bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hay fever symptoms and over-the-counter remedies: a community pharmacy study
Authors: Grewar J , MacDonald T M 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
There is poor understanding of patients' perceptions of hay fever symptoms, the factors which motivate them to purchase particular products and what properties they deem desirable in a remedy. This study aimed to increase understanding of patients' perceptions of hay fever symptoms and to investigate their perceptions of five non-sedating oral antihistamine products and a corticosteroid nasal spray. A sample of 249 patients was recruited from community pharmacies from June to August, 1995. Of these, 139 (56 per cent) returned questionnaires, of which 124 were valid for analysis. The most common symptoms experienced were nasal and ocular. The most common early warning sign of hay fever was sneezing (75; 21 per cent). Forty-three subjects (35 per cent) indicated there was less than half an hour between the first sign of an attack and developing all symptoms, and 87 (70 per cent) reported developing all symptoms in under two hours. For 45 subjects (36 per cent) the worst period for the attack was the morning. The most common way of treating a hay fever attack was by taking a remedy at the first sign of hay fever (70; 56 per cent). Seventy-six (61 per cent) used the remedy once daily and 120 (96 per cent) once or twice daily. Eighty-five (69 per cent) used the remedy every day of the week during an attack. A reduction in sneezing was the most common indicator that the remedy was working (50; 21 per cent). The most common reason for purchasing a remedy was the pharmacist's recommendation (45; 33 per cent). The most common reason for acquiring the remedy by over-the-counter (OTC) purchase was that it was more convenient than consulting a general medical practitioner (GP) (77; 42 per cent). The most common reason for liking a particular remedy was that it gave fast relief (35; 21 per cent). The most common reason for disliking a remedy was that it was expensive (21; 28 per cent). Most patients (108; 87 per cent) were either “very” or “fairly” satisfied with their remedy. The top three most important desired properties of an “ideal” hay fever remedy were that it was fast acting, gave long lasting relief and did not cause drowsiness.
Pharmacy students' experiences of the contents of pharmacy education: a phenomenological study
Authors: Rothmann J C , Gerber J J , Lubbe M S , Sieberhagen G V der M , Rothmann S 
Published: February 2011

AbstractEducation is high on the agenda of national priorities in South Africa. The changing health care environment in South Africa presents various opportunities and threats to the pharmacy student and his or her training institution. Although a new learner-centred education paradigm is needed to ensure the quality of education, it seems that training institutions are not yet ready to implement such a paradigm. In South Africa, little research has been carried out regarding the facilitation of professional and personal growth as experienced by the student. Twenty-six students at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education were selected randomly from a population comprising the 104 fourth year pharmacy students, after stratifying the population in terms of sex and academic performance. A qualitative measuring instrument, based on the phenomenological paradigm, was used to determine students' perceptions of the education and practice of pharmacy. Content analysis was used to analyse, quantify and interpret the research data. The students in this study felt that problems were experienced with some subjects, curriculum overload was experienced, subjects were not practically orientated, and some important topics (eg, people skills, and cultural aspects) were not included in the curriculum. Sex and academic performance influenced students' experience of some aspects of the contents of the pharmacy degree course.
No-Blame Medication Administration Error Reporting by Nursing Staff at a Teaching Hospital in Australia
Authors: McNally Karen M , Sunderland V Bruce 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
The medication administration error rate on a surgical ward in an Australian teaching hospital was determined using a “no-blame” self-reporting method. The self-reported error rate using the existing ward stock (WS) drug distribution system was determined over a 23-day period. After the ward underwent a number of interventions designed using failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), a method of systems analysis employed to assess a process and identify problem areas that might lead to errors, the “no-blame” self-reported error rate was again assessed, over a 31-day period. The no-blame aspect of the study was emphasised during all education sessions prior to the study commencing. All reports, made on a simple form designed specifically for the study, were reviewed and collated by a pharmacist in a non-punitive manner. During the WS phase of the study, 182 errors were reported, compared with 170 in the FMEA phase. The error rate was 3.3 per cent of doses administered for the WS system and 2.3 per cent for the FMEA system. The difference between the two phases was found to be significant (P&lt;0.001). These results show an error rate less than that previously found using a direct observation technique. However, used in conjunction with the disguised-observer technique, the no-blame self-reporting method may be a useful part of a continuous error detection process in hospitals.
Reducing Adverse Prescribing Discrepancies Following Hospital Discharge
Authors: Duggan Catherine , Feldman Roger , Hough Jane , Bates Ian 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
General medical patients from an east London teaching hospital were recruited into intervention and comparison groups. Those recruited into the intervention group were given a copy of a letter listing their drugs prescribed at discharge and asked to give it to their regular community pharmacist when they went to obtain their prescribed drugs following hospital discharge. A comparison group returned home without a letter for their community pharmacist. Recruited patients were visited in their own homes once their community supply of drugs had been obtained. The frequency of all discrepancies between the prescribed drugs were compared for both groups. A consensus panel judged the importance of the discrepancies observed. The numbers deemed as clinically significant were compared for both groups, as the effect of the intervention. The 501 patients followed up (264 in the intervention group and 237 in the comparison group) were prescribed 2,736 drugs. The number of unintentional discrepancies observed was lower for the intervention group (32.2 per cent, 454/1,408) than for the comparison group (52.7 per cent, 700/1,328) (chi-squared 117.38, P&lt;0.001). The number of discrepancies judged to have a definite adverse effect was lower in the intervention group (1.6 per cent, 23/1,408) than in the comparison group (3.1 per cent, 41/1,328) (chi-squared 6.32, P&lt;0.01).
Discharging 19 patients with such information to take to their community pharmacist would result in the prevention of one unintentional discrepancy having a definite adverse effect. Providing community pharmacists with a copy of patients' discharge summaries is an effective method of reducing unintentional discrepancies, with measurable patient benefit.
Serving multi-ethnic populations: measuring the cultural sensitivity of pharmacy interns in New York City
Authors: Agrawal Madhu , Sause Robert 
Published: February 2011

