Division of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia.
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2022 Sep;18(9):3612-3621. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.02.002. Epub 2022 Feb 12.
Human physiology undergoes extensive changes in space potentially leading to alterations in the way a medication functions. Understanding the efficacy behind Pharmacological Countermeasures (PCMs) and deliverable pharmacy services is imperative for the future presence of humans in space. However, while the pharmacist plays an integral role for human health terrestrially, pharmacist input has been minimal for human health in the space sector. Here, we explore the pharmacist's potential role in larger medical teams for future missions.
To explore pharmacy and space sector stakeholder perspectives regarding the pharmacist's role in the space sector.
Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with pharmacy (n = 31) and human health-related space sector stakeholders (n = 26) across the globe from governmental, commercial, industry and academic sectors. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to identify stakeholders. Interviews and focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.
Three themes - medication management, medication-related research and medication and health information - were generated. The importance of medication optimisation within commercial and federal spaceflight participant medication regimens was cited as necessary for sustainable space exploration. Both groups advocated for pharmacists' involvement with in-situ medication manufacturing and medication-related research, particularly regarding space-based pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug profiling. Other essential roles included the pharmacist's role in providing medication information to spaceflight participants and other healthcare professionals on their health status and medication use risk in the context of space.
With the advancement of accessible, commercial space travel and humans becoming an inter-planetary species, the opportunity to tackle PCM needs via a more extensive and comprehensive collaborative effort between the space, medical and pharmacy sectors is essential for sustainable space exploration.
人类生理机能在太空中会发生广泛变化，这可能导致药物的作用方式发生改变。了解药理学对策（PCM）和可交付药房服务的效果对于人类未来在太空中的存在至关重要。然而，虽然药剂师在地球上的人类健康中起着不可或缺的作用，但在太空领域，药剂师对人类健康的参与却很少。在这里，我们探讨了药剂师在未来任务中更大的医疗团队中的潜在角色。
探讨药房和太空部门利益相关者对药剂师在太空部门中的角色的看法。
对全球范围内的政府、商业、工业和学术领域的药房（n=31）和与人类健康相关的太空部门利益相关者（n=26）进行了半结构式访谈和焦点小组讨论。采用有针对性和滚雪球抽样的方法来确定利益相关者。对访谈和焦点小组进行了录音、逐字记录，并进行了主题分析。
产生了三个主题——药物管理、与药物相关的研究以及药物和健康信息。商业和联邦太空飞行参与者药物方案中药物优化的重要性被认为是可持续太空探索的必要条件。这两个群体都主张药剂师参与现场药物制造和与药物相关的研究，特别是关于基于空间的药代动力学和药效学药物分析。其他重要角色包括药剂师在提供药物信息方面的作用，包括向太空飞行参与者和其他医疗保健专业人员提供关于其健康状况和药物使用风险的信息，以适应太空环境。
随着可访问的商业太空旅行的发展和人类成为星际物种，通过太空、医疗和药学部门之间更广泛和全面的合作来解决 PCM 需求对于可持续的太空探索至关重要。
