Pharmacists In Australia Research Articles

Development and validation of measures of pharmacists’ acceptability and willingness to screen for perinatal depression

BackgroundWhile pharmacists' roles in mental healthcare are expanding, research exploring pharmacists' acceptability and willingness to provide mental health services is limited. This study developed and validated theory-driven measures of pharmacists’ acceptability and willingness to screen for perinatal depression in community pharmacy settings. Materials/MethodsItems were developed using published literature and the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA), then content validated using consensus methods with experts who completed the content validity index (CVI). The revised items were disseminated to pharmacists in Australia. Responses were analysed descriptively. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were used to explore the factorial structure and generate scales. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to explore predictors of willingness. ResultsA 58-item questionnaire was developed, encompassing the 7 domains of the TFA and an eighth domain (willingness). The average CVI was 0.92, domain range (0.88–0.96). The universal CVI was 56/58. Expert feedback informed item revision, creation and deletion. Pharmacists' responses (n = 157) to the final 42-item questionnaire indicated overall acceptance and willingness to conduct PND screening. However, perceived knowledge was lacking. The EFA resulted a two-factor solution (1 = acceptance; 2 = self-efficacy). The measurement scales created had good internal consistency. In multivariate regression analysis, ‘Acceptance’ (Beta = 0.949 (0.760–1.103)) and ‘Self-Efficacy’ (Beta = 0.107 (0.036–0.174)) were significant predictors of ‘Willingness’ and the model predicted 77 % of the variation in ‘Willingness’. ConclusionsPsychometrically-sound measures of pharmacists’ acceptability and willingness to screen for PND have been developed with stakeholder input. The questionnaire can be used for standardised measurement of these constructs across studies.

Utilising a ‘Community of Practice’ to support pharmacists to work in residential aged care: protocol for a longitudinal evaluation

IntroductionA Community of Practice is briefly defined as a group of people with a shared interest in a given area of practice who work collaboratively to grow collective knowledge. Communities...

Answering the Call for Community Pharmacists to Improve Healthcare Delivery to Trans and Gender Diverse People: Guide for Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating an Online Education Program in Australia.

Trans and gender-diverse people visiting pharmacies may not always receive optimum care due to pharmacists' lack of knowledge and confidence to provide such care. This situation prompts a need for training. This paper aimed to describe a guide to the design, implementation, and evaluation of a training program on transgender healthcare for pharmacists in Australia. The Implementation Mapping Framework provided a foundation for the design, implementation, and evaluation of this training program. Through active involvement in the program development, trans and gender diverse people and pharmacists guided the program design, ensuring alignment with the cultural, social, and healthcare contexts. The needs analysis highlighted the necessity for training for pharmacists to improve their cultural awareness and pharmacotherapeutic knowledge about transgender healthcare. Applying a novel Gender Inclusivity in Pharmacy Framework, online modules-(1) Transgender healthcare-language, terminology, and key healthcare issues, (2) Gender-affirming therapies, and (3) Case studies in transgender healthcare-were developed to enable the implementation of a training program. The Implementation Mapping Framework and the Gender Inclusivity in Pharmacy Framework proved effective tools for providing an education program for pharmacists.

What is impacting clinical pharmacists’ participation in an interprofessional ward round: a thematic analysis of a national survey

ABSTRACT The ward round (WR) is an important opportunity for interprofessional interaction and communication enabling optimal patient care. Pharmacists’ participation in the interprofessional WR can reduce adverse drug events and improve medication appropriateness and communication. WR participation by clinical pharmacists in Australia is currently limited. This study aims to explore what is impacting clinical pharmacists’ participation in WRs in Australian hospitals. A self-administered, anonymous national survey of Australian clinical pharmacists was conducted. This study describes the outcomes from qualitative questions which were analyzed thematically in NVivo-2020 according to Braun and Clarke’s techniques. Five themes were constructed: “Clinical pharmacy service structure”, “Ward round structure”, “Pharmacist’s capabilities”, “Culture” and “Value”. A culture supportive of pharmacist’s contribution with a consistent WR structure and flexible delivery of clinical pharmacy services enabled pharmacists’ participation in WR. Being physically “absent” from the WR due to workload, workflow, and self-perception of the need for extensive clinical knowledge can limit opportunities for pharmacists to proactively contribute to medicines decision-making with physicians to improve patient care outcomes. Bidirectional communication between the interprofessional team and the pharmacist, where there is a co-construction of each individual’s role in the WR facilitates consistent and inter-dependent collaborations for effective medication management.

