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Table 5 Subthemes and supporting quotes within the theme “Perceived benefits”

From: Does a transition in education equate to a transition in practice? Thai stakeholder’s perceptions of the introduction of the Doctor of Pharmacy programme

Key theme: Perceived benefits

Subthemes

Concepts

Participantsa

Example of supporting quotes

Step- up process

Change from BPharm to PharmD degree

AC4_PC_U3, AC19_PC_U3

“It was a step up from the Bachelor degree to the professional degree which is a 6-year professional degree similar to other health professions such as physicians and dentistry.”(AC 4_PC_U3)

AC20_PC_U3

Increase reliability and improve professional image

AC_D_U3,

“This change might increase reliability to pharmacy professional.”(PH2_HOS)

PH2_HOS, PH23_PB, PH21_IP, PH21_IP, PH13_MP, PH14_RD, PM1

“We should give the good services first so we will get trust from public.” (PM1)

Higher salary than BPharm

EXP9_HOS, EXP10_HOS, PH24_HOS, PH14_COM, PH18_COM, PR2, ST9

“The career progression of PharmD pharmacist is faster than a 5 year programme. The 6-year PharmD graduates have higher salary than a 5 year pharmacist who works for 3–4 year before PharmD graduates.” (EXP10_HOS)

“Career ladder is also good because a 6 year graduates had salary which equivalence to a Master degree. Duration to higher position is shorter than a 5 year BPharm.” (PH24_HOS)

Move from generalists to specialists

Chance to provide an advance pharmacy practice

AC22_D_U2, AC25_U3, EXP9_HOS, PH20_IP, PH25_HOS, PM1

“A 5-year BPharm programme does not make us experts either in medicines or patient care. This 6-year programme would give us higher competencies.” (PM 1)

Increase skills and understanding for working with teams

AC9_SAP_U1, N1, PH2_HOS, PH25_HOS, PHY5

“PharmD graduates had better skills in patient care. They had more confident and work well with health care team.” (PH2_HOS)

Clear definition of pharmacists’ roles

EXP13_HOS, PM1, PH2_HOS, ST8

“The intention of PCT was good. They proposed to clarify the position of the pharmacy profession which might useful to our society and our profession.” (EXP13_HOS)

“We see the clearer picture of patient care. It is a view, that this is the direction we are going to do and the old curriculum was still missing a lot of thing that we need to learn.” (PM1)

“Pharmacy professional will be looked clearer from this pharmaceutical care.” (PH2_HOS)

Improve competency from general to specialist

AC3_PC_U4, AC21_D_U5, AC22_D_U1, EXP2_COM, EXP9_HOS, EXP10_HOS, EXP11_MP EXP13_HOS, PH24_HOS, PHY1, PHY4, PM1, PM2, PR1, ST1, ST6, ST7

“Pharmacist should prepare for specialty as well so they can work as a health care team and easy to communicate.” (PHY4)

Right direction of pharmacy profession

EXP9_HOS, PH23_PB, PH24_HOS, EXP13_HOS, AC13_PC_U1

“It is the right way and it was partial success. I give credit to everyone. Everyone has good intention but it will be sustained or not.” (AC13_PC_U1)

No more duck

PH19_RD, PH22_HOS, PM1, ST3, ST4, ST5

“A 5-year BPharm programme does not make us experts either in medicinal products or patient care. This 6-year programme would give us higher competencies.” (PM1)

“We are too broad, like a duck. We should good at something better than know everything, but we are not good in anything.” (ST3)

Open new markets in pharmaceutical sciences

AC17_SAP_U1, PH29_COM, PH30_COM, PM5, PM8

“Job markets are still available but we have to open new markets, such as areas in vaccines, blood substitutes, nanotechnology, in herbal medicine. Faculty should move to design our graduates.” (PM5)

Meet the need of stakeholders

Patients and population: better care for patient

AC3_PC_U4, AC5_SAP_U1, N1, N2 PHY5, PHY7, PH2_HOS, PH15_COM, PH16_COM, PH14_MP, PM9, PT_IPD4, PT_OPD2, PT_OPD6, PT_TECH1, PT_TECH2, PUB2, PUB5

