Role Of Pharmacist Research Articles

Introduction of a Pre-admission Pharmacist Service Utilising the Surgical Ward Pharmacist.

Background: The challenge with obtaining a best possible medication history (BPMH) post-surgery is the delay in clarifying medications due to decreased post-operative cognitive status and pain, which can lead to missed or late administration of medications. Studies have suggested that unintentional medication discrepancies at the time of admission are common in general medical patients. Objectives: To investigate if a pre-admission pharmacist completing BPMHs for adult elective surgery patients with planned overnight admission increases the proportion of patients with (i) a BPMH completed, (ii) medication reconciliation completed and (iii) all home medications charted correctly within 24hours of admission. Methods: Patients in the pre-intervention group had a BPMH completed on admission as standard of care. Patients in the post-intervention group were contacted by the pre-admission pharmacist 1 to 3 business days prior to admission to complete a BPMH. The pre-admission pharmacist role was performed by a surgical ward pharmacist in addition to their daily workload. Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyse the data. Results: The post-intervention group had more patients with a completed BPMH (47.2% vs 25.3%, P = .005), medication reconciliation (43.8% vs 15.5%, P = .0001) and all home medications charted correctly (36% vs 16.9%, P = .007) within 24hours of admission compared with the pre-intervention group. Conclusion: The introduction of a pre-admission service utilising the surgical ward pharmacist increased the proportion of patients with a completed BPMH, medication reconciliation and home medications charted correctly within 24hours of admission.

The Role of Pharmacists in Health Promotion

Health promotion is regarded as instrumental in addressing the growing public healthcare concerns. It is recognized as instrumental in disease prevention and control. Health promotion can also be used as an instrumental tool to address the growing cases of non-communicable diseases. Health promotion is regarded as effective in disease prevention and control because it emphasizes the need for individuals to be in control over their own health. However, despite the significance of health promotion in disease prevention and control, it remains largely underutilized. One of the reasons why health promotion is underutilized is because of the lack of adequate healthcare personnel to take on health promotion initiatives. Expanding the role of pharmacists to include more involvement in health promotion initiatives can help to fill this gap. Some of the measures and initiatives pharmacists can get involved in are being part of building public health policies, creating supportive environments, providing health education, being in community action, ensuring medication safety, and disease prevention and control. To enable pharmacists to perform these measures effectively, there is a need to address the existing barriers and challenges. This will lead to positive outcomes and ensure pharmacists perform their roles effectively to enhance health promotion. Keywords: health promotion, pharmacists, health education, disease prevention and control, immunization

Combating the Obesity Crisis: The Role of Community Pharmacists in Addressing the Rising Obesity Numbers

The last decade has seen a significant increase in obesity and overweight cases globally. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in every 8 people globally were living with overweight and obesity in 2022. This is approximately 2.5 billion who are overweight and 890 million who are obese. The rate at which the obesity prevalence is an indication that it is ending towards being an epidemic. Considering that obesity is multifactorial, isolating the exact causes is a significant problem. As a result, there is a need to dedicate more resources towards addressing the problem. One of the ways that can be used to deal with the rising obesity prevalence is expanding the role of healthcare providers more so community pharmacists to address the problem. Community pharmacists can do more than drug management in managing the growing obesity crisis. They can be involved in weight management, guidance on lifestyle modifications, and counselling on behavior modifications. They can also be involved in community-based interventions that aim to address obesity. Keywords: obesity, obesity crisis, community pharmacists, energy intake, energy expenditure, weight management

Exploring the impact of pharmacist-supported medication reviews in dementia care: experiences of general practitioners and nurses

