A scoping review of continuing education models and statutory requirements for pharmacists globally.

BACKGROUND: In the dynamic field of pharmacy amongst a diverse array of countries with disparate income levels, pharmacists play a pivotal role in integrating emerging scientific knowledge into their practice while adapting to evolving therapeutic interventions and expanding service delivery responsibilities. Lifelong Learning (LLL) is cultivated through continuing professional education (CPE) and continuing professional development (CPD), indispensable components ensuring sustained professional competence and heightened patient care quality. The global landscape witnesses diverse LLL activities tailored to pharmacists' learning needs and preferences. This scoping review maps and synthesises a comprehensive global perspective on the existing knowledge regarding CPE/CPD models, statutory requirements, and pharmacists' preferences for LLL activities. OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively investigate global models of CPE/CPD for pharmacists' and examine the statutory requirements governing pharmacists' registration and licensure. METHOD: A literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal library search engine was undertaken for studies between January 2012 and February 2023. The article selection and reporting followed the recommendations made by PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The articles were tabulated based on their respective country's income level, continuing education models employed, country-specific statutory requirements, and pharmacists' preferences for LLL activities. RESULTS: Of the initial 3974 publications identified through the database search, 24 studies met the review criteria. The majority of the articles originated from high-income countries (HICs) (14/24, 58.3%), and most employed the mandatory CPD points system (21/24, 87.5%). However, in some HICs and upper-middle income countries (UMICs), the CPE/CPD is non-mandatory. While most countries (19/24, 79.2%) offer various LLL formats, the preference of pharmacists remains primarily face-to-face learning (13/24, 54.2%). However, workplace learning (3/24, 12.5%) and blended learning (7/24, 29.1%) are mentioned in some studies. CONCLUSION: Diverse models of CPE/CPD alongside statutory requirements persist globally and evolve, shaped by varied implementation experiences. HICs lead in CPD models, while the implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and low-income countries (LICs) requires further exploration for inclusivity and effectiveness. A few UMICs are either initiating or in early stages of implementing the CPD models. Structured planning for LLL activities is increasingly a global requirement for pharmacists' licensure. The essential progression of pharmacy practice in developing healthcare systems necessitates a mandatory CPD model. Ongoing research is crucial to fortify the implementation, align and unify the CPD model with evolving pharmacy profession needs.

Exploring LGBTQ+ cultural competency and DEI in continuing education: A cross-sectional review of U.S. pharmacy legislation.

BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, or other sexual orientations or gender identities (LGBTQ+) cultural competency training is offered in pharmacy curricula to variable extents. State legislation directly dictates pharmacist training through continuing pharmacy education (CPE) requirements. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the U.S. states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) that require CPE or training on topics related to LGBTQ+ cultural competency or topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in general. In addition, this study quantified and compared each state's CPE hours required for each renewal period. METHODS: This cross-sectional study retrospectively examined pharmacy legislation on CPE requirements for each of the 50 U.S. states and D.C. Only state legislation that was signed into law and related to pharmacy practice was included. Official websites for each board of pharmacy were identified to locate lawbooks, laws, rules, regulations, and statutes specific to pharmacy practice. Search terms included "lgbt," "lgbtq," "cultural," "cultural competency," "equity," "health equity," "implicit," and "implicit bias." Two study investigators independently collected data from March 2023 to April 2023. Data were re-reviewed for accuracy in January 2024. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion until a consensus was reached. The total number of required CPE hours, years for each pharmacist license renewal, required LGBTQ+ cultural competency CPE hours, and required DEI-focused CPE hours were described using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 44 of 51 states and D.C. required 30 CPE hours for each 2-year renewal cycle or 15 CPE hours for each 1-year renewal cycle. California and D.C. had LGBTQ+ cultural competency CPE requirements of 1 CPE hour or 2 CPE hours per cycle, respectively. Five additional states, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington, required training or CPE on topics related to DEI as a whole. CONCLUSION: Few U.S. states require CPE on LGBTQ+ cultural competency. This study highlights the need for standardized pharmacist training in LGBTQ+ health care.

National Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training needs of pharmacists in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in pharmacy is a lifelong learning approach whereby individual pharmacists are responsible for updating and broadening their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This is vital to ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care services. However, there is a lack of available data revealing the CPD needs of Ethiopian pharmacists. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify CPD training needs of pharmacists practicing in Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study design with a quantitative approach was employed in this study. This assessment involved 640 pharmacists representing various sectors of the profession. Data were collected through a combination of an online platform and a face-to-face questionnaire administered in person. RESULT: A total of 634 participants completed and returned the questionnaires, resulting in an impressive response rate of 99.1%. A significant majority (74.1%) of the participants possessed bachelor's degree in pharmacy (B. Pharm). Pharmaceutical Logistics and Pharmacy administration was preferentially selected as a prior CPD course by 36% of participants, of them while Pharmacotherapy (17%), Leadership/Governance (13%), Community Pharmacy (12%), Research and Development (11%) were also the subsequent top choices by participants. Off-site face-to-face lectures (59.2%), Hybrid (face-to-face + e-learning) (54.8%), and on-site on-the-job training (45.5%) were the most convenient means of CPD course delivery. On the other hand, the participants least favored print-based or correspondence programs for CPD course delivery. CONCLUSIONS: CPD holds great importance in the professional lives of pharmacists. It is critical for pharmacists, CPD providers, and those responsible for accrediting CPD programs to recognize the specific CPD requirements, preferred methods of delivery, and obstacles involved. This understanding is vital for establishing priorities and effectively planning CPD activities. In light of this, our study identified the most preferred CPD training courses and convenient delivery methods for pharmacists in Ethiopia. We recommend that CPD providers and accrediting bodies in Ethiopia refer to our findings when approving CPD courses.

Facilitating multistate pharmacy practice: Streamlining continuing pharmacy education requirements.

A major regulatory impediment to achieving multistate pharmacist licensure is state-specific Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) mandates. States vary on CPE requirements in 6 key domains, presenting a potentially significant administrative burden for multistate pharmacists. In the short term, replicating the nursing compact model of CPE regulation is the most viable model for the pharmacy profession. In this model, a pharmacist would have to follow just the CPE requirements for the state where the pharmacist maintains primary residence, and maintenance of this home state license would be automatically recognized by other states in which the pharmacist practices.

A review of the continuous professional development system for pharmacists.

BACKGROUND: The Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society (PPS) implemented a system of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for pharmacists in 2004. This system has evolved throughout the years, and currently all active pharmacists in Portugal are required to participate in the CPD program. Each CPD cycle takes 5 years. In each cycle, pharmacists must collect 15 CPD points, through participation in educational activities. The PPS accreditation process is managed via an online platform, where education/training providers, as well as pharmacists themselves, can submit educational activities for accreditation. Pharmacists may access their CPD status and assess their development at any point. The objective of this study was to analyze and review the educational activities submitted by providers over a 11-year period (2009-2019). METHODS: Data from activities were retrieved from the PPS CPD online platform. All educational activities were labeled according to the area of pharmaceutical professional focus, type of promoter, and activity type. RESULTS: During the study 3685 activities were analyzed. Over the last decade, submitted activities for accreditation increased in 52.6%. A significantly high proportion (98.9%) of these activities has been accredited. Promoters of activities were mostly pharmacies sectoral associations (29.6%), consultancy/training companies (19.6%), the PPS (18.5%), pharmaceutical industry (17.7%) and wholesalers' consortia (9.0%). Academia represented only 2.3% of the total amount of educational activities. The most frequent topics were related to "pharmacology & pharmacotherapy" (9.9%), followed by "counselling" (9.8%) and "management & administration" (7.2%). The most accredited type of activities was face-to-face (68.9%) and e-learning trainings (13.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows increasing interest in submitting CPD activities for accreditation between 2009 and 2019, but it also demonstrates that Academia could play a more interventive role in the lifelong learning education of Portuguese pharmacists.

