INNOVATIONS in pharmacy

Implementation of the Wonders of Pharmacy to engage high school students in the pharmacy profession

2025-04-28T14:45:47-05:00

Objective: To examine feedback from high school student attendees and presenters about their perceptions of the Wonders of Pharmacy (WoPh) event to steer for future implementation.

Methods: An innovative community engagement and leadership project was implemented in a first year required pharmacy course. The project involved student creation of interactive stations to be showcased at the WoPh event to demonstrate the role of pharmacists to high school students and their families. Two surveys were distributed via Qualtrics following the WoPh event: a 30-item survey to attendees and an 18-item survey to student presenters. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify and identify trends. Thematic analysis was used for open-ended questions.

Results: The WoPh event included a total of 108 attendees and 34 interactive stations facilitated by 130 student presenters. Attendee survey responses (20.3% response rate) indicated that while 85% felt they formed positive connections with pharmacy students, only 57% felt the same way with connections with pharmacists. Among presenters (34.6% response rate), 88% believed the event showcased various aspects of the pharmacy profession, but only 37% thought it was well organized and 33% found the networking opportunities valuable. Key themes from first-year student presenters included engagement and impact on high school students and the challenges and rewards of participation.

Conclusion: The WoPh event introduced high school students and their families to pharmacy careers, fostering positive connections and interest in pharmacy careers. First-year PharmD students found the integration of the WoPh event in their required pharmacy course provided valuable insight for high school students and their families. However, PharmD students found that the integration of WoPh event into the course curriculum was disorganized. Addressing gaps in event organization and networking opportunities could further enhance this impactful educational event in the future.

Creating practice test items with Generative AI: A student-faculty collaborative approach

2025-07-28T10:00:08-05:00

Description of the Problem: Educational delivery has been greatly impacted by the recent advancements in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and the expected further exponential advances within the field. While many studies have discussed the impact of GAI, it is commonly framed as either how faculty can make GAI work for them or how to “GAI-proof” educational assessment. A less considered option would be to partner with students on GAI use to augment their studying.

The Innovation: Students partnered with the course instructor to design and evaluate GAI-powered question sets to supplement the course material in a first-year pharmacy class of both on-campus and distance pathway students (n=54). The primary objective was to design a potential mechanism to openly collaborate with students in using GAI. Outcomes measured included question utilization, student perceptions of using the question sets, accuracy of the questions, and cost/time to create the question sets.

Critical Analysis: The student and faculty collaborative review questions were positively rated by the students and were feasible to design and implement, at no expense and of minimal time to create. Additionally, only 3 out of 425 questions were found to be incorrect upon faculty review. Of the 50 students who completed the author-developed survey, over 90% used the GAI question sets, perceived them to be helpful and perceived that they enhanced their learning; and 70% of students agreed that a professor should review GAI material before it is used. These findings suggest that a student-faculty partnership in the use of GAI may be one way to develop practice test items in pharmacy education, while addressing common concerns about GAI use, implementation, and accuracy.

Next Steps: Future steps include evaluating the success of these question sets in comparison to traditionally made questions as well as initiating student-faculty collaboration in other uses of GAI in pharmacy education.

Enhancing the feasibility of interprofessional education: Lessons learned from sole precepting in a project-based practicum

2025-10-20T16:54:58-05:00

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a cornerstone of pharmacy curricula, but many educational programs face practical challenges in implementing effective collaboration-based projects with preceptors in clinical settings. This study describes a four-week pilot rotation where pharmacy students were supervised by non-pharmacist health professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses, chiropractors, naturopathic physicians) in a project-based practicum aimed at enhancing interprofessional collaboration (IPC). Students designed projects aimed to enhance IPC at their chosen clinical site and were invited to participate in weekly online discussions with other students to facilitate learning and provide additional support to each other. Based on interview results, the practicum experience was well-received by both students and preceptors, with an increased appreciation for IPC and meaningful impact on interdisciplinary knowledge respectively. The practicum proved instrumental in helping students develop collaborative leadership skills and enhance their interprofessional communication, ultimately boosting their confidence in applying IPC in their future practice. Given its clear benefits, this type of experience could continue as an elective for pharmacy students seeking to reinforce these crucial skills, rather than being a mandatory component of the experiential curriculum. This report provides preliminary evidence for adopting an IPC-based learning curriculum with non-pharmacist preceptors as an effective method to support current IPE programs – with the potential to be adapted for remote learning. Future directives are provided to improve the quality and generalizability of IPC-based learning on a larger-scale.

