scholarly journals Icelandic community pharmacists' and pharmacy students' expectations of future role extensions and education requirements: A cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 83-91
Author(s):  
Anita Elaine Weidmann ◽  
Unnur Karen Guðbjörnsdóttir ◽  
Anna Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir ◽  
Pétur Gunnarsson ◽  
Freyja Jónsdóttir

Aim: To explore the expectations of Icelandic community pharmacists and final year pharmacy students on future role extensions and associated education needs. Methods: All community pharmacists across Iceland registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Iceland (LFI) (n=136) and all fourth- and fifth-year pharmacy students enrolled at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Iceland (n=69). An online cross-sectional questionnaire was designed, validated, piloted and analysed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression and content analysis. Results: The response rate was 27.9% (n=38) for community pharmacists and 33.3% (n=23) for fourth- and fifth-year pharmacy students respectively. Of these, 90.2% (n=55) saw the need for community pharmacists’ role extensions and most (n=60, 98.4%) were willing to accept additional education to make role extensions in Iceland possible. Logistic regression identified that students identified the need for pharmacists to be making prescribing recommendations to medical healthcare professionals (p=0.023); for example “Pharmacists should use their knowledge to give advice and collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals about drug therapies”. Conclusion: Both community pharmacists and pharmacy students showed a strong willingness to extend their roles in the future. It will require government support to overcome perceived barriers and to develop further education programmes.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Olajide O. Fadare ◽  
Michael Andreski ◽  
Matthew J. Witry

Objectives: This study aimed to 1) determine the validity of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) for use in the assessment of burnout in a sample of pharmacists using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and 2) use the CBI items and other measures of work-life to assess burnout in pharmacists employed in various types of practice. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to a sample of 2,582 pharmacists in a single Midwestern US state. The survey included the three subscales of the CBI, each of which measures personal, work-related, and patient-related dimensions of burnout. Other items included demographics, practice type, workload, and work-life balance. CFA was used to measure fit, and Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess reliability. Correlation was used to assess criterion validity of the CBI. Logistic regression and bivariate analyses were used to assess pharmacist burnout based on demographics. Results: Following the removal of 2 items from the measurement model, a 17-item 3-factor CBI was found to possess satisfactory psychometric properties for use in pharmacists. The CBI correlated with measures of work-life demonstrating criterion validity. A logistic regression showed that younger pharmacists and community pharmacists experience higher burnout than older pharmacists and clinical pharmacists. Community pharmacists also more often reported high workloads and poorer work-life integration. Both community and clinic pharmacists desired more time providing patient care services and less time dispensing. Conclusion: The CBI is a psychometrically reliable and valid instrument for assessing burnout in pharmacists. Younger pharmacists and community pharmacists warrant attention due to their higher degree of burnout.


2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inas R. Ibrahim ◽  
Haydar F. Al Tukmagi ◽  
Abdulrasoul Wayyes

Objectives: The main aims of this study were to assess society's use of community pharmacies; evaluate attitudes towards the role of the community pharmacist; and describe required pharmacist characteristics and future services. Study design: A cross-sectional survey with a stratified sampling technique. Methods: A self-administered, validated, questionnaire was distributed to 500 consumers in attendance at 50 community pharmacies in Baghdad, Iraq. Data were gathered from January to April 2012. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to test for statistical differences among the study variables. Further analysis through the Chi-square test and logistic regression was completed to assess the predictors of society's attitudes. Results: Twenty-six percent of respondents visited their community pharmacies at least once per week and an additional 65% reported visiting their pharmacy at least once per month. Fifty-five percent of respondents listed the community pharmacist as the first person they would contact in case of any drug-related problem. However, the pharmacist's role was under-appreciated by the majority of respondents (79.8%). These attitudes varied significantly with regard to the demographic characteristics of respondents. Logistic regression analysis showed that gender and age were the influential predictors of favourable versus non-favourable attitudes towards the role of pharmacist. Conclusions: The use of community pharmacies in Iraq was characterized by frequent visits to purchase medicines. Selection of the pharmacy primarily depended on its location. Overall, an under-appreciation of the professional performance of pharmacists was predominant. Raising public awareness towards the important role of community pharmacists in providing public health is warranted.   Type: Original Research