BackgroundDementia is a major global public health challenge, and with the growing elderly population, its prevalence is expected to increase in the coming years. In Sweden, municipalities are responsible for providing special housing for the elderly (SÄBO), which offers services and care for older individuals needing specific support. SÄBO is both the person´s home and a care environment and workplace. Polypharmacy in patients with dementia is common and increases the risk of medication interactions. Involving clinical pharmacists in medication reviews has been shown to enhance medication safety and improve prescribing practices. However, the views of the standard care team involved in medication prescribing, administration, monitoring and documentation on integrating pharmacist services have received less attention. Thus, this study aims to explore how pharmacists’ contributions can enhance medication safety, improve patient care efficiency, and potentially alleviate the workload of general practitioners for people with dementia living in special housing.MethodsThis study has a descriptive qualitative study design using semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis. The study was conducted in a southern Swedish special housing and included nurses, assistant nurses, general practitioners (GPs), and a pharmacist. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews were conducted over the phone. The Swedish Ethical Review Authority approved the study.ResultsThe analysis revealed three main categories, and eleven subcategories.: (1) Integrating multidisciplinary approaches for holistic dementia care, (2) Strengthening dementia care through effective medication management and (3) Advancing dementia care through pharmacist integration and role expansion. Nurses focused on non-pharmacological treatments, while GPs emphasized the importance of medication reviews in assessing the benefits and side-effects of prescribed medication. Pharmacists were valued for their reliable medication expertise, appreciated by GPs for saving time and providing recommendations prior to consultations with individuals with dementia and their next-of-kin. Although medication reviews were considered beneficial, there was skepticism about their ability to solve all medication-related problems associated with dementia care.ConclusionsThis study highlights the critical role pharmacists play in enhancing medication safety and patient care efficiency in special housing for individuals with dementia. Despite the value of their contributions, communication barriers within healthcare teams pose significant challenges. Recognising potential pharmacist role expansion is essential to alleviate the workload of GPs and ensure effective collaborative practices for better patient outcomes.

Overview of Indonesian Community Pharmacy: Understanding Practice Changes

<p><span lang="EN-US">Community pharmacy practice in Indonesia has shifted to a patient-centered model, offering a </span><span lang="EN-US">range</span><span lang="EN-US"> of services that include treatment advice, chronic disease management, and public health promotion. This shift benefits consumers who visit community pharmacies as their initial healthcare point. The Indonesian healthcare system, a mix of public and private providers, is governed by a decentralized structure, fostering significant investment in private healthcare despite access limitations due to financial capacity. Medicines distribution, managed by the District Health Office, ensures supply to primary healthcare facilities, with community pharmacies regulated by the Ministry of Health and the Indonesian National Food and Drug Agency. Despite stringent regulations mandating comprehensive services, most pharmacists are not remunerated for their services. Pharmacy staff, including formally qualified pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, are registered professionals, with recent trends indicating a shift towards employing pharmacy technicians to enable pharmacists to focus on clinical roles. Economic factors and innovative service delivery modes, such as telepharmacy and online purchasing, are expected to influence future practices, enhancing the pharmacist's role in chronic disease management and other health conditions. The evolving community pharmacy practice in Indonesia reflects broader changes in the healthcare system and professional roles, with continued progression anticipated.</span></p>

Selection of initiatives to improve the management of patients with hereditary angioedema by the hospital pharmacy using the nominal group technique

ObjectiveTo identify and promote hospital pharmacy initiatives to improve the management of patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) within the Spanish healthcare system.MethodA panel of experts comprising hospital pharmacists, an allergist...

Pharmacists' Behavioral Changes after Attending a Multi-Prefectural Palliative Care Education Program.

Central to the pharmacist's role in palliative care is symptom management through direct participation in patient care and the provision of optimal pharmacotherapy to support patient outcomes. Consequently, palliative care requires extensive knowledge and action for patients with cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how pharmacists' behavior changed after attending a palliative care educational program. We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey examining the behavior of pharmacists regarding palliative care before participating in the program, two months after participating in the program, and eight months after participating in the program to determine their behavior and changes over time. For all questions, scores were higher at two and eight months after attending the program than before attending the program (p < 0.05). In addition, no significant difference was observed between two and eight months after attending the program for any question (p = 0.504-1.000). The knowledge gained from the educational program was used to repeatedly intervene with patients with cancer in order to address the various symptoms they experienced and maintain their behavior. The proven effectiveness of this program serves as a stepping stone for nationwide rollout across Japan's 47 prefectures.

