Assessment of pharmacists’ attitude, behaviors, and preferences related to continuing education

Abstract

In the context of contemporary pharmaceutical care, maintaining and enhancing pharmacist competency is crucial. Continuing education (CE) plays a vital role in this endeavor, with various international models emphasizing lifelong learning.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the CE preferences of pharmacists, informing the development of a mandatory annual CE program for licensure renewal.

Setting: The study surveyed 400 pharmacies in Cairo, randomly selected from the yellow pages directory.

Method: A validated questionnaire was distributed through personal interviews, covering pharmacist demographics, internet resource access, past CE participation, delivery and content preferences, motivation for participation, and future CE plans. Data analysis utilized SPSS version 18.0 with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05.

Results: Of the 400 pharmacists surveyed over six months, 359 responded (89.75%). Approximately 23% of respondents had practiced with their highest pharmacy degree for less than 5 years, while 19% obtained their initial degree over 15 years ago. The majority were female (53.3%), with strong interest in therapeutics-related topics (85.3%), followed by clinical skills. Community pharmacists attended fewer CE events in the past two years compared to hospital-based pharmacists (15% vs. 28%, p = 0.034), while hospital pharmacists reported lower satisfaction with current CE (21% vs. 33%, p = 0.021).

Conclusion: The survey highlighted pharmacist enthusiasm for CE alongside barriers such as employer and technology constraints. These findings underscore the need for flexible CE programs aligning with pharmacists' preferences and perceived needs.