Use of professional practice guidance resources in pharmacy: a cross-sectional nationwide survey of pharmacists, intern pharmacists, and pharmacy students

Abstract Background Variations in practice are commonplace in healthcare where health professionals, such as pharmacists act as autonomous practitioners. This is evident in simulated patient studies, where pharmacists practice does not meet widely accepted standards for medicines supply or treatment of an ailment. To promote best pharmacy practice a myriad of guidance resources including practice guidelines, codes and standards are produced by professional organisations. These resources provide a framework for pharmacy practice and endeavour to facilitate consistency in provision of pharmacy-based services to consumers. Despite their role in specifying essential pharmacist behaviours, there is limited research exploring if and how these resources are used in practice. Objective To characterise Australian pharmacists’ use of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Code of Ethics, Professional Practice Guidelines and Professional Practice Standards. Methods A cross-sectional, self-administered, electronic survey of registered pharmacists, intern pharmacists and pharmacy students living in Australia was conducted in July 2020. Questions considered use of professional practice resources (by resource group) in the preceding 12 months. Data were analysed descriptively. Results Of 601 responses included in the analysis 462 (76.9%) of respondents were registered pharmacists, 88 (14.6%) pharmacy students and 51 (8.5%) intern pharmacists. Interns and students accessed overarching practice resources, such as the Professional Practice Standards, Code of Ethics and Dispensing Practice Guidelines more frequently than practising pharmacists. Pharmacists accessed professional practice guidelines, such as Practice Guidelines for the Provision of Immunisation Services Within Pharmacy, more often than students. More pharmacists than interns and students indicated that they would access guidelines to resolve practice and patient care issues. All resources except the Professional Practice Standards for Pharmacists (67.4%) were accessed by less than 50% of respondents in the preceding 12-month period. Reasons for not accessing resources varied between participant and resource groups, and generally were due to a lack of awareness of the resource or not considering them necessary for the individual’s practice. Conclusion(s) Access and use patterns for professional practice guidance resources change with experience. Professional organisations responsible for developing resources should consider these patterns when designing and reviewing resources and related policies. To ensure resources are meeting the needs of the profession, students, interns, and pharmacists should be involved in the review of and design of further resources.

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Adherence to treatment in paediatric patients – results of the nationwide survey in Poland

BMC Pediatrics ◽

10.1186/s12887-020-02477-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Przemyslaw Kardas ◽

Marek Dabrowa ◽

Konrad Witkowski

Keyword(s):

Professional Practice ◽

Patient Adherence ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

Full Potential ◽

Strongly Correlated ◽

Adherence To Treatment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Paediatric Patients ◽

High Prevalence

Abstract Background Due to high prevalence, non-adherence to prescribed treatment seriously undermines the effectiveness of evidence-based therapies in paediatric patients. In order to change this negative scenario, physicians need to be aware of adherence problem, as well as of possible solutions. Unfortunately, full potential of adherence-targeting interventions is still underused in Poland. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours toward non-adherence in Polish paediatricians. Methods An anonymous cross-sectional nationwide survey was conducted in the convenience sample of Polish doctors providing care to paediatric patients. The survey focused on the prevalence of non-adherence, its causes, and interventions employed. Primary studied parameter was perceived prevalence of non-adherence in paediatric patients. Reporting of this study adheres to STROBE guidelines. Results One thousand and thirty-three responses were eligible for analysis. Vast majority of respondents were female (85.9%), most of them worked in primary care (90.6%). The respondents represented all 16 Polish Voivodeships, with the biggest number coming from the Mazowieckie Voivodeship (n = 144, 13.9%). Survey participants believed that on average 28.9% of paediatric patients were non-adherent to medication. More than half of the respondents (n = 548, 53.0%) were convinced that their own patients were more adherent than average. Duration of the professional practice strongly correlated with a lower perceived prevalence of non-adherence. Professionals with more than 40 years of practice believed that the percentage of non-adherent patients was <=20% particularly often (OR = 3.82 (95% CI 2.11–6.93) versus those up to 10 years in practice). Out of all respondents, they were also most often convinced that their own patients were more adherent than the general population (P < 0.01). Consequently, they underestimated the need for training in this area. Conclusions Physicians taking care of Polish paediatric patients underestimated the prevalence of medication non-adherence and believed that this was a problem of other doctors. This optimistic bias was particularly pronounced in older doctors. These results identify important barriers toward improving patient adherence that are worth addressing in the pre- and post-graduate education of Polish physicians. They also put some light over the challenges that educational activities in this area may face.

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Pharmacy Students’ Perception towards Clinical Pharmacognosy Course

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i1031229 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 15-19

Author(s):

Nehad J. Ahmed ◽

Abdulsalam Alonazi ◽

Mehrukh Zehravi ◽

Maged S. Abdel-Kader

Keyword(s):

Health Care Professionals ◽

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Herbal Drugs ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Herbal Products ◽

Pharmacy Curriculum

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify pharmacy student’s perception towards clinical pharmacognosy. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Al-Kharj. The survey contains 2 parts; the Level of the students and pharmacy students’ perception towards the clinical pharmacognosy course. The data were collected and analyzed using Excel software. Results: About 51.20 % of the students said that clinical pharmacognosy is an interesting subject. About 57.60% of them said that clinical pharmacognosy is an integral part of clinical pharmacy practice but only 28.80% of them agreed that clinical pharmacognosy should be a mandatory part of the pharmacy curriculum. Approximately 68.00% of the students agreed that clinical pharmacognosy provides sufficient knowledge about mechanisms of actions, indications, proper dosing and side effects of herbal drugs. Conclusion: It is concluded that pharmacy students showed positive perceptions towards the clinical pharmacognosy course. It is important to increase the awareness of pharmacy students about clinical pharmacognosy in order to prescribe herbal drugs correctly and to educate health care professionals and patients about the efficacy and safety of the herbal products.

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Nationwide survey on attitudes and perceived barriers toward provision of pharmaceutical care among final year undergraduate pharmacy students in the United Arab Emirates

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0246934 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0246934

Author(s):

Ali M. Tawfiq ◽

Muaed Jamal Alomar ◽

Nageeb Hassan ◽

Subish Palaian

Keyword(s):

Pharmaceutical Care ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

Perceived Barriers ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Patient Health ◽

Students Attitudes

Pharmaceutical care (PC) practice is still limited in the United Arab Emirates. It is crucial to understand pharmacy students’ attitudes and their perceived barriers towards PC provision, to evaluate the effectiveness of theoretical and practical curricula in creating positive attitudes toward PC. This study aims to assess attitudes of final year undergraduate pharmacy students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the barriers perceived by them to practice PC. A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted in February and March, 2020, involving colleges in UAE offering undergraduate pharmacy programs and having students in their final year. Participants filled a questionnaire covering attitudes’ items, based on the Pharmaceutical Care Attitudes Survey (PCAS), and several perceived barriers. A stratified sample of 193 students participated from six universities, 85% were females, 92.2% and 64.8% completed or engaged in community and hospital pharmacy training respectively, at the time of the study. Attitudes’ items receiving the highest agreement were PC will improve patient health (95.3%), all pharmacists should perform PC (93.3%) and PC would benefit pharmacists (92.7%). However, 44.6% agreed PC is not worth the additional workload. Females showed higher attitudes’ total scores, median (IQR): 55 (51–58) and 52 (49–55.5) for females and males respectively, P = 0.032. Having incomplete courses was also associated with lower scores, median (IQR): 55 (51–58) and 52 (48.5–55.5) for “No” and “Yes” respectively, P = 0.048. Poor image of the pharmacist’s role and lack of private counseling area or inappropriate pharmacy layout were the most perceived barriers, with around 78% agreement. In conclusion, final year undergraduate pharmacy students in the UAE have positive attitudes towards pharmaceutical care. The current curricula may be satisfactory in fostering positive attitudes among students. Poor image of the pharmacist’s role and lack of counseling area or inappropriate pharmacy layout were the main barriers identified, among other barriers.

