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Wang X, Yao X, Jia X, Shi X, Hao J, Yang Y, Liu G, Zhang X, Du S, Yin Z. A qualitative study on the working experiences of clinical pharmacists in fighting against COVID-19. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:28. [PMID: 34986824 PMCID: PMC8728479 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-07419-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has overwhelmed healthcare systems across the world. Along with the medical team, clinical pharmacists played a significant role during the public health emergency of COVID-19. This study aimed to explore the working experience of clinical pharmacists and provide reference for first-line clinical pharmacists to prepare for fighting against COVID-19. METHODS A qualitative study based on descriptive phenomenology was employed with face-to-face and audio-recorded interviews to study the working experience of 13 clinical pharmacists (including two clinical nutritional pharmacists). All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the interview data were analyzed thematically using NVivo software. RESULTS Four themes emerged from interview data, including roles of clinical pharmacists, working experiences of clinical pharmacists, psychological feelings of clinical pharmacists, and career expectations of clinical pharmacists. CONCLUSIONS The results contributed to a deeper understanding of the clinical pharmacists' work experiences in COVID-19 and offered guidance to better prepare clinical pharmacists in participating in a public health crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Wang
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiali Yao
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xuedong Jia
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiangfen Shi
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Jie Hao
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yantao Yang
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiaojian Zhang
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Shuzhang Du
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zhao Yin
- Department of pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
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Waszyk-Nowaczyk M, Guzenda W, Kamasa K, Pawlak K, Bałtruszewicz N, Artyszuk K, Białoszewski A, Merks P. Cooperation Between Pharmacists and Physicians - Whether It Was Before and is It Still Ongoing During the Pandemic? J Multidiscip Healthc 2021; 14:2101-2110. [PMID: 34393489 PMCID: PMC8357703 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s318480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, it is very important to put an emphasis on widely understood teamwork. This is of great importance for achieving and maintaining success in all areas, especially in medicine. This kind of unity has many advantages, including unique ideas that are very helpful in a competitive environment, improve performance and knowledge, and create stronger supportive work relationships. Patient’s health can be improved by using comprehensive treatment. This provides an urgent need for multidisciplinary partnership in the medical community. Optimal pharmacological treatment is crucial to achieving treatment goals. To ensure excellent quality of medical care, interprofessional cooperation between physicians and pharmacists and/or other medical professionals is necessary. Their complementary knowledge and experience can lead to improved health outcomes and can also reduce treatment costs. There are also many barriers and difficulties in legal systems that would allow for more effective inter-professional cooperation. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to emphasizing the role of the pharmacist, increasing powers, and at the same time to teamwork, sometimes forced by the situation. The purpose of this publication is to view the literature on the cooperation of physicians and pharmacists in the provision of medical services for patients. Professional cooperation has been well known in many countries for years, as it is a key medium supporting optimized patient care. Analyzing the challenges and approaches can lead to better and improved health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Waszyk-Nowaczyk
- Pharmacy Practice Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, 60-780, Poland
| | - Weronika Guzenda
- Pharmacy Practice Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, 60-780, Poland
| | - Karolina Kamasa
- Student's Pharmaceutical Care Group, Pharmacy Practice Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, 60-780, Poland
| | - Kornel Pawlak
- Student's Pharmaceutical Care Group, Pharmacy Practice Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, 60-780, Poland
| | - Natalia Bałtruszewicz
- Student's Pharmaceutical Care Group, Pharmacy Practice Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, 60-780, Poland
| | - Karolina Artyszuk
- Student's Pharmaceutical Care Group, Pharmacy Practice Division, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, 60-780, Poland
| | - Artur Białoszewski
- Department of the Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-091, Poland
| | - Piotr Merks
- Faculty of Medicine, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Warsaw, 01-938, Poland
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Gadre A, Kotaru V, Mehta A, Kumar D, Rayasam V. Delayed Presentation During COVID-19 Pandemic Leading to Post-Myocardial Infarction Ventricular Septal Defect. Cureus 2021; 13:e15945. [PMID: 34221777 PMCID: PMC8238022 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.15945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-myocardial infarction ventricular septal defect (post-MI VSD) is a rare complication of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with an incidence of <1% in early revascularization era. Here we present the case of a 66-year-old woman with post-MI VSD owing to delay in her presentation in the current pandemic. Patient presented with worsening back pain and chest pain with confusion, and an EKG positive for inferior wall STEMI. She underwent emergent percutaneous intervention with placement of drug-eluting stent in her right coronary artery. She developed worsening heart failure and new-onset heart murmur and was found to have a VSD on a transthoracic echo. Because of her poor prognosis, family decided to pursue comfort care and patient unfortunately passed. Delay in seeking health care during the pandemic, as seen in our patient, is multifactorial including fear of contracting infection, decreased emergency medical services members, and concerns for overburdening healthcare systems. Lack of standardized in-hospital approach to emergencies while ensuring adequate protection from infection to healthcare workers, especially during the initial phase of the pandemic, led to increased door-to-balloon times in addition to the increased time to first medical contact. The importance of media outreach ensuring availability of health care in emergencies, changing emergency response algorithms to ensure safety of patients and healthcare providers, and including thrombolytic therapy where there is a delay due to stringent screening or delayed COVID-19 testing can be used to prevent worsening complications following STEMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshaya Gadre
- Internal Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, USA
| | | | - Aditya Mehta
- Internal Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, USA
| | - Dilpat Kumar
- Internal Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, USA
| | - Venumadhav Rayasam
- Internal Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, USA
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Goff DA, Ashiru-Oredope D, Cairns KA, Eljaaly K, Gauthier TP, Langford BJ, Mahmoud SF, Messina AP, Michael UC, Saad T, Schellack N. Global contributions of pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CLINICAL PHARMACY : JACCP 2020; 3:1480-1492. [PMID: 33043280 PMCID: PMC7537072 DOI: 10.1002/jac5.1329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) global pandemic, pharmacists were rarely mentioned as essential frontline health care providers by the news media, the public, or politicians. Around the world, pharmacists are working on the frontlines of health care every day providing essential health care services during the pandemic. Pharmacists are medication experts providing patient care in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, community pharmacies, long‐term care, physician offices, and national and public health. In this paper, we describe how pharmacists from high and low‐middle income countries contributed to essential patient care and well‐being of the public during the COVID‐19 pandemic. While the news media, the public, and politicians often overlooked pharmacists as essential frontline health care providers, we hope that this list of contributions by pharmacists from nine countries in this article can help to change this perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra A Goff
- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Diane Ashiru-Oredope
- National Infection Service Public Health England London UK.,Commonwealth Pharmacists Association London UK
| | | | - Khalid Eljaaly
- Faculty of Pharmacy King Abdulaziz University Jeddah Saudi Arabia.,College of Pharmacy University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | | | - Bradley J Langford
- Public Health Ontario Toronto Ontario Canada.,Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre St. Catharines Ontario Canada
| | | | - Angeliki P Messina
- Division of Pharmacy Netcare Hospitals Ltd Johannesburg South Africa.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | | | - Thérèse Saad
- Department of Pharmacy American University of Beirut Medical Center Beirut Lebanon
| | - Natalie Schellack
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University Pretoria South Africa
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