Pharmacy faculty expectations of and experiences with parental leave: A cross-sectional exploratory study.

INTRODUCTION: Parental leave policies have the potential to adversely impact faculty well-being and retention if not designed and deployed in a beneficial manner. This exploratory study aims to determine the perceptions of and experiences with parental leave for faculty at pharmacy institutions. METHODS: An exploratory, cross-sectional survey was sent to pharmacy school deans to distribute to faculty. The survey obtained demographic information and asked questions pertaining to parental leave experiences and expectations, including workload coverage and the perceived impact on performance evaluations. Comments regarding ideal parental leave were qualitatively summarized. RESULTS: Fifty-five respondents who had taken parental leave completed the survey, and 51 free text responses were received. A large effect size for the association between academic rank and planned timing of leave and a larger than medium effect size for the association with gender identity was identified. CONCLUSION: The availability, duration, and requirements of parental leave at pharmacy institutions have the potential to negatively impact faculty well-being and retention. This exploratory study provides initial insight into pharmacy faculty's experiences with and expectations of parental leave. Further research is needed to examine this issue on a broader scale and corroborate these findings.

Why get involved? A cross-sectional survey of factors that influence student pharmacist membership in professional organizations.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding factors that motivate and deter student pharmacists from joining professional pharmacy organizations may assist schools and organizations in determining ways to recruit, engage, and support the next generation of pharmacy professionals. The objective is to identify motivating and hindering factors related to student pharmacist membership in professional pharmacy organizations. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was sent to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Student Services Personnel community members for distribution to student pharmacists at their respective schools. The survey collected demographic data, determined the extent of student membership and leadership involvement within professional organizations, and assessed factors that motivate and deter student pharmacist membership in organizations. RESULTS: 467 students completed the survey. Seventy percent indicated they are currently involved in one or more pharmacy organizations. Final-year students were less likely to join organizations than other professional years (p < 0.001). Women (p = 0.001) were more likely to join and hold leadership positions, as were younger-aged students (p = 0.001) and those living on or near campus (p = 0.049). Opportunities for professional development was the highest-ranked factor motivating students to join a professional organization, and the time required for participation was the highest-ranked hindering factor. CONCLUSION: Numerous factors affect student pharmacists' decisions to join professional pharmacy organizations. This information may assist in determining ways to recruit and engage students starting early in their pharmacy education. It may be prudent to redefine student engagement within professional organizations, especially in the context of new generations of students.

A call to uncover the availability, structure, and effects of parental leave policies at academic pharmacy institutions.

Parental leave is often an initial barrier to achieving family-career integration, and thus discussing this issue within the broader academic pharmacy community may have important implications for policy development and change. This commentary aims to reveal the implications of inadequate parental leave policies on faculty while highlighting the benefits well-developed policies can have for both parents and their children. Additionally, we put forth a call to action for additional research into the availability and structure of parental leave policies at pharmacy institutions and the effects such policies have on faculty wellbeing, retention, and job satisfaction.

Intelligent play: How improv can improve clinician's emotional intelligence.

BACKGROUND: Emotional intelligence (EI) of physicians significantly impacts their personal well-being and professional success with broad implications in health care. A focused training on EI is often lacking in medical curricula. We sought to understand the impact of improvisation training on clinicians' EI. APPROACH: Four online medical improv workshops were offered to a diverse group of physicians with varied levels of practice experience including medicine-paediatric residents, paediatric educators, practising paediatricians and internal/family medicine clinicians. The improv training was thoughtfully curated and remained consistent for all four cohorts, lasting 2 h. Self-reported EI scales (pre and post) were captured using an online survey tool. The overall EI score and the scores of three EI components were compared before and after training. EVALUATION: Out of 64 participants, 41 participants (64%) completed both the pre- and post-surveys and were included in the final analysis. Participant's pre-training score (mean:123.9, range: 121.1-126.7) was compared to their post-training score (mean:128.9, range: 126.3-131.3). The t tests comparing EI scores showed that compared to pre-intervention, participants on average scored 4.9 points higher (95% CI: 3.1-6.7; p < 0.01) on the overall scale, 2.2 points higher (95% CI: 1.2-3.2; p < 0.01) on the appraisal score, 1.4 points higher (95% CI: 0.8-2.0; p < 0.01) on the regulation score and 1.2 points higher (95% CI: 0.4-2.1; p = 0.01) on the utilisation score. IMPLICATIONS: Improv training is an innovative method to fill the crucial gap in EI curricula. There was a statistically significant improvement in average score for clinicians' EI after a pilot improv training programme.

