Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice最新文献

{"title":"Person-centred care in pharmacy: time to walk the talk.","authors":"Tarik Al-Diery, Farhat Naz Hussain","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2511152","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2511152","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Person-centred care is widely recognised as a cornerstone of collaborative practice, which emphasises the patient at the centre of the larger interprofessional team. However, emerging research continues to highlight gaps in the pharmacy professions' ability to practice person-centred care, owning to ambiguities in its understandings, as well as a risk-averse culture that positions pharmacists as gatekeepers of medication information rather than as proactive collaborators who engage and co-design care with patients. To meet the evolving needs of the healthcare sector, pharmacists must embed person-centred care as a defining element of their professional identity. This requires strengthening foundational education and training, fostering self-reflective and self-awareness practice, and rethinking organisational processes through targeted advocacy that affirms the pharmacist's integral role within multidisciplinary teams. By doing so, pharmacy can more effectively contribute to optimising health outcomes and delivering truly person-centred care.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2511152"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12128123/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144208743","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":"Building resilience together: actionable solutions to tackle workforce challenges and the climate crisis' impact on health systems within the commonwealth.","authors":"Grace Grange, Amy Hai Yan Chan, David N Jones, Beth Ward, Helena Rosado, Victoria Rutter","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2501076","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2501076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The emerging threats facing healthcare systems are becoming increasingly challenging to manage, from climate change effects to overburdened healthcare systems. Fundamental changes to the way that health systems develop and work together are needed to build resilience and ensure that they can withstand and continue to deliver effective care, despite emerging threats. These themes were the focus of the 2024 Commonwealth Civil Society Policy Forum, which brought together members of the Commonwealth Health Professions and Partners Alliance. The forum theme was centred on 'Actionable Solutions to Building Resilience in Healthcare Systems within the Commonwealth, with an Emphasis on Small and Vulnerable States'. Given the broad network of governmental, non-governmental and civil society organisations across all continents within the Commonwealth, this platform is ideally placed to tackle these global challenges. The purpose of the forum was to develop and agree on key recommendations to take forward to the 2024 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting to advocate for policy change. Speakers emphasised the Civil Society's role in strengthening health systems and urged policymakers to consider, in a global context, the highest priority issues. Six recommendations were agreed upon: Addressing the effects of climate change on health.Strengthening Health Emergency Capacities.Leveraging workforce capability to support health across the whole-life course.Bringing younger and older generations together.Addressing sustainable availability and employment of healthcare workers.Developing a resilient health workforce.Civil Society must act as a catalyst for change to build and strengthen healthcare resilience by working collaboratively through innovation, community engagement, promoting equality and diversity and sharing best practice. These six recommendations are a call to action for all civil societies. Through collective action, these principles can be adopted to strengthen every area of healthcare systems to ensure health security and efficiency for our populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2501076"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12128119/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144208741","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":"Educational intervention impact assessment on pharmacovigilance knowledge, attitude and practice among hospital pharmacy practitioners in Dubai.","authors":"Sawsan Shanableh, Hadzliana Zainal, Muaed Alomar, Subish Palaian","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2509223","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2509223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study aimed to assess the impact of a self-developed educational intervention on the knowledge, attitude, practice, barriers, and facilitators of pharmacovigilance (PV) among hospital pharmacists in Dubai.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Pharmacists from three hospitals attended an education intervention (PowerPoint presentation and hands-on session) on PV and were continuously followed up using WhatsApp for 6 months. The module's impact was assessed using a questionnaire at baseline, 3, and 6 months post-intervention. The median (IQR) scores of the individual Likert-type questions were compared with the demographic variables using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests, correlation using Spearman's test and Pearson's R (Interval by Interval) test, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was used compare the pre-post scores at alpha = 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 60 participants, upon intervention, the total knowledge scores improved from 14 (12-15)/18 at baseline to 17 (16-18) at 3 months, <i>p</i> = <0.001, and 18 (17-18) at 6 months, <i>p</i> = <0.001, the attitude scores improved from 25 (23-26)/30 at baseline to 27 (26-29) at 3 months, <i>p</i> = <0.001, and 28 (27-29) at 6 months, <i>p</i> = <0.001, and the practice score improved from 9 (7-11)/24 at baseline to 9.5 (8-11) at 3 months, <i>p</i> = <0.001, and 10 (8-11) at 6 months, <i>p</i> = <0.001. Similar improvements were seen for factors encouraging ADR reporting and minimisation of barriers. The intervention had a significant impact on enhancing the knowledge of participants with age groups of 20-29 and 30-39 as indicated by the results of the