Availability and Perceived Value of Bachelor of Science Programs in Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management in the United States

Several academic institutions across the United States offer Bachelor of Science degree programs in Pharmaceutical Marketing and/or Management. In general, these programs are designed to provide students with stronger foundations and a broader understanding of the business side of pharmacy. The purpose of this study was to explore the availability of the Bachelor of Science programs in pharmaceutical marketing and management in the United States. Internet search was conducted in order to collect information about the programs of interest. Results showed that a total of 8 schools and colleges offer the Bachelor of Science degree programs. The total number of credit hours for each program ranged from 122 to 130 All these schools/colleges were located in only 3 States, namely Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Massachusetts. Tuition and fees were markedly different across these programs. Additionally, salient differences between these programs were evident with regard to career paths expected for their graduates. These programs have gained more attention over the past few years as fewer numbers of pharmacists work in pharmaceutical sales jobs, leaving such jobs almost exclusively undertaken by graduates of Pharmaceutical Marketing and/or Management programs. In the future, we expect changes to take place in these programs’ curricula in order to equip students with more skills to assume certain jobs, such as insurance management, industry, or sales

Assessment of Texan pharmacists\u27 attitudes, behaviors, and preferences related to continuing pharmacy education

Background: Whether the available Continuing Education (CE) programs meet pharmacists’ continuously increasing needs and preferences is open to question. Objectives: to investigate pharmacists’ perceptions and attitudes concerning available CE programs, evaluate the pharmacists’ choices with regard to selecting among different CE programs, and investigate the factors that are associated with preference to utilize online CE programs. Method: A 17-question survey was developed and mailed to a random sample of 600 Texan pharmacists. In addition to collecting basic demographic information, the survey investigated pharmacists’ choices with regard to delivery and content of CE programs, motivations to participation in CE programs, and pharmacists’ preferences for future CE programs. Results: A total of 161 pharmacists completed the survey and mailed back their responses. Excluding the 75 undeliverable surveys, the response rate was 31%. Approximately 83% of respondents found that currently available CE programs met their educational needs. The most important factors influencing pharmacists’ choices with regard to CE programs were the scope programs, the location where programs are held, and the cost associated with enrolling in such programs. Online CE was the most preferred mode of CE among participants. The factors that were associated with pharmacists’ preferences to complete 50% or more of required CE through online programs were previous use of online CE programs, preference to limit the duration of CE programs to 1 or 2 hour-long, and perceived ability to find adequate CE programs among currently available CE programs. Conclusion: The findings suggest modalities for CE programs providers on how to improve CE programs in the future in order to meet the preferences of local pharmacists

Workload Perceptions of Pharmacists: Part of Changing a National Trend

Background: A National Pharmacist Workforce Survey (NPW) survey is being conducted in the US every five years. The 2009- NPW project surveyed 1,391 participants, of which only 12 participants were from West Virginia. Therefore, such a small representation of West Virginian pharmacists may question the validity of extrapolating the results of the 2009 NPW survey to pharmacists in this state. As a result, a separate survey was needed to answer the questions about the perceived workload, work characteristics, and demographics for West Virginian pharmacists. Objectives: The primary objective of this investigation was to identify the pharmacists’ perceptions of workload in West Virginia and compare with the 2009 NPW survey. Materials and Methods: A group of pharmacists in West Virginia were surveyed for the perceptions of current workload, the changes of workload over the past year, the impact of workload on personnel satisfaction, and the quality of providing pharmaceutical services. All licensed pharmacists in West Virginia as of 2011 (adjusted to the total of 1970 individuals) were contacted up to three times. Pharmacists’ perceptions were measured using several items adopted from the 2009-NPW survey. Results: A total of 596 responses were received, yielding an adjusted response rate of 30%. The majority of West Virginia pharmacists believed that the current assigned workload was either high or excessively high. This perception follows the trend of the 2009 national manpower study that reported an increase of 14% (between 2004 and 2009) of pharmacists\u27 workload indicating the above fact. Similarly, nearly 61% of pharmacists believed that the workload has either increased or greatly increased over the past year. West Virginia pharmacists were more concerned about their job security, than those were sampled in the 2009 national manpower study. The West Virginia pharmacists perceive their workload to negatively impact the time they spend with patients, the quality of care provided to patients, and their ability to resolve and prevent drug related problems. These negative points on the patient care perception are found to be more pronounced in the current study on the West Virginia pharmacists than it was reported previously in the 2009 national manpower study. Conclusions: Although there does not seem to be a serious shortage of pharmacists in West Virginia at the present time, pharmacists reported that there are currently more patient care associated tasks need to be completed with the same amount of staffing levels

Reliability assessment of a peer evaluation instrument in a team-based learning course

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of a peer evaluation instrument in a longitudinal team-based learning setting. Methods: Student pharmacists were instructed to evaluate the contributions of their peers. Evaluations were analyzed for the variance of the scores by identifying low, medium, and high scores. Agreement between performance ratings within each group of students was assessed via intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: We found little variation in the standard deviation (SD) based on the score means among the high, medium, and low scores within each group. The lack of variation in SD of results between groups suggests that the peer evaluation instrument produces precise results. The ICC showed strong concordance among raters. Conclusions: Findings suggest that our student peer evaluation instrument provides a reliable method for peer assessment in team-based learning settings

A review of Caballero J, Clauson K, & Benavides S. Get the Residency. ASHP\u27s Guide to Residency: Interviews and Preparation

