Canadian Pharmacists Journal/Revue des pharmaciens du Canada

GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS

1. Introduction

CPJ is a peer-reviewed journal that is the voice of Canadian pharmacists, a forum where pharmacists can share the best of progressive, patient-centred practice with their colleagues. Its audience includes practicing pharmacists, professional organizations, administrators, academics/researchers, consultants, and health policy makers. We are interested in leading the continuing professional development of pharmacists, and this requires a new approach. Our vision is to become the foremost journal for pharmacy practice and research. Our mission is to enhance patient care through advancement of pharmacy practice, with continuing professional development, peer-reviewed research, and advocacy.

We extend a particular invitation to:

• First-time authors
• Community pharmacists
• Academics who want to reach practicing pharmacists across Canada
• Authors who have secondary papers relating to research published in other journals
• French authors

We welcome:

• Letters to the editor
• Clinical briefs and reviews
• Small studies and pilot projects
• Full-scale research studies
• Practice tools
• Profiles of innovative practice
• Guest editorials
• Commentary and opinion on current issues

CPJ is indexed in the International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Canadian Business Index. We will also be applying for indexing in MEDLINE/PubMed.

CPJ's overall research themes encompass innovation, leadership, and evaluation of patient-centred care. It welcomes submissions relating to the design, conduct, and evaluation of pharmacy practice research. Submissions from multidisciplinary teams and other health professionals are welcome.

Submitted manuscripts are received with the understanding that they are not under consideration by another publisher and have not been accepted or published elsewhere.

We welcome submissions in French. French abstracts will be translated into English.

2. Types of content

CPJ welcomes submissions of letters, articles, or essays in clinical, research, news, and opinion. We look forward to your queries. If you are a first-time author, do not hesitate to call or write with a question.

Original research papers: These articles report original findings that are relevant to our goal to advance patient care through the conduct of practice-based research and enhancement of pharmacy practice.

CPJ welcomes small studies and pilot projects, as well as larger research studies. Original papers should be no more than 2500 words (excluding abstract, figures, tables). Please contact the editor prior to submitting longer papers. Reports of randomized controlled trials or systematic reviews and meta-analyses should be reported as per the CONSORT guidelines (see www.consort-statement.org). Some longer articles may be posted on the CPJ website to complement a shorter version in print.

Include structured abstract (max. 250 words) as follows: Background (rationale for conducting the study), Methods (who was studied, the intervention, and how the study was performed), Results (main findings), Interpretation or Discussion of results, and Conclusion.

• Precis in bullet points: "What was known" followed by "How this study advances knowledge." This is essentially a plain language statement describing key results. (Total, 150 words)
• Bullet point(s) on how the research can be applied to pharmacy practice today.

Clinical Review: A longer review (up to 2500 words, including references) in a clinical or practice topic area of wide interest. Please include an abstract with your submission. Articles may also be solicited by the editor.

Policy Review: CPJ welcomes shorter (up to 1200 words) and longer (up to 2500 words) articles on drug policy or health policy affecting the profession or the role of medication in our health care system.

NB: Theme issues: CPJ can publish supplements on a particular clinical, research, or policy topic area of broad interest to the profession. If you would like to participate as a guest editor in planning a supplement on a particular topic, please query the editor.

Research/Practice Brief: These are brief (1200 words, no more than 2 tables or figures) reports of novel findings that are relevant to pharmacy practice. These articles do not usually require extensive description of the methods or results. The findings may be preliminary or hypothesis-generating. They may include extended follow-up or planned subgroup analyses of previously published work.

Research/Projects in Progress: Brief (1200 words, no more than 2 tables or figures) descriptions of the design or issues in the design of pharmacy practice research projects. In particular, we are interested in the design (as a flow diagram, if appropriate), unique methodology, or special challenges in conducting the study. If the study is ongoing, a brief statement of the project's status is requested.

Clinical Brief: A shorter update in a clinical topic area - therapeutic category, drug, disease, or research. Submissions and queries are welcome. Articles may also be solicited by the editor.

Practice Guidelines for Pharmacists: These articles will coincide with the release of major national or international practice guidelines, with a focus on their relevance to pharmacy practice. Generally they will be "executive summaries" or highlights (flagging the reader to the complete guideline online).

Innovations in Practice and Practice Tools: CPJ welcomes short articles (1200 words) that highlight an innovative practice or element of practice, including first-person articles by pharmacists about their own practice. (CPJ may also interview a pharmacist about his or her practice to create a practice profile.) We are particularly interested in hearing how you have implemented an innovative or novel patient care program, or your personal experiences in participating in practice research projects. Alternatively, submit a stand-alone practice tool.

Innovations in Continuing Education: Brief reports (1200 words, no more than 2 tables or figures) describing innovative approaches and evaluation of continuing education programs that advance pharmacy practice and patient-centred care.We are particularly interested in work that evaluates CE in terms of improved patient care and/or patient outcomes. This may include the development, use, and/or evaluation of practice tools for pharmacists. The paper should include the headings: Background, Program Description, Evaluation, and Interpretation.

Pharmacy Management: We invite brief submissions on the business and management aspects of patient-centred care. The following format could be used: Practice issue; Application to pharmacy practice, or Business Case.

Regulatory Aspects of Patient-centred Care: The changing regulatory environment for pharmacy practice presents challenges for patient-centred care. As such, we invite submissions that address specific regulatory aspects affecting pharmacy practice.

Patient Education: Recognizing the important role that pharmacists play in patient education, CPJ welcomes brief (700 words) educational materials for patients. Articles should be suitable for photocopying or downloading for patients.

3. Submitting your paper

Submission process: All submissions should be e-mailed to CPJ's editorial office (cpj@pharmacists.ca) in MS Word or WordPerfect format.

How your submission is handled:

• You will receive confirmation of receipt of your submission within 2 business days.
• Your paper will be assigned a tracking number - please use this number in all correspondence relating to your paper.
• Clinical and research submissions are subject to peer review. We strive to complete this cycle within 8 to 10 weeks of submission.
• Our peer review process includes an initial assessment by the Editor-in-Chief and associate editor, who manage the process in a confidential file. Submissions are "blinded" (author names are withheld from reviewers) and distributed for comment to expert reviewers.
• The revised manuscript, if deemed ready for publication, is then forwarded to the deputy editor for copy-editing and formatting. In some cases, lengthy elements that are of interest to specialists only may be reserved for the PDF version that is posted onto the CPhA website.
• The author is notified of the date of scheduled publication.

Disclosures:
Include the following disclosures:

• Role: A brief descriptor of the role of each author named (e.g., initiated the project; responsible for design and methodology; supervised project and reviewed final draft; wrote final draft).
• Financial acknowledgements: Acknowledgement of all funding sources of the paper.
• Financial interest: Statement of financial interest for each author in regards to the specific and general topic area (e.g., consultancy; sponsored CE work).

4. Copyright
Accepted articles become the property of CPJ and may be published in print and/or electronic formats at the discretion of the editor. Articles that have appeared in CPJ may be published elsewhere only with the permission of the CPJ editor, and any additional publication must acknowledge CPJ.

Queries: Do not hesitate to contact CPJ if you have a question about potential interest in your article. Contact Rosemary Killeen, Editor-in-Chief, at (613) 523-7877, ext. 250, or 1-800-917-9489. You can send manuscripts to cpj@pharmacists.ca.

December 2006