Spearman correlation test (<i>p</i> = 0.001(r = 0.854), <i>p</i> = 0.003 (r = 0.468)) respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study findings highlighted that educational intervention effectively enhances knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacovigilance among hospital pharmacists. Though the first of its kind this study outcome could have been influenced by external factors interfering with the outcome measures. Upon customisation, this module can be utilised by health professionals to improve pharmacovigilance practices in their settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2509223"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12128130/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144208742","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 nature of inquiries and responses in clinical pharmacy teleconsultation service: a retrospective study from Türkiye.","authors":"Aysel Pehlivanli, Hilal Akyel, Beril Kadioglu-Yaman, Bilgen Basgut","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2509860","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2509860","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Clinical pharmacy services play a critical role in enhancing patient care and effectively managing drug-related problems in hospital settings. Clinical pharmacy teleconsultation services have demonstrated promising results in improving medication safety, reducing adverse drug reactions, and supporting physicians in clinical decision-making. The aim of this study is to examine the integration and implementation of a clinical pharmacy teleconsultation service at a university hospital in Türkiye.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective study evaluated pharmacist-led teleconsultation services conducted between June 2023 and October 2024. Data on patient demographics, inquiry types, medication-related problems, and pharmacist recommendations were collected.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 54 teleconconsultations recorded, with the majority occurring in haematology (42.6%), nephrology (11.1%), and general surgery (11.1%). A majority of teleconconsultations involved reviews of drug interaction (33.3%), polypharmacy medication and potential deprescribing (20.4%), and adverse drug reactions (20.4%). Eighty-seven percent of teleconconsultations were completed within 24 h, with an average of 3 recommendations per consult. The recommendations were all accepted by the physicians.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A clinical pharmacy teleconsultatiton service at Başkent University Ankara Hospital has indicated potential to support medication management and foster interdisciplinary collaboration, as reflected by the high rate of recommendation acceptance. There is a need for further research in Türkiye to determine the long-term effects of clinical pharmacy teleconsultation on patient outcomes and sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2509860"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12128125/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144208744","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":"Professional growth in pharmacy: examining CPD awareness, motivators, and barriers among pharmacists.","authors":"Lubna Qaisi, Eman Alefishat, Rana Abu Farha, Amal Akour, Mohammad Zawieh","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2490985","DOIUrl":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2490985","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In the evolving landscape of pharmacy, the shift towards patient-centred care necessitates continuous professional development (CPD) for pharmacists. This study aims to assess the awareness, perception, motivators, and barriers to CPD implementation among pharmacists.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted, utilising a structured questionnaire. Convenience sampling was employed, inviting 250 pharmacists from diverse practice settings to participate. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of the 210 pharmacists who participated in the study, more than half (51.7%) were unfamiliar with CPD, while only a small percentage (3.8%) were very familiar with it. Engagement in learning activities was common, reported by 80% of participants, with varying frequencies: weekly (19%), monthly (30.5%), yearly (27.6%), and rarely (22.9%). However, the implementation of CPD cycle elements was minimal, with only 8.6% reflecting, 5.7% planning, 10.5% taking action, and 7.2% evaluating their learning activities more than 75% of the time. Most pharmacists supported mandatory CPD (80.6%) and integration into a legal framework (81.3%). Anticipated benefits, such as keeping knowledge updated (92.9%) and improving patient care (91%), were highly endorsed. Motivators for CPD included proximity to the workplace (82.3%) and flexible schedules (84.7%), while barriers included time constraints (73.7%) and lack of information (74.2%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Pharmacists demonstrate low awareness and implementation of CPD, underscoring the necessity for educational initiatives and legislative support. Motivators such as proximity and flexible schedules could enhance CPD uptake, while addressing barriers like time constraints and lack of information is crucial for successful CPD integration in pharmacy practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2490985"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12117860/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144173874","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":"Antibiotics stewardship: prevalence, nature, and factors associated with dispensing of antibiotics without prescription among community pharmacists in Nigeria.","authors":"Okafor Ukamaka Gladys, Chukwujindu Nzube Gabriella, Folasade Olufunke Lawal, Folorunso Oluwatoyin Bukola, Victor Chikaodiri Amaechi, Okoronkwo Ngozi Augustine","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2498927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2025.2498927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dispensing antibiotics without a prescription is common among community pharmacists in low- and middle-income countries despite its association with antibiotic resistance. This study describes the prevalence and nature of dispensing antibiotics without prescription among community pharmacists in Nigeria and its associated factors.