Identifying the teaching content on substandard and falsified medical products in global pharmacy education as critical public health issue

Aim: To gain insight into the education about substandard and falsified (SF) medical products. Method: A digital survey was sent to 173 different schools of pharmacy around the world. Results: The response rate was 32% (55 responses, 37 countries). Most schools taught about SF medical products as a stand-alone course or as part of another course or module (67%), whereas 33% did not teach about the subject. The main focus of teaching was on detection (21%) and prevention (21%) of SF medical products, while reporting was taught the least (12%), indicating a knowledge gap in that area. A key barrier to introducing a new course that could close the gaps was insufficient time in pharmacy curriculum (n=33; 60%), while availability of ready-to-adopt course materials was considered as a helpful enabler. Conclusion: These insights can improve the understanding on what is already being taught on SF medical products, where the gaps are and inform the curriculum needed globally

Longitudinal study of Good Pharmacy Practice roles covered at the annual world pharmacy congresses 2003–2019

Background: Globally accepted roles of pharmacists are described in the Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) standards, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in 2011. These standards provide a wide-ranging description of four main roles pharmacists fulfil. The global platform, where pertinent discussions around excellence and innovation in various pharmacy roles take place, is the annual congress of the pharmacy organisation representing the profession globally, FIP. Objectives: Given the world pharmacy congresses present and reflect on the most topical and contemporary matters, this longitudinal study aimed at creating a historical overview of the frequency of appearance of the different GPP roles in the programmes of the past 17 congresses (2003–2019). This is to distinguish the dominance of different roles over time and thus their relevance for the profession. Methods: The GPP standards served as a framework to create a set of keywords that were analysed for their frequencies of appearance in the programmes through text analysis. Trends in the four overarching GPP roles and at individual keyword level were analysed descriptively over time. Results: The study found that all four GPP roles appeared in the programme each year and none of them was significantly missing, neither in the decade preceding the publication of the GPP standards nor in the decade thereafter. Role 3 “Maintain and improve professional performance” was most frequently represented, also demonstrating an upward trend in appearance, together with Role 4: “Contribute to improve effectiveness of the health-care system and public health”. Trends emerged towards patient-centred clinical focus and positioning pharmacy as an important player in the health-care system—observed also at individual keywords level in areas such as health promotion—away from the more traditional product-centred practice roles such as compounding. Conclusions: GPP roles have been already covered by the FIP annual congresses (long) before 2011, when the GPP roles were formally adopted, and they stayed relevant in the decade after. The more pronounced dominance toward the roles related to improving professional performance and positioning pharmacy are in line with the trend that the rather technical topics in pharmacy are increasingly covered by specialised meetings and that the FIP annual congresses have moved toward more general, scholarly platforms for dialogue and conversation

Four scenarios for the future of medicines and social policy in 2030

The future of medicines is likely determined by an array of scientific, socioeconomic, policy, medical need, and geopolitical factors, with many uncertainties ahead. Here, we report from a scenario project, analyzing various trends, crucial and complex developments in the medicines' space. From a range of 'critical uncertainties' we derived two scenario drivers: global convergence, ranging from very high (trust and solidarity), to very low (fragmented ecosystems); and disease orientation, ranging from public health first to interceptive medicine. This resulted in four contrasting portraits of the future of medicines and social policy: deprioritizing the high-end; sustainable flow; transformative healing; and global divide. All those involved in drug discovery and development can use these for strengthening preparedness for the crucial challenges ahead

The role of science, practice and education in building capacity for pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

Capacity building involves development of human and institutional resources by enhancing individual skills and strengthening organisational competence to perform specific tasks more effectively. The topic of capacity building in healthcare is gaining more dominance in policy discourses on international development, mostly driven by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To meet these goals, capacity building in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences remains a challenge – one where pharmaceutical science, practice and education can make a difference if used synergically and to their full potential. In her thesis, Zuzana Kusynová assessed the optimal role of science, practice and education in building capacity for pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences while considering the ultimate goal of addressing the health needs worldwide. Current realities in all these three elements, outlining trends, anticipating various scenarios, and exploring unconventional interventions, can enhance the readiness to augment capacity building. Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences and the roles they serve to the society are constantly evolving. Our longitudinal study found pharmacists’ roles advancing towards patient-centred clinical focus and positioning pharmacy as an important player in the health-care system. Pharmaceutical scientists, too, and as highlighted by our research, they see themselves as being driven by continuous demands of unmet medical need. Education needs to constantly keep up with these evolutions. The thesis gave insight into the adaptation of pharmaceutical education to new practice paradigms in light of medical needs or health threats, such as substandard and falsified (SF) medical products. When surveying schools of pharmacy around the world, one third (33%) did not teach about this subject. These insights helped us identify the gaps and inform the curriculum needed. Indeed, gaps can be closed by learning from success stories, and this thesis presented how a pilot course for undergraduate pharmacy students improved students’ knowledge on SF medical products. These findings encourage further full implementation of this course in existing curricula beyond the pilot. Building capacity in health systems by empowering all pharmacists to intervene can help protect communities from SF medical products. Long-term, yet adaptable capacity building requires logical frameworks amid unpredictable factors. Analyses leading to logical frameworks facilitate depicting alternative stories to take into account. This thesis presents a scenario analysis for the future of medicines and social policy in 2030, describing four contrasting portraits of the future which may be used for strengthening preparedness for crucial challenges ahead. The pharmaceutical community and health policy makers can then take a long term view and make reasoned judgements about what capacity will need to be built. In conclusion, the roles of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists are transforming, and education must keep up with these for ensuring optimal capacity. Professional bodies, policy makers, funding institutions, workforce planning regulators, and other stakeholders should join in these efforts. Their collective goal is then to strengthen the intertwined roles of pharmaceutical science, practice and education, with the ultimate goal to swiftly respond to the ever-shifting global societal health needs