Pharmacists' Role in Global TB Elimination: Practices, Pitfalls, and Potential.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the top infectious killer in the world despite efforts to eliminate it. Pharmaceutical care roles are pillars of pharmacy practice, and pharmacists are well equipped to serve a unique role in the pathway to provide education about TB. Previous systematic reviews emphasize pharmacists' role in treating TB; however, pharmacists can and do play much broader roles in overall TB elimination efforts. Five researchers searched five electronic databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, and Embase). Search terms included pharmacy, pharmacist, tuberculosis, antitubercular agents, supply, distribution, and drug therapy. Inclusion criteria were studies published from 2010 through March 2023, in English or Spanish, addressed a specific TB-related role for pharmacists/pharmacies, and were peer-reviewed. Exclusion criteria included pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical trials on drug efficacy, and editorials. Two researchers conducted each level of review; for discordance, a third researcher reviewed, and a decision was reached by consensus. Roles were extracted and cross-referenced with traditional pharmaceutical care steps. Of the initial 682 hits, 133 were duplicates. After further review, we excluded 514 records, leaving 37 articles for full extraction. We found nine roles for pharmacists in TB prevention and classified them as implemented, not implemented, or recommended. These roles were: (1) TB symptom screening; (2) Referring to TB care systems; (3) TB testing; (4) Dispensing TB medication correctly and/or directly observed therapy; (5) Counseling; (6) Looking to reduce socioeconomic barriers; (7) Procurement of TB medications; (8) Quality assurance of TB medications; (9) Maintaining and using pharmacy data systems. Pharmacists are well situated to play a vital role in the global fight against TB. Findings suggested pharmacists in many settings have already expanded their roles related to TB elimination beyond traditional pharmaceutical care. Still others need to increase the understanding of TB procurement and treatment, their power to improve TB care, and their contributions to data systems that serve population health. Pharmacy curricula should increase TB-related training to better equip future pharmacists to contribute to TB elimination.

An overview of benzodiazepines for adult status epilepticus and the role of the emergency medicine pharmacist

An overview of benzodiazepines for adult status epilepticus and the role of the emergency medicine pharmacist

“They Not Only Value a Patient but a Person.” Exploring the Views of Samoan, Tongan and Niuean People Receiving Heart Healthcare, and Families on the Role of Community Pharmacists

“They Not Only Value a Patient but a Person.” Exploring the Views of Samoan, Tongan and Niuean People Receiving Heart Healthcare, and Families on the Role of Community Pharmacists

A survey of perceptions and expectations of hospital pharmacists to the roles of ward-based pharmacists in Thailand

A survey of perceptions and expectations of hospital pharmacists to the roles of ward-based pharmacists in Thailand

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.

Evaluating community pharmacists awareness, perception and roles in providing emergency contraceptives in Jordan

ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study aimed to assess Jordanian community pharmacists' awareness, perception, and roles concerning emergency contraceptives provision. Study designWe administered a structured questionnaire to community pharmacists in Jordan using convenience sampling. The questionnaire included sections on demographic information, knowledge about emergency contraceptives, perception towards emergency contraceptive, and prior experience in emergency contraceptives provision. ResultsA total of 299 community pharmacists responded to the study. Most pharmacists had a Pharm D/BPharm degree (94.6%) and worked in independent community pharmacies (75.6%). While pharmacists demonstrated relatively high knowledge scores regarding emergency contraception, with a median score of 10 out of 14, misconceptions persisted, particularly regarding the mechanism of action and side effects of emergency contraception. Pharmacists expressed mixed perceptions regarding emergency contraception, with a significant proportion advocating for prescription-only access (76.6%) and expressing ethical reservations (48.2%). Only 38.1% reported prior experience in emergency contraceptives provision. Regression analyses revealed that attendance at emergency contraceptives-focused workshops significantly increased the likelihood of pharmacists providing emergency contraceptives (Adjusted Odds Ratio=2.569, p = 0.001). ConclusionsJordanian community pharmacists exhibit readiness to provide emergency contraceptives, but persistent misconceptions and regulatory barriers hinder optimal provision. Targeted educational interventions, particularly through workshops, are crucial in enhancing pharmacists' knowledge and promoting emergency contraceptives provision. ImplicationsResponding pharmacists often reported the misconception that emergency contraceptives can cause abortion. Also, some pharmacists expressed religious or moral objections to prescribing oral emergency contraceptives. Thus, this study underscores the importance of receiving comprehensive training on ethical and religious considerations in healthcare practice.

