Pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia: The past, the present, and the future

Assessing Public Awareness, Utilization and Satisfaction with Community Pharmacy Services

Background

The Saudi Community pharmacy sector has been changing towards patient-centred care rather than depending solely on dispensing medications. Accordingly, pharmacies can now provide many services that they previously could not offer. The aims of this study were to identify all pharmacy services provided in a community setting and to assess public awareness and utilization of and satisfaction with these services.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study in which the authors first purposively visited community pharmacies to identify the services offered. Pharmacists were asked about pharmacy services currently provided to community. Fieldnotes were used to document pharmacists' responses. After identifying pharmacy services, a questionnaire was desgined and reviewed by experts in the field, piloted and approved by the Ethics Committee at King Faisal University, then disseminated via Google Forms. The satisfaction level with pharmacy services was assessed using a five-point Likert scale. Data were collected from 24 January 2023 to 2 March 2023.

Results

Eighteen community pharmacies offering 17 different services were visited across Alahsa Governorate. The number of participants who completed the questionnaire was 350. Of those (232 [66.3%]) were female, and the majority of the sample (80.5%) were younger than 40 years old. The majority of the participants were unaware of pharmacy services. Out of 17 services, six received a score of 50% or higher regarding participant awareness. The most utilized services were the medication dispensing service "Wasfaty" (250 [71.4%]), medication counselling provided by pharmacists (232 [66.3%]) and minor ailment service (231 [66%]). The overall satisfaction score for pharmacy services was 87.2%.

Conclusion

The majority of the participants were unaware of the full range of available pharmacy services. There is a potential for community pharmacists to fill the capacity gap in the healthcare system since, overall, the participants rated the pharmacies' clinical services as satisfactory. Commissioners of pharmacy services may consider extending the scope of community pharmacies to include services that best utilize the expertise of clinical pharmacists.

The academic formation challenges: what does retail expect from higher education institutions in pharmacy?

BACKGROUND

The drug retail represents the main area of activity for pharmacists worldwide. In Brazil, this sector is responsible for employing around 80% of professionals. Before this reality, the academic training of pharmacists requires specialized skills and knowledge so they can fulfill their tasks. In this sector, considering the influence of managers and mentors on the model of pharmaceutical practice, their perceptions about the demands of the market can help discussions related to the training of pharmacists.

AIM

To analyze the academic training of pharmacists for the drug retail market from the perspective of managers and mentors.

METHOD

This is a qualitative study conducted with managers and mentors of the drug retail market. A semi-structured interview guide was prepared and applied to the intentionally selected participants. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under the number 4,169,752. The interviews were conducted through videoconference by an experienced researcher. The data obtained were analyzed using Bardin's analysis technique, following the steps of categorical thematic content analysis using the ATLAS.ti software.

RESULTS

19 interviews were carried out. Among the reports, the interviewees highlighted the importance of retail in the employability of pharmacists, as well as inconsistency in the academic training for this sector, originating the following categories: curriculum reform to include the market demands, follow-up and career plan, training for entrepreneurship and sales, practical application of knowledge, and encouragement of experience.

CONCLUSION

Pharmaceutical academic training is linked to several challenges, whether organizational, structural, or budgetary. To overcome these challenges, it is necessary to unite the interested parties in the formulation and implementation of a strategy for the professionalization of pharmacists, considering their social role in patient care, aligned with the company's sustainability, so that both coexist.

Evaluating preceptorship during advanced pharmacy practice experiences in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs offer students' academic coursework and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs). APPEs are crucial for students, providing hands-on training in practice settings and enhancing clinical skills and decision-making abilities. Nevertheless, successful APPEs relies mainly on preceptorship. Hence, this study aims to evaluate preceptorship during APPEs in one of the non-major cities in Saudi Arabia.

Method

A Cross-Sectional survey study was conducted among 40 PharmD students at Taibah University's College of Pharmacy which involved two telephone interviews conducted seven months apart. The survey instrument consisted of 46 questions divided into eight sections which covered various aspects such as demographics, clarity of rotation objectives, clinical and communication skills, assessment of the training and learning opportunities, preceptors' feedback and evaluation, interaction with patients, healthcare providers, and preceptors. Descriptive statistics and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were utilized to analyze the collected data and to assess the internal consistency of the multi-item Likert questions.

Results

Preceptors were predominantly male, aged 26-35, with extensive experience in pharmacy practice and mentorship, yet they lacked specialized post-graduate training or education certification. Almost 50% of the preceptors exhibited competence in pharmacotherapy-related science, demonstrated a willingness to teach students and acknowledged the students' knowledge and skills. Furthermore, most of the students reported understanding of the APPEs objectives as the internship progressed. However, only 15% of late rotation participants strongly agreed on the safety of the learning environment, adequate time and regular contact with their preceptors. Starkly, only 3.0% of early rotation students and 6.1% of late rotation students strongly agreed with the improvement of their written and verbal communications.

Conclusion

This study reported a noted decline in perceived learning support and environment safety as the APPEs' year progressed. Feedback and communication skills development were areas of concern, with limited satisfaction reported. The study highlights regional disparities in training quality, emphasizing the need for structured learning experiences and re-evaluation of preceptorship. Future research should aim to better understand the challenges associated with APPEs in non-major cities and rural areas, thereby making significant contributions to the enhancement of the pharmacy profession.

Factors influencing future career interests of pharmacy interns in Saudi Arabia: a survey from 25 colleges of pharmacy

BACKGROUND

Hundreds of pharmacists graduate from pharmacy colleges in Saudi Arabia, and various factors influence their choice of career pathway. Very few single-institution studies assessed career choices of pharmacy students with or without evaluating the influencing factors. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate career choices and the associating factors of pharmacy interns from multiple colleges in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study that surveyed pharmacy interns from 25 pharmacy colleges in Saudi Arabia using an online questionnaire. The survey was sent during the last rotation month in the internship year (May-June 2022).

RESULTS

Of 454 participants, 411 (90.5%) were enrolled in Doctor of Pharmacy programs. While most participants were interested in becoming clinical pharmacists (n = 183; 40.3%), a considerable number were also interested in working in different sectors of pharmaceutical companies and industry (n = 127; 28%). Internship training significantly correlated with selecting clinical pharmacy specialist career (r = 0.19; P = 0.0001), whereas salary/financial incentives significantly influenced the choice of working as sales and marketing representatives and pharmacy product specialists in pharmaceutical companies (r = 0.29 and 0.24; P < 0.0001 for both). College courses correlated with choosing academia in pharmaceutical sciences (r = 0.20; P < 0.0001), whereas summer training correlated with the community pharmacy career (r = 0.11; P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Pharmacy colleges should utilize results from this study to enhance the exposure of pharmacy students during their academic years to different pharmacy career pathways by allowing the opportunity to shadow pharmacists from different sectors as part of college courses, inviting previous graduates, and activating the role of academic advisors in career orientation.

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.

Developing pharmacists' competencies in Saudi Arabia: A proposed national competency framework to support initial education and professional development

INTRODUCTION

With the currently accelerating changes in pharmacists' roles in Saudi Arabia, evidence-based developmental tools are required to guide initial pharmacy education and define competencies for early career (foundation level) pharmacists' progression. This study aimed to develop a profession-wide competency framework for foundation level pharmacists in Saudi Arabia using the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF) as the source framework.

METHODS

An online nominal group technique was used to develop consensus on a profession-wide national competency framework in Saudi Arabia. Purposive sampling was used to recruit experts from local various pharmacy sectors. A combination of self-administered surveys and online meetings was used to measure and develop consensus. The survey items were adopted from the FIP GbCF version 2.

RESULTS

Nine pharmacy experts participated in five iterative rounds of consensus measurement and development between July and November 2021. Consensus was achieved on appropriateness to Saudi pharmacy practice for all the behaviours in the "Pharmaceutical Public Health," "Pharmaceutical Care," and "Professional/Personal" clusters. The "Organisation and Management" cluster caused most differences of opinion. The final consensus generated a list of 125 behavioural statements for inclusion in the national competency framework.

CONCLUSION

This study proposes the first competency framework for foundation level pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. The developed framework represents a consensus on competencies for foundation level pharmacists working across all pharmacy sectors and is eligible for supporting further improvement of initial pharmacy education and support excellence in pharmacists' performance to address the country's needs from pharmaceutical services.

Comparison of Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Examination (SPLE) Pass Rates by Institution and Applicant Characteristics

In 2019, the Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Examination (SPLE) was first administered to all pharmacy graduates and served as one of the prerequisites for obtaining a pharmacist license. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether institution and applicant characteristics are associated with first-time SPLE success. Passing status for 2284 SPLE first-time applicants was obtained from online public data for the years 2019 and 2020. The data included applicant sex, institution type (public vs. private), and college establishment year (2006 or earlier vs. after 2006). Overall, the SPLE first-time pass rate in 2020 was significantly higher than in 2019 (98.0 vs. 95.9%; p = 0.0062). Applicants from pharmacy colleges established in or before 2006 had a higher SPLE first-time pass rate, compared to those from pharmacy colleges established after 2006 (98.2 vs. 95.2%; p < 0.0001). The pass rate for male applicants was lower compared to female applicants (95.8 vs. 97.5%; p = 0.0221). The results of logistic regression showed that exam year (2020 vs. 2019), applicant sex (female vs. male), and pharmacy college establishment year (≤2006 vs. >2006) were statistically significant predictors. Further studies are needed in the upcoming years when more cumulative data are available.

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.

Pharmacy Practice Research in Saudi Arabia; A Bibliometrics Analysis from (2000 to 2021)

Background

Pharmacy is a growing profession in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which has experienced tremendous changes in the past 20 years. Pharmacy practice or clinical pharmacy have an attention ever since the emerging of PharmD programs throughout the Saudi universities. As a result, the number of affiliated faculty in the pharmacy practice departments has increased dramatically in the past 20 years and thus significant changes in research output were observed.

Objectives

The main objective is to conduct a bibliometric analysis and evaluate the research output of pharmacy practice faculty in Saudi Universities from 2000 to 2021

Methods

A systematic search was conducted using Scopus database to explore the research output from pharmacy practice affiliated faculty from 2000 to 2021. The following search terms AFFILORG (“Pharmacy Practice Department” OR “Department of Pharmacy practice” OR “Clinical Pharmacy Department” OR “Department of Clinical Pharmacy” OR “Department of Pharmacy Services”) AND AFFILCOUNTRY (“Saudi Arabia” OR “KSA” OR “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”) were used. Only original research papers were retrieved and analyzed using MS Excel (v16.0), MS Access (v16.0), Bibexcel (v2017), VOS viewer, and Biblioshiny.

Results

In the past two decades, most publications with pharmacy practice departments affiliation were pharmacy practice research irrelevant (only 1075 out of 2809). King Saud University and King Abdulaziz University were the top performing institutes, and median of 5-year impact factor for journals was more than 3 for most of the top 10 institutes. 19% of the total retrieved articles were review publications were the rest majorly classified as cross-sectional studies.

Conclusion

The research contribution of pharmacy practice departments in Saudi Arabia has been improving. Key recommendations are to promote more applied and interventional research, increase publications in top journals, and enhance national collaborations.

Pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia: Achievements and challenges during the last two decades with a focus on Taif University as a case study

Basic expectation from graduates of any pharmacy program is to be able to provide pharmaceutical care at both patients and community levels, be able to solve problems arising during practice, be able to improve quality and outcomes of the services provided continuously and be able to respond effectively to patients and community changing needs. Pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia established in 1959 by founding the first college in Riyadh (King Saud University) followed by establishing two pharmacy colleges in Jeddah (King Abdulaziz University, 2001) and Abha (King Khalid University, 2001), then a college in Al Ahsa (King Faisal University, 2002), followed by four colleges three-years later in each of Buraydah (Qassim University, 2005), Madinah (Taibah University, 2005), Taif (Taif University, 2005) and Makkah (Umm Al-Qura University, 2005). Up to date the number of pharmacy colleges offering basic degrees in pharmacy are 21 governmental and eight privates. This review describes pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia, the historical perspective, current situation, and the important features. The report focuses on the changes during the last two decades covering three main aspects (1) Clinical education and training, (2) Research output, and (3) Quality and accreditation.

Evaluation of the Potential of National Sharing of a Unified Progress Test Among Colleges of Pharmacy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

With the expansion in pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia, there is a pressing need to maintain quality assurance in pharmacy programs using several tools. The progress test is a formative assessment tool that can serve to provide information to all stakeholders. This study evaluated the results of a unified progress test that was shared among 15 colleges of pharmacy.

METHODS

The progress test was composed of 100 MCQs where 30% of which cover basic pharmaceutical sciences and 70% cover pharmacy practice. The questions were collected from all the 15 colleges of pharmacy participated in the test. The test was administered online to all undergraduate students in the professional programs of these colleges.

RESULTS

The overall attendance rate was 80% from the total number of students enrolled in the participating colleges. Mean scores of students in basic pharmaceutical sciences were relatively higher than in pharmacy practice. The assessment results of the students in the unified program learning outcomes among colleges were higher in the domains of knowledge and skills compared to competence domain. There was a significant increment in the mean scores of the students as they progress through the years of the professional program. No correlation was found between the mean scores in the test and the cumulative grade point average (cGPA) of all students regardless of their level.

CONCLUSION

The results indicated growth and maintenance of the gained knowledge and skills by the students as they progress through the years of the professional program with consistency in the results among the participating colleges. Sharing a unified test was effective as a valuable tool for the colleges of pharmacy for the purposes of benchmarking and improving the curricula. In addition, it could serve to evaluate learning of students and harmonize knowledge and skills gained by students at different institutions.

Factors Affecting Pharmacy Students' Decision to Study in Pharmacy Colleges in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Analysis

(1) Background: Many factors may play a role in deciding to opt for pharmacy as a major. However, no previous studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia to explore these factors. This study aims to identify the potential factors that prompted students to join the pharmacy program. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed among undergraduate pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia, addressing areas such as reasons that encourage them to choose pharmacy as a major, and students' socio-demographic characteristics. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study variables, and a simple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the potential factors. (3) Results: A total of 491 students completed the questionnaire. Around 40% of them had chosen to study pharmacy as their first choice. Only gender, current GPA, and reasons related to the pharmacy field were found to have a statistically significant association with students selecting pharmacy as their first choice. (4) Conclusions: This study shows that pharmacy students have a future-oriented outlook and selected pharmacy as their first choice because it will develop them professionally, financially, and intellectually. Educating high school students about the characteristic of pharmacy would help attract more talented students to the pharmacy carrier.

Clinical pharmacy definition, required education, training and practice in Saudi Arabia: A position statement by the Saudi society of clinical pharmacy

The Saudi Society of Clinical Pharmacy (SSCP) is a scientific and professional society in the field of clinical pharmacy that operates under the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties governance. The SSCP believes that there is a need to define and describe many aspects related to the clinical pharmacy profession in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, there is an increasing demand for promoting the concept of clinical pharmacy and developing a consensus regarding the scope of practice and clinical pharmacist's required postgraduate education and training in Saudi Arabia. This paper is intended to present several position statements by the SSCP that define the concept of clinical pharmacy, describe the required education and training, and highlight clinical pharmacists' scope of practice in Saudi Arabia. This paper calls for further investigations that examine the impact of clinical pharmacists on individual and population health levels.

Work readiness scale for pharmacy interns and graduates: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

As the number of unemployment among pharmacy graduates increases, the Saudi Ministry of Labor implemented extra measures to facilitate their training and hiring by the private sectors. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data regarding pharmacy graduates’ work readiness (WR). Hence, we aim to assess their WR and identify predicting factors associated with WR among pharmacy graduates’ in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A 46-item self-reported pre-validated anonymous work readiness scale (WRS) survey with a 5-point Likert scale was administered to pharmacy senior students and graduates using Qualtrics XM® survey tool over the month of May 2020. The main outcome was to assess WRS for pharmacy interns and graduates and identify factors associated with work readiness.

Results

A total of 617 participants have participated in this survey, out of which 46.5% were freshly graduated pharmacists and 19.6% were pharmacy interns. Most participants (82.3%) were PharmD candidates or graduates. Around two-third of participants (63%) have successfully completed all survey items. The maximum points scored was 223 out of 230, and the median overall score was found to be 175. There was no significant association with gender, age, or type of university regarding overall scores. However, a statistically significant odds ratio was observed with PharmD program type and previous pharmaceutical marketing training (OR = 1.778, 95% CI = 1.143–2.765: OR = 0.618, 95% CI = 0.432–0.884, respectively).

Conclusion

The overall median score shows a good work readiness level among pharmacy students/graduates in Saudi Arabia; however, PharmD program graduates exposed to advance pharmacy training, including the pharmaceutical marketing experience, have higher work readiness odds than Bpharm graduates. Further studies involving other related perspectives, such as stakeholders, employers, and preceptors, would give a clear image of pharmacy graduates’ job readiness levels.

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.

Perceived barriers and facilitators to uptake of non-traditional roles by pharmacists in Saudi Arabia and implications for COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: a qualitative study using Theoretical Domain Framework

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has further strengthened the need for pharmacists to uptake non-traditional roles. Pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia is emerging in recent years with greater policy emphasis on pharmacists taking new clinical roles. This study aimed to explore the experiences, perceptions and barriers of Saudi pharmacists about their uptake of non-traditional roles using Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

Methods

A qualitative semi-structured study using face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted. Eligible participants included qualified pharmacists from Saudi Arabia. Interviews focused on pharmacist’s perceptions, current opportunities and key challenges towards the uptake of non-traditional roles. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Results were analysed through the framework analysis method and were later mapped with respective domains of TDF.

Results

A total of 14 pharmacists completed the interview (9 females and 5 males). Participants showed an overall positive attitude towards the uptake of non-traditional roles. Participants felt that there was wider support available for pharmacists at the policy level to uptake non-traditional roles. However, a need for greater recognition of roles by other healthcare professionals and patients were identified. Participants alluded to reluctance of some physicians to take on board the suggestions from a pharmacist. Key barriers to uptake of non-traditional roles were related to environmental context and resources domain of TDF. For example, participants discussed the need for even further practical experiences during their undergraduate degree to become ready to adopt non-traditional roles in clinical practice.

Conclusions

Participants of this theoretically informed qualitative study showed an overall positive attitude towards the way pharmacy practice is progressing in Saudi Arabia and their uptake of non-traditional roles. However, there is a need to improve interdisciplinary working, patient awareness of pharmacist competencies and their educational preparedness in furthering their uptake of non-traditional roles. Addressing such barriers and promoting uptake of novel roles by pharmacists is imperative in the context of emerging COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Education of pharmacists in Ghana: evolving curriculum, context and practice in the journey from dispensing certificate to doctor of pharmacy certificate

BACKGROUND

Understanding the origin and evolution of education of pharmacists is important for practice and health system reforms. In Ghana, education of pharmacists started in the 1880s with the training of dispensers in a government hospital. Over the years, the curriculum and institutional arrangements changed and currently pharmacists are trained in universities. In this study we explored how and why education of pharmacists evolved in Ghana.

METHODS

We used a case study design to systematically describe education of pharmacists reforms. Data was collected from October 2018 and December 2019 through document review and in-depth interviews. The data was analysed based on institutional arrangements and contextual factors influencing reforms from the 1880s through 2012, when the Doctor of pharmacy programme was initiated in Ghana.

RESULTS

Reforms occurred around four main periods when institutional arrangements including the certificate awarded and expected roles were modified by educators and government. These are: (1) the Certificate of dispensing with dispenser-in-training and nurse-dispenser schemes (1880s to 1942), when dispensers were trained to assist doctors in dispensing or directly diagnosing and treating specific disease conditions. (2) the Diploma and Certificate of competency with the dispenser-in-training and pupil pharmacist schemes (1943 to 1960), where in addition to existing roles, pharmacists operated village dispensers. (3) the Bachelor of pharmacy degree (1961 to 2017), when pharmacists were trained mainly as medicines experts with a strong science base on all aspects of medicines from production, distribution and use; and over time with a gradual move to patient-oriented practice. (4) the Doctor of pharmacy degree (2012 to date), where in addition to existing roles, trainees are exposed to advance professional practice experiences. Important factors influencing the reforms included, health systems demands for village dispensaries and clinically oriented pharmacists, and harmonization with regional and international training and practice.

CONCLUSION

Reasons influencing education of pharmacists reforms are context specific and are driven by historical experiences, national and international expectations as well as educators and regulators abilities to influence change. These reforms call for direct corresponding change in professional practice laws and regulation to enable pharmacists contribute fully to health care delivery in Ghana.

Examining the motivations and future career aspirations of Qatari pharmacy students and alumni: A case study

INTRODUCTION

The Global Pharmacy Workforce report published by the International Pharmaceutical Federation indicated pharmacy workforce shortages and called forstrengthening workforce planning. The low percentage of Qatari students in the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University could negatively impact the fulfilment of the Qatar National Vision and the United Nations' Goals. The aim of this research is to examine the motivations of Qatari pharmacy students and alumni to study pharmacy, and to understand their perceptions of the profession and career aspirations.

METHODS

A qualitative case study research was conducted. Data were collected by focus groups and semi-structured interviews, and were analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Research findings suggested that increasing the national workforce was the main motive for students to study pharmacy. The participants' perceptions of the profession varied from pharmacy being a drug sales profession to it being a healthcare profession. Participants' career aspirations included pursuing graduate studies, working in hospitals, and working in academia. The participants were generally satisfied with studying pharmacy, which encouraged them to recommend the major to others. However, the participants were challenged by the lack of societal recognition of pharmacy and by misperceptions about Qatari students, which motivated them to further demonstrate their competencies.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will facilitate the understanding of factors that motivate and demotivate Qatari students from joining the pharmacy major and their career aspirations, which will ultimately enhance the development of recruitment strategies geared towards attracting a larger number of qualified and highly motivated Qataris into the pharmacy profession.

Pharmacists' Prescribing in Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Study Describing Current Practices and Future Perspectives

Pharmacist prescribing is being increasingly undertaken to better use their skills and reduce the workload of existing prescribers such as doctors, often using formal processes to legitimate these activities. In developing countries like Saudi Arabia, however, pharmacists' prescribing remains informal with no legislation or formal training and there is a lack of research and understanding into such practices. Therefore, we aimed to describe current pharmacist prescribing practices in Saudi Arabia and explore pharmacists' views about pharmacists' prescribing. This is a cross-sectional survey study using an online questionnaire of hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia about pharmacists' prescribing, and associated views about prescribing legislation and barriers to implementing pharmacist prescribing. Over a quarter (28.5%) of pharmacists reported themselves as prescribers, 49% were following a collaborative prescribing model, 18% independent prescribing, and 33% were doing both. Ninety percent of prescribers reported confidence in prescribing the appropriate treatment and 92.3% perceived they will benefit from more prescribing training. Healthcare practice culture and pharmacist's competency were identified as barriers. There is an overall support for pharmacists' prescribing in Saudi Arabia among this sample of hospital pharmacists, with limitations in resources and the absence of standardized prescribing training being perceived as key barriers to pharmacists' prescribing.

Investigating the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on pharmaceutical education in Saudi Arabia - A call for a remote teaching contingency strategy

Background

COVID-19 lockdown has forced pharmacy education to be conducted remotely for approximately half of the second semester in the year 2019/2020. This sudden shift to distance learning has put the pharmacy education system through an extraordinary experience that may impact its future.

Objective

To investigate the effect emergency remote teaching has had on pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia, and to provide recommendations that may help set in place a contingency strategy.

Methods

Two cross-sectional Likert-scale based questionnaires targeted at students and teachers separately, designed to explore stakeholders' satisfaction in three areas of emergency distance teaching/learning: The use of virtual classrooms, completion of course learning outcomes (CLOs) and assessment via alternative methods during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Furthermore, phone interviews were conducted with teachers and students to discuss results from both questionnaires for further clarity on teacher and student views.

Results

Over 700 pharmacy students, from 19 different local colleges, and 74 faculty members from 10 different local colleges have participated in this study. While it was challenging for the majority of teachers (>60%) to delivery complex scientific concepts over virtual classrooms, >35% of students and 60% of teachers have expressed concerns on the lack of student–student and student–teacher interactions. A factor that has shown a significantly negative correlation with student overall satisfaction (p < 0.01). Emergency remote teaching has forced teachers to alternative assessment methods, which the majority (70%) believe had a positive effect on students' overall skills. Almost half of students (45%) were concerned by the lack of guidance accompanied by unfamiliar methods of assessments.

Conclusions

Based on statistically analysed results from cross sectional Likert-scale questionnaires aimed at stakeholders of pharmaceutical education, this study concludes with a number of recommendations that may help pharmacy colleges seize this unique opportunity to further enhance the quality of pharmacy education in Saudi Arabia.

Pharmacovigilance in healthcare education: students' knowledge, attitude and perception: a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Medication safety and pharmacovigilance (PV) remains as an important discipline worldwide. However, there is a significant lack of knowledge of PV and adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting among students in the healthcare field. Thus, this study is aimed to measure knowledge, attitude, and perceptions and compares it between healthcare students (i.e., medicine, dentistry, and nursing).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study involving 710 undergraduate healthcare students from different universities in Saudi Arabia was conducted. A validated structured pilot-tested questionnaire was administered to the participants to assess their knowledge, attitude, and perceptions towards PV and ADRs reporting. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study findings. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.

RESULTS

Overall, the study found that 60.8 and 40.0% of healthcare students correctly defined PV and ADRs respectively. Most students showed positive attitudes and perceptions towards PV and ADRs reporting. PV knowledge, attitude, and perceptions towards PV were significantly higher among pharmacy students as compared to other healthcare students. Only 39% of healthcare students revealed that they have received any form of PV education and 49% of them indicated that PV is well covered in their school curriculum. Pharmacy students are more trained in their schools to report and have performed ADRs reporting in their school as compared to other healthcare students.

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacy students have better knowledge, attitude, and perception towards PV and ADR reporting in comparison to other healthcare students. The study clearly describes the need for integrating pharmacovigilance education in Saudi healthcare schools' curriculums to prepare them for real-world practices and workplaces.

Assessing the pharmacy students' knowledge of common medical terms after a curricular change in Saudi Arabia

Medical terminology is the vocabulary used to describe the human body and its conditions; fluency in this language is essential for health care professionals. We examined the level of basic medical terminology understanding among 347 pharmacy students in four different colleges of pharmacy in Saudi Arabia using a newly developed test of 30 multiple choice questions. Students in the relatively new colleges of pharmacy were more likely to have a higher score in the medical terminology test compared to their counterparts from the old college of pharmacy (β = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.16–2.30, P-value = 0.02). Female gender (β = 1.72, 95% CI = 0.57–2.88, P-value = 0.003), and advanced class level (β = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.36–1.32, P-value < 0.001) were also positively associated with high medical terminology test scores. The findings of this study reveal a deficiency in the pharmacy students’ level of understanding of basic medical terms which may necessitate a reintroduction of the medical terminology course into the pharmacy curriculum.

The Role of Pharmacist in the Health Care System: Current Scenario in India

Pharmacists are society's specialists on drugs. The Pharmacist of today is a drug-maker, drug-dispenser, drug-custodian, patient-counselor, drug-researcher, and drug-educator and above all an honest and patriotic citizen. The techno-proficient foundation of the drug expert gives him/her the certainty of providing services with a moral way to deal with the satisfaction of patients. The consecrated qualities are required to be cherished and professed by the pharmacist. Pharmacists assume a significant job in giving health care services, benefits by means of community pharmacy services in rural areas where physicians are not accessible or where physician services are unreasonably expensive for meeting the health care necessities. The paper at that point recognizes how pharmacists give expanded services, identifies key challenges and barriers, and suggests rules and regulations that could help secure open doors for pharmacists to play out an extended job.

Restructuring the inpatient advanced pharmacy practice experience to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019: Lessons from Saudi Arabia

Introduction

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced the rapidly spreading epidemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Almost all countries started to take proactive precautionary measures to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. The education sector, including pharmacy education, has been drastically impacted by this pandemic. During the outbreak, many hospitals instructed the health profession's schools to restrict or prevent the presence of their students and interns in their hospitals in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.