Treatment knowledge and medication adherence and their association with blood pressure control among hypertensive patients at a teaching hospital in Ghana

2025-09-16T14:17:59-05:00

Background: Blood pressure (BP) control can be influenced by patients’ knowledge of hypertension treatment and medication adherence. Adherence can be influenced by patients’ knowledge. In Ghana (a resource-limited setting), the relationship between these factors and BP control is not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate hypertension treatment knowledge and medication adherence and their relationship with BP control among hypertensive patients at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 371 adult hypertensive outpatients at the KBTH Polyclinic/Family Medicine Department using a structured questionnaire. Medication adherence was evaluated based on the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale. Systematic sampling was used. SPSS was used for data analysis.

Results: Majority (72.8%; n=270) of respondents were females. Nearly half (48.5%; n=180) were aged 65 years and above. The proportion of patients with adequate knowledge was 3.7% (n=14). About 40% of patients had high adherence. Moderate knowledge of hypertension treatment was insignificantly associated with 1.57 times higher odds of BP control (COR: 1.57; CI 0.98-2.53). Moderate knowledge was 4.73 times more likely to result in adherence than low knowledge (COR: 4.73; CI 2.49-9.01; p<0.001). Higher medication adherence (≥ 80%) was 1.98 times more likely to result in BP control than lower adherence (COR: 1.98; CI 1.03-3.80; p<0.05)

Conclusion: This study revealed that hypertension treatment knowledge and medication adherence were inadequate, and BP control was low. Hypertension treatment knowledge was not significantly associated with BP control but was significantly associated with medication adherence. Adherence significantly predicted BP control. These findings underscore the need to take steps to improve antihypertensive treatment knowledge and adherence to lead to better BP control. These findings also suggest the need for patient care providers to prioritize patient education and counseling in the management of hypertension.

Using GIS mapping to improve access to prescription medications in rural Minnesota

2025-04-28T14:54:26-05:00

Introduction: In 2023, 339,000 Minnesota residents (3.8% of the state’s population) lacked healthcare insurance. In that same year, approximately 32% of 1,400 Minnesota residents surveyed who earned less than US$50,000 indicated that they did not get a prescription filled, split tablets, or skipped doses due to the cost of their medications. RoundtableRx, Minnesota’s medication repository program regulated by the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, receives unopened, in-date, no-longer-needed medications donated by healthcare facilities and individuals. These medications are distributed to local RoundtableRx partner repositories (pharmacies or clinics), repackaged and dispensed at low cost/no cost to patients unable to afford the medication. As of the time of this report, of RoundtableRx’s 42 local repositories, 15 are located in Minnesota’s 49 rural counties. RoundtableRx desired to expand its services to additional rural counties, particularly areas of the state defined as Pharmacy Deserts, located 10 or more driving miles (16 kilometers) from the nearest pharmacy. Most local repositories are recruited through in-person visits by RoundtableRx leaders. To efficiently plan visits to potential repository partners in Minnesota’s most socially vulnerable rural areas, interactive Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping was employed to identify existing rural RoundtableRx partner repositories, rural pharmacies not currently participating with RoundtableRx, rural pharmacy deserts, and clinics within those rural pharmacy deserts.

Methods: RoundtableRx partnered with University of Minnesota’s (UMN) U-Spatial, two UMN first-year (PGY1) pharmacy residents and the UMN College of Pharmacy to generate a map of pharmacy deserts in socially vulnerable Minnesota rural counties. Community and hospital pharmacies located in rural Minnesota were identified through a list from the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy. Pharmacy deserts were defined as rural areas either 10 miles (16 kilometers) by road or 30 minutes driving time from the nearest pharmacy. Outlets of national chain pharmacies were included in identifying pharmacy deserts; however, these pharmacies were not considered as potential partners due to lack of corporate responsiveness to earlier RoundtableRx overtures to recruit repository sites in either rural or urban communities. Clinics located within rural pharmacy deserts were identified through an internet search for primary care clinics in Minnesota. The University of Wisconsin’s Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was used to determine an area’s level of social vulnerability instead of the USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The ADI more explicitly addresses measures of socioeconomic status than does the SVI. Staff from U-spatial incorporated each of the above data sets as individual layers in a web-based interactive GIS map that the team used to interrogate the data.

Findings: The resulting GIS map was used by RoundtableRx leaders to efficiently plan driving trips to rural pharmacies or clinics that might be recruited as RoundtableRx local repositories in Minnesota’s most socially vulnerable counties.

