Browsing by Subject "Pharmacists"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Assessing Information Resource Access and Habits Among Pharmacists
    (2016) Sayre, Franklin D; Reidt, Shannon; Harwood, Eileen M; Jolowsky, Christene; Lunos, Scott; Rodriguez, Raquel
    Pharmacy students are taught how to find, use, and evaluate information in order to answer clinical questions, yet little is known about which resources they will have access to once they are working and how those resources align with what they were exposed to during the curriculum. This study is meant to identify gaps between the resources taught in pharmacy programs and those available in practice. By better understanding what resources pharmacists have access to, curriculum can be better aligned to support evidence-based practice.
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    A narrative inquiry of socio-cultural influences on Antiretroviral treatment and medication experiences of African-born persons living with HIV in Minnesota
    (2019-05) Cernasev, Alina
    Background: The number of new cases of HIV among African-born persons living in Minnesota continues to be disproportionate compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Consequent to the development of effective antiretroviral (ARV) medications, HIV is now a chronic and manageable disease. By implication, persons with HIV live much longer but also engage with healthcare continuously and need to be on medications. However, there is limited knowledge regarding HIV treatment and the medication experience of African-born persons living with HIV. Study Aims: The aims of this study were to - - Capture the lived experiences of African-born HIV positive patients’ who are taking ARV treatment (Aim 1); - Reveal the cultural and personal beliefs as well as socio-economic factors about medications of African-born HIV positive patients (Aim 2); - Understand the influence of these beliefs and impact of economic factors on their decisions to follow ARV treatment (Aim 3); and - Explore patients’ perception of clinical pharmacists’ roles in fostering adherence to ARV therapy (Aim 4). Methods: A qualitative approach was used for this study. African-born persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Minnesota were recruited from pharmacies and HIV treatment centers. Narrative Interviews with 14 participants lasting up to two hours were conducted over five months. All the interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Conventional Content Analysis was used to analyze the data. Dedoose, a qualitative software program was used to code the data. Results: Eight participants were female, and six were male. The participants were originally from seven different African countries. Analysis of interview data resulted in ten distinct themes that relate to the study aims. These included: Theme 1: Lack of awareness of symptoms of HIV Theme 2: Cruel News:” HIV-Oooooo! I wish I was dead” Theme 3: “This is my secret!” Theme 4: The impact of stigma: “Stigma and HIV are brother and sister” Theme 5: The power of spirituality and prayers Theme 6: The significance of taking ARV medications: “To exist I have to take the medicine” Theme 7: Barriers and Facilitators in taking ARV medications Theme 8: Accessing the U.S. healthcare system Theme 9: Role of Herbal Remedies in Their Treatment Theme 10: Interaction with pharmacists Conclusion: Findings from this study showed that lived medication experiences of African-born PLWH focused on “staying alive” and learning how to navigate an unfamiliar U.S. healthcare system. Cultural beliefs from their country of origin persisted and resulted in stigma at individual, familial, and societal levels. The most significant personal belief to help each participant was a strong belief in God. The participants highlighted their perspectives on the importance of adhering to the prescribed medications. This study also showed that participants were generally unaware of the potential roles that pharmacists could play in their ARV medication management. When interacting with African-born PLWH, pharmacists need to take into consideration the social and cultural factors that may significantly influence adherence to their ARV medications. Pharmacists also need to be aware of differences in healthcare policies and processes in the home countries of these patients and how these may shape their perceptions of HIV care, especially regarding confidentiality.
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    Using the theory of planned behavior to measure pharmacists' engagement in political advocacy and determine factors impacting their engagement
    (2014-02) Tomaszewski, Daniel Mark
    The level of regulation that impacts healthcare delivery in the United States suggests the need for healthcare providers to participate in the formation and implementation of health policies. Advancing health policies can most effectively be accomplished through various forms of political advocacy. To date, little research has been conducted to measure the level of involvement pharmacists take in political advocacy. The study's purpose was to develop and test a survey that measured pharmacists' level of involvement in political advocacy and factors that impact their involvement. To accomplish this, a survey was developed using The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The initial survey was refined through a series of semi-structured interviews. Participants involved in the interview process included practicing pharmacists, research experts, and political advocacy experts. The revised survey was used to survey a national sample of practicing pharmacists. The overall response rate was 10.3%, which resulted in 103 usable responses for analysis. Statistical analysis included assessing the survey items for reliability and validity and multiple regression analyses. Reliability statistics were used to develop an ideal item list and regression analysis was used to measure the appropriateness of The TPB. Reliability statistics suggested the elimination of a total of 22 of the 68 items. Factor analysis was not used to further evaluate the item list due to the low number of responses and potential high number of factors. Results of the multiple regression analysis suggested the model incorporating all items related to The TPB was appropriate (adjusted R-squared = 0.361), as well as the ideal item only model (adjusted R-squared = 0.300). In addition, each of the models' demonstrated that the construct attitude (p<0.001) predicted involvement in political advocacy. Using the ideal item only model, the construct of perceived behavioral control (p=0.015) also demonstrated a relationship. This study provided us with an initial evaluation of pharmacists' involvement in political advocacy. The results of the study suggested that The TPB does appear to have utility in the topic; however, the low number of participants limits generalizability. Additional studies are needed to further evaluate the topic.