Artificial intelligence in academic writing and clinical pharmacy education: consequences and opportunities.

The current academic debate on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research and teaching has been ongoing since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. It mainly focuses on ethical considerations, academic integrity, authorship and the need for new legal frameworks. Time efficiencies may allow for more critical thinking, while ease of pattern recognition across large amounts of data may promote drug discovery, better clinical decision making and guideline development with resultant consequences for patient safety. AI is also prompting a re-evaluation of the nature of learning and the purpose of education worldwide. It challenges traditional pedagogies, forcing a shift from rote learning to more critical, analytical, and creative thinking skills. Despite this opportunity to re-think education concepts for pharmacy curricula several universities around the world have banned its use. This commentary summarizes the existing debate and identifies the consequences and opportunities for clinical pharmacy research and education.

Writing a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal: Guidance from the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy.

Publishing in reputable peer-reviewed journals is an integral step of the clinical pharmacy research process, allowing for knowledge transfer and advancement in clinical pharmacy practice. Writing a manuscript for publication in a journal requires several careful considerations to ensure that research findings are communicated to the satisfaction of editors and reviewers, and effectively to the readers. This commentary provides a summary of the main points to consider, outlining how to: (1) select a suitable journal, (2) tailor the manuscript for the journal readership, (3) organise the content of the manuscript in line with the journal's guidelines, and (4) manage feedback from the peer review process. This commentary reviews the steps of the writing process, identifies common pitfalls, and proposes ways to overcome them. It aims to assist both novice and established researchers in the field of clinical pharmacy to enhance the quality of writing in a research paper to maximise impact.

Report of the 2023 AACP Council of Deans Taskforce on Pharmacy Research and Scholarship.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to provide the conclusions from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Council of Deans (COD) Taskforce on Research and Scholarship. FINDINGS: The charges and the findings of the committee are: (1) Define the scholarship needs/opportunities to strengthen the outputs. The committee recommends that AACP update its definitions of research/scholarship to include discovery, integration, application/practice, and teaching/learning. A deployed survey demonstrated a high Special Interest Groups research/scholarship interest. (2) Assemble a toolkit of grant and scholarship resources to assist colleges/schools. The AACP should update the existing funding opportunity listing and combine it with additional resources. (3) Create a framework for effective research collaboration and mentorship. The AACP should identify key areas of pharmacy research and experts to serve as mentors and to meet with external stakeholders. (4) and (5) Consider the need for and purpose of a COD standing committee for research and scholarship. Explore the value of a formal research dean's subcommittee. It was recommended that AACP form a research/scholarship committee or Special Interest Groups and create the Pharmacy Scholarship, Research, and Graduate Education pre-meeting to the Interim Meeting. (6) Identify key statements/outputs of the COD that need to be prepared for publication/sharing. We recommended the key statement/outputs in the areas of discovery, integration, application/practice, and teaching and learning. SUMMARY: The taskforce reviewed the state of research and scholarship across the Academy and provided recommendations with the goal of advancing research across all areas of the pharmacy profession.

Application of behavioural theories, models, and frameworks in pharmacy practice research based on published evidence: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacy practice research often focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of pharmacy services and interventions. The use of behavioural theory in intervention research allows understanding of interventions' mechanisms of action and are more likely to result in effective and sustained interventions. AIM: To collate, summarise and categorise the reported behavioural frameworks, models and theories used in pharmacy practice research. METHOD: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science and EBSCO (CINAHL PLUS, British Education index, ERIC) were systematically searched to capture all pharmacy practice articles that had reported the use of behavioural frameworks, theories, or models since inception of the database. Results were filtered to include articles published in English in pharmacy practice journals. Full-text screening and data extraction were independently performed by two reviewers. A narrative synthesis of the data was adopted. Studies were reviewed for alignment to the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) framework to identify in which phase(s) of the research that the theory/model/framework had been employed. RESULTS: Fifty articles met the inclusion criteria; a trend indicating an increasing frequency of behavioural theory/frameworks/models within pharmacy practice research was identified; the most frequently reported were Theory of Planned Behaviour and Theoretical Domains Framework. Few studies provided explicit and comprehensive justification for adopting a specific theory/model/framework and description of how it underpinned the research was lacking. The majority were investigations exploring determinants of behaviours, or facilitators and barriers to implementing or delivering a wide range of pharmacy services and initiatives within a variety of clinical settings (aligned to Phase 1 UK MRC framework). CONCLUSION: This review serves as a useful resource for future researchers to inform their investigations. Greater emphasis to adopt a systematic approach in the reporting of the use of behavioural theories/models/frameworks will benefit pharmacy practice research and will support researchers in utilizing behavioural theories/models/framework in aspects of pharmacy practice research beyond intervention development.

