Pharmacy Graduates Research Articles

Report of the 2014-2015 AACP Standing Committee on Advocacy: Access, Affordability and Accountability: Academic Pharmacy’s Approaches and Challenges in Addressing Issues of Higher Education Policy

INTRODUCTION According to the bylaws of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the Advocacy Committee: advise the Board of Directors on the formation of positions on matters of public policy and on strategies to advance those positions to the public and private sectors on behalf of academic pharmacy. PRESIDENTIAL CHARGE President Pat A. Chase presented the committee with the following charge: With the pending reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, this is an excellent time to review how academic pharmacy is: * Ensuring people have access to pharmacy education; * Engaged in keeping it affordable; and * Increasing both institutional, faculty and student accountability. The 2014-15 Advocacy Committee will examine the topics of access, affordability, and accountability in pharmacy education and their alignment with these same issues across higher education. Access. With attention to, but not limited to underrepresented minorities, describe best-practices at AACP member institutions that focus on individual access to both professional and graduate pharmacy programs. Topics for consideration include: state and federal diversity programs. Affordability. With attention to, but not limited to tuition and cost of attendance, describe best practices of how AACP member institutions ensure the value of a professional or graduate degree. This description should discuss the return on investment of a pharmacy degree. Topics for consideration include: innovation in higher education; competency-based education; facilitated learning; distance education; interprofessional education. Accountability. With attention to, but not limited to accreditation, describe best practices of how AACP member institutions hold themselves, their faculty and their students accountable for the creation and execution of a high-quality educational experience. Topics for consideration include: student assessment; faculty and program evaluation; regarding accreditation-evaluating institutional quality; the value of the peer review aspect of both regional and specialty accreditation. PROCESS During the AACP annual meeting, staff shared the Presidential charge with members and sought the participation of content-experts related to the three priority areas. Interested participants received a follow-up email asking them to verify both their interest and their expertise by sharing scholarly work with the Chair and staff. Staff also reviewed the member profile of the interested participant for inclusion of content-expertise. In October 2014 these content-experts met during a face-to-face meeting of all standing committee participants. During this meeting the Chair and staff reviewed the committee charge and led the group through in a wideranging discussion of that charge. Committee members self-selected one of the three priority issues in which they would contribute their knowledge and expertise. Committee members with the same interest joined together into a priority issue workgroup. Using a draft report outline, committee members determined who would be responsible for specific portions of the report, what that portion would include, and a timeline for committee work. The committee workgroups worked toward completion of their specified report portions sharing information and resources via email and phone calls. The committee as a whole held monthly conference calls to provide status updates, seek input from the entire group related to challenges, and review and modify accountabilities as needed. The outcome is a final committee report published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, the highlights of which are presented at the AACP 2015 annual meeting. The committee continued the work of recent Advocacy Committees in applying concepts and frameworks from implementation science to improve AACP's advocacy efforts. …

Career Placement of Doctor of Pharmacy Graduates at Eight U.S. Midwestern Schools

To characterize postgraduation placement plans of 2013 doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) graduates. A cross-sectional survey of PharmD graduates from 8 midwestern colleges of pharmacy was designed to capture a comprehensive picture of graduating students' experiences and outcomes of their job search. At graduation, 81% of 2013 respondents had postgraduate plans, with approximately 40% accepting jobs and 40% accepting residencies or fellowships. Eighty-four percent of graduates reported being pleased with offers received, and 86% received placement in their preferred practice setting. Students perceived that securing residencies was more difficult than securing jobs. Students who participated in key activities had a nearly sevenfold increase in successful residency placement. While the demand for pharmacists decreased in recent years, responses indicated successful placement by the majority of 2013 graduates at the time of graduation.

Interprofessional experiences of recent healthcare graduates: A social psychology perspective on the barriers to effective communication, teamwork, and patient-centred care

Achieving safe, quality health care is highly dependent on effective communication between all members of the healthcare team. This study explored the attitudes and experiences of recent healthcare graduates regarding interprofessional teamwork and communication within a clinical setting. A total of 68 pharmacy, nursing, and medicine graduates participated in 12 semi-structured focus group discussions in clinical workplaces across three Australian states. Discussion focussed on graduates’ experiences of interprofessional education and its impact on their capacity for interprofessional teamwork and communication. The Social Identity and Realistic Conflict theories were used as a framework for qualitative data analysis. A consistent pattern of profession-focussed, rather than patient- or team-focussed goals was revealed along with reports of negative stereotyping, hierarchical communication, and competition for time with the patient. Graduates acknowledged the importance of communication, teamwork, and patient-centred care and felt a better understanding of the roles of other health professionals would assist them to work together for patients’ wellbeing. Identifying workplace identities and differential goals has uncovered possible motivations underlying health professionals’ behaviour. These insights may help improve interprofessional collaboration by focusing attention on common team goals, increasing feelings of worth and being valued among different professionals, and decreasing the need for competition.