A preliminary characterization of and call for benchmarking pharmacy alumni engagement.

INTRODUCTION: Alumni are essential but often overlooked stakeholders for pharmacy programs, and engaging alumni in philanthropy, volunteerism, events, and communication may have important implications for the growth and success of pharmacy programs. This research aims to preliminarily characterize pharmacy alumni engagement across four metrics and provide a call to action for standardized tracking and reporting of alumni engagement efforts across the Academy. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was sent to alumni relations and advancement personnel at United States schools and colleges of pharmacy. The survey gathered information on the accuracy of pharmacy alumni records, alumni engagement within four categories (philanthropy, communication, events, and volunteering), alumni relations personnel, and barriers to alumni engagement efforts. RESULTS: Respondents reported using various database systems to track and measure alumni engagement, and 41% noted having accurate pharmacy alumni records. Opportunities for alumni engagement within the four categories varied across institutions. Fifty percent of respondents indicated that one full-time equivalent position is allocated to pharmacy alumni engagement efforts at their institution. Barriers to alumni engagement efforts included limited budgets, and staff, engaging alumni via in-person events, and maintaining accurate alumni records. CONCLUSIONS: The Academy may benefit from expanding the annual alumni survey and developing a consistent tracking mechanism to capture and report alumni engagement activities. Additionally, education on alumni engagement metrics and potential collaborative efforts with institutional alumni relations personnel would be of value. This is vital in developing and optimizing alumni relations efforts and engaging pharmacy alumni bases.

Economic Considerations and Cost-Saving Strategies for Sterile Compounding Education.

OBJECTIVE: To determine economic considerations associated with the facilitation of sterile compounding education for students in schools and colleges of pharmacy across the United States. METHODS: An online survey was sent to members of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Pharmaceutics Section and Laboratory Instructor's Special Interest Group. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected on general information about the institution, student cohorts, compounding courses, types of compounds prepared, equipment, budgets, personnel, and cost-saving measures. Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS. Open-ended responses were used by respondents if the primary question could not adequately capture their institution-specific information. These answers were added to the study findings. RESULTS: Of 555 surveys sent, 40 were completed. Reported annual sterile compounding budgets ranged from $500 to $95,500. Twenty-two percent of respondents reported collecting a lab fee from students to offset associated costs. Seventy percent of respondents specified cost-saving measures, including the use of expired drugs, reusing supplies or personal protective equipment, price comparisons, simulated drugs, and donations. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study may assist pharmacy administrators and faculty in evaluating the costs associated with sterile compounding education and determining ways to reduce costs while maintaining the intent and quality of these courses.

Economic Considerations and Cost-Saving Strategies for Nonsterile Compounding Education.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the economic considerations, including cost-saving strategies, associated with nonsterile compounding education for students in schools and colleges of pharmacy across the United States. METHODS: An electronic survey was sent to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Pharmaceutics Section and Laboratory Instructor's Special Interest Group members. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected about the institution, student cohorts, compounding courses, equipment, budgets, personnel, and cost-saving measures. Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS. Open-ended responses were used by respondents if the primary question could not adequately capture their institution-specific information. These answers were added to the study findings. RESULTS: Of 555 surveys sent, 46 were completed. Reported annual compounding budgets ranged from $3000 to $96,000. Reported annual equipment maintenance costs ranged from $400 to $18,000. Fifty percent of respondents reported students shared equipment, and 29.6% collected a lab fee from students to offset costs. Approximately half of respondents reported the use of cost-saving measures, including contract pricing, purchasing supplies in bulk, price comparisons, use of simulated drugs, re-use of personal protective equipment, and procurement of donations. Fifty percent of respondents employed laboratory assistants to support nonsterile compounding sessions, with paid positions ranging from $200 to $1000 per semester. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study may assist pharmacy administrators and course directors in evaluating the costs associated with nonsterile compounding education across the Academy and, more importantly, determining ways to reduce such costs while maintaining the intent and quality of these courses.

Opportunities for Pipeline Programming and Co-curriculum Learning Experiences--A Perspective Commentary.