Empowering patients as co-researchers in social pharmacy: Lessons learned and practical tips for meaningful partnership and impact.

Engaging patients as co-researchers in health service research, involving them in the design, planning, and implementation rather than treating them as mere participants, can yield positive outcomes and generate value for patients' health. It also increases patients' health literacy and empowerment, leading to more meaningful studies and substantial research impact. However, deeper levels of engagement as partners throughout the research lifecycle come with ethical and methodological challenges. This commentary provides actionable advice for Patient Engagement and Involvement (PEI) in social pharmacy research through a rapid review of models, frameworks, and guidelines and by gathering lessons from four recent social pharmacy research initiatives conducted in Nordic settings. It also identifies and discusses ethical and methodological challenges to conducting authentic and sustained patient-driven research. Deeper levels of engagement where patients take the lead in shaping the social pharmacy research question(s) are rare due to the intensity of resources required. With these 24 tips and the lessons learned, we aim to make this approach more accessible to social pharmacy researchers interested in PEI.

[Human Resource Development in Pharmaceutical Sciences in the New Era of Life Science].

Almost 20 years have passed since the six-year pharmaceutical education started as the standard educational course for pharmacists. The six-year pharmaceutical education was originally proposed to nurture the pharmacists who can play important roles in advanced medical care as part of the medical team. Importantly, recent advances in life science are providing additional scientific advantages for the graduates from the six-year pharmaceutical education system. In the new era of life science, clinical training in the six-year education will be beneficial not only for the clinical pharmacists but also for the pharmaceutical scientists. For example, in drug discovery research, numerous studies have been making efforts to identify therapeutic targets based on basic sciences so far. However, as a result of the innovation in life science, such as multi-omics analyses and molecular imaging, we can now perform patient-/disease-oriented research on molecular basis using clinical materials and information. Nowadays, with the help of data science, we can understand the pathophysiological status of individual patients and optimize pharmacotherapy from viewpoint of molecular biology in clinical setting. Moreover, in drug discovery research, we can explore and identify the drug targets by analyzing clinical samples and medical records. Thus, learning from the bedside in detail will develop future leaders, including pharmacists, scientists and pharmacist-scientists, who will pave the way for pharmaceutical sciences in the next generation.

Pragmatic Model and Faculty Toolkit for PharmD Student Engagement in Social and Administrative Pharmacy Research.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to describe the development of a pharmacy student workgroup as an experiential education model to provide social and administrative pharmacy research opportunities and provide a toolkit for faculty seeking to increase student research engagement via this model. METHODS: Three pharmacy faculty with diverse training backgrounds but a common interest in opioid medications established a workgroup named the Opioid Research Workgroup. The workgroup consisted of first-year pharmacy students, research interns, and advanced graduate trainees. A hierarchical leadership model of supervision was implemented, whereby students reported progress on research tasks directly to an advanced graduate trainee leading a project team. To understand students' perspectives on the research experience and educational outcomes, students were asked to complete an anonymous voluntary survey after a year of participation. RESULTS: Since its establishment, the workgroup has published multiple conference abstracts, manuscripts, and grants. Students' overall satisfaction with the Workgroup on a scale of 1-5, 5 being very high, was 4.69. The successful scalability and longevity of this model are dependent on administrative support that protects faculty resources. The toolkit provided offers resources for those interested in adapting this model. CONCLUSION: Our experience with the pragmatic model of pharmacy student engagement in research proved successful in terms of research output and student training experience. Although the model can be applied across a variety of health science clinical and research topics, and faculty can leverage this approach to increase productivity in research output, faculty must ensure that resources are available to support this effort.

Integration in mixed-methods studies: existing practices, considerations and recommendations for pharmacy research.

Mixed methods research is increasingly used to investigate complex issues in health and healthcare. Purposeful integration of the qualitative and quantitative strands has a significant potential to yield insights that exceed the value of a study's constituent qualitative and quantitative components alone. The philosophical foundations of mixed methods in pragmatism support the importance of integration as a focus of designing and conducting mixed methods research. Integration can be facilitated by considering and employing study components such as distinct mixed methods research questions, sampling strategies, data transformations, joint data displays and integrated narrative discussions. This manuscript explores the importance of integration in mixed-methods research, provides examples of these techniques used in pharmacy research and offers practical recommendations for implementing these techniques.

Improving the quality of publications in and advancing the paradigms of clinical and social pharmacy practice research: the Granada statements.

Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences embrace a series of different disciplines. Pharmacy practice has been defined as 'the scientific discipline that studies the different aspects of the practice of pharmacy and its impact on health care systems, medicine use, and patient care'. Thus, pharmacy practice studies embrace both clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy elements. Like any other scientific discipline, clinical and social pharmacy practice disseminates research findings using scientific journals. Clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy journal editors have a role in promoting the discipline by enhancing the quality of the articles published. As has occurred in other healthcare areas (i.e. medicine and nursing), a group of clinical and social pharmacy practice journal editors gathered in Granada, Spain to discuss how journals could contribute to strengthening pharmacy practice as a discipline. The result of that meeting was compiled in these Granada Statements, which comprise 18 recommendations gathered into 6 topics, namely the appropriate use of terminology, impactful abstracts, the required peer reviews, journal scattering, more effective and wiser use of journal and article performance metrics and authors' selection of the most appropriate pharmacy practice journal to submit their work.

Improving the quality of publications in and advancing the paradigms of clinical and social pharmacy practice research: the Granada Statements.

Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences embrace a series of different disciplines. Pharmacy practice has been defined as "the scientific discipline that studies the different aspects of the practice of pharmacy and its impact on health care systems, medicine use, and patient care". Thus, pharmacy practice studies embrace both clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy elements. Like any other scientific discipline, clinical and social pharmacy practice disseminates research findings using scientific journals. Clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy journal editors have a role in promoting the discipline by enhancing the quality of the articles published. As has occurred in other health care areas (i.e., medicine and nursing), a group of clinical and social pharmacy practice journal editors gathered in Granada, Spain to discuss how journals could contribute to strengthening pharmacy practice as a discipline. The result of that meeting was compiled in these Granada Statements, which comprise 18 recommendations gathered into six topics: the appropriate use of terminology, impactful abstracts, the required peer reviews, journal scattering, more effective and wiser use of journal and article performance metrics, and authors' selection of the most appropriate pharmacy practice journal to submit their work.

Improving the quality of publications in and advancing the paradigms of clinical and social pharmacy practice research: The Granada statements.

Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences embrace a series of different disciplines. Pharmacy practice has been defined as "the scientific discipline that studies the different aspects of the practice of pharmacy and its impact on health care systems, medicine use, and patient care". Thus, pharmacy practice studies embrace both clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy elements. Like any other scientific discipline, clinical and social pharmacy practice disseminates research findings using scientific journals. Clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy journal editors have a role in promoting the discipline by enhancing the quality of the articles published. As has occurred in other health care areas (i.e., medicine and nursing), a group of clinical and social pharmacy practice journal editors gathered in Granada, Spain to discuss how journals could contribute to strengthening pharmacy practice as a discipline. The result of that meeting was compiled in these Granada Statements, which comprise 18 recommendations gathered into six topics: the appropriate use of terminology, impactful abstracts, the required peer reviews, journal scattering, more effective and wiser use of journal and article performance metrics, and authors' selection of the most appropriate pharmacy practice journal to submit their work.

Potential factors that can affect the performance of undergraduate pharmacy research students: a descriptive study.

OBJECTIVE: This descriptive study aimed to examine whether student past coursework performance, student or research supervisor characteristics, and the type of research project are related to the overall academic performance of a pharmacy student completing an honours research program. METHODS: Data on undergraduate honours students who completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, between Jan 2015 and Dec 2020 was collected. This included socio-demographic characteristics, type of project undertaken, and academic outputs. Data was also collected on each supervisor's academic role, level of experience, research area, and where they completed their PhD. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study cohort and correlation analysis and unpaired t-tail analyses were conducted using SPSS software. RESULTS: This five year study included 130 students of which 67% were female and 60% were domestic students. Each student was supervised by one of 48 individual academics who were a mix of early- (31%), mid-career (29%), and experienced researchers (40%) for pharmaceutical science (50%), clinical (45%), and education (5%) projects. Just less than half (49%) of students published one peer-reviewed journal article. Female students outperformed male students (p = 0.031) with female students also twice as likely (15%) to receive a university medal eligible mark compared with male students (7.0%). Similarly, domestic students were twice as likely (15%) to receive a university medal eligible mark when compared with international students (7.7%). Students who undertook a pharmaceutical science-based project outperformed education-based project students (p = 0.0235). Students who had published at least one peer-reviewed journal article outperformed those who had not published (p = 0.0014). CONCLUSION: Factors that affected honours performance were student gender, residential status, type of project undertaken, and whether a student had published a peer-reviewed journal article.

