Pharmacist Workforce Research Articles

Whether medicine supply is really meeting primary health care needs: a mixed-methods study in Shandong Province, China

BackgroundWith the aging population, the increasing prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases, and the diversified needs for primary health care (PHC) medicines, it is necessary to rethink the functional role of the supply of PHC medicines. This study aims to evaluate the supply of PHC medicines and the status of meeting PHC medicine needs.MethodsThe mixed-methods study was conducted to evaluate the supply of PHC medicines in Shandong Province. In the quantitative study, survey questionnaires were distributed to county hospitals, township hospitals, and patients, and a prescription review was performed in township hospitals. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the pharmacy managers, physicians, and patients in county hospitals, township hospitals, and village clinics. A senior pharmacist from a tertiary hospital who has rich experience on the indications for medicine use, accompanied us on a visit to inspect the PHC pharmacies to survey medicine equipment with a professional perspective.ResultsQuantitative analysis revealed that 211 county hospitals and 1,581 township hospitals participated in the survey, revealing the median annual frequency of medicine shortages of 5.0 times for county hospitals and 2.0 times for township hospitals. Of the 6,323 patient medication surveys, after excluding 152 patients not involved in medication use, 945 (15.3%) indicated medicine shortages, with half of these attributable to institutions lacking required medicines (52.8%). On average, the prescription qualified rate of 37 township hospitals was 72.2%. Four final themes emerged during the qualitative data analysis: (1) Supply of PHC medicines; (2) Solutions to the shortage of off-list medicines; (3) Appropriateness of PHC medicines list; (4) Pharmacist workforce development and pharmacy services.ConclusionsThe discrepancy between patients’ need for PHC medicine and present medicine supply is noteworthy. It is suggested that governments should optimize the existing lists to adequately meet patient medicine needs and prioritize medicines for chronic diseases, which is also particularly important for developing countries. Integrated health care may be a novel strategy to establish unified medicines list and achieve uniform pharmaceutical services in PHC.

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment Status Change for Practicing Pharmacists

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in health care workers experiencing temporary or permanent changes in employment due to layoffs, quits, and postpandemic increased job demand. Analyzing the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with employment changes and results of changes for practicing pharmacists and understanding the associations with demographic and work-related factors could inform practice, policy, and educational programs. This study aimed to explore the frequency, characteristics, and results of employment status changes (ESCs) experienced by pharmacists practicing pharmacy in March 2020 (ie, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic). MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design was used to collect data from a random sample of 93,990 licensed pharmacists in the United States. The study team developed an online survey questionnaire designed to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacists’ work and work-life. The survey items used for this study related to ESCs, work-life characteristics, work characteristics in March 2020 and 2022, and demographic variables. A total of 4947 usable responses were received between November 2022 and January 2023. ResultsOverall, 36.4% of respondents reported experiencing an ESC and approximately 70% of those reporting an ESC reported experiencing just 1 ECS. Overall, 39.5% of respondents who experienced an ESC stopped working (ie, were unemployed) pursuant to an ESC. Respondents who experienced an ESC reported significantly lower levels of work exhaustion and interprofessional disengagement and significantly higher levels of professional fulfillment in their current employment than respondents that did not experience an ESC. ConclusionThe overall increase in demand for workers in the health care sector appeared to provide opportunities for pharmacists, especially pharmacists with 1 to 10 years of experience, to change their employment situation, resulting in better work-life characteristics. Given projections of a pharmacist shortage, research, policy, and educational programs could determine the best practices to improve work settings and the work-life characteristics of practicing pharmacists to improve the health of the current pharmacist workforce.

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment Status Change for Practicing Pharmacists

