A Program to Increase Research Productivity Among Hospital Pharmacists.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of a structured research training program that aimed to increase the research productivity among hospital pharmacists.

METHODS

The program was conducted in a step-wise approach and started with educational sessions on evidence-based medicine and research methods. After about a year, pharmacists were trained and mentored on how to conduct and publish a research project. We evaluated the number of research projects and publications for the pharmacy department before and after the implementation of the program.

RESULTS

In the 5 years prior to implementing the program, there were a total of 4 institutional review board (IRB) proposals, 4 abstracts, and 2 manuscripts, which had pharmacists as primary investigators. After 5 years of running the program, there were 24 pharmacist-initiated research proposals submitted to the IRB, 29 abstracts, and 11 published manuscripts. The major challenges were the lack of sufficient time and the extensive training and mentorship required.

CONCLUSION

Implementing a structured pharmacy research program at a hospital setting was feasible and was associated with an increase in the pharmacist-led research and publications. The success of such a program requires training and mentorship, strong commitment, and administrative support.