The Hospital Pharmacists Association of Ireland Education and Research Specialist Interest Group

Background: In December 2024, the Hospital Pharmacists Association of Ireland (HPAI) established an Education and Research Specialist Interest Group (SIG). With the era of advanced specialism in hospital pharmacy upon us after many years of tough negotiations, we are reminded of the importance of postgraduate pharmacist education prerequisite to developing the skillsets required of advanced specialist practice. In addition to the recognition of an advanced specialist grade, the prospect of pharmacist prescribing is on the horizon. In their final report, the expert taskforce commissioned by the Department of Health to support the expansion of the role of the pharmacist recommended that “pharmacists be enabled to exercise independent, autonomous prescriptive authority within and related to the individual practitioner’s scope of practice and competence”.1 The report highlights education, training, and research as key competencies required for attaining advanced specialist status. Specific to research, the need for research conducted within Irish contexts to support regional and national implementation of taskforce recommendations was emphasised.1

Within the report, the indicative timeline for the introduction of regulations governing pharmacist prescribing in primary and secondary care is in 2026, with pharmacist prescribing in secondary care coming into effect from 2027.

In healthcare models where pharmacists are integrated into the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and where independent pharmacist prescribing is provided for within legislation, pharmacist prescribing is widespread. Pharmacist prescribing in the hospital setting has been associated with reduced medication errors, improved prescribing safety, more efficient pharmacist medication reviews, increased scope of practice and enhanced professional or job satisfaction.1

It is hoped that the introduction of advanced specialism will also see similar opportunities to benefit patient care in Ireland via increased participation in MDT. To see such changes in practice and secondary benefits for patients, a change in workforce training is required such that pharmacists have widespread opportunities for postgraduate training and development of research skills.

Rationale for a HPAI Education and Research SIG

The need to advance pharmacist access to education, training, and opportunities to conduct and collaborate with others in producing high quality research, provides a rationale for a SIG that incorporates both education and research into its mandate. The European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) extended definition of clinical pharmacy states that clinical pharmacy “represents both a professional practice and field of research” and “encompasses cognitive, managerial and interpersonal activities targeting all stages of the medicines use process, and as a field of research generates knowledge that informs clinical decision-making, health care organisation or policy”.2

Further supporting the establishment of an education and research SIG in the HPAI are the European Association of Hospital Pharmacy (EAHP) Hospital Pharmacy Statements, which group education and research together as components of pharmacy practice that are intrinsically linked.3 Section 6: Education and Research, of the EAHP statements can be seen in Figure 1. The HPAI endorse the statements on their member forum and encourages hospital pharmacy departments to aim to achieve compliance with these statements.

Academic supervisors offer tremendous support in terms of navigating a structured MSc or PhD. However, for pharmacists conducting independent research, or whose academic supervisor’s expertise falls outside the scope of the research speciality, this network may be beneficial.

Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the SIG are to enhance hospital pharmacist access to/knowledge of quality education and training opportunities and facilitate the conduct and publication of high-quality research in clinical pharmacy practice.

Education

Hospital pharmacist postgraduate course database

The SIG is looking to create a database of clinically focused courses that are relevant to hospital pharmacists. This database will be published on the HPAI members forum. Academic institutions and HPAI members are encouraged to share relevant postgraduate course, certificates, diplomas, and MSc programmes with the SIG, as well as any opportunities for funding streams, such as grant calls, bursaries and scholarships. Additionally, academic institutions that offer practice-based PhD programmes to hospital pharmacists are encouraged to inform the SIG to increase reach to pharmacists working in hospital settings.

Clinical competency framework for basic grade pharmacists

The SIG has identified the need for a clinical competency framework, to complement the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland’s (PSI) core competency framework for basic grade pharmacists in their early hospital career. The PSI core competency framework is a general competency framework applicable to all pharmacists registered in Ireland. A clinical competency framework will help hospital pharmacy departments structure the career development of their early career pharmacists, as well as provide a structured roadmap for those looking to progress in their clinical practice.