Global sale of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems in community pharmacies.

OBJECTIVE:To estimate the proportion of countries/territories that allow sales of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in community pharmacies. METHODS:International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) member organisations were contacted by email and asked to respond to a two-item survey assessing whether their country/territory allowed sales of (a) tobacco products and (b) ENDS in community pharmacies. RESULTS:Of 95 countries/territories contacted, responses were received from 60 (63.2%). Seven countries (11.7%) reported that tobacco products were sold in community pharmacies, and 11 countries (18.3%) reported that ENDS were sold in community pharmacies. CONCLUSIONS:Among the FIP member organisations, there are few countries that allow the sale of tobacco products and ENDS in community pharmacies, with ENDS being more likely than tobacco products to be sold

Global sale of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems in community pharmacies.

OBJECTIVE:To estimate the proportion of countries/territories that allow sales of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in community pharmacies. METHODS:International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) member organisations were contacted by email and asked to respond to a two-item survey assessing whether their country/territory allowed sales of (a) tobacco products and (b) ENDS in community pharmacies. RESULTS:Of 95 countries/territories contacted, responses were received from 60 (63.2%). Seven countries (11.7%) reported that tobacco products were sold in community pharmacies, and 11 countries (18.3%) reported that ENDS were sold in community pharmacies. CONCLUSIONS:Among the FIP member organisations, there are few countries that allow the sale of tobacco products and ENDS in community pharmacies, with ENDS being more likely than tobacco products to be sold

Longitudinal study of Good Pharmacy Practice roles covered at the annual world pharmacy congresses 2003–2019

Background: Globally accepted roles of pharmacists are described in the Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) standards, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in 2011. These standards provide a wide-ranging description of four main roles pharmacists fulfil. The global platform, where pertinent discussions around excellence and innovation in various pharmacy roles take place, is the annual congress of the pharmacy organisation representing the profession globally, FIP. Objectives: Given the world pharmacy congresses present and reflect on the most topical and contemporary matters, this longitudinal study aimed at creating a historical overview of the frequency of appearance of the different GPP roles in the programmes of the past 17 congresses (2003–2019). This is to distinguish the dominance of different roles over time and thus their relevance for the profession. Methods: The GPP standards served as a framework to create a set of keywords that were analysed for their frequencies of appearance in the programmes through text analysis. Trends in the four overarching GPP roles and at individual keyword level were analysed descriptively over time. Results: The study found that all four GPP roles appeared in the programme each year and none of them was significantly missing, neither in the decade preceding the publication of the GPP standards nor in the decade thereafter. Role 3 “Maintain and improve professional performance” was most frequently represented, also demonstrating an upward trend in appearance, together with Role 4: “Contribute to improve effectiveness of the health-care system and public health”. Trends emerged towards patient-centred clinical focus and positioning pharmacy as an important player in the health-care system—observed also at individual keywords level in areas such as health promotion—away from the more traditional product-centred practice roles such as compounding. Conclusions: GPP roles have been already covered by the FIP annual congresses (long) before 2011, when the GPP roles were formally adopted, and they stayed relevant in the decade after. The more pronounced dominance toward the roles related to improving professional performance and positioning pharmacy are in line with the trend that the rather technical topics in pharmacy are increasingly covered by specialised meetings and that the FIP annual congresses have moved toward more general, scholarly platforms for dialogue and conversation

Four scenarios for the future of medicines and social policy in 2030

The future of medicines is likely determined by an array of scientific, socioeconomic, policy, medical need, and geopolitical factors, with many uncertainties ahead. Here, we report from a scenario project, analyzing various trends, crucial and complex developments in the medicines' space. From a range of 'critical uncertainties' we derived two scenario drivers: global convergence, ranging from very high (trust and solidarity), to very low (fragmented ecosystems); and disease orientation, ranging from public health first to interceptive medicine. This resulted in four contrasting portraits of the future of medicines and social policy: deprioritizing the high-end; sustainable flow; transformative healing; and global divide. All those involved in drug discovery and development can use these for strengthening preparedness for the crucial challenges ahead