Fadi M. Alkhateeb

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.

Characteristics of Physicians Who Frequently See Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives

Pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs) can impact physician prescribing. The objective of this study was to test a model of physician and practice setting characteristics as influences on decisions by physicians to see PSRs. A survey was sent to a random sample of 2000 physicians. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to test models for predicting influences on decisions to see PSRs frequently, defined as at least monthly. Independent variables included: presence of restrictive policy for pharmaceutical detailing, volume of prescriptions, gender, age, type of specialty, academic affiliation, practice setting size, and urban versus rural. The dependent variable was frequency of PSRs visits to physicians. Six hundred seventy-one responses were received yielding a response rate of 34.7%. Four hundred thirty-two physicians (79.5%) reported seeing PSRs at least monthly. The decision influence model was found to be significant. Primary care physicians and high-volume prescribers showed increased likelihood to see PSRs. Physicians practicing in settings that were small, urban, without restrictive policies for pharmaceutical detailing, and not academically affiliated were more likely to see PSRs frequently. This model of physician and practice characteristics is useful in explaining the variations in physicians’ characteristics who see PSRs frequently. These characteristics could be used to guide the development of future academic or counter-detailing initiatives to improve evidence-based prescribing.

Concurrent use of an audience response system at a multi-campus college of pharmacy.

Objective. To assess the impact of an audience response system (ARS) on student engagement at a multi-campus college of pharmacy. Methods. An online questionnaire was designed and administered to measure the impact of an ARS on student engagement, distance education, projected use, and satisfaction among pharmacy students for a course delivered across 3 sites via synchronous video transmission. Results. Students reported that use of the ARS made it easier to participate (85.3%) and helped them to focus (75.7%) in classes when the lecturer was physically at a different site. They also valued that the ARS allowed them to respond anonymously (93.2%). A minority of students indicated that use of the ARS was distracting (11.8%). Conclusions. Implementation of an ARS was associated with positive student perceptions of engagement and may improve feelings of connectedness among students at schools with multiple sites. Use of ARSs could also represent a cognitive intercession strategy to help reduce communication apprehension.

Patient attitudes toward community pharmacist attire.

The white coat has symbolized professionalism, while representing provider–patient fiduciary relationship. Although well described in the literature for physicians, few studies examine the impact of pharmacist attire on patients’ opinions regarding professionalism and trust. Therefore, understanding patient perceptions regarding pharmacist’s attire and its influence on comfort, confidence, trust, and professionalism may provide guidance on ways to enhance the quality of the provider–patient relationship. A 43-item Likert-type questionnaire was administered to 347 adults in a community pharmacy setting to determine preferences about the pharmacist’s attire, accessories, and body art incorporating 8 photographs depicting a male pharmacist in various degrees of dress formality (ie, casual to professional). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and analyze the data. Survey respondents reported it was desirable/strongly desirable that pharmacists be dressed in a shirt and tie, dress shoes, white coat, and name tag (mean 4.21-4.72), whereas they should not be dressed in jeans, casual shoes, or have visible body art (mean 2.17-2.78). Over 86% of the respondents felt that a pharmacist with a white coat instilled feelings of comfort, confidence, trust, and professionalism. In a community pharmacy setting, a pharmacist wearing a white coat appears to be the mainstay in displaying professionalism and inspiring trust in adult patients.

E-prescribing: attitudes and perceptions of community pharmacists in Puerto Rico

E-prescribing may help reduce medical errors. Study objectives were to determine use, perceptions, and a model of adoption regarding e-prescribing. A questionnaire was developed and sent to pharmacists in Puerto Rico. Multiple regression analyses were used to test a model of influences on adoption. 438 pharmacists responded. The overall adoption model was significant. Perceived advantages had a positive influence on adoption. Pharmacist groups demonstrating higher adoption included: male > female, chain > independent, younger > older (all p < 0.05). Barriers had a negative influence (p = 0.01). The model employed here can help explain pharmacist adoption and integration of e-prescribing.

Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent Vaccine: A Look Behind The Numbers

The human papillomavirus (HPV) quadrivalent vaocine was licensed in 2006 for prevention of cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers caused by HPV-16 and −18 and genital warts caused by HPV-6 and −11. It is also indicated for prevention of precancerous and dysplastic lesions caused by HPV-6, −11, −16, and −18. Questions exist about the number of women and girls infected with the HPV strains covered by the vaccine, as well as about the vaccines cost-effectiveness. There are also concerns about the efficacy of the vaccine in girls and young women, the population impact of the vaccine, the duration of protection, and the usefulness of the vaccine in developing countries. Careful consideration should be given to these issues by pharmacy and pharmacy professional organizations. To formulate reasonable healthcare guidelines, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals will need to engage policymakers in conversations concerning the vaccines merits or limitations and the economic impact.

