Publications by authors named "J Astbury"

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022 prompted governments worldwide to enforce lockdowns and social restrictions, alongside the rapid adoption of digital health and care services. However, there are concerns about the potential exclusion of older adults, who face barriers to digital inclusion, such as age, socioeconomic status, literacy level, and ethnicity.

Objective: This study aims to explore the experiences of older adults from the 3 largest minoritized ethnic groups in England and Wales-people of South Asian, Black African, and Caribbean backgrounds-in the use of digitalized primary care services since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Background: The intention to more effectively mobilise and integrate the capabilities of the community pharmacy workforce within primary care is clearly stated within National Health Service (NHS) England policy. The Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF) was established in 2016 to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a range of primary care settings, including community pharmacy.

Objective: This study sought to determine how PhIF funded learning pathways for post-registration pharmacists and accuracy checking pharmacy technicians enabled community pharmacy workforce transformation, in what circumstances, and why.

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Article Synopsis
  • Unpaid caregivers, especially those caring for older individuals, face significant negative outcomes, highlighting the need for focused public health support and research to identify effective interventions.
  • A review of studies from 2013 to 2023 identified 205 relevant publications, primarily assessing therapeutic and educational interventions aimed at reducing caregiver burdens and improving mental health.
  • However, the existing research shows a lack of evaluation in areas like physical health, quality of life, and financial well-being, indicating a need for broader investigation into diverse outcomes and equitable support for all caregivers.
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Background: The Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF) was established in England in 2016, with funded learning programmes or 'pathways' designed to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a range of settings. Despite pharmacy staff being well positioned to provide more clinical work, limited research has investigated behaviour change training targeted at widespread practice transformation.

Objective(s): To investigate implementation of PhIF learning in practice, using the COM-B model of behaviour change.

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This study explores how pharmacists legitimise the expansion of their clinical work and considers its impact on pharmacists' professional identity work. In the context of pharmacy in the English NHS, there has been an ongoing policy shift towards pharmacists moving away from 'medicines supply' to patient-facing, clinical work since the 1950s. Pharmacists are continuously engaging in 'identity work' and 'boundary work' to reflect the expansion of their work, which has led to the argument that pharmacists lack a clear professional identity.

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