Much needed attention devoted to pharmacy workforce issues.
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Humans↗
Biomedical subjects
Shane P Desselle
Publications and source records attributed to Shane P Desselle.
Factors influencing migraineur-consulting behavior in a university population.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that contribute to treatment-seeking behavior in migraineurs in a large employer population. Specifically, the impact of psychographic variables, such as social support, attitudes toward medication, locus of control, and migraine-associated disability, are considered concomitantly with demographic and disease severity variables. BACKGROUND: Migraine remains an underconsulted condition. Previous explorations of demographic factors and headache characteristics have not adequately predicted migraineur physician-consulting behavior. METHODS: University employees and students experiencing headaches were interviewed by pharmacists to determine whether they suffer from migraine using the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for migraine. Identified migraineurs were categorized into 3 groups: (1) never-consulter, (2) lapsed-consulter, and (3) current-consulter. Each group was asked to complete an instrument that assesses perceived social support (Headache Social Support Questionnaire), medication attitudes (Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire), locus of control (Headache-Specific Locus of Control Scale), and migraine-associated disability (Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire). Univariate (ANOVA) and multivariate (logistic regression) approaches were used to identify factors associated with migraineur-consulting behavior. RESULTS: A total of 100 subjects participated in the study. Eighty-two participants met IHS criteria for migraine, of whom 22 were never-consulters, 20 were lapsed-consulters, and 40 were current-consulters. The consulter groups differed on scores acquired from the Social Support Active Involvement subscale (P= .04) and the Healthcare Professional Locus of Control subscale (P= .010). The logistic regression procedures confirmed the contributions of social support and healthcare locus of control in predicting migraineur-consulting behavior. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that attitudes concerning the role of healthcare professionals and the presence of a supportive social network have greater influence on migraineur-consulting behavior than do patient demographic characteristics, beliefs about medications, and migraine frequency and severity. With an understanding of the link between psychosocial variables and consulting behavior, healthcare professionals may be able to positively impact migraineur physician consultation rates, drug therapy, and quality of life.
Adolescent↗
Certified pharmacy technicians' views on their medication preparation errors and educational needs.
PURPOSE: The perceptions of certified pharmacy technicians about their medication preparation errors and educational needs were studied. METHODS: A nationwide random sample of 3200 certified pharmacy technicians was mailed a survey with open-ended questions soliciting information about how pharmacists have handled and should handle technicians' medication preparation errors. The participants were also asked about their training needs and continuing-education preferences. RESULTS: A total of 1004 responses (31.4%) were obtained, of which 835 were analyzed. Of the respondents, 44% reported working in chain community pharmacies and 27% in hospital pharmacies. The factors perceived to contribute most to technicians' medication preparation errors were interruptions and inadequate staffing. Pharmacists' most frequent response to an error was to make the technician aware of it and require him or her to correct it. Only about 17% of the respondents indicated that the pharmacist used the error as an opportunity to provide instruction on how to avoid future errors. CONCLUSION: A nationwide sample of certified pharmacy technicians ranked interruptions and inadequate staffing as the factors contributing most to their medication preparation errors.
Certification↗
Ask the pharmacist: an analysis of online drug information services.
BACKGROUND: The Internet plays a large role in the provision of drug information. Given the growing number of patients seeking consultation on the Internet and the difficulty in regulating online pharmacy providers, an analysis of drug information provided by Internet pharmacies is warranted. OBJECTIVE: To assess the response rates and quality of responses to drug information questions submitted to "ask the pharmacist"services on Internet pharmacy sites and determine whether differences exist between National Association of Boards of Pharmacy-approved and nonapproved sites and among free-standing, chain, and independent pharmacy sites in the quality of information provided. METHODS: A content analysis was conducted on responses to 5 drug information questions electronically mailed to each of 64 Internet pharmacies identified through a meta-engine search. Three judges rated the quality of response components using a scoring system developed by an expert panel, with inter-rater reliabilities subsequently calculated. Both t-test and ANOVA procedures tested for differences in response quality. RESULTS: Responses were received for 51% of all questions submitted to the sites. Few differences in quality were found between approved/unapproved sites and among types of pharmacies. The percentage of correct responses provided for each of 22 response components ranged from 7% to 96%. CONCLUSIONS: While few differences were found among sites based on their approval status or type, low response rates and incomplete counseling information among many of the responses are cause for concern.
Drug Information Services↗
The birth of Research in Social & Administrative Pharmacy: a sincere welcome to subscribers, readers, and authors.
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Authorship↗
The interaction of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and stakeholders in the medication use process.
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Advertising↗
Employee knowledge of a managed pharmacy benefit in a large corporation.
Knowledge about prescription drug benefits is necessary for consumers to choose appropriate health benefits plans in a consumer-directed health plan market. The objective of this study was to describe employees' knowledge of their prescription drug benefits. A one-group, cross-sectional survey of full-time university employees with a tiered pharmacy benefit was performed. Correct responses to knowledge questions were described individually and as an aggregate index score. Respondent understanding of pharmacy benefits was low to moderate. Specifically, knowledge of pharmacy benefits was most limited with respect to formulary management, cost sharing, and financial implications of out-of-network use and the selection of a branded or generic medication. Future research should refine methods for assessing knowledge of pharmacy benefits, explore knowledge of pharmacy benefits in diverse samples, and assess the consequences associated with variations in knowledge of prescription drug benefits.