Expedited partner therapy: Investigating pharmacists' awareness and training needs in the Northeastern United States.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States are at an all-time high. Expedited partner therapy (EPT) has been endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent reinfection of patients and their partners. Although this practice is permissible in 46 states, including all of New England and New York, it is underutilized by prescribers and pharmacists. OBJECTIVES: To collect and analyze data on pharmacists' knowledge of EPT using a Web-based survey and to determine the best methods to deliver EPT continuing pharmacy education and related resources. METHODS: A link to a 26-question survey was sent through e-mail listservs, social media, and newsletters to members of pharmacists' associations in 6 New England states and New York. In addition to demographic information, the questions assessed pharmacists' familiarity with and awareness of EPT, their roles in using this clinical service, and options for type, length, and location of related training plus types of information resources that would be most helpful for them. RESULTS: A total of 133 pharmacists completed the survey. Only 50% overall were familiar with EPT as a concept, and more than 80% of pharmacists did not know which STIs are covered by their state EPT regulations. However, 85% of pharmacists responded they believed they played a potential role in EPT. A majority responded that a less than 2-hour live webinar would be the best format for EPT education, in addition to other resources distributed from their respective state boards of pharmacy. CONCLUSION: Pharmacists in the Northeastern United States lack overall awareness of EPT and how it is regulated. With continuing pharmacy education delivered in their preferred format, augmented by State Board of Pharmacy resources, pharmacists can play a critical role to facilitate access for patient and partner treatment of STIs.

Measuring the evolution of online pharmacy education in a national CPD programme, in Scotland, pre-pandemic (2013-14 vs 2018-19).

Continuing professional development (CPD) is a regulatory requirement for pharmacy professions in Great Britain. Formal CPD is available in various formats including face-to-face, webinar, and e-learning. CPD may be clinical or non-clinical and may be aligned to core services or not. Literature highlights varied preferences for CPD formats and topics, and in Scotland there was a move towards online CPD in the pharmacy profession. This study utilised electronic attendance and completion records of CPD activities from a national CPD provider in Scotland. The aim was to measure and describe the nature of CPD provision and uptake within Pharmacy in Scotland, comparing records from 2013-14 and 2018-19. Thus, benchmarking the nature of CPD before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in social distancing restrictions. This study identified that the CPD workforce (NES staffing), and CPD opportunities provided, had evolved towards e-learning delivery. Face-to-face courses were fewer (63 reduced to 58) as were webinars (14 reduced to 6). There were fewer attendances in both. e-Learning was accessed four times more frequently in 2018-19 than 2013-14 (4040 vs 922 completions). Service focussed education was popular in both years. Asynchronous e-learning had become a popular method of CPD for the pharmacy profession before the COVID-19 pandemic, while face-to-face courses and webinars were less popular than 5 years previous. Asynchronous and service focussed CPD should be prioritised over synchronous and general CPD. Learner access and participation data should be utilised to predict future learner needs and preference.

Impact of educational intervention by community pharmacists on asthma clinical outcomes, quality of life and medication adherence: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Community pharmacists can play an important role in controlling chronic diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pharmacists' educational interventions in the community pharmacy settings on asthma control and severity, quality of life (QOL) and medication adherence. METHODS: Databases PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for evidence regarding asthma severity and control, QOL, and medication adherence after pharmacists' interventions in community pharmacy settings. Twenty-one studies were eligible for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Indices and questionnaires were used in the studies, such as Asthma-related quality of life (IAQLQ), Asthma Control Test (ACT), Perceived Control of Asthma Questionnaire (PCAQ), inhaler technique (IT), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), 36-Item Short Form survey (SF-36) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). The outcomes were extracted, pooled and analysed as percentages, means, standard deviations and errors, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Community pharmacists in all studies educated and followed up the asthmatic patients, addressing the outcome measures. Pharmacists underwent training courses of at least a day. Standardized mean differences for the indices were pooled as follows: IAQLQ -0.241 (95% CI, -0.362 to -0.121), ACT 0.14 (95% CI, 0.02 to 0.27), PCAQ -0.15 (95% CI, -0.28 to 0.01), IT 0.79 (95% CI, 0.05 to 1.54), ACQ -0.50 (95% CI, -0.69 to -0.30), SF-36 0.39 (95% CI, 0.16 to 0.62), PEFR 0.13 (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.26) and asthma symptoms score -0.34 (95% CI, -0.49 to -0.18). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Pharmacists' educational interventions in community pharmacy settings could significantly improve asthma severity and control, QOL and medication adherence.

