The International Pharmacy Game: A Comparison of Implementation in Seven Universities World-Wide

The utilization of serious games and simulations in health professional education has increased. The Pharmacy Game is one such concept that intersects gamification and simulation, in which pharmacy student teams competitively manage simulated pharmacies; a concept included in the pharmacy curricula of seven international universities. This study aimed to compare the implementation and conduct of the Pharmacy Game of participant universities and their students’ performance in the same educational task. Data were collected via a questionnaire completed by academic staff in April 2020, and the collation of results of the same patient case was conducted at each university (April 2020 to March 2021). The main results reflected differences in the game frequencies and the curricular approach (standalone or integrated course) and in the learning outcomes for the Pharmacy Game. Other differences were identified in the extent to which students of other professions were part of the game such as medical students or pharmacy assistants. Student case outcomes revealed similar strengths across the universities in patient communication and focus on safety, with variations identified as areas for improvement. Collation of the international utilization of the Pharmacy Game identified a broad spectrum of similar learning outcomes, inspiring a model of international core and aspirational learning outcomes. While the Pharmacy Game has been implemented with flexibility regarding the numbers of teams (4–10) and the duration of activity (12–36 days), all universities reported positive experiences and student outcomes, suggesting that the intervention represents a potential tool to deliver capstone learning experiences, promote interprofessional education, reinforce patient safety, and prepare pharmacy graduates for future practice.

An online international pharmacy summer course during the COVID-19 pandemic

The University of Southern California School of Pharmacy has offered a residential summer course for international undergraduate pharmacy students for many years, with a focus on clinical therapeutics. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to offer the on-campus course. After some discussion, the course was moved online, with the goals of maintaining links with international partners and providing students with a virtual study abroad experience. This article describes the planning and implementation of this course, which was held for two weeks in July 2020 for 19 students from South Korea, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. The course included an integrated science and clinical approach to diabetes and drug-drug interactions. The facilitation of active learning and problem-solving in transnational student groups through Zoom meetings are described. A post-course survey of students provided positive feedback on the content and online delivery of the course.

Awareness of Disabilities in Pharmacy Program Recruitment Material: Are we doing Enough?

Introduction: Targeted recruitment of students with disabilities is a novel area in pharmacy education and may help to attract qualified students in light of decreasing applicant numbers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the visibility of disabilities within online recruitment material for pharmacy programs and to determine the location of targeted information available to prospective students with disabilities. Methods: The top 50 ranked programs offering a professional pharmacy degree under the Pharmacy and Pharmacology QS subject rankings were identified and included if recruitment material was published in English. Online recruitment material was reviewed for presence of persons with disabilities in photos, presence or description of persons with disabilities in videos, information specific to disabilities on the program website, and information specific to disabilities on the university website (if not located on the program website). Results: For inclusion, 41 out of 50 pharmacy schools met the criteria. No institutions displayed visual student disabilities in pictures or videos of recruitment material. Overall, the majority of institutions (88%) provided information for prospective students with disabilities. The type of information offered was highly variable across institutions. Of the top 50 pharmacy schools in the USA, 85% have information on student disability through the pharmacy homepage and 75% of institutions in Europe provided information through the university homepage. Interestingly, 62.5% of schools in Asia did not provide student disability information. Conclusions: Recruitment material for pharmacy degree programs should be current, inclusive, and reflective of student populations eligible to be admitted. This study found a distinct underrepresentation of students with disabilities and information pertaining to disabilities within recruitment material for a sample of international pharmacy programs.( *This study has now been published. Hussain FN, Smith A, Wilby K. The Visibility of Disabilities within Pharmacy Program Recruitment Material. INNOVATIONS in pharmacy. 2020;11(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.24926/iip.v11i3.3339.)

The The Visibility of Disabilities within Pharmacy Program Recruitment Material

Background: Targeted recruitment of students with disabilities is a novel area in pharmacy education and may help to attract qualified students in light of decreasing applicant numbers. The aim of this study was to explore the visibility of disabilities within online recruitment material for pharmacy programs and to determine the location of targeted information available to prospective students with disabilities. Methods: The top 50 ranked programs offering a professional pharmacy degree under the Pharmacy and Pharmacology QS subject rankings were identified and included if recruitment material was published in English. Online recruitment material was reviewed for presence of persons with disabilities in photos, presence or description of persons with disabilities in videos, information specific to disabilities on the program website (e.g. technical standards), and information specific to disabilities on the university website (if not located on the program website). Results: A total of 41 international program websites met the inclusion criteria. No programs included pictures or videos featuring persons with disabilities. A total of 18 (44%) of programs had disability information on the program website and an additional 18 (44%) of programs included information on the university website. There were 5 (12%) of programs that did not include any information about disabilities on the program or university website. Conclusion: Recruitment material for pharmacy degree programs should be current, inclusive, and reflective of student populations eligible to be admitted. This study found a distinct underrepresentation of students with disabilities and information pertaining to disabilities within recruitment material for a sample of international pharmacy programs. Article Type: Original Research

Improving Vaccination Coverage in All Age Groups is a Global imperative: Our Profession Must Be Prepared

Vaccination is a global imperative, and the pharmacy profession must be prepared. International pharmacy organizations defined the administration of medicines, vaccines, and injectable medications as a key role of our profession. Vaccines are second only to clean water in terms of their impact on public health.