Given the variability in compounding education provided by Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs, incorporation of compounding-focused learning experiences within pipeline programs and co-curricular education may provide students with important exposure, networking opportunities, and skill development. Compounding education can be incorporated into areas outside of the core curriculum, including pipeline programming for pre-pharmacy students and the co-curriculum for current pharmacy students. This article, which is a perspective commentary, will discuss suggestions for designing and implementing these types of learning opportunities, including considerations for faculty and budgets and related benefits for learners. These ideas will be discussed in the context of examples provided by a college of pharmacy who has implemented these learning experiences. To ensure well-trained pharmacists continue to pursue compounding careers, it is vital that pharmacy programs provide ample opportunities for student exposure and training in this area. Pharmacy programs are encouraged to incorporate compounding- focused learning experiences within pipeline programming and the co-curriculum. Future research is needed to investigate the impact of such experiences on students' compounding knowledge and skills and their pursuit of compounding careers.

A scoping review of veterinary pharmacy education within US schools and colleges of pharmacy.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists trained in veterinary pharmacy play important roles in community, hospital, academic, and industry settings. To date, there is limited available veterinary pharmacy education within Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula. The objectives of this scoping review are to 1) assess available literature on veterinary pharmacy education with United States (US) schools and colleges of pharmacy and 2) identify gaps in which additional research in this area would benefit pharmacy educators and students. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across four databases. Authors screened studies against relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria using a two-stage screening process. RESULTS: Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Nine studies described veterinary pharmacy elective courses, three articles described related educational activities, and four articles focused on experiential education. Within the elective courses, the primary method of content delivery was via didactic lecture, but various active learning strategies were also employed, including live animal encounters and trips to compounding pharmacies and humane societies. Various assessment methods were used, and studies undertook Kirkpatrick level 1 and 2 evaluations. IMPLICATIONS: Little literature describes or evaluates veterinary pharmacy education within US schools and colleges of pharmacy. Future research may investigate additional ways in which institutions teach and assess this content, especially pertaining to interprofessional and experiential education. Research determining which skills pertaining to veterinary pharmacy should be assessed and how those assessments should occur would also be beneficial.

Positive Newborn Screening for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency: What Should the Pediatrician Do?

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a group of diseases characterized by low T-cell count and impaired T-cell function, resulting in severe cellular and humoral immune defects. If not diagnosed and treated promptly, infants affected by this condition can develop severe infections which will result in death. Delayed treatment can markedly reduce the survival outcome of infants with SCID. T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) levels are measured on newborn screening to promptly identify infants with SCID. It is important for primary care providers and pediatricians to understand the approach to managing infants with positive TREC-based newborn screening as they may be the first contact for infants with SCID. Primary care providers should be familiar with providing anticipatory guidance to the family in regard to protective isolation, measures to minimize the risk of infection, and the coordination of care with the SCID coordinating center team of specialists. In this article, we use case-based scenarios to review the principles of TREC-based newborn screening, the genetics and subtypes of SCID, and management for an infant with a positive TREC-based newborn screen.

Generational situatedness: Challenging generational stereotypes in health professions education.

PURPOSE: Use of generation theory is pervasive within health professions education (HPE) literature, yet its application perpetuates unfounded generalizations that disadvantage learners. The objectives of this thematic analysis are first, to understand how generation theory is applied to 'Generation Z' HPE students and second, to propose a more productive framework for approaching evolutions within HPE. METHODS: A literature search was conducted to identify HPE publications pertaining to Gen Z learners. A thematic analysis was undertaken to identify a priori themes and uncover new themes. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis revealed evidence of three a priori themes as well as four newly identified themes across our sample. CONCLUSION: The near ubiquity of essentialism and generational othering across our sample illustrates the ongoing challenges posed by generationalism in HPE discourse. While traces of generational humility and generational situatedness suggest a more holistic response to evolving student populations, we nevertheless discourage the continued use of generation theory to guide HPE pedagogy and instead urge educators to resist essentializing generalizations by thinking comprehensively about what evolutions in HPE must occur if we are to best prepare our students to practice in present and future healthcare settings.[Box: see text].

Empowering Students Who Are Breastfeeding a Child While Enrolled in Pharmacy School.

Pharmacy students wishing to maintain their breastfeeding relationship with their child while also excelling within a Doctor of Pharmacy program require important resources and a culture of support. This Commentary examines the challenges that pharmacy students who are breastfeeding face, highlights the importance of pharmacy schools and colleges providing breastfeeding and lactation support, and identifies best practices for implementing support measures for these students. We aim to guide institutions in not only supporting breastfeeding students but empowering them to excel personally, professionally, and academically.

