Continuing Pharmacy Education Research Articles

Introduction of “Nutritional Pharmacy” in undergraduate and continuing pharmacy education: Contributing toward better pharmacotherapy and health support

Introduction of “Nutritional Pharmacy” in undergraduate and continuing pharmacy education: Contributing toward better pharmacotherapy and health support

Fostering Mindfulness in Continuing Pharmacy Education Using a Board Game: Initial Experiences and Perceptions.

Expansion of pharmacists' scope of practice creates a need to optimize learning within continuing professional development (CPD) that can simultaneously promote mindfulness and enhance clinical decision-making. An educational board game embracing the principles of situated learning was developed with the purpose of promoting clinical reasoning skills and mindfulness. Iter Vitae was used in a national pharmacy meeting CPD session. An evaluation was conducted by a voluntary survey to gather perceptions of game-based instruction. Ninety of 115 session-attendees completed the anonymous survey. Participants strongly agreed that Iter Vitae is an effective learning tool of appropriate complexity for CPD sessions. Participant perceptions suggest that playing Iter Vitae may enhance clinical knowledge, foster critical thinking, and influence provider empathy. Open-ended responses revealed appreciation of collaborative learning within authentic case scenarios. This game-based CPD session gave participants an opportunity to develop elements of mindful practice embedded within authentic case scenarios. Further research on game-based instruction is needed to determine its effects on knowledge and skill acquisition, retention, and impact on clinical practice.

Assessing Pharmacy Practitioners' Perceptions of Continuing Pharmacy Education and Professional Development at an Oncology Service Hospital in Nepal: A Pilot Study.

IntroductionContinuing pharmacy education (CPE) and continuing professional development (CPD) programs have been useful for enhancing the skills and performance of pharmacists. Despite its adoption worldwide, the practice of such programs has been limited in Nepal. The current pilot study aimed to assess the perception of pharmacists regarding CPE/CPD in one of the oncology centers in Nepal. The goal of this study was to provide suggestions for developing and implementing the CPE/CPD programs.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based pilot study, whereby the pharmacists and assistant pharmacists at a single-center were provided with a structured questionnaire inquiring about their perception of CPE/CPD. A mixed-method approach was followed for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used for all the variables.ResultsA total of 15 pharmacy professionals were enrolled in the study. Recent innovations in pharmacy practices were the most commonly desired topics (n= 11, 73.3%) for CPE/CPD. Live in-person presentations (n= 10, 66.7%) and handouts method (n= 10, 66.7%) were the most recommended practices for CPE/CPD. The most commonly cited deterrent was poor quality and method of CPE delivery (n=11, 73.3%), while the most common motivation was professional competence (n= 12, 80%).ConclusionThis pilot study shows the benefits of developing CPE/CPD packages in future for pharmacy professionals focusing on advances in pharmacy practices and skill development, using in-person presentations and handouts, and focusing on the curiosity of the participant to improve his/her professional practice.

Attitudes and Practices of Pharmacists and Physicians towards Bush Medicine in Guyana

Aims: To examine the attitudes and practices of physicians and pharmacists towards bush medicine, and explore the factors influencing their attitudes. Also, to determine whether a video educational intervention impacted attitudes.
 Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study of registered physicians and pharmacists.
 Place and Duration of Study: A total of 274 persons participated: 134 pharmacists attending their first Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) of 2015 and 140 physicians attending their annual Medical Scientific Conference.
 Methodology: A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was distributed and collected, a video intervention was shown, and a post-intervention questionnaire was administered. Data were analysed using latent class cluster analysis, and the best-fitting model was determined using mainly the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Logistic and multinomial regression and Fisher's exact test were also employed to investigate associations with demographic variables and the impact of the intervention.
 Results: Most of the participants (56.4%) were 20-30 years old, and the majority (52%) had five years or less professional experience. Pharmacists displayed a more positive attitude to bush medicine than physicians. Most (99%) believed that patients should inform their physician/pharmacist about their bush medicine use, but only 53% routinely requested this information. More than half (52%) had personally used bush medicine, but only 38% had ever recommended its use. More than 90% believed that clinical trials should be conducted with bush medicine before it is used, and 88% were interested in further training. Ethnicity, years of professional experience and type of profession influenced attitudes and the intervention led to an improved outlook regarding bush medicine.
 Conclusion: Overall, most participants had some misgivings about bush medicine but were willing to learn more and were interested in clinical trials. Evidence-based clinical research and training at the tertiary level or future continuing education sessions should be implemented using the content in the video as a template.