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in health care workers experiencing temporary or permanent changes in employment due to layoffs, quits, and postpandemic increased job demand. Analyzing the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with employment changes and results of changes for practicing pharmacists and understanding the associations with demographic and work-related factors could inform practice, policy, and educational programs. This study aimed to explore the frequency, characteristics, and results of employment status changes (ESCs) experienced by pharmacists practicing pharmacy in March 2020 (ie, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic). MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design was used to collect data from a random sample of 93,990 licensed pharmacists in the United States. The study team developed an online survey questionnaire designed to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacists’ work and work-life. The survey items used for this study related to ESCs, work-life characteristics, work characteristics in March 2020 and 2022, and demographic variables. A total of 4947 usable responses were received between November 2022 and January 2023. ResultsOverall, 36.4% of respondents reported experiencing an ESC and approximately 70% of those reporting an ESC reported experiencing just 1 ECS. Overall, 39.5% of respondents who experienced an ESC stopped working (ie, were unemployed) pursuant to an ESC. Respondents who experienced an ESC reported significantly lower levels of work exhaustion and interprofessional disengagement and significantly higher levels of professional fulfillment in their current employment than respondents that did not experience an ESC. ConclusionThe overall increase in demand for workers in the health care sector appeared to provide opportunities for pharmacists, especially pharmacists with 1 to 10 years of experience, to change their employment situation, resulting in better work-life characteristics. Given projections of a pharmacist shortage, research, policy, and educational programs could determine the best practices to improve work settings and the work-life characteristics of practicing pharmacists to improve the health of the current pharmacist workforce.

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment Status Change for Practicing Pharmacists.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in health care workers experiencing temporary or permanent changes in employment due to layoffs, quits, and postpandemic increased job demand. Analyzing the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with employment changes and results of changes for practicing pharmacists and understanding the associations with demographic and work-related factors could inform practice, policy, and educational programs. This study aimed to explore the frequency, characteristics, and results of employment status changes (ESCs) experienced by pharmacists practicing pharmacy in March 2020 (ie, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic). A descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design was used to collect data from a random sample of 93,990 licensed pharmacists in the United States. The study team developed an online survey questionnaire designed to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacists' work and work-life. The survey items used for this study related to ESCs, work-life characteristics, work characteristics in March 2020 and 2022, and demographic variables. A total of 4947 usable responses were received between November 2022 and January 2023. Overall, 36.4% of respondents reported experiencing an ESC and approximately 70% of those reporting an ESC reported experiencing just 1 ECS. Overall, 39.5% of respondents who experienced an ESC stopped working (ie, were unemployed) pursuant to an ESC. Respondents who experienced an ESC reported significantly lower levels of work exhaustion and interprofessional disengagement and significantly higher levels of professional fulfillment in their current employment than respondents that did not experience an ESC. The overall increase in demand for workers in the health care sector appeared to provide opportunities for pharmacists, especially pharmacists with 1 to 10 years of experience, to change their employment situation, resulting in better work-life characteristics. Given projections of a pharmacist shortage, research, policy, and educational programs could determine the best practices to improve work settings and the work-life characteristics of practicing pharmacists to improve the health of the current pharmacist workforce.

Practice outcomes for the first decade of Rural Pharmacy Education (RPHARM) Program graduates

BackgroundThe maldistribution of pharmacy services in underserved areas is a national issue. Analysis of data from the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study indicated that 13.9% of pharmacists were working in a rural community. However, the percentage of people living in rural communities in the United States is 20.0%. Currently, there are 20 rural pharmacy programs in the United States, including the Rural Pharmacy Education (RPHARM) Program at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Pharmacy, which contain both didactic and experiential rural components. This research project examines the practice outcomes of the RPHARM Program graduates.MethodsDescriptive analysis was used to examine the practice outcome characteristics of RPHARM Program graduates between 2014 and 2023. The characteristics of the RPHARM graduates included the rurality of hometowns, practice locations and populations, and distance of practice locations to hometowns. Rural practice outcomes were described utilizing frequently used rural definitions. The practice locations of 54 of the 61 RPHARM graduates were used in the analysis.ResultsApproximately 41% of the practicing RPHARM graduates were from rural hometowns and two-thirds were female. RPHARM graduates mostly work in either a community setting (44.4%) or a hospital setting (37.0%). Approximately 11% worked in a federal government organization and 5.6% worked in a long-term care pharmacy. When examining job location, 42.6% were working in a rural location based on Rural–Urban Commuting Area Version 3.0 and 35.2% of RPHARM graduates had always worked in a rural location. Approximately 57% of practicing RPHARM graduates are working in a location < 50 miles from their hometown, and 13% are working 50 to 100 miles from their hometown. Approximately 74% of RPHARM graduates are practicing in Illinois.ConclusionsApproximately 40% of RPHARM graduates practice in rural locations. A significant portion (35.2%) of RPHARM graduates have always practiced in rural locations, and many (57.4%) are practicing near their hometowns. Results indicate that the RPHARM Program is making meaningful contributions to increasing the rural pharmacy workforce. Due to the lack of information on rural pharmacy practice outcomes, all programs with rural pharmacy content are encouraged to track graduates’ practice locations.