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A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Medical and Pharmacy Students Regarding Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Toward Self-Medication in Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-745381/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Razan Khalid Alduraibi ◽

Waleed mohammad altowayan

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Public Health Care ◽

Good Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background: Self-Medication (SM) is common practice worldwide in both developed and developing countries. SM is referred as self consuming of medication without consulting a physician for either diagnosis or treatment. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices toward SM among medical and pharmacy students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical and pharmacy students in Qassim university, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, during the period 2020-2021.Multistage random sampling technique was used to recruit students. The data were collected through questionnaire.Results: Three hundred and sixteen of 342 students were recruited. This study showed that the majority (94.6%) of students had good knowledge of self-medication. Additionally, the following characteristics were significantly associated with good knowledge: being female, and Pharmacy students. Overall mean score for the attitudes towards self-medication shows that 58.4% of the total sample had high agreements towards the questions of the attitudes toward self-medication. More than half (63.9%) of the students reported that they practice self- medication in the last 6 months. Pain killers was the most common medication used for self- medication by the majority of the students (88.29%). The majority (77.8%) of respondents reported that they feel confident about the use of self-medication. Conclusions: In conclusion, students' knowledge of self-medication appears to be good and significantly high among pharmacy students in comparison to medical students. Therefor, medical and pharmacy students should be viewed as important contributors to the public health care system, and future health professionals should be properly educated on good pharmacy practice and responsible self-medication.Trial registration: Not applicable

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Clinical practice guidelines appraisal and utilisation by Pharm.D. students

Pharmacy Education ◽

10.46542/pe.2020.201.375378 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 375-378

Author(s):

Dixon Thomas ◽

Seeba Zachariah ◽

Julie Akers

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Clinical Practice Guidelines ◽

Practice Guidelines ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Agree Ii ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cognitive Levels ◽

Agree Ii Instrument

Objective: To assess the appraisal and utilisation of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) by pharmacy final-year students. Methods: Four CPGs of 2017 were appraised by pharmacy students using the AGREE-II instrument. The utilisation of CPGs by pharmacy students was assessed using a cross-sectional survey and results were analysed using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test. Results: Of the six AGREE-II domains for CPGs, two domains were mid to high (>90%), two domains 76% each, and the last two domains <60%. The utilisation of CPGs by pharmacy students as a reference in reports/presentations were high. Students felt that they are relatively better able in lower Bloom's cognitive levels (knowledge and comprehension) than the higher abilities of application, evaluation, and creation of clinical guidelines, (p-value 0.006). Conclusions: Among AGREE-II domains, lower scores for CPGs were in editorial independence and applicability. Evaluation of CPGs by students is a useful tool to comprehend differences in their quality. More CPGs-related training in higher Bloom's cognitive levels is required for the Pharm.D. students.

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Leadership Skills and their Associated Factors among Pharmacy Students at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i50a33383 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 63-76

Author(s):

Rahaf Nabil Alaaddin ◽

Nahla Khamis Ibrahim ◽

Mai Kadi

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Authentic Leadership ◽

Leadership Skills ◽

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Self Report ◽

Multilinear Regression ◽

Cross Sectional

Background: Leadership is a vital attribute for the predictive quality of care in healthcare organizations. Leadership has an effective role in improving clinical outcomes, pharmacy practice, and patient satisfaction. However, limited studies have been done on leadership among pharmacy students in Makkah. The current study was conducted to describe the leadership skills and their associated factors among pharmacy students at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Makkah. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was done. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used. Stratification considered the gender, educational program (Pharm-D or B-Pharm), and educational year. A standardized data collection sheet was used and asked about personal, sociodemographic data, the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (SSREI) scale, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). Descriptive statistics were done. Inferential statistics were done using the Student’s t-test and ANOVA for comparing between means. Pearson’s product-moment correlations were also calculated. Multilinear regression models were constructed to determine the leadership predictors. Results: A total of 400 pharmacy students participated in the study. Pharmacy students had high overall leadership competencies; the mean overall score of ALQ was 57.98 ±7.47. The highest leadership category score was for the internalized moral skills (15.04 ±2.43). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the predictors of the overall authentic leadership skills were high EI score (B= 0.4; 95% CI: 0.37-0.44) and absence of depression (B= -1.48; 95% CI: - 2.51, - 0.46). Depression was also negatively associated with self-awareness, internalized moral domains. Marital status, physical activity and father education also associated with different leadership domains. Conclusion: The predictors of the total authentic leadership skills were the overall EI domain score and absence of depression. Training on both leadership skills, and emotional intelligence is essential. Management of depression and encouraging physical activities are needed for better leadership skills. These efforts may result in the development of highly qualified health care personnel.

