Objective. The objective of this scoping review is to review current conceptualizations and measurements of active learning education in pharmacy school as it pertains to social determinants of health (SDOH) and to determine the gaps and limitations in available literature. A secondary objective was to assess simulation-based educational methods related to SDOH in pharmacy. Findings. Sixteen articles were eligible for inclusion. Many simulation-based and non-simulation-based teaching strategies are described. The majority of articles included active learning activities related to social/community context and health/health care, the other 3 SDOH domains: education, economic stability, and neighborhood/built community, were not equally addressed. Schools and colleges of pharmacy appear to not be integrating all five components of SDOH into active learning curricula. The sparsity of literature and lack of diversity in published types of simulated experiences and assessments leaves room for innovation in this area. Summary. More research is needed in order to fully characterize conceptualizations of SDOH in pharmacy education in order to ensure students are provided with a full understanding of the SDOH factors that affect patient outcomes.
1 January 2022 in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy
Many state Medicaid programs are implementing pharmacist-led medication management programs to improve outcomes for high-risk beneficiaries. There are a limited number of studies examining implementation of these programs, making it difficult to assess why program outcomes might vary across organizations. To address this, we tested the applicability of the organizational theory of innovation implementation effectiveness to examine implementation of a community pharmacy Medicaid medication management program. We used a hurdle regression model to examine whether organizational determinants, such as implementation climate and innovation-values fit, were associated with effective implementation. We defined effective implementation in two ways: implementation versus non-implementation and program reach (i.e., the proportion of the target population that received the intervention). Data sources included an implementation survey administered to participating community pharmacies and administrative data. The findings suggest that implementation climate is positively and significantly associated with implementation versus non-implementation (AME = 2.65, p < 0.001) and with program reach (AME = 5.05, p = 0.001). Similarly, the results suggest that innovation-values fit is positively and significantly associated with implementation (AME = 2.17, p = 0.037) and program reach (AME = 11.79, p < 0.001). Some structural characteristics, such as having a clinical pharmacist on staff, were significant predictors of implementation and program reach whereas other characteristics, such as pharmacy type or prescription volume, were not. Our study supported the use of the organizational theory of innovation implementation effectiveness to identify organizational determinants that are associated with effective implementation (e.g., implementation climate and innovation-values fit). Unlike broader environmental factors or structural characteristics (e.g., pharmacy type), implementation climate and innovation-values fit are modifiable factors and can be targeted through intervention—a finding that is important for community pharmacy practice. Additional research is needed to determine what implementation strategies can be used by community pharmacy leaders and practitioners to develop a positive implementation climate and innovation-values fit for medication management programs.
1 November 2019 in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy