Arkansas community's attitudes toward the regulation of medical cannabis and the pharmacist's involvement in Arkansas medical cannabis.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored the attitudes of the Arkansas community toward medical cannabis (MC) regulation and the role of pharmacists in dispensing MC before the product became available and examined whether participants' demographics (e.g., age, gender) and characteristics (e.g., history of cannabis use) were associated with these attitudes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Using social media, a university research registry, and posted flyers, we invited residents of Arkansas to participate in the self-administered online survey study during a 3-month period, February to April, in 2018. OUTCOME MEASURES: Five questions that inquired about participants' attitudes toward MC regulation and pharmacists' roles regarding MC use. RESULTS: Participants (n = 1343) who completed at least 1 of the 5 questions were included. The majority were aged 40-64 years (52.2%), female (69.1%), and white (88.7%). Most participants reported a history of cannabis use (81.8%) and possession or intention to apply for an MC card (52.9%). Among the conditions approved for MC use, pain (20.3%), arthritis (15.4%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (14.5%) were reported frequently. Likewise, prescription use for mood disorders (46.1%) and pain (37.4%) were also reported. In multivariable regression analyses, participants' history of cannabis use was associated with a preference for lesser oversight of MC, disagreement with MC being available through a pharmacy only, and disagreement on whether MC should be regulated before it is legalized for recreational use (all P < 0.001). It was also associated with a decrease in agreement that pharmacists are well-trained to improve patient safety (P < 0.001) and counsel patients regarding appropriate MC use (P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Participants who had previously used cannabis were in favor of fewer restrictions and negatively perceived pharmacists' involvement in ensuring appropriate dispensing and MC use. The findings may highlight the need for Arkansas pharmacists to explore alternative ways to promote the safe and proper MC use.

An evaluation of an interprofessional practice-based learning environment using student reflections.

The 12th Street Health and Wellness Center is an interprofessional, student-led, community-based clinic. Students from all University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences colleges work together to provide healthcare services for residents of an underserved community. Interprofessional student teams assess patients and present to an interprofessional preceptor team. At the conclusion of clinic, teams reflect on their experience. The objective of this study is to generate key themes from the end of clinic reflections to describe learning outcomes in an interprofessional practice environment. Student teams were asked to reflect on what they learned about patient care and interprofessional practice while volunteering at the clinic. Three hundred eighty reflection statements were assessed using the constant comparative approach with open coding by three researchers who identified and categorised themes by selecting key phrases from reflections. Eight themes emerged from this process which illuminated students' self-perceived development during practice-based learning and interprofessional collaboration. Key phrases were also coded to the four core Interprofessional Education Collaborative competency domains. These results suggest learners' perception that the Center is a practice-based environment that provides an opportunity to learn, integrate, and apply interprofessional curricular content.

The role of social work in free healthcare clinics and student-run clinics.

BACKGROUND: The role of social work in free healthcare clinics and student-run clinics remains an understudied topic. METHOD: We conducted a literature review of the published studies through four online databases: Google Scholar, Social Work Abstracts, Academic Search Complete, and PsycInfo. RESULTS: The literature review revealed 449 possibly relevant studies, but only nine met the criteria for the final review. Based on these findings, social work is not fully utilized in free healthcare clinics and student-run clinics. CONCLUSION: Our literature review provides evidence for the need for social work in free healthcare clinics and student-run clinics.