Opioid-Related Education Provided by Continuing Education Divisions at US Pharmacy Schools

Objective. To quantify the number and type of new opioid-related continuing pharmacy education (CPE) activities offered by continuing education divisions (CEDs) at US schools and colleges of pharmacy from 2015 through 2018, and to determine the number of pharmacists who completed opioid-related CPE activities. Methods. Data was derived from the database of CPE activities maintained by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), which is the sole accreditation agency for all providers of CPE, including pharmacy schools. Data were filtered to include only pharmacy school CPE providers. A search for six keywords (opiates, opioids, pain, pain management, drug overdose, and opioid antagonist) was conducted for the years 2015-2018. The data extracted included title of the CPE activity, contact hours, activity type, activity format, and the number of pharmacists who participated in the activity. Descriptive statistics were used. A content analysis of activity titles was performed. Results. Overall, the CEDs of US schools and colleges of pharmacy delivered 20.3% of all ACPE-approved opioid-related CPE activities from 2015-2018. A total of 1,237 unique opioid-related CPE activities were identified. The number of new CPE activities increased from 249 in 2015 to 297 in 2016 to 349 in 2017, then decreased to 342 in 2018. These activities reached 149,373 pharmacists and were most commonly affiliated with the following keywords: opioids (34.8%) and pain management (30.2%). Conclusion. The opioid epidemic creates an opportunity for pharmacists to increase their role in public health, but education and training are necessary. The study findings indicate that many pharmacists participate in opioid-related CPE provided by ACPE-accredited CEDs of pharmacy schools. This number is likely to increase as a growing number of states are beginning to require opioid-related CPE for pharmacist license renewal.

Removing the stigma of medication for opioid use disorder

Removing the stigma of medication for opioid use disorder

Pharmacists perceptions and preparedness regarding gender-affirming hormone therapy

BackgroundAs the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) population in the United States continues to grow, there is a need for health care providers who are competent in managing gender-affirming therapy (GAT) for these individuals. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess practicing pharmacists’ readiness to care for transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) patients and to compare the perceptions between pharmacists who have received formal education about gender-affirming therapy (GAT) and those who have not received such training. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study that was conducted online over 4 weeks (January 2019-February 2019). A survey was distributed to pharmacists in the United States. Distribution of the survey was conducted through professional pharmacy social media groups. Respondents were asked to anonymously rate their perceived preparedness to care for a TGNC patient and to disclose any formal GAT training they had received during pharmacy school or through continuing pharmacy education. Responses were further stratified on the basis of self-reported completion of GAT education taken after pharmacy school. The responses of those who had received GAT training were compared with the responses of those who had not received GAT training. ResultsThe results of this survey indicated that few pharmacists felt prepared to care for TGNC patients. Furthermore, few pharmacists report receiving formal education over GAT during pharmacy school or postgraduation. Approximately 41% and 40% of respondents, respectively, reported that they did not feel prepared to make recommendations to other health care providers on GAT and counsel TGNC patients about GAT regimens. However, the self-reported GAT-trained pharmacists showed a significantly increased level of perceived preparedness in caring for TGNC patients when compared with pharmacists who did not receive such education. ConclusionIncreased accessibility to GAT education for pharmacists may be associated with a significant growth in pharmacists’ perceived ability to provide care for and interact with transgender patients.

