Design and Evaluation of a New National Pharmacy Internship Program in Ireland

Exploring the experiences and expectations of pharmacist interns in large general hospitals in China: from the perspective of interns

BACKGROUND

Hospital-based pharmacy internship (HBPI) is critical for the transition from "pharmacy students" to "professional pharmacists". This study explores the pharmacist interns' experiences and expectations for HBPI from their personal experiences intending to provide references for future hospital pharmacy education reform and policy development.

METHODS

This is a multicenter qualitative study applying focus group discussions. Pharmacist interns were invited as participants from large teaching hospitals in Henan, China. A thematic analysis was conducted to qualitatively analyze this data. Nvivo 12 was utilized for data management and processing.

RESULTS

Three focus group discussions were conducted, involving 16 interns as participants. Three themes were summarized regarding interns' expectations and experiences: (1) positive experiences of the HBPI; (2) negative experiences of the HBPI; (3) expectations and suggestions for the HBPI.

CONCLUSION

This study finds that the HBPI improves the professional knowledge, professional skills, and core competencies of interns. Therefore, the HBPI is an important preparation and transition stage for pharmacy students. However, the current pharmacy internship in China still has imperfections such as the insufficient ability of clinical teachers, unreasonable internship models, and unscientific internship content.

A scoping review of the methods and processes used by regulatory bodies to determine pharmacists' readiness for practice

BACKGROUND

There is an expectation from government, regulatory bodies, patients, the public, and other healthcare professions that pharmacists are competent professionals who can practice independently. Regulation of the profession requires pharmacy graduates to register with a recognised regulatory body before being considered 'ready to practise' independently.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the methods and processes used by national regulatory bodies to determine pharmacists' readiness to practise.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using three electronic databases (Embase, Scopus, CINAHL) and websites of national regulatory bodies. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they described the methods and processes used by regulatory bodies to determine pharmacists' readiness to practise. Data were extracted relating to readiness to practise, the registration exam and the role of newly qualified pharmacists, post-registration. Extracted data were collated using narrative descriptive summaries and accompanying tables.

RESULTS

Identified data sources referred to registration of pharmacists across 11 different countries. No sources provided a definition for the term 'ready to practise'. Ten countries were identified as holding a registration examination with varying formats and curricula. Written and oral exams, competency based written assessments, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations and a combination of these were identified with written exam being the most popular (n = 8). In all but one country, the regulator was responsible for delivery of the exam. In most cases (n = 7), the exam was mapped to a pre-defined set of competencies with only a few (n = 4) explaining how these competencies were developed. Only two sources made reference to the role of the newly qualified pharmacist post-registration.

CONCLUSION

The review has established a paucity of research and publicly available information on the methods and processes used by national regulators to determine pharmacists' readiness to practise. There is no pharmacy definition of being 'ready to practise'. Assessment methods vary widely and, currently, no gold standard is apparent.

Patients and Caregivers Helping to Shape the Undergraduate Pharmacy Mental Health Curriculum

Objective. To develop a model system for involving patients and caregivers in curriculum development of mental health education in an undergraduate pharmacy program. Methods. Purposive recruitment was used to convene a focus group of nine people with experience in using mental health services from either the patient or caregiver perspective. Group members were asked about their experience with using pharmacy services and their suggestions for enhancement of the undergraduate curriculum. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results. Patients and caregivers believed that pharmacists could contribute to the care of people who experience mental health conditions by supporting shared decision making, providing information, actively managing side effects of psychotropic medication, and conducting regular medication review. Subjects suggested that the pharmacy undergraduate curriculum should introduce mental health from the beginning, include self-care for students, integrate mental and physical health education, and enhance students' communication skills. The curriculum should include broader issues relevant to mental health beyond the use of medication, such as stigma, the recovery approach, and interprofessional cooperation. These changes could support graduates in engaging proactively with people experiencing mental health difficulties. Conclusion. Involving patients and caregivers in the design of an undergraduate pharmacy curriculum in mental health resulted in a more person-centered and student-centered approach to mental health education at our university. Ultimately, the changes made to the undergraduate curriculum will improve the ability of pharmacy graduates to better meet the needs of patients.