Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment Status Change for Practicing Pharmacists.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in health care workers experiencing temporary or permanent changes in employment due to layoffs, quits, and postpandemic increased job demand. Analyzing the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with employment changes and results of changes for practicing pharmacists and understanding the associations with demographic and work-related factors could inform practice, policy, and educational programs. This study aimed to explore the frequency, characteristics, and results of employment status changes (ESCs) experienced by pharmacists practicing pharmacy in March 2020 (ie, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment Status Change for Practicing Pharmacists.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in health care workers experiencing temporary or permanent changes in employment due to layoffs, quits, and postpandemic increased job demand. Analyzing the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with employment changes and results of changes for practicing pharmacists and understanding the associations with demographic and work-related factors could inform practice, policy, and educational programs. This study aimed to explore the frequency, characteristics, and results of employment status changes (ESCs) experienced by pharmacists practicing pharmacy in March 2020 (ie, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment Status Change for Practicing Pharmacists.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in health care workers experiencing temporary or permanent changes in employment due to layoffs, quits, and postpandemic increased job demand. Analyzing the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with employment changes and results of changes for practicing pharmacists and understanding the associations with demographic and work-related factors could inform practice, policy, and educational programs. This study aimed to explore the frequency, characteristics, and results of employment status changes (ESCs) experienced by pharmacists practicing pharmacy in March 2020 (ie, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Reprint of: Impact of outpatient pharmacist dispensing in an opioid use disorder clinic.

Background: Medications for opioid use disorder are effective in reducing opioid deaths, but access can be an issue. Relocating an outpatient pharmacist for weekly buprenorphine dispensing in an outpatient clinic may facilitate coverage for buprenorphine and mitigate access and counseling barriers.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate whether staffing an outpatient resident pharmacist to dispense in the buprenorphine clinic had a positive impact on (1) mean cost per prescription charged to charity care and (2) basic elements of patient satisfaction with the on-site pharmacist.

Is it time to stop counting on saturation in pharmacy research? Ideas for a new way forward.

The concept of saturation is commonly mentioned in pharmacy research, but there has been recent debate among the applied qualitative research community that challenges the appropriateness of this construct for many qualitative research efforts. This begins by describing the origins of saturation as a grounded theory construct and discusses how saturation is currently being used. Three challenges are discussed related to the use of saturation in pharmacy related to the epistemological, methodological, and practical use of saturation by pharmacy researchers and how they relate to the goals and reporting quality of pharmacy practice research The commentary describes how the concept of information power and established guidance on analysis quality can better justify sample size inform decisions about when to cease further data collection, hopefully increasing the transparency of reporting and supporting rigorous and coherent analyses.

Evaluation of an enhanced depression and anxiety screening with targeted pharmacist intervention.

Background: Depression is a major source of morbidity but often goes undiagnosed. Broader screening is recommended, and pharmacists could contribute.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of community pharmacy depression and anxiety screening and describe the medication-related problems (MRPs) identified, pharmacist interventions, and provider responses for high-risk patients.

Nurse judgements of hospitalized patients' safety concerns are affected by patient, nurse and event characteristics: A factorial survey experiment.

Aim: To test the influences of patient, safety event and nurse characteristics on nurse judgements of credibility, importance and intent to report patients' safety concerns.

Design: Factorial survey experiment.

Methods: A total of 240 nurses were recruited and completed an online survey including demographic information and responses to eight factorial vignettes consisting of unique combinations of eight patient and event factors.

Impact of outpatient pharmacist dispensing in an opioid use disorder clinic.

Background: Medications for opioid use disorder are effective in reducing opioid deaths, but access can be an issue. Relocating an outpatient pharmacist for weekly buprenorphine dispensing in an outpatient clinic may facilitate coverage for buprenorphine and mitigate access and counseling barriers.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate whether staffing an outpatient resident pharmacist to dispense in the buprenorphine clinic had a positive impact on (1) mean cost per prescription charged to charity care and (2) basic elements of patient satisfaction with the on-site pharmacist.

Evaluation of an enhanced depression and anxiety screening with targeted pharmacist intervention.

Background: Depression is a major source of morbidity but often goes undiagnosed. Broader screening is recommended, and pharmacists could contribute.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of community pharmacy depression and anxiety screening and describe the medication-related problems (MRPs) identified, pharmacist interventions, and provider responses for high-risk patients.

Identifying Services Provided in Community Pharmacy Practice Settings.

To better address their patients' needs, community pharmacists are expanding from their traditional role of dispensing to managing medications and providing other care. This study characterized services reported by pharmacists practicing in community pharmacy settings in the 2019 National Pharmacist Workforce Study (NPWS). The 2019 NPWS was conducted via an online survey.

An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Student Pharmacist Perspectives on Leadership.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to (1) explore student pharmacists' knowledge and perceptions of leadership characteristics and behaviors, and (2) identify where students have opportunities to observe and exhibit leadership.

Methods: Data were collected from 32 students participating in a pharmacy leadership elective. Students submitted reflections about leadership definitions, characteristics, observations of leadership, and times when they felt like a leader.

Perspectives of Professionalism, Self-Awareness, Leadership, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship From Experiential Education Preceptors.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to (1) quantify the perceived importance of and comfort with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standard 4 (ACPE-S4) key elements, (2) describe how preceptors promote and assess key elements, and (3) describe preceptor perceptions of student key element skill demonstration.

