Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review

Background: Recruiting and retaining medical, nursing, and allied health professionals in rural and remote areas is a worldwide challenge, compromising continuity of care and population health outcomes in these locations. Specifically, pharmacists play an essential and accessible frontline healthcare role, and are often the first point of contact for health concerns. Despite several incentives, there remains a maldistribution and undersupply of pharmacists in rural and remote areas across many parts of the world. Although current systematic reviews have focussed on factors affecting pharmacists’ retention generally, literature specifically focused on rural pharmacist workforce in a global context remains limited. The aim of this systematic review is to identify factors associated with recruitment and retention of the pharmacist workforce in rural and remote settings. Better understanding of these contributors will inform more effective interventional strategies to resolve pharmacist workforce shortages. Methods: A systematic search of primary studies was conducted in online databases, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and PsycINFO, and by hand-searching of reference lists. Eligible studies were identified based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria and methodological quality criteria, utilising the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Good Reporting of A Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) checklists. Results: The final review included 13 studies, with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research design. Study-specific factors associated with recruitment and retention of pharmacists in rural practice were identified and grouped into five main themes: geographic and family-related, economic and resources, scope of practice or skills development, the practice environment, and community and practice support factors. Conclusions: The results provide critical insights into the complexities of rural recruitment and retention of pharmacists and confirms the need for flexible yet multifaceted responses to overcoming rural pharmacist workforce challenges. Overall, the results provide an opportunity for rural communities and health services to better identify key strengths and challenges unique to the rural and remote pharmacist workforce that may be augmented to guide more focussed recruitment and retention endeavours. © 2021, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the Federation University Australia affiliates “Daniel Terry, Blake Peck, Danny Hills, Ed Baker and David Schmitz” are provided in this record** Correction to: Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review (BMC Health Services Research, (2021), 21, 1, (1052), 10.1186/s12913-021-07072-1

Application of a Fast Isoprene Sensor (FIS) for measuring isoprene production from marine samples

Research into isoprene production from marine sources traditionally relies on gas chromatography techniques which are labor intensive, provide a slow sample turnover, and require significant method training. An alternative method is the use of a Fast Isoprene Sensor (FIS), a chemiluminescence‐based approach that provides real time isoprene analysis, but is relatively simple to run and also portable. Until now, the FIS has been used in terrestrial but not aquatic isoprene studies. Due to the added difficulties with marine compared with terrestrial sampling, particularly potential interference from dimethyl sulfide (DMS), we have developed a new protocol that allows accurate and reliable data to be obtained from FIS analysis. The detection limit of our modified system to standard gas was 0.02 nM (0.5 ppbv), while minimum isoprene production detected by the FIS was 0.59 nmol h−1 (for Thalassiosira weissflogii). We also compared our FIS‐based approach with GC analysis of isoprene emission from marine samples of micro‐ and macro‐algae, and demonstrated a strong similarity (r2 = 0.910, slope = 1.003). The ability to use FIS analysis with marine samples will significantly broaden the scope of isoprene research in marine environments, permitting remote field work, and allow previously unanswered questions to be addressed.</jats:p

Sustaining Rural Pharmacy Workforce Understanding Key Attributes for Enhanced Retention and Recruitment

Objective: To pilot the Pharmacist Community Apgar Questionnaire (PharmCAQ) and evaluate its usability and capacity to develop a greater understanding of the unique factors that impact the rural recruitment and retention of pharmacists. Design: Cross-sectional design involving face-to-face, telephone or video conferencing interviews. Setting: Twelve rural communities across Tasmania and Western Victoria, Australia. Participants: Participants (n = 24) included pharmacists, a Director of Clinical Services, pharmacy practice managers and senior pharmacy assistants. Main Outcome Measures: Interviews enabled the completion of the PharmCAQ, which assigns quantitative values to 50 key factors to ascertain a community\u27s strengths and challenges associated with recruitment and retention and their relative importance to the pharmacist workforce. Results: The cumulative PharmCAQ scores indicated the tool was sensitive enough to differentiate high- and low-performing communities. Overall, the highest-rated factors considered most vital to pharmacist recruitment and retention were the reputation of the pharmacy, the ability of the pharmacist to be independent and autonomous, the loyalty of the community to the pharmacy, the level and stability of monetary compensation and the breadth of tasks available to a pharmacist. Conclusions: This study identified the strengths and challenges of participating communities and provided an insight into the shared factors to consider in recruiting and retaining pharmacists. Further, each community has unique strengths that can further be promoted in recruitment, flagging where limited resources are best used to address site specific challenges. This is more likely to ensure the matching of the right candidate with the right community