“PharmD graduates have better skills in patient care. They are more confident and work well with health care teams.” (PH2_HOS)

“Employers from hospitals and community pharmacies had high satisfaction with PharmD graduates.” (PM9)

“For the 6-year Pharmacy programme, I think it must be good. I know that if patients have problems with medicine they can talk with a pharmacist and the pharmacist will talk to the doctor for them. It makes for better care for us.” (PT_OPD2)

Patients and population: need pharmacist to talk about their medicines

PT_IPD2, PT_IPD4, PT_TECH4, PT_TECH5

“Pharmacist told us about how many tablets we have to take or what the medicines used for. But I think it is not enough. They should tell us more about how to monitor other symptom s which might happen or how to monitor about side effect.” (PT_IPD4)

Patients and population: pharmacists are able to create the better world

PUB7, PUB3

“I am glad to know that some faculties encouraged their pharmacy students to visit homes in poor community and help people about drug related problems. Students should know about suffering in people’s life who did not know their right to accessible to health care system. Pharmacy professional had impact on society and pharmacists are able to create the better world.” (PUB7)

Patients and population & Health care teams: PharmD graduates provided good services

EXP2_COM, N3, N5, N6, PHY2, PHY6, PT_IPD1, PT_IPD3, PT_IPD4, PT_IPD5, PT_OPD1, PT_OPD2, PT_OPD3, PT_OPD4, PT_OPD5, PT_OPD6, PT_OPD7, PT_OPD8, PT_OPD9, PT_TECH3, PUB1, PUB3, PUB4

“The 6-year pharmacists help us to adjusted doses, increase patients’ compliance and follow-up drugs ‘side effects.” (PHY2)

“I think it is good to have a pharmacist on ward. We discuss and shared opinions which is beneficial for our patients.” (PHY6)

“They (PharmD graduates) explained very well. They told me about diet, exercise and medicines.” (PT_OPD1)

“Her (PharmD graduates) service is very good. She takes a good care to patients. I feel courage and able to talk with her. She makes us feel warm. She is willing to treat us. I feel confident in her knowledge for 100 percent sure.” (PT_OPD2)

“Pharmacist taught me how to use this medicine. I have to remove it from the sealed pouch, peel off this, and clean the skin that the patch will be applied. Pharmacist also told me that this medicine will have side effect.”(PT_OPD5)

“The 6 year graduates are very important team member especially in medicinal wards and ICU.” (N3)

Meet the need of stakeholders (continued)

Employers: ready to work

AC6_SAP_U4, EXP3_HOS, EXP9_HOS, EXP10_HOS, EXP8_PB, PH2_HOS, PH10_HOS, PH24_HOS, PH25_HOS, PH16_COM

“PharmD graduates are ready to work. It fulfil the need of employers” (AC6)

“The 6-year PharmD programme is a perfect package. There was a significant different in the competency of patient care between PharmD and BPharm. I will choose a six year programme graduate because they are ready to use.” (EXP9_HOS)

“PharmD graduates have the skills to approach other health care providers. They are ready to work after graduation.” (EXP10_HOS)

Policy makers and educators: solve curriculum overload

AC2_PC_U4, PH2_HOS, PM5

“I think the 6- year PharmD programme is good because I graduated from a 5-year programme which was too tight and clerkship period is too short.” (PH2_HOS)

“The previous programme had curriculum overload but still lack of skill. Policy makers discussed about this issue that if we change to a 6 year curriculum, this will provide more time to practice.” (PM5)

Students and parents: worth for student’ life and career

PH25_HOS, PR1, PR3, PR4, ST2

“I think it is worth another year. It is an opportunity to choose the way of life from the internship experience. Learning a six year programme made the longer internship and had much more experiences.” (PH25_HOS)

“The 6-year programme provides more practice and includes additional things to learn.” (PR1)

“I think the-6 year programme is worth. We can expose the real situation. In the sixth year we had clerkship all year. It is very useful that we can learn a lot from training.” (ST 2)

Patients and population: increases study period will produce pharmacist who provide better care for patient

