Creating development goal indicators – bridging data and outcomes (European Region)

Summary of “Creating development goal indicators – bridging data and outcomes” events

FIP member organisations of each region selected some of the FIP Development Goals which are the priorities of their region. European region: DG 1 (Academic capacity), DG 4 (Advanced and specialist development), DG 7 (Advancing integrated services), DG 13 (Policy development), DG 15 (People centred care), DG 19 (Patient safety), DG 20 (Digital health), and DG 21 (Sustainability in pharmacy).

FIP Global Pharmaceutical Observatory (GPO) team members have designed and developed indicators to support tracking progress towards the development goals.​ This globally validated list of indicators across all DGs will monitor progress worldwide and support each country in the process of transformation of their workforce, education, practice, and pharmaceutical science. FIP is developing a framework for selecting indicators and a monitoring and evaluating DGs.  This will enable the design of global Atlas (data visualization) dashboards that will drive and inform improvement and monitor trends over time. 

The process for tracking the development goals is first is to select priority DGs by identifying general, broad areas where there are active, ongoing national policies or projects mapped to the FIP DGs. The next step is to select the right indicators. Indicators are useful to provide measurable progress towards DGs, identify areas that need attention and support continuous improvement. After that, a monitoring and evaluation framework can be developed. Lastly, continuous development can be provided by regularly updating Atlas dashboards to present how the data changes over time. Atlas dashboards can include an actionable overview of a limited set of key indicators with novel ways of bringing attention to those areas that are advancing the profession or experiencing challenges. These have significant potential to support regular reviews of DG progress and improve the data quality.

European Region Panel Discussion on DG priorities and data requirements

• FIP DGs are aligned with national priorities, which also to achieve the United Nation’s health related Sustainable DGs. Nowadays there is an organizational shift which reduces the boundaries and encourage integrated care according to the patient needs, this is also one of the reasons why FIP DGs are really aligned to the national priorities.
• In the UK, DG 2 (Early career training strategy), DG 7 (Advancing integrated services) and DG 21 (Sustainability in pharmacy) resonates with the national needs.
• In Portugal, DG 5 (Competency development), DG 7 (Advancing integrated services) and DG 13 (Policy development) are the DGs that mostly aligned with three national priorities, which are to: 1) increase access to patient information, 2) guarantee successful implementation of pharmaceutical career in national health system, and 3) promote implementation and reimbursement of new pharmaceutical services.
• In Northern Cyprus, DG 9 (Continuing professional development strategies), DG 13 (Policy development), DG 19 (Patient safety), and DG 4 (Advanced and specialist development) are the DGs that are mostly resonates with the national priorities.
• Data needed to track the progress are: 1) quantitative and qualitative data of pharmacists’ placement in undergraduate curriculum, 2) competencies measurement and the real impact of pharmacists from holding a specific competency and 3) qualitative data regarding continuous professional development and specialists (i.e., sport pharmacists).