Search

Interprofessional education (IPE) occurs when students are provided the opportunity to learn with and from others of related professions to improve the potential for future collaboration. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of students about working with professionals from different disciplines before and after their engagement in an interprofessional learning activity and determine any changes in their willingness to work in interprofessional teams. Doctor of Pharmacy students from the University of Manitoba and Master's speech-language pathology students from McMaster University participated in an online inter-university and inter-provincial education module. Students were invited to complete the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS-9B) and three open-ended questions to capture attitudes toward interprofessional teams before and after the IPE event. A mixed-method approach was used to assess changes in attitudes, values, and comfort with collaborating. A total of 20 students completed the pre-survey and 19 completed the post-survey; significant changes in total ISVS-9B scores were observed. Four questions of the ISVS-9B also showed significant positive changes after the IPE event. Qualitative themes were identified from responses to the open-ended questions: collaboration optimizes patient care, collaboration is fostered by clear communication, learning from peers increases knowledge and appreciation of professional roles, and IPE fosters the potential for future collaborations. This study suggests that a virtual IPE event tailored to pharmacy and speech-language pathology trainees may be effective in fostering future interdisciplinary collaboration through increasing knowledge and appreciation of other professional roles with a primary goal of optimizing patient care.

The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare interprofessional skills among first year pharmacy students who participated in healthcare and non-healthcare setting service-learning experiences. This was a survey-based pre/post comparison of interprofessional attitudes among student pharmacists during a first professional year service-learning course comparing two cohorts at healthcare-related sites versus non-healthcare sites. The Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS) was administered to students in fall 2021 and spring 2022. Healthcare and non-healthcare sites were compared using unpaired t-testing comparing the mean sums of Likert scores. This longitudinal cohort survey encompassed a total of 110 of 117 eligible first-year pharmacy students completed the pre-survey, (96% response rate), and 78 of 112 eligible students completed the post-survey (71% response rate). From pre to post survey, there was a positive increase of the mean Likert scores in all five IPAS subsections. There was no significant difference of mean Likert scores displayed between the sample of healthcare and non-healthcare students from the pre-survey to the post-survey in each of the five IPAS subsections. There was no difference in pre/post mean Likert scores of the five subsections of the IPAS in first-year pharmacy students, regardless of placement at healthcare or non-healthcare related sites.

Pharmacy practice change is facilitated by delegation, teamwork, leadership and reorganization of personnel structure and roles. The international pharmaceutical federation (FIP) recommends that society should have access to appropriately trained pharmaceutical personnel. Three cadres form the pharmacy workforce: pharmacists, technicians and pharmacy assistants or dispensers. Globally, the training, regulation, scope, and status of technicians and dispensers vary. Role tensions exist between pharmacists and technicians which impact both workplace behaviour and performance. Literature on role expansion for pharmacy technicians excludes (reference to) the contribution of the pharmacy assistant or dispenser. Unlike the technician, the dispenser largely lacks professional recognition. But overlaps between the roles of the technician and dispenser can occur leading to further tensions in the pharmacy workplace. 'Unhealthy'' intra-professional conflicts obstruct the pharmacist practice envisioned by the WHO 7-star pharmacist. A solution that brings together the 3 cadres in joint or shared action is desirable. Social theory suggests that intercadre conflicts could be both necessary and inevitable. Being political nature, the tensions can be moderated by a ''political settlement''. The present paper is a reconstruction of and reflection of the author's journey in building a harmonious pharmacy workforce. Professionalizing the dispenser cadre restructures the hierarchy of the pharmacy workforce leading to harmony which in turn improves organizational performance. Lessons learned from this case can be applied to resolve workplace tensions in other settings.

Background: Students are required to complete a minimum of 150 hours, respectively, in both community and health system introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) rotations as part of a PharmD programme completion in the USA. The goal is to introduce students to medication use processes; patient and provider communication; interprofessional team dynamics, and inpatient and outpatient healthcare delivery. Context and Objective: Experiential learning environments offer pharmacy students exposure to interactions with patients, pharmacy technicians, suppliers, practitioners and insurance companies. However, an experience gap appears when graduating pharmacy students enter their careers as licenced pharmacists. This study sought to understand this gap and to provide pharmacy schools with insight so that they can better equip future pharmacists with the tools needed for successful pharmacy communication in practice. Method: A total of 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with pharmacists (N = 14) in various healthcare settings in Florida, USA: community pharmacy, ambulatory care, health system pharmacy and long-term care/mail order environments. Content and thematic analyses were conducted to identify themes in the data. Results: Three overarching themes were developed: staff, management and operations; communicating with healthcare providers; and counselling patients. In addition, the pharmacists offered recommendations pertaining to topics that could be included in curriculum updates. Conclusion: The themes developed from the study highlight competencies that pharmacists had to learn in the field. There are skills that pharmacists need to practise effectively in their area of pharmacy that their pharmacy schools failed to prepare them for. The analysis will be useful to pharmacy schools seeking to update their curriculum to reflect common practices in different areas of pharmacy and ultimately to better prepare their students for future careers.