Sustaining rural pharmacy workforce understanding key attributes for enhanced retention and recruitment

Objective: To pilot the Pharmacist Community Apgar Questionnaire (PharmCAQ) and evaluate its usability and capacity to develop a greater understanding of the unique factors that impact the rural recruitment and retention of pharmacists. Design: Cross-sectional design involving face-to-face, telephone or video conferencing interviews. Setting: Twelve rural communities across Tasmania and Western Victoria, Australia. Participants: Participants (n = 24) included pharmacists, a Director of Clinical Services, pharmacy practice managers and senior pharmacy assistants. Main Outcome Measures: Interviews enabled the completion of the PharmCAQ, which assigns quantitative values to 50 key factors to ascertain a community's strengths and challenges associated with recruitment and retention and their relative importance to the pharmacist workforce. Results: The cumulative PharmCAQ scores indicated the tool was sensitive enough to differentiate high- and low-performing communities. Overall, the highest-rated factors considered most vital to pharmacist recruitment and retention were the reputation of the pharmacy, the ability of the pharmacist to be independent and autonomous, the loyalty of the community to the pharmacy, the level and stability of monetary compensation and the breadth of tasks available to a pharmacist. Conclusions: This study identified the strengths and challenges of participating communities and provided an insight into the shared factors to consider in recruiting and retaining pharmacists. Further, each community has unique strengths that can further be promoted in recruitment, flagging where limited resources are best used to address site specific challenges. This is more likely to ensure the matching of the right candidate with the right community. © 2022 The Authors. Australian Journal of Rural Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of National Rural Health Alliance Ltd

CCAT-prime: a novel telescope for submillimeter astronomy

The CCAT-prime telescope is a 6-meter aperture, crossed-Dragone telescope, designed for millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength observations. It will be located at an altitude of 5600 meters, just below the summit of Cerro Chajnantor in the high Atacama region of Chile. The telescope's unobscured optics deliver a field of view of almost 8 degrees over a large, flat focal plane, enabling it to accommodate current and future instrumentation fielding >100k diffraction-limited beams for wavelengths less than a millimeter. The mount is a novel design with the aluminum-tiled mirrors nested inside the telescope structure. The elevation housing has an integrated shutter that can enclose the mirrors, protecting them from inclement weather. The telescope is designed to co-host multiple instruments over its nominal 15 year lifetime. It will be operated remotely, requiring minimum maintenance and on-site activities due to the harsh working conditions on the mountain. The design utilizes nickel-iron alloy (Invar) and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials in the mirror support structure, achieving a relatively temperature-insensitive mount. We discuss requirements, specifications, critical design elements, and the expected performance of the CCAT-prime telescope. The telescope is being built by CCAT Observatory, Inc., a corporation formed by an international partnership of universities. More information about CCAT and the CCAT-prime telescope can be found at www.ccatobservatory.org.Comment: Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescope + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, Texas, USA; Proceedings Volume 10700, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VII; 107005X (2018

The technologies of isolation: apocalypse and self in Kurosawa Kiyoshi's Kairo

In this investigation of the Japanese film Kairo, I contemplate how the horrors present in the film relate to the issue of self, by examining a number of interlocking motifs. These include thematic foci on disease and technology which are more intimately and inwardly focused that the film's conclusion first appears to suggest. The true horror here, I argue, is ontological: centred on the self and its divorcing from the exterior world, especially founded in an increased use of and reliance on communicative technologies. I contend that these concerns are manifested in Kairo by presenting the spread of technology as disease-like, infecting the city and the individuals who are isolated and imprisoned by their urban environment. Finally, I investigate the meanings of the apocalypse, expounding how it may be read as hopeful for the future rather than indicative of failure or doom

Understanding rural pharmacists&rsquo; perspectives: lived experiences and insights associated with rural recruitment and retention