Implementation and evaluation of an interprofessional physical assessment skills workshop for Wisconsin pharmacists.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists have a critical, expanding role in health care delivery. In particular, pharmacists in community pharmacy and ambulatory care settings are important and frequent access points for health care services. OBJECTIVE: We describe the interprofessional development and implementation of an interactive, broadly applicable physical assessment skills-based continuing pharmacy education program to provide an avenue for the attainment of this warranted set of skills for pharmacists who desire to provide advanced patient care services in their respective practices. METHODS: Pharmacists, in collaboration with family medicine and emergency medicine physicians, developed workshop content, design, and flow. The structure of the workshops consisted of didactic training, hands-on practical application, simulated practice, and case-based certification examinations. RESULTS: On a postworkshop survey, all respondents answered "agree" or "strongly agree" when asked if the workshops were useful, advanced their skills, and advanced their confidence. It was also found that more than 50% of the participants used their physical assessment skills monthly and 11% daily. The most common assessment performed was obtaining an accurate manual blood pressure. CONCLUSION: The interprofessional development and implementation of workshops dedicated to physical assessment skills education is feasible and led to the incorporation of these skills into pharmacists' practice, particularly in the community and ambulatory care settings.

Community pharmacist's' knowledge and practice toward oral isotretinoin prescription: a systemic review.

Background: Although oral isotretinoin capsules are widely dispensed in pharmacies due to their effectiveness in clearing acne, the legal, ethical and practice responsibilities of community pharmacist regarding this medicine have not been well evaluated. This systematic review of community pharmacist's role and professional practice toward oral isotretinoin is significant to help pharmacy regulators and educator's making decisions to improve therapy outcomes. Review methods: Eligible studies covering the period between 2009 and 2019 were identified by searching: Cochrane, PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Results: A total of 56 studies were reviewed. It showed that pharmacy professionals exhibited a very low level of medication knowledge and an unsatisfactory level of practice regarding isotretinoin. Most studies showed that women of childbearing age were unnecessarily exposed to isotretinoin. These results indicate poor compliance of community pharmacists with risk minimization programs such as pregnancy prevention program (PPP) in Europe and iPLEDGE in USA. Conclusion: Community pharmacists need additional education, training and awareness in the area of oral isotretinoin to evaluate its use and patient's eligibility especially for female patients of childbearing age. This review results are critical to pharmacy educators worldwide who are concerned in implementing and developing professional practice standards for community pharmacists regarding oral isotretinoin.

The future of CPD for general practitioners, registered pharmacy staff and general practice nurses in Scotland - qualitative responses from a national survey.

In the United Kingdom, undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) is required for revalidation with regulatory authorities for general practitioners, general practice nurses and registered pharmacy staff - pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. A survey of CPD preferences and activities of these four professions has been published and this paper focuses on one qualitative question in the survey: 'Please describe any changes that you anticipate in the way in which you will undertake CPD over the next 12 months.' Responses were analysed using content analysis, then codes and themes were developed into a coding framework. 1,159 respondents provided comments to the question and five themes were identified: options for learning, time, appraisal and revalidation, people in transition and use of technology. There was a desire for face-to-face courses, for interactive learning and for variety of learning methods. Respondents valued learning with others and Practice-Based Small Group Learning was considered to be flexible and promoted inter-professional learning and socialisation. Lack of time for learning was seen as a barrier for respondents. Respondents considered that CPD was needed to support them as their roles developed in primary healthcare.

An evaluation of the user-friendliness of Bayesian forecasting programs in a clinical setting.

