Provision of Opioid Substitution Therapy Services in Australian Pharmacies

Opioid dependence, despite being the subject of significant public funding, remains a costly burden to Australian society in human and economic terms. The most cost effective public health strategy for managing opioid dependence is opioid substitution therapy (OST), primarily through the use of methadone or buprenorphine. Supervised dispensing of OST from specialist clinics and community pharmacies plays a crucial role in enhancing compliance, monitoring treatment and reducing diversion. Australia compared with other countries in the world, ranks very high in illicit opioid use; hence there is a great demand for OST. The utilisation of community pharmacies for stable patients has many advantages. For public clinics, patient transfer to community pharmacies relieves workload and costs, and increases capacity for new OST patients. From a patient’s perspective, dosing at a pharmacy is more flexible and generally more preferable. Pharmacists stand to gain clientele, profit and receive small incentives from state governments in Australia, for their services. Yet, many “unmet needs” exist and there is a high demand for more involvement in OST service provision in community pharmacy in Australia. In the UK there has been a steady increase in community pharmacy provision of OST, and pharmacists appear ready to provide further healthcare services to these patients. The role of pharmacy in some countries in Europe, such as Germany, is less prominent due to their approach to harm minimisation and the complex, variable nature of OST provision across the European Union. The provision of OST by pharmacists in the USA on the other hand is of lesser frequency as the healthcare system in the USA encourages detoxification clinics to handle cases of illicit drug addiction. At a time when harm minimisation strategies constitute a topic of considerable political and public interest, it is important to understand the scope and variability of pharmacy involvement in drug policy in Australia. Hence, this review highlights the role of pharmacists in OST and explores the scope for expanding this role in the future

A Qualitative Study

Background: Social media is frequently used by consumers and health care professionals; however, our knowledge about its use in a professional capacity by pharmacists is limited. Objective: Our aim was to investigate the professional use of social media by pharmacists. Methods: In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with practicing pharmacists (N=31) from nine countries. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed. Results: Wikipedia, YouTube, and Facebook were the main social media platforms used. Professional use of social media included networking with peers, discussion of health and professional topics, accessing and sharing health and professional information, job searching, and professional promotion. Wikipedia was the participants’ first choice when seeking information about unfamiliar topics, or topics that were difficult to search for. Very few pharmacy-related contributions to Wikipedia were reported. YouTube, a video-sharing platform, was used for self-education. University lectures, “how-to” footage, and professionally made videos were commonly watched. No professional contribution was made to YouTube. Facebook, a general social networking site, was used for professional networking, promotion of achievements, and job advertisements. It also afforded engagement in professional discussions and information sharing among peers. Conclusions: Participants used social media in a professional capacity, specifically for accessing and sharing health and professional information among peers. Pharmacists, as medicines experts, should take a leading role in contributing to health information dissemination in these user-friendly virtual environments, to reach not only other health care professionals but also health consumers. J Med Internet Res 2016;18(9):e258 doi:10.2196/jmir.570

Fit to practise? Processes for dealing with misconduct among pharmacists in Australia, Canada, the UK and US

© 2018 Elsevier Inc.In many countries with legal systems based on English common law, pharmacy regulators have a responsibility to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of patients. Where there is a potential risk to patient safety, or where the public's confidence in pharmacy could be adversely affected by the actions of a pharmacist, these regulators have a statutory duty to investigate concerns. The legal provisions underpinning each jurisdiction's disciplinary processes depict distinctive outlooks from the different authorities, as each works towards the same goal. Legal statues, regulations, rules, and guidance affecting the disciplinary process in Great Britain, Australia, New York and New Brunswick were collated, and the processes they describe were attached to a common process flow diagram for step-by-step evaluation of their respective legal provisions. The initial stages of the respective investigation process are broadly similar in all the jurisdictions examined; however, each process has subtle differences that afford some level of advantage or disadvantage over its comparators. Factors including: how matters of discipline are framed; the existence of a separate process for minor and uncontested violations; the ability to effect an interim suspension of a practitioner's license; threshold criteria for escalation of complaints; the membership of disciplinary panels; and the perceived independence of these panels all philosophically affect the public safety remit of each regulator. This work constitutes the first comparison of international regulatory frameworks for the profession of pharmacy. Of the four jurisdictions examined, Great Britain most clearly acts in the interest of the public and the profession – rather than the respondent pharmacist – at every step of its process.Peer reviewe

