Core Competencies in Natural Health Products for Canadian Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Objective. To reach consensus on core competency statements for natural health products (NHPs) for Canadian pharmacy students. Methods. Four rounds of a modified Delphi method were used to achieve consensus on core competency statements for NHPs. Pharmacy educators from Canada and the United States, and representatives from Canadian pharmacy organizations ranked their agreement using a 5-point Likert scale. Results. Consensus was achieved on 3 NHP-related core competency statements: (1) to incorporate NHP knowledge when providing pharmaceutical care; (2) to access and critically appraise NHP-related information sources; and (3) to provide appropriate education to patients and other health care providers on the effectiveness, potential adverse effects, and drug interactions of NHPs. Conclusions. Consensus was reached among leaders in NHP education on 3 NHP-related core competency statements. Implementation of these competencies would ensure that graduating Canadian pharmacists would be able to fulfill their professional responsibilities related to NHPs.

An Evidence-Based Course in Complementary Medicines

“…12 While consumers expect pharmacists to be knowledgeable about CM, research also indicates that many pharmacists lack confidence in their knowledge or feel they do not have sufficient training in CM to enable them to meet this expectation. 13,[16][17][18][19][20] The problem has not gone unnoticed. Against this backdrop, the need for greater CM education for pharmacists and pharmacy students has already been identified by other authors.…”

“…10,11,14,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] In the absence of clear formal guidelines on CM course content, appropriate course structure, and suitable teaching methods, the range and scope of what is taught to pharmacy students about CM also appear to differ among colleges and schools of pharmacy and in different countries. 10,11,14,19,20,[22][23][24][25] Recognition of the need for greater CM education for pharmacy students has thus been established. Challenges facing pharmacy educators in introducing new or adapting existing CM courses include determining what to teach; how best to teach the topic, including course structure (elective, core, or incorporated into other course), delivery structure, assessment format, and suitable resources; and in assessing whether these initiatives have been successful in achieving student learning outcomes.…”

“…29 These factors suggest that pharmacists' professional responsibilities should include providing advice pertaining to the use of CMs and that, in the absence of adequate evidence-based knowledge and training on the subject matter, pharmacists may not be able to comprehensively fulfill their professional responsibilities within the broader definition of pharmaceutical care. 10,18,20 Despite clear recognition of the need for CM training for pharmacists and several strong arguments in favor of greater CM education within pharmacy curricula, the literature suggests that many colleges and schools of pharmacy, both internationally and in Australia, have not yet taken the initiative to embed this subject matter into their core curriculum. 10,11,14,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] In the absence of clear formal guidelines on CM course content, appropriate course structure, and suitable teaching methods, the range and scope of what is taught to pharmacy students about CM also appear to differ among colleges and schools of pharmacy and in different countries.…”

“…10,18,20 Despite clear recognition of the need for CM training for pharmacists and several strong arguments in favor of greater CM education within pharmacy curricula, the literature suggests that many colleges and schools of pharmacy, both internationally and in Australia, have not yet taken the initiative to embed this subject matter into their core curriculum. 10,11,14,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] In the absence of clear formal guidelines on CM course content, appropriate course structure, and suitable teaching methods, the range and scope of what is taught to pharmacy students about CM also appear to differ among colleges and schools of pharmacy and in different countries. 10,11,14,19,20,[22][23][24][25] Recognition of the need for greater CM education for pharmacy students has thus been established.…”

“…Against this backdrop, the need for greater CM education for pharmacists and pharmacy students has already been identified by other authors. 10,11,14,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Such educational initiatives need to be evidence-based and should address identified barriers to use, such as a perceived lack of evidence on safety and efficacy. 15,17,22 Evidence-based CM education within a pharmacy curriculum can also be considered consistent with the pharmaceutical care educational outcomes of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, which describe a patient-centered approach that is evidence-based and designed to "maintain professional competence by identifying and analyzing emerging issues, products and services that may impact patient-specific therapeutic outcomes."…”