A training program incorporating a diabetes tool to facilitate delivery of quality diabetes care by community pharmacists in Malaysia and Australia

Objectives: To assess a clinical training program on management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) incorporating a diabetes tool, the Simpler(TM) tool. Subsequently pharmacists' experience utilising the tool to deliver structured, consistent, evidence-based T2DM care was explored. Methods: Full-time non-credentialed diabetes pharmacists providing diabetes medication management services in community settings were purposively recruited. Participants had either face-to-face or online training on diabetes management using the tool which took about two hours and 20 minutes to complete. Their diabetes management knowledge was assessed pre- and post-training using quantitative methodology. They were then required to apply the tool in daily practice for one month. Feedback on both the training sessions and tool utilisation were obtained through semi-structured interviews and analysed using a qualitative approach. Results: Twelve pharmacists participated: Six from Australia and six from Malaysia. Before attending the training session, their median test score was 6.5/27, IQR 1.4 (1st marker) and 5.3/27, IQR 2.0 (2nd marker). After training, the scores doubled to 14.3/27, IQR 4.5 (1st marker) and 11.3/27, IQR 3.1 (2nd marker), showing significant improvements (p=0.002). Interview data identified perceived effectiveness factor through use of the tool. Participants found the content relevant, structured, concise and easy to understand; enabled comprehensive medication reviews; focused on achieving glycaemic improvement; facilitated documentation processes and pharmacists' role in T2DM management; and as a specific aid for diabetes management. Barriers included lack of accessibility to patients' laboratory data in Australia. Conclusions: The targeted training improved pharmacists' knowledge on diabetes management and supported the Simpler(TM) tool use in practice as a structured and beneficial method to deliver evidence-based T2DM care

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[Fostering Mixed-skill Pharmacists for Careers in Health Support Pharmacies-Education to Overcome the Barrier of Limited Occupational Expertise].

For becoming a talented pharmacist at a health support pharmacy, the practitioner must obtain ability in two significant skill sets: "Technical skill" and "Non-technical skill". Technical skills are that required for a pharmacist's specialty/expertise, such as a wide variety of specialized knowledge and techniques. Non-technical skills are those required for effective communication and cooperation with patients, as well as with professionals from multiple fields, and also leadership/problem-solving ability within a team. Therefore, technical skill and non-technical skill go hand-in-hand like the two wheels on an axle. In a community-based integrated care system, medical professionals are expected to support a patient's overall health more effectively, even extending into his/her private life. In order to enable pharmacists to expand their scope of activity and fully execute their expertise, Yakugaku Seminar Lifelong Learning Center supports pharmacists from the standpoint of education with various themes, for example: the simulated experience of doctor conducting patient education and formulation on a daily basis, learning a basic way of thinking when clinical decisions are made for a patient nearby, mature decision making by combining vital signs, communication that takes into consideration a patient's background, and improved communication or problem-solving abilities within a broader team.

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.

Are UK hospital pharmacy departments ready for the rise of gene therapy medicinal products?

INTRODUCTION: The first gene therapy medicines are licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved for use in the NHS. UK Hospital pharmacy departments will need to work with multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure that there are facilities available to handle this new group of medicines. Areas Covered: UK licensed and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence gene therapy medicinal products (GTMP) and requirements for handling. Review of pharmacy facilities and implementation of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) in the UK. Expert Opinion: Most hospital pharmacy departments do not have aseptic facilities for the reconstitution of gene therapy medicines, or have the appropriate freezers in place. Staff do not have the understanding or training of these products unless they are experienced in using them in clinical trials. Chief Pharmacists will need to ensure that governance process are in place as they will ultimately be responsible for the implementation and safe handling of these product. Therefore, work needs to continue to highlight the importance of pharmacy departments and their role in the implementation of this new group of medicines. As more GTMPs are licensed and become standard medicines being handled in pharmacy departments, there will be more hospital pharmacy departments ready to handle them. Initially it will just be the centers of excellence, ATMP centers, and research centers with the expertise and facilities. In the long-term, other hospitals will plan and build the facilities they require.

