Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice最新文献

{"title":"Reconstructing the professional role of pharmacists in China from the perspective of public value theory: challenges and institutional pathways.","authors":"Kexin Han, Shushan Wu, Fanghui Lin, Xiaoyan Nie, Luwen Shi, Xiaodong Guan","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2654488","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2654488","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>China's transition toward people-centered health governance has highlighted the essential role of pharmacists in ensuring rational medication use and protecting public health. However, pharmacists' professional roles remain fragmented across institutional, social, and regulatory dimensions. Drawing on public value theory, this study examines the structural and cognitive misalignments constraining pharmacist professionalisation in China and situates these challenges within an international context.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study employed a literature-based conceptual analysis informed by public value theory. National laws, administrative regulations, policy documents, and scholarly studies were reviewed to examine how public value - specifically value consensus, legitimacy and support, and operational capacity - is reflected in pharmacist governance. Evidence from existing empirical studies was integrated to illustrate gaps in public cognition, administrative coordination, and professional self-identity, with their scope and limitations qualitatively appraised.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three interrelated challenges were identified. First, fragmented administrative governance across regulatory bodies leads to inconsistent legal definitions, unclear role boundaries, and limited institutional authority for pharmacists, particularly in clinical decision-making and medication therapy management. Second, public awareness of pharmacists' professional value is insufficient; survey evidence indicates that patients largely associate pharmacists with dispensing or sales functions, leading to low social demand for pharmaceutical care and inadequate legitimacy for role expansion. Third, pharmacists demonstrate inconsistent professional self-identification: many hospital pharmacists prioritise logistical tasks, while most community pharmacists remain oriented toward commercial rather than patient-centered service roles. Together, these structural, cognitive, and professional gaps undermine value consensus, legitimacy, and operational capacity within the pharmacist ecosystem.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Advancing pharmacist professionalisation in China requires integrated legislation and cross-sectoral governance, enhanced public communication and health literacy, and strengthened professional competencies supported by adequate incentives. These findings echo international experiences, highlighting pharmacist professionalisation as a shared global governance challenge rather than a China-specific issue.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2654488"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13081338/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147699148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strengthening pharmacovigilance through patient reporting: a scoping review of awareness, barriers, and facilitators.","authors":"Adeel Aslam, Hafizah Abdul Majid, Nimra Muhammad Boota, Asma Ghulam Mustafa, Sumera Saeed Akhtar","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2651405","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2651405","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) significantly impact global healthcare systems, yet patient participation in pharmacovigilance remains underutilised. This scoping review synthesises evidence on patient awareness, barriers, and facilitators for ADR reporting to inform strategies for enhancing pharmacovigilance systems.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following the Arksey and O'Malley framework, we conducted a scoping review of studies published up to 2025 across PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full texts, extracted data, and synthesised findings using thematic and descriptive analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,420 articles were identified, of which 42 studies from 25 countries met the inclusion criteria. Most employed quantitative descriptive designs (n = 27), followed by mixed-methods (n = 7) and qualitative approaches (n = 5). Sample sizes ranged from 15 participants to over 500,000 ADR reports from national databases. Data collection methods included questionnaires, interviews, and electronic surveys, while six studies analysed secondary data from pharmacovigilance systems such as VigiBase and the Yellow Card Scheme. Key barriers included limited knowledge, complex reporting processes, and a lack of feedback, whereas facilitators included healthcare professional support and simplified, user-friendly platforms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Patient reporting is hindered by systemic and educational gaps, especially in LMICs. Strategic interventions, such as simplified reporting mechanisms, nationwide awareness campaigns, digital tool integration, and healthcare provider training, are critical to empower patients as active pharmacovigilance contributors. Future efforts must prioritise culturally tailored approaches and equitable access to reporting infrastructure.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2651405"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13072706/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147690736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do conditional marketing authorisations actually accelerate patient access? Time-to-access of conditional vs. standard marketing authorisations in Italy, Spain, and Germany.","authors":"Vittoria Ardito, Lasse Falk, Montserrat Gasol Boncompte, Caridad Pontes, James Robinson, Jonas Schreyögg, Oriana Ciani","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2651404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2651404","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The European Medicines Agency (EMA) implemented 'fast-track' programmes, like conditional marketing authorisations (CMA), where the benefits of immediate drugs' availability outweigh the risks associated with incomplete evidence. However, payers in the European Union (EU) decide on medicines' coverage based on clinical benefits assessment, cost-effectiveness and/or budget impact. We investigated differences in the time-to-access of drugs approved via CMA vis-à-vis standard marketing authorisation (SMA) in Italy, Germany, and Spain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>CMA-licenced drugs from 2006 to 2022 were retrieved and matched with comparable SMA drugs. Collected data were as follows: marketing authorisation details, drug characteristics, pivotal trials' characteristics and national reimbursement decision dates. Data sources included European Public Assessment Reports, and country-specific databases (Farmadati®, Lauer-Taxe®, BIFIMED).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CMA drugs take longer, in days, to reach reimbursement compared to SMA drugs both in Italy (CMA: median 523, mean 635, standard deviation (SD 364; SMA: median 455, mean 497, SD 242) and Spain (CMA: median 691, mean 779, SD 456; SMA: median 534, mean 568, SD 273). Cox regressions and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses corroborate these findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The EMA's intent to accelerate access to promising medicines may be offset by longer timelines to secure national reimbursement in major EU nations.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2651404"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13072672/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147690739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital health literacy as a predictor of patient safety culture: evidence from a multi-centre study of Jordanian nurses.","authors":"Nadia Al Mazrouei, Khalid Awad Al-Kubaisi, Derar H Abdel-Qader, Abduelmula R Abduelkarem, Karem H Alzoubi, Moh'D Ahmad Shara, Richard Mottershead","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2650578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2650578","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The digitalisation of healthcare requires nurses to possess strong Digital Health Literacy (DHL) to ensure patient safety. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between DHL and perceptions of PSC among registered nurses in Jordan and to identify the demographic and professional factors associated with varying levels of DHL.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A multi-center, cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to September 2025 across five public, private, and university-affiliated hospitals in Jordan. A sample of 500 registered nurses was recruited using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a validated, seven-part composite questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha), and structural equation modelling.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results confirmed the study's primary hypothesis, revealing a significant and strong positive predictive relationship between DHL and PSC (<i>β</i> = 0.42, <i>p</i> < 0.001), with DHL explaining 28.1% of the variance in PSC. Nurses reported moderately high DHL overall (<i>M</i> = 3.28), with strengths in operational skills but lower confidence in evaluating information reliability. Perceptions of patient safety culture were positive (<i>M</i> = 3.71), with Teamwork Climate rated highest (<i>M</i> = 4.21) and Perceptions of Management lowest (<i>M</i> = 3.34). Significant disparities in DHL were found; higher levels of education (<i>p</i> < .001) and working in a university-affiliated hospital (<i>p</i> = 0.001) were associated with higher competency. Notably, no significant differences were observed based on age or years of experience. Lack of adequate training and insufficient time were identified as the primary organisational barriers to technology use.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Digital health literacy was significantly associated with better patient safety culture among Jordanian nurses, driven more by organisational and educational factors than generational stereotypes. To realise the safety benefits of digital health investments, institutions should strengthen nurses' digital and critical appraisal skills and remove organisational barriers.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2650578"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13072690/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147690761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The registration status of maternal, newborn, and child health medical products: evidence from 9 countries.","authors":"Jane Briggs, Kate Kikule, Helena Walkowiak, Javier Guzman, Martha Embrey, Helen Petach, Jeremie Fikiri, John Patrick Mwesigye, Abul Kalam Azad, Juliet Sanyu Namugambe, Raphael Shedafa, Birna Trap, Abdoul Karim Goita, Eliangiringa Kaale","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2635754","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2635754","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Registration challenges in resource-limited countries can compromise the availability of life-saving maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) medical products - quality-assured generic products may not be registered or renewed.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To identify barriers, we assessed the registration status of MNCH tracer medicines in 9 countries through document review and interviewed country regulators and 11 pharmaceutical manufacturers using structured questionnaires.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>On average, 72% of the tracer medicines had at least one registered product across the 9 countries (ranging from 28% to 100%). Some countries only had one or two registered products for some MNCH tracer medicines. Five countries had not registered any of the four World Health Organization-prequalified products. The average registration timeline ranged from six months to four years due to national regulatory authority backlogs and complicated procedures. Only two countries officially recognised regulatory decisions from other countries' Good Manufacturing Practices inspections. No country had formal processes embedded in legislative provisions to prioritise and expedite registration of essential MNCH medical products.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Solutions to registration impediments involve legal, organisational, and procedural changes. MNCH medicines have specific challenges including low profit margins due to the ease of production and variety of manufacturers; additionally, an inconvenient registration process is a disincentive for manufacturers. Likewise, procurers who are more price than quality conscious may not procure costlier prequalified medicines. Registration catalysts include streamlining the process with electronic management information systems providing market information, maintaining qualified staffing, and emphasising reliance on and recognition of other regulatory authority decisions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Some life-saving MNCH products are not available because national registration processes are flawed. Consequently, governments and donors must invest in changes to streamline procedures to register vital medicines to protect the health of women and children. To maximise health outcomes, countries should prioritise the registration of products of public health importance, including MNCH medicines.