Search

Abstract Continuing professional development (CPD) is a process by which healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, can be engaged in life‐long learning and development. In 2018, the Jordanian government issued Regulation No. 46, which addresses the CPD and relicensing cycle requirements. This study aims to investigate Jordanian community pharmacists' experiences and perceptions toward CPDs. The study also discussed factors influencing pharmacists' engagement in CPD activities. An online self‐administered questionnaire was distributed between August and October of 2022 using a range of participant identification and recruitment strategies. The questionnaire was designed for community pharmacists who are currently in practice. Descriptive data analysis was carried out. Of the 425 participating community pharmacists, 270 (63.5%) had a positive attitude toward CPD in terms of considering CPD to be a professional responsibility for all practising pharmacists. Almost 50% of recruited community pharmacists had no preference between theoretical and practical activities. Moreover, carrying out research projects and participating in research groups were the least preferred CPD activities. Evidence indicates that the most influencing factors were feasibility and capacity‐related issues such as time, cost, work burden and requirements and the logistics related to CPD activities. Regulators, professional associations, and legislators are responsible for planning and implementing actions that reduce obstacles and increase facilitators. CPD activities should also be made available through various delivery methods and strategies to guarantee relevance, prevent duplication, and promote pharmacists' involvement.

Abstract Background Being the professional membership body for pharmacists in Jordan, the Jordan Pharmacists Association (JPA) took the initiative to establish a training centre for practising pharmacists. This study aims to identify the self-assessed training priorities of community pharmacists in Jordan. Methods In the period between August and October 2022, an online self-administered questionnaire was distributed using a variety of participants’ identification and recruitment approaches. The questionnaire targeted currently practising community pharmacists. Data were analysed descriptively and inferentially. Results In total, 470 community pharmacists participated in this study. Of 470 participants, 307 (65.3%) were employees, of which 206 were full-time employees. Results showed that only 97 (21%) had access to an in-house training programme or scheme. Self-assessment of training needs highlighted differences between the three competencies clusters. While administrative and managerial skills and competencies were more frequently prioritised on average than the other two clusters, interpersonal and communication skills were needed the least. Evidence showed a significant difference between female and male participants regarding the need for training addressing maternity and early childhood health training issues. Lastly, the role-based comparison showed that, compared to pharmacy owners, employees had a significantly higher need for training related to bookkeeping and taxation returns preparation and how to handle and manage records of narcotic and controlled medicines. Conclusions If training and development programmes are tailored to address specific needs in administrative, clinical, and interpersonal competencies, community pharmacists have the potential to enhance public health, expand their role, provide patient-centred care, and support the national healthcare system.

Objectives To determine the prevalence and incidence of polypharmacy/hyperpolypharmacy and which medications are most prescribed to patients with varying burden of polypharmacy.Design Retrospective, population-based cohort study.Setting Iceland.Participants Including patients (≥18 years) admitted to internal medicine services at Landspitali – The National University Hospital of Iceland, between 1 January 2010 with a follow-up of clinical outcomes through 17 March 2022.Main outcomes measures Participants were categorised into medication use categories of non-polypharmacy (10) based on the number of medications filled in the year predischarge and postdischarge. The primary outcome was prevalence and incidence of new polypharmacy. Secondary outcomes were mortality, length of hospital stay and re-admission.Results Among 85 942 admissions (51% male), the median (IQR) age was 73 (60–83) years. The prevalence of preadmission non-polypharmacy was 15.1% (95% CI 14.9 to 15.3), polypharmacy was 22.9% (95% CI 22.6 to 23.2) and hyperpolypharmacy was 62.5% (95% CI 62.2 to 62.9). The incidence of new postdischarge polypharmacy was 33.4% (95% CI 32.9 to 33.9), and for hyperpolypharmacy was 28.9% (95% CI 28.3 to 29.5) for patients with preadmission polypharmacy. Patients with a higher level of medication use were more likely to use multidose drug dispensing and have a diagnosis of adverse drug reaction. Other comorbidities, including responsible subspeciality and estimates of comorbidity and frailty burden, were identical between groups of varying polypharmacy. There was no difference in length of stay, re-admission rate and mortality.Conclusions Preadmission polypharmacy/hyperpolypharmacy and postdischarge new polypharmacy/hyperpolypharmacy is common amongst patients admitted to internal medicine. A higher level of medication use category was not found to be associated with demographic, comorbidity and clinical outcomes. Medications that are frequently inappropriately prescribed were among the most prescribed medications in the group. An increased focus on optimising medication usage is needed after hospital admission.Trial registration number NCT05756400.

