David A. Latif

Pharmacist use of social media

Introduction  The rapid emergence and exploding usage of social media (also called Web 2.0) present pharmacists with new professional, ethical and time management challenges.

Physician attitudes toward pharmacist provision of medication therapy management services

Objective The implementation of Medicare Part D in 2006 has the potential to advance the profession of pharmacy through the provision and remuneration of pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) services. Limited research has evaluated physician attitudes toward pharmacist-provided MTM services, and little is known about factors that may affect these attitudes. The aim of this study was to test a model of physicians’ attitudes toward pharmacist-provided MTM services as a part of Medicare Part D. Setting and Method A mail survey was sent to a random sample of 500 physicians practicing in West Virginia. Multiple linear regression was used to test the model. Main outcome measure The independent variables included prescription volume, specialty type, years of practice, gender, academic affiliation, practice size, physicians’ attitudes toward collaborative agreement, and physician–pharmacist communication frequency. Additionally, physician age was included as a control variable. Results A total of 102 responses were received yielding a response rate of 22.1%. The mean for physicians’ attitude to support provision of MTM by pharmacists was 2.84 out of 5. The overall physicians’ attitudes model for provision of MTM by pharmacists was found to be significant. Physicians’ attitudes toward collaborative agreement, specialty, years of practice, physician–pharmacist communication frequency regarding patients communication, and gender had significant influences on physician attitudes toward provision of MTM by pharmacists. Conclusion The proposed model can provide insight into physicians’ attitudes toward provision of MTM by pharmacists and may be helpful in developing future approaches and policies to further improve this collaborative relationship.

Self-Reported Household Impacts of Large-Scale Chemical Contamination of the Public Water Supply, Charleston, West Virginia, USA

A January 2014 industrial accident contaminated the public water supply of approximately 300,000 homes in and near Charleston, West Virginia (USA) with low levels of a strongly-smelling substance consisting principally of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM). The ensuing state of emergency closed schools and businesses. Hundreds of people sought medical care for symptoms they related to the incident. We surveyed 498 households by telephone to assess the episode’s health and economic impact as well as public perception of risk communication by responsible officials. Thirty two percent of households (159/498) reported someone with illness believed to be related to the chemical spill, chiefly dermatological or gastrointestinal symptoms. Respondents experienced more frequent symptoms of psychological distress during and within 30 days of the emergency than 90 days later. Sixty-seven respondent households (13%) had someone miss work because of the crisis, missing a median of 3 days of work. Of 443 households reporting extra expenses due to the crisis, 46% spent less than

Relationships among student evaluations, instructor effectiveness, and academic performance †

100, while 10% spent over

The influence of pharmacy education on students' moral development at a school of pharmacy in the USA

500 (estimated average about

A qualitative assessment of West Virginia pharmacist activities and attitude in diabetes management

206). More than 80% (401/485) households learned of the spill the same day it occurred. More than 2/3 of households complied fully with “do not use” orders that were issued; only 8% reported drinking water against advice. Household assessments of official communications varied by source, with local officials receiving an average “B” rating, whereas some federal and water company communication received a “D” grade. More than 90% of households obtained safe water from distribution centers or stores during the emergency. We conclude that the spill had major economic impact with substantial numbers of individuals reporting incident-related illnesses and psychological distress. Authorities were successful supplying emergency drinking water, but less so with risk communication.

Healthcare provider perceptions of the role of interprofessional care in access to and outcomes of primary care in an underserved area

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationships among students’ grade expectations, students’ actual grades, and students’ evaluations of instructors. A total of 5399 individual student evaluations from 138 course offerings that were taught over four successive academic years were compiled and analyzed. The evaluation instrument included questions pertaining to course- and instructor-related items, as well as a question inquiring about the grade the student expected to receive in the course. Students’ grades (expected and actual) were significantly correlated with the mean instructor evaluation score ( p , 0.01 for both correlations). Also, there was a strong positive correlation (r 1⁄4 0.916) between the mean course evaluation score and the mean instructor evaluation score ( p , 0.01). Based on the results in this study, students’ expected and actual course grades appear to be an influential factor in how they evaluate instructors. Additionally, the ability of students to discriminate between course evaluations and instructor evaluations is suspect.

Availability and perceived value of masters of business administration degree programs in pharmaceutical marketing and management.

Objectives The aim was to assess the relationship between moral development and pharmacy education at a small, private pharmacy school located in the south‐eastern region of the USA. Corollary objectives were to assess the impact, if any, of gender, age and grade point average on moral development.

Attracting and Retaining Faculty at New Schools of Pharmacy in the United States

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The role of pharmacists in chronic disease state management has been shown to significantly improve patient health outcomes and reduce overall health care costs. The current study is designed to assess the roles and attitudes of West Virginia (WV) pharmacists toward diabetes, evaluate services provided, address pharmacist clinical understanding and training, and demonstrate the challenges that limit pharmacists ability to deliver an efficient disease state management. METHODS We invited 435 preceptors affiliated with the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy to participate in the study using Qualtrics online survey software. The survey was divided into sections related to pharmacists, practice environment, pharmacists roles in diabetes management, and challenges faced that limit their ability to deliver effective care to diabetic patients. Data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance, and a P value ≤.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS Of all eligible invited preceptors, 104 accessed the online survey based on the Qualtrics tracking tool, while 58 participated in the survey with a 56% response rate. Generally, WV pharmacists have positive attitudes regarding the provision of primary activities related to drug use and its associated problems. However, we report that WV pharmacists are less involved in providing education or recommendations regarding diabetes-associated risk factors such as nephropathy, retinopathy, foot care, and gastroparesis. In addition, the majority of pharmacists indicated that they face many challenges related to patient and the practice site environment that limit their ability to provide optimum diabetes patient care services. CONCLUSION Despite the mounting evidence that pharmacists can improve diabetic patient outcomes while significantly reducing overall costs, WV pharmacists are less involved in providing education or counseling in a variety of areas related to disease state management. In addition, identifying pharmacist challenges provides significant information for future planning toward improving diabetic patient care.

Pharmacy Faculty Retirement at Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy in the United States and Canada

ABSTRACT To meet the needs of an aging population who often have multiple chronic conditions, interprofessional care is increasingly adopted by patient-centred medical homes and Accountable Care Organisations to improve patient care coordination and decrease costs in the United States, especially in underserved areas with primary care workforce shortages. In this cross-sectional survey across multiple clinical settings in an underserved area, healthcare providers perceived overall outcomes associated with interprofessional care teams as positive. This included healthcare providers’ beliefs that interprofessional care teams improved patient outcomes, increased clinic efficiency, and enhanced care coordination and patient follow-up. Teams with primary care physician available each day were perceived as better able to coordinate care and follow up with patients (p = .031), while teams that included clinical pharmacists were perceived as preventing medication-associated problems (p < .0001). Healthcare providers perceived the interprofessional care model as a useful strategy to improve various outcomes across different clinical settings in the context of a shortage of primary care physicians.