Performance and Perceptions of Pharmacy Students using Team-based Learning (TBL) within a Global Health Course

Purpose: Team-based learning (TBL) has been shown to be a very useful active learning tool in a variety of disciplines and educational settings. The objectives of this study in a Global Health elective course within a PharmD curriculum were to (1) determine whether TBL contributes to performance (as measured by iRAT scores, tRAT scores, and grades); and (2) evaluate students’ perceptions of TBL as an instructional strategy. Case Study: TBL sessions were incorporated into a new elective course in Global Health along with other teaching methodologies. Student performance was evaluated during the TBL sessions and course team projects, among others. An anonymous student qualitative survey explored their perceptions of and experiences with TBL at the end of the course. Students’ performance in the TBL sessions improved as reflected in the comparison of individual Readiness Assurance Tests (iRATs) and the team Readiness Assurance Tests (tRATs) scores. Overall students’ performance in the course resulted in over 88% earning the letter grade A. Students’ performance in the TBL sessions, especially their iRATs, was reflected in their overall course grades. Over 75% of the students believed that TBL increased their analytical skills and nearly 50% believed that learning utilizing TBL would have the most lasting effect on their careers. Conclusion: TBL was successfully implemented in a Global Health elective course in a PharmD curriculum and students perceived it as a beneficial instructional strategy. This study adds to the TBL literature by providing some evidence of the applicability of TBL in a course not traditionally taught in the PharmD curriculum (i.e., Global Health). Future research and intervention(s) leading to the development and growth of TBL in pharmacy education are recommended

Book Review: Stigma, Discrimination, and Living with HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

The authors present a review of the book Stigma, Discrimination, and Living with HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Accessibility to Essential Medicines in New York City by Zip Code Income Levels and Boroughs

Access to essential medicines is fundamental to medication adherence, continuity of care and hence population health outcomes and overall quality of life. Disparities in the availability and the cost of these medications in New York City, especially for low income neighborhoods, would compound the underlying health disparities in these neighborhoods. This study examined the physical and financial accessibility to 8 of the 150 Most Frequently Prescribed Drugs in New York, 2 each for Asthma, Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia, 4 conditions that are among the top 10 most costly conditions in the United States. The study did not find any significant differences in mean drug prices between the high, medium, and low income neighborhoods in the City. However, the significantly different income levels and uninsured rates across neighborhood income strata in the City (p<0.001 for both), coupled with the high disease burden and other underlying disparities in low income neighborhoods, would point to potential affordability challenges for needed medications in these neighborhoods. On the other hand, significant differences in mean prices between the 5 City boroughs were found for 3 of the study drugs: Advair™, p=0.009; Amlodipine 10mg, p<0.001; and Lisinopril 10mg, p=0.046. No such significant differences were observed for the mean prices of the other 5 study drugs-Proventil HFA,™ Metformin HCL 500mg, Glipizide ER 5mg, Simvastatin 20mg, and Atorvastatin 10mg. The study findings did not also suggest that drug prices are dictated by the number of pharmacies in a neighborhood. Further studies would be needed to better understand the complexities associated with the accessibility of essential medicines in New York City. These studies could include qualitative ones which would examine the perceptions and experiences of City residents with respect to the accessibility of prescribed medications as the basis for targeted interventions directed at promoting access to needed medications for all New Yorkers.   Type: Student Projec

Accessibility to Essential Medicines in New York City by Zip Code Income Levels and Boroughs

Access to essential medicines is fundamental to medication adherence, continuity of care and hence population health outcomes and overall quality of life. Disparities in the availability and the cost of these medications in New York City, especially for low income neighborhoods, would compound the underlying health disparities in these neighborhoods. This study examined the physical and financial accessibility to 8 of the 150 Most Frequently Prescribed Drugs in New York, 2 each for Asthma, Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia, 4 conditions that are among the top 10 most costly conditions in the United States. The study did not find any significant differences in mean drug prices between the high, medium, and low income neighborhoods in the City. However, the significantly different income levels and uninsured rates across neighborhood income strata in the City (p<0.001 for both), coupled with the high disease burden and other underlying disparities in low income neighborhoods, would point to potential affordability challenges for needed medications in these neighborhoods. On the other hand, significant differences in mean prices between the 5 City boroughs were found for 3 of the study drugs: Advair™, p=0.009; Amlodipine 10mg, p<0.001; and Lisinopril 10mg, p=0.046. No such significant differences were observed for the mean prices of the other 5 study drugs-Proventil HFA,™ Metformin HCL 500mg, Glipizide ER 5mg, Simvastatin 20mg, and Atorvastatin 10mg. The study findings did not also suggest that drug prices are dictated by the number of pharmacies in a neighborhood. Further studies would be needed to better understand the complexities associated with the accessibility of essential medicines in New York City. These studies could include qualitative ones which would examine the perceptions and experiences of City residents with respect to the accessibility of prescribed medications as the basis for targeted interventions directed at promoting access to needed medications for all New Yorkers.   Type: Student Projec