AIMS: To evaluate 3 Bayesian forecasting (BF) programs-TDMx, InsightRx and DoseMe-on their user-friendliness and common liked and disliked features through a survey of hospital pharmacists. METHODS: Clinical pharmacists across 3 Australian hospitals that did not use a BF program were invited to a BF workshop and complete a survey on programs they trialled. Participants were given 4 case scenarios to work through and asked to complete a 5-point Likert scale survey evaluating the program's user-friendliness. Liked and disliked features of each program were ascertained through written responses to open-ended questions. Survey results were compared using a χ2 test of equal or given proportions to identify significant differences in response. RESULTS: Twenty-seven pharmacists, from hospitals, participated. BF programs were rated overall as user-friendly with 70%, 41% and 37% (P = .02) of participants recording a Likert score of 4 or 5 for DoseMe, TDMx and InsightRx, respectively. Participants found it easy to access all required information to use the programs, understood dosing recommendations and visualisations given by each program, and thought programs supported decision-making with >50% of participants scoring a 4 or 5 across the programs in these categories. Common liked features across all programs were the graphical displays and ease of data entry, while common disliked features were related to the units, layout and information display. CONCLUSION: Although differences exist between programs, all 3 programs were most commonly rated as user-friendly across all themes evaluated, which provides useful information for healthcare facilities wanting to implement a BF program.

Creation and evaluation of a cancer chemotherapy order review guide for use at a community hospital.

The proper evaluation of cancer chemotherapy orders is necessary for patients to receive safe and effective treatment. The chemotherapy treatment setting is evolving resulting in hospital pharmacists without extensive oncology training or experience now being responsible for evaluation of chemotherapy orders. The primary objective was to create a step-by-step chemotherapy order evaluation guide with a detailed explanation for each step. The secondary objective was to evaluate non-oncology trained pharmacists' ability to accurately review simulated chemotherapy orders post-education using the guide. A two-page chemotherapy order evaluation guide was created based on an accepted method of chemotherapy order review consisting of the following eight steps: regimen verification, clinical trial protocol verification, body surface area calculation, dose calculation, laboratory values, emesis prophylaxis, adjunctive or supportive care measures, and pharmacy labels. A literature search was performed for each step. A detailed explanation for each step was written as a separate component from the guide to encompass the literature search information and current guidelines in a more comprehensive manner. Non-oncology trained community hospital pharmacists were educated on use of the guide for approximately 30 min. The guide was evaluated using timed simulated chemotherapy orders pre- and post-education consisting of a general chemotherapy order and a carboplatin dosing order. Nineteen pharmacists were tested with simulated chemotherapy orders. A significant difference was detected between the pre- and post-education for both the general chemotherapy (p = 0.00032) order and carboplatin dosing order (p = 0.031).

Continuing pharmacy education practices in geriatric care among pharmacists in the Upper Midwest.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize select continuing pharmacy education (CPE) topics and hours related to geriatric care completed by community, hospital/clinic, and long-term care (LTC)/consultant pharmacists in the previous 12 months, whether pharmacy workplace influenced topic selection or completion, and to describe CPE sources used by community versus hospital/clinic pharmacists. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey (2017). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Licensed pharmacists in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska with primary practice settings in community pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics or those practicing as consultant pharmacists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CPE on geriatric-related topics and hours completed in the previous 12 months, CPE providers and sources used, and differences in CPE topic completion and CPE providers and sources by primary pharmacy practice setting. RESULTS: Pharmacists' response rates for states ranged from 10.5% to 17.1%. Pharmacists (n = 1082) reported limited completion of geriatric-related topics. Almost one-third completed CPE credit in Alzheimer disease (AD) but fewer than 20% of pharmacists in selected age-related chronic diseases (e.g., Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, epilepsy, vascular dementia, geriatric syndrome). LTC/consultant pharmacists completed significantly more hours in geriatric-related topics compared with other pharmacists. In contrast, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, asthma, and heart failure were completed by 34% to 64% of the pharmacists. Pharmacist's Letter (57.2%), Power-Pak CE (42.4%), conferences, conventions, and symposia (32.5%), and Pharmacy Times (21.8%), were the most used CPE sources. Other sources were used by fewer than 18% of the pharmacists. Online CPE providers used by high numbers of study participants offered limited AD- or dementia-related topics and hours. CONCLUSION: Findings revealed modest to minimal CPE completion in select geriatric care topics among pharmacists in the Upper Midwest. Completion rates were higher for LTC pharmacists compared with hospital, clinic, and community pharmacists. Only a few CPE sources were heavily used, and those offered minimal CPE in AD/dementia-related care. Given current findings and previous research, current CPE use habits and CPE offerings from major providers and sources seem insufficient for ensuring continued high-quality patient-centered care for growing U.S. aging populations.

