Scoping of pharmacists' health leadership training needs for effective antimicrobial stewardship in Africa

Ifunanya Ikhile; Gizem Gülpınar; Ayesha Iqbal; Nduta Kamere; Beth Ward; Manjula Halai; Amy Hai Yan Chan; Eric Muringu; Derick Munkombwe; Mashood Lawal; Winnie Nambatya; Yvonne Esseku; Felix Kaminyoghe; Shuwary Barlatt; Eva Muro; Chikondi Savieli; Diane Ashiru-Oredope; Victoria Rutter

doi:10.1186/s40545-023-00543-2

Scoping of pharmacists' health leadership training needs for effective antimicrobial stewardship in Africa

J Pharm Policy Pract. 2023 Mar 2;16(1):33. doi: 10.1186/s40545-023-00543-2.

Authors

Ifunanya Ikhile^{1

2}, Gizem Gülpınar^{1

3}, Ayesha Iqbal^{1

4

5}, Nduta Kamere¹, Beth Ward¹, Manjula Halai¹, Amy Hai Yan Chan¹, Eric Muringu^{1

6}, Derick Munkombwe^{1

7}, Mashood Lawal^{1

8}, Winnie Nambatya^{1

9}, Yvonne Esseku^{1

10}, Felix Kaminyoghe^{1

11}, Shuwary Barlatt^{1

12}, Eva Muro^{1

13}, Chikondi Savieli¹⁴, Diane Ashiru-Oredope¹, Victoria Rutter¹

Affiliations

¹ Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, London, E1W 1AW, UK.
² School of Medicine, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.
³ Department of Pharmacy Management, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330, Ankara, Türkiye.
⁴ Division of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
⁵ Office of Lifelong Learning and the Physician Learning Program, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, AB T6G1C9, Edmonton, Canada.
⁶ Projects Department, Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, P.O. Box 44290-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
⁷ Pharmacy Department, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 50110, Lusaka, Zambia.
⁸ Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, P.O. Box 531, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁹ Pharmacy Department, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
¹⁰ Ghana College of Pharmacists, P.O. Box CT 10740, Accra, Ghana.
¹¹ Pharmaceutical Society of Malawi, P.O. Box 2240, Lilongwe, Malawi.
¹² Drug Information Services and Quality Assurance Unit, Directorate of Pharmaceutical Services, P.O. Box 232, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
¹³ Department of Pharmacology, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University, Kilimanjaro, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania.
¹⁴ Commonwealth Pharmacists Association, London, E1W 1AW, UK. chiko.savieli@commonwealthpharmacy.org.

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health concern currently mitigated by antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Pharmacists are strategically placed to lead AMS actions that contribute to responsible use of antimicrobials; however, this is undermined by an acknowledged health leadership skills deficit. Learning from the UK's Chief Pharmaceutical Officer's Global Health (ChPOGH) Fellowship programme, the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) is focused to develop a health leadership training program for pharmacists in eight sub-Saharan African countries. This study thus explores need-based leadership training needs for pharmacists to provide effective AMS and inform the CPA's development of a focused leadership training programme, the 'Commonwealth Partnerships in AMS, Health Leadership Programme' (CwPAMS/LP).

Methods: A mixed methods approach was undertaken. Quantitative data were collected via a survey across 8 sub-Saharan African countries and descriptively analysed. Qualitative data were collected through 5 virtual focus group discussions, held between February and July 2021, involving stakeholder pharmacists from different sectors in the 8 countries and were analysed thematically. Data were triangulated to determine priority areas for the training programme.

Results: The quantitative phase produced 484 survey responses. Focus groups had 40 participants from the 8 countries. Data analysis revealed a clear need for a health leadership programme, with 61% of respondents finding previous leadership training programmes highly beneficial or beneficial. A proportion of survey participants (37%) and the focus groups highlighted poor access to leadership training opportunities in their countries. Clinical pharmacy (34%) and health leadership (31%) were ranked as the two highest priority areas for further training of pharmacists. Within these priority areas, strategic thinking (65%), clinical knowledge (57%), coaching and mentoring (51%), and project management (58%) were selected as the most important.

Conclusions: The study highlights the training needs of pharmacists and priority focus areas for health leadership to advance AMS within the African context. Context-specific identification of priority areas supports a needs-based approach to programme development, maximising African pharmacists' contribution to AMS for improved and sustainable patient outcomes. This study recommends incorporating conflict management, behaviour change techniques, and advocacy, amongst others, as areas of focus to train pharmacist leaders to contribute to AMS effectively.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Antimicrobial stewardship; Commonwealth pharmacists Association; Health leadership; Pharmacists.