Pre-registration Training Research Articles

Evaluating the impact of a 2-week Peer Enhanced E-Placement (PEEP) on pre-registration physiotherapy students’ attitudes, self-perceived confidence, and competence in delivering telerehabilitation.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about rapid digital transformation of physiotherapy practice and education. Previous studies have suggested a lack of knowledge, beliefs, and clinical acceptance of telerehabilitation as barriers to implementation and sustainability of telerehabilitation. Providing pre-registration specific teaching and practical experience of telerehabilitation may improve physiotherapy student confidence and competence in delivering telerehabilitation and support clinical acceptance of telerehabilitation in practice. A 2-week Peer Enhanced E-Placement (PEEP) was developed and evaluated to explore its impact on third year physiotherapy student attitudes, and perceived competence and confidence in delivering telerehabilitation. Students completed a Likert scale questionnaire, immediately pre and post the PEEP placement, rating their perceived confidence and competence in four key areas of telerehabilitation: assessment, intervention, communication, and problem solving. In addition, students participated in group discussions to explore the impact of the PEEP on their attitudes towards telerehabilitation. 59 students completed the PEEP, 49 (mean age 25±6.6 years, 41% male) completed both the pre and post placement questionnaire. 55 students participated in group discussions (n=8). Following the PEEP, self-perceived confidence and competence increased in all four key areas assessed. Analysis of the group discussions identified three core themes: Prior experience and assumptions of telerehabilitation, Opportunities and barriers, and Experience of the PEEP. Participation in a 2-week PEEP had a positive impact on physiotherapy student confidence and perceived competence in delivering telerehabilitation. Student attitudes towards telerehabilitation generally improved, with increased acceptance and recognition of its clinical value for physiotherapy practice. Students’ concerns echoed those of clinicians identified in prior research related to the opportunities and barriers facing telerehabilitation. The intensive structure of the PEEP, peer interaction and simulation appeared to positively impact on outcomes related to confidence and acceptance of telerehabilitation. Further research is required to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of pre-registration telerehabilitation training as a means of preparing students for practice and supporting sustainability of telerehabilitation in the post-COVID era.

Embedding research within occupational therapy pre-registration training: A concept mapping study engaging staff and student voices

Introduction: Occupational therapists require research and evaluation skills to deliver evidence-based care, making research education integral to their training. We aimed to develop a student and staff-informed strategy to further embed research into the occupational therapy programmes and enhance the research culture at a United Kingdom Higher Education Institution. Method: We used group concept mapping to gather ideas from students and staff on how to embed research and improve research culture within the occupational therapy programmes at a United Kingdom Higher Education Institution. Participants generated, sorted and rated ideas for importance and success. We analysed the data to create a concept map and identified rating values for the themed clusters and their ideas. Results: The concept map contained four themed clusters of ideas: Wider research community, Integration of research into the core programme, Advanced research support and capacity building and Research awareness. Successes and improvement targets were identified within each cluster. Conclusion: Group concept mapping provided a structured and comprehensive method to develop a strategy for embedding research and fostering a research culture in occupational therapy programmes at a higher education institution. The four-themed concept map and identified priority targets serve as a foundation for implementing the strategy and improving research integration in occupational therapy education.

A virtual reality environment for supporting mental wellbeing of students on remote clinical placement: A multi-methods evaluation

BackgroundNursing and Allied Health Profession (NAHP) students undertake clinical placements as part of their pre-registration training. The remote nature of some placement sites, shiftwork and the emotionally challenging nature of the workload has led to mental wellbeing issues in many students. AimThis project aimed to evaluate a novel 3D immersive virtual reality environment that supports mental wellbeing for NAHP students on clinical placement. It comprises a calming 3D tropical beach environment where students and tutors can meet for reflection and mutual support. DesignA multi-methods design gathered quantitative impact data with validated measurement tools and qualitative output related to the lived experience of students. Settings and participantsAll 600 pre-registration NAHP students within the institution undertaking clinical placements were invited to participate, irrespective of mental wellbeing status. Students were randomly assigned to either a VR or Conventional cohort; all participants received the control support mechanism in a subsequent placement. MethodsAll participants completed an initial demographic and Readiness for Therapy survey followed by weekly Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories during placement. All participants were invited to a semi-structured interview. ResultsOverall, 32 participants engaged with the application; although the VR cohort demonstrated improved scores on both Beck inventories, these were not statistically significant. This is probably due to the low response rate for the control cohort. A total of 15 interviews were conducted and several themes emerged from the data in relation.to both experiential outcomes (escapism, anonymity and sense of community) and instrumental outcomes (calming, mindfulness and combatting loneliness). ConclusionsUser feedback indicates that a VR environment can provide a calming escape from the pressures and anxiety arising from clinical placement for healthcare students. The relaxing beach environment facilitated mindfulness meditation and the additional opportunities for pseudo-anonymous interactions with peers and tutors were wellreceived by students.