Building a Hospital Pharmacist Workforce by a Diversified and Position-Oriented Learning System.

The role of hospital pharmacists has shifted from primarily ensuring drug supply to providing comprehensive pharmaceutical care. To accommodate this shift, new positions are needed. The traditional training model for hospital pharmacists is no longer sufficient for the evolving demands of pharmaceutical care and these new roles. This study aimed to describe the development of a position-oriented learning system explicitly tailored for hospital pharmacists and to assess its impact on workforce development and pharmacy service. The position-oriented learning system for hospital pharmacists, aimed at enhancing training and workforce development, was evaluated based on two critical criteria: the completion rate of learning modules and the subsequent improvement in pharmaceutical care at the hospital. The completion rate assessed the engagement and effectiveness of the training content. At the same time, the improvement in pharmaceutical care evaluated practical outcomes such as percentages of patients who received pharmaceutical care and percentages of inappropriate medication orders intercepted. In 2021, 218 employees participated in the learning system. The pharmacy department has identified 22 pharmacists for various positions through this system. The quantity and quality of pharmaceutical care have improved significantly. The position-oriented diversified learning system achieves the perfect combination of department development direction and individual career planning of employees. The learning system can significantly improve the learning efficiency of pharmacists, enhance the quality of various pharmaceutical care, and promote the development of disciplines.

EVALUATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND FACTORS RELATED TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF YOUNG PHARMACISTS IN THE MEKONG DELTA IN 2023

Background: The term “Entrepreneurship” refers to innovative, high-risk, and rapidly expanding business ventures that frequently need a substantial cash source. Most of the initial funding comes from individual savings or family’s financial support. The process of becoming an entrepreneur starts with identifying an opportunity and ends with creating a plan to take advantage of it. However, it has never been straightforward or simple to start a firm, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. In order to initiate and maintain a profitable business, pharmacists must train themselves with business startup expertise. Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge and factors affecting the entrepreneurship of young pharmacists in the Mekong Delta from May 2023 to November 2023. Material and methods: To ascertain the viewpoints of 815 young pharmacists aged from 20 to under 40, this study used a cross-sectional descriptive design and conducted interviews with them, basing on the features of the research item, obtaining knowledge about entrepreneurship and identify some relevant elements. Results: Women made up 69.1% of the young pharmacist workforce, including the majority of college pharmacists (46.5%), university pharmacists (43.1%), and those with master or doctoral degrees (10.4%). 80% were familiar with entrepreneurship, and 90.1% believed that, in order to launch a successful business, entrepreneurs had to have a thorough understanding of the industry in which they planned to operate. 77.8% had high knowledge scores. Regard the total of knowledge scores by characteristics groups, it has been clearly seen in the study that the gender, economic, and educational variables had an impact on general knowledge (p&lt;0.05); in which the college pharmacist category (429.76), along with the rich and the well-off (429.76) had the highest average rankings among the characteristic categories. Conclusions: The majority of young pharmacists in the Mekong Delta were aware of and fairly knowledgeable about entrepreneurship.

A multistep approach and executive summary assessing and addressing workforce satisfaction and retention of the oncology pharmacy workforce

AbstractIntroductionHematology/oncology pharmacists work in various roles in healthcare systems and represent a highly skilled and valuable resource. There remains a significant challenge in the recruitment and retention of these well‐trained pharmacists. We sought to identify key factors and propose solutions to impact the ability to recruit, promote, and retain pharmacists.MethodsAn initial survey in 2021 assessed the status of the oncology pharmacist workforce with regard to job satisfaction and attrition risk. Based on the top 5 factors identified in the Initial Survey, a Follow‐Up Survey was conducted in 2022 to further understand top dissatisfiers in the workplace. To address these factors, an in‐person collaborative workshop was conducted in 2023 with a focus on creating action plans around the practice model, professional development, well‐being, and metrics.ResultsA total of 392 individuals participated in the Follow‐Up Survey. Most were 31–40 years of age (56%), female (70%), Caucasian (78%), and from academic medical centers (68%). Of the 367 individuals who responded to factors contributing to dissatisfaction at work, 51 of the respondents selected all five factors. The most common factor was the practice model (77%), followed by burnout/well‐being (74%), leadership (62%), professional development (56%), and metrics (32%). At the workshop, teams worked collaboratively to review detailed data, evaluate root causes, define a goal future state, and build recommendations for incremental steps to pursue progress in each of these areas.DiscussionUtilizing key information learned from both the Initial and Follow‐Up Survey, the Oncology Pharmacy Workforce Collaborative demonstrated that the key themes are interconnected and institutional support is essential in modernizing practice models, revamping professional development, creating better measures of direct and indirect patient care activities, and ensuring effective support for well‐being.

