What's been trending with OSCEs in pharmacy education over the last 20 years? A bibliometric review and content analysis.

BACKGROUND: Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) remain an integral part of pharmacy education. This study aimed to characterize key researchers, areas, and themes in pharmacy education OSCEs using a bibliometric review with content analysis. METHODS: A bibliometric review was conducted on literature from over 23 years from January 2000 to May 2023. Articles focusing on any type of OSCE research in pharmacy education in both undergraduate and postgraduate sectors were included. Articles were excluded if they were not original articles or not published in English. A summative content analysis was also conducted to identify key topics. RESULTS: A total of 192 articles were included in the analysis. There were 242 institutions that contributed to the OSCE literature in pharmacy education, with the leading country being Canada. Most OSCE research came from developed countries and were descriptive studies based on single institution data. The top themes emerging from content analysis were student perceptions on OSCE station styles (n = 98), staff perception (n = 19), grade assessment of OSCEs (n = 145), interprofessional education (n = 11), standardized patients (n = 12), and rubric development and standard setting (n = 8). IMPLICATIONS: There has been a growth in virtual OSCEs, interprofessional OSCEs, and artificial intelligence OSCEs. Communication rubrics and minimizing assessor variability are still trending research areas. There is scope to conduct more research on evaluating specific types of OSCEs, when best to hold an OSCE, and comparing OSCEs to other assessments.

A scoping review of the minority stress processes experienced by sexual and gender minority individuals in pharmacy settings: Implications for health care avoidance.

BACKGROUND: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people may avoid or delay health care interactions. The minority stress model describes distal (discrimination, violence) and proximal (expectation of rejection, concealment, internalized self-dislike) stress processes as possible contributors to the health disparities and avoidance behaviors observed when encountered in health care settings. Pharmacies are accessible health care settings, yet the extent to which SGM individuals experience minority stress processes while using services at the pharmacies is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aimed to identify distal and proximal minority stress processes experienced by SGM individuals and health care avoidance behaviors related to pharmacies or pharmacists. METHODS: An electronic search of PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases was conducted to search for relevant literature up to September 2022. The search was supplemented with a review of reference lists and contact with experts in the field. Articles were included in the review if they described SGM individuals' perceived experiences within pharmacies or with pharmacists and reported an outcome that could be mapped to a distal or proximal minority stress process. RESULTS: Eleven articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Of these, 6 reported the presence of distal stress processes, such as perceived stigma, negative pharmacy staff attitudes, and a lack of awareness of population needs. For proximal stress processes, 5 articles reported on concealment, 4 reported on expectation of rejection, and 1 reported on internalized transphobia. Developing rapport and increasing competence were identified as ways to help mediate the impact of minority stress processes. CONCLUSION: Minority stress processes and avoidance behaviors are experienced by SGM individuals that relate to pharmacies and pharmacists. Coordinated efforts between professional stakeholders are required to reduce minority stress processes and ensure pharmacy-based services are accessible to all individuals.

Pharmacy postgraduate education transformation: pharmacist preferences for microcredentials.

OBJECTIVES: To explore micro-credentialing for postgraduate study in pharmacy practice. METHODS: An online survey of practicing or intern pharmacists in New Zealand was designed to identify learner preferences for education, determine interest and demand for microcredentials and elicit preferred 'willingness-to-pay' thresholds. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 430 responses were obtained. A stacked microcredential programme was preferred by 88% over traditional courses. Interest, skill development and career development were the top-ranked aspects. Participants favoured the lowest cost option ($300 NZD per microcredential). CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacists in New Zealand are supportive of microcredentials for postgraduate study as an alternative to traditional programmes.