Objectives

Constraining the presence of interns in the affiliated hospital has impacted the integrity of delivering the learning outcomes of each clinical rotation. In this paper, we present the experience of four faculty preceptors in restructuring the advanced pharmacy practice experience in different clinical settings, including critical care, infectious diseases, cardiology, and internal medicine, in order to reduce the risk of contracting COVID‐19 at a large academic medical institution in Saudi Arabia.

Conclusion

We believe that this experience could provide guidance and insights for other pharmacy schools dealing with this issue during this global pandemic.

Pharmacy students attitude and perception toward working in community pharmacy in Saudi Arabia

Objective

The objective of this study is to determine the level of attitude and perception of Saudi pharmacy students toward working in community pharmacies after graduation and to assess cultural, educational, and job related barriers and limitations that interfere with students and community pharmacy as a favorable workplace.

Methods

A cross sectional questionnaire, was mailed to a random sample of 600 pharmacy students. It included questions on students' future careers, ideal environment and barriers that might face them in community pharmacy.

Results

Four hundreds and twelve (412) completed the survey (response rate was 69%). Mean age was 23 years and 51.2% of respondents were female. Our results revealed low responses toward how interested they are to work in community pharmacy. The study response showed that improvement in salary and money incomes (46%) and culture and society issue (45%) are the two main barrier to make the career in community pharmacy more attractive.

Conclusions

Saudi pharmacy students had a negative attitudes and insufficient knowledge about community pharmacy. Pharmacy school would have an important role to fill the knowledge gap and prepare the student to work in the community pharmacy. In order to successfully “Saudization” the community pharmacy setting, efforts should be made to overcome their perceived barriers.

Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Clinical Pharmacy Services and Their Impact on The Management of Cancer in Taif, Saudi Arabia

Aim:

To assess the perception and attitude of HCPs and health-related science colleges’ students regarding the clinical pharmacists’ roles and responsibilities in providing better pharmaceutical care to patients in Taif, Saudi Arabia and to detect its impact on management of cancer.

Methods:

This study was conducted in four randomly selected hospitals in Taif and three health-related science colleges in Taif University. A questionnaire was distributed to HCPs and another questionnaire to students of health-related science colleges.

Results:

Three quarters of students perceived that the clinical pharmacist is an important part of the healthcare team. Two-thirds of HCPs expressed confidence in the ability of clinical pharmacists to minimize medication errors. Although two-thirds of HCPs reported that they did not have clinical pharmacists in their institutions, there was substantial willingness among HCPs to cooperate with the clinical pharmacists. Most HCPs expressed the view that the clinical pharmacist is an important integral part of the healthcare team and has a positive impact on cancer management.

Conclusion:

HCPs and students of health-related science colleges valued the role of clinical pharmacists in healthcare delivery and management of cancer. However, new developments in clinical pharmacy services in Taif hospitals are recommended to improve perception and attitudes towards the clinical pharmacy services. Also, well-organized programs should be conducted to students of health-related science colleges to improve their perceptions and attitudes towards the clinical pharmacy services which may have a positive impact on cancer management.

A transition from the BPharm to the PharmD degree in five selected countries

This review focuses on the studies and opinions around issues of transition from the BPharm to the PharmD degree in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Pakistan and Thailand.

The transition to the clinically orientated PharmD degree in many countries was seen to be a means of developing the profession. However, some countries have both clinically-oriented and pharmaceutical sciences-oriented PharmD programme that are designed to meet the needs of their countries. Each country created a different process to handle the transition to an all-PharmD programme, but mostly had the process of school accreditation mandated by the regulatory bodies. The main barrier to the transition in most of the countries was the issue of educational quality. A set of indicators is needed to measure and monitor the impact/outcome of the PharmD degree.

Each country has different needs due to the different contexts of health care systems and the scope of pharmacy practice. In order to increase their chances of benefiting from the new programme, academic leaders should critically assess their countries’ needs before deciding to adopt a PharmD programme.

Building the health workforce: Saudi Arabia's challenges in achieving Vision 2030

BACKGROUND

Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 represents a major structural shift in all economic sectors. Health care is one of the largest sectors significantly contributing to achievement of the vision OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of health workforce in Saudi Arabia and identify various critical issues and challenges that need to be addressed in achieving health system goals envisaged in the Vision.

METHODS

This paper is based on extensive review of literature conducted to stimulate pertinent descriptive information on health workforce in Saudi Arabia.

FINDINGS

Saudi nationals constitute 44% of all health workforce and 29.5% of all physicians employed by the health system. Among Saudi nationals, there is a significant underrepresentation of females except in the nursing profession. The health workforce is beleaguered with numerical inadequacy, skill imbalance, gender disparity, and access issues.

CONCLUSION

Health system needs to adopt a rigorous approach by investing heavily on medical, nursing, and other specialized fields of education. Planning for the health workforce needs to adopt appropriate strategies that reflect all aspects including the number, skills, and gender distribution for meeting the future health needs of population to facilitate achievement of Vision.

Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in the Arab World

Objective. To create a resource on cultural sensitivity for schools and colleges of pharmacy that are currently engaged or considering future outreach opportunities in the Arab world. Methods. A literature review (2000-2018) of databases and Internet searches with specific keywords and terms were conducted. Authors who had experience in travelling to and hosting students and professionals from the Arab world and authors with local work experience in the Arab world were solicited. Results. General information about the Arab world, including unique aspects of individual countries, is presented. Stereotypes and misconceptions regarding the region and the people are discussed. Specific information about the government and infrastructure of each country, including their health care system is provided, with emphasis given to pharmacy education and practice in the region. In addition, recommendations for culturally sensitive engagement for pharmacy and other health care practitioners are discussed. Finally, recommendations for culturally sensitive engagement when hosting students and/or faculty members from the Arab world are also addressed. Conclusion. Global engagement between schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States and those in the Arab world is increasing. For an enriching and fruitful engagement, sensitivity toward the cultural and clinical needs of the people, and in particular, the professionals of that region is critical.

Review of National and International Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Objective. To compare the different philosophies, emphases and processes of national and international accreditation paths available to pharmacy programs in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. To identify engagement of GCC pharmacy programs with International Pharmacy Accreditation or Certification (IPAC) and the outcome advantages of IPAC compared to other national accreditation standards. Findings. National quality standards across the GCC countries are similarly structured but in different stages of development. Pharmacy specific standards are absent. Of the 44 institutions identified offering pharmacy degrees, only three out of 28 of those in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and all but two out of 15 elsewhere in the GCC, have national program-level accreditation. Nine of the institutions have IPAC via either the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education-International Services Program (ACPE-ISP), the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP) or the German Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences (AHPGS). None of the institutions have sought accreditation from the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC). IPAC may serve as a tool to provide specific recognition of the quality of pharmacy programs and to enhance the quality of pharmacy education in the region. Summary. In the absence of national bodies to accredit pharmacy initial training degrees, IPAC has become increasingly popular in the GCC countries. There are distinct regional differences in uptake and choice of IPAC. IPAC may serve as a tool to provide specific recognition of the quality of pharmacy programs and to enhance the quality of pharmacy education in the region in the absence of an unmet for pharmacy-specific national accreditation.

A Call to Action to Transform Pharmacy Education and Practice in the Arab World

Globally, pharmacy education is evolving to reflect a more patient-centered, interprofessional approach to clinical practice. In the 22 countries of the Arab world, advancements in regulatory support for pharmacy practice and changes to the health care system have been slower than in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Significant cultural, logistical, and legal barriers exist in many countries, and a consensus approach to accreditation, educational outcomes, and curricula design is lacking. This commentary briefly examines the current state of both pharmacy education and practice in the Arab world, and it highlights recent reports of curricular reform and innovation. Additionally, it provides potential strategies for improving the quality of education and for expanding pharmacy practice to ensure graduates and practitioners have adequate experiential opportunities and institutional support.

The status of licensed pharmacy workforce in Saudi Arabia: a 2030 economic vision perspective

BACKGROUND

The economy of Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a major transformation which will have an impact on employment in the pharmacy sector. However, quantitative data characterizing the pharmacy workforce in the Kingdom are currently not available. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the current status of the licensed pharmacy workforce in the pharmacy field in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Descriptive statistics were performed on data from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) as of March 2017.

RESULTS

The labor market for pharmacists in Saudi Arabia is dominated by expatriates. Saudi nationals constitute less than 20% of the pharmacists employed in the Kingdom. The underemployment of Saudis is most evident in the largest sectors of the pharmacy field, namely, private health care establishments, community pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies.

CONCLUSION

There is an unmet need to train Saudi citizens as pharmacists and retain them in the workforce. Addressing this issue should become an important objective in Saudi Arabia's Vision for 2030.

Undergraduate pharmacy students' motivations, satisfaction levels, and future career plans

Objectives

This study aims to evaluate undergraduate pharmacy students' reasons for joining the pharmacy program, their levels of satisfaction regarding their choice, and their future career plans.

Methods

A cross-sectional research design was adopted using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. All undergraduate pharmacy students at one public university in KSA were invited to participate in the study.

Results

A total of 398 participants responded to the questionnaire. Family influence (66.6%), seeking a job with diverse opportunities (81.7%), and the desire to work in a health-related profession (83.4%) were the main reasons for studying pharmacy. Only 58% of respondents affirmed that, given the chance to choose their undergraduate program again, they would still choose pharmacy. Working as a hospital clinical pharmacist was the most popular future career plan, cited by 83.2% of respondents.

Conclusion

There is a need to guide high school students regarding their choice of undergraduate programs, and for these students to be made aware of the challenges and opportunities of studying pharmacy. This can be achieved by organizing a one-day pharmacy orientation program introduced to students during their high school education.