Review of the Current Literature

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather M. Champion ◽  
Julia A. Loosen ◽  
Korey A. Kennelty
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Medication Reconciliation ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
Reconciliation Process

Objective: A literature review was conducted to examine how pharmacy students and technicians have been utilized in medication reconciliation processes in an effort to evaluate expanded roles for pharmacy students and technicians. Data were summarized on accuracy of obtaining medication histories, time requirements, discrepancy identification, and cost savings. Limitations and areas for future research also were identified. Data Sources: A search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and PsycINFO and a manual searching of bibliographies were performed. Study Selection: Articles were included in this literature review if they focused on medication reconciliation with pharmacy student or technician outcomes independent of pharmacist involvement, they are available in English from any country, and the outcomes were empirical. Data Synthesis: Of 2112 identified studies, 32 met the inclusion criteria. The literature review revealed pharmacy technicians or students were involved in several medication reconciliation activities. Trained pharmacy students and technicians were able to obtain thorough medication histories as well as identify medication history discrepancies and take appropriate action to correct these discrepancies. Through the use of pharmacy students and technicians in the medication reconciliation process, hospitals experienced cost savings and other health-care professionals had more time for other patient care activities as well as an increased trust in the accuracy of medication histories. Conclusion: These findings suggest that pharmacy students and technicians are accurate, time efficient, decrease costs, and provide support to other health-care professionals when they are included in the medication reconciliation process.

scholarly journals Expanded Roles for Pharmacy Technicians in the Medication Reconciliation Process: A Qualitative Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriane N. Irwin ◽  
Youngyoon Ham ◽  
Theresa M. Gerrity
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Medication Reconciliation ◽  
Interdisciplinary Teams ◽  
Medication History ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reconciliation Process

Background Collection of a complete and accurate medication history is an essential component of the medication reconciliation process. The role of pharmacy technicians in supporting medication reconciliation has been the subject of recent interest. Purpose The purpose of this article is to review the existing literature on pharmacy technician involvement in the medication reconciliation process and to summarize outcomes on the quality and accuracy of pharmacy technician–collected medication histories. Method A literature review was conducted using MEDLINE and Academic Search Premier (1948 – April 2015). Results Sixteen papers were identified, with 12 containing a formal evaluation of outcomes. Three were purely descriptive, and 9 compared the pharmacy technician's performance to pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and/or interdisciplinary teams. Studies used a variety of endpoints, but they demonstrated similar or improved outcomes by engaging pharmacy technicians. Evidence demonstrates that trained pharmacy technicians are able to gather medication histories with similar completeness and accuracy to other health care professionals. Conclusion The use of pharmacy technicians may be a viable strategy for developing and expanding medication reconciliation processes with appropriate supervision. Future efforts should focus on evaluating the impact of expanded roles for pharmacy technicians in the health care system; assessing the need for standardization of pharmacy technician education, training, and certification; and obtaining clarification from state pharmacy boards regarding these expanded roles.

scholarly journals Compassion in mental health: a literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-228
Author(s):  
Joy M. Rooney
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Biomedical Model ◽  
Academic Researcher ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to systematically review the current literature on compassion in mental health from a historical, service user and carer (SUAC)/academic researcher perspective with respect to the current paradigm/biomedical model. Design/methodology/approach Searches were conducted in CIANHL Complete, Academic Search Complete, British Education Index, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, Scorpus, Proquest Central using a simplified PRISM approach. Findings In the UK, the SUAC-movement facilitated the adoption of more compassionate mental health in statutory services. Across the world, compassion-based approaches may be viewed as beneficial, especially to those experiencing a biomedical model “treatment”. Health-care workers, suffering burnout and fatigue during neoliberal economics, benefit from compassion training, both in their practice and personally. Randomised control trials (RCTs) demonstrate compassion-type interventions are effective, given sufficient intervention timing, duration and design methodology. Psychology creates outcome measures of adequacies and deficiencies in compassion, demonstrating their importance statistically, with reservations. The effective protection of mental health by self-compassion in both SUACs and health care professionals is evident. It is clear from qualitative research that SUACs prefer compassionate mental health. It also makes a large difference to mental health in general populations. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are given, including a necessity to fund RCTs comparing compassionate mental health interventions with the biomedical model. Unless statutory mental health services adopt this emerging evidence base, medics and their SUACs will continue to rely on pharmaceuticals. Originality/value This is the first integrated literature review of compassion in mental health from a historical, SUAC/academic researcher viewpoint using all research methodologies.

scholarly journals Medication Reconciliation Limitations: Observation of the Medication Reconciliation Process in the Emergency Department by Two Immersion Pharmacy Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Chong ◽  
Amanda Haile
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Expert Testimony ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Medication Reconciliation ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Financial Interests ◽  
Patient Profiles ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
Reconciliation Process

Multiple medical records may exist for a particular individual based on the various health services he or she receives. Maintaining updated, accurate records remains the responsibility of both practitioners and patients. Medication reconciliation, defined as the process to accurately depict the patient’s current orders and medications, 2 seeks to avoid errors in duplicity, interactions and dosing errors. Medication histories at Moses Cone Hospital are currently recorded by pharmacy technicians who follow specific standards, for instance they cannot remove “house meds”, which are prescribed medications with an active prescription attached. Technicians instead mark these medications for removal, leaving reconciliation to the physician. The physicians in the emergency department are not required to complete a full reconciliation for patient's profiles as this is a task left for the admitting physician. This leads to the question whether the reconciliation process in the emergency department (ED) needs to be re-evaluated. Patients’ “After Visit Summary” reports were used to analyze patient profiles in determining medication reconciliation statuses (whether fully reconciled, partially reconciled, or unreconciled). 280 patients’ profiles were used. 243 records (86.79%) were found unreconciled, 18 (6.43%) were partially reconciled, and 19 (6.79%) were fully reconciled. Conflict of Interest We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties   Type: Student Project

Strategic issues of big data analytics applications for managing health-care sector: a systematic literature review and future research agenda

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar Singh ◽  
Saurabh Agrawal ◽  
Abhishek Sahu ◽  
Yigit Kazancoglu
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe proposed article is aimed at exploring the opportunities, challenges and possible outcomes of incorporating big data analytics (BDA) into health-care sector. The purpose of this study is to find the research gaps in the literature and to investigate the scope of incorporating new strategies in the health-care sector for increasing the efficiency of the system.Design/methodology/approachFora state-of-the-art literature review, a systematic literature review has been carried out to find out research gaps in the field of healthcare using big data (BD) applications. A detailed research methodology including material collection, descriptive analysis and categorization is utilized to carry out the literature review.FindingsBD analysis is rapidly being adopted in health-care sector for utilizing precious information available in terms of BD. However, it puts forth certain challenges that need to be focused upon. The article identifies and explains the challenges thoroughly.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed study will provide useful guidance to the health-care sector professionals for managing health-care system. It will help academicians and physicians for evaluating, improving and benchmarking the health-care strategies through BDA in the health-care sector. One of the limitations of the study is that it is based on literature review and more in-depth studies may be carried out for the generalization of results.Originality/valueThere are certain effective tools available in the market today that are currently being used by both small and large businesses and corporations. One of them is BD, which may be very useful for health-care sector. A comprehensive literature review is carried out for research papers published between 1974 and 2021.

scholarly journals Interpreting in Sexual and Reproductive Health Consults With Burma Born Refugees Post Settlement: Insights From an Australian Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amita Tuteja ◽  
Elisha Riggs ◽  
Lena Sanci ◽  
Lester Mascarenhas ◽  
Di VanVliet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Consultation Room ◽  
Privacy And Confidentiality

Interpreters work with health care professionals to overcome language challenges during sexual and reproductive (SRH) health discussions with people from refugee backgrounds. Disclosures of traumatic refugee journeys and sexual assault combined with refugees’ unfamiliarity with Western health concepts and service provision can increase the interpreting challenges. Published literature provides general guidance on working with interpreters in primary care but few studies focus on interpretation in refugee SRH consults. To address this, we explored the challenges faced by providers of refugee services (PRS) during interpreter mediated SRH consultations with Burma born refugees post settlement in Australia. We used qualitative methodology and interviewed 29 PRS involved with migrants from Burma including general practitioners, nurses, interpreters, bilingual social workers, and administrative staff. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis following independent coding by the members of the research team. Key themes were formulated after a consensus discussion. The theme of “interpretation related issues” was identified with six sub-themes including 1) privacy and confidentiality 2) influence of interpreter’s identity 3) gender matching of the interpreter 4) family member vs. professional interpreters 5) telephone vs. face-to-face interpreting 6) setting up the consultation room. When faced with these interpretation related challenges in providing SRH services to people from refugee backgrounds, health care providers combine best practice advice, experience-based knowledge and “mundane creativity” to adapt to the needs of the specific patients. The complexity of interpreted SRH consultations in refugee settings needs to be appreciated in making good judgments when choosing the best way to optimize communication. This paper identifies the critical elements which could be incorporated when making such a judgement. Future research should include the experiences of refugee patients to provide a more comprehensive perspective.

