Pharmacy education in Jordan: updates

"Opportunities and responsibilities": how do pharmacists assess their professionalism?

INTRODUCTION

Professionalism is fundamental to the existence of professions. In pharmacy, interest in this theme improved with events that examined the resocialization of pharmacists in care. With this, evaluating professionalism can help the operationalization of the theme and, consequently, the development of strategies for pharmacy consolidation before its challenges. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the professionalism of Brazilian pharmacists.

METHODS

To meet the objective, a cross-sectional study was conducted between March 2022 and August 2023. Data were collected using the Brazilian version of the "Modification of Hall's Professionalism Scale for Use with Pharmacists". The scale has 39 items grouped into the domains: autonomy, vocation, professional council, self-regulation, continuing education, and altruism. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an ANOVA analysis of variance with post-hoc Hochberg or Games-Howell tests with Bootstrapping was conducted to verify differences between groups.

RESULTS

600 pharmacists participated in this study. The majority (69%) was female and carried out their professional activities in community pharmacies (50%). Professionalism scores ranged between 14 and 29 points, with an average of 22.8 points. Pharmacists working in outpatient clinics had higher scores in most factors, namely, altruism, continuing education, professional council, vocation, and autonomy. This indicates that the inclination of pharmacists to occupy areas focused on care can be significant to assess professionalism.

CONCLUSIONS

The data obtained indicate that pharmacists working in outpatient clinics had higher professionalism scores compared to others. This corroborates the worldwide trend experienced by pharmacy in recent decades, which is the execution of increasingly patient-centered practice models.

A roadmap beyond dispensing for educating and training community pharmacists on key mental health competencies: A mixed-methods national study

BACKGROUND

Including pharmacists in collaborative mental healthcare models has yielded positive results. Establishing processes to enhance pharmacists' mental health care capabilities is crucial for addressing the increasing burden and improving access to mental health services.

OBJECTIVES

This study evaluated community pharmacists' mental health competencies and analyzed associated factors using a rigorous international framework. Additionally, it sought to identify pharmacists' training needs and support requirements as the first stop in creating a roadmap for enhancing mental healthcare through community pharmacies.

METHODS

A large-scale national study employing a mixed-methods approach was conducted with community pharmacists in United Arab Emirates. Semi-structured individual interviews and a cross-sectional survey were conducted. Pharmacists' core competencies were assessed using the Core Mental Health Competencies Framework for all Pharmacy Professionals. Generalized linear models were utilized to identify predictors of pharmacists' competency levels. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.

RESULTS

In total 650 community pharmacists completed the survey (93.7% response rate). Eight pharmacists participated in semi-structured interviews. Nearly two-thirds (63.7%) received general communication skills training, while training in motivational interviewing (44.7%), shared decision-making (37.2%), and mental illness stereotyping/stigma (23.9%) were less common. Pharmacists reported lower perceived competence in their relationship with multidisciplinary teams (M = 3.02, SD = 0.89), stigma recognition (M = 3.02, SD = 1.04), and identifying mental health crises and aiding in the person's safety (M = 3.01, SD = 1.05). Poor communication skills (p < 0.001) and working in pharmacies that do not stock psychotropic medications (p = 0.023) were associated with lower perceived competence. Qualitative analysis identified training needs in various domains, including attitudes, values, and beliefs about mental health; relationships with multidisciplinary teams; communication skills; pharmaceutical knowledge; and personal and service development.

CONCLUSIONS

Mental health-related training is needed for community pharmacists. Addressing these needs through an intentional roadmap approach will enable pharmacists to better engage with patients with mental illness and increase access to care.

Comparison of the University Pharmacy Education Programs in Germany and Vietnam

During the global COVID pandemic, the importance of professionals in the health care sector has been put in a new light, including pharmacists. In this context, the focus is also on how pharmacists are trained in different countries. Through an exchange of pharmacy teaching staff from a German to a Vietnamese university, the pharmacy education programs in both countries were compared. Aspects such as access to studies, structure of studies, and further training opportunities were considered. Differences and similarities emerged. In both countries, students first acquire basic knowledge and then delve deeper into pharmaceutical content in main studies. There is, expectedly, a great overlap in the content of the courses. Overall, the education at Vietnamese universities seems to be more practice-oriented due to a large number of placements. This also allows a specialization, which can be pursued in Germany with self-interest after graduation. There, the preparation for everyday work in the community pharmacy is separated from the university by a mandatory practical year. For the future, efforts are being made in both countries to strengthen the importance of clinical pharmacy in the curriculum. To this end, the Vietnamese are taking their inspiration from abroad in many cases, including Germany.

