scholarly journals Differences in career paths and attributes of pharmacists completing a community pharmacy residency program (CPRP)

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy R. Ulbrich ◽  
Alex Adams ◽  
David R. Bright ◽  
Donald L. Sullivan ◽  
Evan Schnur ◽  
...  

Objective: To determine any differences in career paths and career attributes of pharmacists who have completed a PGY1 community pharmacy residency program (CPRP) as compared to those that have not completed a PGY1 CPRP. Methods: A web-based survey evaluating various aspects of community pharmacists' careers was distributed to 274 CPRP graduates in addition to a random sample of 7,376 community pharmacists. The survey contained 32 questions evaluating various career attributes. Questions that assessed level of agreement were on a 6-point Likert-type Scale (1=strongly disagree; 6=strongly agree). Results: A total of 353 participants completed the survey, with 224 indicating that they had not completed a CPRP. Pharmacists who completed a CPRP responded that they spend significantly more time on patient care services, teaching, and research, and spend less time dispensing medications compared to those that have not completed a CPRP. Compared to those that did not complete a CPRP, CPRP graduates were less likely to agree that current level of workload negatively impacts job performance, motivation to work, job satisfaction, mental/emotional health, and physical health. Conclusion: Pharmacists completing a CPRP noted significant differences in their current employment and job responsibilities. Additional expansion and education regarding the importance of CPRPs should be considered.   Type: Original Research

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Liesl D. Reyes ◽  
Jenny Hong ◽  
Christine Lin ◽  
Jeffrey Hamper ◽  
Lisa Kroon

Recently, California (CA) pharmacists’ scope of practice has expanded to include independently prescribing self-administered hormonal contraceptives, nicotine replacement therapy medications, travel health medications, routine vaccinations, naloxone hydrochloride, and HIV preexposure and postexposure prophylaxis. However, previous reports indicate that practicing within this expanded scope has remained limited. Therefore, a 26-item, web-based survey was emailed to CA community pharmacists to assess pharmacists’ knowledge, intent, and barriers to prescribing and billing for these patient care services. A total of 216 chain, supermarket-based, independent, mass merchant, and health-system outpatient pharmacists were included. The primary services provided and medications prescribed are for vaccinations and naloxone. Most pharmacists agree that engagement in and implementation of new strategies to enhance patients’ access to care is important. Common barriers include patient unawareness of pharmacist-provided services, lack of payment for services, and difficulty incorporating services within pharmacy workflow. Pharmacists are confident in their ability to provide patient care services but are less knowledgeable and confident about billing for them. Enhancing promotion of pharmacist-provided services to patients, developing strategies to efficiently incorporate them into the workflow, and payment models can help overcome barriers to providing these services.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 1069-1076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Munger ◽  
Michael Walsh ◽  
Jon Godin ◽  
Michael Feehan

Background: The US population continues to expand providing the need for primary health care services. Community pharmacies integrated with medicine may provide greater access while providing high quality care. Objective: To gauge pharmacists’ demand for primary health care services delivered through community pharmacies. Methods: An online survey was administered to determine community pharmacists’ preferences for varying primary care services that could be offered in the community pharmacy setting. A Discrete Choice Experiment was employed to show pharmacists competing scenarios with varied primary care service offerings in the community pharmacy setting. Attributes evaluated were operation hours, service provider, medical records, service logistics, physical examinations, point-of-care diagnostic testing, preventative care, and drug prescribing. Respondents chose the scenario most likely to induce switching employment from base pharmacy to one providing advanced services. Results: The optimal service delivery model from 291 community pharmacists comprised: inclusion of patient prescriptions and health information into the patient’s medical record; provision of point of care testing and vital sign, including blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate, and blood sugar and cholesterol measurement; and pharmacists prescribing (under physician oversight). Pharmacists were 4 times more likely to switch employment from their current pharmacy to their choice for advanced pharmacy services. Pharmacist demand was highest among those with a PharmD, less experience, working >40 hours per week, and in rural areas. Conclusions: This study provides empirical support for the model of pharmacists playing a greater role in the provision of primary care health services through community pharmacy settings.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cortney M. Mospan ◽  
Katelyn M. Alexander

