Barrier with Experience Pharmacist - Essay Example

Research Grant Proposal Introduction The pharmacist is an important member of the health care team. Alongside the other health care members, the pharmacist helps to promote patient wellness and recovery. Various innovations in the present health care system have increased the role of the pharmacist in the care of the patient and the community. In order to ensure the competence of the pharmacists, various guidelines have been set by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and government licensing agencies. However, many developments in the health care system and the medical practice have allowed various problems in the pharmacy profession to develop. These problems are not clearly defined and expressed by pharmacists, but they are slowly gaining the attention of the health care professionals. This proposal seeks to establish whether or not pharmacists are being held back from their ability to fully utilize their competencies. It also seeks to establish the barriers they encounter in the workplace. Initial information gathered for the literature review revealed several problems and barriers being encountered by pharmacists in the workplace. These problems are: communication barriers, inadequate literacy, unreasonable customer expectations, demanding employees, lack of support, and lack of time and heavy workload. Lack of time and workload is one of the primary problems of the pharmacist. Patients have different demands and needs. The require guidance and counseling while they are taking their medications in order to ensure adequate patient education and high medication compliance. And with these different demands, the pharmacist is often flooded by simultaneous demands on his time and workload. Personal (like family) and professional concerns make for a very stressful life for the pharmacist. Lack of support is also a barrier for the pharmacist in the workplace. Lack of support is mostly seen in the lack of collaboration between the pharmacist and the medical practitioners. This lack of coordination often arises from the refusal of the general practitioners to issue scripts for their patients’ ongoing medication. This lack of collaboration and coordination interferes with the dispensation of medications and endangers unsuspecting patients. Inadequate literacy is usually seen in older pharmacists. With much advancement in technology and in the health care practice, the older pharmacists are falling very much behind in new applications. Many transactions and health services are conveniently carried out electronically. This inadequacy in knowledge is partly attributed to the lack of sufficient continuing education programs supported by the government and professional health care organizations. Insufficient resources for continuing education are causing many pharmacists to fall behind in their knowledge and expertise. Communication barriers are very common in Australia because many of its residents are born overseas and many of them speak little English. This barrier is credited to the different ethnic cultures that exist in Australia. The primary role of the pharmacist is that of communicator. This role is vital because it will make a big difference in the well-being of the patient. With many patients understanding and speaking little English, this is indeed a big problem for the pharmacist. Misinterpretation in instructions can be dangerous to the patient. These barriers that were identified in the literature review will now be studied and analyzed. Their impact to the practice of the pharmacy profession shall be explored and verified through this proposal. The input of the pharmacists working in the Australian Capital Territory shall be one of the primary sources of information in this research in order to satisfactorily and accurately establish the barriers that pharmacists encounter in the workplace. Aims of the Study The aims of this study are: 1. To establish whether or not pharmacists are being held back from their ability to fully realize their competencies 2. To establish the different barriers they encounter in the workplace 3. To establish which among the different barriers are the most problematic areas in the pharmacy profession 4. To ultimately promote changes in the practice of the pharmacy profession Sample Size An appropriate sample size shall be chosen by first determining the total population of pharmacists in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). After determining said population, an appropriate sample size shall be extracted. The total number of pharmacists in the ACT area is 530. Of the 530 pharmacists in the ACT area, 300 work in community pharmacies, the rest work in hospital pharmacies and drug companies for research. The 300 community pharmacists shall be the focus of this study. Using Slovin’s Formula with a 5% (.05) margin of error, the sample size of 171 was arrived at. Slovin’s Formula n = N / 1 + (Ne2) Where: n = number of samples N = total population e = margin of error Given: N = 300 e = 5% = 0.05 Required: n = ? Solution: n = N / ( 1 + (Ne2) n = 300 / ( 1 + (300 x 052) n = 300 / 1.75 n = 171.4 ~ 171 From each of the 60 pharmacies in the ACT area, at least 2 pharmacists shall be randomly chosen. Random sampling helps ensure that everyone in the population would have a chance to be chosen as part of the sample. They are not handpicked or chosen based on their proximity or convenience, they will be chosen by chance and by the luck of the draw. In some pharmacies, 3 pharmacists will be randomly drawn to help make up 150 samples. By making sure that the 60 pharmacies would have at least 2 pharmacists chosen as respondents, the sample population will be representative of the entire population of community pharmacists practicing in the ACT area. The sample population will also sufficiently fulfill the objectives of this study. An appropriate sample is one which can be used to “generalize findings…back to a population, within the limits of random error (Bartlett, et.al 2001). These