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Asfaw Erku

Background. Community pharmacists are key healthcare professionals for antimicrobial stewardship programs owing to their role in dispensing of antimicrobials. The aim of the present study was to assess the perception and practices of community pharmacists towards antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in Ethiopia.Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by selecting pharmacy sites through stratified simple random sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.Results. Majority of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that AMS program is vital for the improvement of patient care. Almost all of respondents agreed that pharmacists can play a prominent role in AMS and infection prevention (93.2%, median = 5; IQR = 2–5). However, only 26.5% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that AMS should be practiced at community pharmacy level (median = 4, IQR = 1–3) and more than half of community pharmacists (59.9%) often/always dispense antimicrobial without a prescription.Conclusion. The present study revealed positive perceptions and practices of community pharmacists towards antimicrobial stewardship. Yet, some weak areas like integration of AMS program in community pharmacies, the significance of interprofessional involvement, and dispensing of antimicrobials without a valid prescription still need improvement.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Osei ◽  
Kwasi Agyei ◽  
Boikhutso Tlou ◽  
Tivani P Mashamba-Thompson

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) technologies have been identified as promising strategies for improving access to healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. However, the extent of availability and use of mHealth among healthcare professionals in Ghana is not known. The main objective of this study is to determine the availability and use of mHealth for disease diagnosis and treatment support by health professionals in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 285 healthcare professionals across 100 primary healthcare clinics in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. We obtained data on the participants' background, available health infrastructure, healthcare workforce competency, ownership of a mobile wireless device, usefulness of mHealth, ease of use of mHealth, user satisfaction, and behavioural intention to use mHealth. Descriptive statistics were conducted to characterize healthcare professionals' demographics and clinical features. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the influence of the demographic factors on the availability and use of mHealth for disease diagnosis and treatment support. STATA version 15 was used to compute all the statistical analyses. Findings: Out of the 285 healthcare professionals, 62.8% indicated that mHealth applications are available to them, while 37.2% had no access to mHealth. Of the 185 healthcare professionals who had access to mHealth, 98.4% are currently using mHealth to support healthcare delivery. Logistic regression model analysis significantly (p< 0.05) identified factors associated with the availability and use of mHealth applications for disease diagnosis and treatment support. There was a significant association between the availability and use of mHealth for disease diagnosis and treatment support from the chi-square test analysis. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate a low-level use of mHealth for disease diagnosis and treatment support by healthcare professionals at the rural primary healthcare clinics. We encourage policymakers to promote the implementation of mHealth in rural primary health clinics. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 879-885
Author(s):  
Zelal Kharaba ◽  
Rozina Kousar ◽  
Saira Azhar ◽  
Manal Ali Buabeid ◽  
Shujaat Ali Khan ◽  
...  

Purpose: To investigate the perception of community pharmacists with regard to pharmaceutical care services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan.Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey carried out among the community pharmacists in seven divisions of KPK, namely, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Hazara, Kohat, Malakand, Mardan, and Peshawar. The survey was conducted between July and September 2014. A total of 22 community  pharmacists were identified and approached.Results: Eighteen community pharmacists returned the filled questionnaire showing a response rate of 81.8 %. All participants (n = 18, 100 %) were male. The majority of the participants 55.6 % (n = 10) made it clear that they had never interacted with doctors, while only 33.3 % (n = 6) reported weekly interaction. The major reasons for interaction were to discuss drug alternatives (38.9 %, n = 7) and the availability of prescribed drugs (33.3 %, n = 6). Meanwhile, about 83.3 % (n = 15) of community pharmacists were involved in educating patients, while only 38.9 % (n = 7) spend enough time on each patient. Further, a large proportion of respondents had never documented patients’ medical, allergy and family histories (83.3 %, n = 15). Only 44.4 % (n = 8) of community pharmacists sometimes checked and signed the prescription.Conclusion: Community pharmacists are few in number in the studied area. They are involved in patient counseling but face difficulties in  counseling due to lack of time and insufficient pharmacy staff. Therefore, there is a need to significantly enhance the interaction between  pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to facilitate inter-professional collaboration. Keywords: Community pharmacy, Pharmaceutical care, Perception, Inter-professional collaboration