MON-LB002 Compounded Testosterone Preparations Raise Testosterone Levels to Premenopausal Ranges in Postmenopausal Women With Hypo-Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)

Introduction Testosterone (T) in women declines with age. T levels cannot differentiate women with or without HSDD. T therapy approximating upper physiologic premenopausal levels improves all domains of sexual desire, libido, and decreases sexual distress1,2. As of 2020, there are no FDA-approved T preparations for women. Male preparations of T are frequently used off-label to treat HSDD. No peer-reviewed data exists on T levels achieved with compounded testosterone preparations from a single reliable source. This study assesses efficacy of four compounded T preparations to raise T levels, using typically recommended doses. T was obtained from a single Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB)-certified pharmacy. Methods Twenty-six matched baseline and post-treatment T levels were obtained as part of standard care for post-menopausal women (age 61±6 years) 3 months after being prescribed T for HSDD. T was obtained from the Women’s International Pharmacy. T doses were 0.5-2.0 mg/day, 6 days a week, using 4 methods of administration based on patient’s preferences: 1) cutaneous cream to skin (CS) behind the knees (n=12); 2) intravaginal suppositories (IVS) (n=5); 3) intravaginal oil-capsules (IVoil-C) (n=7); and 4) vulvar cream (VC) (n=2). Mean T dose was 1.5±0.6 mg/day. All patients gave consent for use of their T data, and were compliant with treatment for a week prior to testing. Measures of total T were performed by MS/LC, and of free T by equilibrium dialysis. Normal ranges for total T is 15-70 ng/dl and free T is 0.5-6.5 pg/ml. Paired T-tests comparisons between baseline and treatment values where done within each group where n was sufficient. (*p<0.05, **p<0.01). Results: Baseline and treatment total T (ng/dl) were 18.3±3.6 and 55.3±5.2** for CS, 19.8±4.3 and 56.6±15.9 for IVS (p=NS), 23.0±3.2 and 89.2±23* for IVoil-C, and 25.0±3.0 and 182±47 for VC. Baseline and treatment free T (pg/ml) were 1.18±0.26 and 4.16±0.6** for CS, 1.12±0.2 and 3.46±1.3 for IVS, 1.60±0.2 and 5.95±1.2* for IVoil-C, and 1.36±0.4 and 9.45±1.2 for VC. Testosterone administration by CS or IVoil-C significantly increased testosterone levels to the upper normal premenopausal range in women with HSDD. Conclusion Treatment of HSDD in postmenopausal women with compounded T via CS or IVoil-C, at doses of 0.5-2.0 mg, effectively raises T levels to upper premenopausal range. Vaginal oil capsules may be particularly useful in avoiding accidental hormone contact by other household members. A FDA-approved form of T replacement would be a welcome treatment for women with HSDD. 1. Islam RM et al. Lancet Diabetes-Endocrinology (7):754-66, 2019. 2. Davis SR. Climacteric, 22:5,429-434, 2019.

Do disasters predict international pharmacy legislation?

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore whether a relationship exists between the number of disasters a jurisdiction has experienced and the presence of disaster-specific pharmacy legislation. MethodsPharmacy legislation specific to disasters was reviewed for five countries: Australia, Canada, UK, US and New Zealand. A binary logistic regression test using a generalised estimating equation was used to examine the association between the number of disasters experienced by a state, province, territory or country and whether they had disaster-specific pharmacy legislation. ResultsThree of six models were statistically significant, suggesting that the odds of a jurisdiction having disaster-specific pharmacy legislation increased as the number of disasters increased for the period 2007–17 and 2013–17. There was an association between the everyday emergency supply legislation and the presence of the extended disaster-specific emergency supply legislation . ConclusionsIt is evident from this review that there are inconsistencies as to the level of assistance pharmacists can provide during times of crisis depending on their jurisdiction and location of practice. It is not a question of whether pharmacists have the skills and capabilities to assist, but rather what legislative barriers are preventing them from being able to contribute further to the disaster healthcare team. What is known about the topic?The contributing factors to disaster-specific pharmacy legislation has not previously been explored in Australia. It can be postulated that the number of disasters experienced by a jurisdiction increases the likelihood of governments introducing disaster-specific pharmacy legislation based on other countries. What does this paper add?This study compared five countries and their pharmacy legislation specific to disasters. It identified that as the number of disasters increases, the odds of a jurisdiction having disaster-specific emergency supply or disaster relocation or mobile pharmacy legislation increases. However, this is likely to be only one of many factors affecting the political decisions of when and what legislation is passed in relation to pharmacists’ roles in disasters. What are the implications for practitioners?Pharmacists are well situated in the community to be of assistance during disasters. However, their ability to help patients with chronic disease management or providing necessary vaccinations in disasters is limited by the legislation in their jurisdiction. Releasing pharmacists’ full potential in disasters could alleviate the burden of low-acuity patients on other healthcare services. This could subsequently free up other healthcare professionals to treat high-acuity patients and emergencies.