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.

A Web-Based Tool to Report Adverse Drug Reactions by Community Pharmacists in Australia: Usability Testing Study.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are unintended and harmful events associated with medication use. Despite their significance in postmarketing surveillance, quality improvement, and drug safety research, ADRs are vastly underreported. Enhanced digital-based communication of ADR information to regulators and among care providers could significantly improve patient safety. This paper presents a usability evaluation of the commercially available GuildCare Adverse Event Recording system, a web-based ADR reporting system widely used by community pharmacists (CPs) in Australia. We developed a structured interview protocol encompassing remote observation, think-aloud moderating techniques, and retrospective questioning to gauge the overall user experience, complemented by the System Usability Scale (SUS) assessment. Thematic analysis was used to analyze field notes from the interviews. A total of 7 CPs participated in the study, who perceived the system to have above-average usability (SUS score of 68.57). Nonetheless, the structured approach to usability testing unveiled specific functional and user interpretation issues, such as unnecessary information, lack of system clarity, and redundant data fields-critical insights not captured by the SUS results. Design elements like drop-down menus, free-text entry, checkboxes, and prefilled or auto-populated data fields were perceived as useful for enhancing system navigation and facilitating ADR reporting. The user-centric design of technology solutions, like the one discussed herein, is crucial to meeting CPs' information needs and ensuring effective ADR reporting. Developers should adopt a structured approach to usability testing during the developmental phase to address identified issues comprehensively. Such a methodological approach may promote the adoption of ADR reporting systems by CPs and ultimately enhance patient safety.

Clinical pharmacists' participation in ward rounds in hospitals: responses from a national survey.

The inclusion of clinical pharmacists in ward rounds (WRs) can reduce adverse drug events, improve communication and enable collaborative decision-making. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of and factors that influence WR participation by clinical pharmacists in Australia. An online administered, anonymous survey of clinical pharmacists in Australia was conducted. The survey was open to pharmacists aged ≥18 years, who had worked in an Australian hospital in a clinical role in the previous two weeks. It was distributed via The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia and on pharmacist-specific social media threads. Survey questions related to the extent of WR participation and factors that influence WR participation. Cross-tabulation analysis was conducted to determine whether there was an association between WR participation and factors that influence WR participation. Ninety-nine responses were included. The level of WR participation by clinical pharmacists in Australian hospitals was low, with only 26/67 (39%) pharmacists who had a WR in their clinical unit actually attending the WR in the previous 2 weeks. Factors that influenced WR participation included having recognition of the role of the clinical pharmacist within the WR team, support from pharmacy management and the broader interprofessional team, and having adequate time and expectation from pharmacy management and colleagues to participate in WRs. This study highlights the need for ongoing interventions such as restructuring workflows and increasing the awareness of the role of a clinical pharmacist in WR to increase participation of pharmacists in this interprofessional activity.

The roles and perspectives of an informatics pharmacist practicing in the Australian healthcare setting: a qualitative study

AbstractBackgroundThe implementation of digital healthcare systems in hospitals globally and in Australia has led to the introduction of the informatics pharmacist as a career in the healthcare system. However, informatics pharmacists are not yet part of routine clinical services in Australia, so their perspective and roles are not well understood.AimTo explore pharmacists' and other health professionals' perspectives of the roles of informatics pharmacists within interprofessional teams in Australian health care.MethodThis study used semi‐structured interviews with experts in pharmacy and/or informatics. They were recruited using convenience sampling and snowballing. The interviews were audio‐recorded and transcribed and analysed using inductive thematic techniques to identify major themes. Ethical approval was received from the local institutional Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval No: 2020000069).ResultsThe process of inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview transcriptions of 11 participants. Six themes were identified: (1) a promising future for the informatics pharmacists, (2) education, (3) specific skills, (4) scope of informatics role, (5) impacts, and (6) barriers. Participants described the career of informatics pharmacists as an emerging specialty in today's healthcare systems. The roles of informatics pharmacists in Australian health care are described together with the skills and knowledge required for these roles.ConclusionA key role of informatics pharmacists is to facilitate the appropriate use of digital systems to prevent medication errors and improve patients' safety. While international experience has shown the potential scope for an informatics pharmacist, this research shows the use of informatics pharmacists in Australia is in its infancy.