Pharmacy Education in the Palestinian Territories

We are delighted that the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education has recently focused on pharmaceutical practice and pharmacy education in Arab countries as part of its International Pharmacy Education Supplement. In 2006, Al-Wazaify and colleagues published an article titled “Pharmacy Education in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait” followed by a 2009 article by Kheir and colleagues titled “Pharmacy Education and Practice in 13 Middle Eastern Countries.”1,2 The latter article not only shed a light on pharmaceutical education in Arab countries, which are underrepresented in international literature, but it also started a constructive discussion forum in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, including several letters.3-5 To further enrich this discussion, we present here a synopsis of pharmacy education in the Palestinian territories. It is fair to say that colleges and schools of pharmacy and, in general, pharmacy education in the Palestinian Territories (East Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza Strip) represent a unique case study. For many years, higher education in the Palestinian Territories was stalled due to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Up till 1992, there was not a single pharmacy school in the Palestinian Territories, and public and private-owned pharmacies relied on pharmacists educated abroad and registered in neighboring country associations, such as the Jordanian Pharmaceutical Association. The establishment of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Al-Azhar University in Gaza Strip (established in 1992) and the Department of Pharmacy at An-Najah University in West Bank (established in 1994) marked a significant progress in pharmacy education in the Palestinian Territories. Currently, there are 5 schools of pharmacy that offer bachelor and doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degrees, and bachelor and master of pharmaceutical sciences degrees.6-10 Every year, more than 500 students are admitted to the bachelor of pharmacy programs at Al-Azhar, An-Najah, Hebron, and Al-Quds (in East Jerusalem) universities or PharmD programs at An-Najah and Birzeit universities. Admission is based solely on scores on the General Secondary School Examination (known as the Tawjihi) and little consideration is given to nonacademic criteria. Although these programs are accredited by the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education, their curricula are focused on biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences and short in clinical, administrative, and experiential courses. Bachelor of pharmacy programs (5 years; 160-180 credit hours) consist of 73-81% biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, roughly 13% pharmacy practice, less than10% social and administrative pharmacy and experiential education courses, and 720-1 440 hours of community pharmacy training.6-8 The PharmD programs include biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences (around 75%) and pharmacy practice and social and administrative pharmacy (around 25%) courses, more than 1 000 hours of community pharmacy training and an additional sixth year of pharmacy clerkships.7,9 Moreover, the faculty member to student ratio (1:40) is generally low compared with pharmacy schools in surrounding countries and the faculty body consists mainly of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences faculty members (More than 70%).6-9 Thus, Palestinian Territories’ schools of pharmacy provide qualified pharmacists to meet the needs of the public and private pharmacies; however, there is a lack of clinical pharmacists with specialized residency trainings. This reflects the shortage in academic and research resources and the inability to attract qualified and well trained faculty members in the areas of pharmacy administration and pharmacy practice. This article has uncovered several areas where additional research could be valuable. While the scope of this investigation was confined to the schools of pharmacy in the Palestinian Territories, future studies can extend the present investigation to the Middle East countries and investigate the student pharmacist’s perceptions on the current pharmacy curriculum in the Palestinian Territories.

Pharmacy Fellowships: Challenges and Opportunities for Pharm D.Graduates

Introduction: Pharmacy fellowships are post-doctoral training programs intended to prepare pharmacy graduates for careers in research or the pharmaceutical industry. There are currently 131 pharmacy fellowship programs in the United States, but standardization, interest among students, and overall research regarding these fellowships are ambiguous at best. This literature review was conducted to describe common facilitators, challenges, contents and outcomes of fellowships, and to evaluate the group of programs as a whole. Methods: To do this, articles were identified using PubMed and a Google search engine, and were reviewed in context with the study goals. The primary search term used was “pharmacy fellowship(s).” Results: Key findings included articles describing the current state of pharmacy fellowships, the need for standardization, and how to pursue a pharmacy fellowship. A total of twelve articles were selected due to their relevance to the scope of this article. Conclusion: The current state of fellowships, their subgroups, efforts to develop and organize the group of programs, and possible careers following training are discussed. Benefits and limitations of the current fellowship system are summarized based on the current and relevant literature. Furthermore, this literature review is intended to serve as an accumulation of the current data on pharmacy fellowships to guide students interested in applying for a fellowship program

Rollins B, Perri M. Pharmaceutical Marketing. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2013, 282 pp,

Pharmaceutical Marketing serves as an eventual answer to the long-lasting dearth in pharmacy-specific pharmaceutical marketing texts. This book has made a remarkable step toward the understanding of pharmaceutical marketing and its practical applications in the industry. Several authors from different disciplines and backgrounds, including academia, industry, and health care contributed to writing this book. Pharmaceutical Marketing would make a great addition for different types of readers interested in getting acquainted with the field of pharmaceutical marketing. This text succeeds in explaining not only the theoretical principles of pharmaceutical marketing that are crucial to know, but also in presenting it to the reader in a way that pertains to the current actual practice of marketing of pharmaceutical products. As a result, combining theoretical knowledge with examples from actual practice enables beginning learners in the pharmaceutical marketing field, such as students, to easily comprehend different details as they relate to both clinical and industrial practice. Moreover, the authors provide a quick yet sufficient introduction about different topics the reader needs to be aware of before going through the bulk of relevant details.