Challenges of Pharmacy Residency Program Publications in Pediatric Oncology Hospital in a Developing Country

Abstract

Introduction: Residency program in Children’s Cancer Hospital-Egypt (CCHE) is the first ever accredited international pharmacy practice residency program (IPPR) from American Society of Health System Pharmacist (ASHP). Pharmacy residency programs play a significant role in achieving the goal of highly qualified pharmacist. They give residents the chance to "conduct a practice-related project using effective project management skills" in order to be accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). The majority of these projects, despite the time and effort invested in them, are only presented at regional and national residency conferences and do not ultimately result in peer-reviewed publications. Recent studies show that pharmacy resident projects have low publication rates. The results of pharmacy residency publication barriers are mostly from studies that surveyed residents and directors in the United States, no studies were done in a developing country. Objectives: To determine the challenges that are facing the pharmacy residents during project publication in CCHE among the graduated residents from 2019 till 2022 and to evaluate the perceived value of the projects from the preceptors’ prospective. Method: This was a cross-sectional survey of pharmacy residents and pharmacy preceptors. International pharmacy practice residents (IPPR) who have completed and finished the program during the last four years from 2019 till 2022 were eligible to complete the survey while preceptors who have three or more years of experience in clinical pharmacy were involved. A list of the graduated residents and the active preceptors was prepared in with the help of the residency program director and an online version of the survey was distributed among them. Results: A significant barrier identified by half of the residents was the challenge of completing the residency project within a one year. Meanwhile, 41.7% pointed out the lack of allocated time for their projects, and for 33.3%, writing the manuscript posed a challenge. The preceptors acknowledged the significance of the research project as a foundational learning opportunity that hones lifelong learning skills Conclusion: The primary obstacles impeding the publication process in the context of pharmacy residency programs are the lack of dedicated time and the challenging nature of completing research projects within the limited timeframe of a one-year residency program. To establish an enhanced model that facilitates the successful progression of a pharmacy residency project, encompassing all stages from concept development to peer-reviewed publication, it is imperative to identify and address these barriers.