Training and retaining community pharmacy leaders: Career pathways after completing a PGY1 community pharmacy residency affiliated with a large supermarket chain

Objective

To determine pharmacist career paths and resident perceptions after completion of a PGY1 community pharmacy residency with a national supermarket pharmacy chain.

Simulated patients in the community pharmacy setting – Using simulated patients to measure practice in the community pharmacy setting

BACKGROUND: Performance measurement and quality of care in community pharmacy settings is problematic because of the lack of formal patient registration and the resultant risk of selection bias. Although simulated patients have been used for teaching and education purposes, particularly in medical settings, their use as a research tool requires exploration in other health settings. The purpose of this paper is to describe how we used simulated patients to measure professional performance of community pharmacy staff. METHOD: Sixty pharmacies participated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of two guideline implementation strategies in the community pharmacy setting. The primary outcome measure for the study was derived from assessment forms completed by simulated patients following covert visits to participating pharmacies. RESULTS: Of the 420 simulated patient visits scheduled, 384 (91%) were completed. Nine visits were reported by pharmacy staff using reply-paid postcards, four of which concurred with known SP visits. Each detected visit was made by a different SP. In a post-intervention survey, 26 (52%) pharmacists stated they had been apprehensive about the use of simulated patients as part of the study, however, 41 (82%) pharmacists agreed that SP visits were an acceptable research method to use in a community pharmacy setting. DISCUSSION: Simulated patients are a feasible method of assessing professional performance in community pharmacy settings and overcome the methodological problems of other measurement methods. Further research is needed to assess the reliability and validity of simulated patients.     

Computerized pharmacy services in a large community hospital.

A computerized pharmacy system dealing with drug distribution, clinical services and administrative services is described. Present systems, implemented for 50% of the institution's beds, are discussed fully. Future applications of the system are outlined.     

Documentation of patient care services in a community pharmacy setting.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the types of patient care documentation systems currently being used by community pharmacists and determine the preferred characteristics of an ideal patient care documentation system. DESIGN: Mailed survey. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: One pharmacist from each of 125 targeted community pharmacies. INTERVENTION: Survey mailed in February 2003, followed by a second mailing to nonrespondents in March 2003. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses to survey items about (1) patient care services provided at the pharmacy, (2) characteristics of the current documentation system, and (3) characteristics of an ideal documentation system. RESULTS: A total of 48 usable responses were received from 106 pharmacies to which surveys were delivered (45.3%). Independent pharmacies accounted for 50% of survey respondents. More than 80% of respondents were providing patient screening or management services associated with a chronic disease such as diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. Approximately 54% of the pharmacists were using a paper documentation system. However, challenges identified with a paper system included documentation time, retrieval of patient data, tracking patient outcomes, and storage. Respondents indicated that an ideal documentation system would be comprehensive, easy and efficient to use, and affordable. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists recognize the importance of documenting patient care services. While the majority of respondents are using paper charts to document patient care services, computerized systems appear to offer advantages over paper charts. This information offers community pharmacists a summary of previous experiences and a starting point when trying to identify or modify a documentation system that would better meet the pharmacies' needs.     

Exploring employer perceptions of pharmacy technician certification in the community pharmacy setting

BackgroundWith the evolving roles of pharmacy technicians in the United States, the profession has attempted to define a national standard. Community pharmacy employers to-date have preferred on-the-job training to formal, accredited training programs or credentialing, however, limited evidence exists on the perceived needs of pharmacy technicians in the United States compared to those of community pharmacy employers.ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to explore: 1) community pharmacy employer perceptions of associated benefits and perceived value of pharmacy technician certification and 2) needs of employers related to pharmacy technician attitudes and knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).MethodsUsing a semi-structured interview guide, researchers interviewed 7 community pharmacy employers within top management teams in a variety of community pharmacy settings. The data were analyzed for themes using the human capital vs. signal theory.ResultsEmployers and managers generally saw both attitude and KSAs as vital to success. However, given a choice between experience and attitude, attitude was preferred. There was general agreement that certified technicians offered more value to their organization, however gaps in certified technician KSAs were noted (i.e., lack of day-to-day practical skills, vaccination screening, motivating patients to change behaviors, patient communication and workflow management).ConclusionsNew emerging directions for certification now exist due to the rapidly shifting pharmacy landscape, which is revolves around new and expanded clinical patient care services. This shifting landscape has exposed gaps, reinforced strengths, and uncovered potential new opportunities and needs related to technician certification.     

Scaling technician product verification: Contextual analysis for developing an implementation strategy for a large community pharmacy chain

ObjectiveTo identify facilitators and barriers of early implementation of a technician product verification (TPV) program in a large community pharmacy chain.MethodsA mixed-methods (surveys, semistructured interviews, and nondisguised direct observation) approach was used to ascertain facilitators and barriers to implementation and to subsequently develop a scalable implementation strategy with the aim to accelerate TPV scalability across a large community pharmacy chain in states where it is permitted. One-on-one staff interviews and observations provided qualitative data to identify facilitators and barriers to TPV. A Web-based survey was used to gather perceptions on a variety of implementation strategies that would make use of identified facilitators and work to overcome identified barriers.ResultsDuring the mixed-method study, 3 key themes emerged: TPV is a complex intervention whose implementation is facilitated by both adaptability and trialability and is highly dependent on state practice regulations; the implementation climate of the pharmacy organization serves as a facilitator to TPV; and individual beliefs about TPV change over time as implementation experience increases.ConclusionTPV is an expansion of the technician role that allows the profession of pharmacy to increase the provision of clinical activities by delegation of a nonclinical-based task. Early adopters of TPV recognize that verification is a task that is increasingly automated by mail-order pharmacies and that verification may no longer be considered a pharmacist task. Pharmacies in this study tended to revert to comfortable, traditional workflow at the first sign of distress. To be successful in the future, TPV should be thought of as the primary workflow procedure and not as an option. TPV is a service that will require staff buy-in, patience, and championship.