Pharmacists In Qatar Research Articles

Knowledge, Practices, and Challenges of Pharmacists in Qatar about Pharmaceuticals Inventory Management: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Knowledge, Practices, and Challenges of Pharmacists in Qatar about Pharmaceuticals Inventory Management: A Cross-Sectional Survey

A survey on the knowledge and attitudes of pharmacists towards the application of antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring and its challenges in Qatar.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is an integral part of pharmaceutical care. Antimicrobials are amongst the most commonly monitored medications. Therefore, identifying the gaps in antimicrobial pharmacokinetics and TDM knowledge and skills among pharmacists is crucial to optimize TDM application. What is the current knowledge, attitudes and perceived barriers of pharmacists in Qatar towards the application of antimicrobial TDM? Cross-sectional survey. The psychometric validation of the survey underwent 3 stages: domain identification and item generation, content validation, and pilot test. The survey was divided into 4 domains (participant characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers). It was developed in Survey Monkey and distributed to all pharmacists in Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) hospitals via email. Data was analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Categorical and quantitative variables were expressed as frequencies with percentages and medians with interquartile ranges, respectively. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to test the effect of demographic and professional parameters on the knowledge scores. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Forty-nine responses were collected. The median age of respondents was 34 years and 51% of them were males. Most respondents were clinical pharmacists (47%). On average, 44% of knowledge questions were correct, whereas 32% were incorrect and 23% were not sure of the answer. The median knowledge score was 5 out of 10 (interquartile range 2.5-6). Participants with post-graduate degrees or prior pharmacokinetic training showed trends towards higher knowledge scores. Online pharmacokinetics calculators were the most frequently used dose adjustment method. The top perceived barriers for the implementation of antimicrobial TDM were lack of knowledge and lack of educational sessions. Albeit pharmacists in Qatar had modest level of knowledge about antimicrobial TDM, they had positive attitudes towards TDM and its implications in the clinical practice. Future plans should include providing TDM-related education activities.

Evaluation of Community Pharmacists’ Awareness towards Middle East Respiratory Syndrome: A Simulated Client Method

Introduction: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus variant in the Arabian Peninsula. There is a lack of information regarding awareness and practices of community pharmacists in Qatar for this contagious disease. Aim: To determine the quality of the MERS-related information, recommendations, and counseling practices provided by Qatar’s community pharmacists by using Simulated Client Method (SCM). Materials and Methods: An observational cross-sectional study using a non traditional SCM was conducted in community pharmacies of Qatar from February 2017 to April 2017. A total of 30 community pharmacies were visited twice by two independent simulated clients and data regarding, provision of evidence-based information, recommendations and counseling practices were collected to assess the competency of pharmacists in managing MERS as a primary care problem. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used for data analysis. Results: In present study, majority of pharmacists encountered were male and younger than 45-year-old with 44 (73.3%) each. The average number of pharmacists who did not ask about the patient’s current medical conditions 56 (93.3), medications 58 (97.5%), allergies, and smoking status in both scenarios were not asked by any of the pharmacist. Most of the pharmacists gave an incorrect explanation of MERS 43 (71.7%). The overall quality counselling score for the pharmacists (mean±SD; median (IQR)) was {27.5±4.5; 28.5 (25.3-30.0)}. Quality counselling was significantly related to the type of pharmacy (p=0.0478). Conclusion: Qatar community pharmacist’s MERS related information, recommendations, and counseling practices were below expectations and inconsistent, thus urging the need for continuous professional development.

Knowledge and attitude regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among hospital pharmacists in Qatar.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) gained global attention because of its high transmissibility and the devastating impact on both clinical and economic outcomes. Pharmacists are among the front-line healthcare workers who contributed widely to COVID-19 pandemic control. We aim to evaluate knowledge and attitude of hospital pharmacists in Qatar about COVID-19. A descriptive cross-sectional web-based survey was distributed over a 2-months period. The study included pharmacists who are working in 10 different hospitals under Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). The survey was developed based on information available at World Health Organization (WHO) website, Qatar Ministry of Health, and COVID-19 guideline created by HMC. The study was approved by HMC's institutional review board (MRC-01-20-1009). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22. A total of 187 pharmacists were included (response rate 33%). The overall level of knowledge was not affected by the participants' demographics (p-value ≥0.05). Pharmacists provided more correct answers to questions related to general knowledge about COVID-19 compared to questions specificto treatment aspects of the disease. More than 50% of pharmacists were using national resources as main source of information related to COVID-19. Good health practices and attitudes regarding disease control was reported by pharmacists, including preventive measures implementation and self-isolation when needed. Around 80% of pharmacists are in favor of taking influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine. Overall, hospital pharmacists' knowledge about COVID-19 is good in relation to the disease nature and transmission. Knowledge about treatment aspects including medications needs further enhancement. Providing continuing professional development activities regarding latest information about COVID-19 and its management, and serial newsletters updates, and encouraging journal club activities for recently published research can help improve hospital pharmacist knowledge.

