Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.0
Journals
Pharmacy
Special Issues
Pharmacists: Key Players in a Changing Health Care System
share announcement

Pharmacists: Key Players in a Changing Health Care System

A special issue of Pharmacy (ISSN 2226-4787). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacy Practice and Practice-Based Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 12448

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Meng-Wong Taing

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
Interests: roles for pharmacists; pharmacy practice; oral healthcare; improvement of patient outcomes; biostatistics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pharmacists are allied health professionals that work to deliver basic and complex care needs within communities. Care may be provided in community pharmacies or hospitals, and constant regulatory changes have allowed pharmacists to expand their professional services. Many health systems are under significant stress, with overworked doctors and often under-resourced hospital emergency departments being just the tip of the iceberg. The maximization of the full scope of pharmacy practice may require the broadening of a pharmacist’s scope to allow the provision of more services and holistic care and represents an opportunity to improve patient care and drive positive change within healthcare systems. Benefits may include but are not limited to, increasing community access to primary care and encouraging multidisciplinary care in the primary care sector.

This Special Issue will focus on topics that explore the expansion and broadening of pharmacists’ professional roles. High-quality research articles, review articles, and discussions that address pharmacy education and provision of more services throughout the full scope of practice initiatives are invited.

Dr. Meng-Wong Taing
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmacy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pharmacy expanded scope
  • patient care
  • health care system
  • pharmacy roles
  • pharmacy practice
  • pharmacy education

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

24 pages, 327 KiB  
Article
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for Chronic Pain Management in the Community Pharmacy Setting: A Cross-Sectional Survey of the General Public’s Knowledge and Perceptions
by Klaudia Harris, Jazmyne Jackson, Holly Webster, Jillian Farrow, Yi Zhao and Lindsey Hohmann
Pharmacy 2023, 11(5), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy11050150 - 21 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2794
Abstract
Patient access to mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a complementary and integrative health approach that is proven to reduce chronic pain, can be increased via community pharmacy-based implementation. However, the general public’s awareness and preferences regarding MBSR as a treatment option for chronic pain, [...] Read more.
Patient access to mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a complementary and integrative health approach that is proven to reduce chronic pain, can be increased via community pharmacy-based implementation. However, the general public’s awareness and preferences regarding MBSR as a treatment option for chronic pain, including provider roles (pharmacist vs. non-pharmacist), are unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the U.S. general public’s knowledge, attitudes, barriers, and programmatic preferences regarding MBSR for chronic pain management, particularly in the community pharmacy setting. A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to U.S. adults ≥18 years via the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) online survey platform. The survey instrument was informed by Anderson’s framework for health service utilization. Measures were assessed using multiple-choice and 5-point Likert-type scales (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Primary outcome measures included: (1) knowledge and awareness of MBSR (12-items); (2) confidence in seeking out MBSR for pain (5-items); (3) barriers to receiving MBSR (11-items); (4) beliefs about MBSR in general (12-items); (5) beliefs about community pharmacy-delivered MBSR (15-items); and (6) preferences for MBSR classes/programs (6-items). Outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and influential factors associated with mean beliefs regarding community pharmacy-delivered MBSR for chronic pain management were assessed via multiple linear regression. Of the 302 survey respondents, the majority were white (79.1%) and female (50.7%), with a mean age of 44.65 years. Respondents’ self-rated MBSR knowledge (mean [SD] scale score: 2.30 [0.68]) and confidence (2.65 [0.87]) were low, although perceived barriers to access were low overall (2.22 [0.53]). Beliefs regarding the use of MBSR for treatment of chronic pain were positive in general (3.67 [0.71]), but more negative regarding community pharmacy-delivered MBSR (2.38 [0.56]). Confidence in seeking out MBSR (β = 0.297, 95% CI = 0.219 to 0.375; p < 0.001) and current opioid use (β = 0.419, 95% CI = 0.147 to 0.690; p = 0.003) were positively associated with beliefs regarding pharmacy-delivered MBSR, while annual household income (β = −0.124, 95% CI = −0.244 to −0.004; p = 0.043) and level of bodily pain (β = −0.149, 95% CI = −0.291 to −0.008; p = 0.039) exerted statistically significant negative influences. Respondents preferred a hybrid MBSR class format including both online and in-person components (29.7%) as well as both group and individual session options (43.7%). In conclusion, further education is necessary to increase the public’s perception of community pharmacies as a resource for complementary and integrative health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacists: Key Players in a Changing Health Care System)
13 pages, 270 KiB  
Article
A Cross-Sectional Survey Exploring Australian Pharmacists’ and Students’ Management of Common Oral Mucosal Diseases
by Meng-Wong Taing, Joshua Choong, Vijayaprakash Suppiah, Sarira El-Den, Joon Soo Park, Michael McCullough and Leanne Teoh
Pharmacy 2023, 11(5), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy11050139 - 1 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1554
Abstract
Background: Oral mucosal conditions are commonly experienced in the general population and can have a negative impact on one’s quality of life. This study evaluated the ability of Australian pharmacists and final-year pharmacy students to recognise and manage these common oral mucosal diseases [...] Read more.
Background: Oral mucosal conditions are commonly experienced in the general population and can have a negative impact on one’s quality of life. This study evaluated the ability of Australian pharmacists and final-year pharmacy students to recognise and manage these common oral mucosal diseases through the use of case vignettes. Methods: Australian pharmacists and final-year pharmacy students were invited through social media, university learning management systems, or email to complete an online questionnaire consisting of six case vignettes covering topics relating to common oral mucosal presentations. Results: A total of 65 pharmacists and 78 students completed the questionnaire. More than 50% of the participants reported having seen all types of oral mucosal presentations, except for denture stomatitis, in their practice. The provision of best practice recommendations was reported by only 14%, 15%, 8%, and 6% of the participants for geographic tongue, hairy tongue, angular cheilitis, and denture-associated stomatitis, respectively, whereas 82% offered an appropriate anti-viral treatment for cold sore and 33% provided the best practice recommendations for oral thrush. Conclusion: This study emphasised the importance of further developing and integrating best practice oral healthcare training programs specifically tailored to the Australian pharmacy profession. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacists: Key Players in a Changing Health Care System)

