The relevance of the International Pharmaceutical Federation Global Competency Framework in developing a country-level competency framework for pharmacists: A cross-sectional study.

Background: In the ever-changing roles of pharmacists, the evidence shows that the use of competency frameworks could aid in achieving professional performance development and ensuring a consistent quality pharmacy education. However, there is no national competency framework for pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. This study, therefore, uses an evidence-based method to identify the competencies required to support and facilitate the pharmacists' training and career development. Objective: To assess pharmacists' perception of the relevance of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF v1) to their own practice. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of pharmacists in different practice settings was conducted between August and November 2020, in Saudi Arabia. The survey was adopted from the GbCF v1. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling was used. The relevance to the GbCF v1 was assessed using a four-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A total of 522 pharmacists participated in the survey. The study showed broad agreement on relevance to practice for 84% of behaviours included in the GbCF v1. The 'pharmaceutical public health' cluster scored the highest percentage of relevant responses (91.42%), followed by the 'professional/personal' cluster (87.08%), whereas the 'organisation and management' cluster scored the highest percentage of 'not-relevant' responses (18.40%). The observed non-relevancy was associated with gender, nationality and area of pharmacy practice (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The competencies and behaviours included in the GbCF v1 are relevant to pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia. However, some behaviours of the GbCF v1 require modification to be appropriate for the local needs of the Saudi pharmacy practice. The findings from this exercise will be used as a base to develop a foundation-level competency framework to inform initial pharmacy education development and address knowledge gaps and learning needs required to attain and maintain pharmacists' competence to practise.

Competency development for pharmacy: Adopting and adapting the Global Competency Framework.

BACKGROUND: With current accelerated changes in the role of the pharmacists across different sectors, evidence-based developmental tools are needed to re-define the scope of practice for early career pharmacists (foundation level) and to support pharmacists' career development. This study aimed to develop a foundation competency framework for pharmacists in Kuwait using the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF) in an adopt and adapt approach. METHODS: A 4-phase adopt and adapt approach was followed to develop the Kuwait Foundation Competency Framework (KFCF). Phase one involved translating the FIP GbCF, into Arabic using parallel translation. Phase two utilises 2 consensus panels validation involving pharmacists from public and private sectors. Phase three involved a national survey to all registered pharmacists in Kuwait. The final phase involved focus groups with pharmacists and a consensus panel validation with key policy and decision makers in the pharmacy practice and education sectors in Kuwait. Qualitative data were thematically analysed, while quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows. RESULTS: The translation phase yielded a bilingual framework that could be utilised by pharmacists in Kuwait. The initial validation phase identified 70 behavioural statements (out of the GbCF's 100) as 'highly relevant' or 'relevant' to pharmacy practice in Kuwait. Findings from the national survey identified a list of behaviours that could be adapted in Kuwait context as well as competencies that were perceived as least relevant to Kuwait practice. The final validation phase generated a list of 98 behavioural statements to be included in the KFCF along with recommendations and an action plan to facilitate the adaptation of the framework. CONCLUSION: This study presents the first bilingual (Arabic/English) pharmacy foundation competency framework that builds on the FIP GbCF. The KFCF could be utilised as a developmental tool to support pharmacists' performance at foundation level.

Análise da efetividade do estágio prático internacional de enfermagem em relação ao estágio prático nacional de enfermagem / Análisis de la efectividad de la práctica profesional internacional de enfermería con relación a la práctica profesional nacional de enfermería / Analysis of the effectiveness of international nursing practicum over national nursing practicum

Resumo Objetivo: Este estudo foi conduzido para avaliar a efetividade do estágio prático internacional de enfermagem quanto à autoeficácia, competência cultural e competência global. Foi utilizada a análise fatorial para avaliar a confiabilidade das medidas do estudo. Métodos: Um método de amostragem intencional foi usado para coletar os dados: os participantes eram estudantes de enfermagem (n=66) do segundo semestre do terceiro ano do curso de graduação. Para a análise fatorial, foram agrupados os resultados obtidos dos grupos controle e experimental (n=132) por meio de um questionário. A pesquisa foi realizada antes e após o estágio prático nacional e internacional de enfermagem para os grupos controle e experimental, respectivamente. O teste t foi utilizado para comparar os dois grupos, e Diferença em Diferenças (DD) foi utilizado para determinar a verdadeira alteração entre antes e depois do estágio. A análise do DD também mostrou que o nível de mudança antes e depois de cada estágio de enfermagem foi significativa entre os grupos controle e experimental. Resultados: A análise fatorial demonstrou que o questionário da pesquisa mensurou com confiabilidade os subconceitos. As diferenças na autoeficácia e na competência cultural entre os dois grupos foram estatisticamente significativas antes e depois do tratamento, mas os resultados de DD não foram significativos. Para a competência global, no entanto, tanto o DD quanto a diferença antes e depois do tratamento entre os dois grupos foram estatisticamente significativos. Conclusão: Apesar de algumas limitações do estudo, o desenho inovador gerou resultados que ajudam a preencher uma grande lacuna no conhecimento de enfermagem. Estudos futuros devem incluir um ensaio clínico randomizado para superar as limitações de viés de amostragem e generalização dos resultados do estudo.

