International Colaboration of Pharmacy Journal Editors

Preamble

Overwhelming evidence has delineated the importance of “scientific paradigm”, i.e., scholarly consensus, or the degree to which a particular discipline has achieved agreement on priorities to teach and research, including the methods used to perform these endeavors. The discipline of “pharmacy practice” which we contend embraces both clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy has made strides but could do more to advance its paradigm. The journals publishing work in this area can do a great service to its constituent scholars by increasing the visibility of the work published as well as the rigor and quality of that work. This will be facilitated by the journals working together for a common cause so as to assist researchers, authors, reviewers, and publishers. ​

Current initiatives

We are currently working on the following actions and initiatives:

1. Identify preferred terms used to describe pharmacy care and other descriptors of the work undertaken by all persons involved in the medication use process. Promote the use of these terms amongst scholars, reviewers, and editors. 
2. Promote unique pharmacy practice classifications separate from pharmacology so that journals in practice can effectively be designated as Q1 and Q2 journals in accordance with the discipline.
3. Encourage scholars to submit some of their “best” or top papers from their work to journals within the discipline.
4. Increase submissions from authors outside of pharmacy practice r=to submit important papers on the medication use process to pharmacy practice, as opposed to journals in medicine, public health, and other disciplines, even while recognizing the importance of all scholars distributing their work to varied formats and audiences.
5. Identify training platforms for peer reviewers that will enhance their self-efficacy and the quality of their reviews for all journals within and outside of pharmacy practice, but particularly for the Granada Group of journals.
6. Identify and share mechanisms aimed to Improve the acceptance rate of invitations to peer review, and the quality of peer review, for journals in the Granada Group.
7. Help authors select the most appropriate journal among the Granada Group in which to first submit; adequately delineate the similarities and differences that exist among the journals.
8. Facilitate to the extent possible the ability of authors to submit their papers more easily to another Granada Group journal as recommended by the original journal submitted. 
9. Encourage and facilitate submissions among scholars conducting interdisciplinary work that includes pharmacy practice and/or that which involves improvement of process and/or outcomes for one or more actors in that process
10. Through all the aforementioned, improve the engagement of scholars within and outside the discipline, in reading and using pharmacy practice research published across our spectrum of journals.

We are also examining mechanisms to help authors select the most appropriate journal to submit and also submit elsewhere (next most appropriate journal) if rejected or not deemed suitable by the initial journal submitted.