The imine condensation reaction is commonly addressed in second semester organic chemistry classrooms as imines and their derivatives are found in many pharmaceutical scaffolds and biological and catalytic processes. Despite this, imine condensations are still absent from many organic chemistry laboratory curriculums. The work discussed here focuses on comparing the reactivity of the imine condensation with methyl t-butyl ether versus dichloromethane as the solvent as a way to better understand green chemistry along with analyzing steric and electronic effects on reaction. Three primary butyl amines with differing levels of steric hindrance are reacted with a wide variety of substituted aromatic aldehydes that range from electron donating to electron withdrawing. The products are analyzed using [superscript 1]H NMR spectroscopy, and the percent conversion for each reaction is determined. The results of this work and strategies for implementation of an imine condensation project in second semester organic chemistry laboratory are presented.

Industrial drug discovery teams encompass scientists from multiple specialties and require participants to communicate effectively across disciplinary boundaries. In this paper, we present an undergraduate or graduate classroom simulation of this environment. Over a series of five workshops, student teams of mixed scientific backgrounds perform five iterations of the chemistry cycle of small molecule drug discovery. Students analyze physicochemical, structural, and (fictional) assay data and use these to design new compounds for testing. Simulated assay results are returned to students who use the information in the design of subsequent compounds. After workshop 5, each team selects a single lead compound, supported by a potential synthetic route, a portfolio of assay data, and logical scientific decision-making. Our exercise provides students with opportunities for hands-on student-responsive data handing, team-building, and technical knowledge acquisition--all within an industrially relevant scientific scenario.

This study assesses adults' perceptions of and predictors of intention to use prescription drug take-back boxes. This mixed methods study utilized focus groups and an online survey to examine factors related to intention to use a prescription drug take-back box. This study was conducted in [State] during the spring and summer of 2018. Themes identified in focus group data included the importance of take-back box location, benefits of take-back box use (such as reducing opportunities for medication misuse), and barriers to take-back box use (such as lack of awareness, stigma associated with law enforcement). Survey results indicate that pharmacies are the most preferred take-back box location and that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are statistically significant predictors of intention to use a take-back box. Results suggest that individuals are open to using take-back boxes in secure, convenient locations, but many arsoe unaware of take-back boxes as an option for safe disposal. These findings have implications for health communication and policy efforts designed to increase the use of take-back boxes for prescription drug disposal.

In this study, the levels of knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of research misconduct were investigated among the Pharmacy academics and students in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire was carried out. A total of 393 pharmacy academics and students in Malaysia were involved. Perceived research misconduct, as defined in this study as the perception of any research misconduct performed or observed by the respondents at their institution, was captured and further analyzed. The data was analysed using PLS-SEM to assess the hypotheses which were formulated prior to the survey. The findings show that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between the awareness of terminologies regarding research misconduct and perceived research misconduct in the workplace of respondents. However, the acceptance of unethical practices in research demonstrates a negative correlation with perceived research misconduct. Knowledge and awareness regarding research misconduct have no statistically significant relationship with perceived research misconduct in this study. Both awareness of terminologies and acceptance of unethical practices explained a 10.8% variance in perceived research misconduct. Therefore, our study indicates that the awareness, knowledge, and acceptance of research misconduct might not be the main predictors of questionable conduct of research among pharmacy academics and students. Future study on the relationship between other factors which might contribute to research misconduct is highly recommended to investigate the significant contributing factors of irresponsible conduct of research among the Pharmacy academics and students in Malaysia.

Pharmacists are increasingly becoming the healthcare professional who interacts most regularly with patients who have diseases or disorders for which exercise is an effective and recommended treatment. With the relative scarcity of clinical exercise physiologists in the United States, pharmacists are expected to provide lifestyle advice to their patients, especially in community (i.e. retail) pharmacy settings, but student pharmacists typically receive no formal or informal training in exercise physiology and prescription. To address this deficit, an elective course was developed to provide student pharmacists with the knowledge and skill set that will enable them to apply evidence-based physical activity guidelines in the pharmacy. The course utilized the Exercise is Medicine resources for chronic diseases and disorders that are routinely encountered in community pharmacies, in addition to analysis of interactions between exercise and medications commonly prescribed for these conditions. After completion of the course, students reported being significantly more comfortable discussing physical activity with their patients compared to the start of the course (P < 0.001). Similarly, at the end of the course, 99% of students reported that they felt confident in their ability to apply evidence-based recommendations of common diseases and disorders to their patients. Postcourse student evaluations clearly demonstrated that student pharmacists viewed the course positively and as essential in their professional training. These data highlight the feasibility and efficacy of improving self-perceptions for the provision of physical activity recommendations via an elective course in physical activity prescription in a Doctor of Pharmacy program.

The pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry has become the largest industrial sector for the employment of chemists, indicating a need for experiments with a pharmaceutical sciences context in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. In the pharmaceutical industry, testing drug dissolution is a key analytical task for solid oral dosage forms that is performed in different phases of drug development to test the release behavior of new formulations, ensure consistency between manufacturing lots, and help predict the "in vivo" absorption of the drug substance after administration. However, there are a limited number of laboratory experiments in dissolution testing developed for the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. To help students obtain hands-on experience in dissolution testing, a protocol has been developed for an undergraduate chemistry laboratory course for students to build a dissolution apparatus, monitor dissolution processes, model the dissolution to extract kinetic parameters, and evaluate the consistency between dissolution curves with FDA regulated methods. Students successfully collected dissolution curves and completed the modeling analysis with nonlinear least-squares fitting. The designed dissolution protocol has been evaluated to have consistency and reproducibility to be implemented in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory curriculum.