Resumen Objetivo: Este estudio fue llevado a cabo para analizar la efectividad de la práctica profesional internacional de enfermería en cuanto a la autoeficacia, competencia cultural y competencia global. Se utilizó el análisis factorial para evaluar la confiabilidad de las medidas del estudio. Métodos: Fue utilizado un método de muestreo intencional para recopilar los datos: los participantes eran estudiantes de enfermería (n=66) del segundo semestre de tercer año de la carrera de grado. Para el análisis factorial, se agruparon los resultados obtenidos de los grupos de control y experimental (n=132) a través de un cuestionario. La investigación fue realizada antes y después de la práctica profesional nacional e internacional de enfermería en grupos de control y experimental, respectivamente. Se utilizó el test-T para comparar los dos grupos y la técnica Diferencia en Diferencias (DD) para determinar la verdadera modificación entre antes y después de la práctica. El análisis de DD también demostró que el nivel de cambio antes y después de cada práctica de enfermería fue significativo entre los grupos de control y experimental. Resultados: El análisis factorial demostró que el cuestionario de la investigación midió los subconceptos con confiabilidad. Las diferencias de autoeficacia y competencia cultural entre los dos grupos fueron estadísticamente significativas antes y después del tratamiento, pero los resultados de DD no fueron significativos. Sin embargo, en la competencia global, tanto la DD como la diferencia antes y después del tratamiento entre los dos grupos fueron estadísticamente significativas. Conclusión: A pesar de algunas limitaciones del estudio, el diseño innovador generó resultados que ayudan a llenar un gran vacío en el conocimiento de enfermería. Estudios futuros deben incluir un ensayo clínico aleatorizado para superar las limitaciones de perspectiva de muestreo y generalización de los resultados del estudio.

Abstract Objective: This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of international nursing practicum on self-efficacy, cultural competency, and global competency. Methods: A purposive sampling method was used to collect the data: the participants were nursing students (n=66) who had advanced into the 2nd semester of junior level. For the factor analysis, the results of a questionnaire survey were pooled from the control and experimental groups (n=132). The survey was administered before and after the national and international nursing practicum for the control and experimental groups, respectively. The t-test was used to compare the two groups, and Difference in Difference (DID) was used to determine the true change between before and after the practicum. But if you are describing international nursing practicums and domestic nursing practicums, i.e., many different courses in different countries, and here in Korea in different universities. DID analysis also showed that the level of change before and after each nursing practicum differed significantly between the control and experimental groups. Results: Factor analysis confirmed that the survey questionnaire reliably measured the sub-concepts. The differences in self-efficacy and cultural competency between the two groups were statistically significant before and after the treatment, but DID results were not significant. For global competency, however, both DID and the difference before and after treatment between the two groups were statistically significant. Conclusion: Despite a few study limitations, the innovative study design generated findings that help to fill a large gap in nursing knowledge. Future studies should include a randomized clinical trial to overcome the limitations of sampling bias and generalization of study results.

The Development of the Croatian Competency Framework for Pharmacists.

Objective. To adjust and validate the Global Competency Framework (GbCF) to be relevant for Croatian community and hospital pharmacists. Methods. A descriptive study was conducted in three steps: translation, consensus development, and validation by an expert panel and public consultation. Panel members were representatives from community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, regulatory and professional bodies, academia, and industry. Results. The adapted framework consists of 96 behavioral statements organized in four clusters: Pharmaceutical Public Health, Pharmaceutical Care, Organization and Management, and Personal and Professional Competencies. When mapped against the 100 statements listed in the GbCF, 27 matched, 39 were revised, 30 were introduced, and 24 were excluded from the original framework. Conclusions. The adaptation and validation proved that GbCF is adaptable to local needs, the Croatian Competency Framework that emerged from it being an example. Key amendments were made within Organization and Management and Pharmaceutical Care clusters, demonstrating that these issues can be country specific.

A Shared Focus: Comparing the Australian, Canadian, United Kingdom and United States Pharmacy Learning Outcome Frameworks and the Global Competency Framework.

This paper presents an analysis of the end of degree expectations, expressed as learning outcomes, for pharmacy graduates from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States. The authors compare the end of degree expectations, through mapping these requirements to the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF). The anticipated end of degree expectations are similar but also reveal some individual characteristics. Irrespective of degree title, achievement of learning outcomes specified in any one of the four jurisdictions should enable students to become pharmacists who are patient-orientated medicines experts. The mapping provides impetus for cross-border institutional networking to generate a dependable set of assessment tools across national borders developing a common metric for outcome assessment irrespective of different program delivery.