Ee Lee Lio, Mari Kannan Maharajan, Kingston Rajiah
{"title":"Perspectives of Malaysian community pharmacists on challenges and barriers to smoking cessation programme: a qualitative study.","authors":"Ee Lee Lio, Mari Kannan Maharajan, Kingston Rajiah","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae066","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Smoking remains a significant public health concern, necessitating effective smoking cessation interventions. This study explores the barriers community pharmacists face in delivering smoking cessation services in Malaysia and potential solutions to improve their contribution to public health.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study employed purposive and snowball sampling to recruit community pharmacists in Malaysia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, exploring pharmacists' perspectives on barriers, counselling approaches, follow-up strategies, and opinions on smoking cessation services. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes and sub-themes.</p><p><strong>Key findings: </strong>Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: barriers, counselling and enhancing follow-up, and pharmacists' opinions on professional fees. Under the theme of barriers, sub-themes included underutilization by the public, poor follow-up by customers, time constraints, lack of educational materials and support, and customer perception. The counselling and enhancing follow-up theme encompassed shared decision-making, motivational intervention, follow-up via phone calls or messaging apps, and providing rebate vouchers. Pharmacists' opinions on professional fees revealed mixed perspectives, with some advocating for fees to recognize the professional service provided, while others expressed concerns about access barriers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Community pharmacists face challenges in delivering smoking cessation services, such as underutilization, poor follow-up, time constraints, and affordability. However, strategies like shared decision-making and proactive communication can enhance effectiveness. Addressing professional fees and collaborative efforts are essential to optimising these services.</p>","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"58-63"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142739341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Why go back?: Advantages and challenges of longitudinal qualitative research in social pharmacy, and recommendations for social pharmacy researchers.","authors":"Pauline Norris, Molly George, Vanda Symon, Shirley Keown, Lauralie Richard, Sandhaya Sandy Bhawan, Rosalina Richards","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae072","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Although most qualitative research is cross-sectional, particularly in social pharmacy/pharmacy practice, there are many advantages of using a longitudinal qualitative research (LQR) design, i.e. re-interviewing participants over a period of time.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This paper describes some advantages and challenges of LQR using our 'Access to Medicines: Exploring Lived Experience to inform policy and programmes' study as an illustration.</p><p><strong>Key findings: </strong>Advantages of LQR include obtaining richer and more complete data, providing a greater understanding of change and lack of change, understanding pathways through complex systems, including people facing difficult social circumstances, and contributing to evaluation research. Challenges to be addressed include the implications of developing friendships with participants, deciding whether to assist participants, maintaining participant anonymity, the impact of the research on the researchers, and how to analyse the large volume of data generated.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We recommend piloting methods before starting a study, considering the resource implications of LQR, planning the analysis in advance, planning for how to deal with developing friendships with participants, considering threats to participant anonymity, and supporting researchers doing fieldwork.</p>","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"113-118"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142822149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F Alves da Costa, F Fernandez-Llimos, S Desselle, I Arnet, Z Babar, C Bond, M Cordina, V Garcia Cardenas, M S El Hajj, R Jacobsen, A V Law, L S Nørgaard, C Polidori, N Shcherbakova, D Stewart, F Tonin, A E Weidmann
{"title":"The International Collaboration of Pharmacy Journal Editors (ICPJE) formally constituted to foster quality around clinical and social pharmacy practice research publications.","authors":"F Alves da Costa, F Fernandez-Llimos, S Desselle, I Arnet, Z Babar, C Bond, M Cordina, V Garcia Cardenas, M S El Hajj, R Jacobsen, A V Law, L S Nørgaard, C Polidori, N Shcherbakova, D Stewart, F Tonin, A E Weidmann","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riaf001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpp/riaf001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":"33 1","pages":"3-5"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143364764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura Moura, Stephane Steurbaut, Helder Mota Filipe, Filipa Alves da Costa
{"title":"Fostering consensus for the implementation of a clinical pharmacy specialization: a nominal group technique approach with pharmacy stakeholders.","authors":"Laura Moura, Stephane Steurbaut, Helder Mota Filipe, Filipa Alves da Costa","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae076","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To explore the need for a specialization in clinical pharmacy and the model to be adopted, as perceived by Portuguese stakeholders.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A nominal group technique through two online meetings addressed four questions: pros and cons of specialization models used internationally; preferred model for Portugal; and success factors for implementation.