Background: Globally, the administration of vaccines by pharmacists is gaining momentum and incorporation of vaccination and injection skills in pharmacy school curricula is becoming more common. Objectives: This paper reports on one of four focus groups conducted to validate an Australian developed undergraduate vaccination training program (VTP) and its wider application beyond the Australian health care environment. Methods: A focus group discussion was conducted with six Sri Lankan medical and pharmacist experts following the development of a vaccination training program. Results: Participants voiced that prior to incorporation of the VTP into undergraduate Sri Lankan curricula, approval should be sought from the Ministry of Health and established vaccinators. The issue of certificates of competency was deemed inappropriate to be issued to Sri Lankan students. Additionally the assessment of competency was seen to be essential on a yearly basis throughout the curricula. Concern was expressed concerning the management of vaccine associated anaphylaxis in the context of minimal pre-hospital care. Participants voiced that vaccination training should be piloted prior to formal incorporation into Sri Lankan undergraduate pharmacy curricula. Conclusion: While there is wide interest in the introduction of clinical skills into pharmacy curricula, the results of this study raise questions about the inclusion of injection and vaccination training in Sri Lankan undergraduate curricula.
Predatory or Fake Journals: a real threat to the credible publishers Fake or predatory journals have mushroomed during the recent past and become a real treat to the credible journals and publishers. The "online open access" policy, when introduced a decade ago, was welcomed by the scientific community as a positive step in the dissemination of knowledge especially to regions with financial constraints. Fake journals are a byproduct of this policy and the industry is a lucrative business now. This industry thrives on the "publish or perish" culture particularly seen among academia and novice and over enthusiastic academics are the victims of this immoral industry. Questionable journals share certain common characteristics helping somewhat easy recognition. These journals publish anything and everything for a fee and have a rapid review process. Mr. Jeffry Beall, a research librarian in the University of Colorado, maintains a registry of fake journals "Predatory open access journals" using some attributes they share. Fake journals have no address or contact information other than the corresponding email address. They are not linked to a recognized institution or organization. Submission guidelines are nonspecific and review process is unclear. These features question the credibility of a journal. The prime duty of a journal is to disseminate accurate and valid scientific information to the relevant audience. Some prestigious journals, however, have a limited circulation, primarily due to high subscription cost. Fake journals have recognized this weakness and entice potential authors with rapid review process and wider visibility of their work. Academics require maintaining a high degree of suspicion in order to avoid becoming victims of this immoral industry.
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