Video accounts of first year pharmacy students' identification with the oath of a pharmacist.

INTRODUCTION: The Oath of a Pharmacist (OAP) includes principles that help to direct the practice of pharmacy. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate which OAP components appealed the most to pharmacy students through self-generated video recordings. The secondary objective was to explore students' perceptions of this activity by retrieving their feedback about future video development considerations. METHODS: First-year pharmacy students were invited by email to individually create a 1-min video that discussed an OAP tenet that resonated the most with them and why. The students were also asked: 1) If enhanced, would you use your video for self-promotion purposes? 2) Do you think this activity should be required or optional for future students? 3) What overall comments do you have about this activity? The study authors solely reviewed all submissions. RESULTS: Twenty-nine students developed videos and submitted responses to the associated queries. All students stated they would utilize their videos for self-promotion purposes, if enhanced. Although most students supported the future use of this activity, they were roughly split about whether it should be required or optional. A Communications course was one of the curriculum locales suggested to house this activity. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacy students video-recorded themselves articulating which OAP segment meant the most to them and why. Most students recommended embedding future iterations into the curriculum. This activity leveraged OAP aspects to learn more about students' personal and professional motivations.

Evidence2Practice (E2P): Leveraging Implementation Science to Promote Careers in HIV Research Among Students From Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

BACKGROUND: The HIV research workforce is not representative of populations most affected by the epidemic. Innovative educational programs are needed to motivate diverse student populations to pursue careers in HIV research. METHODS: The Duke University Center for AIDS Research Evidence2Practice (E2P) program is a 3-day interactive workshop that introduces students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, implementation science, and human-centered design. Participants develop 1-page action plans to increase awareness and uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis on their campus. The program was evaluated using a partially mixed-method concurrent equal status study design with pre-program and post-program surveys and in-depth interviews. RESULTS: Among the 52 participating students, 44 completed the preworkshop survey, 45 completed the postworkshop survey, and 10 participated in an in-depth interview. Most participants identified as Black or African American and cisgender female. Participating in the E2P program was associated with: (1) an increase in median interest in pursuing a career in HIV research (P < 0.01) and (2) a decrease in median perceived difficulty in starting a career in HIV research (P < 0.01). Several students described that a lack of knowledge about initiating an HIV research career, a perceived lack of qualifications and knowledge about HIV science, and limited experience were major barriers to considering careers in HIV research. CONCLUSIONS: The E2P program enhanced HBCU students' interest in careers related to HIV research and improved their self-efficacy to pursue such careers. On-campus educational enrichment initiatives, led by active HIV researchers and clinicians, should be a critical part of diversifying the HIV workforce.

Fake drugs, real concerns: Counterfeit HIV medications and community trust.

Counterfeit medications infiltrate drug supply chains at various entry points. While scientific advancements continue to deter counterfeit medications, these imitation therapies still manage to circumvent national and international regulations to reach unsuspecting consumers. Certain manufacturers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and treatment medications within the United States recently encountered counterfeit versions of their therapies that in some instances contained antipsychotic and pain reliever products. People on HIV treatment or those taking HIV prevention therapies who consume counterfeit medications are at risk of having their HIV management strategies compromised or seroconverting from an HIV negative to an HIV positive status, respectively. The implicated manufacturers reportedly took legal actions against the discovered counterfeiters, alerted impacted pharmacies, and assisted them with removal of illegitimate drugs. However, communities' gradual awareness or lack thereof in regards to counterfeit HIV prevention and treatment medications is likely to result in speculation about how many consumers took real versus fake medications, contributing to consumer distrust. This commentary provides details of a stakeholder meeting that took place with one of the leading manufacturers of HIV treatment and prevention medications to query its responses to counterfeit medications identified among its available product supplies in pharmacies. This manuscript also recommends to manufacturers ways to augment their communication strategies to communities if similar medicinal breaches occurred in the future.

How Pharmacy Students Feel about an HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Advertising Campaign.

Description: This activity prompted pharmacy students to analyze a Los Angeles Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LA LGBT) Center-generated "F**k w/out fear" HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) billboard campaign. Students shared their thoughts after viewing the billboard (initial reactions); if the billboard was offensive (Yes/No); if the billboard effectively raises awareness about sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention (Yes/No); and if they believed pharmacy school is an appropriate place to discuss this topic (Yes/No). Students also provided open-ended responses directed to the campaign's developer(s). Students received points toward their grades for participation. Key Findings: Sixty-one of 62 pharmacy students responded to the HIV PrEP billboard-related questions (98%). Approximately one-fourth of the students identified as male (27%), with less than half not earning a Bachelor's degree (44%) nor having pharmacy experience (41%) prior to pharmacy school. Students' mean and median ages were 28 and 25 years old, respectively. "Age" as an independent variable statistically significantly predicted whether students felt the billboard effectively raises awareness of STI prevention; the older the students, the greater the belief in its effectiveness. No variables statistically significantly predicted if students took offense to the billboard's message. Conclusions: Pharmacy students held varying views toward the "F**k w/out fear" HIV PrEP billboard campaign and disparate beliefs in its ability to help curb STIs. Students gave feedback that explained their stances and unanimously agreed that this topic is appropriate for pharmacy school. Pharmacy programs can implement similar methods to gauge their students' analyses of unorthodox approaches to public health dilemmas.

COVID-19 perceptions and vaccine hesitancy: Acceptance, attitude, and barriers among Cameroonians.

BACKGROUND: Information about Cameroonians' views toward coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and amenability to receiving a vaccine is emerging. Learning more about Cameroonians' vaccine perspectives could guide prevention messaging and facilitate optimal communication modalities. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to analyze the willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine among Cameroonians, pending availability. The secondary objectives were to assess perceptions of COVID-19's origin and to gauge views toward government-mandated vaccinations. METHODS: An 11-item questionnaire queried Cameroonians in-person and online, from March through May 2021, about their demographics and whether they believed that COVID-19 was man-made, whether COVID-19 vaccinations should be governmentally mandated, and whether they would receive a COVID-19 vaccine, if available. A free-text option inviting rationales for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was included. In-person participation took place on the grounds of St. Louis University in Douala, Cameroon, and was restricted to participants lacking Internet access or electronic mobile devices. Online participation included use of an electronic link that contained questionnaire content located within Google Forms. RESULTS: A total of 591 respondents participated by replying to at least 8 items on the questionnaire, 386 online and 205 in-person. Over 80% stated that they previously received a seasonal influenza vaccine. Roughly, 87% reported unwillingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, if available. Approximately 95% of respondents disagreed with governmental mandates on COVID-19 vaccinations. About 75% attributed COVID-19 to man-made as opposed to natural beginnings. Seven respondents' free-text comments cited lacking confidence in a COVID-19 vaccine, discriminatory COVID-19 vaccine distribution patterns in other parts of the world relative to Africa, and improper COVID-19 vaccine approval timeline. CONCLUSION: Raising awareness of COVID-19 misconceptions and barriers to vaccine acceptance is integral to accomplishing immunization goals. Cameroonians' pessimism in this study toward COVID-19 vaccination was multifaceted. Our findings signal a need for additional research that requests more qualitative insights, for example, interviews, focus groups, into vaccine aversion.

Awareness of and willingness to use HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among community residents.

INTRODUCTION: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) helps to decrease HIV acquisition and transmission rates. The purpose of this study was to assess awareness of HIV PrEP and willingness to use it, if available, among individuals residing in Buea, Cameroon. METHODS: Residents in different communities throughout Buea, Cameroon participated in the study through survey completion with their responses assessed by age, marital status, highest level of education completed, profession, and health area (urban or rural). RESULTS: 421 participants completed the survey with the majority being 20-29 years of age, single, having secondary or tertiary education, residing in rural Cameroonian areas. Eighty percent of respondents had not previously heard of HIV PrEP. Ninety-five percent of the study sample expressed willingness to use HIV PrEP, if available. Participants ages 40 years old and above were less aware of HIV PrEP than those 39 years old and younger. Primary education, serving in the role of a nurse, doctor, or scientist, along with hospital affiliations were characteristics closely associated with HIV PrEP awareness. Participants younger than 20 years old were less likely to report willingness to use HIV PrEP whereas married participants found HIV PrEP to be a more favorable option. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of HIV PrEP was minimal with healthcare personnel having more familiarity. Willingness to use HIV PrEP decreased by age but higher among married participants. Further promotion of HIV PrEP and facilitating its accessibility can lead to less transmissions of HIV worldwide.

