International Pharmaceutical Federation Research Articles

Knowledge-based: facilitating access to medicines in Latin America

The World Health Organization (WHO), with the scientific support of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), guides the development of multisource pharmaceutical products for market authorization using in vivo bioequivalence studies or, where applicable, in vitro biowaiver strategies based on the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS). A review of the regulatory framework guiding generic medicines approval in Latin American countries revealed that less than 50% of regional health authorities offer a generic medicines development pathway utilizing a BCS-based biowaiver strategy. Aligned with the ONE FIP Strategy to facilitate access to medicines, a regional case study was carried out to implement and harmonize BCS-based biowaiver knowledge in Latin American countries. A steering committee involving regional representatives from health authorities, the pharmaceutical industry, and universities were established to coordinate to develop activities. A series of digital engagement events were held in Spanish and English with representatives from Latin America to share knowledge on BCS-based regulatory strategy, promote collaborations, and explore the alignment of biowaiver approval and regulatory pathways among Latin American countries. Feedback from diverse Latin American stakeholders demonstrated inconsistent implementation of bioequivalence testing within the region. However, there is support for a synergistic approach among countries to reduce duplication and increase efficiency in market authorization for generic medicines. This includes alignment with the WHO Prequalification of Medicines program as well as the development of a computational database for the classification of active pharmaceutical ingredients to demonstrate therapeutic interchangeability of immediate-release oral dosage forms according to the BCS. FIP-facilitated digital learning opportunities raised awareness of the BCS-based biowaiver regulatory strategy among Latin American stakeholders. It resulted in a plan to continually strengthen collaborative efforts in the region to harmonize regulations relevant to drug development generics medicines to introduce cost-effective medicines products that benefit public health.

Multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions in secondary care settings between countries of various income levels: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionClinical pharmacy services often involve multifaceted pharmacist-led interventions. However, current pharmacy practice models vary across different countries. Despite the documented benefits of clinical pharmacy services, the characteristics of pharmacist-led interventions...

IJCM_242A: Assessment of self-medication practice among the school teachers of Bhopal

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) define self-medication (SM) as a practice by which an individual selects and uses medicines to treat symptoms or minor health problems, recognized as such by themselves. Self-medication has a number of negative effects, including resource waste, greater disease resistance, and drug resistance. Lack of time, convenience, and awareness parameters, as well as distorted thinking, all contribute to today’s never-ending cycle of self medication and its detrimental effects. Objectives: 1. To determine the prevalence of use of self-medication among school teachers of Bhopal. 2. To assess the construct connection between old and new practice by pre & post test scores. Methodology: Quasi-experimental, pre- and post-educational intervention study of randomly selected school teachers of Bhopal, Sample Size 136.5 ~ 140 using Cochran’s formula. A pre-validated, pre-tested, close-ended multiple- choice questionnaire on Socio-Demographic information, various domains like reasons, indications, medications used and source of knowledge for self- medication was filled in digital mode before and after the lecture demonstration. Results: The effectiveness of the educational program on most of the components was found positive. Conclusion: Awareness can be created through social media platforms regarding the detrimental effects of self-medication. Teachers can be the best resource persons in the dissemination of knowledge in schools and colleges.

Results from a global pharmacy leadership needs assessment: Opportunities to advance pharmacy leadership

Background: Leadership skills in the pharmacy profession are essential for career development and advancement. Pharmacy education is often not focused on developing these leadership skills. This study determines the exact pharmacist leadership traits needed across the globe. Methods: A three-part leadership needs assessment was developed by three International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) global leads for leadership development. Pharmacy management leaders within FIP headquarters vetted the survey for external validity, and their feedback was incorporated. In January 2021, the survey was disseminated to around 3000 FIP members using Qualtrics. The survey took approximately 15 minutes to complete 28 questions. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were used for the data. Results: A total of 239 participants (~8%) completed the survey. On average, participants felt that innovation/entrepreneurship, negotiating, strategic context, conflict management, and vision were among the top five leadership competencies that they would like more training in. When stratified by work setting, pharmacists in academia ranked conflict management, in inpatient hospitals ranked change management, and in community/retail settings ranked prioritisation as the top leadership competency need. Conclusion: Pharmacists in different work settings and different parts of the world have a need for different leadership skills which should be carefully considered when providing leadership training.

Telepharmacy Implementation to Support Pharmaceutical Care Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review.