Development and implementation of interprofessional education activity among health professions students in Jordan: A pilot investigation

Implementing interprofessional education (IPE) in health professions curricula requires considerations of students' attitudes and readiness. Interventional studies that assess students' perceptions about IPE are needed. As IPE is an emerging concept in Jordan, our study aimed at exploring the attitudes of health profession students about IPE and collaborative practice before and after implementing an IPE activity. Students completed the validated Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS) before and after completing a 3-hour interprofessional activity. Students' attitudes toward IPE were compared using the subscales and total IPAS scores. A total of 41 health profession students attending the professional health programs of Doctor of Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition, or Pharmacy completed IPAS before and after conducting the interprofessional activity. Students reported positive attitudes toward IPE prior to the activity. Significant increases were observed in IPAS scores from pre- (median [interquartile range: IQR] score = 4.19 [0.61]) to post-activity (median [IQR] = 4.48 [0.65]), and in its subscales (teamwork, roles and responsibilities, diversity and ethics, and community-centeredness). Students' experience with the IPE activity was positive and optimistic. The findings revealed for the first time the perception and readiness of health profession students toward IPE and collaborative practice in Jordan. This readiness can help draw a path for strategic integration of IPE in health profession curricula.

Pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy research in the Middle East: a scoping review of studies from Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen

Background

Pharmacy practice research publications has increased significantly in the last decade. This is also true for Middle Eastern countries.

Aims

The aim of this study was to document and review pharmacy practice literature in the Middle Eastern Arab countries.

Materials and methods

A scoping review was conducted using PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Medline/PubMed and Scopus were used to screen the articles. All published original research articles concerning any facet of pharmacy practice in 12 Arabic Middle Eastern countries during 2009–2019 were included. A thematic analysis was performed to classify the articles.

Results

Nine hundred and eighty-one articles were included in this study. Eight themes emerged from the selected articles. Medication use was the predominant theme 30.78% (302), followed by pharmacy practice and pharmacist services 22.94% (225), and then pharmacy education and professional development 16.31% (160). The KSA, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE were the leading countries to publish pharmacy practice research.

Conclusions

Pharmacy practice research is growing and significantly adding to enhance pharmaceutical health services in the Middle East Region. There is a need to develop a research agenda. This will help in enriching the practice, as well as to avoid repetitive ideas.

Gaps in pharmaceutical care for patients with mental health issues: A cross-sectional study

Background

Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Medications are a primary method of managing mental health problems, and pharmacists therefore have a vital role in supporting patients and providing them with information about the safety and efficacy of mental health medications. However, the potential role of pharmacists in managing mental health issues in Jordan has not been well established.

Aim

This study aimed to assess Jordanian pharmacists’ attitudes and actual practices related to the provision of mental health services.

Method

This was an exploratory cross-sectional study that used a self-report questionnaire among a convenience sample of 347 pharmacists in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Results

The participating pharmacists had positive attitudes towards providing care for patients with mental health problems. However, their actual practices did not resonate with their enthusiasm, particularly in terms of the long-term follow-up of disease symptoms and medication side effects and adherence. The participating pharmacists showed an eagerness to collaborate with their colleagues, but their level of actual cooperation was lower than desired. The most reported barrier to providing care for patients with mental health problems was the lack of education on mental health issues (71.5%), followed by the lack of privacy in pharmacy settings (53.9%).

Conclusion

To be effectively involved in the provision of care to mental health patients, pharmacists should receive adequate education/training related to mental health issues, and pharmacies should be redesigned to provide private areas for patient counseling.