Underserved patient populations often have limited access to health care services, especially medications, leading to lower quality care due to their transitional status and lack of access. To ensure access to medications for underserved patients in the Johnson City, Tennessee area, the Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy at ETSU developed a charitable pharmacy to serve those of greatest need in hopes of improving quality of care. By establishing a community pharmacy within a FQHC, clinical community pharmacists were able to establish enhanced community pharmacy services as a part of the health-care team. This manuscript describes the development, implementation, and benefits of the community pharmacy integration within a FQHC   Type: Clinical Experience


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Gibson ◽  
Clark Kebodeaux ◽  
Daron Smith ◽  
Kellye Holtgrave ◽  
Nicole Gattas

Objective: To determine the readiness of community pharmacists to participate in transitions of care and to identify barriers related to participation. Methods: A questionnaire was developed to identify community pharmacists’ willingness, attitudes, and barriers to participating in transitions of care programs. The questionnaire was piloted with community pharmacists prior to implementation. The questionnaire was distributed to a population of chain, supermarket/grocery, and independent community pharmacists (n=200). Descriptive statistics, correlations, and chi square tests were used to analyze demographic trends and final results. Results: Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, 147 pharmacists responded (73.5%). Community pharmacists agreed transitions of care services have the potential to improve patients’ understanding of medications (97.3%), decrease medication-related errors (95.9%), and enhance relationships with patients (96.6%). The largest pharmacist perceived barriers included time (69.7%), communication/lack of patient data (14.6%), and lack of physician acceptance (6.7%). Of the respondents who indicated time as the greatest barrier to participation, 76.9% of pharmacists were still willing to participate in transitions of care given the opportunity. Willingness to participate in transitions of care did not differ by gender (p=0.139), years in practice (p=0.133), or degree of education (p=0.382). Conclusion: Community pharmacists are in a unique position to widely impact patient health outcomes and decrease hospital readmission rates through improved care coordination. This research demonstrates community pharmacists’ readiness and willingness to participate in transitions of care. Awareness of perceived barriers can allow stakeholders to address these areas when designing and implementing transitions of care programs with pharmacists.   Type: Original Research


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott J Alexander ◽  
Natalie A DiPietro Mager

Background: Community-clinical linkages have been promoted as a means to improve population health.  The community pharmacy is an ideal location for these partnerships to occur due to the expertise of the community pharmacist. While the need for these partnerships exists, there are limited data regarding community pharmacists’ current participation in such programs. Objective: The purpose of this analysis was to assess Ohio community pharmacists’ involvement and interest in community-clinical linkages.  Methods: An electronic survey tool containing 26 questions was developed to assess Ohio community pharmacists’ participation in community-clinical linkages and interest to develop such partnerships. The tool was sent via email to a random sample of 500 pharmacists registered in Ohio and practicing in a community setting.  Chi-square or Fisher exact nonparametric statistical tests were used as appropriate to identify whether there were any significant differences in current partnership or interest to partner with a prescriber who refers patients to their community pharmacy based on education (Bachelor of Science or Doctor of Pharmacy degree) or pharmacy location (urban, suburban, or rural).  Results: Nine emails were undeliverable, leaving a sample of 491 pharmacists.  Ninety-three (19%) responded to the survey.  Sixteen respondents (17%) indicated that they currently partner with a prescriber who refers patients to their pharmacy for assistance with medications or chronic disease state management; this practice was more often reported in urban settings (p=0.022).  Of those not currently participating in such a partnership, 53 (57%) were interested in developing one.  Thirty-two respondents (34%) reported providing referrals for at least 1 type of screening or counseling service.  For some types of services, pharmacists reported that they provide the service in the pharmacy and/or were interested to develop the service in the pharmacy rather than provide a referral.  However, for any given service there were a number of pharmacists who expressed interest in providing referrals although they were not currently doing so. Conclusion: This sample of Ohio community pharmacists reported limited participation in community-clinical linkages but interest to develop them.  Further studies should explore the pharmacists’ role and impact in such programs.   Article Type: Original Research