Accessibility of antiretroviral therapy in Ghana: Convenience of access

The convenience of accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important for initial access to care and subsequent adherence to ART. We conducted a qualitative study of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and ART healthcare providers in Ghana in 2005. The objective of this study was to explore the participants’ perceived convenience of accessing ART by PLWHA in Ghana. The convenience of accessing ART was evaluated from the reported travel and waiting times to receive care, the availability, orotherwise, of special considerations, with respect to the waiting time to receive care, for those PLWHA who were in active employment in the formal sector, the frequency of clinic visits before and after initiating ART, and whether the PLWHA saw the same or different providers at each clinic visit (continuity of care). This qualitative study used in-depth interviews based on Yin’s case-study research design to collect data from 20 PLWHA and 24 ART healthcare providers as study participants. . Reported travel time to receive ART services ranged from 2 to 12 h for 30% of the PLWHA.. Waiting time to receive care was from 4 to 9 h. . While known government workers, such as teachers, were attended to earlier in some of the centres, this was not a consistent practice in all the four ART centres studied. . The PLWHA corroborated the providers’ description of the procedure for initiating and monitoring ART in Ghana. . PLWHA did not see the same provider every time, but they were assured that this did not compromise the continuity of their care. Our study suggests that convenience of accessing ART is important to both PLWHA and ART healthcare providers, but the participants alluded to other factors, including open provider–patient communication, which might explain the PLWHA’sunderstanding of the constraints under which they were receiving care. The current nation-wide coverage of the ART programme in Ghana, however, calls for the replication of this study to identify possible perception changes over time that may need attention. Our study findings can inform interventions to promote access to ART, especially in Africa

A comparison of pharmacy student attainment, progression, and perceptions using team- and problem-based learning: Experiences from Wolverhampton School of Pharmacy, UK

Objective To compare pharmacy student attainment, progression, and perception of team-based (TBL) and problem-based learning (PBL) in comparison to more traditional didactic teaching methods. Design Student attainment and progression were established through comparison of examination data before and after TBL implementation and for the three teaching methodologies. Student perceptions of TBL and PBL were sought via a questionnaire and focus group. Assessment Summative examination performance was used to assess the effect of TBL implementation. Student attainment and progression increased after TBL implementation (attainment grade score: pre-TBL 7.7 vs. 11.19 post-TBL; p = 0.01 and progression: 89% vs. 92%; p = 0.574). Summative examination performance was also used to assess the effect of three teaching methodologies in the same cohort. Student attainment was higher with TBL compared with PBL (grade score: 11.19 vs. 8.73; p ≤ 0.001) and slightly but not significantly worse than those seen with traditional didactic teaching (grade score: 11.19 vs. 11.83; p = 0.355). Student progression was the highest with traditional teaching, then TBL, and finally PBL (96% vs. 92% vs. 88%; p = 0.224). Student perceptions favored TBL compared with PBL but traditional teaching methods were favored over both TBL and PBL. Conclusion The study shows that student attainment and progression were better using TBL compared with PBL, although traditional approaches to teaching saw comparable attainment and progression to TBL. Student perceptions favored traditional teaching more than TBL, which was more liked than PBL

Advocating for a designated portion of time in educator’s job descriptions for scholarship

Background:Scholarship is a fundamental expectation for academic faculty members. Many institutions do not allocate dedicated time for scholarship.Providing dedicated time for scholarship is crucial for the success and advancement of both academic faculty members and institutions. This white paper identifies methods and recommendations to incorporate dedicated time for scholarship within workload expectations. Methods: Educator Development Workgroup members within the FIP Academic Pharmacy Section collaborated to explore strategies for promoting faculty scholarship. The workgroup defined scholarship to encompass the broad range of research pursuits, reviewed literature, and identified institutional practices supporting scholarly productivity. Results: Academic faculty members engaging in scholarship advance the profession, bring recognition to their institutions, and experience professional fulfilment. Strategies to incorporate dedicated time for scholarship include: establishing reasonable working hours per week, setting clear scholarship time minimums, and collaborating with faculty to balance teaching, service, clinical responsibilities, and/or research obligations.Conclusion:Implementing strategies to provide dedicated time for scholarship can empower pharmacy educators to make meaningful contributions to research, teaching, and practice innovations. These efforts not only advance the profession but also enhance faculty satisfaction, improve overall workplace satisfaction, inspire other faculty, and improve institutional reputation.<br/