Perception of the Professional Knowledge of and Education on the Medical Technology Products among the Pharmacists in the Baltic and Nordic Countries-A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study.

With increased development of medical technology (MT), new challenges emerge related to education and training of pharmacists and other healthcare specialists. Currently, only a few universities in the EU promote MT education and research. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current status, views on, and need for the education on MT for the pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists in the Baltic and Nordic countries. METHODS: The representatives of higher education institutions and community/hospital pharmacists from six Baltic and Nordic countries participated in a qualitative cross-sectional exploratory internet-based study from May to October 2014. RESULTS: Approximately two-third of the respondents considered professional knowledge about MT products important for pharmacists, but half of them had never participated in any MT courses. More practicing pharmacists than representatives of academia underlined the need for increased MT education for pharmacy students in the future. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacists in the Baltic and Nordic countries consider the professional knowledge about MT as pertinent in their education and work. The limited number and status of MT courses available today, however, is a major concern among both pharmacy students and practicing pharmacists in these countries. In the future, increasing education combining theory and practice about MT products would be one possible solution to overcome this challenge.

The role of community pharmacies in counseling of personal medical devices and drug-delivery products in Estonia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the current situation on medical technology at community pharmacies in Estonia, looking into the availability, dispensing and counseling of personal medical devices/drug-delivery products (PMDs/DDPs) and related professional knowledge of community pharmacists. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study using an internet-based eFormular study platform. RESULTS: In total, 137 community pharmacies responded to the study. Of the pharmacies, 51.8% dispensed and 32.1% counseled PMDs/DDPs several times a day. 55.4% of the respondents assessed their professional knowledge on PMDs/DDPs as good to medium and 44.6% as satisfactory to poor. Of the respondents, 79.6% reported a need for systematic education about named devices. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacies are a frequent source for the dispensing and counseling of PMDs/DDPs in Estonia. However, community pharmacists admitted a strong need for continuing education about general and practical aspects related to the use of PMDs/DDPs for the provision of more professional services in the future.