Janet A. Silvester

Pharmacy Practice in Virginia in 2011

Background: Opportunities for pharmacy practice reform exist at state and national levels. The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy created a working group to assess these opportunities with a mission to advance pharmacy practice in Virginia. Objectives: To assess the perceptions of chronic and acute care pharmacy practice and confidence in providing patient care and medication therapy management (MTM) activities and characterize current work activities of pharmacists in Virginia. Methods: A cross-sectional, online survey was used. VCU School of Pharmacy pharmacist preceptors, students, and faculty members were eligible. The questionnaire contained items that assessed perceptions of chronic and acute care pharmacy practice and confidence in patient care and MTM activities. Demographic and practice site characteristics were also collected. Results: A total of 974 preceptors, 515 students, and 78 faculty members were invited to participate, and 335 preceptors, 155 students, and 41 faculty members had usable responses, yielding response rates of 34%, 30%, and 53%, respectively, Preceptors, students, and faculty members favorably viewed direct patient care roles in the chronic and acute care settings. Pharmacists were very confident or confident in performing many patient care and MTM activities. They were least confident in considering genetic characteristics when adjusting medications and creating business plans for new services. Many pharmacists in chronic and acute care settings provided some type of patient care service, but few were regularly providing services. Inadequate time, staffing, and reimbursement, and lack of perceived value from patients and providers were most frequently cited as barriers to service provision. Conclusions: VCU preceptors, students, and faculty members overwhelmingly believe that pharmacists should provide direct patient care and MTM activities. To transform pharmacy practice, it will be important to define the pharmacists role, responsibilities, and expected outcomes and to consider time, staffing, and compensation as well as to engage patients and providers.

Adverse impact of pharmacy resident stress during training

Occupational stress in healthcare is not a new concern.[1][1]–[3][2] Stress in our clinical learning environment (CLE) can affect all healthcare learners and can result in negative outcomes ranging from poor well-being and substance abuse to depression and even suicide.[4][3],[5][4] Healthcare

The Virginia Pharmacy Practice Transformation Conference: Outcomes and Next Steps

Thought leaders in Virginia came together to achieve consensus on the pharmacy practice innovations required to advance the medication-related health outcomes of patients in the Commonwealth, The participants identified key elements and strategies needed for practice transformation and these became the foundation for practice change. The primary key elements included legislation and regulation modifications, payment reform, and business model development. The Virginia Pharmacy Congress, which represents key pharmacy stakeholders in the Commonwealth, became the home for the transformation movement and the development and implementation of a unified action plan for achieving the envisioned practice transformation.