Attitudes towards continuous professional development: a study of pharmacists in Lebanon

Objective: To investigate the views and assess motivation, attitudes of pharmacists in Lebanon towards mandatory continuous education (CE), its transition to Continuous Professional Development (CPD), and identify barriers to participation in CPD. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study, conducted between February and May 2017, enrolled 591 pharmacists. The questionnaire used in this study was developed after an extensive literature review and based on previous similar studies in different countries. Results: Half of the pharmacists who completed the questionnaire agreed that all the factors that were mentioned in the questionnaire motivated completing CPD, whereas 55.4% felt confident that CPD meets their needs. 78.4% felt confident in their abilities to assess what they have learned. 71.6% felt confident in their abilities to assess what additional CPD activity may be necessary. The majority of the pharmacists agreed that accessibility of group learning activities location/distance) (69.6%), job restrictions (76.3%) and lack of time (80.6%) were the most essential barriers against participation in CPD. Motivation was significantly and positively correlated with attitude (r= 0.718), but negatively correlated with barriers (r= -0.243). Attitude was significantly and negatively correlated with barriers (r= -0.120). Conclusion: Our findings contribute to informing the forward pathway for the profession. Attitude and motivation to CPD were positive in this study. Accessibility of group learning activities due to distance and location, job restrictions and lack of time were the major barriers to participation in CPD. Potential solutions can be sought to address these issues (AU)

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Overview of a pharmacist anticoagulation certificate program.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To describe the design of an ongoing anticoagulation certificate program and annual renewal update for pharmacists. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Components of the anticoagulation certificate program include home study, pre- and posttest, live sessions, case discussions with evaluation and presentation, an implementation plan, and survey information (program evaluation and use in practice). Clinical reasoning skills were assessed through case work-up and evaluation prior to live presentation. An annual renewal program requires pharmacists to complete home study and case evaluations. FINDINGS: A total of 361 pharmacists completed the anticoagulation certificate program between 2002 and 2015. Most (62%) practiced in ambulatory care and 38% in inpatient care settings (8% in both). In the past four years, 71% were working in or starting anticoagulation clinics in ambulatory and inpatient settings. In their evaluations of the program, an average of 90% of participants agreed or strongly agreed the lecture material was relevant and objectives were met. SUMMARY: Pharmacists are able to apply knowledge and skills in management of anticoagulation. This structured practice-based continuing education program was intended to enhance pharmacy practice and has achieved that goal. The certificate program in anticoagulation was relevant to pharmacists who attended the program.

Introduction: Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Pharmaceutical Education: Saitama Interprofessional Education Project.

In 2002, the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) defined interprofessional education (IPE) as: Interprofessional Education occurs when two or more professions learn with, from, and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care. Since 2005, also in Japan, IPE has been introduced within educational institutions to train professionals in healthcare and welfare. Within pharmaceutical education, to acquire the "10 qualities required for pharmacists" indicated by revised model core curricula for pharmaceutical education in 2015, IPE is thought quite important. Meanwhile, highly advanced medical treatment is rapidly developing, and as a consequence home healthcare and long-term care must also be enlarged. As a countermeasure, an integrated community care system must be established, and pharmacists will be responsible for urgent tasks within the system. Four universities-Prefectural University, Saitama Medical University, Josai University, and the Nippon Institute of Technology-decided to implement a collaborative project with the philosophy of "realizing high-quality lifestyles for local residents". This project was adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a Program for Promoting Inter-University Collaborative Education for fiscal year 2012. In this symposium, I report on the relationship between this initiative and pharmacy education, as well as discuss expectations of IPE for pharmacist education in the future.

Current and Future Opportunities and Challenges in Continuing Pharmacy Education.

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) convened a consensus-seeking invitational conference on October 29-30, 2015, in Chicago, Ill. ACPE's desire to have stakeholder guidance on its role in the future of continuing pharmacy education and continuing professional development led to the convening of the conference. The purpose of this article is to summarize the proceedings of the conference, including the recommendations from the stakeholders.

An evaluation of the translation of continuing education into diabetes public health care by pharmacists.

Background Pharmacists are assuming greater public health roles and partaking in continuing education to advance knowledge and skills necessary for the provision of this patient care. Objective We sought to determine what conditions in a Middle East context influence how community pharmacists actually incorporate new information into practice. Setting Community pharmacies in Qatar. Methods A continuing professional development (CPD) program regarding the management of fasting diabetes patients during Ramadan was developed and delivered. Participants then maintained a record of their patient encounters when attempting to screen fasting diabetes patients for risk and offer medication, lifestyle, and monitoring advice. Diary entries were coded using inductive methods and follow-up focus group discussion was conducted to further corroborate the thematic analysis. Main outcome measure Facilitators and barriers to care. Results Forty-one pharmacists attended the CPD program and 35 subsequently made at least one diary entry during the 3-weeks preceding and during Ramadan. One-hundred and forty-eight submitted records and the transcript of one focus group (n = 6) were analyzed. Three main factors were found to influence pharmacists' ability to engage use new knowledge and skills: situational, patient, and pharmacist. Patient reception was the overwhelming influence whereby positive interactions encouraged pharmacists to continue screening and counseling attempts, but difficult encounters were negative reinforcing stimuli in almost equal measure. Conclusion In this Middle East setting, environmental factors play a considerable role in the pharmacists' ability to engage in public health care and reinforce that continuing education for health professionals must be closely aligned with the realities of practice and purposefully considered as part of its evaluation.