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among community pharmacists in Nigeria with a validated, online, self-administered questionnaire. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed with SPSS Version 2023 at a 0.05% significance level.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>A total of 420 community pharmacists participated in the study. The Reliability result was 0.860, implying the data collection tool's perfect internal consistency. Independent pharmacies represented 87.4% of the respondents, and most were in urban areas (71.4%). Most respondents (98.1%) dispensed antibiotics without prescription, with (84.2%) sometimes requesting laboratory investigations before dispensing antibiotics. Cephalosporin (74.8%), penicillin (70.2%), and quinolones (68.3%) were the major classes of antibiotics dispensed. The pharmacists' confidence in their clinical skills (78.8%), ability of the antibiotics to cover a broader range of microorganisms (78.0%), inability of patients to access healthcare services in other places (67.3%), emergencies (58.3%), affordability (49.0%), patients' demand (38.2%), absence of sanctions (34%), not getting prescriptions (33.1%), were the key deciding factors for the pharmacists to dispense antibiotics without prescription or substitute class of antibiotics. Factors like financial incentives, fear of losing clients, fear of expiry, competition from other pharmacies, and trust in patients' self-diagnosis were low in driving decisions to dispense antibiotics without prescriptions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics is high among community pharmacists in Nigeria, and is related to various factors. A strategic approach, including mandatory health insurance schemes, prescription and dispensing policies, and enforcement of antimicrobial stewardship regulations by the Nigerian government, is necessary to improve ethical practice and address the irrational dispensing and use of antibiotics in Nigeria.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2498927"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12057783/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143997985","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":"Attitudes and expectations toward medication review among community pharmacy customers in Germany: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Cathrin J Vogt, Annika Wiegand, Kire Trajkov, Michael Metzner, Viktoria S Wurmbach, Anja Braem, Hanna M Seidling","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2490572","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2025.2490572","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Since knowledge about customers' attitudes towards medication reviews in community pharmacies is limited, the objective of this study was to gain insight into customers' perceived facilitators and barriers to participate in this service, with the aim of identifying areas to facilitate the implementation process.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In spring 2024, we conducted a prospective, questionnaire-based survey for a total of 58 days. All customers (≥18 years) in 3 pharmacies in Germany, regardless of whether they were eligible for medication reviews or not, were approached during their pharmacy visit in person and invited to complete the tablet-based questionnaire on-site. The pilot-tested, multilingual questionnaire covered socio-demographic-data and customers' attitudes towards medication reviews. Potential benefits of medication reviews were rated regarding their perceived importance on a 3-point-Likert-scale (0 = not important, 1 = important, 2 = very important). A mean score was calculated for each benefit. Data were analyzed descriptively and binary logistic regression analyses were applied to explore associations of selected predictors with awareness of medication reviews or expected benefits.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1561 pharmacy customers participated, with 59.2% (interquartile range (IQR): 17.9%) of patients being approached daily. Awareness of medication reviews was low (18.0%, <i>n</i> = 281/1561), whereby female participants (odds ratio (OR): 1.211 (0.914-1.603)) and those who request pharmacies' consultation services (OR: 1.020 (1.012-1.029) were more likely to know it. Key expectations towards benefits included better knowledge of medicines (mean score: 1.4 ± 0.7), fewer side-effects (1.4 ± 0.7) and fewer problems with their medication (e.g. interactions; 1.3 ± 0.7). No difference was found for prior awareness of medication reviews in terms of benefit expectations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Gaining knowledge and improving medication safety through a medication review is most valuable to customers. By clearly explaining the purpose and expected benefits of medication reviews, the outreach and impact could be increased.<b>Trial registration:</b> German Clinical Trials Register identifier: DRKS00032446.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2490572"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12035941/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143972668","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":"Analysis of clinical pharmacists' interventions in a rehabilitation setting.","authors":"Lina Naseralallah, Zahra Noureddine, Afif Ahmed, Moza Al Hail, Somaya Koraysh","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2450593","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2025.2450593","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To elucidate the role of clinical pharmacists in rehabilitation programmes by examining the type, severity, medications involved, and the level of acceptance of pharmacists' interventions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI) in Doha, Qatar. Clinical pharmacists' interventions and their underlying rationales were categorised by the type of intervention using a validated classification system. The severity of these interventions was assessed using the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) Risk Matrix. Linear regression and chi-square analyses were employed to examine the relationships between patient-related and medication-related characteristics and the pharmacist interventions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 3,807 clinical pharmacists' interventions involving 815 patients were collected and analysed. The majority of patients (<i>n</i> = 501, 61.5%) had three or more interventions. Findings indicated that most interventions were addressing pharmacological strategy (<i>n</i> = 1670, 43.9%) and drug quantity (<i>n</i> = 1166, 30.7%). The most frequently reported intervention subtypes included dose optimisation (<i>n</i> = 749, 19.7%), additional drug therapy (<i>n</i> = 673, 17.7%), and medication discontinuation (<i>n</i> = 476, 12.5%). Cardiovascular agents were involved in 37.1% of the interventions, followed by endocrine medications (17.1%) and centrally acting agents (11.7%). A significant proportion of interventions were deemed to have moderate severity (79.8%). Statistical analysis revealed a positive linear correlation between age and the number of interventions per patient (<i>p</i> < 0.001); with no significant difference in the severity of interventions between adult and elderly patients (<i>p</i> = 0.09).