Investigating pharmacy students' therapeutic decision-making with respect to antimicrobial stewardship cases.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) play a big role in minimizing antimicrobial resistance. Pharmacists are essential members of the health care team and in order for them to fulfill roles on ASP teams and become antimicrobial stewards, they must be prepared adequately by pharmacy schools prior to entry into actual practice. Although programming has been implemented into entry-to-practice programs worldwide, little is known about how students interpret antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) data and arrive at clinical decisions. We aimed to explore students' cognitive processes and determine how they formulate therapeutic decisions when presented with AMS cases. METHODS: This was a qualitative study conducted using a case study approach, in which a sample (n=20) of pharmacy students was recruited to interpret AMS cases. Semi-structured 1-on-1 interviews were arranged with each participant. A think-aloud procedure with verbal protocol analysis was adopted to determine students' decision-making processes. Thematic analysis was used to interpret themes from the interview data. RESULTS: Two themes were interpreted from the data: students' focus and students' approach to case interpretation. Students' focus relates to external factors students consider when interpreting AMS case data and use to make and justify therapeutic decisions including patient-centered factors, drug-related factors, AMS interventions, and pharmacist's role. Students' clinical reasoning describes the approach that students use to interpret the data and the decision-making processes they employ to arrive at a clinical decision including a systematic approach versus non-systematic approach. CONCLUSIONS: Students vary in their focus and the cognitive strategies used to interpret AMS cases. Findings support the notion that clinical reasoning and decision-making should be explicitly taught in pharmacy curricula, in order to help students become aware of their own cognitive processes and decision-making abilities.

A Scoping Review of the Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Bedaquiline.

Tuberculosis continues to be a major infectious disease burden worldwide. Increasing drug resistance to first-line agents is making treatment more difficult. Bedaquiline is an orally administered drug active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is indicated for patients with confirmed multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. This review aims to identify published literature reporting on the pharmacokinetics of bedaquiline, with a focus on key factors and drug interactions that may affect its use. Findings identified multiple areas for future study. First, exposure-response relationships should be further developed to determine the best ways to monitor both efficacy and safety. Second, dosing may be optimized through greater understanding of specific factors that may influence observed concentrations, including patient demographics and comorbidities. Finally, firm guidance for co-administration of bedaquiline with other drugs known to induce or inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes is urgently required.

A Scoping Review of Antimicrobial Stewardship Teaching in Pharmacy Education Curricula.

Objective. To conduct a scoping review of the existing literature to identify published studies on innovative teaching and assessment practices for antimicrobial stewardship in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum and to provide a foundation for future scholarly research in this important area.Findings. Seven studies were found that met the inclusion criteria. Two of the studies explored the extent, content, and methods of delivery of antimicrobial stewardship, four studies described elective courses in antimicrobial stewardship, and one study described an interprofessional module. Most studies were conducted in the United States. Several pharmacy schools in the UK and the US incorporated antimicrobial stewardship teaching into their curriculum. Learning objectives for the elective courses focused on guidelines issued by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), antimicrobial stewardship literature appraisal and principal application. The most used teaching strategy was didactic lectures, followed by case studies. Active-learning approaches like simulators, problem-based learning, and presentations were also used but to a lesser extent.Summary. Antimicrobial stewardship curricular reform may be influenced by the timing of the course, teaching approaches, and performance assessment of students. Antimicrobial stewardship learning should be a required of all pharmacy students. The scarcity of scholarly activity in the teaching of and assessment of learning in antimicrobial stewardship suggests that curricular planning should be guided by national or international organizations to ensure pharmacy students learn such important material.

Exploring How Postmillennial Pharmacy Students Balance Life Priorities and Avoid Situations Known to Deplete Resilience.

Objective. Students are facing increasing academic pressures that can contribute to poor wellbeing. Evidence to inform the development of better student support services is weak. This study aimed to explore Bachelor of Pharmacy students' self-reported life priorities and ways they strategize to avoid resilience-depleting events on a day-to-day basis.Methods. Postmillennial (those born after 1996) pharmacy students enrolled in their final year of pharmacy school were introduced to the coaching concepts of the Wheel of Life and anti-goals. Students' top eight life priorities were collected and categorized. Students were asked to submit one anti-goal targeting a strategy used to avoid resilience depletion. Anti-goals were coded according to student priority areas and overarching themes were interpreted.Results. The top priorities of 110 final-year pharmacy students were: family, finance, health, friends/relationships, study, career prospects, fitness, personal growth, travel, and mental health/wellbeing. Priorities were both similar and dissimilar to traditional coaching priorities. Sixty-eight anti-goals were coded. The themes "being prepared" and "being present" were used to summarize strategies that students employed to avoid resilience depletion.Conclusion. The life priorities of newer student generations may be changing to be more individualistic and include a greater focus on self-help, while maintaining the core priorities of family, health, and finance. These findings uphold the notion that student support mechanisms must be modernized to accommodate students' needs.