Conclusions: GIS mapping enabled Minnesota’s prescription drug repository program to efficiently plan in-person visits to potential RoundtableRx local repositories in socially-vulnerable rural communities. The map also suggests that a mail-order pharmacy option would further increase prescription drug access for patients living in rural Minnesota’s medically-underserved pharmacy deserts.

Youth involvement in local pharmaceutical manufacturing in sub-Saharan Africa: barriers, recommendations, and public health implications

2025-07-08T17:20:54-05:00

Background: In 2021, Africa imported 99% of its vaccines and 70% of its pharmaceuticals. As such, there has been a growing concern about and acknowledgement of the need for Africa to produce its own medicines. There are, however, only 375 pharmaceutical manufacturers in Africa, most of which are in North Africa, leaving a dearth in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the youthful population of sub-Saharan Africa, with 33% of its population between the ages of 10 and 35, youth are not actively involved in pharmaceutical manufacturing. This commentary explores the barriers to and opportunities for youth inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa’s local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products.

Methods: This commentary synthesises findings from existing literature and case studies of youth engagement in local pharmaceutical manufacturing. It also explores current regional policies relevant to youth involvement in the local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products in sub-Saharan Africa.

Results: Several barriers hinder the involvement of youth in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, including a lack of financial capacity among young persons, inadequate training and mentorship, and regulatory hurdles. In addition, policy frameworks from key stakeholders like the WHO rarely include plans for youth involvement in local manufacturing.

Conclusion: Youth participation in local manufacturing is important for the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in sub-Saharan Africa and for achieving local self-sufficiency in medicine and vaccines. Future policy revisions should explicitly prioritise youth inclusion in pharmaceutical manufacturing across the region, steps should be taken to promote industry-academia collaborations, and incubation hubs for youth-led pharmaceutical startups should be established. These efforts will enable the region to maximise its demographic advantage and achieve sustainable local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

From prep to procedure: Impact of bowel preparation agents on outcomes in hospitalized patients

2025-09-02T08:04:10-05:00

Purpose: Adequate bowel preparation is crucial for successful colonoscopy, preventing delays, missed findings, and higher costs. This study compared small-volume preparation (SVP) and large-volume preparation (LVP) in hospitalized patients.

Methods: A single-center, retrospective cohort study included 107 patients (SVP: 56, LVP: 51). Primary outcome: time from bowel preparation to colonoscopy. Secondary outcomes: time from admission to colonoscopy, need for additional cleansing, rate of morning colonoscopies, and hospital length of stay (LOS).

Results: Median time to colonoscopy was similar (SVP: 21.2 hours, LVP: 19.9 hours; p=0.99). Hospital LOS (SVP: 5.7 days, LVP: 7.1 days; p=0.74) and time from admission to colonoscopy (SVP: 3.6 days, LVP: 3.1 days; p=0.60) showed no significant difference. More LVP patients needed adjunctive laxatives (41% vs. 13%; p<0.001). No significant difference in morning colonoscopies (p=0.25) or additional preparation (p=0.29).

Conclusion: SVP and LVP had similar times to colonoscopy and LOS, but LVP required more adjunctive laxatives, indicating lower cleansing efficacy. Further studies are needed.

The road to safer dispensing: Evaluation of dispensary final check of dispensed medicines in a hospital dispensary

2025-08-11T10:09:26-05:00

Aims: This study aims to evaluate dispensing errors identified in final check of dispensed medications recorded and identify potential trend over a twelve-month period, to compare the common type and prevalence of the near miss involved in the dispensing error and to obtain institution specific error for future staff education.

Methods: Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) database was used to collect errors identified in the final check of dispensed medicines daily in the study hospital. Over a 12-month period between January 2023 and December 2023, dispensary staff recorded errors in an online form on the database.

Results: A total of 98 entries were recorded in REDCap database over the 12-month period, which included 106 errors. During this time, 38,781 medications were dispensed through i.Pharmacy dispensing system. The cumulative rate of dispensing error in 2023 was 0.27%. The highest rates of dispensing errors were recorded in August and October 2023. Over 3,400 items were dispensed in each month, which is comparatively higher than other months. Four errors contributed to 66.04% of all errors identified: incorrect instructions (n=27, 25.47%), other (n=16, 15.09%), incorrect quantity dispensed (n=15, 14.15%) and incorrect quantity packed (n=12, 11.32%).

Conclusion: The reporting and learning system enabled the identification and analysis of the type of dispensing errors in the dispensary. The analysis promotes reflective learning to prevent repeating similar dispensing errors. It also enables targeted education for staff members which is valuable in improving medication safety.

