@article {bnh-6373, title = {Defining pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters: A Delphi study}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {14}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, abstract = {

Introduction Pharmacists are uniquely placed in the community to be of assistance to disaster-affected patients. However, the roles undertaken by pharmacists in disasters are identified based on their own experiences and networks. There is currently no definition or acknowledgment of pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters.

Objective To acquire consensus from an expert panel of key opinion leaders within the field of disaster health on pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters throughout the four disaster phases{\textemdash}prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Methods A Delphi study consisting of three rounds of online surveys was utilised. Twenty-four key opinion leaders were contacted, with 15 completing all three rounds. The 15 expert panellists were presented with 46 roles identified in the literature and asked to rank their opinions on a 5-point Likert scale. This study used an international, all-hazard, and multijurisdictional approach. Consensus was benchmarked at 80\% and any role which did not reach consensus was re-queried in the subsequent round. The third round provided the results of the Delphi study and sought commentary on the acceptance or rejection of the roles.

Results Of the 46 roles provided to the expert panel, 43 roles were accepted as roles pharmacists are capable of undertaking in a disaster. There were five roles for the prevention phase, nine for the preparedness phase, 21 for the response phase, and eight for the recovery phase. The experts were asked to prioritise the top five roles for each of the disaster phases. The three roles which did not make consensus were deemed to be specialised roles for disaster pharmacists and not generalisable to the broader pharmacy profession.

Conclusion This study identifies pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters which have been accepted by the international disaster health community. The international key opinion leaders recommended that pharmacists could be undertaking 43 roles in a disaster, however, this is dependent on individual jurisdiction considerations. Pharmacy professional associations need to advocate to policymakers for legislative support and to ensure pharmacists are equipped with the training and education required to undertake these roles within specific jurisdictions.

}, keywords = {Delphi, disaster, Pharmacists, Preparedness, prevention, recovery, response}, doi = { https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227132}, url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0227132}, author = {Kaitlyn Watson and Judith Singleton and Vivienne Tippett and Lisa Nissen} } @article {bnh-6251, title = {Do disasters predict international pharmacy legislation?}, journal = {Australian Health Review}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, abstract = {

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore whether a relationship exists between the number of disasters a jurisdiction has experienced and the presence of disaster-specific pharmacy legislation.

Methods\ Pharmacy legislation specific to disasters was reviewed for five countries: Australia, Canada, UK, US and New Zealand. A binary logistic regression test using a generalised estimating equation was used to examine the association between the number of disasters experienced by a state, province, territory or country and whether they had disaster-specific pharmacy legislation.

Results\ Three of six models were statistically significant, suggesting that the odds of a jurisdiction having disaster-specific pharmacy legislation increased as the number of disasters increased for the period 2007{\textendash}17 and 2013{\textendash}17. There was an association between the everyday emergency supply legislation and the presence of the extended disaster-specific emergency supply legislation\ AH19093_IE1.gif.

ConclusionsIt is evident from this review that there are inconsistencies as to the level of assistance pharmacists can provide during times of crisis depending on their jurisdiction and location of practice. It is not a question of whether pharmacists have the skills and capabilities to assist, but rather what legislative barriers are preventing them from being able to contribute further to the disaster healthcare team.

What is known about the topic?\ The contributing factors to disaster-specific pharmacy legislation has not previously been explored in Australia. It can be postulated that the number of disasters experienced by a jurisdiction increases the likelihood of governments introducing disaster-specific pharmacy legislation based on other countries.

What does this paper add?This study compared five countries and their pharmacy legislation specific to disasters. It identified that as the number of disasters increases, the odds of a jurisdiction having disaster-specific emergency supply or disaster relocation or mobile pharmacy legislation increases. However, this is likely to be only one of many factors affecting the political decisions of when and what legislation is passed in relation to pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters.

What are the implications for practitioners?Pharmacists are well situated in the community to be of assistance during disasters. However, their ability to help patients with chronic disease management or providing necessary vaccinations in disasters is limited by the legislation in their jurisdiction. Releasing pharmacists{\textquoteright} full potential in disasters could alleviate the burden of low-acuity patients on other healthcare services. This could subsequently free up other healthcare professionals to treat high-acuity patients and emergencies.

}, keywords = {disaster, Health, legislation, pharmacy}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1071/AH19093}, url = {http://www.publish.csiro.au/AH/AH19093}, author = {Kaitlyn Watson and Judith Singleton and Vivienne Tippett and Lisa Nissen} } @mastersthesis {bnh-5696, title = {The roles of pharmacists in disaster health management in natural and anthropogenic disasters}, year = {2019}, month = {06/2019}, school = {Queensland University of Technology}, address = {Brisbane}, abstract = {

This study investigated pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters and identified the acceptance and expectations of pharmacists throughout the different stages of a disaster. Taking an all-hazard and inclusive approach, this research included key stakeholders from international disaster and emergency management organisations as well as pharmacy organisations. Pharmacists{\textquoteright} skills and knowledge are typically underutilised in disasters and it was identified that their abilities extend beyond the traditional role of logistics and supply management. There are multiple practice areas in a disaster in which a pharmacist{\textquoteright}s expertise could be valuable in patient care, logistics, governance, and public health.

}, keywords = {Disaster management, disasters, Logistics, Patient care, Pharmacists, Preparedness, prevention, recovery, response, Roles}, url = {https://eprints.qut.edu.au/130757/}, author = {Kaitlyn Watson} }