Got CER? Educating Pharmacists for Practice in the Future: New Tools for New Challenges.

BACKGROUND: Understanding how treatments work in the real world and in real patients is an important and complex task. In recent years, comparative effectiveness research (CER) studies have become more available for health care providers to inform evidence-based decision making. There is variability in the strengths and limitations of this new evidence, and researchers and decision makers are faced with challenges when assessing the quality of these new methods and CER studies. OBJECTIVES: To (a) describe an online tool developed by the CER Collaborative, composed of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, and the National Pharmaceutical Council, and (b) provide an early evaluation of the training program impact on learners' self-reported abilities to evaluate and incorporate CER studies into their decision making. METHODS: To encourage greater transparency, consistency, and uniformity in the development and assessment of CER studies, the CER Collaborative developed an online tool to assist researchers, new and experienced clinicians, and decision makers in producing and evaluating CER studies. A training program that supports the use of the online tool was developed to improve the ability and confidence of individuals to apply CER study findings in their daily work. Seventy-one health care professionals enrolled in 3 separate cohorts for the training program. Upon completion, learners assessed their abilities to interpret and apply findings from CER studies by completing on online evaluation questionnaire. RESULTS: The first 3 cohorts of learners to complete the training program consisted of 71 current and future health care practitioners and researchers. At completion, learners indicated high confidence in their CER evidence assessment abilities (mean = 4.2). Learners reported a 27.43%-59.86% improvement in capabilities to evaluate various CER studies and identify study design flaws (mean evaluation before CER Certificate Program [CCP] scores = 1.86-3.14 and post-CCP scores = 3.92-4.24). Additionally, 63% of learners indicated that they expected to increase their use of evidence from CER studies in at least 1-2 problem decisions per month. CONCLUSIONS: The CER Collaborative has responded to the need for increased practitioner training to improve understanding and application of new CER studies. The CER Collaborative tool and certificate training program are innovative solutions to help decision makers meet the challenges they face in honing their skills to best incorporate credible and relevant CER evidence into their decision making. DISCLOSURES: The CER Collaborative, the development of the questionnaires and web-based tool, and the development of the CER Certificate Program were supported by grants and in-kind contributions from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC). The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy conducted its work under a contract with the AMCP Foundation and grant funding from the NPC. Perfetto is employed by the University of Maryland and the National Health Council and serves as assistant editor for the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, consults for Avelere, and serves as a member of advisory boards for the PQA and CMTP. Pickering received support from the NPC for activities related to this research. Eichelberger is employed by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy. Eichelberger and Graff are with the CER Collaborative. Graff is employed by the National Pharmaceutical Council. Study concept and design were primarily contributed by Perfetto, Graff, and Eichelberger, along with Anyanwu and assisted by Pickering and Ward Zaghab. Pickering and Ward Zaghab took the lead in data collection, with assistance from the other authors, and data interpretation was performed by Perfetto, Graff, Pickering, and Ward Zaghab, with assistance from the other authors. The manuscript was written by Perfetto and Anyanwu, with assistance from the other authors, and revised by Graff, Perfetto, Anyanwu, and Pickering, assisted by Eichelberger and Ward Zaghab.

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in pharmacy education - a trend / Examen clínico estructurado y objetivo (OSCE) en la educación de farmacia - una tendencia

Pharmacy education has undergone a radical change as it evolves towards becoming a more patient oriented profession. With a greater emphasis on problem based teaching and competency, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), supported by its reliability and validity became the gold standard for the evaluation of clinical skills of undergraduate students of medicine and pharmacy worldwide. Core competency evaluation has become a mandatory and critical norm for accountability of educational objectives as the traditional testing tools cannot evaluate clinical competence. Interpersonal and communication skills, professional judgment, skills of resolution etc., may be best assessed through a well structured OSCE in comparison to oral examinations, multiple choice tests and other methods of assessment. Though OSCEs as an objective method of evaluation offer several advantages to both students and teachers, it also has disadvantages and pitfalls in implementation. This article reviews the OSCE as a trend in pharmacy education (AU)

