Editors
Dr. Torsten Reiners (Curtin University, Australia),
Kirsten M. Reiners (Curtin University, Australia), and
Dr. Terry T. Kidd (University of Houston—Downtown, USA)

Proposal Submission: t.reiners@curtin.edu.au

Call for Chapters
Proposals Submission Deadline: September 12, 2012
Full Chapters Due: January 25, 2013

Introduction

In pharmacy, all stakeholders along the supply chain—from developers of new medications to those who deliver medications to customers (patients)—have to be highly trained, since knowledge and accuracy are crucial to preventing errors which can lead to fatalities. In addition, previously acquired knowledge and training in the field is subject to continuous updates through research, field studies, and governmental regulations, and any changes in practice have to be incorporated without interrupting services. These challenges are further aggravated by the interdisciplinary nature of pharmacy, where many pharmaceutical professionals need expertise in multiple areas—in business administration, quality management, and patient counseling, for example—as well as in pharmacy, chemistry, and medicine.

To keep up with the new information and regulations required to practice as a pharmacist and to safely operate a pharmacy, pharmacists have to continuously update their current knowledge, engage in seminars, complete self-guided online courses, and pass exams for certificates. Given the health care system’s increased need for flexibility and adaptability, it is imperative that educators, trainers, consultants, administrators, researchers, and professors monitor current trends and issues in pharmacy. Only continuous learning will allow pharmacists to meet the needs and challenges of tomorrow.

Objective of the Book

The unique challenges of pharmaceutical professionals to continuously acquire and apply the latest research findings in parallel to their day-to-day profession is not yet covered in a single integrated collection. Several books broach the issue of continuous learning without explicitly addressing the needs of working pharmaceutical professionals or providing applicable solutions. This edited collection combines international research, use cases, and especially practical experiences in one book. The aim of the book is to bring together related researchers and practitioners from different research fields within the pharmaceutical discipline; among them students, faculty members, researchers, and professionals with secondary majors such as education, business management or economics, . This book is not about one specific pharmaceutical expertise but centers on all stakeholders in a pharmacy, especially pharmacists themselves, who are the last link in the supply chain, the primary contact for the patient, and often business stakeholders who need to discover the right balance of profit and customer care to survive in a very competitive market.

The chapters collected for this book will have influence on future developments for pharmaceutical practice regarding continuous learning. The book will help researchers and practitioners in the field to focus on strategies and trends in continuous learning which pharmacists can use to provide the best possible service and guarantee a high standard of safety for their customers.

In addition, the book provides a theoretical understanding of the essential link between pharmacy and education, information technology, instructional systems & technology, community development, and improvement of the health care system. Furthermore, the book will investigate different models world-wide (i.e. how online courses can support pharmacists in developing countries by building a bridge for communication and knowledge exchange).

Target Audience

The target audience of this book is composed of professionals, educators, researchers, students—and even customers—working and participating in the field of pharmacy, health care, and connected areas. As the book is about teaching skills and knowledge through (distance) eLearning, the book is not limited to certain geographical areas, but shows how practitioners can gain current knowledge and information about pharmaceutical developments across borders using different means of communication. The content of the book may also be of interest for graduate students in areas like Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, and Biochemistry, but also business management or law, who would benefit from the information and examples.

Recommended topics

Major topics of interest for this edited collection include, but are not limited to, the following. Note that the core thought of the edited collection is on how to support pharmaceutical professionals with their needs for continuous learning. Proposals for chapters have to target the unique context of this area and address its stakeholders from pharmacists to customers.

- Continuous and Authentic Learning for Pharmaceutical Professionals
- Integrating Continuous Learning in the day-to-day Pharmaceutical Profession
- Case Studies and Professional Experiences
- Technologies and Environments to Support Pharmaceutical Professionals
- Future of Continuous Learning in Pharmacies

In addition to the general direction, the proposed chapter should focus on your subject of interest. Among others, the following list represents an overview of possible subjects; all from the perspective of or regarding pharmaceutical professionals:

- Certification of Pharmaceutical Training
- State of the art of Pharmaceutical Education
- Pharmaceutical Business Management, Inventory Management, Information Systems, Human Resources
- Pharmaceutical IT Training
- Handling of Hazardous and Restricted Substances
- Improving On-the-job Safety
- Medication-use Policy Development
- Standardization, Regulations, and Quality Management
- ePharmacy, Virtual Pharmacy, Internet Pharmacy, Pharmacy 2.0
- Accreditation of (Online) Programs and Pharmaceutical Procedures
- Patient Consulting and Pharmaceutical Services
- Patient Safety in Medication Application
- Adverse Reaction, Dosage, Application, Detection of Abuse of Medication
- Drug Procurement, Distribution, Surveillance, and Control
- Clinical Pharmacology and Studies
- Socio-demographic Influence on Pharmacy
- Pharmaceutical Education without (national) Barriers
- Geographic Differences of Pharmaceutical Applications
- Pharmacy in Developing Countries
- Ethnical, Cultural, and Social Influences on Treatment Procedures
- Propagation of Risk Alerts and Critical Information
- Infection Control and Prevention in Pharmacy
- Disaster Management (e.g., Epidemia, Pandemia, and Recall)
- Interdisciplinary Communication and Exchange of Expertise and Knowledge
- Health Care System (Operations, Stakeholders, or Role of Pharmacy)
- Health Care Plans and Patient Benefits
- Law, Legal Systems and Ethics
- Federal Regulation
- Availability of Medication and Alternations
- Community Health Services
- Curriculum Design, Validation, Implementation
- Online Content Development
- Continuous Professional Development
- Interdisciplinary Links to Other Fields (e.g., Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine)


Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before September 12, 2012, a 1-3 page chapter proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by December 12, 2012 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by January 25, 2013. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-blind review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published in 2013 by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the “Information Science Reference” (formerly Idea Group Reference), “Medical Information Science Reference,” “Business Science Reference,” and “Engineering Science Reference” imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com.

Important Dates

September 12, 2012: Proposal Submission Deadline
December 12, 2012: Notification of Acceptance
January, 25, 2013: Full Chapter Submission
March 12, 2013: Review Results Returned
April 25, 2013: Final Chapter Submission
June 25, 2013: Final Deadline



Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document):

Dr. Torsten Reiners – chief editor
Curtin University
School of Information Systems
Kent Street
Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
Tel.: +61 (08) 9266 7642 • Fax: +61 (08) 9266 3076 • Mobile: +61 4 108 61172
E-mail: t.reiners@cbs.curtin.edu.au / t.reiners@curtin.edu.au