Methods: This study used a cross-sectional electronic survey to assess experiential education preceptors' perceptions of ACPE-S4 key elements. The survey consisted of 2 item categories, with 5 and 15 items included to collect information on preceptor demographics and ACPE-S4 key elements, respectively.

A Qualitative Exploration of ACPE Standard 4 Key Elements From the Perspective of Student Pharmacists.

Objective: Attitudes and skills reflecting the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standard 4 (ACPE-S4) remain an important component of pharmacy education. The objectives of this study were (1) explore student perspectives on the importance of ACPE-S4 key elements, and (2) identify experiences that students described as supporting ACPE-S4 attitude and skill development.

Methods: This was a qualitative study using focus groups and dyadic interviews with student pharmacists to collect data on ACPE-S4 key element importance and skill acquisition.

Examining the case for direct contracting: A multistakeholder case study.

Background: Employers and pharmacies are challenged by a complex system for prescription payment. Cost plus direct contracts for prescriptions and bundled services may yield benefits.

Objectives: This study aimed to (1) explore direct contracting using multistakeholder interviews, (2) compare employer costs and employee copays for 6 months of prescription charges under their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) with projected costs under a pharmacy direct contract, (3) project pharmacy revenue, costs, and net profit had these prescriptions been processed through the direct contract, and (4) assess employee satisfaction under the direct contract.

Integration in mixed-methods studies: existing practices, considerations and recommendations for pharmacy research.

Mixed methods research is increasingly used to investigate complex issues in health and healthcare. Purposeful integration of the qualitative and quantitative strands has a significant potential to yield insights that exceed the value of a study's constituent qualitative and quantitative components alone. The philosophical foundations of mixed methods in pragmatism support the importance of integration as a focus of designing and conducting mixed methods research.

The association between cost sharing, prior authorization, and specialty drug utilization: A systematic review.

Specialty drugs are identified by high monthly costs and complexity of administration. Payers use utilization management strategies, including prior authorization and separate tiers with higher cost sharing, to control spending. These strategies can negatively impact patients' health outcomes through treatment initiation delays, medication abandonment, and nonadherence.

"There Is Method to This Madness" A Qualitative Investigation of Home Medication Management by Older Adults.

Objectives: This paper explores (1) the systems and processes older adults use to manage medications at home, and (2) the well-being goals of personal interest that motivate them.

Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted in the homes of 12 older adults in a small city in the Midwest United States. Interviews were analyzed using inductive template analysis.

What drives job satisfaction among community pharmacists? An application of relative importance analysis.

Background: Pharmacy employers want to improve pharmacists' job satisfaction, but ratings of job satisfaction are highly subjective, as evaluating job satisfaction involves weighing simultaneously the importance of multiple correlated determinants that are often perceived unequally.

Objectives: To 1) describe the application of relative importance analysis in estimating the predictive ability of correlated determinants of job satisfaction, and to rank the determinants in order of relative importance, and 2) explore how the perceived relative importance of job satisfaction predictors may vary across community pharmacists' age, gender, and work setting categories.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 2019 National Pharmacy Workforce Survey administered to 96,110 licensed U.

Journey Mapping Healthcare Worker Experience With Heart Rhythm Meditation.

Background: Levels of stress and burnout continue to rise amongst healthcare workers. In addition to systemic and institution-level changes to healthcare practice environments, well-being interventions, resources, and support to assist healthcare providers are necessary. Meditation practices like Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM) may provide benefits to healthcare workers, but healthcare worker experiences with HRM are not well understood.

Hepatitis C screening in a community pharmacy setting: Patient perspective.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an infection of the liver, which contributes to over 15,000 deaths in the United States annually. When treated, HCV has a 90% or greater cure rate, however testing for HCV remains low.

Objectives: To assess patient perspectives on HCV screenings in the community pharmacy setting including awareness of screening, willingness to be screened, barriers to screening, and willingness to pay for HCV screening.

Barriers to Increasing Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Use: A Multidisciplinary Perspective.

Prescription drug monitoring programs are implemented through individual state policies and are one solution to curb the opioid crisis. The objectives of this study are to: (1) describe the multidisciplinary experiences using this program in practice; (2) identify limitations of the program and the desired features for improvement; and (3) characterize expectations for improved access when prescription drug monitoring programs are embedded in the electronic health record. A qualitative descriptive study design used semistructured interviews of 15 multidisciplinary healthcare providers.

Patient preferences and willingness-to-pay for community pharmacy-led Medicare Part D consultation services: A discrete choice experiment.

Introduction: Community pharmacies currently offer Medicare Part D consultation services, often at no-cost. Despite facilitating plan-switching behavior, identifying potential cost-savings, and increasing medication adherence, patient uptake of these services remains low.

Objectives: To investigate patient preferences for specific service-offering attributes and marginal willingness-to-pay (mWTP) for an enhanced community pharmacy Medicare Part D consultation service.

Medicare Part D plan-selection experience: qualitative findings from a national cross-sectional survey.

Background: A variety of services exit to assist eligible beneficiaries select Medicare Part D insurance plans; however, selecting an optimal plan remains a challenge. While patients would benefit from evaluating and switching their Medicare Part D plan on a yearly basis, few choose to do so.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the Medicare Part D plan selection experience across all US states.

Evaluation of medication disposal behaviors after counseling by a community pharmacist and provision of a home medication disposal kit.

Objectives: To evaluate providing an at-home medication disposal kit on opioid disposal behaviors. Self-report of prior disposal behaviors also was assessed to describe the sample.

Design: Pilot study with randomization.