Community pharmacists' participation in adult vaccination: A cross-sectional survey based on the theoretical domains framework.

ObjectivesThis study aims to assess Qatar community pharmacists' practices in advocating and promoting adult vaccination and to characterize and quantify potential determinants of participation in adult vaccination as vaccine administrators, based on the theoretical domains framework (TDF).MethodsA cross‐sectional survey of a randomly selected sample of community pharmacists in Qatar was conducted using a self‐administered validated questionnaire. Items in the questionnaire on potential determinants of participation in adult vaccination were based on TDF. TDF items were subjected to principal components analysis.ResultsIn total, 271 respondents completed the questionnaire (67.7%). Most respondents (83.5%) did not have any previous training in vaccination administration and were not involved in any vaccine‐related advocacy activities (78.9%). Principal components analysis of TDF items gave eight components: pharmacists' perceived knowledge and skills (median score of 22, interquartile range [IQR] 17–26, possible range: 7–35); perceived confidence (16; IQR 12–20, possible range: 5–25); perceived external support (9; IQR 7–11, possible range: 3–15); professional role identity (38; IQR 33–42, possible range: 11–55); emotions (10; IQR 9–12, possible range: 3–15); perceived consequences (22; IQR 18–24, possible range: 6–30); perceived usefulness (16; IQR 14–18, possible range: 4–20); and behaviour control (6; IQR 4–8, possible range: 2–10).ConclusionPharmacists' perceived knowledge, skills, confidence and behavioural control are potentially important factors to address to facilitate participation in vaccination administration in Qatar. Along with providing vaccination training to community pharmacists, there is a need to change the current pharmacy practice structure to improve managerial and government support for and to equip pharmacies with resources for this role.

Assessment of Qatar community pharmacists’ competence and practices related to renal and gastrointestinal adverse effects of nonprescription NSAIDs

IntroductionNon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most frequently dispensed nonprescription drugs in community pharmacies. However, inappropriate use of NSAIDs by consumers has been associated with development of gastrointestinal (GI) injuries and renal injuries. Community pharmacists’ education of consumers on proper use of NSAIDs and their associated adverse effects has been shown to reduce the GI and renal injuries. In Qatar, no studies have been done to assess the community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, and practices related to renal and GI adverse effects of NSAIDs. Therefore, this study aimed to assess Qatar community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, and practices on the safe use of nonprescription NSAIDs to reduce the risk of kidney and GI injuries. MethodsA cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among community pharmacists in Qatar. A pre-tested 28-item questionnaire that was developed through a multi-phase iterative process was administered to a convenient sample of community pharmacists in Qatar. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. ResultsOverall, 114 community pharmacists responded to the online questionnaire (response rate 15.2%). Approximately 90% of the community pharmacists demonstrated from good to excellent knowledge on the renal and GI adverse effects of NSAIDs, with none of their sociodemographic and professional characteristics having a significant effect on their knowledge scores. More than half of the pharmacists reported that they always or usually educated patients on the dosage (98.6%), administration (95.8%), side effects and precautions (78%), and contraindications (71.2%) of NSAIDs during their routine practices. The majority of the pharmacists had positive attitude towards educating patients about adverse effects of NSAIDs, as well as identifying high-risk patients who should avoid nonprescription NSAIDs. However, 45.7% of the pharmacists strongly agreed or agreed that educating patients about NSAIDs can be time consuming. ConclusionCommunity pharmacists in Qatar demonstrated good knowledge of the renal and GI adverse effects of NSAIDs with some obvious areas of improvement, and this can be reinforced through continuing professional development. They also showed positive attitudes towards protecting patients against the renal and GI adverse effects of NSAID. However, a significant proportion of the pharmacists admitted that educating patients on NSAIDs was time consuming, which is a cause of concern warranting further investigation. Community pharmacy managers should provide community pharmacists adequate time and support to educate individuals at risk of renal and GI injuries who obtain NSAIDs from their pharmacies. Also, the Ministry of Public Health of Qatar should consider making counseling on high-risk medications (e.g., NSAIDs and insulin) by community pharmacists mandatory so that measures can be put in place in the pharmacies to free the pharmacist for education and counseling.