Remote learning during Covid-19 lockdown: A study on anatomy and histology education for pharmacy students in Jordan

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed almost all aspects of education. The anatomy and histology courses for pharmacy students focus heavily on the face-to-face communication of theory and practical knowledge, and due to the pandemic, only theory content was delivered in an online format. This brought up many concerns about pharmacy student preparedness. This work explores the effectiveness and student perspective of remote teaching of the theoretical anatomy and histology course in Jordanian universities from the perspective of pharmacy students. The objectives are to determine the strengths, challenges, and the effectiveness of remote delivery on student learning. An online-based validated questionnaire was distributed to students majoring in Pharmacy and enrolled in the course during the second semester of 2019-2020 at 11 universities in Jordan. A total of 442 students participated in the study. Results showed that there were significant differences in perceptions of the social media platforms used in distance learning and remote delivery of the course. Most participants had positive perceptions of the educational process and studying via distance learning. There were many strengths noted including time flexibility and several challenges such as the lack of face-to-face interaction with instructors, inadequate internet connectivity, and technical issues. In conclusion, online-taught anatomy and histology course during the Covid-19 lockdown in Jordan was a success as perceived by students, but the course still possessed challenges need to be overcome in the future.

Contribution of faculties of pharmacy in Arab countries to pharmacy practice research: a bibliometric analysis (1990-2020)

OBJECTIVE

To provide an overview of pharmacy practice research by faculties of pharmacy in the Arab region using a bibliometric methodology.

METHOD

Relevant articles were retrieved from SciVerse Scopus. The search strategy was developed to retrieve all articles published in pharmacy practice journals and those with specific keywords such as 'clinical pharmacy', 'community pharmacy', 'hospital pharmacy', 'pharmacy education' and 'pharmacy practice'. The country affiliation function was used to limit the results to the Arab region.

KEY FINDINGS

The search strategy found 1496 articles authored by 8210 researchers and disseminated through 337 journals. Research on pharmacy practice produced by faculties of pharmacy in the Arab region (1) has experienced a steep growth over the last decade; (2) is mainly published by scholars in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates; (3) has benefited from non-Arab scholars affiliated with faculties of pharmacy in the Arab Gulf; (4) has benefited from international collaborations, specifically with researchers in the UK and Malaysia; (5) has mainly addressed seven research topics: adverse drug reactions and pharmacovigilance, medication adherence, self-medication, patient counselling, pharmacy education, perception of physicians towards pharmacists; (6) has shown a relationship between institutional funding and research output and (7) has shown the highest number of readers for topics related to polypharmacy, over-the-counter medications, self-medications, medication adherence and pharmacist intervention in disease management.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacy practice research in Arab countries has witnessed a steep rise in the last decade, partially due to international research collaboration.

Randomised controlled trial of pharmacist-led patient counselling in controlling hypoglycaemic attacks in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (ROSE-ADAM): A study protocol of the SUGAR intervention

INTRODUCTION

Hypoglycaemia is one of the most serious adverse effects of diabetes treatment. Older adults are at the highest risk to develop hypoglycaemia. Several studies have established the important positive role of educational interventions on achieving glycaemic control and other clinical outcomes, however, there is still a lack in studies that evaluate the impact of such type of interventions on hypoglycaemia risk in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist-led patient counselling on reducing hypoglycaemic attacks in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

and analysis: This study is an open-label, parallel controlled randomised trial, which will be conducted in the outpatient clinics at the largest referral hospital in the north of Jordan. Participants who are elderly (age ≥ 65 years), diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and taking insulin, sulfonylurea, or any three anti-diabetic medications will be randomly assigned to intervention (SUGAR Handshake) and control (usual care) groups. The SUGAR Handshake participants will have an interactive, individualised, medications-focused counselling session reinforced with a pictogram and a phone call at week six of enrolment. The primary outcome measure is the frequency of total hypoglycaemic events within 12 weeks of follow up. Secondary outcomes include the frequency of asymptomatic, symptomatic, and severe hypoglycaemic events, hypoglycaemia incidence, and time to the first hypoglycaemic attack. We will also conduct a nested qualitative study for process evaluation.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Lincoln and the Institutional Review Board of King Abdullah University Hospital approved this protocol. The findings of this study will be presented in international conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

The study protocol has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04081766.