Abstract Background Pharmacists play a fundamental role in healthcare systems and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through quality primary healthcare service provision. While the World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts a global shortage of health workforce by 2030, mainly affecting low- and middle-income nations (LMICs), limited published literature is found regarding pharmacy workforce capacity in LMICs, including Indonesia. This paper aims to analyse pharmacists’ capacity in Indonesia to identify emerging workforce planning gaps for future workforce planning and policies in Indonesia. Method Several data sources were accessed, including a database from the National Pharmacy Committee and the professional leadership body in Indonesia. Descriptive (frequencies, percentages, and mean), correlational and time-series analysis using curve estimation were conducted. Secondary data on the number of programmes, pharmacy students, pharmacy workforce (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) per province were obtained from the Ministry websites and reports. Result There were a total of 77 191 registered pharmacists in Indonesia in 2019. The pharmacists’ pyramid showed a youth bulge as a general indication of market expansion in the education sector correlating to the pharmacy programme’s number and size. There was a variation in pharmacy workforce density and access to pharmacy programmes across islands, which also were strongly correlated. Forecasting estimates that by 2030, women will represent around 86% of pharmacists in Indonesia. More female pharmacists were found working in the hospital and primary healthcare (providing direct services to patients) than male pharmacists. Younger pharmacists worked in the industrial sector, while older pharmacists worked in governmental and educational institutions. Conclusion This study signposted workforce planning gaps for policy development in Indonesia, including a need to develop structured training to support early career pharmacists in their practice. There is also a need for better access to professional development programmes designed to support female pharmacists return to the regulated workforce following career breaks. National policy to promote equitable distribution and retention of pharmacists is recommended.

Abstract Objectives This study aims to assess pharmacy students and young pharmacists’ motives to pursue pharmacy degrees, their overall experiences and satisfaction with their pharmacy academic programmes, and their career aspirations and future plans. Methods Between May-2019 and March-2020, a self-administered online questionnaire was distributed via the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation and the Young Pharmacists Group at the International Pharmaceutical Federation. The questionnaire targeted pharmacy students and young pharmacists worldwide. Data were analysed descriptively and inferentially. Results In total, 1,423 pharmacy students and young pharmacists participated in the study. Almost 70% (993) of respondents reported that pharmacy was their first choice subject for study. Intentions for studying pharmacy were driven by an interest in healthcare, wanting to help people as well as an interest in science. In general, more than 60% of the participants had a satisfactory education experience. However, dissatisfaction was more prevalent among current pharmacy students in comparison to young pharmacists. Out of 1,423 participants, 1,110 (78%) showed a continuing desire to practice pharmacy. Being female and resident of a middle-income country increased the likelihood of being more satisfied with the academic programme. Having pharmacy as the subject first-choice and being generally satisfied with the academic programmes were positively associated with participants’ willingness to practice pharmacy. Conclusions Our study revealed that the majority of this extensive sample had pharmacy as their profession of choice and wanted to continue to practice in the future. In addition most of the targeted population indicated satisfaction with their pharmacy academic programmes.

