Certificates and certification programmes for clinical excellence: A guide to international pharmacists

Pharmacy practice continues to evolve, and knowledge update is necessary to facilitate better and safer patient care. This article provides information about certificates and certification programmes hosted for international pharmacists to support their scope in advanced pharmacy practices. A pilot online survey to 59 pharmacists revealed preferences towards Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), American Society of Health-system Pharmacists (ASHP) certificate, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacy (SIDP) Antimicrobial stewardship certificate programmes, University of Florida pharmacy certificate programmes, and Medication therapy management programme (MTM) for their certification programme. Grey literature and authentic websites of each programme were collected to provide information on each programme. This article serves as a guide for international pharmacists to know further information about certificates and certification programmes available to support them in advancing their practice.

Suspect and positive cases of bovine tuberculosis in the Republic of Croatia from 2017 to 2020

During regular implementation of the bovine tuberculosis-free cattle herd certification programme in the period from 2017 to 2020, the Laboratory for Bacterial Zoonoses and Molecular Diagnostics of Bacterial Diseases of Croatian veterinary institute Zagreb, Croatia tested material from 161 cattle from 27 holdings in 11 counties. The material was submitted following findings of pathoanatomical changes detected in the slaughter line suggesting tuberculosis, or after a positive reaction of cows to the tuberculin comparative methods. Species from the M. tuberculosis complex (M. bovis and M. caprae) were isolated from samples of 58 bovines (36%) from 16 holdings in eight counties. M. caprae was confirmed in 55 bovines (34%) originating from 13 holdings in seven counties, and M. bovis in three bovines (2%), each from a different holding in a different county. Saprophytic mycobacteria were isolated from four bovine samples (2.5%) from three holdings in two counties, i.e., M. gordonae (1), M. celatum (1) and two unidentified species (M. sp.). Based on the obtained results, we can conclude that the main causative agent of bovine tuberculosis in the Republic of Croatia is M. caprae, which confirmed previous findings. Control of bovine tuberculosis in the Republic of Croatia is still needed and, in the future, should be further suppressed using tuberculinisation, controls on slaughter lines, depopulation of infected herds, and etiological determination of the causative agents.

O-165 Expert panel and evidence-based development of the Logbook for the Nurses and Midwives Certification programme of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryolog

Study question How was the Logbook for the Nurses and Midwives Certification programme of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) developed? Summary answer The Logbook for the ESHRE Nurses and Midwives Certification programme, which questions 56 roles, was developed based on an extensive literature review and expert opinion. What is known already The ESHRE Executive Committee established the Nurses and Midwives Certification Committee (NMCC) in 2012. Since inception (2015), the certification programme has been delivered annually, with the exception of 2020 because of SARS-CoV-2. One-hundred-fourteen nurses/midwives have obtained ESHRE certification (passing rate=72%) and the programme is now accessible to nurses/midwives globally. The Certification program aims (i) to recognise the extended role of nurses/midwives delivering fertility care and (ii) to expand their theoretical background. The pre-requisites for certification are (i) being educated to a bachelor level of education and (ii) completing a practice based Logbook to demonstrate supervision of professional experience. Study design, size, duration Between 2012 and 2014, the NMCC completed a systematic literature search for papers relating to clinical, non-clinical and extended roles of nurses and midwives in fertility settings. In addition, the NMCC invited a larger expert panel of European senior nurses and midwives to a meeting to discuss their needs and preferences regarding the certification programme and to survey the diverse roles performed by nurses and midwives in their country. Participants/materials, setting, methods The NMCC comprised four nurses/midwives, one clinical embryologist, and one medical doctor (both in advisory capacity). The Medline database was searched by entering a search string in PubMed combining (MeSH) terms related to reproductive medicine and nursing or midwifery. Opinion and empirical papers relating to roles of nurses/midwives in fertility settings were included. The surveyed expert panel included twelve nurses/midwives, representing Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Main results and the role of chance A total of 49 papers, of which 24 empirical papers, were identified with the search string (n = 47) and snowball strategy (n = 2). The papers originated from 13 countries spread across Asia, Oceania, Europe, and North America. All twelve European senior nurses and midwives responded to the survey. Finally, 56 different roles were included in the Logbook. Forty-four roles were performed by nurses/midwives working in fertility settings according to the surveyed expert panel (n = 18), the literature (n = 8), or both the surveyed expert panel and literature (n = 18). An additional twelve observations of laboratory procedures were added by the NMCC. Substantial variation in roles and responsibilities existed across the countries from which the evidence originated. Whereas a considerate proportion of roles were performed in at least five countries (n = 16/56), a minority of roles were only performed by nurses/midwives in some countries (n = 7/56). Eight specialist roles (e.g. embryo transfer) were performed independently by nurses/midwives in some countries, whilst in other countries, nurses/midwives merely had an assisting role. In addition to completing the Logbook, participants were expected to write two ethical cases according to a guideline, testifying to their ability to reflect as a senior nurse/midwife. From 2015, the content of the Logbook was further developed. Limitations, reasons for caution This abstract relates to the development and content of the Logbook and not the curriculum/educational material required for the theoretical exam of the Nurses and Midwives Certification programme. The NMCC continuously improves the Logbook and elements have been added and removed since its creation. Wider implications of the findings The review and survey illustrated the variation in roles and responsibilities of nurses/midwives across the studied countries, further highlighting the opportunity for professional development within fertility care. Further research is required to elicit the experience of certified nurses/midwives with the programme and its impact on their professional and personal development. Trial registration number Not applicable

