The development of a foundation-level pharmacy competency framework: An analysis of country-level applicability of the Global Competency Framework

BackgroundThe importance and usefulness of competency frameworks (CFs) in pharmacy professional development is recognised globally. However, there is no national CF for pharmacists in Japan yet.ObjectiveThis study was conducted to measure the level of relevance of behavioural statements of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF) to Japanese foundation-level pharmacy practice, aiming for developing a national framework for foundation-level pharmacists in Japan.MethodsA cross-sectional, anonymous, online self-completed survey was conducted during June and July 2018 in Japan. The questionnaire was adopted from the GbCF, translated into Japanese. A snowballing sampling approach was used. The relevance levels of the GbCF items were assessed by using 4-point Likert scales, and analysed by descriptive and inferential methods.ResultsA total 604 useable responses were included in analyses. High levels of relevance levels were found in two clusters (‘pharmaceutical public health’ and ‘pharmaceutical care’), while the other two clusters (‘organisation and management’ and ‘professional/personal’) showed significantly low relevance (relevance = 89.6%, 82.5%, 59.6%, and 67.9%, respectively). The study found little engagement of the academic sector with framework, while the industry sector showed relevance to all clusters evenly. Regarding years working in sectors, there was no progression of relevance in ‘organisation and management’ and ‘professional/personal’ competencies during foundation years as well as very little professional/personal development.ConclusionsThe study revealed specific competencies and behaviours which require modifications to adapt the GbCF into the Japanese pharmacy practice environment. This is a key step towards the development of a national framework, illustrating current Japanese foundation-level pharmacy practice compared with global standards. The findings will be used as a base for developing a framework for foundation-level pharmacists in Japan and address concerns such as pharmacist preparedness to advance in management roles and limited personal and professional development

Challenges and opportunities in conducting health services research through international collaborations: A review of personal experiences

There is increasing attention to international collaborations in health services research with a number of benefits. For developing and nurturing international collaboration, an increasing number of funding opportunities are available globally. Having observed and experienced the growth of international collaborations in the global health research field, the authors reflect upon their own experiences in international collaboration between the United Kingdom and many different countries in the process of health services and educational research and discuss challenges and opportunities to conduct impactful research in international settings. The commentary also highlights key issues and strategies for learning and achieving more impact from global health research: including, communication, co-creation, strong leadership and sustainability

A Comparative Exploration of Quality Assurance Results by the Third-Party Pharmaceutical Education Evaluation in Japan

Background: The Standards for the Establishment of Universities in Japan were revised; subsequently, the number of schools or universities of pharmacy/pharmaceutical sciences increased from 46 in 2002 to 74 in 2016.The pharmacy education programme was also changed from four to six years, which was implemented in 2006. In this study, we provide the comparative results of the first cycle of the third-party accrediting organization, the Japan Accreditation Board for Pharmaceutical Education (JABPE); Methods: The results of the first cycle of all universities or schools of pharmacy assessed by the JABPE from JABPE website were etrieved, and we collated and compared the results based on the 13 areas of the assessment standards; Results: In “improvements”, the number of public universities or schools was less than that of private universities or schools, and the number of old private universities or schools was also less than the number of new private universities or schools inall assessment areas. Conclusions: These results suggest that new universities or schools established since 2003 have not yet established their own quality assurance mechanism within the institutions. We need to review the Japanese pharmacy education system or the assessment criteria for it to bring about essential change

Pharmacy Education Development

Pharmacy education and training is fundamental in supplying the pharmacy workforce with adequate numbers and correct competencies to provide relevant pharmaceutical care [...

Developing pharmacists' competencies in Saudi Arabia: A proposed national competency framework to support initial education and professional development

Introduction: With the currently accelerating changes in pharmacists' roles in Saudi Arabia, evidence-based developmental tools are required to guide initial pharmacy education and define competencies for early career (foundation level) pharmacists' progression. This study aimed to develop a profession-wide competency framework for foundation level pharmacists in Saudi Arabia using the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF) as the source framework. Methods: An online nominal group technique was used to develop consensus on a profession-wide national competency framework in Saudi Arabia. Purposive sampling was used to recruit experts from local various pharmacy sectors. A combination of self-administered surveys and online meetings was used to measure and develop consensus. The survey items were adopted from the FIP GbCF version 2. Results: Nine pharmacy experts participated in five iterative rounds of consensus measurement and development between July and November 2021. Consensus was achieved on appropriateness to Saudi pharmacy practice for all the behaviours in the “Pharmaceutical Public Health,” “Pharmaceutical Care,” and “Professional/Personal” clusters. The “Organisation and Management” cluster caused most differences of opinion. The final consensus generated a list of 125 behavioural statements for inclusion in the national competency framework. Conclusion: This study proposes the first competency framework for foundation level pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. The developed framework represents a consensus on competencies for foundation level pharmacists working across all pharmacy sectors and is eligible for supporting further improvement of initial pharmacy education and support excellence in pharmacists' performance to address the country's needs from pharmaceutical services

