Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Mar 2021
ReviewA global evidence review of systemic factors influencing participation in pharmacy professional development activities.
Changes to the pharmacy profession have meant that a pharmacy degree can no longer serve as an endpoint to professional training within pharmacy. Continuing learning and training are imperative in order to provide high-quality healthcare services. Investing in healthcare workers' education and training not only has a positive impact on employment rates and economic growth but also results in remarkable improvement in health and population outcomes. ⋯ Understanding the connection between needs-based education, systems of support, and professional policies may help leaders and policy makers to make more informed decisions with regards to pharmacy workforce development by creating better strategies for pharmacists' education, training, and career development.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
ReviewPharmacy Emergency Preparedness and Response (PEPR): a proposed framework for expanding pharmacy professionals' roles and contributions to emergency preparedness and response during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Pharmacists have long been involved in public health and emergency preparedness and response (EP&R), including through preventive measures such as screening, vaccinations, testing, medical and pharmaceutical countermeasures, as well as ensuring medication safety and access during natural disasters and pandemics. Pharmacy professionals are considered essential partners in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Community and hospital pharmacies are expanding services and hours to provide essential services, putting pharmacists and their co-workers at the frontlines for patient care and safety to improve public health. In addition, pharmacy professionals are increasingly integrating into global, national, state and local EP&R efforts, including into interprofessional teams, such as Medical Reserve Corps (MRCs). However, lacunae exist for further integration of pharmacists into public health and safety initiatives. There are increasing opportunities and recommendations that should be expanded upon to provide improved patient care and population health interventions, and to ensure healthcare worker and public health safety. ⋯ Pharmacists and pharmacy professionals have been at the frontlines in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, challenges remain, such as limited availability of personal protection equipment, high risk of infectious exposures inherent in healthcare professions, and legislative hurdles resulting in lack of provider status and related reimbursements. Recommendations to enhance pharmacy's scope as public health professionals involved in EP&R include targeted training and education on key framework areas and policymaking. Pharmacy professionals should further integrate with interdisciplinary public health teams. Additional research and dissemination on impacts and outcomes of EP&R can enhance recognition of pharmacy professionals' contribution and value during public health emergencies. The proposed PEPR Framework can be utilized to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate results in order to strengthen existing efforts and to establish new initiatives in EP&R.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
ReviewCommunity Pharmacists: On the frontline of health service against COVID-19 in LMICs.
The COVID-19 outbreak is a global public health crisis which has affected healthcare practice across professions. In the context of this pandemic, there is a need to highlight the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists. ⋯ This have led to significant changes in the health systems of many countries. This article seeks to highlight additional roles and activities relating to the public health response that can be undertaken by community pharmacists that could help to reduce pressure on general practice and other areas of the health service.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
ReviewMedication management and adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives and experiences from low-and middle-income countries.
The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is placing a huge strain on health systems worldwide. Suggested solutions like social distancing and lockdowns in some areas to help contain the spread of the virus may affect special patient populations like those with chronic illnesses who are unable to access healthcare facilities for their routine care and medicines management. ⋯ This paper highlights the pharmaceutical care practices of community pharmacists for patients with chronic diseases during this pandemic. This would provide support for the call by the WHO to maintain essential services during the pandemic, in order to prevent non-COVID disease burden on healthcare systems particularly in low-and middle-income countries.
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Res Social Adm Pharm · Jan 2021
ReviewFighting against COVID-19: Innovative strategies for clinical pharmacists.
Clinical pharmacists' routine task is carrying out pharmaceutical care to ensure patients' safe and reasonable medication use. However, under public health emergencies, such as the outbreak of COVID-19, the work strategies of clinical pharmacists need to be modified according to the rapid spread of the disease, where information and resources are usually lack to guide them. ⋯ Facing public health emergencies, clinical pharmacists can give full play to their professional expertise, analyze the current situation rationally, formulate telehealth strategies swiftly, and work in a united and efficient manner to provide innovative pharmacy services to ensure medication safety and rational use of medicine.