AbstractThe cultural sensitivity of pharmacy interns in New York City towards issues associated with serving multi-ethnic populations was examined and measured. Cultural sensitivity included areas such as ability to speak/understand the local language, an understanding of the health needs and problems of different cultural groups and the desire to help patients of different ethnic backgrounds. In general, the 108 pharmacy interns who answered the survey instrument appeared to recognise the importance for practising pharmacists to be sensitive to the needs of ethnic populations. The interns felt that medication compliance, pharmacist-patient relationship, patient satisfaction, patient trust and ability to understand over-the-counter directions would be greater if the pharmacist could speak the language and understand the culture of the customer population. Pharmacy interns of ethnic background and those with multilingual capabilities were found to exhibit greater cultural sensitivity. The results should be useful to educators in preparing future pharmacists for the profession.
Pharmacists' and pre-registration pharmacy graduates' views of proxy consultations
Authors: Weiss Marjorie C , Cantrill Judith A , Nguyen Huong Ly 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Proxy consultations, when a customer seeks advice or requests a medicine on behalf of someone else, account for up to one-third of all visits to a community pharmacy. A combined qualitative and quantitative approach was taken to explore pharmacy staff perceptions, and management of, proxy consultations and the use of protocols. Based upon the results of 12 qualitative interviews, a postal questionnaire was designed and sent to 100 randomly selected community pharmacists and 100 pre-registration pharmacy graduates. Fifty-five pharmacists and 44 pre-registration pharmacy graduates (49.5 per cent overall) completed the questionnaire.
Respondents cited lack of information about the patient concerning their clinical condition, symptoms or medication as particular difficulties when managing proxy consultations. Respondents offered nine strategies for coping with proxy consultations, including checking the patient medication record, obtaining additional information from the proxy customer and ringing the patient directly. Eighty-six respondents (88 per cent) thought they were more cautious when selling medicines to proxy customers. Most respondents (N=69) felt that their protocols took account of proxy customers although the majority (N=91) also thought they had to be flexible when using protocols in proxy consultations. Proxy consultations are an area of practice which merit future pharmacy practice research.
Extending the role of community pharmacists: the views of GPs
Authors: Bleiker Philip , Lewis Anthony 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
A Questionnaire-based postal survey was used to ascertain views of general practitioners (GPs) on community pharmacists and an extension of their role. The questionnaire included attitude scales and open-ended questions. It was sent to the 368 GPs of the South and West Devon health commission area. There was an 81.2 per cent response rate. The questionnaire attained adequate internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha = 0.87). Non-responders differed from responders only in that non-responders were more likely to be in urban than rural practices. Eighty-four per cent of respondents agreed that “Pharmacists as first point of contact for many people are ideally placed to provide health education;” 19 per cent agreed that “Pharmacists should stick to dispensing and not venture into other areas of medicine;” 27 per cent would accept a pharmacist as a partner in their practice; 31 per cent felt that pharmacies should usually be located within medical practices; and 30 per cent felt that “Pharmacists are too influenced by commercial pressures to give unbiased advice about minor illness.” Eighty-one per cent of respondents agreed to pharmacists monitoring repeat prescriptions while 14 per cent agreed to pharmacists running lithium management clinics. Respondents expressed a desire for more communication and involvement of pharmacists in the primary health team. Concerns were expressed about accountability, training and the problems of favouring one pharmacy over another. We conclude that GPs have a positive attitude towards community pharmacists, their inclusion into the primary health care team and an extension of their role in relation to medicines, but there was little support for the idea of pharmacists undertaking screening and running therapeutic monitoring clinics.
Health care professionals' views on hospital pharmacist prescribing in the United Kingdom
Authors: Child Damian , Hirsch Christine , Berry Michael 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
The published evidence supports a multidisciplinary approach to drug therapy management. Pharmacist prescribing has already been introduced successfully in the United States, with good clinical outcome measures and high levels of doctor and patient satisfaction. In our study, questionnaires were sent to 195 doctors, 200 nurses and all 87 pharmacists working at five hospitals in Birmingham, to identify attitudes towards pharmacist-written prescriptions and pharmacist prescribing. The combined response rate was 57.5 per cent. Few doctors (4.3 per cent) and nurses (5.2 per cent) responding had any experience of prescriptions written by a pharmacist, but all of those with such experience agreed that they had found it helpful. Support for pharmacist-written prescriptions and pharmacist prescribing ranged from 43.6 per cent to 94 per cent, depending on the scenario described and the profession of the responder. Overall, a high proportion (78.7 per cent to 86.1 per cent) of doctors and nurses responding agreed that it would be useful if pharmacists were permitted to write prescriptions and prescribe drug treatment, though a majority believed that this should only include pharmacists with postgraduate education/training and routinely attached to the clinical area in question. Important issues identified as possible barriers to pharmacist prescribing in the UK include pharmacist willingness to accept this new role, education/training, familiarity with the patient, communication between health care professionals, professional and legal accountability and resource implications. If further training/education was made available for those who felt a need for it, 98.5 per cent of pharmacists stated that they would be happy to write prescriptions for existing therapy, and 95.5 per cent would also be happy to initiate/prescribe drug treatment. The future role of the hospital pharmacist in drug therapy management is explored. The perceived barriers to the introduction of pharmacist prescribing are not insurmountable. If tackled appropriately, the introduction of pharmacist-written prescriptions and pharmacist prescribing is likely to prove a valuable contribution to patient care.
Late responders and non-responders to a postal survey questionnaire: analysis of potential further response and non-response bias
Authors: Sheridan Janie , Strang John 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of further mailshots on response rates to a postal survey, and to determine the extent of non-responder bias. A questionnaire on services to drug misusers was mailed to a random sample of one in four community pharmacies in England and Wales (2,654), stratified by family health services authority, followed by three further mailshots to non-responders. The remaining non-responders were contacted by telephone and asked to participate in a brief telephone interview. The addition of the fourth mailshot increased the response rate by only 4.8 per cent overall. Responses to key variables (demographics, participation in service provision) were not significantly different when comparing response to mailshots 1–3 with the fourth mailshot. Responses to the telephone survey succeeded in increasing the overall response rate to 98.4 per cent. These postal non-responders (ie, those responding to the telephone survey) were significantly different from those who responded to the postal survey in the extent of their service involvement, with postal responders being more involved in dispensing Controlled Drugs than telephone responders (50.1 per cent and 39.2 per cent, respectively) and provision of needle exchange (18.9 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively).
The use of additional mailshots to improve response rate may not be useful in increasing the generalisability of findings. However, persistent non-responders to postal mailshots were found to differ significantly from responders. If extrapolation to the whole population is deemed valuable, telephone follow-up of non-responders allows for the detection of any non-responder bias, and allows subsequent corrections to be made to postal survey responses.
Practice research: an international update
Authors: Savage I T 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
The biennial social pharmacy workshops provide a forum for practice research from around the world. This report of the 10th meeting, held in Leuven, Belgium, from August 25 to 28, is a British view of some of the work underway in other countries. Sadly, the Russian pharmacists who had intended to present work on economic aspects of rational medicines use were not, after all, able to attend. But with delegates from 13 other countries, there was still more than enough to whet the international appetite.
Potential roles of the pharmacist in chronic pain management: a multidisciplinary perspective in primary care
Authors: Read Rhona W , Krska Janet 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Patients in the community with chronic pain may have poor pain control and use both prescribed and alternative therapies, often inappropriately, to try to optimise pain relief. They may benefit from management by a multidisciplinary primary care team involving a pharmacist. This study used postal questionnaires to determine community pharmacists' attitudes to involvement in pain management and the perceptions of general practitioners and physiotherapists of the current and potential roles of the pharmacist within a chronic pain care team. The three professions' views on factors which could influence chronic pain management were also determined. Sixty-three GPs (63 per cent), 59 community pharmacists (59 per cent) and 33 physiotherapists (66 per cent) responded. None of the pharmacists was currently involved in chronic pain management, but 58 (98 per cent) wanted to develop such a role, especially within pain clinics. Pharmacists and physiotherapists were more likely than GPs to identify that limited opportunity for personal involvement and expertise within a pain team reduced the likelihood of achieving optimal chronic pain management. Only 17 of the GPs had an established multidisciplinary pain care team; two of these had pharmacist involvement. All GPs and physiotherapists agreed that pharmacists had an important role to play in chronic pain management, particularly in the provision of drug information to patients and medication review.
A changing professional profile: ethnicity and gender issues in pharmacy employment in the United Kingdom
Authors: Platts Adrian E , Tann Jennifer 
Published: February 2011