The Maryland Action for Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Research (MADDPR) Program provides hands-on lab experience and mentoring to underserved minority high school students. Over 4 years, 93 high school students and their science teachers participated in the two-week summer camp program which was led by 15 faculty from the School of Pharmacy. Graduate student mentors led small student mentor groups. The program offered labs with a diverse set of topics ranging from drug design to applied clinical pharmacy. Across study years, student data showed that Black/African American, Hispanic and "Two or more races" groups accounted for 40, 13 and 11% of students, respectively. Survey data from pre- and post-sessions show that the MADDPR program significantly influenced students' career choices with most opting to choose future careers in life sciences, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. Data from a demographically matched comparison group showed that the MADDPR respondents reported statistically significant higher levels of agreement with the statements "I know I would like to pursue a STEM career" (p=0.00424) and "I know I would like to pursue a biomedical science career" (p=0.0004) compared to a comparison group. The MADDPR program is supporting the STEM career exploration by minority underserved high school students to ultimately enhance the diversity of the biomedical workforce.

International pharmacy students enhance the healthcare landscape through unique vantage points and diverse communication abilities. Their impact actualizes beyond pharmacy settings into community service arenas. This paper describes a collaboration between international pharmacy students and a statewide human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) needs assessment project in the United States (South Carolina). By translating a survey designed for people living with HIV from English to French, Spanish, and Vietnamese, the international pharmacy students reported greater familiarity with HIV nomenclature and treatment parameters. They also shared their paths to the United States and the importance of frequent use of non-English languages to their survey translations. The international pharmacy students viewed the survey's lengthiness as a possible barrier to participation. Articulating these experiences may heighten awareness of the value international students embody along with motivate other international students to embrace moments that center their linguistic latitudes.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at a 3-year pharmacy program in a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Students were asked about their familiarity with the PharmD-PA dual degree and its associated benefits and limitations. Students' perceptions of the PharmD-PA dual degree on their career outlook, quality of life, salary, and its ramifications on the healthcare sector were assessed. Descriptive and chi-square analysis were conducted. Seventy-two students completed the survey from all 3 years of pharmacy school, and only 35 students (48.6%) were familiar with the PharmD-PA dual degree program. Students noted the benefits of pursuing the PharmD-PA dual degree to be acquiring prescriptive authority (44.4%), improved clinical knowledge (29.2%), and better career opportunities (18.0%). The main limitations included the additional time in school (40.3%), financial barriers of the program (26.4%), and increased school workload (16.7%). Most students believed that the PharmD-PA dual degree had positive effects on their job prospects, salary, career satisfaction, and allowed for overall improvements in patient care. Overall, pharmacy students had positive perceptions of the PharmD-PA dual degree program. Schools of Pharmacy should look into the development of PharmD-PA dual degree programs as a unique marketing opportunity for admissions and as a nontraditional method of career advancement.

Objective: To assess the academic resilience of Doctor of Pharmacy students returning to in-person classes post-COVID for their first professional year of study. Methods: The validated Academic Pharmacy Resilience Scale (APRS-16) was sent electronically to all first professional year Doctor of Pharmacy students who had completed most of their previous coursework via remote learning modalities during the COVID-19 pandemic (n=217). Participation was voluntary and anonymous, with implied informed consent obtained from students. Campus dining credit was provided to all students who completed the APRS-16. The University Institutional Review Board reviewed and granted an exemption for this study. Results: A total of 158 of 217 students (73%) completed the APRS-16 survey. Findings revealed that upon facing a challenging academic situation, the majority of students felt likely or somewhat likely to: (1) begin doubting their chances to succeed academically; (2) be disappointed and probably get depressed; (3) think that everything was ruined or going wrong; (4) be concerned about their chances of getting the job or residency they wanted; (5) try to think of new solutions; (6) use past successes to help motivate themselves; (7) set goals for achievement; (8) seek encouragement from family and friends; (9) try to think about their strengths and weaknesses to help them; and (10) see the situation as temporary. Recommendations: Findings support the continued availability, and potential expansion of, support services for students. The consequences of social isolation and remote learning environments continue to affect students' mental health and academic resilience; however, the extent of these consequences vary and the majority of students in this study had positive outlooks when facing adversity. Institutions of higher education should be aware of these challenges and provide resources necessary to promote student wellbeing and academic achievement.

This study adds to creativity research by investigating the connection between employees' ruminations about life-threatening crises and their creative work behavior, with a specific focus on the mediating role of their experiences of personal life-to-work conflict and the moderating role of their resilience in this connection. Cross-sectional survey data (N = 710) gathered from employees who operate in the health-related distribution sector indicate that a key factor that underpins the connection between persistent worries about deadly crises and thwarted creativity at work is that personal life worries spill over into the work domain, but this detrimental effect is less salient if employees can bounce back from difficult situations. For organizations, this investigation reveals a critical conduit, personal life - induced work strain, through which employees' struggles to ban negative thoughts about excruciating crises translate into a lower propensity to develop novel ideas for organizational improvement. It also reveals how organizations can mitigate this risk by making their workforce more resilient.

This study examined a change in delivery (in-person and virtual) for a pharmacy student-learning community within the context of ongoing program assessment during 2019-2023. First and second-year pharmacy students (n=145) reported their perceptions of the learning community's impact on academic success, professional development, and social interactions (1=strongly disagree, 9=strongly agree). Overall, students agreed that the learning community assisted with academic success (M=6.9-7.7), professional development (M=6.8-7.4), and social interactions (M=6.9-7.5). Student perceptions did not differ significantly with virtual programming. Accessibility of the peer mentors was a positive aspect. Non-participating students responded as unaware of the learning community and preferred studying alone. Ongoing evaluation will target student engagement and progression.