Introduction: Pharmacists serve an important role in rural communities, and in some cases they may be the only health professional available. Their recruitment and retention is a major concern for rural communities and health services; however, a deeper understanding regarding the advantages and challenges of sustaining a rural pharmacy workforce is somewhat limited. The aim of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of pharmacists&#039; perspectives about factors influencing pharmacist recruitment and retention to rural and remote communities. Methods: The exploratory study, carried out in rural Tasmania and rural Western Victoria, used a qualitative descriptive design. Structured interviews, lasting between 30-60 minutes, were conducted by a single researcher using the Pharmacist Community Apgar Questionnaire via face-to-face, telephone or videoconferencing technology. Data were analysed thematically using verbatim transcription, extraction of significant statements and identification of similarities in formulated meanings, grouping the similar meanings and significant statements that pertained to the phenomena of interest. Specifically, qualitative data were used to provide a deeper understanding of factors identified as key assets, capabilities, or those most challenging for pharmacist recruitment and retention. Results: The advantages and disadvantages rural communities face in recruiting and retaining pharmacists are presented. These insights are linked to the advantages of financial income, incentives and moving allowance. Further advantages include the degree of practice autonomy, breadth of tasks, the perception of the community, loyalty to the pharmacy and its pharmacists, along with community recognition. Challenges associated with the recruitment and retention of pharmacists centred on the need for spousal or partner employment opportunities, having greater proximity to schools, access to social or cultural opportunities, along with good transport connections. Further challenges included housing, the cost of schooling for children, having adequate locum or peer coverage and opportunities to host interns. Discussion: The study provides a deeper exploration of the meaning and experiences of factors that previous research has shown are considered advantageous or challenging to the recruitment and retention of pharmacists in rural areas. Through the voices of pharmacists living and working in a rural area, the findings further enlighten our understanding regarding how the multifaceted and complex nature of health workforce planning may be addressed. As such, greater pharmacist recruitment and retention is enabled through adequate financial compensation and incentives, along with additional tax incentives for business and health services. Further, innovation is required to enhance economic sustainability. Locum coverage and intern opportunities also require innovative approaches to address concerns among potential candidates. Lastly, efforts to enable and support social connections such as schooling and spousal employment, while building community connection and a sense of rural community belonging, remain essential to recruit and retain pharmacists. Conclusion: Rural pharmacist recruitment and retention is complex, requiring a multi-pronged approach to implement practical solutions. Given this complexity and the unique features of each rural community, solutions require whole-of-community ownership to create innovative solutions. Recognition of specific advantages and challenges can address key driving factors for pharmacist recruitment and retention in rural communities

Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review

Background: Recruiting and retaining medical, nursing, and allied health professionals in rural and remote areas isa worldwide challenge, compromising continuity of care and population health outcomes in these locations.Specifically, pharmacists play an essential and accessible frontline healthcare role, and are often the first point ofcontact for health concerns. Despite several incentives, there remains a maldistribution and undersupply ofpharmacists in rural and remote areas across many parts of the world. Although current systematic reviews havefocussed on factors affecting pharmacists’ retention generally, literature specifically focused on rural pharmacistworkforce in a global context remains limited. The aim of this systematic review is to identify factors associatedwith recruitment and retention of the pharmacist workforce in rural and remote settings. Better understanding ofthese contributors will inform more effective interventional strategies to resolve pharmacist workforce shortages.Methods: A systematic search of primary studies was conducted in online databases, including Medline, Embase,CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and PsycINFO, and by hand-searching of reference lists. Eligible studies wereidentified based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria and methodological quality criteria, utilising the CriticalAppraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Good Reporting of A Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) checklists.Results: The final review included 13 studies, with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research design.Study-specific factors associated with recruitment and retention of pharmacists in rural practice were identified andgrouped into five main themes: geographic and family-related, economic and resources, scope of practice or skillsdevelopment, the practice environment, and community and practice support factors.Conclusions: The results provide critical insights into the complexities of rural recruitment and retention ofpharmacists and confirms the need for flexible yet multifaceted responses to overcoming rural pharmacistworkforce challenges. Overall, the results provide an opportunity for rural communities and health services to betteridentify key strengths and challenges unique to the rural and remote pharmacist workforce that may beaugmented to guide more focussed recruitment and retention endeavours