Training needs analysis for pharmacy technicians in Northern Ireland

□ No structured post‐qualification training programme for pharmacy technicians is available in Northern Ireland and research was conducted to assess current training needs □ A number of research strategies was employed during the training needs analysis including: observational visits, surveys, in‐depth interviews and focus groups □ Details relating to the current role, deployment, qualifications held and post‐qualification training of technicians were obtained during the research □ The need for a structured post‐qualification training programme was highlighted and a number of suitable areas for inclusion in such a programme were identified (eg, supervisory skills, communication skills, medicines management, aseptic technique and information technology) □ It is recommended that a training programme is introduced and that resources are provided to allow this to happen     

Implementing a system for tackling under‐eporting of adverse drug reactions within a district general hospital

□ The aim of the project was to produce a sustainable, stimulating ongoing programme to improve adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting rates □ Baseline review revealed a serious shortfall in ADR reports within City Hospitals Sunderland Trust □ A variety of educational tools was employed to ensure retention of information by hospital staff □ Novel methods of promotion were implemented via short‐term, high impact awareness weeks together with continuous advertising     

Developing an R&D agenda for pharmacy workforce research

□ A consultation exercise was conducted to identify and prioritise the research agenda on the pharmacy workforce □ A two‐ound Delphi technique was employed for the main study □ People from all sectors of the profession were invited to contribute their views on what research should be carried out □ Ninety per cent of respondents agreed that the top priority for research was to “identify the levels, causes and implications of turnover among different cohorts of pharmacists” □ The need to take forward aspects of the proposed programme is now a matter of some urgency for the profession and the National Health Service     

Integrating the community pharmacist into the diabetes team: evaluation of a new care model for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus

□ Diabetes is a major public health issue affecting 3 per cent of the population □ Integration of the pharmacist into the multidisciplinary care of patients with chronic conditions is supported by the profession and the government □ Community pharmacists engaging with their established customers and access to relevant data can, through use of a systematic process, identify the pharmaceutical needs of this patient group □ The model of care proposed is feasible in a primary care setting, resulting in acceptance of pharmaceutical care issues general practitioners and an improvement in patient care     

Patients' perspectives on medicines and pharmacy: views of patients with Type 2 diabetes

□ The study was conducted to inform the design of pharmaceutical care support to patients with Type 2 diabetes – a recognised health care priority and a target for new pharmacy initiatives □ Interviews in an outpatient clinic revealed an apparent lack of patient‐pharmacist communication and low patient expectations □ Some patients felt a lack of feedback about the results of clinic checks and what they meant for disease control □ Patient information leaflets were not consistently seen as meeting patients' needs for information and advice □ Patients' experiences can be used to develop the role of community pharmacy services within the health care team effort     

Medianes management and the individual patient

□ For medicines management to fulfil its aim of partnership with patients, the individual patient's perspective needs to be examined □ Study uses discursive analysis of in depth interviews of hypertensive patients to highlight individual patients' experience of hypertension □ Findings suggest that patients may consider condition and care differently than health care professional □ Evaluation of medication may not be completely explained by the clinical paradigm of risk/benefit □ Concordance may be more difficult to achieve in the early stages of treatment.     

From compliance to concordance: meeting the needs of patients?

□ Compliance has come under increasing criticism as a means by which to organise health care interactions and interest has been expressed in a new model termed concordance □ This research set out to explore the relevance of compliance and concordance to a group of Pakistani people with Type 2 diabetes and the health professionals involved in their care □ Both patients and health professionals remained wedded, to some degree, to traditional notions of compliance with health care instructions □ However, some patients expressed a desire for greater understanding of the practical problems of living with Type 2 diabetes and integrating the regimen into their lives □ On the basis of these findings, it may be more appropriate to link concordance to an approach which seeks to sensitively elicit patients narratives as a basis for shared understanding.     