Mental health, burnout and resilience in community pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe study aimed to assess burnout, resilience, and levels of depression, anxiety, stress and fear among community pharmacists during the pandemic, and examine if fear of COVID-19 is associated with these outcomes of interest. MethodsA cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists in Qatar was conducted. Pharmacists’ burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory: Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS™ for MP-Mindgarden). Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-RISC-10). Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Fear of COVID-19 was assessed by the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Results256 respondents completed the survey and were included in the final study analysis (response rate: 42.7%). Overall, participants reported a moderate level of burnout as illustrated in the mean scores of the three burnout dimensions; 20.54 (SD = 12.37) for emotional exhaustion, 6.76 (SD = 6.22) for depersonalization, and 36.57 (SD = 9.95) for personal accomplishment. Moreover, depression, anxiety and stress were reported by 44.8%, 53.2% and 25.4% of particiants respectively. Participants had shown moderate resilience (mean score: 27.64 (SD = 8.31)) and their mean score fear of COVID19 was 15.67 (SD = 6.54). Fear of COVID-19 was a statistically significant and an independent predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress levels. ConclusionsThe pharmacists experienced moderate burnout but moderate resilience, which indicates their potential to overcome difficulties. Future interventions at the personal, national and organizational levels are required to enhance the pharmacists’ wellbeing by decreasing stress, improving self-efficacy and resilience, and preventing burnout.

Assessment of an intensive education program for pharmacists on treatment of tobacco use disorder using an objective structured clinical examination: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTobacco use is one of the major public health threats globally. Community pharmacists are uniquely positioned to offer tobacco cessation services owing to their easy accessibility by the public. To prepare Qatar community pharmacists to develop the competencies and skills required to offer smoking cessation services, an intensive tobacco control education program was designed and implemented. The study aimed to assess the impact of the tobacco education program on the pharmacists’ skills and competence.MethodsA random sample of community pharmacists in Qatar was chosen for participation in the program. Consenting participants were randomly assigned to either intervention or control groups. The intervention group received an intensive education program on treatment of tobacco-use disorder, while a short didactic session on a non-tobacco-related topic was delivered to the control group. The pharmacists’ tobacco cessation skills and competencies were assessed using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).ResultsA total of 54 and 32 community pharmacists in the intervention group and the control group, respectively, completed the OSCE. The intensive tobacco education group achieved significantly higher total scores than the control group in all the OSCE cases. Specifically, the mean total scores for the intervention group were 15.2, 15.3, 14.2, 14.6, 16.3, and 15.2 compared to 8.8, 6.2, 7.7, 9.2, 8.3, and 11.3 for the control group (p < 0.001) for cases one to six respectively.ConclusionThe study demonstrated that an intensive tobacco cessation education program can improve pharmacists’ tobacco cessation skills and increase their tobacco cessation counseling abilities.Trial registrationClinical Trials NCT03518476 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03518476) Registration date: May 8, 2018.

Use of the job demands-resource model to understand community pharmacists' burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundCommunity pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst playing a vital role in medication supply and patient education, exposure to the pandemic demands and prolonged stressors increase their risk of burnout.ObjectivesUsing the Job Demands-Resources model, this study aims to understand the factors that led to community pharmacists’ burnout and to identify their coping strategies and perceived recommendations on interventions to mitigate burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA qualitative phenomenological approach was used with focus groups and interviews of community pharmacists in Qatar who were recruited using purposeful, convenience, and snowballing sampling methods. Interviews were conducted between February and April 2021, were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Using thematic analysis methodology, manual inductive and deductive (based on the model) codes from the interviews were used for synthesis of themes. 11 themes emerged from six focus groups, six dyadic interviews and mini focus groups, and four individual interviews with community pharmacists.ResultsThe contributing factors to community pharmacists’ burnout have been identified as practical job demands, and emotional demands including fear of infection. On the other hand, government and workplace-specific resources, personal characteristics such as resiliency and optimism, as well as the implementation of coping strategies, have reduced their stress and burnout.ConclusionsThe use of the Job Demands-Resources model was appropriate to identify the contributing factors to community pharmacists’ burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on these factors, individual, organizational, and national strategies can be implemented to mitigate burnout in community pharmacists during the pandemic and future emergencies.