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the diverse roles of clinical pharmacists in the rehabilitation field. The unique complexity of rehabilitation patients creates a challenging environment for clinical pharmacists, requiring adherence to fundamental practice principles while customising approaches to address individual patient needs. Further research is needed to assess the impact of these interventions on clinically significant outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2450593"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12035954/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144012278","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":"Evaluation of the implementation and the associated operating costs of a medicine regulatory harmonisation model in Africa: the case of ZaZiBoNa, a SADC work-sharing initiative.","authors":"S Dube-Mwedzi, F Suleman","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2490565","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2025.2490565","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To improve the access to and affordability of medicines, countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) established ZaZiBoNa, a medicine regulatory harmonisation initiative. Studies have evaluated the initiative's technical and operational efficiencies and effectiveness. This study evaluated ZaZiBoNa from project implementation and cost perspectives, at the 5-year mark, to establish a business case for further investment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A quantitative and desk review were undertaken. Two surveys, one with 7 National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) that participated in the initiative in the initial 5 years were conducted and the other with 40 pharmaceutical companies who submitted applications in the same period were recruited to share their perceived experiences and expectations with the collaborative initiative.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All 7 NRAs agreed the initiative had generally achieved its objectives and participation was beneficiary. As of June 2022, the 7 NRAs had registered 152 of the 235 (64.7%) products assessed during the study period, with a median time from joint assessment recommendations to registration of 7 months, against a target of 3 months (range: 4 to 14 months). Of the industry respondents (<i>n</i> = 13), 61.5% indicated the initiative had had a positive impact on their business, though expectations were only met to some degree (31%-46%). Failure to create a less expensive process and to facilitate simultaneous multiple market access (31% and 23% respectively) were the most common unmet expectations. Nonetheless, 62% of the industry respondents expressed willingness to continue utilising the collaborative process. The cost per joint assessment recommendation during the study period was USD 2,768.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study also highlighted that implementation of initiatives could take time and that some goals can only be achieved in the medium to long term. This is a lesson for other collaboration initiatives in Africa, such as the African Medicines Agency.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2490565"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12024501/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143997988","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":"Improving efficiency in hospital pharmacy systems: the case for color-coded zones for rapidly dispensed medications.","authors":"Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun, Sabaa Saleh Al-Hemyari, Moyad Shahwan, Faris El-Dahiyat, Abeer M Al-Ghananeem","doi":"10.1080/20523211.2025.2493169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2025.2493169","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Colour-coded zones for rapidly dispensed medications are a simple, yet game-changing solution to improve the efficiency and safety of hospital pharmacy systems. This approach integrates visual ergonomics, staff training, and technology in solving some of the most common challenges in medication retrieval and general healthcare delivery. This evidence-based system will go a long way in helping hospitals meet the ever-increasing demands. While colour-coded zoning schemes offer a practical and cost-effective way to enhance pharmacy efficiency and medication safety, their effectiveness depends on careful implementation, standardisation, and integration with digital tools. Although highly digitalised healthcare systems may rely more on automated inventory tracking and barcode verification, colour coding remains a valuable supplementary measure, particularly in fast-paced clinical environments. For resource-limited healthcare facilities, colour-coded zoning serves as an essential safety mechanism where advanced IT solutions may not be feasible. However, standardisation challenges, risks of over-reliance, and accessibility concerns for colour-blind individuals must be addressed to maximise effectiveness. Ultimately, an optimal pharmacy management system may involve a hybrid approach that integrates both visual and digital verification methods, ensuring both efficiency and patient safety across diverse healthcare settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":16740,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice","volume":"18 1","pages":"2493169"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12024495/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144018746","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}