Considering the increasingly competitive and highly selective residency and fellowship programs across the nation, seeking a residency or fellowship position has become a challenge among many doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) graduates. Get the Residency provides the insights that pharmacist applicants, especially fresh graduates, need in order to stand out from other candidates. Because of the constantly increasing number of PharmD graduates vying for a relatively steady number of residency and fellowship positions, securing such positions has become a more difficult step that requires more effort from the applicant through intense preparation and careful planning. Thus, this text is a great asset for those seeking postgraduate training positions by acquainting them with details related to the application refining process, helping them finish the application process more efficiently, and ultimately boosting their chances of securing a position. This book provides a guide to applicants, enriching them with information that maximizes their chances for obtaining the sought positions. It teaches them the techniques that help them become more competent in order to navigate the matching process successfully

Rollins B, Perri M. Pharmaceutical Marketing. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2013, 282 pp, $69.95 (softcover), ISBN 9781449697990

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

Colon Cancer Worry in Appalachia

Appalachia has a higher incidence of and mortality from colon cancer (CC) than other regions of the United States; thus, it is important to know the potential impact of elevated risk on cancer worry. Guided by the Self-regulation model, we investigated the association of demographic, cultural (e.g., fatalism, religious commitment), and psychological factors (e.g., perceived risk, general mood) with CC worry among a sample of Appalachian women. A mixed method design was utilized. Appalachian women completed surveys in the quantitative section (n = 134) and semi-structured interviews in the qualitative section (n = 24). Logistic regression was employed to calculate odds ratios (OR) for quantitative data, and immersion/crystallization was utilized to analyze qualitative data. In the quantitative section, 45% of the participants expressed some degree of CC worry. CC worry was associated with higher than high school education (OR 3.63), absolute perceived risk for CC (OR 5.82), high anxiety (OR 4.68), and awareness of easy access (OR 3.98) or difficult access (OR 3.18) to health care specialists as compared to not being aware of the access there was no association between CC worry and adherence to CC screening guidelines. The qualitative section revealed fear, disengagement, depression, shock, and worry. Additionally, embarrassment, discomfort, and worry were reported with regard to CC screening. Fears included having to wear a colostomy bag and being a burden on family. CC worry was common in Appalachians and associated with higher perceptions of risk for CC and general anxiety, but not with adherence to screening guidelines. The mixed method design allowed for enhanced understanding of CC-related feelings, especially CC worry, including social/contextual fears

Tobacco Use among Adult Muslims in the United States

Background: Compared with the general United States (US) population, Muslims in the US exhibit elevated rates of tobacco use. As a result, they might be at a higher risk for preventive disease and premature death as compared with the general US population. Objective: This study investigated the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) factors that are associated with tobacco use among a sample of adult Muslims in the US. Methods: Data were collected (November 2016-March 2017) using a cross-sectional, on-line survey from a convenience sample of adult (≥ 18 years) US Muslims. Participants with a lung cancer history were excluded. Associations between SCT factors and tobacco use were investigated with bivariate analyses and multinomial logistic regression models. Results: Eligible participants (n = 271) from 30 states completed the survey; 52.8% reported current tobacco use. A higher rate of current tobacco use was reported by men (62.8%) as compared to women (41.3%), x2(1, N = 271) = 12.49, p\u3c.001. In terms of cognitive factors, individuals who (1) expected more personal consequences for tobacco use on health, and (2) had more confidence regarding ability to abstain from tobacco use, were less likely to report current tobacco use. In terms of environmental factors, individuals whose family members did not use tobacco were less likely to report current tobacco use. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that family-oriented interventions emphasizing self-efficacy and personal consequences to prevent tobacco use can potentially be effective in reducing tobacco use rates in the adult US Muslim population

Non‐pharmacological interventions for neonatal abstinence syndrome

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a growing concern in the wake of America\u27s opioid epidemic. The last 15 years have exhibited a fivefold increase in NAS 1, which is linked directly to the rise of opioid use during pregnancy. Exposure to addictive substances while in the womb leads to a variety of problems after birth, including metabolic, gastrointestinal and central nervous system effects. For example, NAS manifests as fever, sweating, tachypnea, tremors, poor eating, weight loss, seizures, crying and other symptoms. Management of NAS includes both pharmacological and non‐pharmacological supportive care. Non‐pharmacological therapy may reduce the length of hospitalization, minimizing medication therapy requirements and reduce the risk associated with medication therapy in infants

An exploratory study of arab american pharmacy educators’ work experience with diversity, equity, and inclusion

Objective. To explore the experience of members of Arab American Pharmacy Educators (AAPE) regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workplace. Methods. A cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed electronically to 51 AAPE members. Eligible participants were those who identify with Arab heritage and have worked at US schools or colleges of pharmacy. Following the initial invitation, three reminders were sent to complete the questionnaire. Results. A total of 31 (61% response rate) AAPE members completed the questionnaire. The majority of participants reported an overall positive academic experience. However, some participants reported being subject to negative stereotypes and discrimination, which may have hindered their ability to teach, practice, conduct research, and fully engage in service to their schools or colleges, profession, and community. Conclusion. Some AAPE members reported negative stereotypes and discrimination at US schools or colleges of pharmacy. Findings from this study can have implications for faculty representing different minority groups, especially for those pharmacy educators who are not of Western European descent and anyone who is perceived as the “other.