Clinical impact of a community pharmacy-based health and wellness introductory pharmacy practice experience

ObjectiveTo assess the clinical impact of an intensive community pharmacy-based Health and Wellness Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) completed by second-year (P2) student pharmacists.DesignThe Health and Wellness IPPE was a 1-week rotation developed to provide P2 student pharmacists with opportunities to provide clinical services to patients within the community pharmacy setting. Student pharmacists administered immunizations, performed blood pressure screenings and blood glucose measurements, and provided education to patients under the guidance of licensed pharmacist preceptors.Setting and participantsSecond-year student pharmacists completing a required Health and Wellness IPPE rotation in the community pharmacy setting.Outcomes measuredStudent pharmacist interventions were assessed to determine the course’s clinical impact, and preceptors were surveyed regarding the feasibility of student pharmacists performing clinical services at their training sites.ResultsA total of 147 student pharmacists completed the IPPE at 89 community pharmacy training sites and administered 9392 injections, 90% of which were influenza vaccinations. Student pharmacists performed 3458 patient health assessments, including measuring patients’ blood pressure and blood glucose and reviewing patient education materials. Most preceptors indicated that core activities were feasible during the experience.ConclusionThis study found that implementing a concentrated IPPE focused on immunizations and health screenings allowed student pharmacists to enhance their clinical skills and fulfill a large public health need, improving patient outcomes. Future studies should explore utilizing student pharmacists in community pharmacy settings to expand clinical services offered beyond these 2 services, such as diabetes risk tests, influenza point-of-care testing, and smoking cessation counseling.     

Ambulatory Pharmacy Services Affiliated With Acute Care Hospitals

The extent to which hospital-based pharmacists provide ambulatory clinical pharmacy services in the United States is unknown. We evaluated pharmacists' activities in hospital-affiliated ambulatory clinics and home health services. A questionnaire was mailed to directors of pharmacy in one-half of the United States acute care general medical-surgical hospitals with 50 or more licensed beds. The survey response rate was 56% (n=1174). In 19% of hospitals, pharmacists provided patient care (nondispensing activities) in ambulatory clinics. The most common clinics with pharmacist involvement were diabetes (10% of hospitals), oncology (9%), cardiology (6%), and geriatrics, infectious disease, and pain (4% each). Nondispensing roles varied by clinic type; prescribing by protocol was performed in 57% of anticoagulation clinics and 7% of diabetes clinics. Home health care services, with pharmacists' activity extending beyond providing drugs, were offered by 28% of the hospitals. Thirty-six percent of the hospitals operated one or more outpatient pharmacies. A statistically significant association was observed between hospitals' inpatient clinical pharmacy services (as assessed by the pharmaceutical care index) and the involvement of pharmacists in both ambulatory clinics and home health care services.     

Influenza vaccination by pharmacists in a health sciences center: A 3-year experience

ObjectiveTo assess the design and implementation of influenza vaccination clinics across campus, assess participant satisfaction with the pharmacist-led clinics, and educate and increase visibility of the role of pharmacists as vaccinators.SettingUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC), a comprehensive health sciences center.Practice innovationThe College of Pharmacy on the OUHSC campus developed and implemented a vaccination program to increase influenza vaccination of OUHSC employees.Main outcome measuresNumber of employees receiving influenza vaccination, employee satisfaction with the pharmacist-led clinics, and employee awareness of the pharmacist's role in vaccination.ResultsReported OUHSC employee influenza vaccination rates increased from approximately 35% before implementation of the pharmacy-based program to 54% in 2012 after implementation. The increase was attributed to maintaining no out-of-pocket costs for employees, offering various clinic locations, and using media resources to educate employees about influenza infection and vaccination. Employees reported high satisfaction with the influenza vaccination clinics and with receiving vaccinations from pharmacists and student pharmacists. In the first 2 years of the program, the percentage of surveyed employees “very familiar” with the pharmacist's role in vaccinations increased from 23% to 66%.ConclusionA college of pharmacy on a large health sciences center developed and successfully implemented an influenza vaccination program, providing an accessible and convenient route for influenza prevention to employees, as well as enhanced the visibility of pharmacists as vaccination providers.     

国外现行执业药师(药师)资格考试制度的研究与借鉴

目的：为完善我国执业药师职业资格考试制度提供借鉴。方法：收集并分析美国、英国、日本、 新加坡现行执业药师（药师）资格考试制度政策、管理机构、报名条件、考试内容、考试形式及合格标准等信息,结合我国执业药师资格考试制度的发展现状,提出建议。结果与结论：我国应加快执业药师立法进程,不断完善执业药师资格考试制度,建立高等院校药学教育与药学实践的有效衔接,培养具有临床实践能力、能够提供准确药学服务的合格执业药师。     

Examining the association between the “My Pharmacist” model and the service quality of community pharmacies

BackgroundIn Japan, patients can freely choose medical facilities. Many visit different medical facilities for different diseases, and for convenience, often utilize the pharmacies neighboring these facilities. Accordingly, a “My Pharmacy” model was recommended, in which patients select a single pharmacy using their own judgement to receive proper medication services. A “My Pharmacist” model, in which the pharmacist is constantly involved in the treatment of a patient, was also proposed. However, patients’ evaluations of pharmacist/pharmacy services under these models have not been investigated.ObjectiveTo examine how a patient's constant involvement with the same pharmacist and pharmacy is associated with their evaluation of the quality of pharmacy services.MethodsA cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among patients who used pharmacies periodically. Patients evaluated the pharmacist/pharmacy services and were classified into 4 groups (“My Pharmacy/My Pharmacist,” “My Pharmacy/Multiple Pharmacists,” “Multiple Pharmacies/My Pharmacist,” and “Multiple Pharmacies/Multiple Pharmacists”) according to the form of their usage of pharmacies and pharmacists. An intergroup comparison was then performed and correlations within each group analyzed.ResultsData from 3,492 individuals using 147 pharmacies were analyzed. “My Pharmacy” users had significantly higher scores than did “Multiple Pharmacies” users on patient experience of proper medication services (e.g., identifying duplicate medication) (p < 0.001). “My Pharmacy/My Pharmacist” users scored higher than the other three groups on four evaluation factors, including “pharmacy/pharmacist's interpersonal services” (“sharing and utilizing patient information,” “enhanced health support function,” and “consideration towards patients”), “patient satisfaction with the pharmacy,” “placing more emphasis on quality of interaction with pharmacist than on waiting time,” and “attitude when visiting healthcare facilities” (all p < 0.001).ConclusionThe findings indicate that highly tailored, in-person services provided by “My Pharmacists” are associated with not only with the degree of patients’ overall satisfaction, but also their evaluation of “the quality of pharmacist services.”     

Obligations of Investigators in Clinical Research a Pharmacist's Perspective

Abstract

The Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Pharmacy currently employs 40 fulltime clinical pharmacists who have minimal drug distribution responsibilities and provide pharmacy services to a specific patient care team and are involved with the education of pharmacy and medical students. In addition, these clinical pharmacists have collaborated in the clinical research activities of the medical and surgical staffs at the University of Illinois, Since many of these pharmacists have gain recognition as primary and co-investigators by various study sponsors, the Department of Pharmacy Practice has developed a program to inform each clinical pharmacist of his/her responsibilities as a clinical investigator. The following document summarizes the Department's policies and procedures.