Development and validation of a survey instrument to measure factors that influence pharmacist adoption of prescribing in Alberta, Canada

Instruments to assess the role of the clinical pharmacist: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The clinical pharmacist is an essential member of the healthcare team and plays an important role in health care in the primary care and the hospital setting. Knowledge regarding the instruments that evaluate the different activities of the clinical pharmacist, as well as the evaluation of the psychometric properties of these instruments, is necessary.

METHODS

A literature search was performed in the PubMed and Scopus electronic databases without time and language restrictions. For the search strategy, the "pharmaceutical services," "validity studies," and "professional performance" domains were used. To assess the quality of the instruments, the five sources of validity evidence of contemporary psychometry were used, and the Joanna Briggs Institute's standardized instrument was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. After screening 4096 articles, 32 studies were selected.

RESULTS

A total of 32 studies were included, and 32 instruments were identified to be used by pharmacists acting in various pharmaceutical practice scenarios. It was found that the available instruments were developed or adapted from others, with variation in the methods, constructs, dimensions, and domains, as well as the psychometric properties. Most of the instruments addressed community pharmacies, and evidence of content validity and internal structure was found most frequently. A standardized and validated instrument that comprehensively assessed the performance of the clinical pharmacist, addressing clinical activities, was not identified for all practice environments.

CONCLUSIONS

Without standardized and validated instruments specifics to assess the performance of the clinical pharmacist, it is hard to establish the main clinical activities performed by pharmacists in their pharmaceutical practice environments and to propose training actions to improve professional practice. Despite the large number of instruments available and considered validated by the authors, it is questioned to what extent the validity indicators presented in the different studies really show the validation status.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD 42018099912.

Prescription Modification by Pharmacists in a Hospital Setting: Are Ontario Pharmacists Ready?

Background

Under Ontario's Public Hospitals Act, the scope of professional practice of hospital pharmacists is approved by each hospital's medical advisory committee. Some Ontario hospitals have adopted policies or medical directives related to prescription modification, allowing pharmacists to broadly adapt, discontinue, hold, or renew prescriptions as part of their clinical scope of practice.

Objectives

The primary objective of this study was to describe Ontario hospital pharmacists' perception of their readiness to independently modify prescriptions. The secondary objectives of this study were to gather opinions on the perceived benefits, drawbacks, facilitators, and barriers to prescription modification by pharmacists and to determine how various factors affect perceived readiness.

Methods

A confidential web-based survey with Likert-type quantitative questions and qualitative open-ended questions was distributed to 936 hospital pharmacists in Ontario between May and July 2019. Mean scores were calculated for the following constructs affecting prescription modification: self-efficacy, support from the practice environment, and support from interprofessional relationships. Independent t tests were conducted to compare responses between subgroups of interest. The answers to open-ended questions were analyzed thematically.

Results

The survey had a 29% response rate (n = 271). The mean self-efficacy score was 5.2 out of 7 (standard deviation [SD] 1.0, Cronbach α = 0.88), equivalent to "quite sure". The mean score for support from the practice environment was 3.3 out of 5 (SD 0.4, Cronbach α = 0.75), equivalent to "not a factor". The mean score for support from interprofessional relationships was 4.2 out of 5 (SD 0.1, Cronbach α = 0.80), equivalent to "weak support". Improved efficiency of care, timelier interventions to improve medication safety and efficacy, and improved interprofessional collaboration were cited as benefits of prescription modification by pharmacists. Potential for inappropriate decision-making and miscommunication were cited as concerns. Respondents in hospitals who were already performing prescription modification reported higher self-efficacy to modify prescriptions in clinical areas of both familiarity and unfamiliarity and greater support from prescribers.

Conclusions

A large proportion of respondents to a survey of Ontario hospital pharmacists expressed an encouraging level of readiness to independently modify prescriptions. Responses to open-ended questions in this study provided valuable insights to inform widespread adoption of this practice change.

The Excellence of Pharmacy Practice

Over the past 50 years, the role of pharmacists has evolved along with the health care needs of our population. In addition to dispensing medications and ensuring patient safety, today’s pharmacists are taking a larger role as medical counselors, educators and advocates. They are integral part of the health care team, and are among the most trusted and accessible health care professionals. This accessibility allows them to perform more patient care activities, including counseling, medication management, and preventive care screenings. Beyond the care provided to individual patients, pharmacists have expanded their reach to influence the public health of communities. A pharmacist is uniquely positioned to provide disease state management through appropriate medication therapy management that has been demonstrated to improve patient outcomes and decrease overall health care costs. This role is more important than ever as the environment is demanding new practice and payment models that are required to further optimize care and outcomes while addressing the unsustainable increases in health care costs.

Training Needs of Manitoba Pharmacists to Increase Application of Assessment and Prescribing for Minor Ailments into Practice: A Qualitative and Quantitative Survey

Current literature demonstrates the positive impact of pharmacists prescribing medication on patient outcomes and pharmacist perceptions of the practice. The aim of this study was to understand the factors affecting prescribing practices among Manitoba pharmacists and identify whether additional training methods would be beneficial for a practice behavior change. A web-based survey was developed and participation was solicited from pharmacists in Manitoba. Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarize the frequency of demographic characteristics. Chi-square tests were used to explore possible correlations between variables of interest and thematic analysis of qualitative data was completed. A total of 162 participants completed the survey. The response rate was 12.3%. Of those who had met the requirements to prescribe, none were doing so on a daily basis and 23.5% had not assessed or prescribed since being certified. Respondents identified the top barriers for providing this service as a lack of sufficient revenue and a lack of time. Qualitative analysis of responses identified additional barriers including a limiting scope and inadequate tools. Approximately half (54.4%) of respondents expressed that additional training would be of value. The themes identified from the survey data suggest that practice-based education would help pharmacists apply skills. In addition, expansion of prescribing authority and strategies addressing remuneration issues may help overcome barriers to pharmacists prescribing within Manitoba.