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The Development of Top 200 Prescribed Drugs in Community Pharmacies at Medan City as a Learning Tools

Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research ◽

10.22159/ajpcr.2017.v10i4.16434 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 174

Author(s):

Hari Ronaldo Tanjung ◽

Embun Suci Nasution

Keyword(s):

Survey Methodology ◽

Drug Information ◽

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Development Program ◽

Continuing Professional Development ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Learning Tools ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

Objective: The pharmacy student at clerk-ship level and pharmacists need the drug information literature contains information of prescribed drug that utilized in pharmaceutical practice daily in order to learn effectively. The aims of the study was to develop top 200 prescribed drugs in community pharmacies at Medan city as a learning tools for the pharmacy students at clerk-ship level and pharmacists.Methods: The study was a descriptive study that used a cross sectional survey methodology. The top 200 items of prescribed drugs obtained from the pharmacies selected regarding to random sampling method. The study was conducted from August to November 2016. The top 200 prescribed drugs lists was developed in to a draft of drug information book and a group of pharmacy students at clerk-ship level and pharmacists was asked to evaluate the book and gave suggestions using a set of questionnaire.Results: The top 200 prescribed drugs list revealed that the five most prescribed drugs was amoxicilline (5.55 %), followed by dexamethasone (4.44%), mefenamic acid (3.73%), cetirizine (3.16%), and ciprofloxacine (2.97%). The result of a draft of drugs information book evaluation that was evaluated by 120 pharmacy students and pharmacists showed the drug information book draft was good and able to publish. The respondents mention some suggestion for the book i.e. “Image made more attractive and in various colors and the image adjusted with an indication of drug” (43.74%) and “Using language that is easily understood and more detailed information” (16.85%).Conclusions: The study has developed top 200 prescribed drugs in community pharmacies at Medan city in to a validated drug information book as a learning tool. The drug information book very useful for a continuing professional development program for pharmacists and build the pharmacy student’s confidence before they face the real patients at the community pharmacy practice setting. Key words: Prescribed drugs, drug information, learning tools

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Pharmacists’ Perceptions and Drivers of Immunization Practices for COVID-19 Vaccines: Results of a Nationwide Survey Prior to COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization

Pharmacy ◽

10.3390/pharmacy9030131 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 131

Author(s):

Sonia Susan Jacob ◽

Mary Barna Bridgeman ◽

Hyoeun Kim ◽

Michael Toscani ◽

Racquel Kohler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Geographic Region ◽

Vital Role ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

To Receive

Background: Pharmacists play a vital role in recommending and providing vaccines to improve public health and are on the front line of mass immunization efforts. Aim: The objective of this study is to evaluate pharmacists’ perceptions on COVID-19 vaccines prior to emergency use authorization (EUA) amid a global pandemic. Methods: A voluntary, anonymous, cross-sectional survey was conducted between September and November 2020. Survey respondents included a convenience sample of licensed pharmacists in the United States. The primary outcomes were pharmacists’ willingness to receive and recommend hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines. Covariates assessed in the survey included COVID-19 exposure or personal experience, primary pharmacy practice setting, background in training, geographic region, and prioritization of clinical data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: This study surveyed 763 pharmacists and results from 632 participants were included in final analysis. Overall, 67.1% of the pharmacists were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 63.4% of the pharmacists were willing to recommend a COVID-19 vaccine at ≤1 year from the time of vaccine approval. At >1 year after vaccine approval, 78% of the pharmacists were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 81.2% of the pharmacists were willing to recommend a COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions: Survey findings suggest that, while a majority of pharmacists surveyed indicate acceptance of hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines, there remains to be hesitancy among pharmacists to receive or recommend vaccination.