pharmacists are chosen because they interact all the time with customers and patients. They are in the best position to express the different problems they encounter in the workplace. This sample shall be obtained in the span of three weeks. Methods Before this research will be carried out, approval of the Committee for Ethics in Human Research shall be sought. The process of committee approval shall be followed by the researchers, detailing to the committee who the participants will be and how the rights and the responses of the participants shall be handled by the researchers. This process shall be discussed in detail in the ethics approval discussion. Once approved, data will be collected from the 60 pharmacies in the Australian Capital Territory. Pharmacists chosen shall be those working in the pharmacies on a full time basis, and some part-time pharmacists shall also be picked depending on the samples chosen via random sampling. Demographic data gathered from the pharmacists shall include—age, gender, hours of work, years practicing as a pharmacist, and similar relevant data. The close ended questionnaire format will be used for this paper. This format will put forth a series of questions to the respondents, assessing the problems they encounter in the workplace. They shall check the box which corresponds to their responses. The Likert Scale will be used in the questionnaire. This scale shall indicate to what extent or degree the respondents agree or disagree to the statements presented to them. The questions will help yield answers that the proposal or research seeks to answer. This research is a quantitative research. It will help determine the relationship of the variables in the study. The relationship of these variables will then be explained through statistical figures and analysis (Hopkins, 2008). The questions of this research shall be answered through the questionnaires; they will be collated and run through the SPSS software for analysis. The questionnaires shall be distributed through the postal services or mail. They shall be distributed in a three week period with reminders sent to unresponsive respondents within 2 weeks of first mail. Once data is gathered, they shall be tabulated and entered into the SPSS software for analysis. The postal services are less costly than other methods of distribution. The cost in postal mail will only be in the printing of questionnaires, the envelopes, and the postage stamps. Another advantage is that “data from a large sample possibly distributed over a wide geographical area, can be surveyed within a limited time span” (David & Sutton, 2004, p 159). It is difficult, costly, and time-consuming to cover a wide geographical area through face-to-face interviews. Another advantage of the postal mail is that the process will not be influenced much by the interviewer. In face-to-face interviews, the opinion and viewpoints of the interviewer may affect the way the interviewee responds to the questions. Lastly, this method is more advantageous because sensitive topics or questions asked in the questionnaire would not be uncomfortable for the respondent to answer. The respondent is not being put on the spot in a face-to-face interview, instead he can answer the questionnaire alone and unobserved. Anonymity in the responses is also ensured. Postal mail has some disadvantages. There is a lower response rate in postal mail. Some respondents might not take the time to read and answer the questionnaires. And even if they do answer, they might not take the time to mail it back to the researchers. In this method of data gathering, it is also difficult to control the way the respondents would interpret the questions in the questionnaire. They might interpret the questions in the way they understand it, even if it is not what the researcher wants to ask of the respondent (David & Sutton, 2004, p 159). The electronic mail has a variety of advantages which, at present, makes it a more favorable method of questionnaire distribution. This method more or less carries the same advantages of the postal mail. It is slightly more advantageous as to cost because no printing, envelopes, and mailing stamps are required. It can also cover a large geographical area at even greater speed. And the anonymity of the respondents’ answers is also ensured. Electronic mail carries several disadvantages. The researcher has to be adept in the manner of distributing emails. Technical support in computer software programming and basic computer knowledge has to be obtained. Also, this method may exclude some groups in the population-those who do not have electronic mail or computers. This method also has a low-response rate. Not all respondents would take the time to answer the questionnaire even if it is already sent to their emails (David & Sutton, 2004, p. 160). Data Analysis Data that will be obtained by this proposal shall be run through the SPSS software for analysis. Variables shall be entered into the SPSS program and they shall be assessed on how they would correspond to the sample size and the research methodology. The data gathered from the questionnaires shall be entered as raw data and the corresponding mean responses shall be later collated and again entered into the SPSS software for suggested statistical data analysis. Data analysis shall be done by testing the hypothesis which shall also coincide with the different objectives of this research. Collation, tabulation and data analysis via the computer software shall be done by two researchers and verified by two other members of the research team. This will help ensure the validity and reliability of the research process from the data gathering to the data analysis. Intended Outcomes The intended outcomes of this paper will show the different problems being encountered by various pharmacists in the work place. It will also show that pharmacists encounter barriers in their workplace which would include lack of collaboration, communication barriers, and other problems. This proposal will also show which