Transforming postoperative recovery: Synergistic impact of medication therapy management and precision analgesia on patient outcomes

2025-07-09T09:18:32-05:00

Background: Postoperative recovery is frequently compromised by poor medication adherence and suboptimal pain control, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study evaluated the combined impact of structured Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and optimized analgesic regimens on postoperative outcomes.

Methods: A prospective interventional study was conducted at Medax Hospitals, Bengaluru, between June and August 2024. Ninety-five postoperative patients aged ≥18 years, undergoing multidisciplinary surgeries, receiving postoperative pain management, and with complete clinical records were enrolled. Patients unwilling to participate, undergoing emergency or non-surgical procedures, aged <18 years, or with psychological illness were excluded. Participants were randomized to receive either MTM (n = 48) or standard care (n = 47). MTM interventions included personalized medication reviews and patient counseling. Pain regimens comprised opioid-based (tramadol), steroidal, NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) combinations (diclofenac + paracetamol), or paracetamol monotherapy. Medication adherence was measured using the MARS-5 (Medication Adherence Report Scale), and pain intensity using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, ordinal logistic regression, and mixed-effects modeling.

Results: MTM significantly improved adherence, with 100% of MTM recipients achieving moderate to high adherence versus 100% low adherence in controls (χ² = 95.0, p < 0.001). Ordinal logistic regression identified MTM as a strong predictor of adherence (OR >10¹³, p < 0.001). For pain management, tramadol yielded the lowest mean NRS score (0.78), outperforming steroids (2.00), diclofenac + paracetamol (3.68), and paracetamol alone (6.67) (p < 0.001). Mixed-effects models confirmed significant between-group differences (F = 99.54, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Pharmacist-led MTM substantially enhanced postoperative medication adherence, while opioid-based regimens provided superior analgesia compared to non-opioid strategies. Integrating MTM with individualized analgesic protocols markedly improved surgical recovery, particularly in LMICs. Larger multicenter trials were warranted to validate these findings and explore scalable digital adherence solutions

A cross-sectional evaluation of advanced pharmacy practice and specialisation among hospital pharmacists in a Nigerian tertiary health Institution: trends, barriers and recommendations

2025-09-02T08:20:10-05:00

Introduction: Hospital pharmacy has evolved to include advanced roles such as medication therapy management, pharmacogenomics, and collaborative prescribing. Advanced pharmacy practice and specialisation (APPS) plays a crucial role in improving healthcare access, reducing costs, enhancing the quality of care, and achieving better patient outcomes. This study assessed the extent of APP and specialisation at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), identified key challenges, and proposed recommendations for improving APP in Nigeria

Method: This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study collected quantitative data through a self-administered online questionnaire, while qualitative data was collected through five interviews. Data were analysed using SPSS (v23) and inductive thematic analysis. Census sampling was employed, and ethical approval was granted by the UATH Ethical Review Board (UATH/HREC/PR/2024/0/9192).

Results: Of the 48 respondents, 79% expressed interest in specialisation, although only 37% had commenced residency training and 44% held advanced certifications. Engagement in advanced pharmacy practice was limited to 50%, and pharmacists lacked prescribing rights. Interest in specialisation was significantly influenced by qualification, with B.Pharm/M.Pharm holders showing greater interest (p=0.014). Younger pharmacists expressed less interest in pursuing specialization. Motivations for pursuing specialisation included career advancement (54%), personal interest (50%), and improved patient care (40%). Qualitative data revealed that limited financial support, insufficient institutional support, and professional barriers such as the absence of a structured specialisation pathway, limited recognition of APP, and limited interprofessional collaboration were major obstacles.

Conclusion: Improving access to funding for specialisation training, implementing supportive policies such as the consultancy cadre, and increasing awareness and education on the value of APP are essential towards its wider adoption in Nigeria.

Pharmacist-led harm reduction outreach for veterans who inject drugs: A quality improvement evaluation

2025-08-12T13:02:49-05:00

Introduction: Injection drug use (IDU) increases risk for preventable infections and drug overdose. Within the Veterans Health Administration, dedicated syringe services programs (SSP) aim to reduce these harms; however, identifying and engaging Veterans with recent IDU remains challenging. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated a clinical pharmacist practitioner (CPP)-led outreach model designed to increase SSP engagement and harm reduction resource access among Veterans with IDU receiving care at a single Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System.

Methods: This was a prospective single-arm cohort QI project completed July 2024-April 2025. Veterans with past-year IDU were identified via the national VA Syringe Service Program Dashboard and verified via retrospective chart review. A CPP-led team contacted Veterans by phone and in-person outreach, offered education, and provided harm reduction resources. The primary outcome was engagement with outreach; secondary outcomes included acceptance of infection screening, antimicrobial treatment/prophylaxis, and supplies for safer injection, infection prevention, safer sex, and overdose prevention. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate results.

Results: Veterans (n=53) were age 57.6 ± 12.3 years, primarily assigned male at birth (n=51, 96.2%), unknown gender identity (n=32, 60.4%), White/Caucasian (n=27, 50.9%), and straight/heterosexual (n=31, 58.5%). Fourteen (26.4%) engaged with the CPP-led outreach. Among those, most (n=13, 92.9%) accepted ≥ 1 resource: supplies for overdose prevention (n=11, 78.6%), infection prevention (n=10, 71.4%), safer injection (n=9, 64.3%), and safer sex (n=4, 28.6%), plus infection screening (n=6, 42.9%) and hepatitis B virus vaccine (n=1, 7.1%). None accepted HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Among the remaining Veterans, 21 (39.6%) were not reached, 15 (28.3%) declined, and 3 (5.7%) were deceased.

Conclusion: Approximately one in four Veterans with past-year IDU engaged with the CPP-led team. Outreach resulted in new linkages to resources that reduce infection and overdose risk. These findings highlight the potential value of low barrier, dashboard-driven harm reduction outreach, and further evaluation is warranted.

Impact of the 2008 US FDA warnings for fluoroquinolone use in veterans ≥ 60 years of age with lung cancer

2025-08-20T14:52:33-05:00

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the United States Food and Drug Administration's 2008 warnings on the use of fluoroquinolones in patients with lung cancer.

Methods: The impact of the 2008 FDA warnings on fluoroquinolone use in patients with lung cancer ≥ 60 years old in the VA system (2002-2022) was evaluated. Patients ≥ 60 years of age with lung cancer from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2022, were included. The number of patients with a fluoroquinolone prescription or inpatient order for each calendar year was standardized as a percentage of newly diagnosed patients. Patients receiving a fluoroquinolone were also evaluated for the concomitant use of corticosteroids and QTc-prolonging medications, which were also standardized as a percentage of newly diagnosed patients. Interrupted time series analyses were used to evaluate the impact of the FDA warnings issued in 2008. The pre-period was 2002-2007, and the post-period was 2009-2022.

Results: Statistically significant reductions were observed in fluoroquinolone use for patients with lung cancer aged ≥ 60 years as well as the use of concomitant QTc-prolonging agents. Numerical reductions in the concomitant use of fluoroquinolones and corticosteroids were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: The use of fluoroquinolones and concomitant medications associated with safety risks has decreased over time. Healthcare providers caring for veterans with lung cancers have been responsive to the 2008 FDA warnings.

Long-term impact of a community pharmacist-led theme day on medication knowledge for primary school students: a questionnaire survey

2025-05-27T16:21:44-05:00

Background: The autonomy of children in medication use has increased globally, with many children using medicines without parental awareness. Children‘s knowledge about medication, however, is often inadequate. With education on medication limited in elementary schools in many countries, including in Denmark, community pharmacists may play a crucial role in enhancing medication knowledge among children. In the national Danish project School Medicines Theme Day (SMT intervention), community pharmacists, in cooperation with teachers, spent a full day teaching primary school students (4th to 6th grade) about safe medication use through hands-on activities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate primary school students’ long-term knowledge about medication and handling of medication before and 1–2 months after the SMT intervention. We hypothesized that increased knowledge would lead to safer and more appropriate medication handling by the students.

Methods: A survey (comprising 12 items) was distributed to the 81 primary school classes participating in the SMT intervention between 2023 and 2024, with a pre-intervention (Survey 1) and a post-intervention survey (Survey 2). Data analysis was conducted at class level by the use of a nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test to evaluate changes in students’ responses, with a significance level set at 5%.

Results: The response rates were 100% for Survey 1 (1,394 students) and 88% for Survey 2 (949 students). Significant improvements in students’ knowledge about medication and its handling were observed for 9 out of 12 items, indicating a lasting effect of the SMT intervention. No significant change was noted for the 2 items related to scientific concepts in the Danish curriculum.

Conclusion: The SMT intervention led by community pharmacists significantly improved primary school students’ knowledge about medication months after the intervention. A broader implementation of such activities could enhance long-term medication literacy and safe handling practices among students.