Maintaining and maximising motivation to progress scholarly work during challenges times - Reflections from the pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Maintaining self-motivation during challenging times can be difficult. In this commentary, we consider self-determination theory to explore factors that can influence intrinsic motivation to progress scholarly work. The place of extrinsic motivation is also considered, on the continuum of self-determination. COMMENTARY: Using the components of self-determination theory, autonomy, mastery, and connection; academics, clinicians, and students, working in different environments, were asked to provide personal experiences and perspectives on their ability to maintain motivation during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Self-assessment questions were used to guide reflections. IMPLICATIONS: Motivation, and in particular intrinsic motivation, can be impacted negatively during challenging times. Using a motivation framework can help identify personal factors that can be strengthened and developed over time. It is recognised that extrinsic factors are important in maintaining motivation. However, intrinsic motivation is a powerful driver to sustain and progress high quality work. Practical strategies and ideas are described to harness and develop self-motivation to pursue scholarly work, during challenging times.

Construction of Ideal Remote Assessment Environments and the Impact of Self-Selected Music on Student Performance.

BACKGROUND: Remote online assessments require students to construct their own assessment environments, including selection of strategies (such as the use of music) to reduce stress. This study aimed to determine the impact of self-selected music on student performance during a remote online assessment and to identify factors important for constructing ideal assessment environments. METHODS: Final year students were randomized to complete a voluntary remote online 2-hour care plan test. Those randomized to 'music' were required to play self-selected music during the assessment and those randomized to 'non-music' were asked not to play music. Prior to the assessment, perceived stress and resilience were measured. Performance between groups was compared and associations between stress, resilience, and performance determined. A post-survey identified music preferences/acceptability, and factors identified for ideal remote assessment environments. RESULTS: A total of 79 students completed the study (n=40 music, n=39 non-music). The median assessment score in the music group was 90% (range 58 to 99%) and 88% (range 58 to 99%) in the non-music group (not significant). No associations were found between scores and perceived stress or resilience. The majority of students randomized to music (62.5%) found it helpful. Thirteen categories of factors were identified to contribute to an ideal remote assessment environment with the most common being lighting, location, quietness, distractions, and seating/set-up. CONCLUSION: Findings support the notion that remote online assessment environments should not come as 'one size fits all' and many factors (including self-selected music) may influence a student's ability to perform to a high standard.

Health services for sexually transmitted infections: Where are we at in New Zealand? A narrative literature review.

INTRODUCTION Sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates continue to rise in New Zealand. To effectively prevent, test and diagnose STIs in a timely manner to limit their health effects, health services must be appropriate and accessible for all. AIM The aim of this review was to identify and collate the existing literature and identify gaps in research relating to STI health service delivery in New Zealand. METHODS A critical narrative literature review was conducted. A keyword search of PubMed (2010 to October 2020), EMBASE (2010 to October 2020) and Google Scholar (2010 to October 2020) was conducted. The electronic search was supplemented with manual screening of references from identified articles. Eligible studies reported on STI service delivery in New Zealand. Articles not meeting these criteria were excluded. Articles solely reporting on the human papillomavirus vaccine or condom use statistics or perceptions were also excluded. Data extracted included study year, authors, aim, methods and outcome results. RESULTS A total of 179 articles were identified, including 16 that met study inclusion criteria. Nine studies focused on STI testing, five on health-seeking behaviours and two had other foci. The results reflected substantial gaps in the funding and delivery of best-practice STI management across all New Zealand. DISCUSSION New strategies are needed to improve access to low-cost or free services for sexual health care in general and clinic-wide systems implemented to enable routine delivery of advice about STI prevention and testing by clinicians to patients.

Diversity in health professional education scholarship: a document analysis of international author representation in leading journals.

OBJECTIVES: The global distribution of health professionals and associated training programmes is wide but prior study has demonstrated reported scholarship of teaching and learning arises from predominantly Western perspectives. DESIGN: We conducted a document analysis to examine authorship of recent publications to explore current international representation. DATA SOURCES: The table of contents of seven high-impact English-language health professional education journals between 2008 and 2018 was extracted from Embase. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: The journals were selected according to highest aggregate ranking across specific scientific impact indices and stating health professional education in scope; only original research and review articles from these publications were included for analysis. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: The table of contents was extracted and eligible publications screened by independent reviewers who further characterised the geographic affiliations of the publishing research teams and study settings (if applicable). RESULTS: A total 12 018 titles were screened and 7793 (64.8%) articles included. Most were collaborations (7048, 90.4%) conducted by authors from single geographic regions (5851, 86%). Single-region teams were most often formed from countries in North America (56%), Northern Europe (14%) or Western Europe (10%). Overall lead authorship from Asian, African or South American regions was less than 15%, 5% and 1%, respectively. Geographic representation varied somewhat by journal, but not across time. CONCLUSIONS: Diversity in health professional education scholarship, as marked by nation of authors' professional affiliations, remains low. Under-representation of published research outside Global North regions limits dissemination of novel ideas resulting in unidirectional flow of experiences and a concentrated worldview of teaching and learning.

Exploring discrimination towards pharmacists in practice settings

BACKGROUND: Discrimination towards pharmacists, as a public-facing health professional group, is reported but not well-studied. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to identify accounts of discrimination in pharmacy practice and to explore the nature and impacts of and discrimination experienced by pharmacists. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was emailed to practice-based preceptors associated with the School of Pharmacy at the University of Otago. The survey included demographic questions, in addition to questions asking about the frequency and sources of different types of discrimination and abuse encountered in practice. Survey respondents could also provide their contact information for follow-up interviews. Interviews occurred after completion of the survey to better understand the nature of discrimination in pharmacy practice. A thematic analysis of interview transcripts was conducted to identify pertinent themes. RESULTS: A total of 43 participants completed the survey. A total of 29 (67.4%) respondents reported experiencing discrimination in pharmacy practice. The most common types of discrimination experienced included discrimination based on gender, appearance, or past, present, or expected pregnancy. Verbal abuse and sexual harassment were also frequently reported. Most discrimination was sourced from patients, colleagues, or supervisors/leaders. Discrimination specific to pregnancy was largely sourced from supervisors/leaders. Verbal abuse was sources primarily from patients, patient's family, supervisors/leaders, and other healthcare professionals. Patients were the primary source of sexual harassment. Three themes were identified from the interview phase: Discrimination occurs for a variety of reasons from different sources with different behaviors, the impact on a person is individualized/personal, and preventative strategies can be broad and encompass multiple layers of society. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study support the notion that training programs must adjust to adequately train pharmacists with effective coping strategies, prevention mechanisms, and resilience building strategies. Pharmacist employers should also be accountable to creating zero tolerance workplaces and providing route maps for how pharmacists report and navigate situations when faced with discrimination. Doing so may result in a better equipped workforce that is able to navigate the pressures encountered through discrimination in practice

No disponible

Exploring discrimination towards pharmacists in practice settings.

BACKGROUND: Discrimination towards pharmacists, as a public-facing health professional group, is reported but not well-studied. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to identify accounts of discrimination in pharmacy practice and to explore the nature and impacts of and discrimination experienced by pharmacists. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was emailed to practice-based preceptors associated with the School of Pharmacy at the University of Otago. The survey included demographic questions, in addition to questions asking about the frequency and sources of different types of discrimination and abuse encountered in practice. Survey respondents could also provide their contact information for follow-up interviews. Interviews occurred after completion of the survey to better understand the nature of discrimination in pharmacy practice. A thematic analysis of interview transcripts was conducted to identify pertinent themes. RESULTS: A total of 43 participants completed the survey. A total of 29 (67.4%) respondents reported experiencing discrimination in pharmacy practice. The most common types of discrimination experienced included discrimination based on gender, appearance, or past, present, or expected pregnancy. Verbal abuse and sexual harassment were also frequently reported. Most discrimination was sourced from patients, colleagues, or supervisors/leaders. Discrimination specific to pregnancy was largely sourced from supervisors/leaders. Verbal abuse was sources primarily from patients, patient's family, supervisors/leaders, and other healthcare professionals. Patients were the primary source of sexual harassment. Three themes were identified from the interview phase: Discrimination occurs for a variety of reasons from different sources with different behaviors, the impact on a person is individualized/personal, and preventative strategies can be broad and encompass multiple layers of society. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study support the notion that training programs must adjust to adequately train pharmacists with effective coping strategies, prevention mechanisms, and resilience building strategies. Pharmacist employers should also be accountable to creating zero tolerance workplaces and providing route maps for how pharmacists report and navigate situations when faced with discrimination. Doing so may result in a better equipped workforce that is able to navigate the pressures encountered through discrimination in practice.