Yemeni Physicians' Attitudes and Perceived Barriers Toward Ward-Based Clinical Pharmacist in Hospital Settings.

Clinical pharmacy services (CPSs) are still in their infancy in Yemen. Furthermore, pharmacists are not members of a multidisciplinary healthcare team, so their responsibilities are limited to drug dispensing and marketing. This study examines physicians' attitudes and perceived obstacles regarding the inclusion of clinical pharmacists in hospital medical wards. A descriptive observational study was carried out using a validated, self-administered bilingual questionnaire. The study's questionnaire was conducted among physicians in three leading hospitals. Those hospitals were at the forefront of establishing clinical pharmacy units and embracing clinical pharmacy services. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Sixty-five responses were included. Our data results indicated that physicians believed the most important contributions for clinical pharmacists to improve patient care were "attending medical rounds", followed by "order review". About 75% of physicians showed positive attitudes toward the clinical pharmacist role. However, more than 70% of physicians believed that clinical pharmacists should leave patient care to other healthcare professionals and focus on drug products. Not enough clinical pharmacist staff working in the health center was considered the top perceived barrier (83.1%), followed by "clinical pharmacist responsibilities were not clearly defined" and "clinical pharmacist recommendations are not properly documented". Strategies to expand clinical pharmacy services in Yemen should focus on several key areas. Protocols must be established to clearly outline the collaboration between clinical pharmacists and physicians. Additionally, fostering inter-professional relationships is crucial to overcoming resistance and increasing awareness and understanding of CPS adoption among healthcare team members.

Do pharmacists have roles in Tuberculosis? A Narrative Review

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that is caused by bacteria called, “Mycobacterium tuberculosis”. It usually affects the lungs. Pharmacists can play an important role in facilitating optimal pathways to the care of tuberculosis. This narrative review aims to describe the multiple roles of different types of pharmacists in tuberculosis. It analyses the role of different types of pharmacists in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis. This narrative review is divided into four main sections: (1) the role of the pharmacist in tuberculosis in medication management; (2) the pharmacists’ role in tuberculosis patient support and education; (3) public health collaboration; and (4) role of the pharmacist in resource-limited settings. In the first section, the review presents the roles of pharmacists in medication management, such as dispensing, preventing drug-resistant TB, and promoting medication adherence. The second section describes counseling, and diagnosis, and refers to the role of pharmacists in tuberculosis patient support and education. The third section includes public health roles such as prevention of TB transmission and involvement in DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-Course). Finally, the role of pharmacists in resource-limited settings, such as, the role in low- and middle-income countries and other roles are described, along with strategies to strengthen the role of pharmacists in tuberculosis. Professional support, improved public sector patient care, and media campaigns would help strengthen the role of pharmacists in tuberculosis. In efforts to align with the WHO’s new End TB Strategy 2016–2035, health systems should consider utilizing hospital, clinical, industrial, community, and other types of pharmacists to assist in improving tuberculosis identification, diagnosis, and treatment to prevent morbidity and mortality.

Assessing Job Satisfaction of Community Pharmacists with the Warr-Cook-Wall Instrument in West Java

Background: Improving the quality of public health cannot be separated from the role of pharmacists who are responsible for providing pharmaceutical services. Pharmacists' long working hours and great responsibility impact how satisfied they feel with their jobs.Objectives: This study aims to determine the level of job satisfaction and identify the variables that affect community pharmacists' job satisfaction in West Java.Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in mid-December 2022 to mid-February 2023 with research subjects community pharmacists working in pharmacies, primary health centers or clinics in the West Java region. A convenience sampling technique was used for selecting a community pharmacist. This study involved 145 community pharmacists and used a semi-structured questionnaire, Warr-Cook-Wall satisfaction scale and implemented the Likert scale to describe pharmacists’ job satisfaction of community pharmacists in West Java. The analysis used is univariate analysis (descriptive and distribution analysis) and bivariate analysis (multiple regression linear analysis).Results: Most community pharmacists in West Java are more satisfied with the variables in the intrinsic factor (3.0±0.66) than extrinsic factors (3.0±0.70). However, their satisfaction is still low on recognition (2.9±0.7) and income (2.7±0.8). Community pharmacists' job satisfaction is influenced by pharmacy ownership type (p=0.04) and working hour (p=0.05). The regression analysis indicates that working hour had negatively influenced job satisfaction.Conclusion: Community pharmacists feel satisfied with their job, and their satisfaction level is affected by pharmacy working hours.