Essential skills for pharmacy graduates reported by advanced pharmacy practice experience preceptors

ObjectiveTo determine which skills are essential for pharmacy students in the United States as reported by advanced pharmacy practice experience preceptors. MethodsPharmacy faculty developed a survey used to collect demographic and other information regarding essential skills for pharmacy graduates. Survey responses were evaluated qualitatively and reported quantitatively. ResultsCommunication was identified as an essential skill for pharmacy graduates. Graduates should also be able to prepare sterile and nonsterile compounds, evaluate patient and prescription information as well as vital signs and laboratory values. Graduates should be able to independently identify and solve problems using critical thinking. Appropriate dress and personal hygiene and the ability and willingness to collaborate were also important. ConclusionPharmacy graduates must be able to communicate. In addition, they should maintain a professional appearance and possess a wide variety of practical pharmacy skills.

Preparing pharmacy graduates for interviews: A collaborative statewide mock interview session to improve confidence

ObjectivePresent a statewide collaborative mock interview session for students and assess the impact in building confidence. MethodsStudents participating in a mock interview session were surveyed to assess for changes in their interview-facing confidence. ResultsIn all, 33 of 54 mock interview participants responded to the survey. Of the 33 students, 17 students (51.5%) strongly agreed or agreed that they felt confident in their ability to face interview prior to their mock interview sessions compared with 33 of 33 (100%) after their sessions. ConclusionsAll students who participated in the survey found the mock interview sessions and CV review beneficial. Arming graduates with an array of professional and technical skills is important, and acquiring strong interview skills can increase their self-confidence. Collaboration between state organizations and other colleges of pharmacy can create powerful opportunities to unite student pharmacists with interviewers.

Credentials for a PharmD graduate: The voyage never ends.

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) is a professional pharmacy degree qualification offered by universities world-wide. While the graduates from the West are familiar with scope and job opportunities that present on completion of a PharmD degree, graduates from Asia and the Middle-East are coming to grips with the future of PharmD program and the role that it could play in career advancement. Through this review, we would like to highlight that numerous credential programs are available which can be added to the armory of PharmD graduates for advancement of their professional careers. The credentials detailed in this review are designed for PharmD graduates to optimize pharmaceutical care in specialized clinical settings such as geriatrics and ambulatory medicine. We have assembled an extensive list of post-PharmD educational opportunities to enhance professional practice for pharmacy graduates.

Attaining Communicative Competency in Pharmacy Practice: A Retrospective Analysis of the Construction of a Communication Course for International Pharmacy Graduates

<p class="2M-body">The ability to communicate effectively is an essential skill required by licensed pharmacists and it plays an integral role in meeting standards of practice. Acquiring the communication skills needed to successfully complete these standards of practice can be particularly challenging for International Pharmacy Graduates, or IPGs, many of whom are second language learners. This paper retrospectively analyses the construction of a communication course for IPGs, viewed through the theories of Lev Vygotsky and Donald Schön, which assists the IPGs in developing their communication skills for the Canadian context and applying them in increasingly independent ways. Course satisfaction surveys from two IPG cohorts were reviewed for qualitative feedback that would discuss the students’ appreciation for the course design in relation to their learning. In general, students appreciated the learning supports in the first half of the course, but had more difficulty with the second half of the course that was designed to create a level of ambiguity that mimicked real life pharmacy practice. The authors felt more research is needed in this area of instruction design; however, this unique course design could have future implications for teaching communicative competency for international health care professionals.</p>

Overcoming the pharmacy residency capacity challenge as 2020 draws near

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) share a common vision that all pharmacists involved with direct patient care will be required to complete a postgraduate residency prior to entering practice by 2020. This requirement will impact most pharmacy school graduates. The number of residency programs available will have to grow significantly; however, the current rate of growth is not nearly sufficient to create enough residency training programs by 2020. Barriers to increasing the number of residency positions include the cost of creating residency positions, the pharmacy residency teaching model, and the need for qualified preceptors. Solutions to overcome these barriers include the following: utilizing residents to provide needed services, coverage, and scholarship activity; converting to a residency model similar to the medical model, which allows for a 1:6 preceptor to resident ratio; developing preceptor training programs and standardizing teaching certificates, which could be accomplished by establishing relationships with colleges of pharmacy; and encouraging smaller community hospitals to develop residency programs, which could be accomplished by partnering with nearby academic medical centers or other community hospitals. Now is the time to embrace this opportunity for change and improvement in the pharmacy education system. Pharmacy professionals need to come together to overcome this challenge.