Assessment of Pharmacy Student Perceptions Toward Common Stigmas Associated with Persons Living with HIV.

Objective. To analyze pharmacy students' views of societal stigmas often facing persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Methods. A 20-item survey conducted across a dual-campus school of pharmacy examined students' approval of societal aspects of the lives of persons living with HIV. Pharmacy students anonymously exchanged completed survey instruments to learn about peers' viewpoints. Survey instruments were analyzed and ranked by most commonly occurring responses and gender designations. Chi square tests were used for statistical analyses, with p<.05 considered significant. Results. Over three years, 260 female students and 104 male students (364 total) completed the survey. Approximately one fifth of the study sample stated that they did not have a problem placing their children (if applicable) in a daycare center with children who were living with HIV. Greater than one third of the students in the study sample were not opposed to placing their elderly parents (if applicable) in a facility that included residents living with HIV. Fewer female than male students had reservations about couples living with HIV being allowed to have children. Male students were less averse than female students to having their name and picture associated with HIV prevention on the internet. Conclusion. This study revealed that some pharmacy students held stigmatizing beliefs regarding persons living with HIV. The discriminatory views of participants in this study sample may directly or indirectly affect health outcomes of persons living with HIV. To better address health care challenges within this community, Doctor of Pharmacy programs should provide sustainable opportunities for students to explore their own HIV biases and additional education about the difficulties that persons living with HIV encounter.

An Analysis of Perceived and Actual Anticoagulant Knowledge among Independent Pharmacy Patients.

BACKGROUND: Deficits in knowledge of parameters surrounding anticoagulant therapy administration carry substantial risks for patient harm. Patients prescribed anticoagulants may overestimate their knowledge of anticoagulant use principles. The purpose of this study was to analyze independent pharmacy patients' perceived versus actual knowledge of their anticoagulation therapies. METHODS: A 15-item survey across a dual-site pharmacy location evaluated patients' confidence in their understanding of anticoagulant prescribing parameters and their awareness of measures to take to safeguard anticoagulant therapy routines. A pharmacist reviewed patient responses to survey items referencing actual understanding of anticoagulant therapies at the conclusion of the survey. Data analyses occurred by gender, age, ethnicity, location, living situation, self-management of anticoagulants, patient perception of anticoagulant safety, and reported receipt of anticoagulant education. Linear regressions were used for statistical analyses, with significance set at p<.05. RESULTS: During the span of three months, 45 patients, 20 females and 25 males, completed the survey. Perceived anticoagulant knowledge did not differ significantly by demographics. Actual anticoagulant knowledge declined by over 20% between age groups 60-69 and 80-89 years old. African Americans displayed 10% lower actual anticoagulant knowledge than Caucasian Americans. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed gaps in knowledge of anticoagulants among patients at an independent pharmacy. An appeal remains for more strategies to assist with knowledge of anticoagulant regimens. Healthcare institutions should continue to incorporate programs geared towards ongoing anticoagulant education, such as question and answer sessions, along with peer support mediums that foster optimal outcomes.

Relationships Between Myers-Briggs Type Indicators and NAPLEX Performances.