Background: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the leading cause of anaemia globally, most frequently found in children and pregnant women. With their increasing role in the healthcare system, pharmacists may contribute to the management of anaemia. Through the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Multinational Needs Assessment Programme, the FIP explored the contribution of pharmacists in anaemia, specifically IDA, focusing on five countries: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. Objective: To explore information on pharmacists' roles in a variety of settings related to 1) IDA management; 2) education and training needed to support the roles; and 3) barriers and enablers to expanding or developing the roles. Methods: This study involved a literature review and a focus group discussion with twelve participants selected purposively and nominated by national professional leadership bodies across five countries. A literature search was conducted using PubMed Database. A focus group discussion explored pharmacists' roles, education and training needs, as well as barriers and enablers to support their roles in anaemia management, specifically in IDA. A codebook thematic analysis approach was conducted according to the study objectives. Results: Sixteen articles were included in the analysis. The pharmacists' roles in anaemia identified from literature ranged from patient management and monitoring, collaboration with other healthcare professionals and involvement in guideline development, in which the roles vary according to the workplace. Twelve participants attended the focus group discussion. Participants highlighted pharmacists' roles in screening and detection, medication therapeutic management, patient counselling and patient monitoring. Participants emphasised a need for guidelines or toolkits with subsequent training or workshops to support their competency development in anaemia. Monitoring the success of pharmacist delivered anaemia programmes was recommended to support advocating for active pharmacist roles. Conclusion: Pharmacists have a growing opportunity to contribute to achieving the global targets on anaemia through their involvement in screening and managing anaemia and increasing anaemia awareness among the patients and community.

Objective Advancing the pharmacy workforce contributes to strengthening primary healthcare and accelerating progress towards universal health coverage. This study aimed to identify key enablers to support policy development for national pharmacy workforce advancement.Design A cross-sectional country-level questionnaire was distributed from July 2018 to March 2019.Setting National-level or country-level pharmacy workforce development policy.Participants Professional leadership associations and national agencies of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). The FIP global database included 129 countries.Measures The questionnaire was designed to collate data on the scope of advanced and specialist practice in respondent countries. Multiple correspondence analysis and subsequent cluster analysis were conducted to explore the associations and patterns of country-level attributes of systems in place for the pharmacy workforce advancement in order to develop a general transnational model for country-level advanced practice development.Results Eighty-eight countries (68.2% response rate) responded to the questionnaire. Factors that enhance and contribute to advanced practice policy development include the country’s socioeconomic factors and the availability of national practice advancement concepts. The essential advancement concepts include the availability of framework and professional recognition systems, programmes assisting advanced practice development and workforce advancement and recognition opportunities. Cluster analysis identified three clusters of country respondents. First cluster included low-income and middle-income with poor pharmacy advancement implementation, second cluster included a higher socioeconomic status with weaker pharmacy workforce advancement implementation and third cluster included upper middle-income to high-income countries and high rates of pharmacy advancement implementation.Conclusion The key factors identified in this study can be used to support a transnational approach to pharmacy workforce advancement. The three clusters identified highlighted that workforce advancement was not an exclusive trait of higher-income countries. Lessons from countries that have already adopted concepts of advancement in pharmacy practice could be adopted to other countries to accelerate the progress of advanced practice globally.

Abstract This study assesses Jordanian community pharmacists’ readiness and willingness to deliver vaccination services in their practice sites. Between February and April 2021, a self‐administered online questionnaire was distributed via social media, WhatsApp messages, and personal communication. The questionnaire targeted practicing community pharmacies. Descriptive and inferential data analysis was carried out. A total of 403 community pharmacists participated in the study. Almost 146 (36%) community pharmacists reported vaccinating patients in their practice sites. However, readiness assessment revealed that only 54 (13.4%) pharmacists received the required training and qualifications. Moreover, 33 (8.2%) study participants worked in adequately equipped and designed community pharmacies. Overall, surveyed participants held positive attitudes toward their involvement in vaccination services: 260 (64.5%) pharmacists were willing to vaccinate patients, and 227 (65.0%) out of unready, unqualified, participants were willing to get needed training and qualifications. According to study participants, regulatory and professional bodies (Ministry of Health, Jordan Pharmacists Association) are influential in supporting pharmacist‐vaccinators. Among the investigated factors, organizational structure and employment status were significantly associated with pharmacists’ readiness to deliver vaccination. This study revealed that further work is needed to increase pharmacists’ and pharmacies’ readiness to deliver vaccination services and that regulators should follow a more active approach in highlighting the importance of training and the impact of training in patients’ safety and satisfaction.