among the different barriers encountered by pharmacists are the most common and of utmost concern in the workplace. Problems related to increased workload, time management and lack of collaboration with fellow health professionals may be the most problematic barriers encountered by pharmacists in the workplace. Increased workload is expected because of the growth of the world’s population without the corresponding increase in health care professionals. Many new medicines have also been introduced into the health care practice. These new medicines plus the increase in patients serve to add to the pharmacist’s workload and strain his precious time for other activities. Lack of collaboration in the workplace is a common problem in any profession. The pharmacy profession is no exception. Lack of collaboration between health care professionals are usually the most difficult to address and to solve. Barriers relating to customer relations are usually easily resolved by the pharmacists because they know that it is part of their job. They learn to make adjustments in dealing with patients; however, it is more problematic to deal with fellow professionals practicing in the same field of expertise. The results of this study will serve as a jumping off point for other researches in similar areas. It will also serve as a possible basis for changes and adjustments that may be adapted by pharmacists, pharmacy organizations, and the government in order to improve health care services. Resources If given the money to carry out this proposal, materials needed would be books, journals, and other reference materials. They will be used to verify and support results which will be revealed after data analysis. If given money to hire people, we shall be employing two people to help us in the database entry. They will also help in following up the retrieval of the questionnaires. We shall also need computers to encode our research, internet connectivity for research, computer software (SPSS) for data analysis, and relevant office supplies. In order to get 150 questionnaires back, we shall be sending out 225 questionnaires. This is an increase of 50% in the actual number of samples to be included in the research (Bartlett, et.al., 2001). This will help ensure that the sample population is maintained at all times to make allowance for unresponsive and irretrievable questionnaires. Over sampling will add to the cost of the research, however, it is a necessary part of the research process in order to avoid unnecessary delay and to ensure the reliability and validity of data gathered. . Project Budget and Justification Money for this research shall be needed for the following: 1. Two employees for database entry- part time for 8-10 weeks; 5 hours a day at 22$ an hour. They will help speed up the data gathering procedure and help increase questionnaire retrieval. 2. Traveling expenses while distributing questionnaires and following them up; also while researching in the library and consulting with research adviser and fellow researchers. This will help ensure high questionnaire retrieval rate, and to ensure that the research is sufficiently supervised by the professor, and to ensure that the researchers consult with each other during the conduct of the research. 3. Mailing stamps- to send out questionnaires; this will be the main method of distribution for this research. 4. Computer use and rental-to encode the research and to analyze the data. This will help ensure that the different details of the research will be encoded and saved. It will make data retrieval and analysis faster and easier. 5. Office supplies-these office supplies will help ensure the smooth and efficient conduct of the research. It will also help ensure that data is saved in printed copies and filed for future reference. The total cost for this project shall amount to $5,500. Timetable October November 18 November 19, 2008 to December 18, 2008 December 19 to January 29, 2009 January 30, 2009 to March 26, 2006 March 27, 2009 to April 24, 2009 April 25, 2009 Literature Research Proposal Presentation Ethics Approval * Collecting Data ** Data Analysis ** Write-up ** Peer Review ** Completed Ongoing Yet to be completed *If approved, project will proceed, if not, researchers shall make necessary changes and apply again. Approval process will take another 4 weeks. **Will be followed depending on ethics approval 1st month- Ethics Submission --preparation of questionnaires, work out sample size 2nd month-up to two weeks—send out questionnaires After two weeks-up to 6 weeks-Data Collection --at 3 weeks-reminders will be sent to respondents who have not sent back their questionnaires yet Data analysis for 8 weeks --this will include interpretation and statistical data analysis Write-up for 4 weeks --This will include the encoding and editing of data gathered with correlation done with literature reviews. This will also include the verification of data gathered in the course of the research Submission for peer review Ethics Approval and/or licenses Members of the ethics committee shall review this research proposal. According to the University of Canberra website (2008), students who wish to conduct research involving human participants should apply to the Committee for Human Ethics for approval. We shall be complying with the requirements of the committee first by reading and familiarizing ourselves with the guidelines for human research prescribed by the Committee. After checking the guidelines, we will submit our application to the committee for approval. We shall be submitting our applications through an appropriate approval form. Our supervisor will also decide if our principal researcher will serve as the supervisor of our research. The application we will file will be signed by all the researchers, by the research supervisor, and by the head of the school. We shall also provide the committee with copies of the documentation contained in our research proposal, which shall include information sheets, consent forms, questionnaires, advertisements, and