Telepharmacy was effectively applied for remote pharmaceutical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. To determine the implementation of telepharmacy services to support pharmacists in providing pharmaceutical care during the pandemic. Seven electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2021: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica database (Embase), Web of Science, Proquest, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with the PROSPERO registry of systematic reviews. Reports of original research investigating the implementation of telepharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic were retrieved. Researchers screened the title and abstract of each article, and then evaluated the full text of eligible articles to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria. Pharmacists' responsibilities and actions were classified in relation to the International Pharmaceutical Federation guideline for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Extracted data included study characteristics, pharmacists' interventions delivered through a telepharmacy system, and the benefits of telepharmacy implementation. The database search yielded 1400 articles. After removal of duplicates and articles not meeting the specific inclusion criteria (n = 1381), a total of 19 relevant original research articles were reviewed. According to these studies, telepharmacy was used to perform remote medication review and optimization, assess medication adherence, dispense and deliver medications, educate and counsel patients, promote disease prevention, collaborate with health care providers, and monitor treatment outcomes. This study highlighted the use of telepharmacy services to support pharmacists' activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Randomized clinical trials are needed to investigate the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of telepharmacy services.

War in Ukraine and the role of international non-governmental organizations in ensuring international cooperation of states in the field of health care

The purpose of this scientific article is to identify the role of international non-governmental organizations in ensuring international cooperation of states in the field of health care.
 The article focuses on the role of such international non-governmental organizations during the war in Ukraine: the Red Cross Committee, the World Medical Association, the International Pharmaceutical Federation, etc.
 International cooperation of states in the field of health care is a complex of legal means and institutions that the subjects of international public law - states - use to achieve common goals in the field of health care, which is implemented in the forms of multilateral and bilateral participation and is carried out accordingly to generally recognized principles and norms of international law. It can be carried out with the participation of both states and international intergovernmental organizations, but not international public organizations.
 The subject of international legal relations in the field of health care can only be that international organization that is endowed by its member states with special competence, defined in its charter. The term “international intergovernmental organization” is not synonymous with the term “international public organization”.
 The participation of non-governmental legal entities in activities in the field of health care does not contradict the norms of international law, however, they are not subjects of international legal relations in the field of health care, because they are not endowed by the states with special competence, which would be determined in their statute.

Competence in Sports Pharmacy among Pharmacy Students in Norway.

Pharmacists are competent to promote the proper use of medicines. According to the International Pharmaceutical Federation, pharmacists must develop competence in sports pharmacy and the contents of the World Anti-Doping Agency code. This explorative study aimed to identify the status of sports pharmacy in pharmacy education in Norway and competence in sports pharmacy among Norwegian pharmacy students. The study curricula of pharmacy education were examined for the content of sports pharmacy. An online questionnaire was also developed and distributed among pharmacy students. The anonymous survey collected demographic information and data on competence in sports pharmacy. Data from 122 participants were analyzed. Only 22.5% of pharmacy students had acquired a form of training in sports pharmacy and 91.7% wished to gain higher competence. In total, 40.2% of respondents were uncomfortable in advising athletes and trainers on medication use in sports. Study year was found to correlate with competence level with a significant difference between the 3rd year (bachelor) and 5th year (master) students. Age, institution, and number of years engaged in sports were not associated with competence level. The inclusion of sports pharmacy in pharmacy programs holds practical relevance for enhancing competency levels. This implementation can be realized through the integration of sports pharmacy modules and/or the incorporation of research-based activities.

Mendelian randomization study reveals the relationship between dietary factors and respiratory diseases

The existence of causal relationship between dietary factors and respiratory diseases is uncertain. We comprehensively investigated the association between dietary factors and respiratory diseases by using Mendelian randomization (MR). Genetic variants linked to dietary factors were selected as instrumental variables with genome-wide significance. These instrumental variables were obtained from large GWAS databases. These databases include Biobank, the FinnGen study, and other large consortia. We used multivariate MR analyses to control the effects of smoking and education. Median analysis was conducted to evaluate whether body mass index (BMI) played a role in dietary factors in respiratory diseases. Dried fruit intake was found to be associated with a decreased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR: 0.211; 95% CI 0.117–0.378; P < 0.001) and asthma (OR: 0.539; 95% CI 0.357–0.815; P = 0.003). Conversely, pork intake was associated with an increased risk of international pharmaceutical federation (IPF) (OR: 1.051*102, 95% CI 4.354–2.56*103, P = 0.004). However, no significant associations were observed between the 20 dietary factors and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In addition, multivariate MR analyses showed that the above results were unchanged in smoking and nonsmoking populations, while the effect of dried fruit intake on asthma was significantly attenuated after corrective education. The results of the mediator variable analysis indicated that BMI could serve as a mediator of the above results. This study found that dried fruits slowed the progression of COPD and asthma, while pork promoted IPF. However, no effect of dietary factors on OSA was found. Meanwhile, we showed that the above results were unchanged in smoking and non-smoking populations. In contrast, education could influence the role of diet on asthma, and BMI could be used as a mediating variable to influence the above results.