Students' conception of local responses to global problems for a more peaceful and sustainable world: A collaborative education project between Brazil, Canada, Qatar, and New Zealand

AbstractBackgroundThe concept of global citizenship aims to prepare learners to be able to function and be competitive within a global environment. Successful learners may effectively “think globally” but “act locally,” aiming to contribute to positive global change.ObjectiveThe goal of this project was to develop research‐informed curricular content for global citizenship tailored to pharmacy students using a pre‐established pedagogical framework. The intended learning outcome for the content was for students to “generate local responses to global problems for a more peaceful and sustainable world.”MethodsThis study occurred over three phases. Phase 1 consisted of semi‐structured interviews with practicing pharmacists in Brazil (n = 4), Canada (n = 4), New Zealand (n = 4), and Qatar (n = 4) to identify global issues for case development. Phase 2 consisted of pilot testing developed cases from Phase 1 via individual interviews with target students in Canada (n = 2) and a focus group in New Zealand (n = 5). Phase 3 consisted of implementation of a 1.5‐hours teaching event in New Zealand using the refined case material and formative assessment of final‐year pharmacy students (n = 120).ResultsPhase 1 resulted in five case scenarios (antimicrobial resistance, drug shortages, ocean pollution, climate change, and rise of nationalism) across three categories (global health and wellbeing, climate and environment, and geopolitics and power) that were tested and refined in Phase 2. Phase 3 resulted in student groups being able to achieve the intended learning outcome on a median of 4 (range, 2‐5) of the developed cases. Students' interventions included new dispensing models, use of technology, community engagement, education initiatives, and others.ConclusionFindings support the notion that when tasked to “think globally,” students are able to “act locally” by designing pharmacy practice interventions to reduce the impact of political, environmental, and health‐related global problems.

Knowledge and Attitude regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Hospital Pharmacists in Qatar

Background: Pharmacists are front-line healthcare workers who contributed to fighting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Knowledge and attitude of both community and hospital pharmacists about COVID-19 were reviewed at different practice settings1. This work aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of hospital pharmacists in Qatar about COVID-19. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional web-based survey was distributed over 2 months. The study included Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) pharmacists. The survey was developed based on the information available on the World Health Organization website, Qatar Ministry of Public Health, and HMC COVID-19 guidelines2–3. The survey was piloted on 15 pharmacists. The required sample size (n = 289) was calculated based on a population of 564 pharmacists working at HMC hospitals and to achieve a 95% level of confidence, with a 5% margin of error and a design effect equivalent to 2 for cluster design. Results: The recruitment was 64.7% (n = 187) of the target sample size of 289 pharmacists. The overall level of knowledge was not affected by participants’ demographics (p-value ≥ 0.05). Pharmacists provided more correct answers to questions related to general knowledge about COVID-19 compared to questions about the treatment of the disease (Figures 1 and 2). Regarding attitude, frequencies, and percentages used to report data, more than 50% of participating pharmacists are using national resources as the main source of information related to COVID-19. Good health practices and attitudes regarding diseases control were reported by pharmacists including preventative measures implementation and self-isolation when needed. Around 80% were in favor of taking the influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: The required sample size was not met, limiting the reliability and validity of our reported findings. Hospital pharmacists’ knowledge about COVID-19 is good concerning the nature of the disease and its rapid transmission. Knowledge about treatment aspects needs further enhancement. Preventative measures implementation and self-isolation when needed were reported by pharmacists as good health practices and attitudes.

Determination of potential drug-drug interactions in prescription orders dispensed in a community pharmacy setting using Micromedex® and Lexicomp®: a retrospective observational study.

