Peer Reviewing and Indexing Processes

Peer Reviewing Process

• Peer review involves assessing the quality and validity of research before publication
• Publication in a respected journal enhances credibility, but does not guarantee accuracy
• Secondary sources like indexing and abstracting systems organize and retrieve primary resources

Indexing

• Enables rapid access to literature information and sources
• Uses indexing terms:
  • Primary indexing terms (e.g., "Ibuprofen") represent the main topic
  • Descriptive modifying terms (e.g., "Renal Failure, dosage (Adult)") provide specific details
  • Access numbers (e.g., 464) help locate information

Abstracting

• Abstracts summarize article content for storage and retrieval
• Types:
  • Indicative (Non-evaluative, Descriptive): Brief (50-100 words), highlighting the main points
  • Informative (Evaluative): Include all important information (around 250 words)

Purposes of Abstracts

• Quickly assess if the full article is relevant
• Used for separate publication (e.g., Biological Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts)
• Provide keywords for searches
• Form the basis for other sources of information and offer the most up-to-date insights

Benefits of Using Primary Sources

• Clinical trials offer the latest drug information and are ideal for answering therapeutic questions
• Journals help pharmacists:
  • Stay current with professional news
  • Learn about clinician approaches to problems
  • Differentiate effective from ineffective or harmful therapies
  • Improve communication with other health professionals and patients
  • Obtain continuing education credits
  • Share opinions through letters to the editor

Basic Structure of an Article

• Abstract/Summary: Provides an overview of the work, highlights the results, and states the significance
• Introduction: Presents background information, including the history, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation; reviews existing work; explains the rationale for the current study and its objectives
• Methods/Materials & Methods/Patients & Methods: Describes the study design, participant selection procedures, measurement methods, and analytical techniques employed
• Results: Presents the findings, incorporating graphs, tables, charts, and figures
• Discussion/Comment/Conclusion: Interprets the significance of the findings, analyzes the study (including limitations and strengths), provides further analysis, and compares it with other research
• References/Bibliography: Includes evidence of consideration of other works and directs readers to further exploration

Question Classification

- Helps refine search strategy and determine appropriate resources
- Assists in estimating time required to answer a request 
- Examples:
    - Adverse drug reaction/ contraindications
    - Availability
    - Dose
    - Drug compatibility/ stability
    - Drug interaction
    - Drug therapy
    - Drug identification

Developing a Search Strategy

• Prioritize resources based on probability of finding desired information
• Conduct a systematic search:
  • Be familiar with different information source types (tertiary, secondary, primary)
  • Begin with tertiary literature (e.g., textbooks) due to condensed, easy-to-use format
  • Progress to secondary literature (e.g., PubMed, IPA) and then primary literature (e.g., controlled clinical trials, letters to the editor)

Evaluation, Analysis, and Synthesis

• Confirm information with multiple references to ensure consistency
• Determine whether clinical research is relevant to the population or specific patient
• Utilize skills for literature evaluation, clinical application, and statistical analysis

Formulating and Providing a Response

- Answers should be based on critical analysis of information from a comprehensive search
- Responses should be timely and provide clear, concise information
- Competing viewpoints should be presented with references
- All responses should be documented with sufficient detail to justify the answer

Follow-up and Documentation

- Evaluate the outcome and impact of the advice provided
- Document all advice provided (e.g., log book, paper worksheet, computer database)

Drug Information Resources

• Primary sources: Unpublised studies and original articles published in peer-reviewed journals reporting original research, ideas, or opinions
• Secondary sources: Indexing and abstracting systems
• Tertiary sources: Textbooks and compendia