La educación en farmacia ha sufrido un cambio radical a medida que evoluciona hacia convertirse en una profesión más orientada hacia el paciente. Con un mayor énfasis en la enseñanza basada en problemas y competencias, el examen clínico estructurado y objetivo (OSCE), soportado por su fiabilidad y validez, se ha convertido en el patrón-oro para la evaluación de las habilidades clínicas de los estudiantes de grado de medicina y farmacia en todo el mundo. La evaluación de las competencias centrales se ha convertido en una norma obligatoria y crucial para la responsabilidad de los objetivos educativos, ya que los exámenes tradicionales no pueden evaluar la competencia clínica. Las habilidades interpersonales y de comunicación, el juicio profesional, las habilidades de resolución, etc. Pueden evaluarse mejor mediante un OSCE bien estructurado en comparación con los exámenes orales, los exámenes de elección múltiple y otros métodos de evaluación. Aunque los OSCE son un método objetivo de evaluación que ofrece varias ventajas tanto a estudiantes como a profesores, también tiene inconvenientes y problemas de implantación. Este articulo revisa los OSCE como una tendencia en la educación de farmacia (AU)

Impact of pharmacy-led medication reconciliation on medication errors during transition in the hospital setting / Impacto de la reconciliación de medicación por el servicio de farmacia en los errores de medicación durante la transición en el hospital

Objective: To assess if the pharmacy department should be more involved in the medication reconciliation process to assist in the reduction of medication errors that occur during transition of care points in the hospital setting. Methods: This was an observational prospective cohort study at a 531-bed hospital in Pensacola, FL from June 1, 2014 to August 31, 2014. Patients were included in the study if they had health insurance and were taking five or more medications. Patients with congestive heart failure were excluded from the study. Student pharmacists collected and evaluated medication histories obtained from patients’ community pharmacies, and directed patient interviews. Primary care providers were only contacted on an as needed basis. The information collected was presented to the clinical pharmacist, where interventions were made utilizing clinical judgment. Results: During the three month study, 1045 home medications were reviewed by student pharmacist. Of these, 290 discrepancies were discovered (27.8%; p=0.02). The most common medication discrepancy found was dose optimization (45.5%). The remaining discrepancies included: added therapy (27.6%), other (15.2%), and discontinued therapy (11.7%). Pharmacists made 143 interventions based on clinical judgment (49.3%; p=0.04). Conclusion: Involvement of pharmacy personnel during the medication reconciliation process can be an essential component in reducing medical errors. With the addition of the pharmacy department during the admission process, accuracy, cost savings, and patient safety across all phases and transition points of care were achieved (AU)

Objetivo: Evaluar si un servicio de farmacia debería estar más involucrado en el proceso de reconciliación de la medicación para ayudar a reducir los errores de medicación que ocurren durante la transición de servicio en un hospital. Métodos: Este fue un estudio de cohorte prospectiva observacional en un hospital de 531 camas en Pensacola, FL desde 1 de junio a 31 de agosto de 2014. Se incluyó a los pacientes si tenían seguro de salud y estaban tomando 5 o más medicamentos. Los pacientes con fallo cardiaco congestivo fueron excluidos del estudio. Los estudiantes de farmacia recogieron y evaluaron las historais de medicación obtenidas de las farmacias comunitarias de los pacientes y realizaron entrevistas a los pacientes. Solo se contactaba a los médicos de atención primaria si era necesario. La información recogida era presentada al farmacéutico clínico, que hacía intervenciones si lo consideraba adecuado. Resultados: Durante los 3 meses de estudio, se revisaron 1045 medicaciones ambulatorias. De ellas, se descubrieron 290 discrepancias (27,8%; p=0,02). La discrepancia más común fue la optimización de dosis (45,5%). Las restantes discrepancias incluían: tratamiento añadido (27.6%), otras (15.2%), y tratamiento discontinuado (11.7%). Los farmacéuticos realizaron 143 intervenciones basadas en su juicio clínico (49.3%; p=0.04). Conclusión: La participación de l personal de farmacia durante el proceso de reconciliación de la medicación puede ser un componente esencial para reducir errores de medicación. Con la inclusión del servicio de farmacia durante el proceso de ingreso, se consiguió precisión, ahorro de costes y aumento de seguridad del paciente en todas las fases de la transición de servicio (AU)