Applying Design-Thinking Principles to Practice-Based Pharmacy Research.

Design thinking is an approach to problem solving that focuses on a solution to a problem. This systematic approach can be applied to practice-based research or implementation projects in your practice setting. It may be useful for starting new projects as well as revisiting past projects that may not have yielded meaningful results. The design-thinking process begins with identifying a problem or knowledge gap and then the steps include: (1) understanding the problem, (2) observing the problem, (3) defining the problem, (4) brainstorming possible solutions, (5) prototyping the best solution, and (6) testing the solution.

Análise da dispensação de pílula do dia seguinte em uma farmácia do município no oeste do estado do Paraná / Analysis of the dispension of the pill of the following day in a pharmacy in the municipality in the west of the state of Paraná / Análisis de la dispensación de la píldora del día siguiente en una farmacia del municipio del oeste del estado de Paraná

pílula contraceptiva de emergência (CE) é chamada pelos médicos de pílula anticoncepcional pós-coito. É um método anticoncepcional de emergência e deve ser tomada até 72 horas após a relação sexual. É adequado para casos de abuso sexual, preservativos rompidos ou falha de outros métodos anticoncepcionais. Sendo assim, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o perfil da dispensação do contraceptivo de emergência (CE) em uma farmácia comercial localizada em um distrito do município de Assis Chateaubriand no oeste do estado do Paraná. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, foi avaliado a quantidade do medicamento dispensado com o princípio ativo levonorgestrel no período de três meses em uma farmácia de dispensação de medicamentos no distrito de Bragantina, assim como a faixa etária da paciente que utilizou, o seu estado civil e o motivo da compra da pílula. O projeto foi aprovado pelo Comitê de ética sob o número do CAAE: 60509322.3.0000.0109. Os resultados mostraram que no período do desenvolvimento da pesquisa, 10 pacientes fizeram uso da CE, sendo 5 solteiras e 5 casadas, sendo 50%. Quando relatado a idade das pacientes que fazem uso do CE, os resultados foram entre 19 até 41 anos. Quando perguntado para as pacientes se elas faziam uso de outro método contraceptivo e se presente, qual seria este método, os resultados encontrados foram: 40% das mulheres não utilizam outro método contraceptivo e 60% fazem o uso de outro contraceptivo, destes, o percentual foi de 66% que faziam o uso de preservativo e 34% faziam o uso de anticoncepcional. Em relação ao horário pós-coito, isto é, quantas horas após o coito elas procuraram a farmácia para comprar a CE, os resultados encontrados foram de 08 horas até 52 horas. Sendo assim, conclui-se que o estudo possui relevância frente à procura da PDS, no entanto, é de suma importância não esquecer de que a PDS deve ser utilizada somente em casos de emergências e não como uso rotineiro, para isso, existem outros métodos de contraceptivos que podem ser de recurso rotineiro. Neste sentido, mais estudos são necessários para avaliar se a população tem conhecimento sobre o tema, se o farmacêutico está preparado para atendê-los e o porquê da população não se programar melhor para evitar os possíveis "acidentes".

The morning after pill (PDS) is called the post-coital birth control pill by doctors. It is an emergency contraceptive method and must be taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse. It is suitable for cases of sexual abuse, broken condoms or failure of other contraceptive methods. Therefore, the objective of the present study will be to evaluate the profile of the dispensation of emergency contraceptives (EC) in a pharmacy in the western municipality of the state of Paraná. For the development of the research, the amount of medication dispensed in a period of three months in a drug dispensing pharmacy was evaluated, as well as the age group of the patient who will use it, her marital status and the reason for purchasing the pill. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee under CAAE number: 60509322.3.0000.0109. The results showed that during the research development period, 10 patients used PDS, 5 of them single and 5 married, being 50%. When reporting the age of patients using the morning-after pill, the results ranged from 19 to 41 years. When asked to patients if they used another contraceptive method and, if present, which method this would be, the results found were: 40% of women do not use another contraceptive method and 60% use another contraceptive, of these, the percentage 66% used condoms and 34% used contraceptives. Regarding the post-coital time, that is, how many hours after coitus they looked for the pharmacy to buy the PDS, the results found were from 08 hours to 52 hours. Therefore, it is concluded that care with medication intake becomes more important when it comes to EC, due to its potential risks to the female body, which can have consequences, especially when used excessively and without prior knowledge. Thus, more guidance on the use and its adverse effects, as more studies on the subject are necessary, in order to minimize the damage that PDS can cause in the female organism.