PHY5, PH26_HOS, PM8, PTECH3, PT_IPD4, PT_IPD5, PT_OPD6, PUB6

“The time for practicing in previous programme was too short and had too much type of training sites.” (PM8)

Contrast view

“I think all pharmacists have high competence. There was no different between a 5-year and 6-year graduates. They did not have a different job description. They are working together.” (PTECH3)

Policy makers and educators: improve readiness and preparedness in Pharm care tract

AC1_PSc_U1, AC2_PC_U4, EXP9_HOS, EXP13_HOS, PH9_HOS, PH25_HOS

“It will be very useful toward preparing the student for their work. A 5-year programme provided only 3 months of training rotation. They have not enough time to practice.” (EXP 13_HOS)

“PharmD graduates had better skills in patient care. They had more confident and work well with health care team.” (PH9_HOS)

Meet the need of stakeholders (continued)

Health care teams: Increase skills and opportunity to understand and work as health care team

AC4_PC_U4, AC18_PC_U3, AC19_PC_U3, EXP11_MR, N1, PH10_HOS, PH25_HOS, PHY5, PTECH1, EXP11_MP

“The 6-year pharmacy graduates have higher knowledge. Their views or critical thinking seem wider or have more understanding about the concept of a multidisciplinary team. We are friends who will walk together.” (N1)

“We extend to six year in order to do more work with patient. We had the opportunity to work with doctors and nurses. When we work with team, I felt that I am valuable. Dispensing is limiting our potential. We used fully potential when we work on ward.”(PH25_HOS)

“We work as health care team. Doctors cannot work by themselves. The processes need other profession to take care and check. Pharmacists help physicians about medicines. That is a confirmation process for the best care to our patients.” (PHY5)

“The six-year graduates have more in-depth knowledge.” (PTECH1)

Policy makers and educators: provide the same standard of curriculum

AC22_D_U1, EXP13, PM3, PM8

“At that time our country had both 5-year programme and 6-year programme that might have some confusion in term of the difference of certified of degree and salary of graduates.” (AC22_D_U1)

“They all have to be graduates of the six-year programme and managed in a similar manner.” (PM 3)

Health care teams: increase skills in home health care and holistic care

EXP12_COM, PH4_HOS, PH5_HOS, PH25_HOS, PH26_HOS, PH27_HOS, PHY3

The six-year graduates provide home health care service and follow up patient at home. They work like a family medicine but they are family pharmacist. They had been added this skill. In the past, they manage only medicine, but now they provide holistic care to patients. (PHY3)

Health care teams: need specialised pharmacist for teams

EXP3_HOS, EXP8_PB, PH11_HOS, PH28_HOS, PHY4, N4, N6

“Pharmacist should prepare for specialty as well so they can work as a health care team and easy to communicate.” (PHY4)

Policy makers and educators: suit with National service plan

AC3_PC_U4, EXP9_HOS, PH7_HOS, PH8_HOS, PH12_HOS

“The 6-year programme follows context of national policy towards health care and services excellence in Asia pacific. The National service plan also encourage the developing of pharmacy services in all level of care.” (AC3_PC_U4)

  1. aAbbreviation
  2. AC_PSc Academic member in pharmaceutical sciences area, AC_PC Academic member in pharmaceutical care area, AC_SAP Academic member in social and administrative pharmacy), AC_D Dean, EXP_HOS Expert in hospital pharmacy, EXP_COM community pharmacy, EXP_PSc Expert in industrial pharmacy, EXP_PB Expert in public health and consumer protection, EXP_MP Expert in marketing pharmacy, N Nurse, PH_HOS Hospital pharmacist, PH_COM community pharmacist, PH_IP Industrial pharmacist, PH_PB Pharmacist in public health and consumer protection, PH_MP Pharmacist in marketing pharmacy, PH_RD Pharmacist in Research and development, PHY Physician, PM Policy maker, PTECH Pharmacy technician, PT_IPD Patient in In-Patient Department, PT_OPD Patient in Out-Patient Department, PUB Public/general population, ST Student, PR Parent, U1 University1, U2 University2, U3 University3, U4 University4, U5 University5