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-114
Author(s):  
Saja H. Hamed

ABSTRACT The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses serious challenges to pharmaceutical care services, and innovative responses by community pharmacists and regulatory bodies are needed. The experience in Jordan, located in the Middle East, is shared in this article in light of available international guidelines to provide insight into the efforts made by the pharmacists to safely maintain pharmaceutical services during the current pandemic. In addition, unique roles played by community pharmacists in other countries are discussed to shed light on the important role of community pharmacists in this outbreak.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E. Keller ◽  
David R. Bright ◽  
Donald L. Sullivan ◽  
Doug C. Cornelius

Objectives: To determine the willingness and barriers of community pharmacists to provide pain management and depression MTM services. Methods: An anonymous, self-administered survey was distributed electronically to 350 licensed pharmacists in a supermarket pharmacy chain. The survey consisted of a 40 question, Likert-type scale, where strongly disagree was assigned a value of one and strongly agree a value of seven. Constructs measured included: MTM interest, comfort with MTM, confidence with appropriate medication use and adjustment, educational needs, training required, time constraints, and work-related factors. Demographic data was also collected. Results: A total of 186 (53%) community pharmacists completed the survey. These pharmacists worked in an environment where MTM was currently being provided. Ninety percent of respondents averaged 0-5 MTM sessions per 4 week period. Pharmacists agreed that patients would benefit from MTM focused on pain (median 6 IR[5-7]) and/or depression (median 6 IR[5-7]) and agreed pharmacists can have positive interventions in these situations (pain: median 6 IR[5-7]; depression: median 6 IR[5-7]). Pharmacists surveyed were interested in continuing education and live presentation as preferred methods to improve knowledge of pain management and depression. Conclusion: Pharmacists are interested in and believe patients would benefit from MTM specifically for pain management and depression. Barriers to MTM focused on pain and depression were pharmacist training and workflow issues with the MTM process.   Type: Original Research


2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice Pringle ◽  
Michael Melczak ◽  
Arnie Aldridge ◽  
Margie Snyder ◽  
Randall Smith

Objectives: To determine whether patients who received Medication Therapy Management (MTM) from community pharmacists using a brief scale to measure Therapeutic Alliance (i.e., MTM + TA) would show better medication adherence than patients who received MTM without use of the TA scale (MTM only). Design: Quasi-experimental, using a direct intervention group (MTM + TA) and a comparison group of randomly selected claims records from patients who received only the MTM service (MTM only). We used a doubly robust propensity score approach to estimate the average effect of therapeutic alliance on medication adherence. The analysis was limited to the following broad medication categories: antihypertensives, antidiabetic agents, and antihyperlipidemics. Setting: The direct intervention group included patients receiving MTM services from pharmacists in a community pharmacy chain setting. Participants: After matching with claims data, the direct intervention group was n=117, with an average age of 76.4. The comparison group was n=146, with an average age of 76.2. Intervention: Administration of two brief scales designed to measure general health outcomes and TA within the context of MTM (with focus on TA scale administration). Main Outcome Measures Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) and PDC80. Results: Using the therapeutic alliance scales in the context of community pharmacist-provided MTM was associated with a 3.1 percentage point increase in patients' overall PDC (p<.001) and an increase of 4.6 percentage points in PDC80 (p=.02) as compared to patients receiving MTM without use of the therapeutic alliance scales. Conclusion: Measuring therapeutic alliance in the context of MTM is associated with improved medication adherence and represents one strategy for enhancing the effectiveness of MTM encounters. Furthermore, administration of the therapeutic alliance scales used very little time; therefore it is likely feasible for pharmacists to routinely use the scales in their practice. Type: Original Research


2017 ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Quoc Duong Doan ◽  
Thi Ha Vo

Background: Community pharmacists play an important role in counseling of rational drug use for population. The study aimed to characterize counselling activities of drug use and demand of counselling tools at some community pharmacies at Hue City. Materials and method: A 17-question survey were asked to fill pharmacy staffs of a convenient sample of 100 community pharmacies at Hue City from 2/2017 to 7/2017. Results: There were 58 pharmacies (58.0%) answered this survey. Cough, headache, fever, high blood pressure and diabetes were the most popular symptoms/diseases presented in pharmacies. Patients often need counselling about dose (82.8%) and when to take medicine (79.3%). The main bariers for counselling were a lack of time (53.4%), and of skills/medthods for counseling (31.7%). About 96.6% pharmacies demanded counselling tools and favorite formats were book (32.9%) or pocket handbook (29.3%). Conclusion: Most pharmacies demanded counselling tools. Other studies should be conducted to develop supporting tools for counseling and to assess the quality of counseling in pharmacies. Key words: community pharmacy, counseling of drug use, pharmacist, Hue


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i35-i35
Author(s):  
S S Alghamdi ◽  
R Deslandes ◽  
S White ◽  
K Hodson ◽  
A Mackridge ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Since 2019, the role of independent pharmacist prescribers (IPPs) in primary care has extended to community pharmacies in Wales [1]. This was in response to a Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee report in 2019 that outlined a plan to include an IPP in each community pharmacy in Wales by 2030. This aimed to relieve pressure on general practices, enhance patient care and reduce referral and admission rates to secondary care [2]. As funding was provided by the Government, the number of community pharmacists completing the independent prescribing course increased and many have implemented their prescribing role. Aim To explore the views of community IPPs regarding their prescribing role within community pharmacies in Wales. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted with community IPPs from all seven health boards (HBs) in Wales. Ethical approval was obtained from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Cardiff University and the School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering at Keele University. Purposive sampling was used to identify potential participants. Gatekeepers (HB community pharmacy leads and directors of IPP courses in Wales) sent invitation emails, participant information sheet and consent form to potential participants. Written consent was obtained. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed ad verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Thirteen community IPPs across Wales participated. Six themes were identified, including the utilisation of their role as community IPPs, their experiences with their independent prescribing training, motivation to obtain their prescribing qualification and utilise it, the impact, barriers and facilitators to implement and utilise their role. Participants practised as IPPs in the management of minor ailments and some other conditions, such as respiratory and sexual health. The course and training for community IPPs was helpful, but there was a need to focus more on therapeutic and clinical examination skills. The main impact of the role was that it helped to improve communication between community pharmacies and general practices and relieved some pressure on general practices. The main barriers were the lack of appropriate funding by the Government to develop the role, lack of access to patients’ medical records, lack of support and high workload. “One of the areas identified as high risk is for pharmacy prescribers is the lack of access to clinical records. How can you [as community IPPs] make any sensible decisions with half the information?” IPP6 Facilitators included that some services were already in place and the drive from the 2030 vision. Conclusion This is the first study that explored the views of community IPPs regarding their prescribing role in community pharmacies in Wales. It provided an insight into this new role that can be considered by the Welsh Government to achieve the 2030 vision for this role. A limitation to this study was that the role is still new in community pharmacies, which may affect the views of the community IPPs. Many of them have obtained their prescribing qualification but have not started to utilise it yet. Further work is needed to explore a wider population of community IPPs’ experiences as the role develops. References 1. Wickware, C. 2019. All community pharmacies in Wales to have an independent prescriber as part of long-term plan for Welsh pharmacy. Available at: https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/news/all-community-pharmacies. 2. Welsh Pharmaceutical Committee. 2019. Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales. Available at: https://www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/RPS%2.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document