Background Community pharmacists have a role in identifying drug-drug interactions (DDIs) when processing prescription orders and dispensing medications to patients. The harmful effects of DDIs can be prevented or minimized by using an electronic DDI checker to screen for potential DDIs (pDDIs). However, different DDI checkers have variable rates of detecting pDDIs. Aim To estimate the prevalence of pDDIs in prescriptions dispensedina community pharmacy setting using two electronic DDI databases and to evaluate the association between thepDDIs and contributory factors. Method Eligible prescription orders dispensed by a community pharmacy chain in Qatar from January to July 2020 were included in this retrospective observational study. For each prescription, Micromedex® and Lexicomp® were simultaneously used to identify pDDIs, and the interactions categorized based on severity and risk rating. Results Seven hundred-twenty prescriptions met the inclusion criteria, of which Micromedex® and Lexicomp® respectively identified 125 prescriptions (17.4%) and 230 prescriptions (31.9%) as having at least one pDDI. Moderate strength of agreement was found between Lexicomp® and Micromedex® in identifying pDDIs (Cohen's Kappa = 0.546). Micromedex® classified 61.6% of DDIs as major severity, while Lexicomp® classified 30.8% as major severity. The number of concurrent medications per prescription was significantly and positively associated with pDDI. Conclusion This study demonstrates a high prevalence of pDDIs among prescriptions dispensed in a community pharmacy setting.It is advisable that community pharmacists in Qatar, who typically do not have access to computerized patient profiles, use these DDIcheckers to ensure all pDDIs are communicated to respective prescribers for appropriate action.

Evidence of community pharmacists' response preparedness during COVID-19 public health crisis: A cross-sectional study.

Community pharmacists are often the first point of contact for the public, especially during pandemics. As outlined by the International Pharmaceutical Federation, community pharmacists have an important public health role during this Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. We therefore investigated the current practices, response preparedness and professional development needs of community pharmacists in Qatar. A descriptive cross-sectional online 38-item questionnaire-based survey constructed on evidence-based public health roles of pharmacists was conducted between 28 May and 18 June 2020. Questions related to current practices required responses on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from "always" to "never". The questionnaire was evaluated for validity and the reliability analysis showed a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.921. The response (n = 311) rate for the survey was 34.2%. More than 75% of pharmacists "always" encouraged and practiced hygiene and social distancing measures. On the other hand, the proportion of pharmacists "always" involved in patient assessment, education or providing information related to COVID-19 and application of evidence-based protocol ranged from 32 to 73%. The vast majority (87-96%) of pharmacists indicated that they needed professional development related to COVID-19. Overall, 77% of pharmacists either "strongly agreed" or "agreed" that they have all the necessary COVID-19 related emergency response preparedness and training. Country from which pharmacists obtained their first degree, and the type of pharmacy where they practice influenced their overall perception toward emergency response preparedness. Community pharmacists in Qatar are willing to receive additional training related to COVID-19 public health crisis despite being prepared to engage with patients.

Continuing Professional Development Needs of Community Pharmacists in Qatar: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the educational needs and professional competencies of community pharmacists in Qatar to inform the development of relevant continuing professional development (CPD) programs.MethodsA mixed-methods cross-sectional exploratory study targeting community pharmacists was conducted using a questionnaire and an event diary. Descriptive and inferential analyses were utilized to analyze the data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS®) version 21 software. For the event diary, thematic content analysis was used for data analysis.ResultsDrug information skills and pharmaceutical care process were the most identified topics for inclusion in CPD programs. None of the pharmacists thought that they were competent in core areas of pharmacy practice. Community pharmacists who filled an event diary highlighted the need for development in areas such as communication skills and medication safety.ConclusionThe identified needs shall help in developing a CPD program that addresses what community pharmacists perceive as educational and professional training needs.

Assessing Pharmacists Knowledge and Attitude Toward the Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Qatar.