Author(s):  
Sandrine Roussel ◽  
Alain Deccache ◽  
Mariane Frenay

Introduction: The implementation of Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) remains a challenge. An exploratory study highlighted two tendencies among practitioners of TPE, which could hamper this implementation: an oscillation between identities (as caregivers versus as educators) and an inclination towards subjective psychological health objectives. Objectives: To verify whether these tendencies can be observed among an informed audience in TPE. Next, to explore the variables associated with one or other of these tendencies. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey by a self-administered questionnaire was carried out among 90 French-speaking healthcare professionals. Statistical analyses (chi-square, logistic regression) were then conducted. Results: Sixty percent of respondents displayed identity oscillation, which was found to be linked to task oscillation, patient curability, scepticism towards medicine and practising in France. Fifty-six percent pursued subjective psychological health objectives, which was found to be associated with health behaviour objectives and a locus of power in the healthcare relationship distinct from those seen in the pre-existing health models (biomedical, global). This tendency seems to constitute an alternative model of TPE. Discussion & conclusion: Identity oscillation and subjective psychological health objectives can be both observed. This study stresses the need to deliberate on the form(s) of TPE that is/are desired.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-189
Author(s):  
Omotayo Fatokun

Background: While off-label drug use is common and sometimes necessary, it also presents considerable risks. Therefore, measures intended to prevent or reduce the potential exposure to off-label risks have been recommended. However, little is known about community pharmacists’ beliefs regarding these measures in Malaysia. Objectives: This study examined community pharmacists’ beliefs towards risk minimization measures in off-label drug use in Malaysia and assessed the relationship between perceived risk of off-label drug use and beliefs towards risk minimization measures. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 154 pharmacists practicing in randomly selected community pharmacies in Kuala Lumpur and the State of Selangor, Malaysia. Results: The majority agreed or strongly agreed that adverse drug events from the off-label drug should be reported to the regulatory authority (90.9%) and the off-label drug should only be used when the benefit outweighs potential risks (88.3%). Less than half (48.1%) agreed or strongly agreed that written informed consent should be obtained before dispensing off-label drugs and a majority (63.7%) agreed or strongly agreed that the informed consent process will be burdensome to healthcare professionals. Beliefs towards risk minimization measures were significantly associated with perceived risk of off-label drug use regarding efficacy (p = 0. 033), safety (p = 0.001), adverse drug rection (p = 0.001) and medication errors (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The community pharmacists have positive beliefs towards most of the risk minimization measures. However, beliefs towards written informed consent requirements are not encouraging. Enhancing risk perception may help influence positive beliefs towards risk minimization measures.


Author(s):  
Silvia Faccioli ◽  
Francesco Lombardi ◽  
Pierantonio Bellini ◽  
Stefania Costi ◽  
Silvia Sassi ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 emergency has imposed distanced education and has interrupted most rehabilitation services. Adolescents with disabilities have been isolated, and the burden on their families has been exacerbated. A cross-sectional survey was administered to adolescents with disability and to parents of disabled children to describe their experience during lockdown and their concerns or expectations about rehabilitation. A sample of 53 adolescents and 239 parents completed the survey. Adolescents were ages 13–18 years old (45.3% female). Most parents were between 35 and 55 years old (84.9% female). While 53.6% of the parents reported no positive effects of the lockdown, 92.5% of the adolescents expressed favorable consequences. The increased time spent with family members was judged positively by 27.2% of parents and by 64.2% of adolescents. Concern for their child’s disability was expressed by 47.3% of parents, while 73.6% of adolescents expressed concerns regarding the ban on meeting friends. In both groups, anxiety symptoms were correlated with the fear of contracting COVID-19 and with financial problems. Parents would have liked even more remote support from school and healthcare professionals, which was available for most participants. Thus, socioeconomic support, assistive technology and telerehabilitation strategies might help families with disabilities during a lockdown.