Background: Job and career satisfaction of early-career pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists is imperative to ensure a motivated and effective workforce, and a secure future for pharmacy practice. In turn, this enables planning, deployment and long term implementation of global imperatives, through universal pharmacy coverage. Objectives: This study used data from a global survey to determine the level of job and career satisfaction and identify factors that are most significant in determining satisfaction in early-career professionals. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to members of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Young Pharmacists Group (YPG) via email and social media platforms from November 2019 to May 2020. A previously validated questionnaire using 5-point Likert scales was used. Data were analysed by exploratory factor analysis, using principal component analysis, oblique rotation, and reliability testing of identified components, followed by a comparative statistical analysis. Results: A total of 1014 respondents from 92 countries participated in this study. Regions of domicile significantly affected job satisfaction (p = 0.004) and career satisfaction (p < 0.0001) scores. Pharmacists working in community pharmacies perceived lower job satisfaction measures compared to those who work in academic institutions (p < 0.0001) and industry sector (p = 0.012). There is a negative association between career expectations and job satisfaction and career satisfaction scores. The workplace climate is related to education and training opportunities, lower reported workloads, greater autonomy, and more remuneration. Conclusion: This was an international study of early-career pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. Enhancing factors associated with job and career satisfaction is essential to support early-career pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in obtaining fulfilment and esteem in their chosen careers. Developing and implementing a well-framed system that provides a conducive working environment, remuneration, and greater autonomy could improve job and career satisfaction. This study provides evidence to support investment in early-career training, stated in the FIP Development Goal 2.

Background The sustainable development goals were launched by the United Nations in 2015. Its fifth goal was describing the achievement of universal health coverage by 2030. This goal reaffirms the importance of investing in the development and training of the global health workforce. In alliance with this, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has published reports about pharmacy workforce planning in several countries. However, data about Qatar were not included in these reports. In 2017, FIP developed a transformational roadmap of pharmaceutical workforce and education. One systematic framework component of the roadmap is the Pharmaceutical Workforce Development Goals (DG[w]s) that were released in late 2016 and subsequently incorporated into the more comprehensive Global Development Goals1 in 2020, encompassing not only workforce development, but additionally practice and pharmaceutical science development. This study aimed to evaluate the current situation of pharmacy workforce and education in Qatar in relation to the original 13 Pharmaceutical Workforce Development Goals (DG[w]s). The objective was to identify the gaps in pharmacy workforce and education and to recommend evidence-led strategies to be included in both the Ministry of Public Health and the Qatar University College of Pharmacy workforce development plans. Methods Three rounds of conventional Delphi technique were conducted with expert panels of key decision-makers in pharmacy practice from the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University and the Ministry of Public Health, utilizing the FIP’s self-assessment survey. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze and prioritize the identified gaps from the collected data. DG[w] was considered “met” if all the provided indicators were achieved, “partially met” if at least one of the indicators were achieved, and “not met” if none of the indicators were achieved Results The lack of competency framework (DG[w]5), workforce data (DG[w]12), and workforce policy formation (DG[w]13) are three major gaps in the provision of pharmaceutical workforce and pharmacy education in Qatar, influencing other DG[w]s. These gaps need to be addressed by the formation of Qatar Pharmaceutical Association through which academic, practice, and policymaking sectors can work together in developing health workforce intelligence system. Conclusion The results indicated that DG[w]s are interrelated and a gap in one goal can negatively influence others. Results and recommendations of this research will facilitate the implementation of strategic plans across leading pharmacy sectors to meet health needs in Qatar and achieve the third pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Introduction: Pharmacists need to be adaptable, flexible, and capable of advancing their practice to adapt to rapidly changing population health needs. We describe an educational approach to pharmacy workforce transformation in Indonesia through an advanced practice competency framework development using an “adopt and adapt” methodology.Methods: The competency framework development process comprised a translation phase, an adopt and adapt phase, validation through a nationwide mapping survey, and a completion phase through leadership consensus panels. We conducted a forward-backwards translation of a previously validated Advanced to Consultancy Level Framework (ACLF) to yield the Indonesian Advanced Development Framework (IADF) draft. The subsequent adoption and adaptation process was conducted through a series of consensus panels. We validated the IADF through a nationwide workforce survey. The final phase included leadership consensus panels with the professional leadership body in Indonesia. We analyzed the qualitative data thematically and the quantitative data using a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) technique.Results: We identified conceptual challenges in adopting and adapting the existing ACLF, which were addressed by providing a national glossary and concrete examples. A total of 6,212 pharmacists participated in the national workforce survey, of which 43% had

