Individualized Education and Competency Development of Croatian Community Pharmacists Using the General Level Framework

Abstract

Objectives. To measure Croatian community pharmacists' progress in competency development using the General Level Framework (GLF) as an educational tool in a longitudinal study. Methods. Patient care competencies of 100 community pharmacists were evaluated twice, in 2009 and in 2010 in a prospective cohort study. During this 12-month period, tailored educational programs based on the GLF were organized and conducted, new services and standard operating procedures were implemented, and documentation of contributions to patient care in the pharmacist's portfolio became mandatory. Results. Pharmacists' development of all GLF patient care competencies was significant with the greatest improvements seen in the following competencies: patient consultation, monitoring drug therapy, medicine information and patient education, and evaluation of outcomes. Conclusions. This study, which retested the effectiveness of an evidence-based competency framework, confirmed that GLF is a valid educational tool for pharmacist development.

Insights From the Defining Issues Test on Moral Reasoning Competencies Development in Community Pharmacists

“…27,28 Decision-making within strict time-constraints is common for community pharmacists. 3,13,14,21,23 Participant developmental phase changed for 12 (44%) of the participants during engagement with the educational intervention (Figure 3). The impact of the intervention concluded that the proportion of G1 participants in transition post-intervention increased to 75%, whereas the proportion of G2 participants in transition post-intervention decreased to 27% (Figure 3).…”

“…19,20,21 Recent research highlight many potential sources of dilemmas, both personal to and external to pharmacists. 13,14,[21][22][23][24][25] The avoidance of professional dilemmas is therefore not possible for community pharmacists and decision-making through dilemma scenarios is likely to take place within strict time constraints and without direct access to pharmacist peers. 3,13,14,23 The DIT2 measures whether deeper level "bedrock" schemas are activated (to the extent that the person has developed them) and engaged when decision-making through dilemmas.…”

“…13,14,[21][22][23][24][25] The avoidance of professional dilemmas is therefore not possible for community pharmacists and decision-making through dilemma scenarios is likely to take place within strict time constraints and without direct access to pharmacist peers. 3,13,14,23 The DIT2 measures whether deeper level "bedrock" schemas are activated (to the extent that the person has developed them) and engaged when decision-making through dilemmas. 1,5,6 These bedrock, or default, schemas focus on the macro moral level and "inform the individual's understanding of social cooperation in terms of justice and fairness within the context of law, the mechanisms of government and other social institutions."…”

Effectiveness of implementation strategies for clinical guidelines to community pharmacy: A systematic review

“…This definition was chosen on the basis that it has been included in the updated EPOC taxonomy [36] and also been used in two similar reviews with a similar scope, but in different practice settings [1,16]. In the application of this definition, it was acknowledged that some studies would be excluded, for example, studies that looked at the implementation of practice standards that did not include guidance on clinical activities [39,40] and articles that looked at policy documents and frameworks [41,42]. One of the key determinations from the definition was that the guidelines needed to relate to "specific clinical circumstances."…”

Promoting Peer Debate in Pursuit of Moral Reasoning Competencies Development: Spotlight on Educational Intervention Design

“…35 Recent research highlights many potential sources of dilemmas, both personal to and external to pharmacists. 13,14,34,[36][37][38][39] The avoidance of professional dilemmas is therefore not possible for community pharmacists 3,13,14,37 and decision-making through dilemma scenarios is likely to take place within strict time constraints and without direct access to pharmacist peers. 33,37 Despite perceived limitations with respect to the representativeness of volunteers for whom there was no remuneration or specific academic credit, and the expectation that attrition rates were likely to be high, 34,40,41 the volunteers nevertheless provide a snapshot of the population (of community pharmacists working in Ireland) at a particular point in time.…”