Objective. To examine the relationships between pharmacy students' Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTIs) and their first-attempt NAPLEX scores within an accelerated, dual campus curriculum. Methods. Data from the MBTIs and NAPLEX findings were retrieved from a single cohort of the Columbia, SC and Savannah, GA campuses of South University School of Pharmacy. A multiple linear regression technique was performed to assess the degree of variability in first-attempt NAPLEX scores that could be accounted for by MBTIs, campus of enrollment, and gender. Results. Of the 134 student data samples collected, 119 (86%) were included for study analysis. Campus of enrollment and MBTIs were predictive of first-attempt NAPLEX scores. Introversion personality types scored 9.5 points higher on the NAPLEX than extroversion types; feeling personality types scored 6.0 points higher than thinking types; students enrolled at the Savannah, GA campus scored 5.7 points higher than their Columbia, SC campus counterparts. Conclusion. Certain personality types were shown to have predictive value with regard to first-attempt NAPLEX score achievements. These results offer plausible insights into pharmacy student tendencies that can affect success on high-stakes standardized examinations. Additional research into sociological aspects of pharmacy students' composition may assist with optimizing performances on licensure examinations as prerequisites to proficient careers within the pharmacy profession.

Malaria Perceptions among Medicine Vendors in Buea Community: An Assessment of Knowledge of Malaria and Conditions of Antimalarial Drug Dispensing.

BACKGROUND: Lack of knowledge of rational use of antimalarial drugs among medicine vendors is a serious problem, notably in areas of intense transmission. These misunderstandings increase the risks of resistance and adverse drug reactions. This study aimed to assess knowledge of malaria and environments wherein medicine vendors dispense antimalarials in the Buea community. METHODS: Administration of a community-based cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 140 medicine vendors living within the Buea community occurred between March and June 2017. The survey sought to obtain information from medicine vendors on their general knowledge of malaria as well as their dispensing practices. Statistically significant findings were associated with p ≤ .05. RESULTS: The majority of participants were aware that use of insecticide - treated bed nets (ITNs) and maintenance of a clean environment equate to effective malaria prevention efforts. Alternatively, only one-third of participants correctly attributed the causative organism of malaria to being protozoan. Participants employed within drugstore settings had less knowledge of malaria than their hospital/community counterparts did. A directly proportional relationship existed between the amount of experience that participants had in their respective disciplines with an increased knowledge of malaria overall. CONCLUSION: These findings reveal fluctuating knowledge of malaria among study participants. Reported antimalarial dispensing practices also warrants room for improvement. Routine monitoring and evaluation to prevent emergence of resistant strains to current efficacious antimalarials remains paramount.

How Similar are Pharmacy Students and White Blood Cells? Curricular Content Reinforced Through Personification.

DESCRIPTION: This initiative sought to evaluate the use of personification to reinforce immunology concepts among pharmacy students. A two-part question posed to first year pharmacy students asked if they could physically become two white blood cells (WBCs), which would they choose and why. Students received instruction in immunology prior to providing their feedback. Demographics included campus of enrollment and gender designation. Student ratings 1 to 5 reflected approval levels toward this activity's usefulness (1: least; 5 most). KEY FINDINGS: One hundred and ten of 117 students selected two WBCs they would physically become if possible (94%). Less than two-thirds of students were female (63%) and the Columbia campus featured approximately a quarter of the students (24%). The most and least common WBCs chosen, as first selections by campus and gender, were statistically significant being neutrophils and basophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils, respectively. The median approval values of the WBC personification activity by campus and gender were similar and did not reach statistical significance, 4.5 and 5, respectively. CONCLUSION: Pharmacy students commended the personification activity for helping them learn the roles and responsibilities of WBCs. Unique and insightful rationales for the choices made for WBCs persisted among the students. In light of these favorable reviews, this type of activity can be adapted to other areas of pharmacy education.

Potentially Inappropriate Medication Prescribing in U.S. Older Adults with Selected Chronic Conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Developing one or more chronic diseases increases with age. Appropriate treatment for chronic conditions often requires multiple medications. The purpose of this study was to examine potentially inappropriate prescriptions in patients 65 years of age or older, seen in a primary care office, with at least one of three chronic conditions (diabetes, arthritis, depression), who were prescribed at least two medications, one of which was inappropriate for the patient's condition. DESIGN: 2012 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data were examined using multivariate techniques. SETTING: U.S. primary care office visits. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Drug appropriateness was ascertained from practice guidelines. Potentially inappropriate medications were ascertained from the 2012 Beers criteria. The 2012 Beers criteria were used since the data analyzed were from 2012. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis yielded that older adults with diabetes had greater odds of having a potentially inappropriate prescription if they saw a provider in a rural setting, were non-white, had health insurance, and had two or more office visits in the last 12 months. CONCLUSION: There is a need to address prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications to older, non-white patients who have diabetes. Living in rural areas is also an important factor in prescribing patterns for older adults with diabetes. Our findings suggest that interventions are warranted to address this health problem. One solution is the establishment of interprofessional and multidisciplinary teams of health care providers constituted of prescribers and nonprescribers to comprehensively evaluate prescribing practices.

