Jane Pearson Sharpe, Lisa Wenger and Nancy Waite
School of Pharmacy professor Nancy Waite is one of four authors of an award winning journal article. Entitled “Confronting inequities: A scoping review of the literature on pharmacist practice and health-related disparities”, the article is by Ontario Pharmacist Evidence Network members Lisa Wenger, Meagen Rosenthal (pictured below), Jane Pearson Sharpe and Nancy Waite.
The team’s paper was awarded the 2016 Best Paper award by Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy (RSAP), a journal that features original research and reviews on the social and administrative pharmaceutical sciences.
"This paper is very important to me and to the entire authorship team, and it is wonderful to have it recognized in this way,” says lead author Lisa Wenger. “It is my hope that this area of research will continue to expand as we collaboratively work to address disparities and continue to pursue positive shifts in practice.”
The paper represented the results of a process that examined 93 peer-reviewed and 23 grey literature articles on pharmacy-specific research into health-related disparities. The amount of research that examines the presence and impact of health care disparities faced by marginalized populations is growing. The team’s efforts with this paper provide a rigorous examination of the themes and methodologies that have been used to explore this important topic.
Following their review of the literature, the team provided an assessment of gaps and opportunities that exist in the study of healthcare disparities. To help pharmacists provide more inclusive and equitable patient care, they must first understand the challenges faced by marginalized populations. By outlining ideal next steps for research, this paper is helping pharmacists achieve this goal.
“The paper is emblematic of RSAP's mission in its methodological rigor, insight, and timeliness,” writes the journal on the RSAP Facebook page. The authors and their paper will be formally recognized in the March 2017 issue of the journal and at RSAP’s editorial advisory board meeting in San Francisco.
Congratulations, Lisa, Meagen, Jane and Nancy!