Postgraduate pharmacist development- an evaluation of Jordanian pharmacist experiences to inform and shape an evidence-based professional development policy

Building capacity for developing skills as leadership, teamwork, and continuous academic support has become essential for fulfilling a successful pharmacy career. This study aims to assess Jordanian pharmacists’ views on professional development, namely: the continuous education infrastructure, strategies and programs for personal development, leadership skills, incentive schemes, drug information resources and digital services. As well as exploring options for better academic support delivered to pharmacists. To capture participant’s views, an online validated and reliable survey was developed. Non-probability sampling design was used. Participants were qualified pharmacists working at Royal Medical Services (RMS) and Community Pharmacists (CP). Comparison and descriptive statistics were used to report the results. A total of 271 pharmacists participated, 144 from RMS (8% more than the needed sample) and 127 CP (7% more than the needed sample). There was a strong desire amongst both RMS and PC groups for continuous educational training particularly in the following areas, first: Advanced counselling and communication skills (means = 8.99±0.145, CI 95% = 3.70–4.28 and 9.37±0.096, CI 95% = 4.18–4.56). Second: Personal development skills (mean = 8.92±0.142, CI 95% = 3.64–4.20 and 9.02±0.145, CI 95% = 3.73–4.30). Third, Pharmaceutical health promotion (mean = 8.05±0.180, CI 95% = 2.70–3.41 and 8.57±0.159, CI 95% = 3.26–3.89). Only 19.4% and 18.1% of the RMS and CPs respectively reported the presence of a written policy for personal development and leadership in their workplace. There were few incentives for pharmacists to participate in research. Few pharmacists used the available drug information and toxicology centers. The professional and continuous personal development of pharmacists support an evolving healthcare system. This study emphasizes the need for a tailored and documented postgraduate educational strategy, personal development, and leadership skills training in Jordan. Implementing a well-defined scheme of incentives should be encouraged to engage pharmacists in continuous professional development programs and pharmaceutical research. Such strategy and training should enhance both professional and personal performance

Statistical analysis plan for the Pneumatic CompREssion for PreVENting Venous Thromboembolism (PREVENT) trial: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: The Pneumatic CompREssion for Preventing VENous Thromboembolism (PREVENT) trial evaluates the effect of adjunctive intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) with pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis compared to pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis alone on venous thromboembolism (VTE) in critically ill adults. Methods/design: In this multicenter randomized trial, critically ill patients receiving pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis will be randomized to an IPC or a no IPC (control) group. The primary outcome is "incident" proximal lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) within 28 days after randomization. Radiologists interpreting the lower-extremity ultrasonography will be blinded to intervention allocation, whereas the patients and treating team will be unblinded. The trial has 80% power to detect a 3% absolute risk reduction in the rate of proximal DVT from 7% to 4%. Discussion: Consistent with international guidelines, we have developed a detailed plan to guide the analysis of the PREVENT trial. This plan specifies the statistical methods for the evaluation of primary and secondary outcomes, and defines covariates for adjusted analyses a priori. Application of this statistical analysis plan to the PREVENT trial will facilitate unbiased analyses of clinical data