OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate pharmacy students' perceptions of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) content, assessment, logistics, and formative and summative components, and to identify factors associated with perceived clinical competency development following OSCE participation. METHODS A cross-sectional census study was conducted among pharmacy students at Zarqa University, Jordan (n = 123). Data were collected online using Microsoft Teams and analyzed using descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression. KEY FINDINGS Most students reported that OSCE cases were aligned with taught content (77.3%) and effectively assessed communication (75.6%), clinical skills (76.4%), and applied knowledge (70.1%). The OSCE was perceived as superior to written examinations for evaluating clinical skills (79.7%) and as a fair measure of clinical competence (77.3%); however, it was also viewed as more stressful (58.5%) and challenging to prepare for (61.0%). Formative assessment activities were perceived positively and were associated with enhanced confidence, motivation, and preparedness. Students reported improvements across multiple professional competencies, particularly in communication, problem-solving, medication review, and collaborative practice. Perceived competency gains were strongly associated with formative assessment perceptions (r = 0.739, P < .001) and moderately associated with summative assessment attitudes (r = 0.626, P < .001), and both significantly predicted perceived competency development (R2 = 0.662, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS OSCEs were perceived positively and were associated with substantial perceived competency development among pharmacy students. Structured formative assessment emerged as a key contributor to perceived competence gains, supporting the integration of OSCEs within undergraduate pharmacy curricula, even in resource-limited settings.
OBJECTIVES Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a long-term skin condition impacting people of all ages from childhood to adulthood. Emerging adulthood is a period where young adults transition to AD self-management, which comes with increased healthcare responsibilities. As accessible healthcare professionals, community pharmacists (CPs) may offer help for young adults with AD in the UK. This study explores CPs' experiences of supporting young adults with AD. METHODS Fourteen interviews were conducted with CPs. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the Newcastle University Ethics Committee before the study. KEY FINDINGS Two themes were identified: community pharmacy as a medicine collection point and community pharmacists' limited preparedness to manage AD. CPs perceived young adults with AD primarily used community pharmacy as a collection point for medicines. Participants did not have a distinct approach for communicating with young adults, which may reduce the likelihood of young adults with AD seeking advice. CPs felt limited in their preparedness to diagnose and prescribe treatments for AD, and managing chronic AD, which may negatively impact the interactions between CPs and young adults with AD for advice and support. CONCLUSIONS The findings illustrate that interactions between young adults with AD and CPs were centred around medicine supply. CPs' absence of a tailored approach to young adults with AD and limited preparedness to manage AD reinforced limited interactions. Improvements are needed in enhancing CPs' capability to recognize young adults' needs and addressing limited preparedness through continuing professional development programmes to better support young adults' AD management.
OBJECTIVE Platinum derivatives and taxanes are first line in the pharmacotherapy of ovarian cancer. However, both classes are associated with a wide array of adverse events (AEs). This study aimed to assess and compare AEs associated with platinum derivatives and taxanes through disproportionality analysis. METHODS Data mining of the FAERS (FDA adverse event reporting system) database was conducted via OpenVigil 2.1 from 2003Q4 to 2024Q4. In frequentist methods, AE reports with a frequency of ≤3 were excluded, and duplicates were removed from the raw data. Proportional reporting ratio (PRR), reporting odds ratio (ROR), and chi-squared (χ2) were used for signal detection. Data analysis was performed using R software version 4.4.1. MedDRA version 28.0 was employed to link preferred terms (PTs) to their respective system organ classes (SOCs). KEY FINDINGS After excluding irrelevant AEs, the frequency of PTs for platinum derivatives and taxanes was 322/246. The most reported AE in both classes was dyspnea, with 172 reports for taxanes and 272 for platinum derivatives. Reports were mainly from the USA and France, mostly involving patients aged 60-70 years. Disproportionality analysis flagged 150 signals for platinum derivatives and 125 for taxanes, accounting for 46.58% and 50.81% of PTs, respectively. The AEs for platinum derivatives and taxanes targeted 22 and 21 SOCs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Signals were identified for both drug classes across multiple SOCs. AE reports were higher for platinum derivatives than taxanes, with gastrointestinal and general disorders and administration site conditions most frequently reported. Overall, the findings suggest the usefulness of FAERS data mining in identifying signals.
Abstract Background Indigenous peoples experience disproportionately higher rates of diabetes mellitus (DM) due to social, historical, and cultural factors. Pharmacists play important roles in DM care, but their involvement in caring for Indigenous peoples with DM is not well documented. This critical review aimed to describe pharmacists’ involvement by systematically identifying the roles, barriers, facilitators, interventions, and pharmacists’ vision for improving diabetes care for Indigenous peoples. Methods A systematic search utilizing Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines was conducted across seven scientific literature databases and grey literature from inception to May 2026, using keywords related to pharmacists, diabetes, and Indigenous peoples. Data analysis was guided by the Two-Eyed Seeing Framework and the Framework for Diabetes in Canada. Results Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The key roles of pharmacists identified included screening, patient education, medication management, and supporting adherence. Barriers to pharmacists’ service delivery included mistrust, lack of knowledge of Indigenous languages, and financial issues related to management. Facilitators included family engagement, motivational interviewing, home delivery for prescriptions, and customized information material in the Indigenous language. Recommendations identified to enhance pharmacists’ delivery of services included cultural competency, financial support, and increased collaboration with Indigenous peoples and their families. Conclusions Pharmacists provide care for Indigenous peoples living with diabetes through medication management, education, and counselling. Various facilitators and barriers to the provision of these services were identified, which can be learned from to enhance future care. Further research is required to determine best practices to provide the best possible care in a culturally appropriate manner.