Pharmaceutical pictograms: User-centred redesign, selection and validation.

In an earlier study, several tested International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) pictograms did not achieve validity among older adults in Singapore. In this study, for 27 unvalidated FIP pictograms, we (1) developed variants of each pictogram, (2) elicited the most-preferred variant, and (3) assessed the validity of the most-preferred variant among older Singaporeans. In phase 1, up to three variants of the 27 pictograms were developed, based on older adults' feedback from a previous study. In phase 2, the most-preferred variant of 26 pictograms, which had two or three variants, was selected by 100 older participants. In phase 3, the 27 most-preferred variants (including the pictogram with only one variant) were assessed for validity - transparency and translucency - among 278 older participants (10 pictograms per participant). To evaluate transparency, participants were first asked: "If you see this picture on a medicine label, what do you think it means?" for each assigned pictogram. If they responded, they were asked, "How do you know?", and if not, they were told, "Tell me everything you see in this picture". Then, participants were shown their assigned pictograms again, one by one, and the pictogram's intended meaning was revealed to evaluate translucency. Pictograms were classified as valid (≥66% participants interpreted its intended meaning correctly [transparency criterion] and ≥85% participants rated its representativeness as ≥ 5 [translucency criterion]), partially valid (only transparency criterion fulfilled) or not valid. In phase 1, 77 variants of the 27 pictograms were developed. In phase 2, a majority of the most-preferred variants were selected by >50% participants. In phase 3, 10 (37.0%) of the 27 pictograms tested were considered valid, and five (18.5%) were partially valid. A higher proportion of pictograms portraying dose and route of administration and precautions were valid or partially valid, versus those depicting indications or side effects. Contextual redesigning and selection of pharmaceutical pictograms, which initially failed to achieve validity in a population, contributed to their validation. The redesigned validated pictograms from this study can be incorporated into relevant patient information materials in clinical practice.

Formulating a code of ethics for Kuwaiti pharmacists using FIP ethical standards: A Delphi study

Abstract Introduction Pharmacists play a crucial role in healthcare and are expected to adhere to high ethical standards. Ethical values provide a practical basis for identifying valued actions, intentions, and motives. Regulatory organizations in developed countries have established codes of ethics for various professions, including pharmacy, which support improved patient outcomes and increased trust in the healthcare system. While a national code of ethics for pharmacists in Kuwait is not currently published. Aim To formulate a code of ethics for pharmacists in Kuwait through a modified Delphi technique that is relevant and applicable for Kuwait context. Methods A 2-round E-Delphi consensus technique using the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s (FIP) 14 ethical standards was conducted. An ethical approval for this study was obtained from Human Ethical Committee, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University (270). Pharmacy expertise were recruited through purposive and snowballing sampling method. Consensus was achieved when at least 90% of acceptance and clarity level of the FIP's ethical standards were reached. Round 1: Expertise were asked to indicate their level of acceptance and clarity of the 14 FIP ethical standards in both the Arabic and English languages. Round 2: This round discussed seven standards, which were unaccepted, unclear, and did not reach the cut-off point from round 1. Results Round 1 response rate achieved 100% (30) and seven standards were accepted in terms of acceptance and languages’ clarity. Round 2 response rate was 93.3% (28), including the rest 7 standards that did not reach the required consensus’s percentage. Through the 2nd round, it ended up with 2 standards, accomplishing consensus. The remaining five standards need to be reconsidered in a follow-up study. Discussion/Conclusion The positive reception and understanding of the FIP ethical standards among pharmacists suggest that the regulatory authority in Kuwait can use this study's data to advance its efforts in adopting these standards. Therefore, it is essential for the regulatory authority to consider the study's findings when evaluating the implementation of ethical standards in Kuwait's healthcare system.

