International Journal of Pharmacy Practice最新文献

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where community pharmacies frequently serve as the first point of care for common infections. Inappropriate antibiotic dispensing, limited stewardship integration, regulatory weaknesses and gaps in pharmacy education contribute to suboptimal antibiotic use.

Objectives: To highlight why and how antibiotic pharmacotherapy should be promoted and strengthened within community pharmacy settings in LMICs.

Discussion: Community pharmacists are uniquely positioned to optimise antibiotic selection, dosing and duration; however, their stewardship potential is constrained by insufficient training, limited access to locally adapted guidelines, and inadequate decision-support tools. Strengthening antibiotic pharmacotherapy requires targeted education and continuing professional development, integration of AMS competencies into pharmacy curricula, local adaptation of evidence-based resources (e.g. AWaRe-informed tools), and scalable "train-the-trainer" models. Global North-South collaborations and sustainable financing mechanisms are essential to support implementation and scale-up.

Conclusion: Empowering community pharmacists with the knowledge, skills, competencies, and resources required to deliver evidence based antibiotic pharmacotherapy should be recognised as a core policy priority for antimicrobial stewardship in LMICs. Embedding structured pharmacy-targeted pharmacotherapy guidance within national AMR action plans and WHO-aligned frameworks is critical to reducing inappropriate antibiotic use, strengthening health system resilience, and preserving antimicrobial effectiveness.

Objectives: The Measure of Job Satisfaction (MJS) has been recognized as a questionnaire having good psychometric quality and adequate content validity for evaluating job satisfaction in healthcare settings. This study aimed to validate the Danish translation of the MJS for pharmacy staff.

Methods: The MJS was translated into Danish and adapted for pharmacy staff applying the Principles of Good Practice for the Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Outcome Measures. Links to the Danish MJS, alongside demographic and profession-related questions, were distributed to Danish community and hospital pharmacies' institutional emails and selected Facebook groups. The structural validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency reliability was evaluated by calculating Cronbach's alpha.

Key findings: Responses from 500 respondents with complete entries were analyzed. Most respondents worked in a community pharmacy (81.4%), were pharmacy technicians (53.0%), were female (88.6%), and were between 25 and 44 years old (59.8%). CFA revealed an acceptable seven-factor construct [Goodness of Fit (GFI) = 0.766, Adjusted Goodness of Fit (AGFI) = 0.736, Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.805, Tucker Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.838, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.982, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.073, Root Mean Square Residual (RMR) = 0.087]. Standardized regression weight values for items loading onto their respective factors ranged from 0.441 to 0.860. Correlations between the factors ranged from 0.360 to 0.810. The internal consistency reliability, Cronbach's alpha for the entire scale was 0.962, and for the subscales it ranged from 0.764 to 0.935.

Conclusions: The Danish MJS exhibited an acceptable seven-factor structure with high internal consistency. It can serve as a tool for assessing job satisfaction among pharmacy staff in Denmark, facilitating international comparisons of job satisfaction among pharmacy and other healthcare staff.

Objectives: To investigate the public's perception of pharmacists trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and to describe their encounters with pharmacists addressing mental health concerns.

Methods: An online survey was disseminated to Canadian adults 18 years and older over a 3-month period (September-December 2022) to describe their views on the value of pharmacists trained in MHFA and their pharmacist encounters related to addressing mental health concerns. Descriptive statistics was used to describe survey responses. Chi square test was used to determine the difference in the level of comfort in discussing mental health concerns between pharmacists with and without MHFA training.

Key findings: There were 228 participants included in the study. The proportion of respondents who agreed, either somewhat or strongly, that they 'would be comfortable talking to a pharmacist about mental health problems' was 53.5% for non-MHFA-trained pharmacists and 61.8% for MHFA-trained pharmacists (P = .0366). Approximately two-thirds (64.8%) of survey respondents agreed that 'pharmacists should be trained in MHFA'. Approximately one-third (n = 75) of participants met with a pharmacist to discuss their mental health once a month and 36.4% (n = 83) indicated they received help from a pharmacist when they were experiencing a deterioration in mental health.

Conclusions: More participants reported feeling comfortable discussing their mental health concerns with a pharmacist trained in MHFA compared with non-trained pharmacists. Pharmacists trained in MHFA may be perceived by the public to be better equipped to discuss mental health in the pharmacy setting.

Objectives: Pharmacists are integral to advancing equitable healthcare, implementing culturally safe practices that address power imbalances, racism, and institutional barriers. Ethnicity-based eligibility criteria (EBEC) have improved treatment access in some settings, but little is known about how community pharmacists experience and implement these criteria in practice. This study aimed to explore pharmacists' perceptions of (i) applying EBEC in community pharmacy; (ii) the extent to which the provision of education or resources would be useful in the future.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey of registered and pre-registrant pharmacists in Aotearoa, New Zealand, was conducted. Participants were recruited via professional and researcher networks, with data collected anonymously using a piloted survey on Qualtrics®. Quantitative responses were analysed with descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were inductively coded and refined through team consensus to identify themes.

Key findings: Two hundred and eighteen pharmacists (median age band 36-45 years, median of 20 years pharmacy experience) completed the survey. Although most pharmacists felt comfortable applying EBEC, half felt implementation would have been better supported if training or resources were available. Participants had limited experience discussing ethnicity with patients and wanted to be better equipped to discuss eligibility with those who were eligible, and with those who opposed the use of EBEC. Resources needed to focus on evidence-based justification of EBEC, definitions of ethnicity, and role modelled conversations.

Conclusions: When implementing new types of eligibility criteria for community pharmacy services, pharmacists need sufficient and appropriate training and resources for effective implementation.

