Community-Based Services by Pharmacists: A Systematic Review of Cost-Utility Analyses.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic review of cost-utility studies of community-based services provided by pharmacists and to examine their reporting and methodological quality. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed in February 2019 using a replicable search strategy in bibliographic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the NHS Economic Evaluations Database from their inception onwards. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, abstracted data from full-text articles, and assessed reporting and methodological quality using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards and Quality of Health Economic Studies checklists. RESULTS: Twenty studies were included in this review, representing the healthcare systems of the United Kingdom, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Canada, the United States of America, and Brazil. Descriptions of the context in which the studies were done, justification of data sources on patient and process outcomes, choices of model, and generalizability of study findings were often inadequately reported. Seven studies (35%) were deemed of high methodological quality, 11 studies (55%) of fair quality, and 2 studies (10%) of poor quality. In addition, various methodological issues related to the randomized controlled trials and observational studies used to generate effectiveness estimates were identified. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the lack of standardized definitions of expanded services, heterogeneity in study objectives, settings, comparators, methodology, outcomes, and the variable quality of these studies, the value of these services (in terms of costs) compared with quality-adjusted survival remains inconclusive.

Pharmapreneur - Defining a Framework for Entrepreneurship in Pharmacy Education.

Objective. To determine the role of entrepreneurism within the broader missions of schools of pharmacy and develop an educational framework to produce pharmacist entrepreneurs. Methods. Following a systematic review and six semi-structured interviews, a three-round Delphi process was conducted with an expert panel comprised of successful entrepreneurs, pharmacy faculty members and administrators, students, and community members. Participants were asked about the role of entrepreneurship in a pharmacy school's mission, how they would define a pharmacist entrepreneur, and to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) expected to be successful as a pharmacist entrepreneur. A model for entrepreneur education was also developed in accordance with Bloom's taxonomy. Participant agreement and rankings were reported. Results. Based on the semi-structured interviews and the results from the Delphi process, the following framework for a pharmacist entrepreneur was proposed along with a list of KSAs: identifies, creates, and pursues new opportunities; successfully implements new ideas into practice; is willing to take risks; fills unmet needs; creates new value through innovation; is responsive to change; makes sacrifices; includes social and intrapreneurship; leverages existing knowledge, skills, and resources; goes beyond traditional roles for pharmacists; and improves patient care. Recommendations for entrepreneurship instruction, guided by Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive processes, were created. Conclusion. According to our expert panel, a pharmacist entrepreneur combines several characteristics identified with a more traditional entrepreneur construct with the characteristics of an individual devoted to achieving outcomes beyond one's personal gain. Additional research to inform implementation and assessment of entrepreneurship within pharmacy curricula would provide more specific guidance for instructional design and accreditation evaluations.

Analysis of PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident Candidate Letters of Recommendation at an Academically Affiliated Residency Program.

BACKGROUND: Letters of recommendation (LORs) are a critical component for differentiating among similarly qualified pharmacy residency candidates. These letters contain information that is difficult to ascertain from curricula vitae and pharmacy school transcripts. LOR writers may use any words or phrases appropriate for each candidate as there is no set framework for LORs. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize descriptive themes in postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) pharmacy residency candidates' LORs and to examine which themes of PGY-1 pharmacy residency candidates' LORs are predictive of an interview invitation at an academically affiliated residency program. METHODS: LORs for candidates from the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application System (PhORCAS) from 2013 and 2014 for the Midwestern University PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency were analyzed. LOR characteristics and descriptive themes were collected. All scores for candidate characteristics and overall PhORCAS recommendation were also recorded. RESULTS: A total of 351 LORs for 111 candidates from 2013 (n = 47 candidates) and 2014 (n = 64 candidates) were analyzed; 36 (32.4%) total candidates were offered an interview. Themes that were identified as predictors of an interview included a higher median (interquartile range) number of standout words (3 words [1.3-4] vs 3.8 words [2.5-5.5], P < .01) and teaching references (3.7 words [2.7-6] vs 5.7 words [3.7-7.8], P = .01). CONCLUSION: For this residency program, standout words and teaching references were important when offering interviews.

Development and implementation of a residency project advisory board.

PURPOSE: The development and implementation of a residency project advisory board (RPAB) to manage multiple pharmacy residents' yearlong projects across several residency programs are described. SUMMARY: Preceptor and resident feedback during our annual residency program review and strategic planning sessions suggested the implementation of a more-coordinated approach to the identification, selection, and oversight of all components of the residency project process. A panel of 7 department leaders actively engaged in residency training and performance improvement was formed to evaluate the residency project process and provide recommendations for change. These 7 individuals would eventually constitute the RPAB. The primary objective of the RPAB at Aurora Health Care is to provide oversight and a structured framework for the selection and execution of multiple residents' yearlong projects across all residency programs within our organization. Key roles of the RPAB include developing expectations, coordinating residency project ideas, and providing oversight and feedback. The development and implementation of the RPAB resulted in a significant overhaul of our entire yearlong resident project process. Trends toward success were realized after the first year of implementation, including consistent expectations, increased clarity and engagement in resident project ideas, and more projects meeting anticipated endpoints. CONCLUSION: The development and implementation of an RPAB have provided a framework to optimize the organization, progression, and outcomes of multiple pharmacy resident yearlong projects in all residency programs across our pharmacy enterprise.

Integrating family medicine and pharmacy to advance primary care therapeutics.

The prevalence of suboptimal prescribing of medications is well documented. Patients are often undertreated or not offered therapeutic treatments that are likely to confer benefit. As a result, drug-related hospital admissions are common and often preventable. Improvements to the health-care system are clearly needed in order to maximize the benefits that can be derived from medications. Many countries are changing their primary health-care systems to improve the quality of health-care delivery. One main transformation is the use of multidisciplinary care teams to provide care in a coordinated manner often from the same location or by using the common medical record of the patients. It has been demonstrated that pharmacists can improve prescribing, reduce health-care utilization and medication costs, and contribute to clinical improvements in many chronic medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and psychiatric illness. However, the effect of integrating a pharmacist providing general services into a primary care group has not been extensively studied. The Integrating Family Medicine and Pharmacy to Advance Primary Care Therapeutics (IMPACT) project was designed to provide a real-world demonstration of the feasibility of integrating the pharmacist into primary care office practice. This article provides a description of the IMPACT project participants; the IMPACT practice model and the concepts incorporated in its development; some initial results from the program evaluation; sustainability of the model; and some reflections on the implementation of the practice model.