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2635754"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13072682/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147690758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rarely listed essential medicines in 158 national lists.","authors":"Moizza Zia Ul Haq, Camila Heredia, Amal Rizvi, Aine Workentin, Nav Persaud","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2637398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2637398","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Health needs are relatively similar across the planet as there are few conditions that are truly unique to one region or country, and most conditions are common around the world. Differences in health needs do not explain differences in national essential medicines lists. Factors other than health needs may well lead different countries to select different medicines. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe medicines listed by only a small number of countries.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using the Global Essential Medicines database of NEMLs that was updated in 2023 and 2025, we identified medicines listed by 2 or fewer countries that were not listed on the 2023 World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines. We characterized these rare medicines and their indications based on information obtained from the NEMLs that listed them, and also performed literature searches for each rarely listed medicine. We also identified which countries listed many rare medicines (5 or more) and performed literature searches to explore possible explanations for them being rarely listed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified 460 rarely listed essential medicines, including 317 medicines that were listed in the NEML of only one country, and 143 medicines that were listed by two countries. A total of 83 countries listed at least one rare medicine, including 30 countries that listed many (5 or more) rarely listed medicines and 53 that listed few rare medicines. Countries that listed many rare medicines included Greece, Australia, and the Russian Federation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Certain medicines are prioritized for access in just one or two countries, and some countries list many such medicines. Further work is needed to understand why certain medicines are rarely listed and whether changes to lists are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2637398"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13040568/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147609288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nationwide trends in psychiatric prescription practices for drugs with putative cognitive adverse effects in schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorders from 2013 to 2022.","authors":"Nathan Vidal, Solène Frileux, Nadia Younès, Emmanuelle Corruble, Christine Passerieux, Eric Brunet-Gouet, Paul Roux","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2650543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2650543","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The management of schizophrenia spectrum (SZ) and bipolar disorders (BD) can involve psychotropic polypharmacy, high psychotropic doses, a high anticholinergic burden, and the use of anticholinergic agents and benzodiazepines, which are associated with poorer cognitive performance. We evaluated trends in those prescription practices in adult outpatients with SZ or BD between 2013 and 2022, to guide future treatment guidelines and interventions for improving cognition.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed a retrospective longitudinal analysis of the nationwide French health claims database. We identified the deliveries of psychotropic drugs (antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antiepileptics) occurring between 2013 and 2022. We estimated mixed-effects linear regression models of the number of psychotropics prescribed, the total daily dose/DDD of psychotropics, cumulative anticholinergic burden, and the frequencies of benzodiazepine and anticholinergic agent use across diagnoses and age groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Between 2013 and 2022, we measured small but significant declines in the number (<i>β</i> between -0.006 and -0.031) and dose of psychotropic drugs (<i>β</i> between -0.003 and -0.029) and the frequency of benzodiazepine use (<i>β</i> between -0.26% and -0.88%) within most groups. The use of anticholinergic agents decreased in adults with SZ but not BD, and the anticholinergic burden remained globally constant. In 2022, 42.1% adults with BD and 49.4% with SZD had at least once a high anticholinergic burden due to psychotropic drugs. Most trends towards deprescription halted after 2020.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The slight decrease in the number and total dose of psychotropic drugs and the deliveries of benzodiazepines from 2013 to 2022 suggest a better consideration of adverse effects in adults with SZ or BD. However, the use of anticholinergic agents and the anticholinergic burden did not consistently decrease, suggesting that prescribers fail to reduce anticholinergic burden. Efforts to support deprescribing are further required after the pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2650543"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13040571/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147609198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From supply to strategy: leveraging central medical stores experiences and information for health system strengthening.","authors":"Maria-Belen Tarrafeta-Sayas, Christophe Rerat, Sophie Pilon, Mieja Vola Rakotonarivo, Louis Dèhoumon Koukpemedji, Serge Yapo, Rachel Duncan, Danielle Hodjo, Landry Stéphane Baki, Aser Minoungou, Raffaella Ravinetto","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2649302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2649302","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The availability and affordability of essential medicines and other health products are critical to building resilient health systems