Mandatory continuing education for pharmacists in a developing country: assessment of a three-year cycle.
Attitude of Health Personnel
Continuing
Developing Countries
Education
Focus Groups
Lebanon
Motivation
Pharmacists
Pharmacy
Professional Practice
Surveys and Questionnaires
Journal
Pharmacy practice
ISSN: 1885-642X
Titre abrégé: Pharm Pract (Granada)
Pays: Spain
ID NLM: 101530029
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Historique:
received:
05
05
2019
accepted:
18
08
2019
entrez:
9
10
2019
pubmed:
9
10
2019
medline:
9
10
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
In Lebanon, mandatory continuing education (CE) for pharmacists was implemented in January 2014. The objectives of this study are to assess 1) the overall adherence to the mandatory CE program, 2) pharmacists' preferences related to CE, and 3) barriers to adherence to CE. By the end of October 2017, an evaluation of pharmacists' participation in the mandatory CE program was conducted using electronic reports available in the Learning Management System (LMS). Descriptive results were presented as frequencies and percentages. In addition, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among pharmacists to better understand their preferences and barriers to their participation to the CE program. Finally, a focus group was organized with pharmacists who did not start their CE. Out of all registered pharmacists in Lebanon, 68.30% started their CE and 25.6% already achieved their required credits. Among pharmacists enrolled in the CE system, the majority (69%) used the online courses at least once. Moreover, CE enrolment was similar among old and young pharmacists except for those newly registered. The majority of pharmacists preferred clinical and pharmacological topics, followed by preventive medicine and transferable skills. Barriers to engaging in CE were mainly work and family obligations, lack of interest, lack of time, and difficulties in commuting and technology use. Although results of the present study are similar to those in developing countries, the resistance to change is higher. The Lebanese Pharmacists Association [Ordre des Pharmaciens du Liban] should develop strategies to motivate and enroll more pharmacists in the CE system, based on the barriers and preferences cited in the results, while continuing to offer high quality and cost-favorable CE programs to Lebanese pharmacists.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
In Lebanon, mandatory continuing education (CE) for pharmacists was implemented in January 2014.
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study are to assess 1) the overall adherence to the mandatory CE program, 2) pharmacists' preferences related to CE, and 3) barriers to adherence to CE.
METHODS
METHODS
By the end of October 2017, an evaluation of pharmacists' participation in the mandatory CE program was conducted using electronic reports available in the Learning Management System (LMS). Descriptive results were presented as frequencies and percentages. In addition, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among pharmacists to better understand their preferences and barriers to their participation to the CE program. Finally, a focus group was organized with pharmacists who did not start their CE.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Out of all registered pharmacists in Lebanon, 68.30% started their CE and 25.6% already achieved their required credits. Among pharmacists enrolled in the CE system, the majority (69%) used the online courses at least once. Moreover, CE enrolment was similar among old and young pharmacists except for those newly registered. The majority of pharmacists preferred clinical and pharmacological topics, followed by preventive medicine and transferable skills. Barriers to engaging in CE were mainly work and family obligations, lack of interest, lack of time, and difficulties in commuting and technology use.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Although results of the present study are similar to those in developing countries, the resistance to change is higher. The Lebanese Pharmacists Association [Ordre des Pharmaciens du Liban] should develop strategies to motivate and enroll more pharmacists in the CE system, based on the barriers and preferences cited in the results, while continuing to offer high quality and cost-favorable CE programs to Lebanese pharmacists.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31592035
doi: 10.18549/PharmPract.2019.3.1545
pii: pharmpract-17-1545
pmc: PMC6763306
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
1545Informations de copyright
Copyright: © Pharmacy Practice.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
CONFLICT OF INTEREST We declare that the first two authors are full-time employees at the Lebanese Pharmacists Association, Drug Information Center Department. Georges Sili is the previous president of the Lebanese Pharmacists Association (non-profit position) and Pascale Salameh is a full-time Professor at the Lebanese University and the previous chair (non-profit position) of the scientific committee at the Lebanese Pharmacists Association. We have no other conflict of interest to declare.
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