Background: For college students who are exposed to multimedia, the sources of COVID-19 vaccine information and their trust in these sources may play a role in shaping the vaccine acceptance spectrum (refusal, hesitancy, and acceptance). Methods: Based on an online survey among 1,062 college students in South Carolina, we investigated vaccine information sources among college students and examined how COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was associated with information source and trust level in each source. Results: The top three sources of COVID-19 vaccine information were health agencies, mass media, and personal social networks. Trust in mass media, health agencies, scientists, and pharmaceutical companies was negatively associated with vaccine refusal. Trust in government and scientists was negatively associated with vaccine hesitancy. Discussion: Our findings highlight the importance of restoring trust in government, healthcare system, scientists, and pharmaceutical industries in the COVID-19 era.

Background: It is crucial to use innovative tools to gain clinical reasoning skills through experiential learning in pharmacy education, and one of the most effective tools used in this is virtual reality. However, the lack of research that empirically demonstrates the instructional principles of virtual environment design, especially in the clinical setting, has resulted in a significant gap in the current literature. Aim: In this study, it was aimed to determine the instructional design principles of a virtual environment for the clinical pharmacy. Method: The study was conducted as a design-based research. The data of the study related to three components of the developed virtual reality environment in pharmacy education (VRPE). These components, scenario development interface-scenario development interface, virtual environment, and scenario, were collected through interviews, observation, document review, and a system usability scale. Instructional design principles for the VRPE were determined through analysis of the collected data. Results: The prominent instructional design principles of the VRPE were revealed as immersion, interaction, diversity, flow, aesthetics-ergonomic-universal design, informing, and retest availability. The significance of the study was the adoption of a holistic perspective in the design of a virtual reality environment for pharmacy education. In addition, one of the most critical features of the study was eliminating the expertise barrier in virtual environment design. Thus, it was concluded that the VRPE is an extraordinary tool that can be used for pharmacy education to promote experiential learning.

Pharmaceutical Integrated Experiment (PIE) is a systematic and comprehensive compulsory course for undergraduates majoring in pharmacy and pharmaceutical engineering. This course mainly focuses on integrating the theoretical knowledge of various disciplines into practice, enabling students to master the key processes of drug research and production. In view of the shortcomings of traditional PIE teaching in many domestic colleges and universities, we adopted teaching reform and exploration in 2021 and 2022. Specifically, based on our experience in development of novel SIRT5 inhibitors, we presented a project-based teaching model and selected "Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Potential SIRT5 Inhibitors" as a case to implement such teaching model. In our course, students worked in a small group to participate in seven interrelated course segments. Throughout the course, we paid attention to process assessment and students' multirole participation in course. We effectively combined the student's course grades and survey results to evaluate students' overall learning effect. Compared to traditional PIE course teaching, this project-based PIE course teaching model is more likely to stimulate students' enthusiasm for self-directed learning due to the more continuous and permeable experimental content, thereby effectively improving the teaching quality of PIE courses.

Current laboratory-based practical classes are arranged so that all students can complete the required activities on time. With this system there is no incentive for students to optimize the time they spend in the laboratory or have awareness of whether they are conducting the activities in a timely manner. However, the acceptable timeframes for specific basic laboratory procedures within industry are not known. This survey-based study aimed to gain a perception of the employed analytical chemists on the importance of time in conducting practical procedures. The participants were also asked to indicate what duration of time would be acceptable to complete specific basic laboratory practical procedures within industry based on their experience. This was compared to the time that final year chemistry students took to complete basic laboratory practical procedures. Our findings highlighted that time is an important factor in the workplace and should be considered a key competency when preparing analytical chemists. Participants in higher education assumed more time was given in industry to conduct laboratory procedures than those who were working in industry. Students took considerably longer to complete the activities than were perceived to be timely within industry. Speed in conducting practical skills was considered especially important in the pharmaceutical industry. Overall, our findings highlight that working in a timely manner should be considered within an analytical chemistry curriculum and embedded within assessments. Students who aspire to work within industry should have awareness of the importance of generating acceptable data while working in a timely manner.

In chemistry, a eutectic mixture refers to a mixture of two or more components at which the lowest possible freezing point is observed. This phenomenon is covered in a wide range of curricula such as physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, and pharmacy to various depths. Despite the significance of this phenomenon in pharmaceutical compounding and formulation, standard pharmacy curricula provide only limited coverage of the eutectic mixture and the theoretical aspects associated with its phase diagram. A practical session on a eutectic mixture should augment the theoretical pedagogical component and enable amore profound understanding. Despite the existence of educational publications that discuss this phenomenon from a chemical perspective, there is currently no reported experimental laboratory specifically focused on the eutectic phenomenon and its implications in the field of pharmacy. In this study, we employ camphor and menthol as pharmaceutical active ingredients that illustrate a robust eutectic phenomenon within practical temperature ranges. Moreover, we utilize the eutectic phenomenon and the resulting liquefaction effect upon mixing camphor and menthol to prepare semisolid pharmaceutical dosage forms (gels and rubs),demonstrating to students the impact of this phenomenon in drug compounding and formulation.