Egyptian community pharmacies and self-care: Context, challenges and opportunities

Community pharmacists are ideally positioned to play a key role in promoting self-care behaviors through judicious use of self-care interventions. As highlighted by the International Pharmaceutical Federation, supporting effective self-care is a key strategy for pharmacists to contribute to the sustainability of healthcare systems. Despite recent positive developments in national health policies, Egypt does not have a clear self-care strategy and policy. It also has no national programs focusing on community pharmacists and self-care, important components that future health policy initiatives should tackle. This commentary explores self-care policies, strategies, and developments in the Egyptian community pharmacy practice context. It describes national research, roles, and challenges within the current model of community pharmacy practice and education concerning self-care. It addresses opportunities that Egyptian community pharmacy has to support self-care in light of the anticipated changes in the Egyptian healthcare system. Noting that success in the delivery of self-care interventions within community pharmacies is associated with key factors, recommendations are suggested for community pharmacy stakeholders to address such factors guided by the World Health Organization's implementation considerations for individuals' health needs and self-care-related health system challenges (agency, availability, quality, cost, information, accessibility, utilization, social support, acceptability, and efficiency).

How COVID-19 has impacted the role of pharmacists around the world

All over the world pharmacists are standing up to the challenge of COVID-19 and showing their commitment to the communities they serve. As the COVID-19 pandemic has tested global health systems to their limits, pharmacy professionals have shown themselves to be an integral part of them. Community pharmacists have supported government initiatives to control the pandemic and have ensured patients continued to receive their medicines. Hospital pharmacists have been moving beyond their specialties to help provide critical care to patients while dealing with ICU drug shortages. Pharmaceutical scientists have been involved in finding effective vaccines and identifying effective treatments. In short, the pharmacy profession has been demonstrating expertise, strength, courage and dedication to care at the highest level.The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), which represents the pharmacy profession globally, has a mission to advance pharmacy worldwide by sharing best pharmacy practice and innovation with the world. In this article, it describes how pharmacy has stepped up during the COVID-19 crisis by giving examples from several countries. It highlights, for example, how virtual practice became more prominent as face-to-face meetings became impossible, how pharmacists’ scope of practice has been extended, and how pharmacy educators have embraced digital technologies to teach and assess students remotely. In particular, the article highlights pharmacists’ involvement in the COVID-19 vaccination programmes in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.As a result of all this, FIP sees an exciting future for the profession. Health ministers and heads of state have been praising pharmacists for their service, and FIP wants governments to translate this recognition into support for expanded roles and scientific research. It continues to gather data and intelligence to support an expansion of pharmacy practice, education and pharmaceutical workforce that builds on the profession's scientific base. All these advances are supported by scientific studies about our specialty.Finally, FIP expresses its worries about equity of access to medicines during the pandemic, as younger, healthier people in rich countries are vaccinated before people at greater risk in poor countries. It insists it will continue to advocate on this topic as a core component of its global vision.In this article, we share with readers a snapshot of how our profession around the world has adapted to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and our thoughts on the how it is affecting the evolution of pharmacy practice.

Factors influencing pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists’ membership in professional organisations: an international survey

BackgroundProfessional organisations exist as international or national organisations, with each country establishing at least one national professional association. There remains a knowledge gap about factors that influence professional organisational involvement of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. This study aims to explore the motivators and barriers of pharmacy professionals holding organisation membership from a global perspective.MethodsAn online questionnaire was developed and disseminated between May and July 2021. The survey was open to all pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. The survey consisted of four sections; demographic information, questions about professional organisations, about the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and its impact on the members. Data were analysed descriptively.ResultsA total of 1033 complete survey responses were received and included in the analysis. Of all respondents, 761 (73.7%) respondents were current members of a professional organisation and 272 (26.3%) were not members of any professional organisation. Overall, findings demonstrated networking, education, training and professional development opportunities as the main interests and anticipated activities, while the lack of clarity or need to join organisation, time, and financial constraints as the main barriers of pharmacy professionals holding membership. The majority of FIP members are satisfied with current FIP activities, and anticipate further networking opportunities, educational resources and grants made available to members.ConclusionsUnderstanding the perceptions and needs, as well as factors that influence engagement of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists is the key to enhancing membership. Professional organisations are highly encouraged to strengthen and target activities according to the identified motivators and barriers.