Development and Validation of Entrustable Professional Activities for Provisionally Registered (Intern) Pharmacists in Australia

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to describe the development and validation of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for a pharmacy intern training program in Australia. MethodsPerformance outcomes with EPAs suggested as an assessment in the intern year were identified and EPAs were developed. The EQual rubric, designed for EPAs in graduate medical education settings, was used to validate the EPAs. Eight subject matter experts were recruited to validate 14 EPAs using prespecified cutoffs in the EQual rubric to determine the degree of alignment with established key domains of the EPA construct. Descriptive statistics for the EQual rubric scores were calculated for each of the 14 EPAs overall and for each of the 3 domains. Any EPA falling below the prespecified cut score required revisions and a second round of validation. ResultsEight responses were recorded for the first round of validation. Seven EPAs were below the discrete units of work cutoff (4.17); 2 of these EPAs were also below the EPA curricular role cutoff (4.00). All scores described in the EPAs as entrustable, essential, and important tasks of the profession were above the cutoff (4.00). Seven subject matter experts responded to the second round of validation. All 7 revised EPAs scored above the EQual rubric’s overall cutoff of 4.07. ConclusionFourteen EPAs were validated for use with provisionally registered (intern) pharmacists. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the EQual rubric has been used in the evaluation and validation of pharmacy EPAs.

Interprofessional Collaboration and Team Effectiveness of Pharmacists in General Practice: A Cross-National Survey.

As team-based care continues to evolve, pharmacists have been included in general practice teams in many countries, to varying extents, to improve medication use and patient safety. However, evidence on interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness of pharmacists in general practice is sparse. This study aimed to compare the extent of interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness of general practice pharmacists in Australia with international sites (Canada and the UK), and identify the factors associated with interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness. General practice pharmacists from Australia, Canada, and the UK were identified through professional organisations and networks, and invited to participate in an online survey, adapted from existing validated tools. The survey explored interprofessional collaboration through four sub-domains (professional interactions, relationship initiation, trust and role clarity, and commitment to collaboration) and team effectiveness of general practice pharmacists. Of the 101 respondents (26 from Australia, 44 from Canada and 31 from the UK), 79% were female and 78% were aged below 50 years. Interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness appeared to be high and similar between countries. Total scores for collaboration of pharmacists were 86.1 ± 7.4 in Australia, 88.5 ± 7.5 in the UK, and 89.1 ± 7.3 in Canada (mean ± SD, where higher scores represent more advanced collaboration), while the team effectiveness scores of the pharmacists were 88.6 ± 14.6 in Canada, 91.8 ± 14.6 in Australia and 97.5 ± 14.0 in the UK. Pharmacists who had worked in general practice for a longer time showed advanced interprofessional collaboration while those who worked exclusively in general practice had higher scores for team effectiveness. Overall, general practice pharmacists in the three countries were highly collaborative with general practitioners. Long-term employment and longer work hours could enhance interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness in general practice pharmacists by improving trust and working relationships over time.

The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Pharmacist-Managed Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) Service for Vancomycin-A Pilot Study.

In recent years, pharmacists in Australia have been able to expand their scope to include the provision of a range of services. Although evidence has demonstrated the benefits of pharmacist-managed TDM services, recent studies have shown that these services are not prominent within Australia and that the current TDM workflow may not be optimal. An interventional pilot study was conducted of a pharmacist-managed TDM program for vancomycin at a tertiary hospital in Australia. In total, 15 pharmacists participated in the program. They performed 50.5% of the medication-related pathology over the intervention period. Pharmacist involvement in the TDM process was more likely to lead to appropriate TDM sample collection (OR 87.1; 95% CI = 11.5, 661.1) and to an appropriate dose adjustment (OR 19.1; 95% CI = 1.7, 213.5). Pharmacists demonstrated increased confidence after the education and credentialling package was provided. This study demonstrated that a credentialling package for pharmacists can improve knowledge, skills, and confidence around the provision of pharmacist-managed TDM services for vancomycin. This may lead to the evolution of different roles and workflows enabling pharmacists to contribute more efficiently to improving medication safety and use.