Career paths of a university’s pharmacy graduates over 15 years: a cross-sectional evaluation

Abstract Introduction The versatility of a pharmacy degree has evolved over time. Expanding opportunities have emerged for employment in sectors outside those usually associated with the degree. A paucity of international literature evaluating pharmacy graduate career paths over an extended period is apparent – research which could enhance workforce capacity planning. Aim To evaluate trends in graduate career paths from a pharmacy school in Ireland over a fifteen-year period and assess graduate satisfaction with their career path and pharmacy programme. Methods This study utilised a multi-method approach to access graduate career data, using an online survey and publicly accessible information from LinkedIn® profiles. The survey, comprising both Likert scale and multiple-choice questions, was distributed to all the university’s pharmacy graduates from 2007 to 2022. Data from both methods were combined, cross-checked, coded, and analysed quantitatively using descriptive and inferential statistics – whereby p&amp;lt;0.05 denotes statistical significance. Results Data were obtained on 556/798 pharmacy graduates (69.7%), comprising 203 survey responses (25.4% response rate) and 353 LinkedIn profiles. Community pharmacy was the most common current employment sector (47.7%), followed by industry (21.5%), hospital (17.7%), and academia (6.1%). The percentage working in patient-facing settings ranged from 79.5% (2022) to 36.7% (2010). More recent graduates (≤5 years post-graduation) were significantly more likely (p&amp;lt;0.05) to work in a patient-facing role versus those who graduated &amp;gt;5 years ago (Figure 1). Over half of graduates not primarily working in community pharmacy (61.1%) had previously held a full-time community pharmacist role. Post-graduate education was undertaken by 41.3% of graduates, with the lowest uptake amongst community pharmacists (13.7%). Overall, career satisfaction from the survey was high (88.2%) although significantly lower for those in patient-facing (82%) versus non-patient-facing roles (97.5%). Satisfaction with the pharmacy degree programme was high (84.7%). Conclusion While limited to data from one pharmacy school, this study provides the first analysis of graduate career paths over an extended period and highlights the wide-ranging professional possibilities available to graduates. Furthermore, this represents a springboard for additional research to inform pharmacist workforce planning worldwide through career-path evaluation – ultimately aiming to avoid potentially significant implications of shortages in the patient-facing pharmacy workforce.

Partnered pharmacist medication charting and prescribing in Australian hospitals.

Medication charting and prescribing errors commonly occur at hospital admission and discharge. Pharmacist medication reconciliation, after medicines are ordered by a medical officer, can identify and resolve errors, but this often occurs after the errors have reached the patient. Partnered pharmacist medication charting and prescribing are interprofessional, collaborative models that are designed to prevent medication errors before they occur, by involving pharmacists directly in charting and prescribing processes. In the partnered charting model, a pharmacist and medical officer discuss the patient's current medical and medication-related problems and agree on a medication management plan. Agreed medicines are then charted by the pharmacist on the inpatient medication chart. A similar collaborative model can be used at other points in the patient journey, including at discharge. Studies conducted at multiple Australian health services, including rural and regional hospitals, have shown that partnered charting on admission, and partnered prescribing at discharge, significantly reduces the number of medication errors and shortens patients' length of stay in hospital. Junior medical officers report benefiting from enhanced interprofessional learning and reduced workload. Partnered pharmacist medication charting and prescribing models have the best prospect of success in environments with a strong culture of interprofessional collaboration and clinical governance, and a sufficiently resourced clinical pharmacist workforce.