Adult↗
The impact of the internet on community pharmacy practice: a comparison of a Delphi panel's forecast with emerging trends.
The purpose of this study was to forecast the impact of Internet pharmacy commerce on various stakeholders. A panel of experts assembled from a list of academicians in the social and administrative pharmaceutical sciences participated in a three-iteration Delphi procedure. Feedback from the aggregate responses of the panel was used to construct questionnaires employed in subsequent iterations of the Delphi. The panel converged to form a consensus upon a variety of issues. They forecasted the attainment of a 10-15% share in the market of prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals through on-line purchases, the formation of strategic alliances among stakeholders in the drug distribution process, a shift in marketing strategies by brick-and-mortar stores, an increase in the prevalence of niching among pharmacy service providers and a subsequent growth in the implementation of cognitive services throughout the industry. With few exceptions, the forecast produced by the Delphi panel appears to be coming to fruition.
Consensus↗
Creating a performance appraisal template for pharmacy technicians using the method of equal-appearing intervals.
OBJECTIVE: To design a highly quantitative template for the evaluation of community pharmacy technicians' job performance that enables managers to provide sufficient feedback and fairly allocate organizational rewards. DESIGN: Two rounds of interviews with two convenience samples of community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were conducted. The interview in phase 1 was qualitative, and responses were used to design the second interview protocol. During the phase 2 interviews, a new group of respondents ranked technicians' job responsibilities, identified through the initial interviewees' responses, using scales the researchers had designed using an interval-level scaling technique called equal-appearing intervals. SETTING: Chain and independent pharmacies. PARTICIPANTS: Phase 1-20 pharmacists and 20 technicians from chain and independent pharmacies; phase 2-20 pharmacists and 9 technicians from chain and independent pharmacies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ratings of the importance of technician practice functions and corresponding responsibilities. RESULTS: Weights were calculated for each practice function. A weighted list of practice functions was developed, and this may serve as a performance evaluation template. Customer service-related activities were judged by pharmacists and technicians alike to be the most important technician functions. CONCLUSION: Many pharmacies either lack formal performance appraisal systems or fail to implement them properly. Technicians may desire more consistent feedback from pharmacists and value information that may lead to organizational rewards. Using a weighted, behaviorally anchored performance appraisal system may help pharmacists and pharmacy managers meet these demands.
Community Pharmacy Services↗
Survey of certified pharmacy technicians in the United States: a quality-of-worklife study.
OBJECTIVE: To describe a nationwide random sample of Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) by various demographic and work-related characteristics, identify various worklife attitudes, and determine whether these attitudes differed by practice setting and personal characteristics of the respondents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive design. SETTING: A random sample of 3,200 CPhTs provided by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. INTERVENTIONS: Survey mailed in January 2004. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses to previously validated instruments measuring quality-of-worklife attitudes, rankings of factors as probable causes of medication preparation errors, and topics for continuing education (CE) programming. RESULTS: The typical respondent was a white woman, 39 years of age, who was earning dollar 12.87 per hour. CPhTs exhibited modest levels of job satisfaction and career commitment and relatively low career turnover intention. They perceived modestly high levels of support from supervisors and coworkers, but less support from their employers. Quality-of-worklife attitudes were associated significantly with practice setting, rate of pay, and age, but not with gender and racial/ethnic background. CONCLUSION: In view of CPhTs' continuingly important role in the delivery of pharmacy care, employers of CPhTs may want to consider rewarding experienced CPhTs who have demonstrated competency and loyalty to the organization. Career ladders for CPhTs may be a viable option.
Cross-Sectional Studies↗
Job turnover intentions among Certified Pharmacy Technicians.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the job withdrawal intentions of a nationwide sample of Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs). DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive design. SETTING: A random sample of 3,200 CPhTs whose names and contact information were acquired from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. INTERVENTIONS: Mailed survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses to questions eliciting job withdrawal intentions, reasons for remaining/staying with the employer, and various quality of worklife attitudes. Employment intentions were regressed over quality of worklife and practice environment variables in a forward-conditional logistic regression procedure. RESULTS: Nearly 4 in 5 respondents indicated intentions to remain with the current employer during the next 12 months. Relationships with coworkers, good benefits, and work schedule were frequently cited as reasons to stay. Poor salary, lack of advancement opportunity, and insufficient staffing were cited frequently as factors among those indicating intentions to leave. Mean hourly wages differed among respondents with intention to leave due to salary, those not citing salary as a reason to remain or leave, and those citing salary as a reason for staying. Intention to remain was associated with higher pay, perceived employer support, number of years with the current employer, and lower career turnover intentions, with organizational commitment acting as a powerful mediator for all of the variables. CONCLUSION: Differences in CPhTs' future employment intentions were described more comprehensively by perceptions of the employing organization than by perceptions of managers/supervisors and coworkers or personal/work environment variables. Implications for pharmacy organizations are discussed.
Certification↗