Improving access to quality contraceptive counselling in community pharmacy: examining the knowledge, attitudes and practices of community pharmacists in Australia

BackgroundAcross most of Australia, the role of community pharmacists in contraceptive care has been unchanged since 2004. To understand their current scope of practice and potential for practice advancements, we...

Development of workplace‐based assessment tools to support postgraduate training of provisionally registered pharmacists in Australia

AbstractThe Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) is the national accreditation authority for pharmacy education and training in Australia. In 2020, APC published revised Accreditation Standards and a new Performance Outcomes Framework (POF). The POF details expected performance for pharmacy students at the point of graduation and for pharmacy graduates on completion of postgraduate training. The APC and the pharmacist regulator, the Pharmacy Board of Australia collaborated on a project to develop workplace‐based assessment (WBA) tools for use in assessing performance of pharmacy graduates in the postgraduate training period. The objectives of the project were to; identify and develop an initial suite of WBA tools; develop accompanying guidance and supporting documentation; seek feedback from stakeholders; and pilot the WBA tools in community and hospital settings. The WBA tools were developed through consultative process overseen by a group of education experts (a Technical Working Group) and a governance group. The latter comprising members from the Pharmacy Board and APC. The Technical Working Group agreed on the tools to develop based on an available Intern Year Assessment Blueprint and the tools were then drafted by a consultant. APC held consultative forums and a pilot study to gather feedback from intern pharmacists and preceptors. The project resulted in development of a suite of three types of WBA tools; Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), Case Based Discussions (CbD), and In Training Assessment (ITA) activities covering six areas of focus. All types of tools that were initially agreed upon were made available for use. The WBA tools address 15 performance outcomes in the POF. Future direction will involve further evaluation of the tools in diverse practice settings and expansion of the current suite of tools to cover additional performance outcomes.

Time and motion study quantifying the activities of the cardiology, respiratory, and geriatric clinical pharmacist

There are few studies evaluating the workforce and the time allocated to tasks performed by clinical specialty pharmacists in Australia. The aim of this study was to quantify the time that clinical specialty pharmacists spend on various activities. A Work Observation Method by Activity Timing (WOMBAT) time and motion study was conducted at a tertiary-referral metropolitan health service with comprehensive unit-based clinical pharmacy services. Direct observations of clinical pharmacists were conducted by researchers during weekdays. Tasks and times observed were categorised into domains of ‘What, Who, How, and Where’, accounting for interruptions and multitasking. Eighteen clinical cardiology, respiratory, and geriatric pharmacists were observed over 171.2 h. The majority of time involved direct patient care activities (76.1% [95% confidence interval 72.6-79.6%]), including admission-related (7.6%), discharge-related (16.2%), and inpatient clinical tasks (52.5%). Activities were undertaken independently (55.9%) with doctors (26.2%), with nurses (10.5%), or with patients (9.6)%; 19.1% of the pharmacist’s day involved multitasking. The tasks most frequently performed together were inpatient clinical activities, including rounding and daily medicine review. This study quantified the typical task allocation of clinical pharmacists in cardiology, respiratory, and geriatric units. It demonstrated that in a hospital setting supported by comprehensive operational pharmacy services, clinical pharmacists working in acute and subacute clinical specialities, predominately undertake direct patient care tasks that have been shown to improve patient safety.

General practice pharmacists in Australia: A systematic review.