Pharmacists were found to play a key role in anticoagulation care. In order to make an appropriate selection and counselling regarding direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), pharmacists should be knowledgeable and abiding by evidence-based practice. We aim in this study to assess the knowledge and practices of practicing hospital and community pharmacists in Qatar regarding DOACs and their reflection on the dispensing and patient education. A prospective cross-sectional survey was developed. It included questions on demographic and professional characteristics. Additionally, it evaluated the awareness regarding safety, efficacy, and dispensing of DOACs. Lastly, a separate question was used to address the participant’s satisfaction with their knowledge. A total response were received from 211 pharmacists participating in the survey. Overall awareness score was moderate (41.6% ± 26%). These scores were in alignment with participants’ self-satisfaction with knowledge on DOACs (72% of participants were not satisfied). Being a clinical pharmacist, of male gender, and with a board certification were factors associated with increased awareness on DOACs. Results from this survey point to the importance of having more educational activities in order to improve pharmacist’s knowledge of DOACs.

Exploring the gaps between education and pharmacy practice on antimicrobial stewardship: a qualitative study among pharmacists in Qatar [Corrigendum

Exploring the gaps between education and pharmacy practice on antimicrobial stewardship: a qualitative study among pharmacists in Qatar [Corrigendum] Nasr ZG, Higazy A, Wilbur K. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2019:10:287–295. The authors have advised that an additional funding statement should have been included in the “Acknowledgments” section of their paper (page 293). The authors apologize for this error and confirm that the additional funding source does not constitute a conflict of interest in this work, nor affect the work in any way. The corrected details are as follows: Acknowledgments This study was completed with funding from an Internal Student Grant from Qatar University. The publication of this article was funded by the Qatar National Library. The abstract of this paper was presented at the 2018 ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy as a poster presentation with interim findings. The poster’s abstract was published in “Poster Abstracts” in Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy; DOI: 10.1002/JAC5.1059. Read the original article

Exploring the gaps between education and pharmacy practice on antimicrobial stewardship: a qualitative study among pharmacists in Qatar.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a public health issue and is the focus of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) teams within health care institutions. However, AMS is not comprehensively and fully taught in medical or pharmacy curricula and little is known about the relevance of pharmacist training to meet AMS needs in the Middle East region. We aimed to explore the discord that may exist between infectious diseases education and actual clinical practice with regard to AMS knowledge and training skills in Qatar. Then, we sought to further explore pharmacist perceptions of their AMS roles in hospital environments.Methods: A qualitative study was undertaken at Qatar University using three focus groups consisting of 15 pharmacy alumni who are currently practicing as clinical pharmacists in Qatar. Focus groups were facilitated using a topic guide developed by study investigators. Discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results were analyzed using framework analysis.Results: Two major themes related to the first objective emerged throughout the discussions and associated recommendations made to improve (i) infectious diseases (ID) module content and delivery and (ii) ID knowledge and skills application. Two themes related to the second objective included (i) impact of pharmacist’s interventions on decision-making and (ii) continuing professional development programming.Conclusion: Our findings guide ongoing efforts to enhance ID content in the curriculum and will close gaps related to AMS training. Pharmacists are core AMS team members where there is an ongoing need to align continuing education for health professionals with realities of practice.

Evaluation of an intensive education program on the treatment of tobacco-use disorder for pharmacists: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTobacco use is presently responsible for the death of over seven million people across the world. In Qatar, it is one of the main causes of premature deaths and preventable diseases. To reduce tobacco use, Qatar has ratified the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and has implemented many tobacco-control initiatives. In spite of these measures, tobacco use is still considered a public health threat in Qatar. Pharmacists practicing in retail/community pharmacy settings are often the first port of call for individuals requiring general health advice. Evidence has proven that they have a pivotal role in health promotion and disease prevention including tobacco cessation. However, pharmacists in Qatar are not actively involved in tobacco control and many have not received any education or training about smoking cessation counseling in the past. In an effort to build the capacity of pharmacists towards tobacco control in Qatar, the aim of the proposed study is to design, implement, and evaluate an intensive education program on tobacco dependence treatment for pharmacists in Qatar.Methods/designThe study will be a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing an intensive tobacco-related education program versus non-tobacco-related training on pharmacists’ tobacco-use-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and skills. Community pharmacists practicing in Qatar will be eligible for participation in the study. A random sample of pharmacists will be selected for participation. Consenting participants will be randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. Participants in the intervention group will receive an intensive education program delivered by a multi-disciplinary group of educators, researchers, and clinicians with expertise in tobacco cessation. A short didactic session on a non-tobacco-related topic will be delivered to pharmacists in the control group. The study has two primary outcomes: post-intervention tobacco-related knowledge and post-intervention skills for tobacco cessation assessed using a multiple-choice-based evaluation instrument and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), respectively. The secondary study outcomes are post-intervention attitudes towards tobacco cessation and self-efficacy in tobacco-cessation interventions assessed using a survey instrument. An additional secondary study outcome is the post-intervention performance difference in relation to tobacco-cessation skills in the practice setting assessed using the simulated client approach.DiscussionIf demonstrated to be effective, this education program will be considered as a model that Qatar and the Middle East region can apply to overcome the burden of tobacco-use disorder.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03518476. Registered on 8 May 2018. Version 1/22 June 2018.