Background: Time-tabled curricular contents and syllabi reflect the actual delivery of the academic programme and one of key quality components in healthcare professional education. There is a need of global evidence base of Initial Pharmacy Education and Training (IPET) curricula for assisting the advancement of IPET globally. Objectives: To seek the differences and similarities among IPET curricula and to explore relative trends and weighting of IPET curricula globally. Methods: Sample curricular documents were collected purposively either through a parallel survey study investigating the structures and processes of IPET globally in collaboration with the International Pharmaceutical Federation Education (FIPEd), or through research team network. Collected textual documents containing IPET curricular contents were analysed by a mixed approach of the comparative content and framework analyses, using curriculum clusters in a guideline from the PHARMINE project. Results: IPET curricular documents were collected from 16 countries and territories. The study showed study years spent in the IPET years range from four to six years, and a sample mean of average syllabus time spent per year is 728 hours/year (excluding outlier). There was a biggest variance in the pharmacy practice cluster (PRAC) among samples, ranging from 49.3 to 12.8%, showing a significant negative correlation with the chemical science cluster (CHEM) g = -0.77 (p

Abstract Background Evidence from published literature in pharmacy practice research demonstrate that the use of competency frameworks alongside standards of practice facilitate improvement in professional performance and aid expertise development. The aim of this study was to evaluate pharmacists’ perception of relevance to practice of the competencies and behaviours contained in the FIP Global Competency Framework (GbCF v1). The overall objective of the study was to assess the validity of the GbCF v1 framework in selected countries in Africa. Methods A cross-sectional survey of pharmacists practicing in 14 countries in Africa was conducted between November 2012 and December 2014. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling method was used. Data was analysed using SPSS v22. Results A total of 469 pharmacists completed the survey questionnaire. The majority (91%) of the respondents were from four countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The study results showed broad agreement on relevance to practice for 90% of the behaviours contained in the GbCF v1 framework. Observed disagreement was associated with area of pharmacy practice and the corresponding patient facing involvement (p ≤ 0.05). In general, the competencies within the ‘pharmaceutical care’ and ‘pharmaceutical public health’ clusters received higher weighting on relevance compared to the research-related competencies which had the lowest. Specific inter-country variability on weighting of relevance was observed in five behaviours in the framework although, this was due to disparity in ‘degree of relevance’ that was related to sample composition in the respective countries. Conclusion The competencies contained in the GbCF v1 are relevant to pharmacy practice in the study population; however, there are some emergent differences between the African countries surveyed. Overall, the findings provide preliminary evidence that was previously lacking on the relevance of the GbCF v1 competencies to pharmacy practice in the countries surveyed.