In health technology assessment (HTA), population-adjusted indirect comparisons (PAICs) are increasingly considered to adjust for the difference in the target population between studies. We aim to assess the conduct and reporting of PAICs in recent HTA practice, by performing, a methodological systematic review of studies implementing PAICs from PubMed, EMBASE Classic, Embase/Ovid Medline All, and Cochrane databases from January 1, 2010 to Feb 13, 2023. Four independent researchers screened the titles, abstracts, and full-texts of the identified records, then extracted data on methodological and reporting characteristics of 106 eligible articles. Most PAIC analyses (96.9%, n = 157) were conducted by (or received funding from) pharmaceutical companies. Prior to adjustment, 44.5% of analyses (n = 72) (partially) aligned the eligibility criteria of different studies to enhance the similarity of their target populations. In 37.0% of analyses (n = 60), the clinical and methodological heterogeneity across studies were extensively assessed. In 9.3% of analyses (n = 15), the quality (or bias) of individual studies was evaluated. Among 18 analyses using methods that required an outcome model specification, results of the model fitting procedure were adequately reported in three analyses (16.7%). These findings suggest that the conduct and reporting of PAICs are remarkably heterogeneous and suboptimal in current practice. More recommendations and guidelines on PAICs are thus warranted to enhance the quality of these analyses in the future.

Although the ethnography of speaking is one of the approaches used to analyze discourse (Schiffrin, 1994; Cameron, 2012), its benefits and uses can be applied in the field of language assessment when designing a drug-dispensing, classroom-based test task. In this article, pharmacy specialists and students functioning as members of the pharmaceutical profession community shared their beliefs and practices on how to dispense a drug appropriately and successfully. The SPEAKING grid was subsequently used as a principle to formulate a manual for administrators, raters, and test-takers. This article discusses the elements of the SPEAKING grid as a sample framework and the subjectivity of this test task for assessing pharmacy students. The elements of the SPEAKING grid described in the manual aided not only raters when administering the task but also test-takers when preparing and practicing it. The article concludes with the idea that the SPEAKING grid can be adapted to fit classroom-based language assessment purposes even though some shared norms presented in the dispensing context may not occur as authentic as in real life.

Over a half century ago, researchers found that so-called classic professions attract socially advantaged recruits with better labour market outcomes; however, as semi professions become increasingly institutionalized, and classic professional programs expand, differences between these two groups may be less pronounced. Using Statistics Canada's 2018 National Graduate Survey, we compare inputs and outcomes of four classic professions (law, pharmacy, medicine, and dentistry) and three semi-professions (teaching, social work, and nursing). Bivariate statistics show semi-professions have more non-traditional graduates who invest less in training. Multiple linear regression models also show that after controlling for demographics, classic professions have stronger education-job matches and higher earnings three years after graduation. We interpret these findings as being consistent with our theory of intensifying logic, where classic professions have tight training-job connections, and accommodating logic which suggests semi-professions have looser labour market connections. We end by discussing directions for future research on the classic and semi-professions.

Health professions students can increase their understanding of how social determinants impact health equity through experiential learning opportunities. Using key informant interviews with faculty and staff familiar with experiential education programs in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and social work, we sought to identify key features and best practices to inform the broader implementation of these programs. Interviews were recorded and compiled notes were reviewed to identify common themes across programs. Experiential learning helped teach students competencies related to health equity. However, many programs were challenged by limited infrastructure and the need for faculty training on health equity topics. Key informants noted that programs should be linked to accreditation and curricular requirements. Strong community partnerships also facilitated successful program implementation. Our findings can help guide other schools considering experiential learning programs, as well as future research in this area.

The purpose of the study was to identify the - interventions that can be adopted for teaching chemistry disciplines to the graduates majoring in Pharmacy (Mpharm) in Ukraine. The study employed a systematic review methodology and a qualitative approach to synthesising the sources. The triangular assessment method was used to rate the short-listed instructional interventions for feasibility, transferability, and duplicability in the settings of teaching chemistry disciplines to pharmacy graduates in Ukraine. The review found seven eligible publications for the analysis. It was identified that the shortlisted instructional models were technology-mediated and positively affected students' skills and occupational knowledge. Three out of seven instructional models used chatbots and AI to automate the process of management of students learning activity which suggested that automation of the process of educational content delivery was becoming an emerging trend in instructional design. Having performed the triangular assessment method (TAM) analysis, three instructional models were given preference in terms of their use in medical education settings in Ukraine. These models were as follows: (a) PhET simulations-based model, (b) the model based on automated delivery of the course using the Smart Sender platform and (c) the model based on automation of the Moodle-driven e-course using Dialogflow chatbot.

Team based learning in the form of its readiness assurance test (RAT) application is a popular instructional intervention in health professions education. This investigation was conducted to examine the extent to which individual and team readiness assurance tests correlate with conventional assessment outcomes in pharmacy calculations. Students encountered IRAT and TRAT assessments on the Blackboard learning management platform during their pharmacy calculations laboratory course. The RAT assessments addressed topics concurrently with examination topics in the pharmacy calculations lecture course. Students were also assigned self-paced online module assessments pertaining to each lecture topic. Both sets of student lecture assessment scores were compared to their respective RAT performances using Spearman's rank correlation measurements. Low-to-moderate correlations were observed between students' IRAT scores and lecture course assessment scores, which includes examinations and online modules. Several correlations were statistically significant among topics. Very low-to-low correlations were observed between students' TRAT scores and lecture course assessment scores. IRAT scores better correlated to final exam performances than TRAT scores. RAT assessments, particularly IRAT, may serve as indicators of subsequent assessment performance in pharmacy calculations. Use of RAT may also assist students in their preparations for comprehensive assessments in the subject.