La píldora del día después (PDS) es llamada por los médicos píldora anticonceptiva poscoital. Es un método anticonceptivo de emergencia y debe ser tomada dentro de las 72 horas siguientes a la relación sexual. Está indicada en casos de abuso sexual, rotura del preservativo o fracaso de otros métodos anticonceptivos. Por lo tanto, el objetivo del presente estudio será evaluar el perfil de la dispensación de anticonceptivos de emergencia (AE) en una farmacia del municipio oeste del estado de Paraná. Para el desarrollo de la investigación, se evaluó la cantidad de medicación dispensada en un período de tres meses en una farmacia dispensadora de medicamentos, así como el grupo etario de la paciente que la utilizará, su estado civil y el motivo de compra de la píldora. El proyecto fue aprobado por el Comité de Ética con el número CAAE: 60509322.3.0000.0109. Los resultados mostraron que durante el período de desarrollo de la investigación, 10 pacientes utilizaron la PDS, 5 de ellas solteras y 5 casadas, siendo el 50%. Al informar sobre la edad de las pacientes que utilizaban la píldora del día después, los resultados oscilaron entre 19 y 41 años. Cuando se preguntó a las pacientes si utilizaban otro método anticonceptivo y, en caso afirmativo, cuál sería, los resultados encontrados fueron: 40% de las mujeres no utilizan otro método anticonceptivo y 60% utilizan otro anticonceptivo, de estas, el porcentaje 66% utilizó preservativo y 34% anticonceptivos. En cuanto al tiempo post-coital, es decir, cuántas horas después del coito buscaron la farmacia para comprar la PDS, los resultados encontrados fueron de 08 horas a 52 horas. Por lo tanto, se concluye que el cuidado con la ingesta de medicamentos se vuelve más importante cuando se trata de la AE, debido a sus riesgos potenciales para el organismo femenino, que pueden tener consecuencias, especialmente cuando se usa en exceso y sin conocimiento previo. Por lo tanto, son necesarias más orientaciones sobre el uso y sus efectos adversos, así como más estudios sobre el tema, con el fin de minimizar los daños que la PDS puede causar en el organismo femenino.

Considerations for writing and including demographic variables in education research.

OUR SITUATION: At many points within pharmacy education, we collect demographic information about faculty, staff, students, and trainees. Admissions procedures and surveys, for example, typically categorize participants based on various identities such as race and ethnicity as well as gender and sex. In this article, we interrogate the complex nature of capturing participant identities through demographic variables, using race and ethnicity, gender and sex, sexual orientation and identity, and disability status as specific examples. METHODOLOGICAL LITERATURE REVIEW: Various approaches to defining demographic characteristics can be seen in pharmacy education research. To help readers understand why certain characteristics and categories are commonly utilized, we describe common influences of demographic variables, such as federal laws and professional guidelines. We also review several common demographic variables to illustrate the complexity of this issue. OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATION(S): Seven recommendations for improving demographic data collection and use are provided. Examples include respecting and honoring lived student experiences, defining demographic data more precisely, and channeling institutional resources toward specific student needs. POTENTIAL IMPACT: Collecting demographic information more accurately and thoughtfully could help pharmacy education improve its educational practice and research. The provided recommendations provided will help researchers and educators measure and utilize demographic variables more effectively.

Advancing a managed care pharmacy research agenda: Generating real-world evidence to support US Food and Drug Administration Accelerated Approvals and improving benefit design to address health inequities.