Addressing inequities in pharmaceutical education with an International Pharmaceutical Federation toolkit

Equity in education ensures access to success-supporting tools for all, transcending backgrounds, languages, races, and more. Despite global efforts, achieving equity in higher education remains a challenge, amplified by COVID-19 in pharmaceutical education. Addressing these disparities is vital for fostering a capable, adaptable pharmaceutical workforce meeting diverse healthcare needs. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) introduces its toolkit to counter such inequities, propelling transformative changes worldwide. This narrative review outlines the toolkit, contextualising educational disparities, probing influential themes, and furnishing resources. It incorporates insights, recommendations, self-assessment tools, and expert perspectives, aiming to rectify inequities in pharmaceutical education universally and at local levels, promoting a proficient and responsive pharmaceutical workforce aligned with society's evolving healthcare demands.

Assessing the Provision of Community Pharmacy Services in Addis Ababa City During the Covid-19 Epidemic

Background: Community Pharmacists are frequently the first point of contact for the public, especially during the afflictions. As outlined by the International Pharmaceutical Federation, community Pharmacists have an important public health role during this COVID-19 infection. Since the outbreak of coronavirus complaint 2019 (COVID-19) pharmacists like other health professionals, have been at the frontal line of combating the complaint and remained open, thus playing significant part in minimizing or avoiding its community transmission. Therefore, study was throwing to assess the provision of community pharmacy services during COVID-19 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of community pharmacists in relation to provision of public services during COVID-19 epidemic in Addis Ababa City. Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in Addis Ababa city administrations from June 28, 2021, to July 30, 2021, with a sample size of 290 and the sample was determined through cluster sampling technique. The result was cleared by Epi Info version 7.0 and analyzed through SPSS interpretation 25. Result: Methods used to analyze the collected primary data: we used percentage and tables to analyze the data. The exploration finding were grounded on primary source of data. For this reason, we distributed 14 questionnaires to 360 respondents. Out of these, 290 respondents filled out the questionnaires and returned them to the investigators. The results of the study show that during the epidemic, the community pharmacies offered poor pharmaceutical services.

Quality of dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate containing eye drops distributed online

Patient safety risks associated with the online purchase of medications, especially in case of ophthalmic preparations, are significant. Our study aimed to carry out quality assessment of dorzolamide hydrochloride (DZA) and timolol maleate (TIM) eye drops preserved with benzalkonium chloride (BAC) via online test purchases.Three samples were purchased online, while control preparations were acquired through authorized national drug supply chain. Our method was based on the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Inspection Checklist and integrated the evaluation of packaging and labelling. Sterility was established according to the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), while qualitative and quantitative quality was assessed with high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis.Several signs of falsification were recognized upon visual inspection of the online samples. All the products were clear, colourless, slightly viscous solutions. They were free from visible contaminants. The samples were sterile as no evidence of microbial growth was found. A quick and inexpensive HPLC analysis, optimized by the authors showed that active ingredients and the preservative deviated significantly (p < 0,05) with more than 10% from the values stated on the labels for at least one component (DZA: 99.3–113.1%, TIM: 112.8–139.2%, BAC: 82.4–97.7%).Development of comprehensive and reliable quality assessment methods are vital to increase public safety of pharmaceutical products sold online. A complex approach, integrating visual inspection, labelling assessment, microbiological analysis coupled with qualitative and quantitative methods provide a most reliable method. Due to its limited feasibility and cost-effectiveness, raising public awareness and limiting illegal online sellers should be the primary approaches to protect patients from substandard and falsified medicinal products sold via the internet. Particularly important for health professionals to understand this market and its public health concern, and to raise patient awareness of the risks associated with uncontrolled online purchase of medication.

IPSF collaborations with FIP and other global entities impacting pharmacy education

Background: Pharmacy education is essential to nurture a pharmaceutical workforce able to deliver optimum pharmaceutical care. Owing to recent challenges and advances, the scope of the pharmacy profession has changed, and the pharmacist’s role has expanded. Therefore, pharmacy education should be reshaped. The International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) believes that the collaboration of pharmacy students with academics is fundamental to tackling challenges in education and provides development opportunities for students to improve their competencies to fit their future roles. Objective: This report aims to discuss the collaborations with international health organisations and entities concerned with education to better understand their impact on pharmacy education and the workforce. Hence, IPSF can re-set its strategic goals for the upcoming mandates. Archival documents were reviewed, and the main findings are described here. Conclusion: Impactful collaborations have been found. However, it inspires IPSF to strengthen their relations with the International Pharmaceutical Federation Academic Pharmacy Section (FIP AcPS) to improve their pharmacy education initiatives.