LGBTQ cultural competence for pharmacists

LGBTQ cultural competence for pharmacists

An Evaluation of the Attitudes and Beliefs of Physicians and Pharmacists towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine Based on CAMBI and another Instrument

Aims: To investigate the attitudes and beliefs of physicians and pharmacists towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) using two instruments: the Complementary and Alternative Belief Inventory (CAMBI) and the Attitudes to Alternative Medicine.
 Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study of registered physicians and pharmacists attending their conferences or Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) sessions in Guyana.
 Place and Duration of Study: Pharmacists attending their first CPE for 2015 and physicians at their annual Medical Conference participated.
 Methodology: A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used and 274 persons (140 physicians and 134 pharmacists) participated. One section of the questionnaire, utilised the CAMBI to measure three constructs: beliefs in holistic health, natural treatments, and participation in treatment. The other section focused on attitudes to Alternative Medicine. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and structural equations modelling were employed in the analysis of the data.
 Results: For the CAMBI, a final model was obtained following the removal of several items that lacked validity and statistical significance. Most of the participants (56%) were 20-30 years old and most (52%) of them had 5 years or less professional experience. Overall, the participants were not closed to the use of CAM but there was some scepticism. Physicians believed more strongly in holistic health than pharmacists, but the latter group showed a more positive attitude to involvement in the CAM environment. Attitudes were not affected by age nor area of practice but were influenced by profession, gender, ethnicity, years of professional service and whether or not they attended the local university.
 Conclusion: The CAMBI performed poorly and would have to be revised to suit the local context in future studies. Overall, most participants had some reservations about CAM. Emphasis on holistic health and CAM should be prioritised in any training at the undergraduate level or any continuing education sessions.

Trump’s surprise rebate executive order would affect pharmacists and patients if enacted

Trump’s surprise rebate executive order would affect pharmacists and patients if enacted

Advancing the Adoption of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the United States.

Over the last four decades, the expanded patient care roles of pharmacists in the United States (U.S.) have increased focus on ensuring the implementation of processes to enhance continuing professional development within the profession. The transition from a model of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) to a model of continuing professional development (CPD) is still evolving. As pharmacists assume more complex roles in patient care delivery, particularly in community-based settings, the need to demonstrate and maintain professional competence becomes more critical. In addition, long-held processes for post-graduate education and licensure must also continue to adapt to meet these changing needs. Members of the pharmacy profession in the U.S. must adopt the concept of CPD and implement processes to support the thoughtful completion of professional development plans. Comprehensive, state-of-the-art technology solutions are available to assist pharmacists with understanding, implementing and applying CPD to their professional lives.

To CBD or not to CBD?: What pharmacists need to know

To CBD or not to CBD?: What pharmacists need to know

The pharmacists' contribution against opioid addiction

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate pharmacists' willingness to consider suggesting a non-narcotic NSAID medication instead of an opioid for patients requiring pain relief. Specifically, the study aimed to extend the vital role of the pharmacist in helping to alleviate the opioid crisis. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted by a University Continuing Pharmacy Education Office (response rate = 66%). Key findings Although 84.1% of respondents were willing to suggest NSAID replacement to patients, they appeared to be a bit less optimistic to patient's response, and only 13.5% of them felt that more than half of their patients would go along with the NSAID suggestion. There was no statistically significant difference in the responses of female and male pharmacists. The relatively older pharmacists tended to be more likely to consult their patients about this issue compared with younger pharmacists. This may be due to greater confidence that accompanies greater experience or the fact that they had longer relationships with their patients. Conclusions While opioid addiction occurs from numerous sources, the partial elimination of opioid prescriptions by pharmacists could possibly reduce in some modest way the total number of persons exposed to opioids.

Assuring Quality in Pharmacy Education During a Time of Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all facets of pharmacy education, including accreditation and certification activities. In a very short period of time, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs and pharmacy technician programs had to convert to teaching classes online, experiential education sites had to figure out how to train student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians while ensuring their safety, continuing pharmacy education providers had to move their in-person courses online, and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) had to postpone accreditation site visits. Given the challenges faced by our constituencies, the ACPE implemented processes and suggested solutions that stayed within the boundaries of the standards while at the same time allowing flexibility so that organizations could achieve their educational outcomes even given the constraints produced by the pandemic.

