Assessment of a Faculty and Preceptor Development Intervention to Foster Self-Awareness and Self-Confidence.

To conduct and evaluate the outcomes of a pharmacy faculty and preceptor development program to foster self-awareness and self-confidence. A faculty and preceptor development intervention was implemented in a multi-campus college of pharmacy to promote and assess for improvements in self-awareness and self-confidence. Faculty members and preceptors were surveyed regarding their self-perceptions and confidence at baseline and following an intervention in which they completed the Birkman Method self-assessment and participated in a training program with an active-learning component.

A sustainable business model for comprehensive medication management in a patient-centered medical home.

Objectives: To develop a sustainable business model for pharmacist-provided comprehensive medication management services in a patient-centered medical home. Secondarily, to evaluate the impact that the pharmacist had on clinical (glycosylated hemoglobin [A1C], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], and blood pressure) and economic (physician productivity and cost avoidance) outcomes.

Practice Description: This pilot project took place at the Palmetto Primary Care Physicians Trident office in North Charleston, South Carolina, from October 2013 to September 2014.

Massive open online courses in U.S. healthcare education: Practical considerations and lessons learned from implementation.

Background And Purpose: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offer an innovative approach to pharmacy education and are expected to challenge traditional pedagogy and foundational knowledge acquisition practices. A survey of the literature reveals no current publications describing implementation of MOOCs in pharmacy education and limited information about MOOC implementation in other healthcare disciplines in the United States.

Educational Activity And Setting: A few colleges of pharmacy (COPs) and other health professions' educational programs have recently started offering MOOCs.

Community pharmacist-delivered Medicare Annual Wellness Visits within a family medicine practice.

Objective: To identify the steps to implement a community pharmacist into a family medicine practice to deliver Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs).

Setting: Medicine Mart Pharmacy is a locally owned and operated pharmacy that has served the West Columbia, SC, area for over 30 years. The services offered by the pharmacy have expanded over the past 3 years through the addition of a community pharmacy resident.

Impact of the Birkman Method Assessment on Pharmacy Student Self-Confidence, Self-Perceptions, and Self-Awareness.

To identify changes in pharmacy student self-confidence, self-perceptions, and self-awareness after completing the Birkman Method assessment and training program. Survey tools were developed to evaluate students at baseline and following the co-curricular Birkman Method program. Following IRB approval, students participating in the Birkman Method program were recruited for enrollment in this survey-based study.

What are the latest recommendations for pneumococcal vaccines?

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently updated its guidelines on pneumococcal pneumonia vaccines for older adults. The new guidelines recommend that patients age 65 years and older receive the PCV13 vaccine in a series along with the PPSV23 vaccine. This article summarizes these changes along with a review of when to vaccinate other key adult populations.