Through the Lens of Societal Norms and Experiences: Students' Conceptualization of Patient Case Data When Diversity is Apparent.

Objective: There are increasing calls to improve the representation of diversity within case-based learning materials, yet it is unclear how students interpret the inclusion of diversity data when synthesizing case information. The objective of this study was to determine factors that influence students' interpretation of written case data for visualization of a patient case.

Methods: This was a qualitative study using interviews.

Informing inclusive and affirmative hospital pharmacy services for 2SLGBTQ+ patients.

Purpose: Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (2SLGBTQ+) people disproportionally experience health disparities, and hospital pharmacists, given their accessibility and expertise in medication management, are ideally positioned to provide care to this vulnerable population. This study investigated the barriers and facilitators faced by hospital pharmacists when providing care to 2SLGBTQ+ patients, with the goal of informing enhancement of quality care provided to these patients.

Methods: A mixed-methods triangulation design was utilized, comprising an online survey and qualitative interviews with Canadian hospital pharmacists.

A Scoping Review of Interprofessional Education Training Aimed to Improve 2SLGBTQ+ Health.

Objectives: This scoping review aims to identify and summarize the available literature on 2-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus (2SLGBTQ+) interprofessional health education and to identify optimal methods of interprofessional training to improve health care professional competency for this patient population.

Methods: A search of PubMed and Embase was conducted and supplemented with a manual search of reference lists from identified articles. Articles were included if they reported an interprofessional education event on the topic of 2SLGBTQ+ health to at least 2 or more groups of health care professionals or students.

A systematic review of the treatment of active anogenital warts with human papillomavirus vaccines.

Background: Anogenital warts (AGWs) caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) are a common manifestation of HPV infection. Treatment strategies generally include topical therapies to promote wart regression or removal through surgical or other means. These strategies are effective but are associated with high rates of recurrence.

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

Background: Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) remain an integral part of pharmacy education. This study aimed to characterize key researchers, areas, and themes in pharmacy education OSCEs using a bibliometric review with content analysis.

Methods: A bibliometric review was conducted on literature from over 23 years from January 2000 to May 2023.

The burden of an identity: Coping strategies for sexual and gender minority individuals in pharmacy practice.

Purpose: Sexual or gender minority (SGM) individuals are known to experience stigma and discrimination in pharmacy settings. It is also known that SGM individuals may delay or avoid care in pharmacies due to the stress associated with these experiences. Aside from avoidance, however, little is known about how SGM individuals cope with stigma and discrimination and how their coping strategies may influence their healthcare behaviors.

New Zealand pharmacists' views regarding the current prescribing courses: questionnaire survey.

Introduction New Zealand pharmacists must complete a joint prescribing course offered by Otago and Auckland universities only, to be qualified as pharmacist prescribers. Aim To identify knowledge and perceptions of New Zealand registered pharmacists, who are not pharmacist prescribers, on: pharmacist prescribing roles, courses and perceived barriers and facilitators to course uptake. Methods Participants comprised registered practising New Zealand pharmacists (n  = 4025), across all New Zealand regions.

Born This Way: Integrating LGBTQIA+ Identities as Pharmacy Practitioners.

Progression through the profession of pharmacy is filled with many milestones that can contribute to feelings of stress, rejection, and isolation. For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual+(LGBTQIA+) students and practitioners, these feelings can be compounded by similar issues experienced by their sexual orientation or gender identity. Historically, LGBTQIA+ students, new practitioners, and seasoned professionals alike have lacked visible role models for how to intersect personal and professional identity in the pharmacy profession.

Improving equity of services for sexually transmitted infections through community pharmacies: A scoping review.

Background: Pharmacists have the potential to improve care for marginalized populations. Stigmatized and racialized groups may not find traditional health services accessible in other settings. Research focused on health care access for these populations is fundamental in understanding how to improve health equity.

Target users' acceptance of a pharmacist-led prescribing service for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a highly effective way to reduce virus transmission. There have been increasing calls to improve access to PrEP in Canada. One way to improve access is by having more prescribers available.