Exploring career choices of pharmacy graduates over 15 years: A cross-sectional evaluation

IntroductionCareer opportunities for pharmacists beyond those commonly associated with the degree continue to emerge. A paucity of literature regarding evaluation of pharmacy graduate career paths over extended periods is apparent. Considering international pharmacy workforce capacity pressures, the primary study aim was to evaluate trends in career paths of pharmacy graduates. MethodsThis study utilised a multimethod approach to access graduate career data using publicly accessible information from LinkedIn® profiles and an online survey. The survey was distributed to all pharmacy graduates of a university (2007–2022). Data from both methods was combined, cross-checked, coded and analysed quantitatively using descriptive and inferential statistics. ResultsData from 69.7% of the university's pharmacy graduates was collected. Community pharmacy was the most prevalent employment sector (47.7%), followed by industry (21.5%) and hospital (17.7%). A higher proportion of more recent graduates (≤5 years post-graduation) work in a community or hospital pharmacy role versus those who graduated greater than five years ago (χ2 = 8.44, df = 2, p < 0.05). Post-graduate education was undertaken by 41.3% of graduates. Career satisfaction was high (88.2%) but was lower (χ2 = 11.31, df = 1, p < 0.05) for those in community and hospital (82%) versus other sectors (97.5%). ConclusionThis study provides the first analysis of graduate career paths over an extended period, highlighting a novel approach to track pharmacist workforce. While almost two thirds of pharmacy graduates occupy community or hospital roles, a trend of leaving these settings five years post-graduation was evident. Accordingly, this work represents a springboard for additional research to inform future pharmacist workforce planning worldwide.

Contribution of the community pharmacist workforce to primary care through the lens of medicines classification: comparison of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia

Contribution of the community pharmacist workforce to primary care through the lens of medicines classification: comparison of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia

Are pharmacists on the front lines of the opioid epidemic? A cross-sectional study of the practices and competencies of community and hospital pharmacists in Punjab, Pakistan

IntroductionCountries are grappling with a rapidly worsening upsurge in the opioid-related overdose deaths, misuse and abuse. There is a dearth of data in Pakistan regarding the practices and competencies of...

Embedded on-site aged care pharmacists in Australia: Insights from early adopters of a new workforce model.

To explore the roles of early adopters of Australia's embedded on-site pharmacist model in supporting quality use of medications in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 pharmacists working as embedded on-site pharmacists, or beyond the scope of traditional consultant pharmacist roles in Australian RACFs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed independently by two investigators using an inductive approach. Deductive analysis was also undertaken using a knowledge broker framework: knowledge manager, linkage agent and capacity builder. Dominant themes were roles and benefits of embedded pharmacists, factors associated with success and challenges. Roles and benefits included (1) resident-level interventions and an enhanced ability to provide collaborative outcome-focussed resident-centred care, including timely input and follow-up, and improved relationships with residents, family and interdisciplinary team; and (2) system-level interventions such as contributing to clinical governance and quality improvement. Factors associated with success included personal capabilities and approach of the pharmacist, and organisational culture and sector-wide support. Challenges included pharmacist workforce shortages, perceived lack of pharmacist readiness and difficulty determining an appropriate service model. Deductive coding demonstrated roles of embedded pharmacists were consistent with all three activities of a knowledge broker. This study highlights the resident- and system-level roles and benefits of embedded on-site pharmacists, and provides a framework for defining this emerging workforce model in Australian RACFs.

Understanding the factors influencing community pharmacist retention – A qualitative study

BackgroundShortages in healthcare workers affects the overall delivery and effectiveness of the provision of healthcare. There are currently insufficient pharmacists working in the community sector in Ireland. While several studies have reported on the factors leading to retention in the medical and nursing profession, there is an absence of robust research examining retention within the pharmacist workforce in Ireland. ObjectiveTo identify and understand the range of factors currently at play in the community pharmacy sector in Ireland which influence the decision-making process for pharmacists deciding whether or not to continue to practice as a community pharmacist. MethodA cross-sectional qualitative descriptive study was used to investigate the factors influencing community pharmacist retention as elicited from the lived experiences of 23 pharmacists. Study recruitment was undertaken using both convenience and purposive sampling. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview data to identify and explore themes. ResultsA broad and diverse range of factors were identified as affecting community pharmacist retention including working conditions, career fulfilment and progression, regulatory and administrative burden, the commercial focus within community practice, lack of representation and their overall health and well-being. ConclusionThe findings show that there are a number of factors which either individually or cumulatively influence a pharmacist's decision to stay in or leave community practice. Various areas for change were identified, which if addressed are considered likely to improve retention in the sector. These include enhanced terms and working conditions, better acknowledgement and resourcing of professional activities, improved opportunities for career progression, reforms to the regulatory model including the personal accountability of a supervising pharmacist for all of the pharmacy's professional activities, a more streamlined model of reimbursement and more effective collective representation.

