Publications by authors named "Naomi Weier"
Article Synopsis
- Pharmacists play a crucial role in hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) but often feel a lack of confidence that limits their contributions.
- This study aimed to identify factors affecting pharmacists' self-perceived confidence and validate a survey tool to assess this confidence using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
- Results indicated that time spent working in AMS positively influenced confidence, while perceived barriers had a negative effect, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to improve pharmacists' confidence in AMS roles.
Article Synopsis
- Pharmacists play a crucial role in hospital antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) teams, and a standardized survey tool was developed to assess their confidence and practices internationally.
- The survey underwent multiple revisions based on feedback from experts, reducing its length from 72 to 42 questions while maintaining relevance and clarity.
- This finalized survey tool will facilitate local studies on AMS practices among hospital pharmacists and enable comparisons across regions, ultimately helping to enhance quality improvement initiatives in the field.
Article Synopsis
- A new Pharmacy Asthma Service (PAS) was created to improve asthma management in community pharmacies, integrating technology to provide personalized consultations.* -
- A study was conducted with 95 pharmacies in Australia, where adults with poorly controlled asthma either received the PAS with four pharmacist consultations or the usual practice with minimal intervention.* -
- Both groups saw improvements in asthma control, but the PAS group demonstrated a significantly better quality of life, highlighting its potential benefits over standard care.*
Article Synopsis
- Community pharmacists need advanced knowledge and skills to provide optimal asthma care, which is addressed through a newly developed multi-mode education program.
- The education program includes five online modules and a practical skills review, designed collaboratively with asthma and pharmacy organizations, to enhance pharmacists' clinical knowledge.
- Evaluations showed high ratings from the 97 participating pharmacists, indicating that the program effectively prepared them to improve asthma care, though initial competency in device techniques was lacking.
Article Synopsis
- Healthcare professionals are increasingly expected to lead antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives, emphasizing the need for specialized training in complex healthcare settings.
- A study identified 48 AMS training programs recognized by clinicians, with only 44.4% of respondents aware of available options, highlighting a gap in knowledge, especially among medical doctors compared to pharmacists.
- Common barriers to participating in AMS training include high costs and limited recognition by health professional societies, suggesting a need for greater access and awareness to enhance AMS education.
Background: Hospital pharmacists are an integral part of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes globally. Currently, little is known as to how hospital pharmacists see their role and involvement within the AMS framework.
Objectives: To assess the current level of involvement of Australian and French hospital pharmacists in AMS programmes and identify barriers limiting their involvement in AMS.
Article Synopsis
- Inappropriate use of antimicrobials significantly contributes to antimicrobial resistance, with a lack of tools to assess medical students' knowledge and confidence in infectious diseases (ID) compared to other areas like cardiovascular diseases.* -
- A survey conducted in 2015 among final year medical students in Australia revealed they felt less educated and confident in infectious diseases (72.5%) than in cardiovascular diseases (91.3%), with correct answers leaning towards cardiovascular questions (78% vs. 45% for ID).* -
- The study highlights the need for improved education and training in antimicrobial prescribing for medical students to enhance their knowledge and confidence in infectious diseases.*
Article Synopsis
- The placenta plays a crucial role in pregnancy by metabolizing certain substances and influencing drug transport to the fetus, which can have significant clinical implications.* -
- While some drugs are designed to benefit the fetus when administered to the mother, others may pose risks to fetal development if they cross the placenta.* -
- Further research on drug metabolism and transport in the placenta is necessary, though studies are often limited due to ethical concerns with testing on pregnant women, leading to reliance on animal models that may not fully replicate human conditions.*