The relationship between pharmacy students' beliefs about medications and their academic achievement in a pharmacy practice counseling course.

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacists' beliefs about medications have been identified as a potential factor in how patients are counseled. However, no studies have assessed this relationship. METHODS: Third year pharmacy students were surveyed using previously validated questionnaires about medication beliefs, including the BMQ-General (General-Overuse and General-Harm subscales), Benefit, and Perceived Sensitivity to Medications (Sensitive Soma) scales; each is rated on a five-point Likert scale (higher scores represent stronger feelings). Belief profiles were created using two-step cluster analysis. Students also reported demographics and prior work in a pharmacy. Grades from simulated counseling sessions were collected via school records. Student t-test and multivariate linear regression were used to compare beliefs with grades. RESULTS: Among the 66 responders (84.5% response rate), 54.5% were female, 80.3% white, and 77.3% non-Hispanic; 84.8% reported prior work in a pharmacy. Overall mean (SD) belief scores were General-Overuse 3.12 (0.76), General-Harm 1.83 (0.53), Benefit 3.99 (0.55), and Sensitive Soma 2.37 (0.82). Cluster analyses revealed two beliefs profiles: negative profile (more feelings of overuse, harm, and sensitivity to medications) and positive profile (less feelings of overuse, harm, and sensitivity to medications). Students with positive belief profiles were graded higher by faculty compared to students with negative belief profiles (90.0 vs. 87.2, p = 0.014). Findings remained in a multivariate regression controlling for gender and prior work in a pharmacy. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study demonstrate the need for greater understanding about the relationship between pharmacists' beliefs about medications and patient counseling.

Elevated blood pressure in the developing world: a role for clinical pharmacists.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and patient knowledge of elevated blood pressure amongst a cross-section of patients in underserved communities in three selected low-income countries worldwide: El Salvador, India and Kenya. METHODS: Mobile medical clinics were established as part of medical mission trips in El Salvador, India and Kenya. Willing male and female patients, at least 25 years of age, who presented at each clinic were screened for elevated blood pressure, including 332 patients in El Salvador, 847 patients in India and 160 patients in Kenya. Patients were classified into Stage I or II elevated blood pressure based on modified JNCVII guidelines. A questionnaire was completed regarding their knowledge about the existence and management of their disease state. KEY FINDINGS: Of the 1339 patients screened, 368 presented with elevated blood pressure (27%). Of these patients, 147 had been previously informed of hypertension or an elevated blood pressure (39.9%), 28 reported receiving antihypertensive medication (7.6%) and 24 reported awareness of non-pharmaceutical treatment options (6.5%). In Kenya, 81 patients were screened in a rural setting and 79 in an urban setting. Patients demonstrating controlled blood pressure were 63 (78%) and 38 (48%), respectively, demonstrating a significant difference between the rural versus urban settings (P = 0.00359). CONCLUSIONS: All regions demonstrated similar trends in the prevalence of elevated blood pressure, highlighting the need for increased disease state education in these regions.