Increasing adult immunization rates in a rural state through targeted pharmacist education

BackgroundMost immunization rates fall below the Healthy People 2020 goals for adults. Pharmacists have the potential to have a positive effect on immunization rates through vaccine administration. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess if an educational program developed for pharmacists could increase pharmacist-delivered statewide immunization rates. Practice descriptionThis study was conducted in the state of North Dakota. North Dakota law allows authorized pharmacists to provide any immunization to individuals aged 11 years or older. Practice innovationIn collaboration with the state health department, a needs assessment of North Dakota pharmacists was conducted to determine what resources and education could increase the delivery of immunizations within the pharmacy. The results were used to develop focused continuing pharmacy education material, create an online toolkit, and provide immunization administration certification. EvaluationThe number and proportion of pharmacist-delivered immunizations and overall adult immunizations rates were compared pre- and postintervention. The North Dakota Immunization Information System was used for data comparison. In addition, the number of pharmacists registered to provide immunizations with the State Board of Pharmacy was tabulated. ResultsThe number of pharmacist-provided immunizations increased by more than 3900 doses. In addition, the percentage of adult immunizations provided by pharmacists and overall adult immunization rates increased throughout the state. After adjusting for seasonality, there was an increase in the number of pharmacist-delivered pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine immunizations (P < 0.001). The number of pharmacists registered to provide immunizations increased throughout the study period by 39%. ConclusionThis study suggests that focused education and resources delivered to pharmacists can increase pharmacy-based immunization rates and adult immunization rates overall. Improving adult immunization rates through greater pharmacist engagement may help to decrease overall infectious disease threats.

Educational intervention to improve pharmacist knowledge to provide care for transgender patients.

Background:Most pharmacists have not received formal training or education in the provision of care for transgender patients. Nonetheless, pharmacists have the potential to be valuable partners in the care of transgender patients, and a continuing education course might be valuable in addressing this knowledge gap.Objective:The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a three-hour continuing education course in improving the knowledge of pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care for transgender patients.Methods:A quasi-experimental, one-group pre-test/post-test study design was used to measure the impact of a three-hour continuing pharmacy education course on the knowledge of pharmacists on transgender care. The course was divided into three units: (1) Transgender Patient Care Introduction, (2) General Health Issues of Transgender Patients, and (3) Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy. A total of 68 pharmacists participated in the study, of which 54 completed both the pre- and post-test. An ANOVA was used to compare differences in knowledge in the group before and after the educational intervention.Results:The majority of the participating pharmacists were cisgender, heterosexual women who had not received any formal training related to transgender care. Participants demonstrated the largest increase in execution score in the third unit, with a percent improvement of 25.22% (pre-test 45.06%, post-test 70.28%; p<0.001). The average total execution score was 52.15% in the pre-test and 72.89% (p< 0.001) in the post-test.Conclusions:Pharmacists benefited from a three-hour continuing education course with an increase in knowledge regarding transgender patient care and hormone therapy for gender affirmation. As this study only evaluated the effect in short term memory, further studies are needed to assess long term impact of the continuing education course on transgender care knowledge.

Perceptions and attitudes of community pharmacists towards patient counseling and continuing pharmacy education programs in Iraq

The pharmacist's role in the community is currently directed towards providing drug information and patient care rather than drug compounding and dispensing. Patient counseling is an essential skill for pharmacists. So as to improve the pharmacist role in the community and enhance the patient's education and counseling skills, many continuing education programs are established. The aim of this study is to assess the perceptions and tendency of community pharmacists in Iraq regarding patients counseling and continuing pharmacists’ educational programs.