Personality traits of pharmacy and medical students throughout their course of studies / Rasgos de personalidad de estudiantes de Farmacia y Medicina a lo largo de los años de estudio

Background: Pharmacists and medical doctors are two professional groups that very often receive their education and practice in the same environment. However, their approach to patient care and collaboration tends to be different and this may lead to both frustration and conflict which may adversely affect patient care. Personality has been identified as a psychological issue that could contribute to conflict in a work situation. Objective: To study the personality traits of a cohort of students studying pharmacy and medicine at the University of Malta in their first and final year. Methods: The Gordon Personal Profile - Inventory was administered to a cohort of pharmacy and medical students in their first year and once again administered to the same cohort who completed their course of study in their final year. Basic demographic data was also collected. Results: In first year the most pronounced traits for both student groups were those of Emotional Stability and Personal Relations. Over a period of five years, there were shifts in personality traits. In their final year pharmacy students were characterized by high scores for Cautiousness and Personal Relations while medical students exhibited medium scores in Cautiousness and Emotional Stability. Conclusion: The changes in personality traits over the duration of the course were not radical changes but rather that of traits becoming more pronounced (AU)

Antecedentes: Farmacéuticos y médicos son dos grupos profesionales que frecuentemente reciben su educación y práctica en el mismo entorno. Sin embargo, su abordaje de la atención al paciente y la colaboración tiende a ser diferente, y esto puede llevar tanto a frustración como a conflictos que pueden afectar negativamente la atención al paciente. Se ha definido la personalidad como un aspecto psicológico que podría contribuir a crear conflictos en una situación laboral. Objetivo: Estudiar los rasgos de personalidad de una cohorte de estudiantes de farmacia y medicina en la Universidad de Malta en su primer y último año. Métodos: Se administró el Gordon Personal Profile -Inventory a una cohorte de estudiantes de farmacia y medicina en su primer año, y de nuevo se administró a la misma cohorte que completó los estudios en el último año. También se recogieron los datos demográficos básicos. Resultados: En el primer año, los rasgos más pronunciados para ambos estudiantes eran los de Estabilidad Emocional y Relaciones Personales. Durante el periodo de cinco años hubo cambios en los rasgos de personalidad. En su año final, los estudiantes de farmacia se caracterizaron por alta puntuación de Precaución y de Relaciones Personales, mientras que los estudiantes de medicina presentaron puntuaciones medias en Precaución y en Estabilidad Emocional. Conclusión: Los cambios en los rasgos de personalidad mientras a lo largo de la duración de la carrera no fueron radicales, pero determinados rasgos se convirtieron en más pronunciados (AU)

Preferencias de formación continua en farmacéuticos comunitarios de la provincia de Badajoz / Badajoz community pharmacistpreferences for continuing education

La formación continua es un deber ético y una obligación legal de los farmacéuticos comunitarios para mantener sus competencias actualizadas. Objetivos: Identificar las preferencias de los farmacéuticos de la provincia de Badajoz en cuanto a las actividades de formación continuada, tomando como marco referencial una encuesta nacional de 1992. Métodos: Estudio transversal realizado entre julio y noviembre de 2014, mediante una encuesta a una muestra aleatoriamente seleccionada (por generación de números aleatorios) de farmacéuticos propietarios (n=200) y farmacéuticos adjuntos (n=88) en ejercicio en la provincia de Badajoz. Se utilizó como marco referencial la encuesta de Martínez Romero y colaboradores de 1992. Resultados: Se obtuvo una tasa de respuesta del 99,3%. La mayoría de los encuestados (50,4%) no considera tener la suficiente formación y el 95,9% asistiría a una formación si fuese de su agrado. Un 58,3% se posicionó a favor de la obligatoriedad de la formación para el ejercicio profesional. El viernes fue el día con más adeptos, pero no hubo un patrón de horario preferido. Los Colegios Oficiales continúan siendo la entidad que se considera como idónea para organizar la formación (31,7%), mientras que la credibilidad de la Universidad para este cometido ha descendido drásticamente (del 33% al 3%). Conclusiones: Los farmacéuticos comunitarios continúan considerando necesaria la formación continuada y mayoritariamente aprueban su obligatoriedad. No hay patrones de preferencias en cuanto a horarios y días para las actividades, y no hay grandes diferencias entre las preferencias de farmacéuticos propietarios y adjuntos