The Impact of Moving Beyond Intersection to Integration of LGBTQIA+ Identities on Professional Identity Affirmation.

There have been active calls within pharmacy education literature for the profession to work toward dismantling systemic oppression by elevating the voices of commonly underrepresented and marginalized communities, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual(LGBTQIA+) community. There has also been a simultaneously growing interest in understanding how the intersection of one's personal identity with one's professional identity may help to foster greater affirmation within the profession. However, what has not been explored is how intersecting personal and professional identities may enhance the strength of one's LGBTQIA+ identity and therefore result in creating cultures of affirmation in addition to meaningful participation in professional advocacy.

Don't Forget About the Identifiers.

There has been a sharp increase in curricular programming that addresses the health needs of sexually and gender diverse (LGBTQIA+) individuals. Although this is a positive step forward for the academy, there is a need to address the impact of these sessions on LGBTQIA+ identifying students both inside and outside the classroom. The aim of this commentary is to provide strategies that may help to minimize stress processes for identifying students within and outside the classroom when developing, delivering, and providing feedback on content for LGBTQIA+ health.

Messaging preferences for the role of pharmacists in pharmacy education recruitment material.

Introduction: Applications to pharmacy programs are declining worldwide. Previous research suggests that positioning of recruitment material according to prospective students' preferences may increase interest in the profession and entry-to-practice programs. The aim of this study was to determine messaging preferences for the role of the pharmacist.

Raising voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ patients: The intersection of minority stress and systemic oppression in pharmacy practice.

Background: Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, and other sex, sexual, and gender identities (2SLGBTQIA+) experience minority stress processes in pharmacy settings. Processes may be distal (objective prejudicial events) or proximal (subjective internalized feelings) and lead to delay or avoidance of care. The nature of these experiences in pharmacies and ways to reduce occurrence is largely unknown.

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

Background: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people may avoid or delay health care interactions. The minority stress model describes distal (discrimination, violence) and proximal (expectation of rejection, concealment, internalized self-dislike) stress processes as possible contributors to the health disparities and avoidance behaviors observed when encountered in health care settings. Pharmacies are accessible health care settings, yet the extent to which SGM individuals experience minority stress processes while using services at the pharmacies is unknown.

Pharmacy postgraduate education transformation: pharmacist preferences for microcredentials.

Objectives: To explore micro-credentialing for postgraduate study in pharmacy practice.

Methods: An online survey of practicing or intern pharmacists in New Zealand was designed to identify learner preferences for education, determine interest and demand for microcredentials and elicit preferred 'willingness-to-pay' thresholds.

Key Findings: A total of 430 responses were obtained.

Mental effort in the assessment of critical reflection: Implications for assessment quality and scoring.

Introduction: Critical reflection is a mainstay in the training of health professionals, yet assessment of reflection is commonly described as difficult, taxing, and resulting in inconsistent scoring across assessors. At the same time, there is evidence from experiential and simulation settings that assessors' mental effort may explain assessor variability, which could be a target for simplifications in assessment design. Assessors' mental effort for assessment of reflection is currently unknown.

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

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) play a big role in minimizing antimicrobial resistance. Pharmacists are essential members of the health care team and in order for them to fulfill roles on ASP teams and become antimicrobial stewards, they must be prepared adequately by pharmacy schools prior to entry into actual practice. Although programming has been implemented into entry-to-practice programs worldwide, little is known about how students interpret antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) data and arrive at clinical decisions.

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

Background: Remote online assessments require students to construct their own assessment environments, including selection of strategies (such as the use of music) to reduce stress. This study aimed to determine the impact of self-selected music on student performance during a remote online assessment and to identify factors important for constructing ideal assessment environments.

Methods: Final year students were randomized to complete a voluntary remote online 2-hour care plan test.

The use of a modified Delphi technique to develop a critical appraisal tool for clinical pharmacokinetic studies.

Background: Critical appraisal aids in assessing the quality of scientific literature, which is central to the practice of evidence-based medicine. Several tools and guidelines are available for critiquing and assessing the quality of specific study types. However, limited guidance exists for critical appraisal of clinical pharmacokinetic studies.