A two-year long-term workshop centered around a phenotypic whole-cell screening strategy for integrating cutting-edge knowledge and discovery-based laboratory experiences was developed to serve as a preparatory course for enhancing the teaching quality of the upper-level discovery-based research internship curriculum for pharmacy major undergraduates. The workshop comprises four modules that integrate lessons and experiments into a genuine research project, which initiates with a medicinal-chemistry course, run concurrently in the second year and culminates with the discovery-based research internship curriculum for pharmacy major students as a corequisite in the last year. The effective implementation of the featured pedagogical approaches in the modules is detailed as described. A group of students (N = 4) passed the instructor-student two-way choice and were enrolled in the senior-level phenotypic hit discovery laboratory project. The students synthesized a small library of molecules, tested them in an antibacterial assay, and further designed new compounds to analyze structure-activity relationships. Furthermore, positive feedback from students revealed that the phenotypic hit discovery oriented workshop enabled them to gain in-depth cutting-edge knowledge and provided an understanding of how medicinal chemists engage in new drug discovery research. The student's early exposure to troubleshooting or exploring unexpected results in an authentic scientific environment inspired them with ambition and confidence to engage with new drug discovery. We hope that this workshop will serve as a springboard for those wishing to educate medicinal chemists at an undergraduate level with modern strategies that are relevant to the current and future drug discovery landscape.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in healthcare and related science majors at the undergraduate level. This presents an opportunity to introduce health science training in middle school science classes to familiarize students to various healthcare-related fields. The pharmaceutical science-based hands-on activities for middle school student presented here used over-the-counter vitamin supplements and inexpensive equipment for its easy replication at home or in an educational setting. The two main objectives of the activities were to signify the instructions of drug administration on labels of vitamin C effervescent tablets and to introduce effective drug delivery of iron supplement syrup. These activities followed Kolb's framework of experiential learning theory through four key steps: (1) design a testable hypothesis, (2) identify experimental variables and controls, (3) incorporate wet chemistry and safety analysis into the process, and (4) data recording and presentation. This online and distance outreach model can be adapted in online K-8 summer or afterschool programs which can especially benefit students in rural regions or those with limited mobility. Furthermore, the pre- and post-activity sheets corroborated student's ability to (a) combine their knowledge of kitchen chemistry and laboratory safety skills through active experimentation, and (b) reflect on the experimental results obtained for test variables and compare those to their original hypotheses.

Educational escape rooms are immersive puzzle-based games that rely on teamwork skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication. This paper describes the development of desert island themed escape rooms in a blended learning environment using physical and online puzzles that were hosted on Genially. The blended escape rooms were designed to introduce terms and concepts in pharmaceutical chemistry of drugs to first-year students while breaking the ice by fostering rapport, camaraderie, and teamwork at the beginning of their first-semester problem-based learning (PBL) session. Game designs, pitfalls, logistics, and costs involved in developing these blended escape rooms are described in detail. Student feedback indicated that the games were effective in reviewing information related to the PBL and helped them feel more confident before starting the PBL session.

The Maryland Action for Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Research (MADDPR) Program provides hands-on lab experience and mentoring to underserved minority high school students. With the inability to conduct an in-person STEM summer camp, the program transitioned to a virtual format in 2020. Thirty-three students and their PLTW teacher participated in live sessions using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra®. One highlight of the sessions was program faculty's use of interactive simulation software such as science labs (Labster®), animal behavior (Sniffy the Virtual Rat®), and aseptic compounding (Virtual Interactive Clean Room®). Graduate student mentors worked with students in small virtual breakout sessions. Post-session survey data show that the majority of students felt comfortable participating in the simulation sessions. Students' responses indicated that they enjoyed the virtual labs and appreciated the effort to implement the game-like lab simulation exercises. Remarkably, student ratings of the virtual sessions compared favorably and, in some cases, exceeded those from the same sessions conducted in-person in 2019. In post-camp surveys, 96% of the participants indicated an interest in pursuing careers in pharmacy/other health professions. Student and teacher comments also indicated that the virtual experience of the camp prepared both students and their teacher for the coming fall semester at school.

Students in higher education have been shown to have difficulties in developing their critical thinking skills, such as analysis and problem solving, reasoning and argumentation. Open-ended tasks offer opportunities for students to develop their own interpretations of various sources, to critically analyse domain-specific knowledge and utilize that knowledge in their argumentation. This study focuses on the ability of new Master's students (n=37) to utilize pharmaceutical knowledge from different sources in producing written arguments and counter-arguments in the context of open-ended assignment task. The data were analysed by qualitative content analysis. The results showed that there was substantial variation in how students analysed and processed pharmaceutical knowledge as well as how they utilized that knowledge in their argumentation. While some students were able to provide comprehensive analysis of the different sources, others superficially analysed and processed the sources and struggled to generate convincing arguments. Students' written responses were typically one-sided: only a few students provided counter-arguments associated with the pharmaceutical problem-solving situation presented in the task. Understanding the nature of the challenges in argumentation and knowledge processing encountered by pharmacy students can help pharmacy educators to modify their pedagogical practices to better support students' learning. [The page range (37-53) noted on the .pdf is incorrect. The correct page range is p37-51.]