AbstractObjectiveThis research was conducted to determine whether there were significant differences between the career profiles and ambitions of United Kingdom pharmacists from different ethnic and gender sub-populations. The results were subsequently analysed to determine whether any differences found between sub-populations had varied over time.MethodThe research methodology employed a postal survey and interviews, to measure parameters relating to pharmacists' current careers, career histories and career ambitions. Questionnaires were distributed to 500 ethnic minority pharmacists and 500 non-ethnic minority pharmacists; there were 1,867 valid returns. Twenty-seven ethnic minority community pharmacists working in one inner city area were interviewed.SettingThe sample for the postal survey was identified from a surname analysis of the Register of Pharmaceutical Chemists.Key findingsEthnic minority (mainly Asian) pharmacists accounted for 15 per cent of UK pharmacists. Of pharmacists aged under 30 years, 72 per cent of white pharmacists and 50 per cent of ethnic minority pharmacists were female. Both male and female community pharmacists from ethnic minorities favoured ownership roles relative to white pharmacists in all measured age groups. Management roles were favoured by both white male and female pharmacists, while locum roles were more frequently undertaken by white female pharmacists. Family ties were found to have a relatively strong influence on the careers of ethnic minority pharmacists.ConclusionWe speculate that family involvement may have enhanced the availability of both human and financial capital for business start-up, but find indications that this influence may not persist over time. In hospital pharmacy, there were indications of underachievement and career anxiety among pharmacists from ethnic minorities, the proportion of hospital pharmacy managers from ethnic minorities being disproportionately low. Attention is drawn to some policy implications, notably for training, flexible working patterns and the need for demographic scenario planning in the profession.
Community pharmacists' attitudes to adverse drug reaction reporting
Authors: Green Christopher F , Mottram David R , Raval Dhiren , Proudlove Christine , Randall Christine 
Published: February 2011

