Development of a global hospital self-assessment tool and prioritization tier system based on FIP's Basel Statements

An analysis of hospital pharmacy practice in Namibia, based on FIP's Basel Statements

BACKGROUND

Sub-Saharan Africa, a region faced with a double challenge of infectious and non-communicable diseases requires strengthening of hospital pharmacy practice to improve treatment outcomes and patient safety.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were to assess the current state of pharmacy practice in hospitals in Namibia and to identify opportunities for expanding pharmacists' role in addressing public health challenges and improving medicines use outcomes.

METHODS

A survey utilized FIP's self-assessment tool to evaluate current hospital pharmacy practice in Namibia against best practices articulated in the Basel Statements. The study was conducted among hospital pharmacists across Namibia. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

KEY FINDINGS

The study was conducted in 24 hospital pharmacies across Namibia, the majority of which were public facilities (67%). Overall, current hospital pharmacy practice activities are focused on medicine procurement, preparation and distribution. The main barriers to optimal hospital pharmacy services are associated with limited human resources and collaboration across healthcare providers, as well as policy gaps.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a strong desire among hospital pharmacists to expand their contributions to improving medicines outcomes and solving public health problems. Namibia's pharmacy educational system is a strength and should be utilized to continue advancing hospital pharmacy practice and medicines use. Therapeutics committees are usually part of each hospital's structure and can be very effective for hospital-based policy change. The opportunity exists to optimize pharmacists' contributions by utilizing the local therapeutics committees in combination with the educational system to advance hospital pharmacy practice in Namibia.

Effectiveness and impact of a structured research approach for health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residents

PURPOSE

Required competency areas, goals, and objectives for both postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residencies and postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) health-system pharmacy administration and leadership (HSPAL) residencies indicate the importance of research in the residency program by specifying it as a required part of the training process. Research is critical in the field of health-system pharmacy administration, which is built upon the principles of evaluation and assessment, ensuring that all activities implemented in an organization are evaluated through data collection and assessment to determine their impact. Additionally, the research structure provides residents the opportunity to share research broadly, and it also provides the platform for other institutions to implement successful ideas of interest to them.

SUMMARY

This article describes the impact of having a structured, publication-focused research program in an HSPAL residency. The research process has provided follow-up projects (n = 7) and grant participation (n = 6). Additionally, the process has yielded a 66% publication rate, with 21 of 32 thesis substitutes published in various journals. The department of pharmacy at the residency site has noticed that the continued refinement, scoping, and robust methodologies of projects have been essential to their impact in the literature and in dissemination of the accumulated body of knowledge.

CONCLUSION

A structured residency research program has provided direction to HSPAL residents and ensured successful scoping and completion of their research. Intentionality in this aspect has provided HSPAL residents with opportunities for publications, grants, and strong research experiences. Overall, the department of pharmacy has been positively impacted through implementation of services that were evaluated through a structured HSPAL pharmacy residency research program.

An analysis of hospital pharmacy practice in six countries of sub-Saharan Africa based on the International Pharmaceutical Federation Basel Statements on the future of hospital pharmacy

Objectives

The objective of this study was to update the self-assessment tool and to evaluate current hospital pharmacy practices in six sub-Saharan African countries.

Methods

Questions in the validated survey were edited if the revised Basel Statement changed intent. A total of 13 updates were made. The survey was administered via e-mail to pharmacy personnel in any hospital centre in Ghana (258 total hospitals), Nigeria (17 038 total hospitals), Malawi (499 total hospitals), Uganda (155 total hospitals), Zambia (98 total hospitals) and Zimbabwe (1389 total hospitals). Snowball sampling increased reach of the survey across each country.

Key findings

Responses were received from all six countries, with nine respondents from Ghana, 15 from Nigeria, two from Malawi, five from Uganda, nine from Zambia and four from Zimbabawe. Uganda had the highest achievement rates for tier one and tier three constructs, and Ghana had the highest achievement rate for tier two constructs. Malawi showed the lowest achievement rates in all three tiers. The six countries achieved an average of 82 per cent (SD = 24) of tier one constructs. Three tier one constructs were achieved less than 25 per cent of the time.

Conclusion

Multiple tier one (minimum standards in hospital pharmacy practice) constructs were achieved greater than 90% of the time, possibly reflecting efforts made towards hospital pharmacy practice advancement in select countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, all countries achieved a majority of tier one overarching constructs. Despite these achievements, there are still many areas for growth, including select tier one constructs with low achievement rates.

Use of the 2008 Basel Consensus Statements to Assess, Realign, and Monitor Pharmacy Practice at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern Uganda: Illustrative Case Study, Part 2

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