Use of outcome measures by UK allied health professionals: a cross-sectional online survey

Background/Aims Outcome measures are key tool for assessing the effects of healthcare on health status, but little is currently known about their use by allied health professionals in the UK. This study aims to explore the use of outcome measures by allied health professionals, with a view to informing future research and developing clinical training resources. Methods An online survey regarding use of outcome measure was developed, including 28 questions covering demographic and professional characteristics, frequency of use of outcome measures, perceptions of and barriers to use and confidence in use. The survey was distributed to UK allied health professionals by contacting relevant professional bodies and using social media. Comparisons between groups were made with the Mann-Whitney U test, Chi square or comparisons of column means. Significance was set at 0.05. Results Responses from 107 allied health professionals were analysed, representing 13 of the 14 allied health professional groups across the UK. Most respondents (85%) used outcome measures, with 37% reporting frequency of use as ‘always’ and 33% as ‘often’. Most respondents (75%) used informal approaches to interpret outcome measure data, while 17% used normative data and 15% used minimal clinically important difference values. The most commonly reported barriers were lack of time (70%), administrative support (47%), resources (41%) and training (35%). Levels of pre-registration and post-registration training in outcome measures were low (28% and 56% respectively). Postgraduate training in outcome measures was significantly associated with frequent use of outcome measures (P=0.010). Conclusions Most UK allied health professionals use outcome measures regularly, but few use formal approaches to interpret the data collected. This study highlights a need for training for pre-registration and post-registration allied health professionals in the use of outcome measures.

Enhancing gender equality for women using person-centred care and cultural curiosity.

Socially constructed gender norms influence people's access to, and experience of, healthcare. Gender norms can negatively affect the health of women, men and people with other gender identities, such as transgender or non-binary individuals. Person-centred care and shared decision-making, which are widely recognised as essential aspects of healthcare, could be effective approaches for enhancing gender equality in healthcare for women. However, many women appear to receive suboptimal person-centred care. Additionally, there is a lack of representation of diverse gender identities in research, as well as a lack of awareness of diverse gender identities among nurses and other healthcare professionals. To enhance gender equality in healthcare for women, nurses and nursing students should be encouraged to reflect on their unconscious biases and adopt a stance of cultural curiosity, while organisations need to improve preregistration and post-registration training on equality and diversity.

Measuring moral development in the pharmacy profession from undergraduate to established practitioner: a decadal longitudinal study.

The aim of this study is to measure and evaluate the moral reasoning of undergraduate pharmacy students as they progress through a British university, and onward through the early years of their professional practice. This study utilizes version 2 of Rest's Defining Issues Test in a longitudinal design, evaluating a single cohort of future pharmacists, which started a 4-year Master of Pharmacy degree program in 2008-09, completed their preregistration training, and progressed through their early careers. The final dataset was collected in 2019. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was subsequently carried out. The cohort experienced significant moral growth during the 4 years of their undergraduate degree, where they were exposed to an ethical education designed to engage students at the "plus one" level of moral reasoning. There is also evidence for work-based augmentation of moral development between graduation from university and qualification as pharmacists. The subjects underwent a marked increase in moral development as they progressed through their undergraduate studies, followed by another sizeable, though not statistically significant developmental progression during the preregistration year. The retrograde step in moral development observed between newly qualified level and established practitioner level requires further investigation: structured interviews with participants, which focus on changes to their experiences in practice and how these affected their moral agency are already underway.