Clinical medication review by a pharmacist of patients on repeat prescriptions in general practice

□ The government proposes an extension to pharmacists' role to medicine management, including services such as medication review □ We found that pharmacist‐conducted clinical medication review identified medication related problems in nearly half of the patients seen and a quarter of medicines reviewed □ Pharmacist‐conducted clinical medication review is effective in identifying clinical issues related to patients' repeat medication and recommendations are accepted by general practitioners □ There are education and training issues for pharmacy if this model is to be accepted more widely. The pharmacist will need to be part of the primary health care team with access to medical records     

Working alongside nursing staff to review medication in nursing homes

□ Pharmacists performed medication reviews in nursing homes using the nursing staff as a source of information □ Lack of access to medical records did hamper the review but was not the main reason for non‐implementation □ The recommendations were more likely to be implemented if further clinical information was supplied to the general practitioner □ All of the pharmacists, all of the nursing staff responding and a majority of the GPs who responded wished to see the project continue □ Future training of community pharmacists should focus on “how to review”.     

Compliance,concordance and the revolving door of care: caring for elderly people with mental health problems

□ The project involved community pharmacists receiving specialised training, becoming integrated into the community mental health teams and providing pharmaceutical care when making joint domiciliary visits with the key workers. □ Community pharmacists, psychiatrists and key workers all wanted the project to develop into a service and had similar views about the general benefits of the study. However, they had contrasting expectations of the project, based on their own perspectives on compliance, concordance and models of care □ The key workers valued the provision of monitored dosage systems for patients with confusion or memory problems. But the pharmacists felt that they were being expected to organise compliance aids; they recognised that it was their role to assess complaince and that other measures could be taken before organising an MDS □ The psychiatrists stated that involuntary non‐compliance with medication, arising from confusion, memory and physical problems, was a major issue and the project had made improvements in this area; they wanted to keep patients in the community and particularly valued reductions in morbidity, relapses and the “revolving door of care”     

Pharmaceutical information exchange between primary and secondary health care professionals and cancer patients

□ No single professional takes overall responsibility for the pharmaceutical aspects of cancer patient care □ Information given to cancer patients by health care professionals (HCPs) varies depending on the priority of the professional □ Cancer patients primarily approach primary care HCPs for help and advice for their medication □ Training and support must be available to enable HCPs to address individual cancer patients' information needs.     

A novel approach for teaching aseptic processing to pharmacy undergraduates

□ Aseptic processing is a fundamental skill required of pharmacy graduates □ Traditional one‐to‐one teaching is not possible with the expanding numbers of undergraduates □ An original computer‐aided learning package was written to aid teaching aseptic processing to pharmacy undergraduates □ The students valued the CAL package as an aid in preparation for practical exercises, but would have preferred more feedback on the questions asked □ Funds have been secured to enable improvements in the CAL package, allowing assessment of questions and better interactivity.     

A search for socio‐economic influences in behaviour and attitudes to medicines available for self‐medication and NHS prescription

□ Variations in medicines purchased for pain relief and dyspepsia in areas with contrasting socio‐economic characteristics mirror morbidity and mortality data for the localities □ A higher overall use of medicines, both purchased and prescribed, was found in the more socially “deprived” area □ Purchasers of medicines in the “deprived” area were more frequent users of these medicines □ Purchasers of medicines in the “deprived” area were more likely to be taking concurrent prescribed medication.     

Medical students’ training needs and attitudes on substance abuse: implications for medical education in Greece

Abstract

The present study is concerned with the outcomes from a training programme on addiction counselling addressed to medical students in Greece. The programme is the result of a collaborative curriculum development between KETHEA, a drug treatment organisation for heroin addicts, and HeLMSIC, a human rights organisation of medical students in Greece. The programme was developed as a response to the absence of relevant courses within the medical schools in this country. The study presents the local context in relation to heroin use, access to treatment and training curricula. The study also presents a small-scale research conducted on medical students’ beliefs and attitudes about their understanding about drug use. Research findings suggest that actions towards developing a holistic learning framework comprising core elements about drug use treatment and recovery are important for a better response to the needs of drug users and heroin addicts in Greece.     

Headache experiences and medication use in primary care

□ A survey was used to examine headache experiences and medication use in an adult population sample □ Seventy per cent had experienced headaches in the previous three months □ Sixty per cent had taken medication for headache in the past three months □ Most headache sufferers self‐treated their headaches □ Only a few respondents had taken medication before headache pain started or had found their medication ineffective, but combination therapy was common.