‘[Now] that I look back, I’m like oh my goodness why did I think like that?’ : using critical reflection in training pharmacy assistants and pharmacy dispensary technicians working with medication assisted treatment of opioid dependence : a case study from Australia
- Authors: Patil, Tejaswini , Mummery, Jane , Williams, Dominic , Salman, Mohammed
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Reflective Practice Vol. 24, no. 3 (2023), p. 361-374
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- Description: Despite recognition of the importance of critical reflection for professional development in social and health care–particularly regarding professional competency and self-awareness–the use of reflective practice in professional training has received less examination. This paper evaluates the use of critical reflection as a pedagogical approach in training allied health professionals–in this instance, training Pharmacy Assistants (PAs) and Pharmacy Dispensary Technicians (PDTs) towards increasing critical reflection of their service delivery to Medication Assisted Treatment of Opioid Dependence (MATOD) consumers. Specifically, this paper examines a) the embedding of a critical reflection model within training materials; and b) the experiences of participants who undertook this training, including their experiences of applying their learnings to professional practice. Findings present a mixed picture. Despite the training facilitating the unearthing and deconstructing of problematic values and assumptions in the service delivery of MATOD treatments in pharmacy settings, some participants found the recognition of their own biases and prejudices overwhelming. Hence, although Fook and Gardner’s (2007) critical reflection model has enormous potential to tackle stigma and discriminatory attitudes towards opioid dependence and MATOD and improve professional practice, greater attention to scaffolding, designing and implementing the process of critical reflection is needed. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
“Before the training I just assumed they've done something bad”: Reporting on professional training for pharmacy assistants and pharmacy dispensary technicians on medically assisted treatment of opioid dependence
- Authors: Patil, Tejaswini , Mummery, Jane , Salman, Mohammed , Cooper, Simon J. , Williams, Dominic
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy Vol. 17, no. 7 (2021), p. 1250-1258
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- Description: Background: A study that examined the lived experiences of Medically Assisted Treatment of Opioid Dependence (MATOD) consumers suggested that they had experienced discrimination and stigma in pharmacies in regional Victoria, Australia. To address this, the need for professional training opportunities for Pharmacy Assistants (PAs) and Pharmacy Dispensary Technicians (PTDs) had been emphasised. A research project was undertaken to develop training modules using Social Determinants of Health (SDH) for PAs and PDTs involved in providing MATOD pharmacy services in regional Victoria, and to evaluate their effectiveness. Objectives: The study aimed to examine and evaluate changes in attitudes and practices amongst PAs and PDTs involved in MATOD services in regional Victoria, Australia and who had undertaken the training modules. Methods: The paper reports primarily on the in-depth qualitative interviews that were completed after the training with PAs and PTDs. Thematic analysis was employed to code the data. Results: Thematic analysis generated five themes: understanding of the professional role of PAs and PTDs, initial judgements concerning MATOD consumers, reflection on the SDH, training content analysis, and the post-training impact upon Professional Practice. These themes reflected participants’ insights with regards both to MATOD consumers and the impact the training itself had had on their professional practice. Conclusion: “Consciousness-raising” from participation in the training can positively influence the development of participants’ professional attitudes and practices with regards to MATOD service delivery. This development supports that training informed by SDH and ideas of critical reflection can help facilitate the creation of knowledge around the social construction of health and increased understanding of the impacts of language-use, attitudes and behaviour. © 2020
Reporting on training developed for pharmacy assistants and pharmacy dispensary technicians working with Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) consumers in regional Victoria
- Authors: Patil, Tejaswini , Cooper, Simon J. , Salman, Mohammed , Mummery, Jane , Molloy, Pauline , Williams, Dominic
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Technical report , Report
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- Description: A recent study (Patil et al., 2018) analysing lived experiences of Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) consumers suggested that some experienced discrimination and stigma in the pharmacy context in regional Victoria, Australia. One of the recommendations was to explore professional training and education opportunities for allied health professionals and in particular, Pharmacy Assistants (PAs) and Pharmacy Dispensary Technicians (PDTs) as they are integral to serving MATOD consumers. Ballarat Community Health commissioned Federation University to develop training modules for PAs and PDTs working in the pharmacy settings in regional Victoria. A survey of the literature identified two key issues, namely, the lack of professional education and training of PAs and PDTs involved in serving the consumers in pharmacy settings either at the national or state level in Australia. The other finding was the varied use of different types of ‘opioid dependence’ treatments in different jurisdictions of Australia which had implications in terms of embedding psychosocial or Social Determinants of Health (SDH) with therapeutic treatments. As a result, this project serves as a significant step in employing SDH based training modules for PAs and PDTs working with MATOD consumers in the pharmacy settings to address stigma and discrimination. The training workshop materials will be evaluated to determine its efficacy in terms of change of attitudes and professional practice. The aim of this study is to: 1. Deliver and evaluate a new professional training module concerning MATOD and; 2. Examine and evaluate the efficacy and impact of the training module on professional practice and changes in attitudes towards stigma and discrimination amongst PAs and PDTs. This project was conducted in two stages. At the first stage, two workshops (each lasting for two hours) were delivered in two different regional locations in the state of Victoria, Australia (referred to as locations A and B in this report). Thirteen participants expressed interest in location A but eleven attended both training workshops. In location B, fourteen attended the first workshop, while twelve attended the second workshop. Participants who attended the training were administered pre-training and post-training surveys. The pre-training surveys included demographic information, professional experience, educational background and professional training, whereas the post-training survey involved questions about the impact and efficacy of the training delivered. The second stage involved conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with participants who attended the training workshops. The main goal was to evaluate the impact on professional practice and change in attitudes amongst PAs and PDTs. Data collected from the surveys and interviews were analysed using quantitative and qualitative content analysis via an inductive process. In addition, an interpretive phenomenological analysis was undertaken to identify and code themes emerging from the interviews. Ethics approval was received through the Federation University’s Human Research Ethics Committee before the commencement of this project.