R. Silvia, Pharm.D., BCPP
As we review the past of our specialty and look to its future, psychiatric pharmacy is at an important juncture. Direct patient care roles, incorporation into interprofessional teams, payment for patient care services- each of these will have an impact on the future of psychiatric pharmacy. We can help determine the course our specialty takes by working now to mold that future. The Professional Affairs (PA) Committee has launched a survey of all psychiatric pharmacists in the US in order to help gather information to help promote our specialty. The goal of the survey is to gather information from practicing pharmacists about what you do in your own clinical settings, and then use that information to demonstrate the importance of our specialty to providing care to patients with mental illness.
The survey will gather information about what each of us does on a regular basis in providing care to patients. Some of the questions include whether you practice under a collaborative practice agreement, what diagnoses you see in your practice, what type of facility you practice in, and what kinds of monitoring parameters you utilize in your practice. The survey aims to obtain quantitative data on what it means to be a psychiatric pharmacist, something that has been difficult to do up until now. In order for the survey to have the desired impact, we need as many pharmacist members as possible to complete the survey and provide the information we need to accomplish our goal. Our target is for 60% of surveys to be completed, which will provide enough data for the survey to show meaningful outcomes to outside decision makers. Even if you are not sure if your personal work setting qualifies for the survey, we ask that you enter the survey to complete the components that do pertain to your setting, whether practice-based or not. All pharmacist members of CPNP, as well as non-member BCPP pharmacists, have been sent an individualized link to complete the survey. If you cannot find your survey link, please contact the CPNP office staff for assistance at info@cpnp.org
Unlike previous member surveys, this survey is also being conducted as a research project through CPNP. In order to maximize the impact the survey can have on demonstrating what we currently provide to our patients, conducting the survey as research allows us to develop manuscripts, posters, and other works that can be used to accomplish this. It also means that you will be asked to provide consent for us to use your provided information for this research survey to help advance our specialty. All provided information will be de-identified before use in the research analysis. The research project was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of MCPHS University and the CPNP Board of Directors.
The PA Committee asks that you consider completing the survey if you are willing, and help us gather information that can be provided to policymakers as we formulate what we want the future of psychiatric pharmacy to look like.