General public perceptions of pharmacy and pharmacist business practices in English community pharmacy

Individuals who suffer from major cardiovascular events every year have one or more risk factors. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment is an important strategy for the early identification of modifiable risk factors and their management. There is substantial evidence that shifting the focus from treatment to primary prevention reduces the burden of CVD.To evaluate the preparedness of community pharmacists in Qatar for the provision of CVD risk assessment and management services; and to explore the pharmacists' views on the provision of these services.A cross-sectional study using simulated-client methodology. Using standardized scenarios, community pharmacists were approached for consultation on two medicines (Aspirin® and Crestor®) used for managing specific CVD risk factors. Pharmacists' competency to assess CVD risk was the primary outcome evaluated. Scores for each outcome were obtained based on the number of predefined statements addressed during the consultation.The mean cumulative score for all the competency outcomes assessed was 11.7 (SD 3.7) out of a possible score of 31. There were no differences for the majority of the competencies tested between the two scenarios used. Significantly more pharmacists exposed to the Aspirin® scenario than to the Crestor® scenario addressed hypertension as one of the risk factors needed to assess CVD risk (22% versus 11%, p = 0.03); whereas significantly more pharmacists in the Crestor® scenario compared to the Aspirin® scenario, addressed dyslipidemia as one of the risk factors needed to assess CVD risk (30% versus 7%, p = 0.02). Significantly more pharmacists exposed to the Aspirin® scenario provided explanation about CVD risk than those exposed to the Crestor® scenario 36% versus 8%, p < 0.01).The results suggest that many community pharmacists in Qatar are not displaying competencies that are necessary for the provision of CVD prevention services.

Perspectives of practising pharmacists towards interprofessional education and collaborative practice in Qatar

Background Healthcare is provided by a variety of different professionals, including pharmacists who are integral members of the team, and all are expected to work collaboratively to provide quality care. Little is known about the perceptions of pharmacists in Qatar towards interprofessional collaboration. Positive attitudes towards interprofessional education are essential to successful implementation of interprofessional collaboration. Therefore, to develop effective collaboration strategies in practice settings, it was essential to survey the attitudes of practising pharmacists towards collaboration. Objective To explore the awareness, views, attitudes and perceptions of practising pharmacists in Qatar towards interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Setting Community, hospital and primary healthcare settings in Qatar. Methods This was a two-staged sequential explanatory mixed method design. It utilised a quantitative survey (Stage 1), based on a modified version of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale. This was followed by a qualitative stage, utilising focus groups (Stage 2). Main outcome measures (1) Qatar pharmacists' attitudes towards interprofessional education and collaborative practice; (2) Practising pharmacists' perspectives in relation to enablers, barriers and recommendations regarding interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Results 63% of the practising pharmacists (n = 178) responded to the survey. Three focus groups followed (total n = 14). High scores indicating readiness and positive attitudes towards interprofessional education were reported for pharmacists working in hospital, community and primary healthcare settings. Qualitative analysis identified three overarching themes in relation to the enablers, barriers and recommendations for practising pharmacists working collaboratively. The enabling themes were: professional and patient related benefits, and current positive influences in Qatar; the barriers were patients' negative perceptions; the status of the pharmacy profession and current working practices and processes; the recommendations related to improving patients' perceptions about pharmacists and enhancing the status of pharmacy profession in Qatar. The findings from this study highlighted two major observations: the lack of existence of collaborative practice and hierarchy and power play. Conclusion Pharmacists demonstrated willingness and readiness to develop interprofessional learning and collaborative practice with significant steps already taken towards improving collaborative working practices in different care settings.