Use and accessibility of health and medication information sources among pharmacy students during their community pharmacy internship

Peer reviewe

Medication Risk Management in Routine Dispensing in Community Pharmacies

Community pharmacists have a duty to contribute to medication risk management in outpatient care. This study aimed to investigate the actions taken by pharmacists in routine dispensing to manage medication risks. The study was conducted as a national cross-sectional online survey targeted at all community pharmacies in Finland (n = 576) in October 2015. One pharmacist from each pharmacy was recommended to be the spokesperson for the outlet to describe their practices. Responses were received from 169 pharmacies (response rate of 29%). Pharmacists were oriented to solving poor adherence and technical problems in prescriptions, whereas responsibility for therapeutic risks was transferred to the patient to resolve them with the physician. Pharmacists have access to a wide range of electronic medication risk management tools, but they are rarely utilized in daily dispensing. Attention was paid to drug–drug interactions and the frequency of dispensing with regard to high-risk medicines. Pharmacies rarely had local agreements with other healthcare providers to solve medication-related risks. In routine dispensing, more attention needs to be given to the identification and solving of therapeutic risks in medications, especially those of older adults. Better participation of community pharmacists in medication risk management requires stronger integration and an explicit mandate to solve the therapeutic risks

Medication Risk Management in Routine Dispensing in Community Pharmacies

Community pharmacists have a duty to contribute to medication risk management in outpatient care. This study aimed to investigate the actions taken by pharmacists in routine dispensing to manage medication risks. The study was conducted as a national cross-sectional online survey targeted at all community pharmacies in Finland (n = 576) in October 2015. One pharmacist from each pharmacy was recommended to be the spokesperson for the outlet to describe their practices. Responses were received from 169 pharmacies (response rate of 29%). Pharmacists were oriented to solving poor adherence and technical problems in prescriptions, whereas responsibility for therapeutic risks was transferred to the patient to resolve them with the physician. Pharmacists have access to a wide range of electronic medication risk management tools, but they are rarely utilized in daily dispensing. Attention was paid to drug–drug interactions and the frequency of dispensing with regard to high-risk medicines. Pharmacies rarely had local agreements with other healthcare providers to solve medication-related risks. In routine dispensing, more attention needs to be given to the identification and solving of therapeutic risks in medications, especially those of older adults. Better participation of community pharmacists in medication risk management requires stronger integration and an explicit mandate to solve the therapeutic risks

Apteekin ja lääkärin yhteistyö

Peer reviewe

Improving medication safety in varied health systems

Non peer reviewe

Anti-doping knowledge and educational needs of Finnish pharmacists

Publisher Copyright: © 2021Objectives: Pharmacists’ role in health care has evolved towards a more collaborative practice to combat current public health challenges and to support rational use of medicines. Previous literature also demonstrates pharmacists’ emerging role in sports and exercise medicine, including anti-doping and health counselling of athletes. The aim of this study was to assess: 1) What is the pharmacists’ self-assessed knowledge about doping and anti-doping activities? 2) How does the pharmacists’ and pharmacy characteristics effect on the self-assessed knowledge about doping and anti-doping activities? 3) What educational needs do the pharmacists report about doping and anti-doping activities? Material and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Finnish pharmacists in 2019. A convenience sampling method was used to reach the target group. The survey consisted of 26 questions considering pharmacists’ perceptions about doping, knowledge, and need for education about the pharmacology of doping agents, anti-doping counselling, and information sources. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation with Pearson's χ2 and the Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyse the data. Results: A total of 246 pharmacy professionals completed a national online survey targeted at pharmacists in Finland. The average age of the respondents was 43 years (SD = 10), where 94% were females and 6% males. Pharmacists reported their self-assessed knowledge on anti-doping counselling to be poor or rather poor. Their highest needs for education were related to nutritional supplements’ doping risks, substances listed as doping agents, their mechanisms of action and purpose of use, and the adverse effects of doping agents and interactions with other medicines. More information was also needed about prohibited substances and methods in sports and doping in recreational sports. Conclusion: Pharmacists were willing to participate in anti-doping activities, including counselling athletes. However, many pharmacists perceived their knowledge as insufficient and reported educational needs that could be considered in undergraduate and continuing education of pharmacists. Universities, anti-doping organisations, and other related actors in the pharmacy and anti-doping field have an important role in providing more educational opportunities to pharmacists.Peer reviewe

Identifying Gaps in Community Pharmacists’ Competence in Medication Risk Management in Routine Dispensing

Peer reviewe

How far are we from a medication use process aiming at well-informed adherent patients with long-term medications in Finland? Qualitative study

Objective Finland is one of the few countries that has established a national Medicines Information (MI) Strategy. The ultimate goal of the strategy is a well-implemented medication use process resulting in well-informed adherent patients. This study aimed at evaluating the implementation of the strategy 3years after its launch. Design The evaluation applied a pragmatic approach and was conducted by interviewing stakeholders involved in the National MI Network enhancing the MI Strategy's implementation. The network comprises national key stakeholders producing and using MI. Data were deductively analysed according to the medication use process of the MI Strategy using the framework method, complemented with inductively derived categories. Setting National implementation of the MI Strategy throughout the healthcare system after the first operational period (2012-2014) in 2015. Participants The members of the National MI Network (n=79/111, participation rate 71%, representing 42/53 stakeholder organisations). Outcome measures A new conceptual framework was developed based on stakeholders' views on well-implemented actions and actions needing development in the medication use process at (1) infrastructure (macro), (2) healthcare professionals (meso) and (3) patient (micro) levels. Results Medication counselling by community pharmacists was the primary implemented action, followed by physicians' actions while starting a new medication, and advice given by nurses. The major development needs concerned (1) poor access to patient information and its transfer in healthcare, particularly the lack of reconciled medication lists and electronic health records (macro); (2) poorly functioning medication use process in home care and social care units, such as nursing homes (meso); and (3) limited patient involvement in their care (micro). Conclusions Far more actions for development than well-established practices in the medication use process were identified. Major challenges found in this evaluation are considered in the ongoing Rational Pharmacotherapy Action Plan 2018-2022 by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.Peer reviewe

Trends in the receipt of medicines information among Finnish adults in 1999–2014 : a nationwide repeated cross-sectional survey

Peer reviewe

Koronapandemian vaikutukset apteekin verkkopalvelun käyttöön : esimerkkinä Yliopiston Apteekki

English summary. Suomenkielinen tiivistelmä.Peer reviewe