scholarly journals Patients’ Needs Regarding Anxiety Management in Palliative Cancer Care: A Qualitative Study in a Hospice Setting

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 947-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Zweers ◽  
Alexander de Graeff ◽  
Jette Duijn ◽  
Everlien de Graaf ◽  
Petronella O. Witteveen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Symptom Management ◽  
World Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Common Symptom ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Hospice Patients ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction: Anxiety is a common symptom in the palliative phase, and symptom management depends on the competencies of individual professionals. This study aims to get insight into the needs of anxious hospice patients with advanced cancer regarding support. Method: Semi-structured interviews were performed in admitted hospice patients with cancer. Patients admitted from May 2017 till May 2018 were eligible whether or not they were anxious. Interviews were analyzed and coded within predefined topics. Results: Fourteen patients were included: 10 females, median age 71, and median World Health Organization performance score 3. Most patients were highly educated. Thirteen patients were interviewed within 6 months before death. Information, open communication, sense of control, safety, adequate symptom management, and respect for patients’ coping strategy were the 6 main expressed needs. Conclusion: Assessing patients’ needs regarding anxiety provided important angles where health-care professionals can make a difference in order to support anxious patients in their final stage of life to realize tailored palliative care. Future research should focus on the development of a systematic approach for health-care professionals to manage anxiety in daily care of terminal patients.

Videoconferencing and Dietitian Services: In Rural Ontario Communities

2012 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 176-180
Author(s):  
Diana Stenlund
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Access To Health

Registered dietitians (RDs) are regulated health professionals in short supply in Ontario and throughout Canada. Projected workforce studies indicate the situation will likely worsen. Accessing these nutrition specialists is an even greater concern for residents living in rural or remote regions of the province. Smaller communities are increasingly using telehealth as a way to deliver health care services and to improve access to health care professionals. The adoption of interactive videoconferencing as a telehealth application is examined as an alternative approach for accessing RDs in rural communities. While valid reasons exist for implementing videoconferencing, other issues must be considered. These include costs, technological requirements, organizational readiness, and legal and ethical concerns. Future research must fully address the concept of videoconferencing in relation to the Canadian dietetic workforce and practice requirements.

Drug Shortages and the Role of the Pharmacy Technician: A Review

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 247-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle N Mangan ◽  
Mary F Powers
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Drug Shortage ◽  
Drug Shortages ◽  
Study Selection ◽  
National Drug ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
American Society ◽  
History Of Use

Objective: To increase pharmacy technicians' awareness of national drug shortages, enabling them to understand why drug shortages occur and how they can help ameliorate the effects that a drug shortage may have in their workplace. Data Sources: Articles were identified through searches of MEDLINE and PubMed (1950 through July, 2011) using the following search terms: drug shortages, drug shortages and legislation, drug shortages and law, and drug shortages and safety. Additionally, resources on drug shortages from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the FDA, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices were used. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Articles describing drug shortages, drug shortages and legislation, and managing drug shortages in the health care setting were included. Data Synthesis: The effects of drug shortages on pharmacy departments and the health care system as a whole can place significant strain on pharmacists. Pharmacy technicians can play a key role in the initial management of a drug shortage by being responsible for such tasks as validating shortage details and duration with manufacturers, determining the institution's current stock and history of use of a medication, and remaining up-to-date on current drug shortages to help keep patients and other health care professionals informed. Conclusions: Pharmacy technicians are a valuable resource for pharmacists in the management of drug shortages and can work with pharmacists to perform operational and assessment tasks after a drug shortage has been identified.

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