The relevance of the International Pharmaceutical Federation Global Competency Framework in developing a country-level competency framework for pharmacists: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn the ever-changing roles of pharmacists, the evidence shows that the use of competency frameworks could aid in achieving professional performance development and ensuring a consistent quality pharmacy education. However, there is no national competency framework for pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. This study, therefore, uses an evidence-based method to identify the competencies required to support and facilitate the pharmacists' training and career development.ObjectiveTo assess pharmacists' perception of the relevance of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF v1) to their own practice.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey of pharmacists in different practice settings was conducted between August and November 2020, in Saudi Arabia. The survey was adopted from the GbCF v1. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling was used. The relevance to the GbCF v1 was assessed using a four-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsA total of 522 pharmacists participated in the survey. The study showed broad agreement on relevance to practice for 84% of behaviours included in the GbCF v1. The ‘pharmaceutical public health’ cluster scored the highest percentage of relevant responses (91.42%), followed by the ‘professional/personal’ cluster (87.08%), whereas the ‘organisation and management’ cluster scored the highest percentage of ‘not-relevant’ responses (18.40%). The observed non-relevancy was associated with gender, nationality and area of pharmacy practice (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe competencies and behaviours included in the GbCF v1 are relevant to pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia. However, some behaviours of the GbCF v1 require modification to be appropriate for the local needs of the Saudi pharmacy practice. The findings from this exercise will be used as a base to develop a foundation-level competency framework to inform initial pharmacy education development and address knowledge gaps and learning needs required to attain and maintain pharmacists' competence to practise

Opportunities to demonstrate expertise and job satisfaction of community pharmacists in Japan and England

Background: In response to anticipated increased health needs as a consequence of aging populations, and associated rising co-morbidity and medicines use, in both Japan and the UK potential extended roles for community pharmacy are part of health policy agendas. It is widely perceived that community pharmacists do not fully utilize their expertise, which may limit their contribution to health care in their communities and also impact negatively on their own job satisfaction. Purpose: The aim of this qualitative study was to identify operations that are perceived as opportunities to demonstrate expertise (ODE) and/or sources of job satisfaction by pharmacists in Japan and England, and explore associated system and contextual factors. Methods: Data were gathered with purposively selected pharmacists in Japan and England. An initial questionnaire was forwarded which guided subsequent face-to-face semi-structured interviews. These were audio-recoded to enable qualitative analytical procedures. Results: There were 18 participants in England and 13 in Japan. There was a notable association between ODE and job satisfaction. However, ODE was not a sufficient condition for job satisfaction. Conclusion: In order for pharmacists to be satisfied with their jobs, not only ODE but also additional contextual factors, i.e. recognition of professionalism, autonomy and positive collaboration were also needed. The findings can inform initiatives in the development of pharmacy services that would be positive for pharmacists whilst potentially contributing to wider public health objectives

A systematic review of contemporary competency-based education and training for pharmacy practitioners and students

BackgroundThe use of competency-based education (CBE) worldwide is increasing and has been advocated for by key reports in health professional education. Recent developments, including the first global competency framework for pharmacists published by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in 2012, can help facilitate CBE adoption. However, adopting CBE is complex and involves various features and stages of development.ObjectiveThis systematic review examines pharmacy education and training to identify features of CBE-related approaches currently in use worldwide to develop a picture of contemporary CBE-related activity in pharmacy for the purpose of guiding future development.MethodScopus, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, and ERIC electronic databases were searched to identify relevant literature. Studies associated with CBE or training of pharmacy practitioners and related postgraduate or undergraduate students were included. Studies were limited to those published in English from 2010 to 2021. Two authors performed the screening and selection of studies, and a 3rd author resolved any discrepancies. The review followed PRSIMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO under CRD42022296424. The findings were analysed using an inductive approach and presented descriptively.ResultsTwenty-eight studies were included in the review, all of which originate from high-income countries, spanning a range of educational levels and research designs. A total of 20 features and 21 supporting components were identified and categorised, connected to those previously identified in the closely linked medical literature, and categorised into 6 overarching themes: design, teaching and learning, feedback and assessment, faculty, resources, and internal and external factors. A collective understanding of the concept of competency, in combination with a shared vision between education, regulation, and practice, underpins successful application of the CBE approach.ConclusionsThis review summarises common features of CBE across the globe which can be used to guide further developments in pharmacy education. Mutual consensus on the design and delivery of CBE features ensures that the intended learning outcomes are in alignment with the learner's experience and congruent with the realities of pharmacy practice

Widefield Choroidal Thickness of Eyes with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Examined by Swept-Source OCT

PURPOSE: To examine widefield (WF) changes in the choroidal thickness of eyes with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). DESIGN: An observational study. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two patients with treatment naïve unilateral CSC (20 men and two women) and 28 normal eyes of 28 age-matched healthy participants (21 men and seven women). METHODS: We performed enhanced depth imaging (EDI) of swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) with a viewing angle of vertical 20 mm × horizontal 23 mm. Moreover, we developed a grid consisting of nine subfields, with diameters of 3 mm, 9 mm, and 18 mm; inner and outer rings enclosed by circles with diameters of 3 mm and 9 mm and 9 mm and 18 mm, respectively, which were divided into four superotemporal, inferotemporal, superonasal, and inferonasal subfields. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: WF changes in choroidal thickness. RESULTS: The mean duration from the presumed onset of CSC was 6.8 ± 3.1 months during the examination. Compared with normal eyes, the choroidal thickness of patients with CSC was significantly greater in all subfields (P<0.020 for fellow eyes; P<0.001 for eyes with CSC). Compared with fellow eyes, the choroidal thicknesses of eyes with CSC were significantly greater, except for the outer superotemporal and inferonasal subfields (P<0.001 for all inner subfields; and P<0.001 for outer superonasal and inferotemporal subfields). In areas with dilated vortex veins, choroidal thickening was observed from the vicinity of the vortex vein ampulla to the macula along the courses of the veins. Choroidal thickenings on the dominant side were significantly greater than those on the non-dominant side (P=0.015 for the nasal subfield of the inner ring; P=0.003 and <0.001 for temporal subfields of the inner and outer rings, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: EDI of SS-OCT imaging facilitated the analysis of WF changes in choroidal thickness not only in both controls and patients with CSC. Local factors of the affected vortex vein and systemic risk factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of CSC