BackgroundThe inclusion of pharmacists into general practices in Australia has expanded in recent years. This systematic review aimed to synthesise the literature of qualitative and quantitative studies, and identify the knowledge gaps, related to pharmacists working in general practice in Australia.MethodsThis systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. PubMed, EBSCOhost, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched from the inception of databases to January 2021. The search was focused on studies investigating general practice pharmacists in Australia. The quality of each study was appraised using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool criteria. The narrative synthesis approach was utilised to describe data due to the heterogeneity among study designs and measures.ResultsTwenty-five studies were included in this review. General practice pharmacists engaged in various non-dispensing patient care services, with medication management reviews being the primary activity reported. General practice pharmacists’ characteristics and an environment with a willingness of collaboration were the notable influencing factors for successfully including pharmacists in general practices. Factors that posed a challenge to the adoption of general practice pharmacists were lack of funding and other resources, poorly defined roles, and absence of mentoring/training.ConclusionThis review has summarised the characteristics, activities, benefits, barriers, and facilitators of including pharmacists in general practices in Australia. General practice pharmacists are well accepted by stakeholders, and they can engage in a range of patient-centred activities to benefit patients. There is a need for more robust research to explore the patient and economic outcomes related to clinical activities that a pharmacist can perform in general practice, as a foundation to developing an appropriate and sustainable funding model. The findings of this review will be beneficial for pharmacists, researchers, policymakers, and readers who wish to implement the role of general practice pharmacists in the future.

An in-depth examination of funded and unfunded cognitive pharmaceutical services

BackgroundA substantial expansion in the scope of practice of community pharmacists has become evident over the years, with increased government remuneration pledged to support cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS) delivery as part of the Australian Community Pharmacy Agreements. Exploring experiences in providing funded and unfunded CPS within the existing work environment will enable better understanding of community pharmacists' roles and responsibilities in delivering CPS. ObjectiveTo explore pharmacists' roles, responsibilities, experiences, and perceived impact associated with delivering CPS. MethodsQualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 25) were conducted with practising community pharmacists in Australia who were engaged in delivering CPS during the time when the Sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement (6CPA) was in effect. Verbatim transcripts were thematically analysed (inductive analysis). ResultsAll participants reported an expansion of services being provided in community pharmacies. Pharmacists offered a broad range of CPS within the community pharmacy setting, via 6CPA-funded and non-6CPA or unfunded initiatives. Almost all participants reported that their pharmacy provided 6CPA-funded initiatives such as dose administration aids, clinical interventions, MedsChecks/Diabetes MedsChecks, and Home Medicines Reviews. User-pay services being offered included pharmacist-led flu vaccinations, opioid substitution therapy, sleep apnoea services, and absence from work certificates, among other services. However, profit margins on user-pay services were minimal. CPS provision was seen to have positive impacts at patient and health care system levels. Pharmacists felt they enabled timely and convenient access to health care for patients in the community pharmacy setting, and facilitated quality use of medicines, which in turn had positive impact on the community pharmacy business. ConclusionsA prominent shift in the provision of CPS was evident. Professional services provision has become the status quo for the practice of the profession, indicative of a likely shift in the work value of community pharmacists. Pharmacists should be further recognised professionally and financially for their contributions as health care professionals within the broader health care system.

Pharmacists' experiences serving culturally and linguistically diverse patients in the Australian community pharmacy setting.

Background There has been no in depth published study to date reporting on community pharmacists' current experiences and their future practice needs relating to providing culturally competent pharmaceutical care to Australian culturally and linguistically diverse patients with low English proficiency. Objective To explore community pharmacists' experiences serving culturally and linguistically diverse patients who have low English proficiency. Setting Community pharmacists in Australia. Method Focus group discussions with practising community pharmacists were conducted. Participants were recruited from metropolitan Sydney. Discussion centred around their current experiences and practice changes needed to enhance the provision of culturally competent pharmaceutical care. Thematic analysis using the constant comparison method within a grounded theory approach was performed on the data collected. Main outcome measure Participants' experiences in providing culturally competent care to culturally and linguistically diverse patients with low English proficiency. Results Thirty community pharmacists participated in six focus group discussions. Inadequate provision of culturally competent care was found to be primarily due to the issue of language incongruence between pharmacist and patient. Participants proposed various means with which such care may be provided to ensure patient safety. Conclusion Pharmacist participants expressed being inadequately equipped to provide culturally competent care in the community setting and identified potential means by which such care may be delivered. Addressing identified barriers that hinder community pharmacists' capacity to engage in culturally competent practice can potentially improve provision of pharmaceutical care to culturally and linguistically diverse patients with low English proficiency.