How are groups of early career pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists contributing to global health and policy development: A cross-sectional survey.

Early career pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientist groups (ECPGs) can make valuable contributions to addressing global health challenges and policy development. There is limited information describing their contribution to this topic. This study describes initiatives and activities related to global health and policy development led by ECPGs. An online questionnaire was disseminated between July and October 2020 through the International Pharmaceutical Federation Young Pharmacists Group (FIP YPG) mailing list and its social media network. The survey consisted of questions about ECPGs' involvement in global health and policy development activities. In addition to groups or organisations, the FIP YPG also invited individual pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to explore their needs and views on the role of the ECPGs, and themselves as individuals in global health. Data were analysed descriptively. Thirty national ECPGs across six regions of the World Health Organisation (WHO) participated in the survey. Most of the initiatives led by ECPGs focused on health and wellbeing, quality of education and partnership. The most common activities were webinars, social events and partnerships with other organisations. In terms of global health challenges listed by the WHO, the most common initiatives led by ECPGs were related to medicines access and medicines safety. There was some involvement of early career pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, and ECPGs in the policy and regulation in their countries across various topics. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first global study exploring initiatives conducted by ECPGs. This study informed initiatives that have been implemented across regions, which could be useful for other ECPGs to initiate in their country according to their needs and priorities. Fostering engagement and collaboration between ECPGs is encouraged to provide opportunities and share learning across ECPGs, which could accelerate progress towards tackling global health challenges.

Using the Simulated Patient Methodology in the Form of Mystery Calls in Community Pharmacy Practice Research: A Scoping Review Protocol

Community pharmacies (CPs) play a major role in health care delivery. The simulated patient methodology (SPM), which is considered the "gold standard", is recommended for studying CP practice. SPM can be applied in different forms, which include visits and also calls ("mystery calls"). So far, only the role of visits in the investigation of CP practice is known. As the first study worldwide, a systematic map of such reports will be provided, which applies calls in the context of the SPM for the study of CP practice. Reports with the pharmacy staff as the population under study should be included. Reports should be included that conduct an investigation using the SPM in the form of calls to simulate patients and other customers. Reports should be included that examine CP practice as defined by the International Pharmaceutical Federation and the World Health Organization (FIP/WHO). The scoping review methodology will be applied using the associated guidelines from Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and PRISMA extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). The search will be for both published and unpublished original research in English with transparent information on SPM until the end of 2022. The plan is to search Embase, MEDLINE via PubMed, and Web of Science. Directly afterward, the respective literature collection of the reviewers and the reference lists of suitable international reviews will be searched. This will be followed by a forward and backward snowballing in Google Scholar. For the inclusion of reports, a selection process and for the data extraction a data charting process with the help of variables derived from related reviews and from two SPM-form spanning international guidelines will be performed. The data extracted from the included reports should be synthesized and presented in MS Excel tabular form using the previously determined variables.

An evidence-led review of the FIP global competency framework for early career pharmacists training and development.

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF) for early career pharmacists is an evidence-driven guide for pharmacist professional development. First published in 2012, the FIP GbCFv1 contains a structured assembly of competencies for pharmacists in four broad areas: pharmaceutical public health; pharmaceutical care; organisation and management; and professional/personal. FIP is committed to support the advancement of pharmacy around the world, and in light with the expansion of the type of services that pharmacists may provide to their patients and the advances in technology and therapeutics, revising and updating the GbCF is imperative. The aim of this project was to revise and update the first published iteration of the FIP GbCFv1 (2012) to ensure currency and continued relevance. This is a qualitative study that employed four rounds E-Delphi method. A group of international experts (n=29) was convened to revise the GbCFv1 through an iterative approach with repeated and synchronised rounds of analysis and revision focusing on the currency of the competency areas and associated behavioural statements. The revision was conducted between January to August 2020. The number of behavioural statements increased from 100 to 124 behavioural statements, with 23 competency domains, but remain structured within the competency clusters. Three new competencies were added to the GbCF (emergency response, digital literacy, and interprofessional collaboration) and one competency was renamed from self-management to leadership and self-regulation. The process undertaken to revise the GbCFv1 are described, resulting in a valid and transnationally relevant GbCFv2. In the GbCFv2, the number of competencies and associated behavioural statements increased due to important additions including emergency response, digital literacy, interprofessional collaboration and an expansion of leadership and self-regulation. This process provides an assurance of relevancy and currency for a 'fit for purpose' early career competency development framework for global implementation.