[e-drug] Clinical Pharmacy in Asia Pacific - Definitions and Practices

E-DRUG: Clinical Pharmacy in Asia Pacific - Definitions and Practices
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Dear Colleagues

It is my pleasure to draw your attention to a study; we are conducting in University of Auckland, New Zealand. The aim of the study is to define Clinical Pharmacy in Asia Pacific – Definitions and Practices.

[This study is approved by the University of Auckland Ethics Research Committee Ref: 2008/444]

Introduction
Clinical pharmacy is an important discipline in the practice of pharmacy- it has lot to offer and has played an important role to transform the pharmacy profession in the last two decades. However, there are many definitions of clinical pharmacy and the term “clinical pharmacy” has been understood differently across the globe. Some relate it to “patient care” while others associate it more with the “managing appropriate use of medicines”.

In the United States and in other Western countries, clinical pharmacy could only be established when a stable medicines system was in place in the hospitals and drug regulatory authorities were efficient. As most of the developing and middle income countries are still struggling with the issues of quality, safety, efficacy and distribution of medicines, clinical pharmacy is promoted as an isolated “single entity”, indeed the philosophy of clinical pharmacy may not be properly understood.

Hence, in this scenario, it would be vital to understand, how people perceive clinical pharmacy in different parts of the Asia Pacific region. A conceptual framework around clinical pharmacy can be constructed by including varied definitions of clinical pharmacy, relating clinical pharmacy and rational drug usage and documenting association between stable pharmaceutical systems & establishing clinical pharmacy.

Specific aims of the study:

î To document definitions and concepts regarding clinical pharmacy in selected Asia Pacific Countries.

î To evaluate understanding regarding relationship between clinical pharmacy and rational drug usage.

î How pharmacists perceive the linkage of stable pharmaceutical system with the establishment of clinical pharmacy?

Projected Benefits from this research:

As the development of clinical pharmacy can influence medicine use process, this study would gauge changes across Asia Pacific countries. Based on the evidence gathered, these findings can then be forwarded to inform debates as well as for use in clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice documents, pharmacy education policies and further research in this promising branch of pharmacy.

We are inviting participants from the following countries and the inclusion criterion for participants is listed below.

Participating Countries:

î India
î Pakistan
î Bangladesh
î Indonesia
î Malaysia
î Korea
î Thailand
î Japan
î Philippines
î Taiwan
î Nepal

Participants’ Criteria:

î Hospital Pharmacists or
î Pharmacy Academics who are also practising as hospital pharmacists.

The study will be conducted by holding telephone interviews with participants, using a semi-structured questionnaire. A participant information sheet and a consent form will be given to the participant, prior to interview. Consent to participate is entirely voluntary and any information given by the participant will be treated with confidentiality.

Any questions:

If you would like to participate in this study or seek any further information, please contact me or my colleagues, contact details are given below.

I sincerely thank you for taking time to read this and hope you would like to take part in this research project. We look forward to your contribution.

Yours sincerely,

Sharmin Nusrat, Zaheer-Ud Din Babar, John Shaw

Contact details:

Dr Zaheer Ud Din Babar
Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland.
Email: z.babar@auckland.ac.nz
Phone: 09 373 7599 Ext 88436

Sharmin Nusrat
Email: night_sky7@hotmail.com
snus002@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Phone number: 02102344683
Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland.

Prof John Shaw
Head
School of Pharmacy
The University of Auckland
Phone: 09 373 7599 Ext 83778