Traditionally, threats to academic freedom are associated with repressive government actions, and sometimes also with compliant university managers. In democracies, academic freedom can be undermined in more subtle ways. Where public funding for university research and teaching has diminished, universities have increasingly pursued relationships with, and money from, the private sector. Private funding can come with expectations that have the potential to limit academic freedom. There is a body of literature that documents ways in which some pharmaceutical companies, in particular, have sought to exercise undue influence on research and publications by academics. So-called 'philanthropic' funding can also function as a Trojan Horse for corporate influence and the business or ideological objectives of donors. This paper examines the problem of corporate power on campus and considers possible remedies, including binding codes of conduct for universities' relations with external partners.

To ensure the sustainability of pharmacy practice and provide health for all, pharmacy as a profession must embrace the digital transformation that has been changing healthcare at a rapid pace. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has conducted a global study on digital health in pharmacy education to describe the readiness, adaptability, and responsiveness of pharmacy education programmes to train the current and future pharmaceutical workforce on digital health and to identify the knowledge and skill gaps of the existing pharmaceutical workforce with regard to digital health. An online survey was distributed to collect feedback from academics, pharmacy schools, pharmacists, and pharmacy students. The findings showed that a large proportion of pharmacy schools do not offer any digital health education, and the skillsets and knowledge of how to apply digital health technologies to solve existing clinical problems and improve care have been identified as a gap. The future of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences is digital and exciting. A digitally enabled and agile pharmaceutical workforce will capitalise on the benefits of digital health to serve the higher purpose of providing good health and wellbeing for all, leaving no one behind. Therefore, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education should act now.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of burnout on the academic achievement of female students in the colleges of health sciences and to explore on their educational levels of study regarding burnout. Methods: Purposive sampling technique was used in this study and a sample size of 540 Saudi female students was chosen to participate in this study. The tools used were Maslach Burnout Inventory--General Survey for Students MBI--GS (S) to measure the level of burnout and a socio-demographic questionnaire were administered on participants. The MBI0-GS (S) proved internal consistency reliability at 0.86 across many samples. Results: The level of burnout among participants was 51.9%. Some 27.2% of the participants experienced mild burnout, while 14.4% showed moderate levels of burnout. Only 6.5% of participants displayed a high level of burnout, and they were among the Colleges of Pharmacy (25.0%) and Dentistry (10.1%). Conclusions: The study findings showed no association between burnout and academic achievement and no relationship between burnout and the academic level of study. Only the students of the College of Pharmacy suffered from high levels of burnout.

As the Sars-CoV2 pandemic continues to grow, researchers around the world are urgently seeking new treatments to prevent infection, cure those infected, or lessen the severity of the disease. Although there are several recently approved vaccines, clinical trials are underway to "re-use" drugs normally indicated for other diseases. This teaching experience studies the market for 8 pharmaceutical products used to fight the pandemic (remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir/ritonavir, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, sofosbuvir, pyrfenidone and tocilizumab) in 13 countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States). Through the analysis of prices and costs, we reflect on the difficulty of access to treatment according to the country. The objective is to deepen knowledge of the pharmaceutical market: (1) to demonstrate in a tangible way the differences between production costs and final prices of medicines, (2) to perceive the difficulty of access to certain treatments depending on the country, and (3) to reflect on what initiatives should be implemented in an international emergency context such as the one we are experiencing.

Fundamental global shifts in the professional scope of pharmacy practice have altered the pharmacists' role from "drug-centered" to "patient-centered". This shift has important implications for how pharmacy education is provided around the world, and has necessitated a significant increase in clinical training (CT). Canada and the United States have both added emphasis on CT in their pharmacy education programs, and their CT models have become a global model of good practice for educating future pharmacists. I want to answer important implementation-related questions: How have new pharmacists' clinical training policies been implemented in the UAE? What are the major challenges, barriers to effective implementation? I will examine the UAE as a case study of policy borrowing, and will draw on the concept of decoupling, which examines the implementation and gap between policy and practice. I will use a case study approach to understand the power relations between the main actors influencing CT in the UAE.

Many organizations utilize some form of automation in the test assembly process; either fully algorithmic or heuristically constructed. However, one issue with heuristic models is that when the test assembly problem changes the entire model may need to be re-conceptualized and recoded. In contrast, mixed-integer programming (MIP) is a mathematical representation of the test assembly problem that looks for the statistically optimal solution. Because MIP is a mathematical representation, changes to the test assembly problem typically involve only minor changes to the programming. This review focuses on comparing two free and open-source R packages for mixed integer linear programming: inlinelpSolveAPI and inlineompr. Programming style (with code provided), ease of use, run time, and other considerations will be examined. Solvers from other open-source platforms (e.g. Python, Julia) will also be discussed. Code and sample data are also provided.

Students' metacognitive skills and perceptions are considered important variables for high-quality learning. In this study, students' perceptions were used to identify histological threshold concepts (integrative, irreversible, transformative, and troublesome) in three health sciences curricula. A specific questionnaire was developed and validated to characterize students' perceptions of histological threshold concepts. A sample of 410 undergraduate students enrolled in the dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy degree programs participated in the study. Concepts assessed in the study were clustered to ten categories (factors) by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Concepts linked to tissue organization and tissue functional states received the highest scores from students in all degree programs, suggesting that the process of learning histology requires the integration of both static concepts related to the constituent elements of tissues and dynamic concepts such as stem cells as a tissue renewal substrate, or the euplasic, proplasic and retroplasic states of tissues. The complexity of integrating static and dynamic concepts may pose a challenging barrier to the comprehension of histology. In addition, several differences were detected among the students in different degree programs. Dentistry students more often perceived morphostructural concepts as threshold concepts, whereas medical students highlighted concepts related to two-dimensional microscopic identification. Lastly, pharmacy students identified concepts related to tissue general activity as critical for the comprehension and learning of histology. The identification of threshold concepts through students' perceptions is potentially useful to improve the teaching and learning process in health sciences curricula.