Work with specialities to develop advanced specialist credentialling

A credentialling model for each area of advanced specialist pharmacy practice in the specialities acknowledged by the joint HPAI/Fórsa technical report would serve as an important quality assurance step for both pharmacists and pharmacy departments in Irish hospital pharmacy. The SIG aims to work with specialist groups of pharmacists, such as the Irish Pharmacy Haematology Oncology Society (IPHOS), to assist in the design, accreditation and rollout of this process. The specialties contained in the technical report are detailed in Table 1.

Wider structural and contextual factors that have been identified as facilitators or barriers to integrating advanced pharmacist credentialing into clinical practice have previously been explored by Deasy et al. The finding from this review should inform collaborative work in the future.4 These findings will be considered by the SIG as part of implementation recommendations.

Research

Develop online and in-person workshops on conducting research in hospital pharmacy

With increasing numbers of hospital pharmacists conducting clinical research, whether structured (MSc, PhD programmes) or unstructured (e.g., independent research) the SIG intends to coordinate structured educational events for hospital pharmacists to support development of skillsets to conduct high quality, impactful research. Examples of areas the group hopes to cover include:

• Formulating relevant and answerable research questions
• Developing research skills necessary for conducting primary research (i.e., developing new knowledge) and secondary research (i.e., synthesising available research through evidence synthesis).
• Specific research skills required to answer research questions, including those quantitative and qualitative methodologies
• Workshops on writing research and grant proposals
• Publishing and presenting research

Pharmacists and academics with experience in research are encouraged to join the SIG and contribute to workshop design, development, and delivery.

Promote Irish hospital pharmacy research

The SIG is keen to promote Irish hospital pharmacy research, ensuring Irish hospital pharmacists can disseminate their research widely and to appropriate audiences. This involves sharing hospital pharmacist research through the HPAI forum, social media, newsletters, pharmacy department journal clubs, and at the HPAI annual conference.

Additionally, the generation of a database of peer-reviewed publications from Irish hospital pharmacists would have benefits for researchers from a dissemination, networking, and professional culture perspective.

Peer support and mentorship for hospital pharmacy researchers

The SIG has a forum in the HPAI members website where pharmacists with research questions can be posted. In addition to this, the SIG would be interested in creating a space for peer support and mentorship for hospital pharmacists considering starting their research journey or requiring peer support with conducting research.

Publish collaborative research relevant to Irish hospital pharmacy practice

The SIG members are planning a series of research projects in the areas of education and research within Irish hospital pharmacy practice. The first stage of this has already commenced. This entails an anonymous survey to establish research and education activities already being conducted within Irish hospitals. This will serve to benchmark current practice and allow the SIG to target members needs accordingly. Pharmacist Executive Managers are strongly encouraged to engage in survey participation.

This survey will allow SIG members to advocate for assistance in addressing gaps in education and research in collaboration with academic partners and international societies. It will also build strategic frameworks to facilitate Irish hospital pharmacists in moving to resolve the gaps that already exist in education and research.

Further research investigating the facilitators and barriers of structured education and research in Irish hospital pharmacy is anticipated to be the next step after completion and publication of the survey. Interested members of the HPAI who would like to take part in conducting and publishing this research are encouraged to join the SIG.

Invitation for new members and collaborative groups

The SIG encourages interested parties to join by emailing the chairperson, Darren Walsh ( darren.walsh@hse.ie) to get added to the SIG mailing list. The SIG meets formally once monthly. Members of the HPAI with any level of experience (including none) in education and research are encouraged to join. The group currently has membership from pharmacists in the acute hospital and academic setting.

The SIG has already collaborated with the National Association of Hospital Pharmacy Technicians (NAHPT) to nominate a representative who will join meetings that discuss topics that may affect hospital pharmacy technicians, and welcomes communication from other groups and bodies, in particular representatives from the clinical pharmacy departments of schools of pharmacy in different Irish universities.

The ongoing SIG activity, including publications and the provision of research and educational material will be available on the SIG forum in the HPAI members website.

Written by Darren J. Walsh1,2, Sarah Brown3, Carina O’Brien1,4 and Ita Fitzgerald1,5

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