99 research outputs found
Effectiveness of pharmacogenomics educational interventions on healthcare professionals and health professions students: A systematic review
Background: The field of pharmacogenomics is rapidly advancing, but its adoption and implementation remain slow and lacking. Lack of pharmacogenomics knowledge among healthcare professionals is the most frequently cited barrier to adopting and implementing pharmacogenomics in clinical settings. Objectives; This study aimed to critically evaluate and determine the effectiveness of educational interventions in improving pharmacogenomics knowledge and practice. Methods: Four electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and PsycINFO. Studies on pharmacogenomics educational interventions for health care professionals and students with pre- and post-intervention assessments and results were included. No restrictions were placed on time, language, or educational contexts. The educational outcomes measured include both objective and subjective outcomes. The pharmacogenomics competency domains used to judge educational interventions are based on the competency domains listed by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacies (AACP). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health was used for the quality assessment of pre-post studies with no control group and the controlled intervention studies. No meta-analysis was conducted; the data were synthesized qualitatively. The systematic review was reported in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Results: Fifty studies were included in this review. All included studies integrated the AACP pharmacogenomics competency domains into their educational interventions. Most of the studies had educational interventions that integrated clinical cases (n = 44; 88%). Knowledge was the most frequently evaluated outcome (n = 34; 68%) and demonstrated significant improvement after the educational intervention that integrated AACP pharmacogenomics competency domains and employed active learning with clinical case inclusion. Conclusion: This review provided evidence of the effectiveness of educational interventions in improving pharmacogenomics knowledge and practice. Incorporating pharmacogenomics competency domains into education and training, with patient cases for healthcare professionals and students, dramatically improved their pharmacogenomics knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in practice
Assessing feasibility of conducting medication review with follow-up among older adults at community pharmacy: a pilot randomised controlled trial
BackgroundMedication review with follow-up is essential for optimising medication utilisation among the older adult population in primary healthcare.AimThis study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing medication reviews with follow-up for older adults in community pharmacies and examined potential outcomes on medication use.MethodA pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted with 4 cluster-randomised community pharmacies to assess the feasibility of the intervention. Two community pharmacies served as intervention and control groups. Both groups recruited older adults over 60 who were followed over 6 months. The translated Medication use Questionnaire (MedUseQ) was administered at baseline and 6 months for both groups. The outcomes were to assess the feasibility of conducting medication review with follow-up and the probable medication use outcomes from the intervention.ResultsThe intervention and control groups comprised 14 and 13 older adults. A total of 35 recommendations were made by pharmacists in the intervention group and 8 in the control group. MedUseQ was easily administered, providing some evidence the feasibility of the intervention. However, there were feasibility challenges such as a lack of pharmacists, collaborative practice, difficulties with the tool language, time constraints, and limited funds. Questionnaire results provided a signal of improvement in medication administration, adherence, and polypharmacy among intervention participants. The incidence of drug related problems was significantly higher in the control group (median = 1) after 6 months, U = 15, z = − 2.98, p = 0.01.ConclusionMedication review with follow-up is potentialy practical in community pharmacies, but there are feasibility issues. While these challenges can be addressed, it is essential to study larger sample sizes to establish more robust evidence regarding outcomes.Clinical trial registry: ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT05297461
Assessment of Antimicrobial Stewardship through objective structured clinical examination in pharmacy education
Objectives: To describe the implementation and assess whether an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a viable assessment tool for testing Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) principles. Methods: A three-station OSCE set in a hospital and community pharmacy was designed and mapped to the World Health Organisation’s AMS intervention practical guide. This OSCE comprised 39 unique cases and was implemented across two campuses (Malaysia and Australia) at one institute. Stations were 8 min long and consisted of problem-solving and applying AMS principles to drug therapy management (Station 1), counselling on key antimicrobials (Station 2) or managing infectious diseases in primary care (Station 3). Primary outcome measure to assess viability was the proportion of students who were able to pass each case. Key findings: Other than three cases with pass rates of 50, 52.8 and 66. 7%, all cases had pass rates of 75% or more. Students were most confident with referral to medical practitioner cases and switching from intravenous to oral or empirical to directed therapy. Conclusions: An AMS-based OSCE is a viable assessment tool in pharmacy education. Further research should explore whether similar assessments can help improve students’ confidence at recognising opportunities for AMS intervention in the workplace
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