To advance their research agenda, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) and the AMCP Foundation (AMCPF) invited a sample of AMCP membership to participate in focus groups and tasked them with developing tangible research aims for each of the top 2 previously identified AMCP/AMCPF research priorities: generating real-world evidence (RWE) to support US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Accelerated Approvals and improving benefit design to address health inequities. The resulting research aims, which were further refined per feedback from additional stakeholders, will serve to guide requests for proposals for funding of specific research projects to address these top managed care priorities. Research aims identified by focus group participants related to generating RWE for FDA Accelerated Approvals include (1) creating a data survey tool for managed care to make RWE more readily available, (2) linking surrogate endpoints to meaningful clinical outcomes for drug development, and (3) improving patient outcomes by determining the optimal sequence of clinical pathways. Research aims identified by focus group participants related to improving benefit design to address health inequities include (1) identifying how the ability to navigate managed care benefit designs may impact inequities, (2) understanding the connection between health inequities and medication adherence, and (3) evaluating the impact of social determinants of health on medication affordability. DISCLOSURES: These proceedings were supported by Bridget Flavin, PharmD, Founder, Connected Content, Ltd. Connected Content, Ltd. received payment from AMCP for the preparation of this manuscript. Flavin is also an adjunct associate professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Diana Brixner received AMCP Foundation support of sabbatical to conduct this work, support of a medical writer to assist in putting the manuscript together, consulting fees from Millcreek Outcomes Group, Elevar, Sage, Haymarket, and AMCP funding of one trip to Alexandria, VA. This research and the development of this manuscript were funded by AMCP and the AMCP Foundation.

Use of Rapid Assessment Procedures when analyzing qualitative data in pharmacy research.

Qualitative research analytics and methodology are a useful part of many research projects. However, qualitative data analysis may be time intensive causing delays in results. This is especially problematic in time-sensitive projects where there an urgent need for results and a rapidly evolving situation being studied, such as during health crisis or early stages of project implementation. An emerging body of literature around the use of Rapid Assessment Procedures (RAP) suggests that this method of qualitative assessment provides more efficient coding and categorizing of data without comprising rigor. The objectives of this manuscript are to: 1) describe how RAP can be used in pragmatic healthcare research studies and 2) provide an example of when RAP was applied to a qualitative research study in the healthcare setting. RAP includes 5 core features: 1) use in combination with quantitative outcomes or process data (mixed methods approach), 2) quick timeline from start to finish (weeks to months), 3) population of interest participation in planning and implementing the research, 4) team approach to research process, and 5) iterative cycle of data collection and analysis. Use of RAP provides key stakeholders and decision makers the ability to generate solutions to problems faster than ever before without compromising rigor, a method needed now more than ever. The progression of healthcare and clinical management is moving at an unprecedented rate, and RAP allows researchers to stay ahead by providing quicker results for better outcomes.

Assessing the reporting quality of simulated patient studies in pharmacy research using a novel checklist (CRiSP).

BACKGROUND: Use of simulated patients (SP) to assess the quality of pharmacy services and impact of interventions is increasing. The CRiSP (Checklist for Reporting research using Simulated Patient methodology) checklist was recently developed, assisting researchers to report items necessary to meet a minimum agreed standard. OBJECTIVE(S): To identify which CRiSP items were reported in SP studies for community pharmacy research, identify any gaps in reporting and describe the overall quality of reporting for the SP studies identified. METHODS: Papers published during 2018-2020 using SP methodology in community pharmacy settings were identified from MEDLINE and Embase. The 50 most recent ones were selected. Data were extracted independently and in duplicate. Each paper received a coded numerical value denoting compliance with each item of CRiSP (1 = yes, 2 = no, 3 = unclear, 4 = not applicable, 5 = partially complete). Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel and reported as frequencies and percentages of each code for the checklist items, across the 50 papers. RESULTS: No paper fulfilled all items in the CRiSP checklist. The mode(s) of delivery of SP assessments (item 17) was reported in all papers, while use of the term SP (item 1); number of SPs (4a); scenario details (9a); describing procedures12; data collection procedure (18); and ethics approval (23a) were reported in at least 80% of papers. Items not reported in over 50% of papers were: scenario development (8a), validation (8b) and flexibility (9b); materials used (10a) and copies of materials (10b); and procedures for SP identification (15). Researchers found interpretation of the checklist unclear and utilised working definitions to ensure consistency in coding. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified that pharmacy research involving SP methodology is often inadequately reported by researchers. The CRiSP checklist is a comprehensive tool to assess the quality of SP methodology reporting but may require some refinement to ensure consistency in use.