Le World Hospital Pharmacy Research Consortium — Suivi de la pratique dans le monde relativement aux déclarations de Bâle

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Use of the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s Basel Statements to Assess and Advance Hospital Pharmacy Practice: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACTBackground: The Basel statements of the International Pharmaceutical Federation, which provide the first global, unified vision for the hospital pharmacy profession, have recently been revised. Originally released in 2008, the Basel statements have since been made available in 21 languages, and thus have the potential for great impact around the world.Objective: To conduct a scoping review to examine the extent and nature of research activity related to the Basel statements.Methods: Google Scholar, PubMed, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched using the key term “Basel statements” for relevant research articles. From each included study, data were extracted on geographic location, study design, study outcomes, and use of the Basel statements.Results: The search strategy generated 113 results. Further refinement resulted in 14 English-language articles that met the inclusion criteria. Four of these articles focused on adapting the Basel statements to European practice, an initiative of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists that led to development of the European statements of Hospital Pharmacy. Six studies focused on monitoring hospital pharmacy practice in Uganda, the Pacific island countries, and the Western Pacific Region. These studies provide valuable baseline data to measure and track the development of hospital pharmacy practices in their respective countries and regions. The remaining 4 studies used qualitative methods to explore the barriers to and facilitators of implementation of the Basel statements in South Africa, China, and Australia.Conclusion: The Basel statements have led to multiple initiatives around the world, involving more than 70 countries. The European and Western Pacific regions have been the most active. Current initiatives should be continued to ensure identification and resolution of issues related to sustaining their use over time.RÉSUMÉContexte : Les déclarations de Bâle de la Fédération international pharmaceutique, qui offrent la première vision mondiale unifiée pour la pharmacie hospitalière, ont été révisées récemment. D’abord rendues publiques en 2008, les déclarations de Bâle ont été traduites en 21 langues; elles peuvent ainsi avoir une grande portée partout dans le monde.Objectif : Réaliser un examen de la portée et de la nature des recherches liées aux déclarations de Bâle.Méthodes : Google Scholar, PubMed, et International Pharmaceutical Abstracts ont été interrogés à l’aide du mot clé « déclarations de Bâle » afin de trouver des articles de recherche pertinents. Pour chaque étude retenue, on a extrait des données sur le lieu, le plan de l’étude, les résultats de recherche et l’utilisation des déclarations de Bâle.Résultats : La stratégie de recensement bibliographique a permis de trouver 113 articles. Une sélection plus affinée a permis de cerner 14 articles en anglais qui répondaient aux critères d’inclusion. Quatre articles portaient sur l’adaptation des déclarations de Bâle aux pratiques européennes; une initiative de l’European Association of Hospital Pharmacists qui a mené à l’élaboration des Déclarations européennes de la pharmacie hospitalière. Six portaient sur la surveillance des pratiques de la pharmacie hospitalière en Uganda, dans les États insulaires du Pacifique et dans la région du Pacifique occidental. Ces études fournissent d’importantes données de référence qui en retour permettent de mesurer et de suivre l’évolution des pratiques de la pharmacie hospitalière dans chacun des différents pays et régions. Dans les quatre derniers articles, des méthodes qualitatives ont été employées pour étudier les éléments qui font obstacle ou qui facilitent la mise en oeuvre des déclarations de Bâle en Afrique du Sud, en Chine et en Australie.Conclusion : Les déclarations de Bâle ont mené à de nombreuses initiatives partout dans le monde, auxquelles participent plus de 70 pays. La région de l’Europe et celle du Pacifique occidental ont été les plus actives. Les initiatives actuelles devraient être poursuivies afin d’identifier les enjeux liés au développement durable et de leur trouver des solutions