Implementation of a Pediatric Pharmacy Education Program at a Community Regional Medical Center

Abstract

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to implement a web-based pediatric education program designed for pharmacists who participate in neonatal and pediatric order verification at a community-based health system and to evaluate the success through measuring outcomes related to both comfort and competence of pharmacists in pediatric and neonatal pharmacotherapy. METHODS This prospective quality improvement study assessed changes in confidence and competence from before to after education. Eight educational modules were designed to provide education based on the needs of this institution. All pharmacists who participate in neonatal and pediatric order verification were eligible for inclusion throughout the health system. Time in the verification queue for pediatric and neonatal medication orders was compared for before to after education as an objective surrogate marker for comfort and competence. A provider survey was conducted before and after education to assess the providers' perspective of the quality and necessity of pharmacist-provider interactions. RESULTS All confidence scores showed statistical improvement from before to after education (p < 0.001). Before to after education competency scores significantly improved (median 77% [IQR, 69%–85%] to 100% [IQR, 92%–100%]; p < 0.01). The module with the lowest mean score (87%) was module 4 (Antibiotics Part 1), and the one with highest number of retakes (24 retakes from 16 different pharmacists) was module 5 (Antibiotics Part 2). CONCLUSIONS Targeted web-based education effectively improved both confidence and competence among health-system pharmacists to provide pediatric and neonatal care in a community hospital.