Continuing education is an ethical duty and a legal requirement of community pharmacists to keep their competencies updated. Objective: To identify the preferences of community pharmacists from Badajoz province regarding the continuing education activities, using a 1992 National survey as a referential framework. Methods: Cross-sectional study performed between July and November 2014, by means of a survey to a randomized (list of numbers randomly generated) selected sample of owner pharmacists (n=200) and staff pharmacists (n=88) practicing in Badajoz province. As a referential framework, the 1992 Martinez Romero et al. survey was used. Results: A 99.3% response rate was obtained. The majority of respondents (50,4%) consider not having sufficient education and 95.9% would attend an educational activity if it seem interesting. 58.3% positioned in favor of a mandatory continuing training to practice. Friday appeared as the preferred day, but no common patterns appeared for a preferred timing. Official Pharmacists Associations keep being the ideal entity to organize the continuing education (31.7%), while University reliability for this task has drastically decreased (from 33% to 3%). Conclusion: Community pharmacists persist considering continuing education as necessary and mostly support their obligatoriness. No common patters regarding preferred timing and day of the week to set the activities. No big differences exist among owners and staff pharmacists

An instrument to assess subjective task value beliefs regarding the decision to pursue postgraduate training.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate an instrument to assess subjective ratings of the perceived value of various postgraduate training paths followed using expectancy-value as a theoretical framework; and to explore differences in value beliefs across type of postgraduate training pursued and type of pharmacy training completed prior to postgraduate training. METHODS: A survey instrument was developed to sample 4 theoretical domains of subjective task value: intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and perceived cost. Retrospective self-report methodology was employed to examine respondents' (N=1,148) subjective task value beliefs specific to their highest level of postgraduate training completed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques were used to evaluate and validate value belief constructs. RESULTS: Intrinsic, attainment, utility, cost, and financial value constructs resulted from exploratory factor analysis. Cross-validation resulted in a 26-item instrument that demonstrated good model fit. Differences in value beliefs were noted across type of postgraduate training pursued and pharmacy training characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The Postgraduate Training Value Instrument demonstrated evidence of reliability and construct validity. The survey instrument can be used to assess value beliefs regarding multiple postgraduate training options in pharmacy and potentially inform targeted recruiting of individuals to those paths best matching their own value beliefs.

Perceptions of a continuing professional development portfolio model to enhance the scholarship of teaching and learning.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain feedback about the potential usefulness of a continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio for enhancing a faculty or practitioner's scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). METHOD: A CPD portfolio approach to the SoTL was distributed in advance to registrants of the 2011 Annual AACP Teacher's Seminar. In an interactive workshop, faculty facilitators described a model for a CPD process applied to the development of an individual's SoTL. During the workshop, participants were asked to complete the initial sections of the portfolio to develop a personal plan for success in the SoTL. Post workshop, an evaluation form was distributed to the participants to obtain feedback about the CPD approach. Completed evaluation forms were collected, collated, and summarized. RESULTS: A total of 53 (14.1%) workshop participants completed the evaluation form of the 375 attendees. In all, 25 assistant professors, 14 associate professors, 4 full professors, 10 residents/students, 22 clinical, and 2 research faculty submitted evaluations. The proposed uses for the portfolio model selected most often by the responders were for personal development, faculty evaluation, increasing the SoTL, new faculty development, preceptor development, and residency training. IMPLICATIONS: A structured CPD portfolio model might be useful for the professional development of the SoTL.

Use of a multisource feedback tool to develop pharmacists in a postgraduate training program.

OBJECTIVES. To evaluate use of a peer-assessment tool as a performance indicator for junior pharmacists in a formal postgraduate training program in London. METHODS. A 4-year retrospective analysis of data gathered using the pharmacy mini-PAT (peer-assessment tool) was undertaken. Assessments, including junior pharmacist self-evaluations, were conducted every 6 months. Overall performance and performance for clustered items were analyzed to determine changes. Assessments by healthcare professionals were then compared between professional groupings, which included pharmacists, physicians, and nurses. RESULTS. There was a significant improvement over time in both self-assessment scores and scores on assessments conducted by others using the mini-PAT. Junior pharmacists rated themselves significantly lower than did their assessors (p<0.001); pharmacist assessors rated the performance of junior pharmacists significantly lower than did other healthcare professionals (p<0.001). Validity, ease of use, and relevance of the pharmacy mini-PAT were demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS. As part of a range of formative evaluations involving assessors from across various health professions, the mini-PAT is a valuable instrument for developing junior pharmacists. A cohort's mini-PAT result provides a snapshot of his/her performance that can be used to identify key areas requiring further training.