Using administrative data for your research project: 10 considerations before you begin.

With increasing pressure to conduct research during residency training, and given the availability of administrative claims data, pharmacy residents will likely consider using large administrative databases for their research project. With competing time commitments and the short duration of residencies, residents and their preceptors must consider the 10 factors outlined above in order to produce a thoughtful, clinically relevant research project. While this discussion focused on the completion of a residency research project, these topics are also relevant to a broader pharmacy audience. Colleges of pharmacy are increasingly requiring research projects as part of their curriculum, and pharmacy students and practitioners often consider obtaining additional degrees requiring a research component. Both students and practitioners can use the guidance provided herein when planning research projects and investigations to aid in the successful completion of research using administrative claims data.

The use of mentors and partnerships in a preparing future faculty program at a Health Sciences Center

IntroductionPreparing Future Faculty (PFF) is a national effort to give graduate students opportunities to receive mentorship in teaching and academic careers. The PFF Program, founded in 2005, expands this program to Academic Health Center (AHC) graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, such as pharmacy. The objectives (1) assessed the number/type of institution/department partnerships, as well as the unique types of content mentors added to the program since its inception, and (2) outlined the number of PFF graduates and their current career status. MethodsPFF is a two-semester interprofessional program (fall = weekly teaching methods course and spring = teaching field placements at partnering institutions). Two program mentors are utilized: (1) a teaching mentor/program director who delivers course content and evaluates teaching and (2) a content mentor who is the course coordinator/faculty at the partnering institution. ResultsThe number of partnerships has grown from 5 to 15 institutions, the number of department partnerships has grown from 1 to 11, and the number of content mentors has grown from 5 to 30 (six in pharmacy). Of note, ten of the content mentors are PFF alumni. In total, 68 PFF students have completed the program, seven graduates were from Pharmacy. The majority of the PFF graduates who have completed their degree or training have secured faculty positions; five of the seven PFF graduates in pharmacy became faculty members. DiscussionPFF is a sustainable program for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at an AHC to learn how to teach in an academic setting.

Need for contents on halal medicines in pharmacy and medicine curriculum

According to an estimate by 2020 Muslim population, will be almost a quarter of the world population. Pharmaceuticals business sector estimates Halal Pharmaceuticals to be multimillion dollars industry. Keeping in view the religious preference of Muslim consumers, many developing and developed countries have taken initiative to establish halal certification centers and halal certification guidelines. However, till to date it is hard to find any contents in medicine or pharmacy curriculums that aims to develop understanding among pharmacy and medical graduates about the halal and non-halal (haram) animal sources, processing and manufacturing techniques and halal excipients. The current article will aim, to summarize, the concept of halal and non-halal sources of medicines or drugs in the light of recommendation from Quran and Hadith. By adding basic contents in pharmacy and medicine curriculum, future graduates will be in a position to distinguish between the non-halal and halal sources of medicine and alternates. Thus, empowering medical and pharmacy graduates will assist them understanding the needs of Muslim patients' needs in the line with the Islamic regulations outlined in Quran.

Transforming pharmacy education: Societal and professional challenges

Pharmacy profession has undergone through a period of intensive review and redefining of its professional roles, practice, and educational needs. Pharmacy graduates are now expected to be equipped with specific competencies necessary for provision of patient-centered and population-based pharmaceutical care, responsible use of medicines and management of limited healthcare resources. In line with other health professionals' education, pharmacy education progresses through several 'generations' of reforms which are faced with different professional and societal challenges. Thus, they have been implemented differently and to different extent in various regions. The aim of this communication is to point out the critical factors for further advancement of pharmacy education, with the emphasis on relevant societal and professional challenges in Serbia. Contemporary health professionals' education in developed countries is based on the four main paradigm including: (I) integrated interdisciplinary competency-based curriculum, (II) active learning approach involving clinical experience and interprofessional teaching and learning, (III) commitment to serve the community health needs and (IV) continuous teaching competencies development of academic staff and teacher practitioners in order to accommodate these innovations. The majority of developing countries, including Serbia, are in the initial phase of these reforms. Lack of integrated policy for healthcare and education system development, insufficient capacity of the professional regulatory bodies, and lack of motivation and commitment to change in the academic community were identified as major obstacles to progress.