Community pharmacists' educational needs for implementing clinical pharmacogenomic services.

OBJECTIVES: Pharmacist leadership and knowledge of pharmacogenomics is critical to the acceleration and enhancement of clinical pharmacogenomic services. This study aims for a qualitative description of community pharmacists' pharmacogenomic educational needs when implementing clinical pharmacogenomic services at community pharmacies. METHODS: Pharmacists practicing at Rite Aid Pharmacy locations in the Greater Pittsburgh Area were recruited to participate in this qualitative analysis. Pharmacists from pharmacy locations offering pharmacogenomic testing and robust patient care services were eligible to participate in a semistructured, audio-recorded interview. The semistructured interview covered 4 domains crafted by the investigative team: (1) previous knowledge of pharmacogenomics; (2) implementation resources; (3) workflow adaptation; and (4) learning preferences. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and independently coded by 2 researchers. A thematic analysis by the investigative team followed. Supporting quotes were selected to illustrate each theme. RESULTS: Eleven pharmacists from 9 unique pharmacy locations participated in this study. The average length of practice as a community pharmacist was 12 years (range, 1.5-31 years). Pharmacist's pharmacogenomic educational needs were categorized into 5 key themes: (1) enriched pharmacogenomic education and training; (2) active learning to build confidence in using pharmacogenomic data in practice; (3) robust and reputable clinical resources to effectively implement pharmacogenomic services; (4) team-based approach throughout implementation; (5) readily accessible network of pharmacogenomic experts. CONCLUSION: This study describes the educational needs and preferences of community pharmacists for the successful provision of clinical pharmacogenomic services in community pharmacies. Pharmacists recognized their needs for enriched knowledge and instruction, practice applying pharmacogenomic principles with team-based approaches, robust clinical resources, and access to pharmacogenomic experts. This deeper understanding of pharmacist needs for pharmacogenomic education could help to accelerate and enhance the clinical implementation of pharmacogenomic services led by community pharmacists.

Assessment of community pharmacists' confidence, foundational knowledge, and coordination of care activities in patients with cancer as a chronic condition.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and deliver a series of structured educational programs to community pharmacists to build on current foundational knowledge of cancer and cancer therapy. The specific objectives were to: 1) develop and provide an educational program focused on oncology pharmacy practice in the community; and 2) measure the program impact on participants' confidence, foundational knowledge, and coordination of cancer care activities. PRACTICE INNOVATION: A structured, in-person, 6-hour educational program tailored for community pharmacists was developed and delivered along with two 20-minute online webinar sessions. The topics identified for the webinars were based on solicited feedback from participants attending the live educational program. EVALUATION: A pre- and post-survey was used to evaluate the participant's assessment of the live educational program, and a retrospective survey was used to evaluate the education sessions. RESULTS: Twenty-one pharmacists attended the in-person session. Participants indicated that they were more confident and able to coordinate care after the educational intervention. There was a nonsignificant improvement in foundational knowledge. CONCLUSION: The educational sessions provided current relevant information for community pharmacists to build on knowledge of oncology pharmacy practice and resources. This increased the pharmacists' confidence to address needs and facilitate coordination of care for individuals with cancer. Delivery of education tailored to community pharmacy is important as the advancing cancer care model continues to adapt with new medications and innovations.

Practice-Based Small Group Learning (PBSGL) in Scotland: the past, the present and the future.

Practice-based Small Group Learning (PBSGL) originated in Canada and transferred to Scotland in 2003 with a successful pilot involving 45 general practitioners (GPs). The Scottish programme has grown considerably since then and now has 3,400 members drawn from GPs, GP nurses, pharmacists and other professions. Members get together in small groups and discuss case presentations written by authors who have drawn on their own experiences with real patients. The group review a distillation of the current evidence base included in the module and propose changes to their own practice. Members make a commitment to change and log these changes in a shared document.In Scotland, 34% of groups are inter-professional, reflecting the dynamic changes to the primary health care team as it meets the health care needs of the Scottish population. Professional (and inter-professional) socialisation is a key feature of many PBSGL groups. Some groups have peer support as a central function to their meetings.The programme has recruited a small team of module writers and authors and most modules are now produced in Scotland by primary health care members. In addition, over 1,000 members have been trained up to be peer facilitators for their small group. The PBSGL programme in Scotland has ensured that continuing professional development of the primary health care team is available to teams across Scotland and that PBSGL groups can control the content and logistics of their own meetings.

