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RESEARCH DESIGN AND STATISTICS

Statistics in the Pharmacy Literature

at time of writing, Master of Science Student, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; now, Staff Pharmacist, University Health Network, Toronto

Herpreet K Soin, BScPharm

Staff Pharmacist, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

Thomas R Einarson, PhD

Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto

Reprints: Thomas R Einarson PhD, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 19 Russell St., Toronto, ON M5S 2S2, Canada, fax 416/978-8511, t.einarson{at}utoronto.ca

BACKGROUND: Research in statistical methods is essential for maintenance of high quality of the published literature.

OBJECTIVE: To update previous reports of the types and frequencies of statistical terms and procedures in research studies of selected professional pharmacy journals.

METHODS: We obtained all research articles published in 2001 in 6 journals: American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy, and Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. Two independent reviewers identified and recorded descriptive and inferential statistical terms/procedures found in the methods, results, and discussion sections of each article. Results were determined by tallying the total number of times, as well as the percentage, that each statistical term or procedure appeared in the articles.

RESULTS: One hundred forty-four articles were included. Ninety-eight percent employed descriptive statistics; of these, 28% used only descriptive statistics. The most common descriptive statistical terms were percentage (90%), mean (74%), standard deviation (58%), and range (46%). Sixty-nine percent of the articles used inferential statistics, the most frequent being ² (33%), Student's t-test (26%), Pearson's correlation coefficient r (18%), ANOVA (14%), and logistic regression (11%).

CONCLUSIONS: Statistical terms and procedures were found in nearly all of the research articles published in pharmacy journals. Thus, pharmacy education should aim to provide current and future pharmacists with an understanding of the common statistical terms and procedures identified to facilitate the appropriate appraisal and consequential utilization of the information available in research articles.

Key Words: pharmacy education, research, statistics

Published Online, June 15, 2004. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1D493

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