The Need for Competency-Based Education

While pharmacy education updates learning as new information arises, changes to learning experiences can trail behind current practices and technology. There have been multiple calls for radical changes in how health professions education is delivered in order to ensure patients are receiving high-quality care. Competency-based education (CBE) has been one way discussed in the literature for how to handle this need to develop students who have a willingness to learn and can problem solve. The goal of this review is to examine whether CBE is needed to drive the profession of pharmacy forward. To address, we collaboratively to identified stakeholder perspectives to evaluate the need. The following stakeholders achieved consensus among the committee members: patients/society, learners, workplace/profession, and academic institutions. Based on those perspectives, needs and gaps to address those needs were identified and are presented in this review.

Trends in postgraduate year 2 pharmacy residencies

DISCLAIMER

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to quantify the growth and trends in postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) pharmacy residencies.

METHODS

Summaries of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Resident Matching Program from 2008 to 2021 were obtained. Only standalone PGY2 residencies were included in the analysis. Descriptive analyses were completed for data related to the programs and positions.

RESULTS

From 2008 to 2021, the total number of ASHP-accredited PGY2 programs increased from 282 to 1,131 (301%) and the overall number of unfilled positions decreased from 22% (77 of 351) to 2% (34 of 1,492). The percentage of positions filled early increased from 23% (81 of 351) to 40% (594 of 1,492) during this time. In 2021, programs with a clinical focus accounted for 91.6% of total positions. The Ambulatory Care category accounted for the largest percentage of all PGY2 residency positions, at 19.2% (287 of 1,492) in 2021 compared to 12.8% (45 of 351) in 2008. The total share of PGY2 residency positions in the Critical Care category decreased from 22.8% (80 of 351) in 2008 to 13.7% (205 of 1,492) in 2021; however, the share of PGY2 residency positions in the Emergency Medicine category increased from 1.4% (5 of 351) to 5.9% (88 of 1,492).

CONCLUSION

From 2008 to 2021 the total number of PGY2 residencies increased; however, this growth was uneven, as the share of positions within individual residency categories changed. It is important for pharmacy stakeholders to review the current state of postgraduate training and ensure it reflects the goals for future practice.

Pharmacoeconomic, Medication Access, and Patient-Satisfaction Analysis of a Pharmacist-Managed VTE Clinic Compared to Primary Care Physician Outpatient Therapy

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common medical condition often treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Current literature supports outpatient treatment of select, low-risk VTE patients by a pharmacist with DOACs; however, no studies exist to demonstrate if a pharmacist-managed VTE clinic provides financial benefit compared to physician-managed outpatient care. To compare the financial implications and patient satisfaction of pharmacist-managed VTE care versus outpatient VTE care by a primary care physician. A single-center retrospective chart review was conducted on all patients seen at a pharmacist-managed VTE clinic for safety and reimbursement outcomes between August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019. These data points were used to assess the primary endpoint of net gain per patient visit and secondary outcomes, including patient satisfaction score. The primary outcome median (IQR) for net gain per visit was $16.57 (16.57, 16.57) for the pharmacist-managed group and $64.37 (47.04, 64.37) in the physician-managed group with a 95% CI of 39.13-47.80. The median cost to the organization per visit was $4.96 (4.96, 4.96) for the pharmacist-managed group and $39.41 (23.65, 39.41) for the physician managed group with a 95% CI of 26.57-34.45. Statistical difference was also found for a secondary outcome of percentage of days covered for the pharmacist-managed group compared to the physician managed group, median (IQR) 100% (76,100) vs 92.2% (67.2, 98.9) respectfully, with a p-value of 0.043. The pharmacist-managed VTE clinic, although financially sustainable, provides significantly less net revenue per patient than physician managed clinics, demonstrating the need for increased payer recognition for pharmacists.

Embarking as "Captain of the Ship" for the Curriculum Committee

This commentary examines the curriculum chair's responsibilities and discusses considerations when assuming this role, using a "captain of the ship" metaphor. From knowing the crew to managing a diverse set of responsibilities, the path to becoming an effective chair is challenging and each captain's stripe must be earned. Advice is provided to assist with understanding the curriculum and governance processes, as well as the chair's various roles and professional development. The need for leadership and management is also emphasized.

A call to action: Maximizing the pharmacy technician role through certifications

The continued advancement of pharmacy practice demands highly skilled and knowledgeable pharmacy technicians to enhance the services provided. As technician responsibilities continue to evolve to include more advanced roles, the need for standardized technician training and certification is essential to advance the profession of pharmacy technicians and pharmacy practice. With only 45% of states requiring technician certification, great variation exists in the education and training competencies required for technicians practicing in the health system setting. While the gap in certified pharmacy technician workforce is significant, the advancing skills demanded of our technician workforce underscore the need for national standardization of technician certification requirements in the health system setting. Pharmacists, health systems, and legislators must commit to advancing the profession of pharmacy and advocate for a uniform, certified technician workforce as a professional standard.

Report of the 2019-2020 AACP Academic Affairs Committee: Developing the Pharmacist Workforce for Society's Medication Use Needs in 2030

The 2019-2020 Academic Affairs Committee was charged with identifying promising practices in academic-practice partnerships and professional pharmacy organization initiatives that are accelerating the transformation of a workforce prepared to assume responsibility for society's medication use needs in 2030 and determining the role AACP can plan in supporting these partnerships and initiatives. The committee identified a set of ideal principles, characteristics, and design elements of a high-quality, large-scale workforce development program. The committee also categorized current mechanisms for professional workforce development, in addition to identifying their strengths and weaknesses, with the realization that novel approaches are needed to accomplish the goal of large-scale workforce transformation. This report also highlights two existing initiatives aligned with accelerating the transformation of the workforce (ie, the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) ACT (Academia-CPESN Transformation) Pharmacy Collaborative and the American Pharmacists Association ADVANCE platform) and is proposing a policy statement affirming AACP's support. Furthermore, the committee is proposing another policy statement supporting colleges and schools of pharmacy taking an active role in implementing innovative and novel approaches for the development of the current workforce. In order to truly understand the many factors influencing large-scale workforce transformation, the committee is also proposing a stakeholder conference with a wide range of participants and a targeted set of questions focused on current and future needs.