Author(s):  
Khayal Muhammad ◽  
Muhammad Saqlain ◽  
Gul Muhammad ◽  
Ataullah Hamdard ◽  
Muhammad Naveed ◽  
...  

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic having no therapy and pharmacists being a part of the healthcare system had a vital role in the management of COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of community pharmacists (CPs) regarding COVID-19. An online survey was conducted among 393 CPs in two provinces of Pakistan during the lockdown period. A validated questionnaire (Cronbach alpha, 0.745) was used for data collection. All statistical analysis was analyzed by using SPSS version 21. Among 393 participants, 71.5% (n=281) had good knowledge, 44% (n=175) positive attitude and 57.3% (n=225) had good practice regarding COVID-19. Social media (45.29%, n=178) was reported as the main source to seek information of COVID-19. Good knowledge, age ≥ 26 years and Ph.D. degree level were the substantial determinants (p= <0.05) of a good attitude. Similarly, community pharmacist who had an experience of >5 years, hold a Ph.D. degree, good knowledge and good attitude had higher odds of good practice as compared to reference categories (p= <0.05). In short, majority of CPs had good knowledge, but had a poor attitude and practice towards the COVID-19. Standard-structured educational and counselling programs for CPs regarding COVID-19 are needed for effective management.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e037362
Author(s):  
Ben Wamamili ◽  
Mark Wallace-Bell ◽  
Ann Richardson ◽  
Randolph C Grace ◽  
Pat Coope

ObjectiveIn March 2011, New Zealand (NZ) launched an aspirational goal to reduce smoking prevalence to 5% or less by 2025 (Smokefree 2025 goal). Little is known about university students’ awareness of, support for and perceptions about this goal. We sought to narrow the knowledge gap.SettingUniversity students in NZ.MethodsWe analysed data from a 2018 cross-sectional survey of university students across NZ. Logistic regression analysis examined the associations between responses about the Smokefree goal with smoking and vaping, while controlling for age, sex and ethnicity. Confidence intervals (95% CI) were reported where appropriate.ParticipantsThe sample comprised 1476 students: 919 (62.3%) aged 18 to 20 and 557 (37.7%) aged 21 to 24 years; 569 (38.6%) male and 907 (61.4%) female; 117 (7.9%) Māori and 1359 (92.1%) non-Māori. Of these, 10.5% currently smoked (ie, smoked at least monthly) and 6.1% currently vaped (ie, used an e-cigarette or vaped at least once a month).ResultsOverall awareness of the Smokefree goal was 47.5% (95% CI: 44.9 to 50.1); support 96.9% (95% CI: 95.8 to 97.8); belief that it can be achieved 88.8% (95% CI: 86.8 to 90.7) and belief that e-cigarettes/vaping can help achieve it 88.1% (95% CI: 86.0 to 89.9).Dual users of tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes had greater odds of being aware of the Smokefree goal (OR=3.07, 95% CI: 1.19 to 7.92), current smokers had lower odds of supporting it (OR=0.13, 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.27) and of believing that it can be achieved (OR=0.15, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.24) and current vapers had greater odds of believing that e-cigarettes/vaping can help to achieve it (OR=8.57, 95% CI: 1.18 to 62.52) compared with non-users.ConclusionsThe results suggest strong overall support for the Smokefree goal and belief that it can be achieved and that e-cigarettes/vaping can help achieve it. Smoking and vaping were associated with high awareness of the Smokefree goal, but lower support and optimism that it can be achieved.


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