Tensions and Possibilities: A qualitative study of the views of nurse faculty training medical students to be Health Care Assistants

In the majority of pre-registration training programmes early theory is supported by later clinical learning. Unlike nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions, medical training often offers relatively little early clinical patient contact, though this does vary by medical school. To overcome this, recently, some medical schools offer patient-facing nurse training for the Care Certificate (CC) in the first year, but as yet little is known about how this is being received by nurses. We report on the experiences and perceptions of nurse-led faculty who led a pilot for first year medical students to gain the CC in the academic year 2019-20, in one UK medical school. The qualitative study involved one-to-one in-depth semi-structured interviews with the course educators. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Seven faculty participated, sharing their delight at students’ willingness to embrace the CC. Five main themes arose: i) perceptions of doctors and nurses in the healthcare system; ii) affinity with the medical students; iii) benefits of the CC for medical students working as Health Care Assistants; iv) anxiety about teaching the medical students; and, v) uncertainty about whether this training should be compulsory. We discovered that, nurses yearn for greater appreciation for their work by the medical workforce. These teachers felt this could be realised through this change within first year medical training. Many benefits were perceived as an outcome of this training for medical students, all members of the clinical team and most importantly for patients.

A qualitative study to explore the acceptability and feasibility of implementing person-focused evidence-based pain education concepts in pre-registration physiotherapy training.

The purpose of this study was to engage with physiotherapy clinicians, academics, physiotherapy students and patients to explore the acceptability, feasibility, and practical considerations of implementing person-focused evidence-based pain education concepts, identified from our previous research, in pre-registration physiotherapy training. This qualitative study took a person-focused approach to ground pain education in the perspectives and experiences of people who deliver and use it. Data was collected via focus groups and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using the seven stage Framework approach. Focus groups and interviews were conducted either face to face, via video conferencing or via telephone. This depended on geographical location, participant preference, and towards the end of data collection the limitations on in-person contact due to the Covid-19 pandemic. UK based physiotherapy clinicians, physiotherapy students, academics and patients living with pain were purposively sampled and invited to take part. Five focus groups and six semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-nine participants. Four key dimensions evolved from the dataset that encapsulate concepts underpinning the acceptability and feasibility of implementing pain education in pre-registration physiotherapy training. These are (1) make pain education authentic to reflect diverse, real patient scenarios, (2) demonstrate the value that pain education adds, (3) be creative by engaging students with content that requires active participation, (4) openly discuss the challenges and embrace scope of practice. These key dimensions shift the focus of pain education towards practically engaging content that reflects people experiencing pain from diverse sociocultural backgrounds. This study highlights the need for creativity in curriculum design and the importance of preparing graduates for the challenges that they will face in clinical practice.

Factors Influencing Health Career Choices During Clinicians’ First Three Years in Practice

Background: Health systems globally need more clinicians to work rurally and in community-based primary care. This study explores factors influencing health graduates’ choice of clinical setting and geographical location during early careers, across a range of disciplines that work together to support the health of people in community-based and rural locations.Methods: Students from eight disciplines (n = 611) were recruited prior to their final year of pre-registration training. Data were collected via three electronic surveys completed at the end of participants’ first, second, and third year of clinical practice. Data were managed and analyzed with Template Analysis.Findings: Similar factors influenced clinical setting and location choice but differed in relative importance for each. The nature of the job itself was the most important factor influencing clinical setting choices. A broader range of influences were important to geographical location choices including personal reasons, the nature of the job, the nature of the location, and job availability and opportunities. Regulatory or training requirements limited choices available to some clinicians, particularly those from medicine.Conclusion: A range of complex and interacting factors influenced health graduates’ career choices. Findings indicate that a broad system-wide approach is needed to address community and rural health workforce needs.

Robina Campbell-Atherton (1933–2023)

On 2 January 2023, Robina Campbell-Atherton (née Gillespie), known as Ena, aged 89 years, of London. Mrs Campbell-Atherton was a former member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Tribute Ena studied pharmacy at the Royal Technical College of Glasgow, which is now Strathclyde University. She carried out her preregistration training at Boots the Chemists, Greenock, and […]

Using normalisation process theory to understand implementation of integrated multi-sector pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician training.

The pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician (PTPT) integrated training programme is a workforce intervention designed to train PTPTs in multiple sectors. The programme recruited 35 PTPTs to 2-year training posts which involved employment in one sector, and a minimum of 12 weeks' work-based training in ≥2 further settings each year. To identify facilitating and inhibiting factors to implementation of the PTPT integrated training programme and make recommendations on ways to embed and maintain PTPT integrated training in routine practice. Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) constructs were used as a framework for analysis. Semi-structured interviews (14 PTPTs, 15 supervisors) explored PTPTs' learning and practice experiences over their 2-year training. A survey explored training outcomes (confidence and preparedness to practise) of integrated (n=31) and single sector PTPTs (n=39). Whilst some understood the intervention well, others had differing understandings of its purpose and potential benefits (coherence). Educational and practice supervisors acknowledged the importance of regular communication but reported difficulties implementing this due to time constraints (cognitive participation). PTPTs benefitted from having an educational supervisor oversee learning and progress over 2-years, and a practice supervisor for their day-to-day learning. PTPTs' experiences of supervision were inconsistent due to variation in supervisors' availability, knowledge, experience, and level of support (collective action). Participants perceived the PTPT integrated training as supporting development of a flexible pharmacy technician workforce able to work across sectors. The survey found that integrated PTPTs felt significantly more prepared than single-sector PTPTs to work in different settings (reflective monitoring). PTPTs on the programme had better ability to work in different sectors. Improving implementation requires clear understanding of the intervention's purpose by all stakeholders; clarity on supervisors' roles/contributions; and effective communication between supervisors to create effective learning opportunities. Findings can inform implementation of future multi-sector education and training globally.

Helpful encounters with mental health nurses in Australia: A survey of service users and their supporters.

INTRODUCTION: Successive inquiries into mental health services in Australia have identified the need for major reform of services and proposed a return to direct-entry nursing training. To identify what service users, family and supporters have found helpful in their encounters with nurses in mental health settings. A survey of 95 service users and supporters rated the importance of the capabilities and competencies of nurses. They also shared examples of helpful encounters with nurses which were subject to thematic analysis. The most highly rated competencies were around demonstrating caring, empathy and understanding, and responding effectively in crisis situations. Helpful encounters involved enacted values, highly skilful interpersonal and psychotherapeutic engagement and practices that were facilitative and supportive. The process and content of pre-registration nursing training needs to refocus on the nurse meeting the needs of service users and supporters, rather than the instrumental needs of services today. Educational reform may be necessary but insufficient to address anticipated nursing workforce shortages. Policymakers and health service directors need to align services with mental health nursing values and promote practices aligned with what service users and their supporters report as helpful.

It doesn’t add up! Calculations in the modern pharmacy technician curriculum

Abstract Introduction Current teaching of calculations to pre-registration pharmacy technicians covers a variety of areas, including dose calculations, conversions, molarity, percentages, displacement values and dilutions. Within the University of East Anglia course these are taught over 2 years with 5 exams spread throughout the course. The extent of how much each calculation is used in practice is unknown. Currently the only educational requirement for pharmacy technicians relating to calculations is to ‘‘Accurately perform pharmaceutical calculations to ensure the safety of people’’ 1. This is open to interpretation and there is no definitive list of what types of calculations pharmacy technicians are expected to carry out and therefore should be taught. Aim Identify the types of calculations that pharmacy technicians undertake in practice and compare this to the types of calculation currently taught on the pre-registration training course for pharmacy technicians. Methods An online survey was distributed via a gatekeeper (after ethical approval, ref ETH2122-1122) to pre-registration pharmacy technicians enrolled on the UEA training programme in their second year, and their educational supervisors who are registered pharmacy technicians. Consenting responders were asked how often they use a variety of calculations in daily practice ranging from ‘never used’ to ‘use every day’. Calculation examples included quantities and volumes to supply, unit conversions, infusion rates, ingredient amounts (using formulae, percentages and displacement values) and molarity. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics via the online JISC survey platform. Results 51 responses were received: 45% pharmacy technicians and 55% pre-registration pharmacy technicians. Responders were from a variety of pharmacy settings: 52.2 % hospital, 17.4% community and the remaining split between mental health, general practice, health in justice, care homes, education and Primary Care Networks. All calculations had been used in practice but to varying degrees of regularity. More common types were: calculating the quantity to supply (100% having used), calculating a dose by volume of liquid (98.1%) and converting dosage units (98.1%). 16 out of 28 calculation types were ‘never used’ by over 50% of responders. The most rarely used being: calculating the molarity of a solution (9.8%), calculating the amount of ingredient to make a set molarity (6.9%), and using displacement values to calculate the base needed for suppositories (6.9%). Discussion/Conclusion The results show that there is disparity between what calculations are taught and what calculations are used by pharmacy technicians in practice. Potential improvements to the curriculum could be to remove some calculations that are less frequently used, focussing more upon commonly used calculations. Removal of any calculations from the curriculum however could result in learners being unable to effectively undertake these if they were to come across the calculation in practice. More research is needed into the importance of learning these calculations, the consequence of removing them from initial curriculums and if there is a need to teach these as further learning for qualified pharmacy technicians.