Reimagining drug manufacturing paradigm in today's pharmacy landscape.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has escalated the ongoing problem of critical medication shortages, which has serious implications for the health of our patients. Currently, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are synthesized in large-scale batch operations and shipped to drug product manufacturers, where they are produced on a large scale at centralized facilities. In the centralized drug manufacturing process, the formulation components, operations, and packaging are structured to favor long-term storage and shipment of resultant medicines to the point of care, making this process vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. We propose a rethinking of the drug manufacturing paradigm with an upgraded pharmaceutical compounding-based manufacturing paradigm. This paradigm will be based on integration of continuous manufacturing of APIs and manufacturing of medicines at the point of care with application of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and 3-dimensional printing. This paradigm will support implementation of precision medicine and customization according to patients' needs. The new model of drug manufacturing will be less dependent on the supply chain while ensuring availability of medicines in a cost-effective manner.

Purr-fecting skills: Design of a piloted veterinary pharmacy elective course with a compounding focus.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pharmacists positively impact the care of animal patients through provision of compounded medications. While veterinary pharmacy elective courses are available within some doctor of pharmacy programs, none to date have emphasized veterinary compounding. This article describes the design and implementation of a veterinary pharmacy elective course with a focus on veterinary compounding. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: This elective course took place over one weekend. Didactic lectures related to various aspects of veterinary pharmacy were presented. Students participated in three compounding laboratory sessions and learned about various aspects of veterinary compounding, including legal considerations. Evaluations were completed by students following the conclusion of the course. FINDINGS: Eight students successfully completed this pilot course. Students highly evaluated the course and derived benefit from the compounding lab component. SUMMARY: Positioning compounding content into a veterinary pharmacy elective course may benefit institutions looking to enrich their compounding curricula while simultaneously providing important veterinary pharmacy education to their students.

Newborn tandem mass spectroscopy screening for adenosine deaminase deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Newborn screening (NBS) by means of T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) is now universal in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Navajo Nation as a strategy to identify severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in newborns. Owing to the characteristics of adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency, a small but important number of cases can be missed by this screening. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of the first year statewide NBS for ADA by means of dried blood spot NBS. METHODS: On October 7, 2019, the state of Michigan began screening newborn dried blood spots for ADA deficiency by means of the Neobase-2 tandem mass spectroscopy (TMS) kit. We report 1 known case of ADA deficiency in the 18 months before screening. We then reviewed the results of the first 2 years of TMS ADA screening in Michigan. RESULTS: There was 1 patient with ADA deficiency known to our centers in the 18 months before initiation of TMS ADA screening; this patient died of complications of their disease. In the first 2 years of TMS ADA NBS, 206,321 infants were screened, and 2 patients had positive ADA screen results. Both patients had ADA deficiency confirmed through biochemical and genetic testing. One patient identified also had a positive TREC screen and was confirmed to have ADA-SCID. CONCLUSION: In our first 2 years, TMS NBS for ADA deficiency identified 2 patients with ADA deficiency at negligible cost, including 1 patient who would not have been identified by TREC NBS. This report provides initial evidence of the value of specific NBS for ADA deficiency.

Finding the Right Balance: A Nationwide Study of Student Pharmacist Exposure to and Perceptions of Nonsterile Compounding.

Nonsterile compounding is essential to meeting the individualized drug therapy needs of patients. While compounding education is a required component of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curricula, student training varies notably in scope, duration, and assessment across programs. Variations in training, coupled with a potential lack of emphasis on the importance of nonsterile compounding, may impact pharmacy students' interest in nonsterile compounding, their perceptions of its importance in pharmacy practice, and their pursuit of compounding careers. The objective of this study was to assess pharmacy student exposure to nonsterile compounding and determine its impact on their perceptions of nonsterile compounding and its applicability to their future careers. Faculty members at colleges and schools of pharmacy within the U.S. were asked to distribute cross-sectional surveys to pharmacy students in the Class of 2022. Surveys collected demographic information and addressed the following: nonsterile compounding experience; exposure to nonsterile compounding within PharmD curricula; and perceptions and expectations of nonsterile compounding. Tests of associations between nominally measured and ordinally measured survey questions were performed via Pearson chi-square tests. Associations between two ordinally measured questions were performed via Kendall's tau tests. In total, 252 students completed the survey. Numerous factors were associated with student perceptions and expectations of nonsterile compounding, including paid work experience in a compounding pharmacy, the number of semesters inclusive of nonsterile compounding education, and the perceived quality of didactic and experiential training in nonsterile compounding. It is imperative that pharmacy students receive nonsterile compounding education that not only ensures appropriate skill development but instills confidence and emphasizes the vital role of compounding pharmacists in patient care. Additional research is needed to determine how best to optimize compounding education to ensure students have sufficient exposure and opportunity for skill development and assessment.