Measuring the Development of Therapeutic-Decision-Making Skills by Practicing Pharmacists Undertaking a University-Based Postgraduate Clinical Qualification at Distance.

(1) Background: The processes and skills required to make decisions about drug therapy have been termed "therapeutic decision-making" in pharmacy practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate a tool constructed to measure the development of therapeutic-decision-making skills by practicing pharmacists undertaking a university-based continuing professional development program. (2) Methods: A pre- and post-intervention crossover study design was used to investigate the qualitative and quantitative features of practicing pharmacists' responses to two clinical vignettes designed to measure the development of therapeutic-decision-making skills. The vignettes were assigned a score using a five-point scale and compared pre- and post-intervention. (3) Results: There was a median increase in score of 2 units on the five-point scale in the post-intervention scores compared to pre-intervention (p < 0.0001). (4) Conclusions: The results were interpreted to suggest that the participants' responses to the vignettes are a reasonable measure of student learning. Therefore, we infer that the teaching and learning intervention successfully enabled the development of therapeutic-decision-making skills by practicing pharmacists.

A Narrative Review of Continuing Professional Development Needs for Pharmacists with Respect to Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is rapidly increasing in use worldwide, with many countries now publicly funding use for high risk populations. Pharmacists, as front-line care providers, must have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to effectively provide care to PrEP patients. The aim of this review was to identify priority areas and key gaps for continuing professional development (CPD) needs relating to PrEP for practicing pharmacists. An electronic search of PubMed, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts and CPD-related journals was supplemented with a manual search of references to identify articles describing pharmacists' knowledge, perceptions and experience with PrEP. A total of eight articles were identified across four countries. Pharmacists were consistently found to lack knowledge and awareness of PrEP, express low confidence/comfort with patient care practices, report a lack of experience and/or intentions to provide patient care, but overall had positive perceptions of PrEP therapy. Older pharmacists with more experience commonly reported greater knowledge gaps than recently trained pharmacists. CPD should therefore aim to increase pharmacists' baseline knowledge and awareness of PrEP and treatment guidelines, as well as be directed towards older pharmacists with more experience.

Assessment of inhaler technique among fourth-year pharmacy students: Implications for the use of entrustable professional activities.

INTRODUCTION: It is unknown when and how often competency assessments should occur in pharmacy education. Using inhaler technique as an example competency, the study objectives were to measure the proportion of near-graduation students demonstrating correct technique approximately one year after initial training and to measure reliability between assessors. METHODS: A sample of 45 near-graduation pharmacy students with prior education on correct inhaler technique participated in this direct observation study at the University of Otago. Five trained assessors simultaneously rated each participant's inhaler technique demonstration using a checklist. RESULTS: Of 37 participants demonstrating a pressurized metered dose inhaler, 21.62% demonstrated correct technique. No participants among eight volunteers demonstrated proper use of a dry powder inhaler. On average, two steps were performed correctly for each inhaler type. Steps with the highest error rate were "hold the inhaler upright and shake well," "breath out gently, away from the inhaler," and "keep breathing in slowly and deeply". The intraclass correlation coefficient for any inhaler type was excellent (0.91), suggesting assessors had strong reliability. CONCLUSIONS: Students did not retain ability to correctly demonstrate inhaler technique one year after initial instruction. This finding supports the notion that demonstrable tasks may need to be frequently assessed to ensure the task is mastered and becomes a routine part of a student's practice. It also suggests that assessment of milestones and/or entrustable professional activities may need to occur at different time points throughout a program, rather than allowing for "signing off" prematurely.