What I want for Pakistani pharmacy graduates, recommendations from personal experiencePharmacovigilance and pharmacists: Need for enhancing role as active health professionals

What I want for Pakistani pharmacy graduates, recommendations from personal experiencePharmacovigilance and pharmacists: Need for enhancing role as active health professionals

Views of pharmacy graduates and pharmacist tutors on evidence-based practice in relation to over-the-counter consultations: a qualitative study.

Health care services offered to the public should be based on the best available evidence. We aimed to explore pharmacy tutors' and trainees' views on the importance of evidence when making decisions about over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and also to investigate whether the tutor influenced the trainee in practice. Following ethical approval and piloting, semi-structured interviews were conducted with pharmacy graduates (trainees) and pharmacist tutors. Transcribed interview data were entered into the NVivo software package (version 10), coded and analysed via thematic analysis. Twelve trainees (five males, seven females) and 11 tutors (five males, six females) participated. Main themes that emerged were (in)consistency and contradiction, confidence, acculturation, and continuation and perpetuation. Despite having an awareness of the importance and potential benefits, an evidence-based approach did not seem to be routinely or consistently implemented in practice. Confidence in products was largely derived from personal use and patient feedback. A lack of discussion about evidence was justified on the basis of not wanting to lessen patient confidence in requested product(s) or possibly negating the placebo effect. Trainees became acculturated to 'real-life' practice; university teaching and evidence was deemed less relevant than meeting customer expectations. The tutor's actions were mirrored by their trainee resulting in continuation and perpetuation of the same professional attitudes and behaviours. Evidence appeared to have limited influence on OTC decision making. The tutor played a key role in the trainee's professional development. More work could be performed to investigate how evidence can be regarded as relevant and something that is consistently implemented in practice.

Supply chain management curriculum integration in pre-service training in Tanzania

An assessment in 2011 identified the need to incorporate supply chain management (SCM) in academic curricula for health care workers in Tanzania. As a result, a competency-based curricula was developed for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, clinical officers and nursing cadres. An initiative to train pharmacy graduates in SCM as part of their professional training was thereafter embarked on in 2013. Consultative meetings with various government and health education related institutions resulted in great enthusiasm and built momentum for creation of a pre-service training (PST) curriculum; an effective way of introducing principles and practices of health commodities SCM. Pilot orientation training was provided to 19 lecturers to teach health institutions how and where SCM can be integrated in PST. The acquired skillset enabled them to start teaching SCM in the coming semesters. SCM was successfully integrated in the Bachelor of Pharmacy curriculum at the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (MUHAS) and the Institute of Health and Allied Sciences (IHAS). A total of 40 pharmacists and 35 pharmaceutical technicians completed training in SCM in 2013. An increasing interest in other public and private training institutions has been realized and currently SCMS is collaborating with St. Luke Foundation at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centres School of Pharmacy and St. John University in Dodoma to integrate SCM in their Diploma of Pharmaceutical Technician’s course and Bachelor of Pharmacy course. Education has been referred to as an effective “social vaccine” to curb the spread and ensure effective management of HIV/AIDS and other major diseases like Malaria and Tuberculosis. Having a knowledgeable human resource pool is paramount to obtaining accurate and timely logistics data to ensure health commodity security, effective and sustainable supply chains in Tanzania. The successful integration of PST is just one step in assuring future commodity security in Tanzania. A monitoring framework focusing on direct performance of pre- versus in –service training is necessary to fully realize the impact of the intervention. Multidisciplinary involvement of government institutions is necessary in ensuring changes in curricula are accepted by all stakeholders and follow government policies and procedures. For this project to have a larger impact the right strategies, policies and plans must be in place for the recruitment and retention of SC workforce and professionalization of SCM.

Nationwide collaborative development of learning outcomes and exemplar standards for Australian pharmacy programmes.