Does the national competency standards framework for pharmacists in Australia support the provision of behaviour change interventions?

Australian pharmacists are increasingly moving towards the provision of patient-centred professional pharmacy services for chronic disease management. Some of these services are targeted towards improving patients' health and wellbeing through the facilitation of patient-driven health behaviour change. This paper investigates whether the provision of behaviour change interventions by Australian pharmacists is adequately underpinned by the current competency framework. The foundation and behaviour change competences within each of the domains in the generic health behaviour change competency framework (GHBC-CF), was mapped to the Australian pharmacist competency framework. Although the Australian competency framework underpins most of the foundation and behaviour change competences of the GHB-CF required to undertake low-intensity interventions, for medium to high-intensity interventions four specific task-related competences need to be addressed. These are F12 'Ability to recognise barriers to and facilitators of implementing interventions', BC4 'ability to agree on goals for the intervention', BC5 'capacity to implement behaviour change models in a flexible but coherent manner' and BC6 'capacity to select and skilfully apply most appropriate intervention method'. Additional training is necessary if pharmacists aspire to provide behaviour change interventions for chronic disease management, in particular those that are complex as they involve changes to multiple health behaviours. SO WHAT?: The identification of these gaps is critical and can potentially be addressed in postgraduate training programs and as pharmacy curricula are updated.

Exploring the factors affecting the preparedness of Australian pharmacists to respond to disasters: a qualitative study

AbstractBackgroundDisasters affect health services, health professionals and the health of individuals. During disasters, pharmacists are essential in maintaining the health of their communities. Despite the important roles pharmacists undertake in disasters, little is known about their preparedness to respond to disasters that may affect their communities.AimTo qualitatively explore the factors that affect Australian pharmacists’ preparedness for disasters.MethodsSemistructured interviews aimed at exploring disaster preparedness were conducted with 13 pharmacists in Australia. Participants were recruited using purposive, snowball, and convenience sampling methods. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Open and axial coding methods were used to determine the factors associated with preparedness. Ethical approval was obtained from Queensland University of Technology (no. 1700000626).ResultsAlmost half of the participants (46%) did not feel that they were prepared for a disaster likely to affect their primary place of practice. Two overarching themes contributing to participants’ preparedness were identified: ‘individual factors’ and ‘external factors’. Pharmacists believed that their preparedness was affected by the individual factors of experience, soft skills, knowledge and training. They also noted that external factors such as available resources, administrative support, multisector support and actions by supports were required for them to be prepared.ConclusionThis research is the first of its kind to explore the factors affecting pharmacists’ disaster preparedness. The results indicate that Australian pharmacists feel underprepared for disasters; however, improving this preparedness is complex and will require more than a single intervention. Interventions for improving preparedness need to target individual and environmental factors and involve the whole healthcare team.

Evaluation of General Practice Pharmacists: Study Protocol to Assess Interprofessional Collaboration and Team Effectiveness.

The inclusion of pharmacists into general practices has expanded in Australia. However, there is a paucity of research examining interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness after including a pharmacist into the general practice team in primary or community care. This is a protocol for a cross-national comparative mixed-methods study to (i) investigate interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness within the general practice team after employing pharmacists in general practices in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and (ii) to compare interprofessional collaboration and team effectiveness of pharmacists in general practice across Australia with international sites. The first objective will be addressed through a multiphase sequential explanatory mixed-method design, using surveys and semi-structured interviews. The study will recruit general practice pharmacists, general practitioners, and other health professionals from eight general practices in the ACT. Quantitative and qualitative results will be merged during interpretation to provide complementary perspectives of interprofessional collaboration. Secondly, a quantitative descriptive design will compare findings on interprofessional collaboration (professional interactions, relationship initiation, exchange characteristics, and commitment to collaboration) and team effectiveness of general practice pharmacists in Australia with international sites from Canada and the United Kingdom. The results of the study will be used to provide recommendations on how to best implement the role of general practice pharmacists across Australia.