A lack of cultural competence can negatively affect engagement among students, professionals, and countries worldwide. For the advancement of global health partnerships, pharmacy practice, and education, stakeholders, including pharmacy students, professors, and pharmacists, need to understand the political, cultural, economic, and health conditions affecting populations in all countries involved. This study explores the cultural factors necessary for fostering collaborations, specifically between the pharmacy faculties/schools in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, and their counterparts around the world. First, it provides general information about Caribbean countries and territories, based on bibliographic research. It then presents cultural and health profiles from Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, aiming to inspire the establishment, enhancement, and support of alliances between these Caribbean nations and others worldwide.

Pharmacy calculations is a course that can be challenging and is often associated with student anxiety about assessments and grades. This study was conducted to determine if student anxiety would be reduced in pharmacy calculations using self-paced, multiple-attempt assessments. Self-paced, multiple-attempt assessments were presented to students as graded practice modules and as examinations. Pre-post surveys were used to measure student anxiety in pharmacy calculations. Module performance indices and exam performance indices were correlated with course grade outcomes. Fifty-four students participated in pre-surveys and forty-eight students participated in post-surveys. Westside Test Anxiety Scale survey results indicated use of self-paced, multiple-attempt assessments reduced students' perceived anxiety about pharmacy calculations. Student comments about assessment methods were predominately positive. Course grades strongly correlated with module mean scores and high scores, and strongly correlated with mean exam scores. A negative correlation between course grades and belated module attempts alluded to harmful association between student procrastination and course performance in weaker students. Self-paced, multiple-attempt assessment was associated with improved perception of student test anxiety about pharmacy calculations. With care taken to limit student procrastination, use of these types of assessment could be an effective means of improving student comfort while promoting mastery of the subject.

Subjective well-being is defined as a person's cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life. This study aims to investigate the differences in the domains of subjective well-being based on gender, type of school, and academic performance. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the factors (socio-demographic variables, including the academic performance of the students) that are predictive of subjective well-being. Subjective well-being was assessed using a questionnaire which included the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), which measured the respondent's life satisfaction, the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE), which consisted of six positive and negative emotions, and, lastly, the Flourishing Scale (FS), which measured the respondents' self-perceived success. Data were collected, transformed into a linear scale, and exported into SPSS version 24, where t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and stepwise regression were performed. Of the total of 535 participants, the majority were females (383 = 71.6%) and studying in a school of medicine (31.8%). With respect to the SWLS and FS, a significant difference was reported among students based on the type of school and their academic performance (p < 0.05). While comparing the differences in the SPANE, a significant difference was recorded based on academic performance. Among the domains of subjective well-being, only the SPANE showed a significant association with academic performance. Greater subjective well-being correlates with higher academic performance, indicating that subjective well-being is an important aspect of a student's academic life; provisions can be made by paying more attention to those who showed poor academic performance during and at the end of each semester.

The purpose of this research is to establish a model for assessing interest in international understanding among nursing and pharmacy students in Japan. The study design was a cross-sectional survey of nursing and pharmacy students in their first to fourth years at Josai International University. The International Understanding Scale (IUS2000), consisting of four domains (respect for human rights, understanding international culture, awareness of world solidarity, and understanding foreign languages) with 27 items, was used. A path analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to model international understanding. The model of international understanding of nursing and pharmacy students was established as the second-order four-factor mode. The international understanding of nursing and pharmacy students was mainly composed of respect for human rights and awareness of world solidarity and was less affected by understanding foreign languages. Nursing students in our study had a higher international understanding than pharmacy students. International understanding was considered relevant to students' learning about the importance of interprofessional collaboration as well as their interests in global learning environments for healthcare professionals. The relationship between international understanding and future progress in healthcare performance needs to be studied to show the importance of international understanding education.

Objective: The Bridging the Gap Between Physical and Mental Illness in Community Pharmacy ("PharMIbridge") randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to test the effectiveness of a pharmacist-led support service in improving medication adherence, and the physical and mental health of people living with severe and persistent mental illness compared to a standard medication review service. Method: Using the six-step intervention mapping (IM) framework, this paper describes the development and content of the "PharMIbridge" pharmacist training programme, an integral part of the RCT implementation, and continuous adaptations made to the process to keep pace with the evolving severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in Australia. A Training Working Group comprising health educators, practitioners, mental health consumers and researchers, refined the programme objectives and assisted with developing content and troubleshooting issues related to training delivery for pharmacists randomised to the RCT intervention arm. Results: A 2-day training programme was developed, which included Mental Health First Aid, simulated patient role-plays, and four pre-recorded modules using lectures, demonstration case vignettes, role-play activities and discussion. The programme, co-facilitated by project team members and mentors (pharmacist and consumer educators), aims to enhance pharmacists' mental health literacy, skills and confidence and empower them to engage with this vulnerable population using a strengths-based approach. Pre- and post-training questionnaires and interviews will be used to evaluate the impact of the "PharMIbridge" training programme. Conclusion: The systematic stepwise method provided by the IM framework highlights the solution-focused approach adopted by the project team and characteristics including adaptability and resilience which enabled training development and implementation across four Australian regions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.