Disclosure of Nanomaterials under Nanotechnology Product Inventory, Voluntary Certification, and Voluntary Labelling

Nanotechnology has revolutionised the food industry and flooded the consumers’ market worldwide with engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), creating concerns on potential risks towards safety and health. This article analyses the institutional approach for disclosure of information on the presence of ENMs in food products and their limitations. It adopts a doctrinal approach and content analysis by examining relevant literature on disclosure of nanomaterials from journal articles and books from online databases and institutional websites. To overcome the limitations of the institutional approach of nanotechnology product inventories, voluntary certification programme, and voluntary labelling, this article proposes that the information disclosed must be in full and accurate. More importantly, the information on potential risks of exposure, use of nanotechnology, or presence of nanomaterials must be verified and constantly updated. This study hopes to significantly contribute to improving the transparency of nanofood information systems.

Evaluation of the ARKRAY HA-8190V instrument for HbA1c

Objectives Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a valuable parameter in the monitoring of diabetic patients and increasingly in diagnosis of diabetes. Manufacturers continuously optimize instruments, currently the main focus is to achieve faster turnaround times. It is important that performance specifications remain of high enough standard, which is evaluated in this study for the new ARKRAY HA-8190V instrument. Methods The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocols EP-5, EP-9 and EP-10 were applied to investigate imprecision, bias and linearity. In addition potential interferences, performance in External Quality Assessment (EQA) and performance against the HA-8180V instrument in 220 clinical samples was evaluated. Results The HA-8190V demonstrates a CV of ≤0.8% in IFCC SI units (≤0.6% National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program [NGSP]) at 34 and 102 mmol/mol levels (5.3 and 11.5% NGSP) and a bias of −0.1 mmol/mol (−0.01% NGSP) at a concentration of 50 mmol/mol (6.7% NGSP), but with a significant slope as compared to target values. This results in a bias of −1.0 and 0.9 mmol/mol (−2.0 and 0.9% NGSP) at the 30 and 70 mmol/mol (4.9 and 8.6% NGSP) concentration level. Simulation of participation in the IFCC certification programme results in a Silver score (bias −0.1 mmol/mol, CV 1.1%). Interference in the presence of the most important Hb variants (AS, AC, AE, AD) and elevated HbA2 and HbF concentrations is less than 3 mmol/mol (0.3% NGSP) at a concentration of 50 mmol/mol (6.7% NGSP). Conclusions Analytical performance of the HA-8190V is very good, especially with respect to precision and HbA1c quantification in the presence of the most common Hb variants.

The Detection of viruses in olive cultivars in Greece, using a rapid and effective RNA extraction method, for certification of virus-tested propagation material

Although Greece is the world’s third largest olive production country, information about the presence of olive viruses is limited. A survey for the presence of virus infections in the ten most important Greek cultivars was conducted in a germplasm collection olive grove located in Chania, Crete. Samples were RT-PCR assayed for the presence of Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), Cherry leafroll virus (CLRV), Strawberry latent ring spot virus (SLRSV), and Olive leaf yellowing-associated virus (OLYaV), amplifying part of the capsid protein (ArMV), the 3΄UTR (CLSRV, SLRSV) or the HSP70h (OLYaV) gene. Total RNAs were purified using the Trizol method, yielding good quality and purity, thereby confirming application of the method as a rapid economic extraction protocol for detection of olive viruses. SLRSV was the most predominant virus, with an infection rate of 55%, followed by CLRV and OLYaV in 5% of the tested samples. ArMV was detected only in one sample. Mixed virus infections were also commonly detected. The DNA amplicons of the obtained viruses from the infected samples were sequenced. The partial sequences of ArMV, CLRV and SLRSV from olives, which are reported for the first time, showed 74-100% nucleotide similarity with available homologous sequences from other crops, whereas OLYaV isolates showed high sequence variability of 25%. The phylogenetic analysis based on olive-OLYaV HSP70h partial-nucleotide sequences grouped the olive isolate sequences according to the geographical origins of the host germplasm collection. This is the first official report of the occurrence of olive viruses in Greece, emphasizing the need to implement a certification programme for production and distribution of high-quality (virus-free) olive propagation material, in Greece and more generally in the Mediterranean basin.