</p><p><strong>Key findings: </strong>All nine stakeholders recognized the need to train pharmacists in clinical pharmacy and agreed specialization is essential, through a model including strong clinical undergraduate education, supplemented with postgraduate training. The postgraduate component considered most suited comprised a balanced approach to theoretical and practical training, where the relative weigh of theory (20%-60%) could progressively decrease with the implementation of the European directive 2024/782 establishing the minimum training requirements for the professions of pharmacists, where the clinical pharmacy is to be strengthened at the undergraduate level. Success factors for implementing this model include, establishing a regulatory framework for the career and the desired characteristics of the graduates from the postgraduate programme.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study led to a consensus among key Portuguese stakeholders on the model to be adopted for a clinical pharmacy specialization in Portugal and, the information gathered will be used to guide future implementation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"127-130"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142921757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Giselle Amorim Lira, Júlia de Andrade Brandão, Leticia Anderson, Ênio José Bassi
{"title":"Immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients from the perspective of pharmaceutical care: a scoping review.","authors":"Giselle Amorim Lira, Júlia de Andrade Brandão, Leticia Anderson, Ênio José Bassi","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae054","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae054","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cancer treatment has become a significant health challenge, with notable changes in recent years due to increasing knowledge of cancer biology. The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has shown promising results, but they can induce adverse events (AEs), resulting in serious consequences for patients. Pharmaceutical care aims to prevent, identify, and address issues related to medications, such as AEs.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>The objective of this scoping review was to assess the contribution of pharmacists to the intervention and care of cancer patients undergoing treatment with ICIs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies on the treatment of cancer patients treated with ICIs in which pharmacists participated. No time frame or language restriction was applied. Article screening was performed independently by two authors, with any discrepancies resolved by a third author. The studies were analyzed and included in this review following the inclusion and exclusion criteria.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Nine studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Pharmaceutical care encompasses a variety of interventions, including providing guidance to patients and to the multidisciplinary team, monitoring and managing AEs, conducting pharmaceutical consultations, and recommending over-the-counter medications and laboratory tests, among other actions. Pharmaceutical recommendations led to better outcomes regarding AEs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pharmaceutical care has a positive impact on oncological immunotherapy with ICIs, contributing to both health institutions through cost reduction and, most importantly, patients by improving treatment outcomes and enhancing the quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"19-33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142465384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valentina Giunchi, Michele Fusaroli, Elkanah Linder, Johanna Villén, Emanuel Raschi, Carlotta Lunghi, Björn Wettermark, Elisabetta Poluzzi, Marmar Nekoro
{"title":"Environmental sustainability-an essential component of rational use of medicines.","authors":"Valentina Giunchi, Michele Fusaroli, Elkanah Linder, Johanna Villén, Emanuel Raschi, Carlotta Lunghi, Björn Wettermark, Elisabetta Poluzzi, Marmar Nekoro","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae073","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human-use medicines are introduced into surface water throughout their entire life cycle, from manufacturing and consumption to improper disposal, resulting in negative effects on aquatic flora and fauna. Sustainability approaches have addressed this issue, proposing frameworks like the One Health approach. A revised definition of the rational use of medicines has also been proposed, taking into account their environmental sustainability. Building on this updated definition, this paper presents a decision-making flowchart to integrate the assessment of the impact of human medicines on surface water, outlining existing actions and proposing new ones. These actions are categorized into those with primary clinical benefits and those focused solely on environmental concerns. They include both upstream and downstream measures, such as implementing regulations similar to those in the EU and the USA, educating future healthcare practitioners, promoting green pharmacy innovations, and establishing proper disposal practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"102-112"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142909662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ruth A Nona, Robin A Ray, Selina M Taylor, Beverley D Glass
{"title":"Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists providing over-the-counter emergency hormonal contraception: a scoping review.","authors":"Ruth A Nona, Robin A Ray, Selina M Taylor, Beverley D Glass","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae062","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Reducing the rate and impact of unintended pregnancy through effective contraception is a public health goal. Since deregulation, globally, ease of access to community pharmacists has enabled them to play a key role in the provision of emergency hormonal contraceptive pills (ECP). The aim of this scoping review is to explore pharmacists' overall knowledge of and attitudes and practices towards the provision of emergency contraception.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic literature search for the period from 1999 to 2023 was conducted using Scopus, Medline (Ovid), CINAHL, Emcare, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Keywords such as emergency contraception, emergency contraceptive, morning after pill, plan B, pharmacist, community pharmacist, and pharmacy were applied. Articles published only in English that described the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists providing emergency contraception were included in this review.