and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In many Francophone African countries, Central Medical Stores (CMS) play a key role in procuring and distributing medicines for the public sector. As such, they generate first-hand data and knowledge on availability, pricing, and the performance of national supply chains. This Comment argues that CMS should be recognised not only as technical providers, but as strategic partners in national pharmaceutical policy and health system governance. Despite their constraints and the challenging environments in which they operate, CMS routinely generate supply-chain data that often remain underused beyond day-to-day operations. Where existing data sources on access to medicines are incomplete or unavailable, CMS data can help fill key gaps and inform planning, monitoring, and policy decisions. To operationalise this shift, we propose strengthening CMS analytical and policy-interface capacity and formalising collaboration and governance mechanisms with Ministries of Health and partners.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2649302"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13037131/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147592828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Public contributions to the development of antibiotics: two successful and two failed investments.","authors":"Louise Schmidt, Ozren Sehic, Ursula Theuretzbacher, Claudia Wild","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2643309","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2643309","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The aim is to showcase a detailed analysis of the contribution of public funding to two successful (gepotidacin and zoliflodacin) and two failed (epetraborole and ridnilazole) public sector investments in antibiotic development, using a previously developed and refined framework.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Detailed development histories of four products were constructed using information gathered from publicly available sources. Then searches were carried out on funding sources using press releases, investor reports, annual reports, patents and scientific publications. The framework for classifying public contributions was applied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The two successful antibiotics received a significant amount of public funding: $519 million for gepotidacin and $281 million for zoliflodacin. Whilst the two unsuccessful antibiotics received considerably smaller sums from public or philanthropic sources ($85 million for ridinilazole and $18 million for epetraborole). The development trajectories of the two successful antibiotics notably demonstrate that market forces alone were insufficient for their completion. Despite promising clinical results, these products faced potential abandonment and were only advanced through substantial public funding and robust public-private partnerships. National research funding agencies emerged as the predominant source of support. In terms of absolute levels of funding, public private partnerships were the largest single contributors to total R&D contributions in three of the four cases. Specific funding amounts were least likely to be traceable for charitable/philanthropic contributions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Using our established methodology for source identification and funder classification, we uncovered compelling evidence of the essential role played by public and philanthropic funding in antibiotic development. However, there is a significant amount of missing funds-related information. The work we have done on identifying sources for funding can be referenced in support pharmaceutical price negotiations to better reflect the level of public contribution to product development.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2643309"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13034705/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147592892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pharmacists' implicit bias in suicide screening of male patients: an experimental vignette study.","authors":"Joseph A Carpini, Shokran Al Hassona, Alain Chai, Ray Darma, Eli Mwambi, Liza Seubert, Rhonda Clifford, Deena Ashoorian","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2639976","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20523211.2026.2639976","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Suicide, a leading yet preventable cause of death, disproportionately affects males and sexual minorities. Community pharmacists, given their expanding scope of practice, are well-positioned to screen for suicide risk; however, there is limited research examining how implicit bias may influence suicide screening. This study aims to examine implicit bias in the screening of potentially suicidal men based on perceived sexual orientation and subgroup membership as well as between registered pharmacists and pharmacy students/interns.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A between subject experimental vignette design was used to assess implicit bias whereby the sexual orientation of the presenting patient was manipulated (straight vs gay) as well as subgroup membership for the gay category (twink vs bear). Each participant was presented with a random vignette describing a male patient with signs of potential suicide (physical symptoms and verbal). Participants reported their likelihood of screening the patient for suicide using the validated ASQ.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants (<i>N</i> = 155) reported their propensity to screen for suicide, with results suggesting implicit bias amongst registered but not student/intern pharmacists. Specifically, registered pharmacists were less likely to screen a straight male relative to a gay male. Suicide screening bias occurred against straight males when compared to both twinks and bears. Pharmacists did not discriminate between twinks and bears when screening.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Results suggest pharmacists may minimise suicidal indicators amongst straight men, resulting in inaccurate risk assessments that may impede the identification and referral of at-risk patients to support systems. These results are concerning because men die by suicide at a higher rate than comparison groups such as women. Suicide prevention training, including recognising and diminishing implicit bias, is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"19 1","pages":"2639976"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13021017/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147574611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}