Abstract Background Human resources for health are at a critical low. The World Health Organization estimates that the current shortage of health workers, including pharmacists, is in excess of 7.2 million worldwide and that, by 2035, the shortage will reach 12.9 million. Pharmacists, in particular, are lacking in the workforce in many countries. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and academic partners have conducted periodic global pharmacy workforce surveys in 2006, 2009 and 2012 which have monitored and reported on the status of the pharmacy workforce at the country and territory levels. This current analysis is a synthesis of workforce capacity data from these date points to provide an overview of the global trends and changes to pharmacy workforce capacity over this time period. Methods The methodology proceeded with accessing workforce capacity data collated in 2006, 2009 and 2012 held on file at the FIP Collaborating Centre. This data had previously been validated and made available to WHO Human Resources for Health. The data focused (due to limitations from 2006 databank) on pharmacist workforce capacity. Countries and territories were identified that had data available across at least two of the three time points (2006, 2009 and 2012). Missing time-point data for some countries (data gaps) were subject, where possible, to literature and online data searching to capture possible missing data. Country-level capacity data were plotted against time to identify trends coupled with comparative analysis of the trends. Results The countries and territories identified as having valid data for each of the time points 2006, 2009 and 2012 were present in all WHO regions, with Europe having the most countries with data available and South East Asia the fewest. All WHO regions have experienced an increase in the density of pharmacists (measured as number of pharmacists per 10 000 population) over the period 2006–2012. However, some countries show a reduction in the density of pharmacists. African countries show large relative increases in acceleration of capacity building but remain significantly behind in terms of absolute capacity per capita. South East Asian and Middle Eastern countries also show large proportional changes in pharmacist workforce. Conclusion The global trend is an increase in workforce across all nations and regions, and this is a move in the right direction towards improved access to, and availability of, pharmaceutical expertise. However, there is still much to be done, with some regions and low-income countries still displaying a disproportionately low number of pharmacists on small overall capacity for delivering pharmacy services.

Background Pharmacists are critical for attaining the goal of universal health coverage and equitable access to essential health services, particularly in relation to access to medicines and medicines expertise. We describe an analysis of the pharmacy workforce in Nigeria from 2011 to 2016 in order to gain insight on capacity and to inform pharmacy workforce planning and policy development in the country. Method The study was conducted using census data obtained from the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) via a validated data collection tool. The statistical methods used for analysis were descriptive (frequencies, percentages, mean) and linear regression. Secondary data on population distribution per state was obtained from the Federal Bureau of Statistics and the National Population Commission (NPC) of Nigeria. Result The data showed 21,892 registered pharmacists with only 59% (n = 12,807) in active professional practice. There are also more male (62%) compared to female pharmacists while 42% of the licensed workforce with known area of practice are in community practice followed by hospital pharmacy (11%). A rise in number of pharmacists (0.53–0.66) and new pharmacy graduates per year (0.062–0.083) per 10,000 population was observed over the five years analysed; however the overall density remains significantly low. Pharmacists’ density also varied considerably between states (Median = 0.39; Min - Max: 0.05–4.3). Regionally, more than a third (~ 40%) of the licensed workforce and community pharmacies are situated in the South West region with fewer than 10% of the total in the North East and North West regions combined. A steady decline in number of pharmacists requesting a “letter of good standing” from PCN, a proxy measure of intent to migrate was also observed. Conclusion The data indicate ongoing deficits in availability and supply of pharmacists in the country with widespread variance in distribution observed across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The findings suggest that observed deficits are not solely related to out-migration and highlights the need for policies that will promote increased within-country availability, equitable distribution and retention, especially in the underserved regions of North East and North West of Nigeria.

The biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year is based around four key themes: prosperity, fairness, sustainability and security. This is an opportune time to consider the role of pharmacists in healthcare delivery, and particularly their contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a member of the Commonwealth Health Professions Alliance (CHPA), the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) has been working to ensure that pharmacy-related aspects of health are represented in the advocacy papers submitted by Civil Society. Echoing the CHPA’s priorities around SDG 3 (health) and the attainment of sustainable universal health coverage (UHC), the CPA has been raising the profile of key priorities for our members, including: addressing the shortage of healthcare workers (with an emphasis on pharmacists); need for access to quality medicines and medicines information; tackling anti-microbial resistance and substandard/falsified medicines; and championing the role of digitalisation and partnerships. This editorial discusses how the work of the CPA links with the themes of CHOGM, the CPA’s input into this meeting and the direction of travel ‘Towards a Common Future’ for health and pharmacy in the Commonwealth.