</p><p><strong>Key findings: </strong>Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Despite positive attitudes towards the provision of ECP, there is a clear deficit in both the knowledge and counselling practices of pharmacists, with some pharmacists lacking an open attitude towards the supply of ECP to adolescents and third parties. Usage of a private counselling area ranged from 0% to 90% highlighting privacy for patients seeking ECPs is lacking during consultations. In countries where practice guidelines are available, these are often not being optimally utilized.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This review has highlighted gaps in pharmacists' knowledge and counselling practices, demonstrating shortcomings in pharmacists' education, training, and application of professional practice guidelines. Future research on ECP guidelines is recommended to improve implementation and usability in practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"6-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142644100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dalal Alshatti, Anthony R Cox, Christine Hirsch, Vicky Cheng, Jeff Aston
{"title":"Evaluation of deprescribing services in frail patients: a systematic review.","authors":"Dalal Alshatti, Anthony R Cox, Christine Hirsch, Vicky Cheng, Jeff Aston","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae070","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Deprescribing, a process of dose reduction or withdrawal of inappropriate medication that no longer has benefit, is a proposed intervention in the care of older adults living with frailty.</p><p><strong>Objective/aim: </strong>To evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and clinical impact of deprescribing services in frail patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic literature search was performed in November 2023 using Scopus, CINAHL PLUS (EBSCO), MEDLINE (OVID and EMBASE), and Cochrane Library. The Mixed Methods Appraisal tool was used for appraising the methodological quality of the included papers. Studies were selected after title, abstract, and full-text screening, with independent review. Thematic analysis was used for analysing data from the selected articles.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five hundred ninety unique titles were identified, with nine (six trials, one interview, one survey, and one designed-delay study) meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria. Four main descriptive themes have been identified: challenges of deprescribing in frailty, facilitators of deprescribing in frailty, deprescribing processes in current practice in frail patients, and deprescribing outcomes. Additionally, two analytical themes have been identified: safety and quality.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A number of issues have been highlighted that impact the implementation of deprescribing services in frail patients. Currently, there is limited evidence showing strong benefits of such deprescribing services, such as reducing the number of potentially inappropriate medications and medication costs.</p>","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"34-44"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142824067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rached Al Atassi, Wing Shun Chan, Zivile Jurjonaite, Rahel Kahsay, Emily Samson, Matthew D Jones
{"title":"Validity and reliability of a method to estimate the potential harm of medication errors by considering both the likelihood and degree of harm.","authors":"Rached Al Atassi, Wing Shun Chan, Zivile Jurjonaite, Rahel Kahsay, Emily Samson, Matthew D Jones","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae074","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To develop a tool to 'risk score' the potential harm of a medication error by estimating the probability of a range of potential consequences, and assess its feasibility, validity, and reliability.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The risk score tool described five levels of potential harm developed from an existing risk matrix. Judges estimated the likelihood of harm matching each level, from which a risk score (0-10) was calculated. Thirty judges (doctors, nurses, and pharmacists) used this risk score and the existing Dean and Barber scale to estimate the potential harm of 50 medication errors, 15 with a known outcome. Two weeks later, the judges re-scored ten of the errors. Reliability was investigated using generalizability theory.</p><p><strong>Key findings: </strong>Fifty medication errors were judged in a mean of 49 minutes with ≤0.7% missing data. There were no significant differences in the judges' rating of the realism and ease of use of the two tools. Fifty-nine per cent of judges preferred the risk score tool. For both tools, there was a clear relationship between mean score and known outcomes, with no overlap between outcome categories, confirming discriminative validity. The correlation between scores from both tools (R2 = 0.99) confirmed the concurrent criterion validity of the risk score. For both tools, at least three judges would need to score an error to obtain a generalizability coefficient of ≥0.8 using the mean score as an indicator of potential harm.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The risk score was feasible, valid, and reliable. Its performance was comparable with, but did not exceed, the Dean and Barber scale.</p>","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"81-87"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142871978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Directive of the minimum training requirements for pharmacists: a lost opportunity to incorporate One Health into the training of future pharmacists?","authors":"Saioa Domingo-Echaburu, Zuriñe Abajo, Gorka Orive, Unax Lertxundi","doi":"10.1093/ijpp/riae075","DOIUrl":"10.1093/ijpp/riae075","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14284,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pharmacy Practice","volume":" ","pages":"122-123"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142894515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}