Objectives: Delivering efficient and fair pharmacy services depends on embedding principles of equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI). The aim of this scoping review is to identify and synthesize what is currently known about EDI of pharmacy services and identify the research gaps in this area.

Methods: The review followed the York framework by Arksey and O'Malley. Comprehensive searches of Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, CINAHL Plus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct were conducted from database inception to 15 February 2024, with an updated search on 15 June 2025. Search terms combined EDI and pharmacy concepts in all languages. After duplicate removal, the study reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full texts. Data were extracted from eligible studies and synthesized thematically.

Key findings: Of 916 records identified, 27 met the inclusion criteria. The studys' findings indicated that community pharmacists were widely perceived as accessible, supportive, and cooperative providers. Nonetheless, patients from diverse backgrounds reported barriers in accessing pharmacy services. Suggested strategies to address this included recruitment of multilingual and diverse pharmacy staff to enhance accessibility. Pharmacists themselves reported difficulties in delivering inclusive services due to insufficient policy and administrative support, particularly regarding facilities, personnel, finances, and other resources required for quality care. Notably, no interventional studies evaluating EDI initiatives in pharmacy practice were identified.

Conclusions: This review underscores the need to design and evaluate interventions promoting EDI in pharmacy services. Addressing structural barriers and implementing inclusive workforce and policy initiatives may improve patient access, strengthen pharmacy practice, and contribute to reducing health inequities.

Study protocol: The study protocol was registered with Open Science Framework (Registration DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/ZB2XG).

Ethics and dissemination: No primary data were collected or analyzed for this review, therefore ethics approval was not required.

Objectives: Scientific research remains one of the most effective tools for advancing knowledge and improving healthcare services. Engaging undergraduate health science students in research activity early in their education is crucial for developing critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities. This study aimed to explore students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding research in undergraduate Health Science students at Kuwait University and to identify factors influencing their involvement in research.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey targeted undergraduate students enrolled in the Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine, Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, and Public Health at Kuwait University. An online, self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data on demographics, research knowledge, student attitudes, perceived challenges to conducting research, and research-related activity. A calculated sample size of 344 students was determined. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and ordinal regression modelling.

Key findings: A total of 364 students responded to the survey. Overall, 43.4% of respondents demonstrated either limited or moderate knowledge, with a median score of 40.6%, with interquartile range: (28.1%-57.8%). The majority (59.3%) expressed neutral attitudes toward research. The most frequently identified obstacle to conducting research was insufficient time, as noted by 65.1% of the participants. Approximately 48.1% reported being engaged in research projects.

Conclusions: Health science undergraduates at Kuwait University show limited to moderate familiarity with research concepts and display neutral attitudes toward research involvement. Time limitations emerged as the most commonly cited barrier. Introducing compulsory research components and offering workshops on research methods may help foster greater interest and participation in research activity.

Objectives: This review aimed to synthesize the literature on community pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAPs) in managing oral anticancer agents (OAAs) and identify the key barriers and facilitators.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Scopus to identify studies that assessed the KAPs, barriers, and facilitators of community pharmacists in managing OAAs. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted the data. Results were reported narratively.

Key findings: Eleven studies were included in this review. Community pharmacists reported gaps in knowledge of OAAs and a general low comfort in dispensing, managing side effects, and educating patients on OAAs. Main barriers to provide care to patients on OAAs included lack of knowledge and training and inadequate communication between hospitals and community pharmacies. Several facilitators were also identified, including closer relationship with the patients, interprofessional practice and availability of a larger workforce of community pharmacists.

Conclusions: This scoping review revealed a gap in the KAPs among community pharmacists in managing OAAs and identified barriers that should be addressed in future studies, while highlighting the need for further education and training to improve their KAP. Recognizing these gaps will facilitate the creation of capacity-building initiatives to ensure that community pharmacists are equipped to take on the responsibility of managing the safe and effective use of OAAs.

Objectives: Undertake a pilot study to explore hospital pharmacists' perspectives of factors contributing to medication-related problems during transitions of care from hospital to home, and opportunities for pharmacist optimization.

Methods: A focus group of hospital pharmacists from a large Australian tertiary care health service.

Key findings: Six pharmacists identified communication-related factors as contributing to medication-related problems, including poor communication between healthcare providers and with patients, limited patient understanding of medication-related information, and fragmented care networks.

Conclusion: A more empowered role for hospital pharmacists in transitions of care is needed, to address verbal communication limitations contributing to medication-related problems.

Objectives: To explore the occurrence and reporting of adverse drug events (ADEs) among women in Jordan.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted over 3 months, utilizing a validated questionnaire distributed via social media platforms to Jordanian women aged 18 and older. Using SPSS version 26, the Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests to examine the association between ADE occurrences and participant demography were computed. Logistic regression was utilized to determine predictors of ADE reporting.

Key findings: Of the 1062 respondents, 160 (15.1%) reported experiencing at least one ADE. Among these, 87 (54.4%) reported these events. Factors such as age, educational status, medication for chronic conditions, and hospital admissions were found to influence the occurrence of ADEs. Notably, 47.5% of the ADEs occurred at home, predominantly involving antibiotics (24.3%). While 65.8% of participants were aware that ADEs could be reported, only 43.2% knew how to do so. Among those who reported, face-to-face interactions were the most common method (47.1%). Women who knew how to report ADE were more likely to do so [adjusted odds ratio: 7.593, 95% CI; (2.517-13.267), P = .001].

Conclusion: ADEs are common among women in Jordan and there is a significant gap in reporting.