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The need for redesigned pharmacy practice courses in Pakistan: the perspectives of senior pharmacy students

Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions ◽

10.3352/jeehp.2015.12.27 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 27 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Muhammad Umair Khan ◽

Akram Ahmad ◽

Kazim Hussain ◽

Aqsa Salam ◽

Zain-ul Hasnain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Current Knowledge ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthcare Needs ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Community Pharmacy Practice ◽

Practice Methods

Purpose: In Pakistan, courses in pharmacy practice, which are an essential component of the PharmD curriculum, were launched with the aim of strengthening pharmacy practice overall and enabling pharmacy students to cope with the challenges involved in meeting real-world healthcare needs. Since very little research has assessed the efficacy of such courses, we aimed to evaluate students’ perceptions of pharmacy practice courses and their opinions about whether their current knowledge of the topics covered in pharmacy practice courses is adequate for future practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over two months among the senior pharmacy students of two pharmacy colleges. A content- and face-validated questionnaire was used to collect data, which were then analysed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were performed. Results: Research in pharmacy practice (30.2%), applied drug information (34.4%), health policy (38.1%), public health and epidemiology (39.5%), pharmacovigilance (45.6%), and pharmacoeconomics (47.9%) were the major courses that were covered to the least extent in the PharmD curriculum. However, hospital pharmacy practice (94.4%), pharmacotherapeutics (88.8%), and community pharmacy practice (82.8%) were covered well. Although 94% of students considered these courses important, only 37.2% considered themselves to be competent in the corresponding topics. Of the participants, 87.9% agreed that the pharmacy courses in the present curriculum should be redesigned. Conclusion: Our results showed that the pharmacy practice courses in the current PharmD curriculum do not encompass some important core subjects. A nationwide study is warranted to further establish the necessity for remodelling pharmacy practice courses in Pakistan.

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Regulating Pharmacy Practice: Analysis of Pharmacy Laws in Ten States

INNOVATIONS in pharmacy ◽

10.24926/iip.v11i4.3344 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 20

Author(s):

Alex J. Adams

Keyword(s):

Professional Practice ◽

Task Force ◽

Pharmacy Practice ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Standards Of Care ◽

Word Count ◽

Legislative Action ◽

Regulatory Burden ◽

Practice Standards ◽

Regulatory Model

Background: The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) recently established a task force to help states develop regulations based on “standards of care” rather than “prescriptive rule-based regulation.” This signals a shift in orthodoxy as pharmacy has traditionally been a highly regulated profession. A benchmark report on the pharmacy, nursing, and medical statutes and regulations in Idaho found that pharmacy had a higher overall word count, more overall restrictions, and had to be amended more frequently to keep pace with change. Objective: To identify opportunities to make the transition to a “standard of care” regulatory model in pharmacy law, this manuscript attempts to quantify the regulatory burden for 10 Western U.S. states. Method: The relevant statutes and regulations were gathered from each of the 10 states, and key measures were extracted, including word count, restrictions, exemptions, and the composition. Results: States exhibited wide variation in overall regulatory burden as measured by word count (average of 65,882 words, SD=35,057). The top categories of pharmacy law are: 1) professional practice standards (25,249 ± 16,077 words); 2) facility standards (15,230 ± 10,240 words); and 3) licensing (11,412 ± 6,191 words). More than 65% of all pharmacy regulations are in rule adopted by board of pharmacy rather than in statutes passed by the legislature. Conclusions: States exhibited major variation in total regulatory burden, with the largest contributors to cross-state variation being regulations related to professional practice standards and facility standards. This analysis suggests these two areas should be the primary targets of states looking to decrease regulatory burdens and that regulatory boards have a significant opportunity to remove regulatory burdens even in the absence of legislative action.

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