Law, Culture, and Fear: A Qualitative Study of Health Professionals' Perceptions of Narcotic Use Related to Cancer Pain.

Studies have shown barriers to appropriate narcotic use in the Middle East have negatively impacted patient outcomes. This study aimed to explore health professionals' perspectives regarding opioid use for cancer patients in Qatar. Eight focus groups were conducted with physicians, pharmacists, and nurses. An eight-question topic guide framed discussions and targeted contextual barriers and cultural beliefs. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to identify the following themes: narcotic use process, patient-related factors, and healthcare professional-related factors. Laws and regulations were identified as major barriers to appropriate narcotic access, prescribing, and administration. Government-imposed restrictions on permitted dispensed quantities and associated paperwork impeded continuity of patient care and pain relief. The influence of a patient's culture underpinned patient-related barriers, including fear of addiction and family members discouraging opioid use. Fear of prescribing for patient addiction and accusation of inappropriate prescribing by authorities were identified as health professional-related barriers. Facilitators included patient and provider education, as well as the availability of specialized teams to assess and treat cancer-related pain. Findings show narcotic utilization is not simply influenced by a single factor or subset of factors but by a multitude of factors that can be both independent and interrelated.

Using Best-Worst Choice Methodology in a Survey of Pharmacists Regarding Pharmacy Practice Skills Teaching.

Objective. To conduct a survey of practicing pharmacists in which best-worst choice methodology was used to prioritize pharmacy practice skills for inclusion in a pharmacy curriculum in New Zealand.Methods. A literature search and review of pharmacy curricula were conducted, and the findings were used to develop a best-worst choice survey instrument regarding inclusion of pharmacy practice skills in the pharmacy curriculum. The survey was sent to registered pharmacists and intern pharmacists in New Zealand. Participants were asked to prioritize 16 skills in terms of their importance and relevance to pharmacy practice.Results. Of the 3836 pharmacists invited to participate in the survey, 388 completed the questionnaire. Comprehensive chronic disease management, specialty medications, and medicines use review were the top three prioritized skills. Injections, independent prescribing, and specialty compounding were the skills ranked as having the lowest priority. The pharmacists' gender, age, practice setting, and ethnicity all influenced their skill prioritization. The pharmacists emphasized skills required in their current practice but deemphasized some skills that were emerging professional responsibilities.Conclusion. If curricular reform is to include new skills that are largely unfamiliar to or deemed unimportant by practicing pharmacists, quality assurance of students' experiential education will be needed. Furthermore, preceptor education about changing expectations for pharmacy graduates' skill sets must be adequately developed and implemented to ensure that preceptors provide students with opportunities to practice the full range of skills they will need in practice and provide them with accurate assessment and helpful feedback.

Setting the agenda for clinical pharmacy in Qatar: thematic and content analyses of news media headlines.

BACKGROUND: Public awareness of the role of pharmacists and availability of pharmacy services in Qatar is low. As per agenda-setting theory, mass media may be contributing toward this problem by selecting and disseminating headlines and stories according their own objectives and not those of the profession. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the agenda set by mass media organizations in Qatar pertaining to the profession of pharmacy and to determine the frequency of professional identifiers that appear within news headlines. METHODS: Publicly available news headlines published between November 2016 and November 2018 were obtained from local news websites. Thematic analysis was performed using agenda-setting theory to explore how the public's agenda was set for pharmacy practice in Qatar. Content analysis was used to determine the proportion of headlines that contained a professional identifier linking the news report to the pharmacy profession. RESULTS: A total of 81 headlines were included in the analysis. The agenda for pharmacy practice in Qatar was set according to two themes: achievement and outreach/engagement. Achievement related to awards, use of new technologies, interprofessional education, and novel student training accomplishments. Outreach/engagement reported student and pharmacist involvement upon completion of a health awareness event. Approximately half (47%) of headlines contained a professional identifying word linking the headline to the profession of pharmacy. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study demonstrate that the mass media's agenda for the pharmacy profession in Qatar does not inform the public of pharmacist's services or expanded scopes of practice. Furthermore, a lack of professional identifiers within headlines likely limits the public's agenda of pharmacist roles. The pharmacy profession must work collaboratively with news media to better align the public's agenda with pharmacists' roles and services.