Identifying Services Provided in Community Pharmacy Practice Settings.

Background: To better address their patients' needs, community pharmacists are expanding from their traditional role of dispensing to managing medications and providing other care. Objective: This study characterized services reported by pharmacists practicing in community pharmacy settings in the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study (NPWS). Methods: The 2019 NPWS was conducted via an online survey. E-mails containing survey links were sent to a systematic random sample of 96,110U.S. pharmacists. The survey allowed tailoring of questions related to specific practice settings and for respondents in community pharmacies included reporting on delivery of twelve services. Other descriptive characteristic questions included community pharmacy type, staffing, monitoring activities, self-reported workload, and respondent demographics. An index was created by summing the number of yes responses for the service questions. This index served as the dependent variable in an ordinary least squares regression examining the association of work setting characteristics with the index. Results: Usable responses were received from 2,150 community pharmacists. The top four services were: administer vaccines (91.1%), patient medication assistance program (83.7%), naloxone dispensing (72.8%) and medication synchronization (67.2%). The regression model was significant, with supermarket pharmacies having a higher service index than large chains. Elevated service index scores were associated with more technicians on duty, CPESN participation, direct communication with primary care providers, practicing under a CPA and monitoring activities. Conclusions: Pharmacy operational characteristics were important influences on the delivery of services in community pharmacies. These findings can help inform the continuing transformation of community pharmacy practice.

446 A qualitative exploration using focus groups, of the perceived barriers and enablers of hospital pharmacists to participating in simulation based training

Abstract Introduction The role of hospital pharmacists has changed significantly over the past decade with a need for further educational interventions to support their professional development. Simulation based training (SBT) is widely used by other healthcare professionals to enhance skill acquisition and performance (1). However, the use of SBT does not appear to have evolved to the same level for hospital pharmacists (1), and there is no evidence exploring their experiences of participating in SBT and the barriers and enablers towards engaging with this training modality. Aim To explore the experiences and perceptions of hospital pharmacists of SBT, and to identify perceived barriers and enablers of participating in SBT. Methods This was a descriptive qualitative case study. A purposive sample of trainee and qualified pharmacists from a large acute teaching hospital were invited to participate in a focus group discussion. A topic guide was utilised to guide discussions, with topics such as previous SBT experience, barriers to participation within SBT and how they feel SBT would impact on their clinical practice. The focus groups were conducted within a private room, recorded, and transcribed verbatim, then analysed thematically using COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour) (2) as an analytical framework. Relevant approvals were obtained prior to commencing the research. Results Seventeen participants were recruited into one of four focus groups, with allocation based on Agenda for Change banding (band 5 to 8A). Focus groups lasted 45-60 minutes. Ten themes were identified and mapped across the COM-B domains with contrasting differences reported depending on participant experience and seniority. Psychological capability (knowledge and understanding of SBT, clinical knowledge and skills), physical opportunity (workload and time pressures, infrastructure to support SBT), social opportunity (social expectations of pharmacists, culture of learning within pharmacy), automatic motivation (emotional factors, desires for professional development), and reflective motivation (perceptions of SBT, belief in own role and abilities) were all factors reported as influencing their participation with SBT in hospital settings. All groups expressed that SBT is mainly focused on clinicians with limited pharmacist involvement as an ‘add on’. Pharmacists reported a lack of confidence in SBT, with limited opportunities for involvement within the hospital setting, and concerns on their ability to communicate with other healthcare professionals during any SBT. Conclusion This is the first known study exploring the experiences of SBT amongst hospital pharmacists. There is a desire to participate in SBT, however it is clear, that significant interventions and further training on SBT modalities are required to enable this, including opportunities to participate in contextualised SBT, reflecting the role, expectations, and professional developmental needs of pharmacists. Clear leadership and signposting are needed to operationalise this and reap the benefits of SBT. These results can be utilised as a framework to support the design and implementation of a successful SBT programme for hospital pharmacists as part of intra-professional and multi-professional SBT programmes. This study is limited as a single-site case study and further investigation is required to explore further views of the hospital pharmacist workforce.