Involvement of community pharmacists in continuing professional development (CPD): a baseline survey in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Health care professionals have been striving to maintain their competence to deliver the best quality of service. This study intended to determine involvement in continuing professional development of community pharmacists in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: About 46 community pharmacists, each from a different setting, were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson's Chi-square test of independence and Mann-Whitney U test with p < 0.05 taken as statistically significant. RESULTS: The majority (n = 26, 56.5%) reported of being unaware of the CPD concept. The mean hour spent per week on CPD is 4.1 ± 4.0. Most (n = 34, 73.9%) were engaged in self directed learning and expressed an interest to be more involved in CPD activities (N = 39, 84.8%). Interactive workshops were the most preferred modality. However they seek further support in the process of identifying learning needs (N = 34, 73.9%). The main barriers for CPD engagement include lack of (N = 36, 78.3%) and inaccessibility (N = 34, 73.9%) of CPD opportunities as well as time shortage (N = 33, 71.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The community pharmacists in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia lack awareness of CPD concept but engaged in various types of CPD activities. They demonstrated good attitude and seek more support. The main barrier was lack of opportunities related to CPD.

How basic psychological needs and motivation affect vitality and lifelong learning adaptability of pharmacists: a structural equation model.

Insufficient professional development may lead to poor performance of healthcare professionals. Therefore, continuing education (CE) and continuing professional development (CPD) are needed to secure safe and good quality healthcare. The aim of the study was to investigate the hypothesized associations and their directions between pharmacists' basic psychological needs in CE, their academic motivation, well-being, learning outcomes. Self-determination theory was used as a theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected through four questionnaires measuring: academic motivation, basic psychological needs (BPN), vitality and lifelong learning adaptability of pharmacists in the CE/CPD learning context. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data. Demographic factors like gender and working environment influenced the observed scores for frustration of BPN and factors like training status and working experience influenced the observed scores for academic motivation. A good model fit could be found only for a part of the hypothesized pathway. Frustration of BPN is positively directly related to the less desirable type of academic motivation, controlled motivation (0.88) and negatively directly related to vitality (- 1.61) and negatively indirectly related to learning outcomes in CE. Fulfillment or frustration of BPN are important predictors for well-being and learning outcomes. Further research should be conducted to discover how we can prevent these needs from being frustrated in order to design a motivating, vitalizing and sustainable CE/CPD system for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. Basic psychological needs are very important predictors for well-being and learning outcomes. Further research should be conducted to discover how we can prevent these needs from being frustrated in order to design a motivating, vitalizing and sustainable CE/CPD system for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.

Advancing learning to advance pharmacy practice.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this commentary are to: 1) describe advancements in the continuing professional development (CPD) model over the past decade; 2) detail an updated CPD cycle; and 3) describe how practitioners' adoption of the CPD approach may facilitate the advancement of pharmacy practice. SUMMARY: CPD is a self-directed, ongoing, systematic, and outcomes-focused approach to an individual's lifelong learning that is applied into practice. The 6 components of reflect, plan, learn, evaluate, apply, and record + review, described in a revised depiction of the CPD cycle, have evolved over the past 10 years alongside the evolution of the profession of pharmacy. The thinking around the value of building CPD habits has also advanced. New emphasis is being placed on mechanisms for applying and sharing CPD-related work, as well as the importance of employer support of CPD. CONCLUSION: As practice change has progressed, the individual's need to learn has also changed. To succeed in the evolving health care system, regular, robust, and intentional CPD is needed. Moreover, for learning to have maximum impact, it must facilitate, motivate and result in changes in learner behavior. Employers, educators, and pharmacy organizations should facilitate lifelong learning by creating CPD supportive environments that foster learner success and community. The adoption of a CPD approach by pharmacy practitioners may facilitate the advancement of pharmacy practice.