letters of invitation. We will submit these documents in their final form, single-sided, and in a form which is suitable for photocopying. Since part of our research will be carried out outside our school, we shall be obtaining evidence of approval from the pharmacies which will participate in this research and submit it to the Committee. In case we shall be accessing restricted information, we shall present to the Committee evidence of the approval of institutions or organizations who shall be issuing said restricted information. In case we shall have access to identifying information about individuals, we shall seek the consent of said individuals before restricted information shall be accessed. Upon submission, we shall await further instructions from the Committee. Based on the Committee’s instructions, we shall make needed changes or adjustments to the proposal. The approval shall not prevent the regular monitoring and reporting activities of the researchers to the Committee. We shall continue to inform the Committee of possible changes that might be done in the conduct of the research. We shall also submit to the Committee a copy of the informed consent form that we shall be giving to our possible respondents. This informed consent form will contain all the pertinent details involving the research, its title, its objectives, the participants involved, what data will be gathered, and how such data will be treated by the researchers. The consent form shall ensure that the identity of the respondents will be kept confidential at all times and how the data gathered will only be used for academic and research purposes. Once permission is gained, the initial steps for this research shall now be started. Permission will be obtained from participants by sending letters informing them of the research being conducted, and the fact that they were chosen as a respondent in the research. The letter shall include a portion which they will send back expressing their willingness or unwillingness to participate in the research. Once the respondents agree to participate in the research, their responses shall indeed be kept confidential at all times and be used only for purposes of the research. The person interviewed shall not obtain personal copies of the result of the research, but the final research shall later be published and available to the general public. Data gathered shall be kept within University premises for no longer than five years. Information shall be stored through encrypted and password protected computer software program with only the members of the research team knowing the password and decryption code. Limitations of the Research There are some barriers and limitations that will be encountered during the conduct of this research. The main barrier that will be encountered will be money. Without the grant, it will be difficult to conduct the research. Other problems that might come up will be solved by the presence of monetary resources. Another problem would be the retrieval of the questionnaires. Despite following up and reminding respondents to send in their responses, the questionnaire turn-out might still be low. A low turn-out will affect the results of this research and might not represent an accurate picture of the larger population of pharmacists in the ACT area. These limitations will affect the goals and intended outcome for this paper. Reference List The references which will prove to be very useful in the conduct of this paper will be the materials taken on the different barriers to pharmacists in the workplace. Materials used in the literature review helped establish the kind of information that would be asked of the respondents and the possible research materials to be retrieved in the course of the research. The materials gathered were really pertinent to the research because they helped establish the direction of the paper and the possible scenarios to be illustrated to the respondents. The materials helped pursue the goals and objectives of this research. More materials may be added to the literature in order to establish how the pharmacists deal with the different problems they encounter in the workplace. Works Cited A Guide to Writing Ansef Grants Proposals (n.d), Ansef.Org., viewed 10 November 2008 from http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:CP4jgFNo_LwJ:www.ansef.org/_Media/pi_guide.pdf+intended+outcomes+research+grant+proposal&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=ph Bartlett, J., et.al. 2001, Organizational Research: Determining Appropriate Sample Size in Survey Research, Organizational Systems Research Association, viewed 09 November 2008 from http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:c2bebYTgrAoJ:www.osra.org/itlpj/bartlettkotrlikhiggins.pdf+choosing+appropriate+sample+size&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ph David, M & Sutton, C. 2004, Social Research: The Basics, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publishers. Hopkins, W. July, 2008, Quantitative Research Design, Sports Science, viewed 10 November 2008 from http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0001/wghdesign.html Human Ethics Manual March 2008, University of Canberra, viewed 11 November 2008 from http://www.canberra.edu.au/research/ethics/human Writing a Research Grant Proposal, November 2008, South African Medical Research Council, viewed 10 November 2008 from http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:X5YCb2-4EGUJ:www.mrc.ac.za/researchdevelopment/researchgrant.pdf+research+grant+proposal&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=16&gl=ph Appendix A: Questionnaire Part I: The following questions collect information about the pharmacy you own or in which you work. The questions relate to the programs funded by the Third Community Pharmacy Agreement. You may need to ask another member of staff at the pharmacy for information to help complete the questionnaire. Question 1: Quality Care Pharmacy Program (QCPP) 1a. Is the pharmacy QCPP accredited? Yes Read More