Abstract

Objective
A “demonstration” scheme for adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting by United Kingdom community pharmacists began in April, 1997. The objective of this study was to investigate community pharmacists' attitudes to and knowledge of ADR reporting and the “yellow card” scheme.

Method
Structured face-to-face interview with community pharmacists, using a prepiloted questionnaire.

Setting
Randomly selected community pharmacies within one demonstration scheme area.

Key findings
Almost all of the pharmacists (28, 93 per cent) were aware that they were able to report ADRs but only one had done so. Just under half recalled receiving the official information pack and half of these had read it. Reasons given for not submitting reports were lack of information or time, and that most reactions seen were already well-recognised. Although most pharmacists knew that serious reactions to established drugs should be reported, fewer recognised the need to report unusual reactions to established drugs and reactions to herbal medicines. Few participants knew the reporting criteria for “black triangle” drugs. Reporting on over-the-counter (OTC) products was an area specifically identified where it was expected that community pharmacists could “add value” to the previous, yellow card, scheme. It was thus of some concern that 21 pharmacists (70 per cent) agreed that they would be unlikely to report an ADR to a product they had counter-prescribed for a patient. Few respondents had negative attitudes to the scheme. Most agreed that ADR reporting is important, and a professional role in which pharmacists should be involved.

Conclusion
Community pharmacists are supportive of their involvement in ADR reporting. Their concerns about reporting need to be addressed and further publicity given to the scheme if reporting is to increase. Our findings suggest that more research is needed to identify the factors which encourage and inhibit reporting, and that further efforts may be needed to promote ADR reporting.