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

16 pages, 658 KiB  
Review
Medication Review: What’s in a Name and What Is It about?
by Anneleen Robberechts, Maja Brumer, Victoria Garcia-Cardenas, Niurka M. Dupotey, Stephane Steurbaut, Guido R. Y. De Meyer and Hans De Loof
Pharmacy 2024, 12(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy12010039 - 19 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5043
Abstract
Background: Medication review is a multifaceted service aimed at optimizing the use of medicines and enhancing the health outcomes of patients. Due to its complexity, it is crucial to clearly describe the service, its variants, and its components to avoid confusion and ensure [...] Read more.
Background: Medication review is a multifaceted service aimed at optimizing the use of medicines and enhancing the health outcomes of patients. Due to its complexity, it is crucial to clearly describe the service, its variants, and its components to avoid confusion and ensure a better understanding of medication review among healthcare providers. Aim: This study aims to bring clarity to the origins, definitions, abbreviations, and types of medication reviews, together with the primary criteria that delineate key features of this service. Method: A narrative review approach was employed to clarify the diverse terminology associated with “medication review” services. Relevant references were initially identified through searches on PubMed and Google Scholar, complementing the existing literature known to the authors. Results: The study uncovers a complicated and sometimes convoluted history of “medication review” in different regions around the world. The initial optimization of medicine use had an economic purpose before evolving subsequently into a more patient-oriented approach. A selection of abbreviations, definitions, and types were outlined to enhance the understanding of the service. Conclusions: The study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive information and standardization regarding the content and quality of the services, collectively referred to as “medication review”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacists: Key Players in a Changing Health Care System)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

9 pages, 860 KiB  
Brief Report
Development and Implementation of Workshops to Optimize the Delivery of Vaccination Services in Community Pharmacies: Thinking beyond COVID-19
by Arnaud Lavenue, Isabelle Simoneau, Nikita Mahajan and Kajan Srirangan
Pharmacy 2023, 11(4), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy11040129 - 13 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2253
Abstract
Vaccines are widely recognized as the most economically efficient strategy to combat infectious diseases. Community pharmacists, being highly accessible healthcare professionals, have the potential to significantly contribute to the promotion and facilitation of vaccination uptake. In Canada, the jurisdiction of healthcare falls under [...] Read more.
Vaccines are widely recognized as the most economically efficient strategy to combat infectious diseases. Community pharmacists, being highly accessible healthcare professionals, have the potential to significantly contribute to the promotion and facilitation of vaccination uptake. In Canada, the jurisdiction of healthcare falls under provincial legislation, leading to variations in the extent of pharmacist practice throughout the country. While some pharmacists in Canada already functioned as immunizers, Québec pharmacists gained the authority to prescribe and administer vaccines in March 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Our workshop aimed to equip pharmacists in Québec with the necessary guidance to optimize vaccinations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and expanding immunization services beyond influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in the future. During the workshop, pharmacists had the opportunity to exchange valuable insights and best practices regarding workflow optimization, identifying areas for improvement in competency, effectively reaching vulnerable population groups, and integrating allied team members into their practice. Participants were also asked to develop a plan of action to help implement practice change beyond the workshop. Interactive workshops centered around discussions like these serve as catalysts for advancing the pharmacy profession, uniting professionals with a collective aim of enhancing patient care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pharmacists: Key Players in a Changing Health Care System)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop