Research Skills Certificate

   
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education with Commendation.



 

This activity is intended for pharmacists seeking to expand their knowledge and skills in all aspects of conducting credible research.

Introduction to Research
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-735-H04-P
Application-based
1.25 contact hours 

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the importance of pharmaceutical research.
• State the goals of the ASHP Research Certificate.
• Describe key project management skills needed to lead a successful research project.
• Develop a research project timeline.
• Summarize the principles of effective time management skills.
• List fundamental strategies to lead successful meetings.
• Apply leadership best practices to optimize research planning and team meetings. 

Starting a Research Project: From Topic Creation to Protocol Writing
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-736-H04-P
Application-based
2.5 contact hours 

Learning Objectives:

• Define the central connection of a well-defined research question to the other components of the research protocol.
• Evaluate the essential characteristics of a well-formulated primary research question.
• Choose sources that will address the research question comprehensively without introducing bias into the study.
• Construct a search strategy including appropriate keywords, controlled vocabulary, and filters.
• Differentiate between search strategies for original research and review articles.
• Differentiate each individual component of a research protocol.
• Identify possible pitfalls encountered in writing a research protocol.
• Design supplementary tools to streamline the research process including a codebook or data dictionary and data tables. 

Starting a Research Project: Funding, Protections, & Permissions
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-737-H04-P
Application-based
1.25 contact hours

Learning Objectives:

• Identify potential grant funding opportunities available for pharmacy investigators.
• Describe the common primary components of grant applications.
• Define the ethical tenants of the Belmont Report.
• Describe the federal regulations for human subject research.
• Explain privacy and confidentiality in the context of research.
• List important considerations for patient recruitment.
• Recommend effective strategies for obtaining informed consent. 

Research Study Design
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-738-H04-P
Application-based
2.5 contact hours 

Learning Objectives:

• Differentiate the three most employed observational research study designs for biomedical research.
• Recommend the most appropriate and efficient observational study design for a proposed primary research question.
• Compare the strengths and weaknesses of the three most widely used observational study designs.
• Differentiate the most common interventional research study designs.
• Recommend the most appropriate interventional study design for a proposed primary research question.
• Compare the strengths and weaknesses of the most widely used interventional study designs.
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of conducting written surveys and real-world data analyses.
• Design a written survey with questions that clearly delineate the intended response.
• Develop methodology for the application of real-world data for comparative effectiveness research.
• Identify potential sources of bias in different study designs.
• Evaluate methods of controlling for confounders in study design or analysis.
• Use mitigation steps in retrospective study designs to minimize bias. 

Data Management
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-739-H04-P
Application-based
2.25 contact hours 

Learning Objectives:

• Differentiate between structured and unstructured data.
• Apply strategies to minimize errors during data entry and manipulation.
• Summarize key elements of data documentation for a research database.
• Identify types of data that can be imported to Microsoft Excel and common transformations.
• Explain how to format and modify data using tables and filters.
• Discuss the purpose and application of common pharmacy data functions.
• Summarize the function and advantages of utilizing pivot tables.
• Apply filters, common data functions, and pivot tables to manipulate pharmacy data. 

Statistical Analysis
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-740-H04-P
Application-based
1.25 contact hours 

Learning Objectives:

• Select the appropriate type of data, measure of central tendency, variability, and inferential statistical test for given variables.
• Assess the distribution of data.
• Select the appropriate regression model for a given dependent variable.
• Interpret the accuracy of the selected regression model.
• Construct a 2x2 contingency table.
• Calculate measures of association, including risk ratio and odds ratio. 

Interpreting Results
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-741-H04-P
Application-based
2 contact hours 

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the relationship between study design and the validity of inferences as it relates to various populations of interest.
• Differentiate between odds and risk with a given set of results.
• Interpret odds and risk with a given set of results.
• Calculate the number needed to treat in a study case.
• Evaluate the limitations on interpretations of odds and risk in the context of a larger study protocol.
• Explain the purpose of hypothesis testing.
• Develop a testable research question.
• Distinguish between type I and type II errors.
• Interpret the results of a statistical tests using p-values or 95% confidence intervals.
• Calculate the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests used in medical literature.
• Apply specificity and sensitivity properties of diagnostics tests to the positive or negative predictive value of the tests to identify disease presence or absence in patients. 

Dissemination of Results
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-742-H04-P
Application-based
1.5 contact hours 

Learning Objectives:

• Compose essential elements of a research project within an abstract outline.
• Develop language that it is clear, concise, precise, and balanced.
• Explain each domain and associated components required for a successful presentation.
• Differentiate between poster and platform presentations.
• Construct tables and figures that answer the study question(s).
• Apply universal guidelines and conventions in constructing tables and figures.
• Compare advantages and disadvantages of common types of figures. 

Authorship and Journal Submission
ACPE: 0204-0000-25-743-H04-P
Application-based
3.25 contact hours 

Learning Objectives:

• Design the roles and responsibilities for research team members to optimize productivity and collaboration.
• Explain the components and section contents required for every manuscript.
• Summarize the use of checklists to ensure appropriate manuscript components are included.
• Recommend strategies for collaborative manuscript writing with coinvestigators.
• Select an optimal journal given the target audience, scope, and other journal specific factors.
• Interpret journal bibliometric measures.
• Apply key requirements to prepare a manuscript for journal submission.
• List common components of the peer review process.
• Apply strategies for responding to peer review feedback.

In accordance with our accreditor’s Standards of Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, ASHP requires that all individuals in control of content disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if they have had a financial relationship with ineligible company in any dollar amount in the past 24 months and the educational content that the individual controls is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company.

An ineligible company is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. The presence or absence of relevant financial relationships will be disclosed to the activity audience. 

The following persons in control of this activity’s content have relevant financial relationships:

• Jennifer Melaragno: Veloxis, advisory board 

All other persons in control of content do not have any relevant financial relationships with an ineligible company. 

As defined by the Standards of Integrity and Independence definition of ineligible company. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the CE activity.

Each activity consists of audio, video, and/or PDFs and evaluations. Learners must review all content and complete the evaluations to receive continuing pharmacy education credit for each activity. 

Follow the prompts to claim, view, or print the statement of credit within 60 days after completing the activity. 

Important Note – ACPE 60 Day Deadline: 

Per ACPE requirements, CPE credit must be claimed within 60 days of being earned. To verify that you have completed the required steps and to ensure your credits have been reported to CPE Monitor, check your NABP profile account to validate that your credits were transferred successfully before the ACPE 60-day deadline. After the 60-day deadline, ASHP will no longer be able to award credit for this activity.

The ASHP PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES℠ educational product line contains learning activities that are ACPE-accredited knowledge and application-based continuing education. This is not an ACPE Certificate Program. Upon successful completion of the activities, the learner will be able to download an ASHP Professional Certificate.