A qualitative study on female executive pharmacists with convergent roles.

Although women's participation is relatively high in the pharmacist workforce, women remain underrepresented in executive positions. The rate of executive female pharmacists in diversified pharmaceutical areas, from education and research to politics, is recognized as being disproportionately low. In this study, we aimed to explore female executive pharmacists' roles and identify reasons for their being underrepresented in such executive positions in Turkey. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted from a feminist standpoint with female executive delegates working in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, pharmacy chambers, and public pharmacy faculties. A thematic data analysis of transcriptions was conducted using MAXQDA 2020 software and was reported according to Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. The researchers interviewed 19 participants. Three primary themes emerged: gender roles, being an executive, and being a pharmacist. Eight roles came to the surface: mother, child, wife, pharmacist, manager, homemaker, cook, and planner. Taking the responsibility for an executive position involves a continued and simultaneous performance of all other roles as well. In this context, female pharmacists' views on gender roles in relation to motherhood, inequalities, and their dedication to their profession came to the fore. This study can be considered as a starting point for studying the underlying causes of the limited representation of female pharmacists in executive positions.

Australian community pharmacy service provision factors, stresses and strains: A qualitative study

IntroductionDespite the desire of pharmacists to provide new and more clinically focused services, strain on the community pharmacist workforce is a known barrier to their service provision. Causes are unclear, although the impact of increased workload, as well as broader role-related and systemic causes have been suggested. AimsTo (1) explore the role strain, stress and systemic factors affecting Australian community pharmacists' provision of cognitive pharmacy services (CPS), using the Community Pharmacist Role Stress Factor Framework (CPRSFF), and (2) adapt the CPRSFF to the local setting. MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with Australian community pharmacists. Transcripts were analysed with the framework method to verify and adapt the CPRSFF. Thematic analysis of particular codes identified personal outcomes and causative patterns in perceived workforce strain. ResultsTwenty-three registered pharmacists across Australia were interviewed. CPS role benefits included: helping people, and increased competency, performance, pharmacy financial return, recognition from the public and other health professionals, and satisfaction. However, strain was worsened by organisational expectations, unsupportive management and insufficient resources. This could result in pharmacist dissatisfaction and turnover in jobs, sector or careers. Two additional factors, workflow and service quality, were added to the framework. One factor, “View of career importance versus partner's career”, was not apparent. ConclusionThe CPRSFF was found to be valuable in exploring the pharmacist role system and analysing workforce strain. Pharmacists weighed up positive and negative outcomes of work tasks, jobs and roles to decide task priority and personal job significance. Supportive pharmacy environments enabled pharmacists to provide CPS, which increased workplace and career embeddedness. However, workplace culture at odds with professional pharmacist values resulted in job dissatisfaction and staff turnover.

Factors influencing pharmacist interest and preparedness to work as on-site aged care pharmacists: Insights from qualitative analysis of free-text survey responses

BackgroundHigh rates of suboptimal medication use exist in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Pharmacist interventions can improve medication appropriateness. In 2023 there will be a phased implementation of pharmacists working on-site in Australian RACFs. ObjectiveTo explore factors influencing Australian pharmacists’ interest and perceived preparedness to work as on-site pharmacists in RACFs. MethodsA national cross-sectional anonymous online survey of Australian pharmacists was conducted. Pharmacists were recruited using a broad advertising strategy. The 36-question survey included three free-text questions that are the focus of this study. The questions asked participants (1) what influenced their interest in the role, (2) what influenced how prepared they felt for the role, and (3) if they had any other comments about the role. Responses were thematically analysed by two investigators using an inductive approach. ResultsMost survey respondents (n=546, 84.9%) answered at least one free-text questions. Four factors influenced interest: on-site pharmacist role, aged care setting, individual pharmacist circumstances and employment model. Four factors influenced preparedness: familiarity with aged care setting, resident-level clinical skills; ability to communicate and work with a multidisciplinary team, and experience with system-level quality use of medicines activities. Four factors important for successful roll-out emerged from the ‘other comments’: pharmacist attributes, pharmacist workforce planning, resources and support, and RACF stakeholder engagement. ConclusionKey factors influencing pharmacist interest and preparedness to work on-site in RACFs and factors important for success were identified. These findings will support the national roll-out of the role, particularly as most identified factors are currently modifiable.