Role of pharmacists in adherence in oncology patients

Adherence is the degree to which the patient’s behaviour and actions correspond to the physician’s established treatment regimen regarding timing, dose and frequency. Patient counselling by both oncologists and pharmacists and optimization of the therapeutic regimen can critically impact decision-making and adherence to therapy. We performed a two-step study to identify factors influencing adherence to therapy from the perspective of oncology hospital pharmacists in Bulgaria. The results show that the major factors affecting anticancer therapy adherence are the manifestation of adverse drug reactions and distrust in therapy. These could be overcome with improved communication between patients, oncologists and pharmacists on therapy aspects and more active involvement of the hospital pharmacists in therapy monitoring with a main focus on identifying possible drug-related problems based on safety profile, drug-drug interactions and non-adherence.

The Role of a Clinical Pharmacist in the Identification of Potentially Inadequate Drugs Prescribed to the Geriatric Population in Low-Resource Settings Using the Beers Criteria: A Pilot Study.

Population aging is a global phenomenon. Each country in the world faces an increased number of older persons in the total population. With aging, a high prevalence of multiple chronic diseases occurs, leading to the use of complex therapeutic regimens and often to polypharmacy. Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) is a medicine prescribed to a patient for whom the risks outweigh the benefits. Today, several tools are used to evaluate the use of pharmacotherapy in older adults, one of them is the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria. In this prospective, pilot study, we aimed to investigate if the number of PIMs in elderly patients would be significantly reduced if a clinical pharmacist performed a pharmacotherapy review. The study included 66 patients over 65 years of age who were hospitalized at the 1200-bed university hospital. The intervention was conducted by a clinical pharmacist who reviewed the patients' pharmacotherapy and provided written suggestions to physicians. The pharmacotherapy was again reviewed at the patients' discharge from the hospital. A total number of 204 PIMs were identified in the pharmacotherapy of the study population. At discharge, the number of PIMs decreased to 67. A total of 67% of the pharmacist's suggestions were accepted by the physicians. The pharmacist's intervention led to significant decrease in the number of PIMs on patients' discharge letters.

Position of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association on Team-based Infectious Diseases Care and the Roles of Advanced Practice Providers and Clinical Pharmacists.

Strengthening and expanding interprofessional team-based care is an important component of the Infectious Diseases Society of America's Workforce Development Strategy to expand and promote equitable access to expert infectious diseases (ID) care. This statement defines the roles of care team members and highlights the need for ID curricula and training programs for advanced practice providers to support implementation of ID team-based care.

A pharmacist's role in increasing access to menstrual products: an education and advocacy approach.

Individuals who menstruate grapple with diverse challenges in menstrual and reproductive health. This includes financial burdens, societal stigmas, and negative mental and physical health implications. Period poverty, marked by insufficient access to menstrual products, education, and sanitation, remains a prevalent and poorly addressed issue. Alarming statistics highlight the extent of this problem and shed light on the staggering number of individuals lacking access to essential menstrual products. The discourse extends to the safety and accessibility of a diverse array of menstrual products. A comprehensive comparison of the cost of available period products was conducted using data obtained from various retail websites. The often-overlooked potential indirect expenses and profound impacts on quality of life were also discussed. Amidst other public health initiatives, pharmacists have emerged as pivotal advocates and educators. Pharmacists are poised to drive initiatives that increase access to menstrual products through public health education and advocacy. By providing education on different menstrual product options, pharmacists can empower individuals to make informed decisions based on their needs. This perspective illuminates the complex impacts of menstruation on individuals and proposes that pharmacists can play a role in overcoming barriers to access. The proposed strategies, rooted in education, research, and advocacy, pave the way for enhancing access, reducing stigma, and elevating the quality of life for those navigating the intricate complexities of menstruation.