2019 AGS Beers Criteria for older adults

2019 AGS Beers Criteria for older adults

Evaluation of Knowledge and Practice of Pharmacy Professionals regarding the Risk of Medication Use during Pregnancy in Dessie Town, Northeast Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background The developing organism is unique in its responsiveness to drugs and predictability of therapeutic effectiveness based on the adult which can lead to grave consequences in the neonate and child. Moreover, uncertainty about the risks of drug use in pregnancy could result in restrictive attitudes towards prescribing and dispensing medicines and their use. Pharmacists have huge duties to improve medication use, especially among pregnant women. The objective of this study is, hence, to assess the knowledge and practice of pharmacy professionals (PPs) towards the risk of medication use during pregnancy. Methodology A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried out over practicing community and hospital pharmacy professionals in Dessie town. They were asked about the safety of common drugs during pregnancy. It involves both prescription-only medications (POM) and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Secondly, they were asked about their practice towards the risk of medication use during pregnancy. Both descriptive and analytical statistics were utilized. For descriptive analysis, results were expressed as numbers, percentages, and mean (± SD and 95% CI). Result Seventy-six pharmacy professionals in Dessie, Northeast Ethiopia, took part in the study. Most of the respondents (64.5%) believed that amoxicillin is safe in all trimesters. 26 (34.2%) of participants knew that isotretinoin is unsafe for use by pregnant women. About dietary supplements, 32.9% of PPs reported that Vitamin A supplements are safe in all trimesters. There was a significant difference observed for study college and years of experience of the PPs in their score of knowledge test (p=0.020 and p=0.024, respectively). Additionally, there was a difference seen for gender (p=0.030), study college (p=0.036), and working institution (p=0.013) in their advice to pregnant women. Conclusion and Recommendation Overall, PPs exhibited very low knowledge about drug safety during pregnancy. The absence of obligatory continuing pharmacy education for pharmacists is expected to have negatively affected the level of medication knowledge and consequently the pharmaceutical care services delivered in community and hospital pharmacies. As medication knowledge of PPs is poor, a multitude of strategies (educational, economic, managerial, and regulatory) should be designed by the government, universities, and pharmaceutical associations to improve the pharmacy professionals' role in the healthcare system by providing them with continuous and up-to-date medication knowledge.

A pharmacy-based referral program to assist low-income Medicare beneficiaries

ObjectivesThe Certified Aging Resource Educated Specialist (C.A.R.E.S.) Program was developed to increase pharmacist awareness of available programs for Medicare patients with limited income and to integrate an efficient referral process into the pharmacy workflow. The objective is to describe the program in terms of pharmacy personnel satisfaction, pharmacy personnel knowledge, and network outcomes including enrollment and referrals. SettingAlabama community pharmacies. Practice descriptionThe C.A.R.E.S. Program, a partnership between the School of Pharmacy and the Alabama Department of Senior Services, has recruited pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy students to participate on a voluntary basis since its launch in 2015. Practice innovationPharmacies with at least one pharmacist who completed the comprehensive training program can enroll in the pharmacy network. Enrolled pharmacies receive a referral kit containing referral cards and prestamped envelopes. Pharmacy personnel identify patients who appear to have limited income or fall into the Medicare coverage gap and refer these patients to local Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). ADRC counselors contact and screen referred patients for all available benefits, including the Medicare Savings Program and the Low-Income Subsidy. EvaluationOne hundred seventy-nine pharmacy personnel have completed the 1-hour introductory continuing pharmacy education, with 99 completing the full 3-hour training. Knowledge was assessed before and immediately after training with an online survey and compared using a paired samples t test. ResultsMean knowledge scores increased significantly (P < 0.001). Twenty-nine pharmacies have enrolled in the pharmacy network. As a result of this pharmacy referral system, 130 patients have been screened for subsidy programs by ADRC counselors. ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first identifiable program connecting local pharmacies and ADRCs, equipping pharmacists with the knowledge and means to provide long-term solutions for patients. Other states might consider replicating this partnership to develop similar programs to benefit Medicare beneficiaries with limited income.