In November 2016, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) endeavored to create an environment to foster a shared vision to lead a transformative pharmaceutical workforce roadmap. Three milestone documents were developed and presented at the Global Conference on Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Education. Workshops with the key themes and connecting Pharmaceutical Workforce Development Goals (PWDG) were conducted and analyzed. This Note serves to summarize the key aspects of these workshops, reporting on the innovative approaches used to generate guidance for stakeholders regarding implementation. Innovation: Seven workshops with a uniform structure were developed. These were designed to improve communication, harmonise outcome-generation, and allow for aggregate analysis. A team of seven conducted each workshop, each team consisted of: a Chair, a facilitator, one rapporteur, and four speakers purposively selected from FIP member organisations and other key stakeholders with expertise for sharing a variety of perspectives. Guidelines and templates were developed for all roles and each team was briefed in advance. Key findings: Approximately 200 personnel participated in the seven workshops, with around 20 country representatives per workshop, covering all six World Health Organisation regions. Three key aspects of workforce transformation, using the PWDGs, were explored in each workshop: drivers for implementation; challenges to implementation; and ways of encouraging implementation. Drivers for implementation mentioned were enhancing collaboration and engagement. Challenges to implementation were identified as variance in terminology. Several ways of encouraging implementation were acknowledged, such as communication strategies, advocating for workforce development and sharing best practices to foster partnerships. Next steps: The unique format of the workshops, the innovative approach to include stakeholders across an array of settings and the parallel structure in all the seven workshops, aided in creating reliable findings. The achievability of the PWDGs depends on several factors. Engagement with stakeholders and engagement from and between professional associations are important factors to achieving workforce development goals. Article Type: Note

The objective of the PHAR-QA (Quality assurance in European pharmacy education and training) project was to investigate how competence-based learning could be applied to a healthcare, sectoral profession such as pharmacy. This is the first study on evaluation of competences from the pharmacists’ perspective using an improved Delphi method with a large number of respondents from all over Europe. This paper looks at the way in which hospital pharmacists rank the fundamental competences for pharmacy practice. European hospital pharmacists (n = 152) ranked 68 competences for pharmacy practice of two types (personal and patient care), arranged into 13 clusters. Results were compared to those obtained from community pharmacists (n = 258). Generally, hospital and community pharmacists rank competences in a similar way. Nevertheless, differences can be detected. The higher focus of hospital pharmacists on knowledge of the different areas of science as well as on laboratory tests reflects the idea of a hospital pharmacy specialisation. The difference is also visible in the field of drug production. This is a necessary competence in hospitals with requests for drugs for rare diseases, as well as paediatric and oncologic drugs. Hospital pharmacists give entrepreneurship a lower score, but cost-effectiveness a higher one than community pharmacists. This reflects the reality of pharmacy practice where community pharmacists have to act as entrepreneurs, and hospital pharmacists are managers staying within drug budgets. The results are discussed in the light of a “hospital pharmacy” specialisation.

National UK standards for critical care highlight the need for clinical pharmacists to practice at an advanced level and above. The aim of this research paper was to describe the views of UK critical care pharmacists on the current provision of Advanced Level Practice (ALP) education and accreditation. It sought to identify whether there is a need for a national or regional training programme. A questionnaire was delivered electronically targeting UK critical care pharmacists. Whilst the response rate was low at 40% (166/411); the views expressed were representative of UK practitioners with the majority of responders meeting the national specifications for clinical pharmacist staffing in critical care areas. The responses highlighted work-based learning as the main resource for developing ALP and a lack of suitable training packages. The vast majority of pharmacists identified that a national or regional training programme was required for ALP. The results also identified the main barriers to undertaking ALP accreditation were lack of time, uncertainty regarding the process and its professional benefits and a lack of education and training opportunities. In conclusion, the responses clearly indicated that, for the necessary progression of critical care pharmacists to ALP, a national or regional training programme is required.