Professionalism development and assessment in the pre-registration pharmacist placement in England: transformative moments and maturation periods.

Objectives: Development of new patient-facing roles for pharmacists and reports of poor patient care in the UK has led to questions concerning how pharmacists develop professionalism. This study explored how professionalism is developed and assessed during the post-graduation year in practice or pre-registration placement. The perspectives of two staff at the professional regulator UK (General Pharmaceutical Council), eight service users, seven pre-registration trainees, and 12 pre-registration tutors were recruited.

Medication-related risk factors and its association with repeated hospital admissions in frail elderly: A case control study.

Background: Repeated hospital admissions are prevalent in older people. The role of medication in repeated hospital admissions has not been widely studied. The hypothesis that medication-related risk factors for initial hospital admissions were also associated with repeated hospital admissions was generated.

Assessment of the quality and content of website health information about herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms.

Objective: To assess the quality, readability and coverage of website information about herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms.

Study Design: A purposive sample of commercial and non-commercial websites was assessed for quality (DISCERN), readability (SMOG) and information coverage.

Main Outcome Measures: Non-parametric and parametric tests were used to explain the variability of these factors across types of websites and to assess associations between website quality and information coverage.

It's for your benefit: exploring patients' opinions about the inclusion of textual and numerical benefit information in medicine leaflets.

Objectives: To explore consumers' beliefs and preferences for benefit information in medicine leaflets and examine their understanding and reaction to treatment benefits.

Methods: Forty-five participants were recruited to eight focus groups, run concurrently in Australia (23 participants in four groups) and the UK (22 participants in four groups). Participants were provided with amended leaflets based on the medicine clopidogrel, containing textual and numerical benefit information presented using numbers needed to treat (NNT).

Suits you? A qualitative study exploring preferences regarding the tailoring of consumer medicines information.

Objectives: To explore participants' opinions and preferences on tailored written medicines information.

Methods: Forty-five participants were recruited to eight focus groups, run concurrently in Australia (23 participants in four groups) and the UK (22 participants in four groups). Participants were provided with exemplar leaflets for a cardiovascular medicine based on the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor ramipril, which was tailored for a man aged 55 with hypertension.

The development of evidence based guidelines for clinical practice portfolios.

Aims: Although the use of portfolios is widespread within healthcare education, agreement on their purpose, content, assessment and value is still debated. The objective of this study was to achieve consensus on quality criteria for clinical practice portfolios that would act as guidance for students and lecturers.

Methods: A Delphi survey was undertaken to seek consensus on the opinions of 23 'expert participants' through a series of rounds of structured questionnaires.

Pilot testing of guidelines to support good practice in the development of professional portfolios.

Aims: The aims of this study were to evaluate whether the introduction of new evidence based portfolio guidelines helped students and assessors to understand the expectations for completion of a clinical practice portfolio, and whether this understanding resulted in the submission of evidence consistent with the guidelines.

Methods: New evidence based portfolio guidelines were introduced to an undergraduate BSc (Hons) Radiography (Diagnostic) programme. A total of 134 students completed 12 item questionnaires relating to using the portfolio guidelines.

Learning for real life: patient-focused interprofessional workshops offer added value.

Objectives: This paper reports relevant findings of a pilot interprofessional education (IPE) project in the Schools of Medicine and Healthcare Studies at the University of Leeds. The purpose of the paper is to make a contribution towards answering 2 questions of fundamental importance to the development of IPE. Is there a demonstrable value to learning together? What types of IPE, under what circumstances, produce what type of outcomes?

Design: Pre-registration house officers (PRHOs), student nurses and pre-registration pharmacists attended a series of 3 workshops intended to develop participants' understanding about each other's professional roles, to enhance teamworking and to develop communication skills.