A Call to Action for Lactation Support at Colleges of Pharmacy.

Faculty well-being has been promoted and emphasized in recent years, and the Academy has been implored to develop and implement strategies to minimize stress and burnout among its members. Among those at highest risk of succumbing to burnout are female faculty, particularly those with young children. Numerous work-life issues predispose this cohort to stressors. One specific change that could address the needs of this group is providing lactation support in the workplace. Responding to the broader directive to promote faculty well-being, the aim of this commentary is to stimulate conversation regarding providing lactation support at colleges of pharmacy. Establishing such services has the potential to improve the personal and professional well-being of female faculty who are breastfeeding while also creating a more inclusive and supportive workplace. This article discusses the benefits of breastfeeding; highlights the personal, professional, and institutional ramifications of breastfeeding discrimination; and summarizes best practices related to implementing lactation support services.

Student perceptions of an academic introductory pharmacy practice experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Many pharmacists have found a career in academia to be meaningful and fulfilling, and pharmacy schools have traditionally utilized academic advanced pharmacy practice experiences to prepare their students to enter into this field. This article describes the design, implementation, and perceptions of an academic introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE). EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Eighteen second professional year students and six third professional year students completed the IPPE between 2017 and 2019. Throughout these experiences, students engaged in teaching activities, developed presentation skills, and were educated on various aspects of life in academia. IPPE students completed evaluations of the preceptor and rotation using a standardized evaluation form. FINDINGS: Collective student feedback indicated that IPPE students found the rotation to be a positive and meaningful experience, with highlights including opportunities to expand their understanding of careers in academia and to challenge themselves to develop and refine their teaching skills. SUMMARY: The successful implementation of this academic IPPE may provide an impetus for other pharmacy schools to develop similar rotations. Challenges associated with precepting such a rotation should be noted, and a quantitative assessment of the rotation can be considered for future offerings. This initiative demonstrated that an academic IPPE can provide students early in their pharmacy education meaningful insight into the teaching and learning process and assist with associated skill development.

Craving Empathy: Studying the Sustained Impact of Empathy Training on Clinicians.

Evidence is sparse when it comes to the longitudinal impact of educational interventions on empathy among clinicians. Additionally, most available research on empathy is on medical trainee cohorts. We set out to study the impact of empathy and communication training on practicing clinicians' self-reported empathy and whether it can be sustained over six months. An immersive curriculum was designed to teach empathy and communication skills, which entailed experiential learning with simulated encounters and didactics on the foundational elements of communication. Self-reported Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) was scored before and at two points (1-4 weeks and 6 months) after the training. Overall, clinicians' mean self-empathy scores increased following the workshop and were sustained at six months. Specifically, the perspective taking domain of the empathy scale, which relates to cognitive empathy, showed the most responsiveness to educational interventions. Our analysis shows that a structured and immersive training curriculum centered on building communication and empathy skills has the potential to positively impact clinician empathy and sustain self-reported empathy scores among practicing clinicians.

The role of the community pharmacist in veterinary patient care: a cross-sectional study of pharmacist and veterinarian viewpoints.

BACKGROUND: The role of the community pharmacist is rapidly expanding to encompass the care of veterinary patients in the United States of America This change makes it imperative for pharmacists and veterinarians who practice in community settings to establish mutual agreement on the roles of pharmacists in the care of these patients. OBJECTIVE: To examine community-based pharmacist and veterinarian viewpoints on interprofessional collaboration and the role of the community pharmacist in veterinary patient care. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys were sent to pharmacists and veterinarians who practice in a community setting in Ohio. Surveys collected demographic information and addressed the following themes: attitudes toward collaboration, perceived roles of the pharmacist, expectations of the pharmacist, and previous collaborative experiences. A chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In total, 357 pharmacists and 232 veterinarians participated in the study. Both professions agreed that pharmacist-veterinarian collaboration is important in order to optimize veterinary patient care (chi-square (1, N=589)=7.7, p=0.006). Overall, veterinarians were more likely to identify an important role of the community pharmacist to be compounding medications (chi-square (1, N=589)=26.7, p<0.001) compared to counseling pet owners (chi-square (1, N=589)=171.7, p<0.001). Both groups reported similar levels of agreement regarding the importance for pharmacists to have adequate knowledge of veterinary medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that while both pharmacists and veterinarians conveyed a positive attitude regarding interprofessional collaboration, they disagreed on what role the pharmacist should play in the care of veterinary patients. Rectifying the discordant perceptions of these health care professionals may be critical to developing collaborative initiatives and optimizing veterinary patient care.