Adherence to treatment guidelines: the association between stroke risk stratified comparing CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc score levels and warfarin prescription for adult patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is a risk associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) and is estimated to occur five times more often in afflicted patients than in those without AF. Anti-thrombotic therapy is recommended for the prevention of ischemic stroke. Risk stratification tools, such as the CHADS2, and more recently the CHA2DS2-VASc, for predicting stroke in patients with AF have been developed to determine the level of stroke risk and assist clinicians in the selection of antithrombotic therapy. Warfarin, for stroke prevention in AF, is the most commonly prescribed anticoagulant in North America. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of using the CHADS2 score levels (low and high) in contrast to the CHA2DS2-VASc when examining the outcome of warfarin prescriptions for adult patients with AF. The CHA2DS2-VASc tool was not widely used in 2010, when the data analyzed were collected. It has only been since 2014 that CHA2DS2-VASc criteria has been recommended to guide anticoagulant treatment in updated AF treatment guidelines. METHODS: Bivariate and multivariate data analysis strategies were used to analyze 2010 National Ambulatory Care Survey (NAMCS) data. NAMCS is designed to collect data on the use and provision of ambulatory care services nationwide. The study population for this research was US adults with a diagnosis of AF. Warfarin prescription was the dependent variable for this study. The study population was 7,669,844 AF patients. RESULTS: Bivariate analysis revealed that of those AF patients with a high CHADS2 score, 25.1% had received a warfarin prescription and 18.8 for those with a high CHA2DS2-VASc score. Logistic regression analysis yielded that patients with AF had higher odds of having a warfarin prescription if they had a high CHADS2 score, were Caucasian, lived in a zip code where < 20% of the population had a university education, and lived in a zip code where < 10% of the population were living in households with incomes below the federal poverty level. Further, the analysis yielded that patients with AF had lesser odds of having a warfarin prescription if they were ≥ 65 years of age, female, or had health insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, warfarin appears to be under-prescribed for patients with AF regardless of the risk stratification system used. Based on the key findings of our study opportunities for interventions are present to improve guideline adherence in alignment with risk stratification for stroke prevention. Interprofessional health care teams can provide improved medical management of stroke prevention for patients with AF. These interprofessional health care teams should be constituted of primary care providers (physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners), nurses (RN, LPN), and pharmacists (PharmD, RPh).

Team science as interprofessional collaborative research practice: a systematic review of the science of team science literature.

The National Institute of Health's concept of team science is a means of addressing complex clinical problems by applying conceptual and methodological approaches from multiple disciplines and health professions. The ultimate goal is the improved quality of care of patients with an emphasis on better population health outcomes. Collaborative research practice occurs when researchers from >1 health-related profession engage in scientific inquiry to jointly create and disseminate new knowledge to clinical and research health professionals in order to provide the highest quality of patient care to improve population health outcomes. Training of clinicians and researchers is necessary to produce clinically relevant evidence upon which to base patient care for disease management and empirically guided team-based patient care. In this study, we hypothesized that team science is an example of effective and impactful interprofessional collaborative research practice. To assess this hypothesis, we examined the contemporary literature on the science of team science (SciTS) produced in the past 10 years (2005-2015) and related the SciTS to the overall field of interprofessional collaborative practice, of which collaborative research practice is a subset. A modified preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) approach was employed to analyze the SciTS literature in light of the general question: Is team science an example of interprofessional collaborative research practice? After completing a systematic review of the SciTS literature, the posed hypothesis was accepted, concluding that team science is a dimension of interprofessional collaborative practice.