O32 - I believe… philosophies and wishes of Victorian midwifery students moving into practice

Research investigating graduate midwives' transition to practice has identified it as stressful, with a crucial contributor to that stress being the difficulty newly qualified practitioners have with applying their woman-centred midwifery philosophy in contexts where the biomedical model of maternity care is dominant (Cummins et al., 2017). The potential consequence of being unable to practice in accordance with one's beliefs and values is that practitioners become disheartened, potentially traumatised, and choose to leave the profession. This has significant implications for midwifery education, the midwifery workforce, and the outcomes of those who are cared for in maternity services. The purpose of this study is to investigate and understand how midwifery practice environments influence newly qualified midwives’ practice philosophy, whether their intention to remain in the profession changes, and how prepared for practice they feel from their pre-registration training. In this longitudinal mixed methods study, graduating midwifery students will be invited to complete a survey every six months for five years, or until they decide to leave the profession within the five-year period. Participants will also be invited to annual focus groups at which the findings from the previous year will be presented to them for their review and comment. Early insights into graduating students' midwifery philosophies, their views about their preparedness for practice, and aims for their graduate year will be presented. This study highlights the impact of the practice environment on graduate midwives' practice philosophy and by extension, provides valuable insights for midwifery education providers and maternity care facilities. The data suggests that if we are to have a sustainable, committed midwifery workforce, we need to find ways to support new midwives to practice in accordance with their values.

Professionalism development and assessment in the pre-registration pharmacist placement in England: transformative moments and maturation periods.

Development of new patient-facing roles for pharmacists and reports of poor patient care in the UK has led to questions concerning how pharmacists develop professionalism. This study explored how professionalism is developed and assessed during the post-graduation year in practice or pre-registration placement. The perspectives of two staff at the professional regulator UK (General Pharmaceutical Council), eight service users, seven pre-registration trainees, and 12 pre-registration tutors were recruited. An interpretative paradigm was adopted. Data collection involved a semi-structured group interview, focus groups and a qualitative e-questionnaire. An inductive reasoning approach informed data analysis and interpretation. All groups provided insights into examples of transformative moments which potentiated professionalism development, the first being awarding the 'pre-registration trainee' title. All groups reported that contact with patients and trainee reflection aided professionalism maturation from a 'self-centred student' to becoming a 'responsible professional' where more than 'doing' is demanded. Furthermore, tutors stated the rate of professionalism development was affected by the sector of training and its opportunities for patient contact. Tutors felt they alone, not the registration exam, assessed professionalism using a variety of assessment approaches. Importantly, no tutors reported patient involvement in the assessment of trainees' professionalism, yet service users expected to be involved. Transformative moments and maturation periods during pre-registration training develop professionalism and enable trainees to 'become' a pharmacist. Careful planning of placements to optimise professionalism development across pharmacy sectors and consistent patient involvement in assessing trainee professionalism is recommended.

Cross-sector pre-registration trainee pharmacist placements in general practice across England: A qualitative study exploring the views of pre-registration trainees and education supervisors.

The Pharmacy Integration Fund commissioned 95 cross-sector pre-registration trainee pharmacist placements across England, which incorporated trainees spending 3-6months in general practice (GP), whilst employed in hospital or community pharmacy. Delivery models varied (blocks or split weeks/days); trainees had pharmacist tutors at the employing/base (hospital/community pharmacy) organisation and in GP. This study aimed to evaluate implementation of cross-sector pre-registration placements, and to identify barriers and enablers of a "successful" placement that achieved its intended outcomes. A qualitative study was undertaken, using semi-structured interviews with triads/dyads of trainee and pharmacist tutors at base and/or GP site. Interviews explored trainees' and tutors' GP placement experiences, and the contribution of GP placements to achieving intended learning outcomes. Data were thematically analysed. Thirty-four interviews (14 trainees, 11 base tutors, 9 GP tutors) were completed in 11 study sites (5 GP/hospital; 6 GP/community pharmacy). GP placements were perceived as valuable and producing well-rounded pre-registration trainees with a good understanding of two settings. Key benefits of GP placements were trainees' ability to work within multidisciplinary teams, and improved clinical and consultation skills. Contingency planning/flexibility was important when setting up cross-sector placements. GP tutor supervision which supported a gradual transition from shadowing to more independent clinical practice with feedback was perceived as valuable. Good collaboration between tutors at the base and GP site ensured joined-up learning across settings. All participants considered 13weeks in GP an appropriate minimum duration; community trainees preferred longer duration (26weeks) for more opportunities for clinical and consultation skills learning. Base and GP tutors would welcome clarity on which pre-registration competencies should be achieved in GP placements, which would also aid quality and consistency across providers. Findings from this study identified key attributes of a successful pre-registration cross-sector training experience. These findings can inform policy reforms including changes to initial education and training of pharmacists.

Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: Benefits and Limitations Highlighted Using the Delphi Method and Principal Component Analysis

Introduction The objective of this study was to establish a baseline of current use in practice of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) by consulting 33 expert French occupational therapists, who trained in this method between 2012 and 2017 and use of the COPM with their clients. The areas of health intervention are pediatrics, psychiatry, neurology, and geriatrics. An email invitation to participate in the research was therefore sent to 113 occupational therapists. We received 33 responses. Methods A novel mixed method study combined a Delphi method with a lexical analysis of experts' responses and principal component analysis (PCA). Results In the last Delphi round, the consensus of the expert group was attained on 31 benefits and 1 limitation, confirming the generally positive influence of the COPM in French health services. Discussion. The COPM was clearly identified as a tool that supports occupational therapy clinical reasoning, facilitates team decision-making for care pathways, and enables people with disabilities and health conditions to make decisions for their care. Conclusion The Delphi study revealed that the COPM appears to be well adapted to French culture and should be widely incorporated into preregistration training.

A step in the right direction: Delphi consensus on a UK and Australian paediatric podiatry curriculum

BackgroundPrevious research shows considerable variation in pre-registration paediatric podiatry curricula, and thus the clinical skills realised prior to graduation. Whilst pre-registration training is guided by regulatory bodies, these high level principles only refer briefly to standards in paediatric practice. An estimated 9% of podiatry caseloads in the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia are dedicated to paediatric service provision. Therefore, it is imperative that curricula support the consistent development of paediatric practice enabling newly registered podiatrists to work safely and effectively with children. Given that the global healthcare work force provides unique opportunities to explicitly align international curricula, the aim of this study was to determine the priorities for a UK and Australian binational pre-registration paediatric podiatry curriculum.MethodsA four round modified Delphi design was employed to ascertain consensus and agreement of a panel of experts with a special interest in paediatrics working in the UK and Australia. Round 1 contained open questions designed to promote diverse responses on the broad topics of lecturer experience and curriculum organisation and delivery. The answers from Round 1 were developed, through content analysis, into a series of statements presented to the panel for agreement in Rounds 2, 3 and 4.ResultsOf the 297 statements generated following Round 1, 183 were accepted and 114 rejected by the end of Round 4. 109 of the accepted statements related to curriculum content. Participants also agreed on areas relating to lecturer experience, clinical education, and assessment of paediatric skills.ConclusionsThis study is the first of its kind to describe elements of a curriculum for pre-registration podiatry training. The recommendations highlight opportunities that education providers can work towards during curriculum design. They also emphasise the collaboration that is needed between professional bodies, clinicians and higher education institutions when defining guidelines and expectations for paediatric specific skills.

The Role of Community Pharmacists in Addressing Medication-related Issues for Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally. To prevent relapse and prolong disease-free survival, adjuvant endocrine treatment such as selective oestrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors are being used. However, such oestrogen-blocking agents can cause serious adverse events. Community pharmacists are ideally positioned to ensure that such adverse events are addressed promptly and competently through their comprehensive knowledge of medicines. To identify the skills and training required to improve community pharmacists' communication in breast cancer settings regarding adjuvant endocrine treatments and to propose a conceptual framework for setting up such breast cancer service, we reviewed the literature using PubMed and performed a brief survey of eight community pharmacists using semi-structured interview method. To improve pharmacists' competencies in breast cancer settings, a clear framework for the proposed service on the national level is required. In addition to communication skills training programmes and problem-solving competences, reviewing the pharmacy pre-registration training curriculum and creating appropriate platforms that monitor medications in breast cancer patients are advocated.

Edward John Scarisbrick (1976–2022)

On 27 September 2022, Edward John Scarisbrick, aged 46 years, of Burscough, Lancashire. Mr Scarisbrick was a former member of the Society. Tribute Edward started working in pharmacy at O’Brien’s Pharmacy, aged 16 years. He read pharmacy at Liverpool John Moores University, and completed his preregistration training in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. After this, he […]