Pharmacy students' medication history taking competency: Simulation and feedback learning intervention

INTRODUCTION

Obtaining accurate patient medication histories and performing medication reconciliation are core pharmacy practice skills that optimize patient safety at transitions of care. Competency-based learning and assessment of medication reconciliation skills are essential methods in undergraduate pharmacy education. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of an in-classroom simulation- and feedback-driven training activity on pharmacy students' medication reconciliation skills, self-perceived confidence, and overall student satisfaction.

METHODS

Over a three-day learning activity in 2016, pharmacy students from a private university in Jordan were assessed by roleplay on their ability to conduct a simulated patient medication interview, obtain the Best Possible Medication History, reconcile the history against a hospital medication chart, identify discrepancies, and document findings. Students received immediate feedback and observed peers undergo the assessment process. Pre- and post-simulation questionnaires and supplementary focus groups enabled collection of quantitative and qualitative data pertaining to student self-perceived confidence, perceptions, experiences, and usefulness of the course.

RESULTS

Assessment-based competency scores demonstrated significant improvement in student performance during the activity. Self-perceived confidence scores significantly improved after the medication reconciliation training intervention. Focus group content analysis yielded positive responses such as students valuing receiving feedback on performance and recommendations for future training.

CONCLUSIONS

Simulation with feedback was a useful tool to teach pharmacy students medication reconciliation in Jordan. Subsequent to the study, medication reconciliation and interactive teaching methods were added to curriculum to supplement traditional teaching modalities.

A qualitative assessment of the pediatric content in pharmacy curricula adopted by pharmacy schools in Jordan

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to explore faculty (i.e., professors of various ranks) opinions and views regarding the pediatric content in courses taught to pharmacy students in Jordan.

METHODS

Purposeful sampling was used to identify faculty from ten pharmacy schools. Participants were identified through their institutions' websites. After obtaining required approvals, twelve in-depth interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and analyzed using NVivo 11 Software. Interviews followed a previously prepared and validated interview guide. The interview guide covered various aspects of pediatric undergraduate education and training.

RESULTS

Twelve professors (eight assistants and four associate professors) agreed to take part in the study. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes each with regard to respondents' knowledge of the pediatric content and their students' competency in dealing with pediatric patients. The emerging themes were: the lack of pediatric content in their current curriculum, the need for exposing students to more courses teaching pediatrics, and future aspirations to deal with this, and implications on practice.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the deficiency of pediatric courses in pharmacy curriculum in Jordan. Respondent believed that this will have negative implications on pediatric pharmaceutical care and treatment efficacy and safety. It was thought that adding more pediatrics topics to undergraduate curricula, offering pediatric specialized postgraduate education, and implementing pre-registration training could alleviate the current situation.

Bibliometric analysis of literature in pharmacy education: 2000-2016

OBJECTIVES

Improving pharmacy education requires continuous research to optimize education and consequently pharmacy practice. The goal of this study is to assess national and international contributions to pharmacy education research and present results in comparative bibliometric format.

METHODS

Search strategy based on journal name and specific keywords pertaining to pharmacy education were used to retrieve the worldwide literature in pharmacy education using Scopus database during the period from 2000 to 2016. Bibliometric indicators were presented as top 10 list of countries, institutions and authors. VOSviewer was used to visualize international collaboration, while ArcMap10.1 software was used for geographical mapping of publications.

KEY FINDINGS

A total of 5363 documents, mostly as research articles (4027; 75.1%), were retrieved. A noticeable increase in publications was seen from 2007 to 2011. The USA contributed to more than half (53.6%) of worldwide research output. Saudi Arabia had the highest percentage of international authors representing international collaboration. There was an increase in multi-authored publications with time. The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (AJPE) ranked first (2822, 52.6%) while the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) had the largest research output with 141 (2.6%) publications. The vast majority of highly cited articles were published in AJPE, and highly cited topics included the use of social media in pharmacy education and the multi-professional learning experience.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacy education research is gaining momentum and is addressing various fields in education. Research in pharmacy education should be encouraged, particularly in developing countries, where education and practice are still lagging behind.