Internationally, the preparation of pharmacy graduates for professional practice has evolved from educating for capacities for practice, to a focus on competencies, and most recently, on assuring graduate outcomes. Consequently, there is an increasing emphasis on the specification of and accountability around student learning outcomes. This, in turn, has implications for teaching and assessment. The aim of the study was to harmonise the various expectations and regulatory requirements for Australian pharmacy education programmes through the development of learning outcomes and exemplar standards for all entry-level pharmacy graduates. Learning outcomes and exemplar standards were developed through a participatory action research framework which involved academic staff representatives from pharmacy schools in Australia, pharmacy student representatives, and the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC, the accreditation body for Australian pharmacy programs) involving an iterative process of dissemination and seeking of feedback. The key result from the project was the formulation of national pharmacy learning outcomes and exemplar standards (PhLOS) for all students graduating from entry-level pharmacy programmes. These have been endorsed by both students and academics. Learning outcomes have been developed through a collaborative process for pharmacy programmes across Australia through harmonisation of the various expectations and regulatory requirements for pharmacy education programmes. Application of these learning outcomes and exemplar standards will ensure that all graduates of all entry-level pharmacy programmes will have achieved at least the same threshold, regardless of the university from which they graduate prior to entering their internship year.

Comparison of self-reported professional competency across pharmacy education programs: a survey of Thai pharmacy graduates enrolled in the public service program.

IntroductionThai pharmacy education consists of two undergraduate programs, a 5-year Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BScPsci and BScPcare) degree and a 6-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D). Pharmacy students who wish to serve in the public sector need to enroll in the public service program. This study aims to compare the perception of professional competency among new pharmacy graduates from the three different pharmacy programs available in 2013 who enrolled in the public service program.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among new pharmacy graduates in 2013 using a self-administered, structured, close-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of respondents’ characteristics and perception of professional competencies. The competency questions consisted of 13 items with a 5-point scale. Data collection was conducted during Thailand’s annual health professional meeting on April 2, 2013 for workplace selection of pharmacy graduates.ResultsA total of 266 new pharmacy graduates responded to the questionnaire (response rate 49.6%). There were no significant differences in sex and admission modes across the three pharmacy programs. Pharm D graduates reported highest competency in acute care services, medication reconciliation services, and primary care services among the other two programs. BScPsci graduates reported more competence in consumer health protection and herbal and alternative medicines than BScPcare graduates. There were significant differences in three competency domains: patient care, consumer protection and community health services, and drug review and information, but no significant differences in the health administration and communication domain among three pharmacy programs.ConclusionDespite a complete change into a 6-year Pharm D program in 2014, pharmacy education in Thailand should continue evolving to be responsive to the needs of the health system. An annual survey of new pharmacy graduates should be continued, to monitor changes of professional competency across different program tracks and other factors which may influence their contribution to the health service system. Likewise, a longitudinal monitoring of their competencies in the graduate cohort should be conducted.

English

English

Foreign pharmacy graduate equivalent examination certification: Passport to the promised land for Indian Pharm.D graduates

It’s any pharmacy students dream to practice their profession in the United States because it stands out in providing dignity and the remuneration it pays off to the pharmacist than any other country in the world. Foreign Pharmacy Equivalent Examination (FPGEE) certification is mandated to all the foreign pharmacists as a first step to practice pharmacy profession in the United States of America (USA). After the new requirement mandated in the US from 2003, Pharmacy council of India (PCI) launched Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) as a6 year integrated course to help the college ready students and a 3year Post Baccalaureate (Post. Bacc) bridge course for the students graduated after 2003 as an intervention in 2008.Even though the process is so laborious most of the foreign graduates think it’s worth taking a shot. It starts off with applying for transcripts and ends with taking up the FPGE examination held by the National Association of Board of Pharmacy (NABP). Obtaining eligibility for the exam is a laborious process that can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year depending upon the University of graduation, country’s pharmacy board/council, its reciprocation with the NABP and the country’s postal transit. Despite fulfilling all the requirements accurately, the entry of the candidate into the country is not certain as it lies in the hands of the visa issuing offer whose actions are always unpredictable Key Words: FPGEE, NABP, NAPLEX, Pharm. D. Integrated, Pharm. D. Post Baccalaureate.

What to look for in your first job.

The first job is very important in setting a trajectory for career development and progress. Although new pharmacy graduates will generally enjoy excellent job opportunities, they need to consider specific factors in choosing their first job. In addition, the increased number of pharmacy schools has produced more pharmacy graduates, leading to more competition for jobs. This tight job market may cause students or residents to make a hasty decision about their first job. The goal of this Director's Forum is to provide guidance to young pharmacists as they choose their first job after schooling or training. This article specifically addresses the importance of the first job on career and personal development, lists the specific considerations in finding and deciding on the first job, and presents some experiences from others that may highlight possible pitfalls in choosing the first job. We hope the information in this article will provide some guidance to young pharmacists in choosing a job that meets the goals of their life plan while helping them to develop a career focused on providing patient-centered pharmacy services.