University-Based Continuing Education for Pharmacists

Abstract

University-based continuing education (CE) fulfills an important role to support the professional development of pharmacists, advance the practice of pharmacy, and contribute to societal needs for research and healthcare services. Opportunities for pharmacists to engage in new models of patient care are numerous worldwide, particularly as pharmacists' scope of practice has expanded. Approaches to CE have changed to address the changing needs of pharmacists and now include a variety of approaches to support development of knowledge and skills. There is emphasis on the learning process as well as the knowledge, with the introduction of the concept of continuing professional development (CPD).As institutions of research and education, universities are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between academic and practice environments, providing opportunities for translation of knowledge to practice. The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta is a provider of CE in Alberta, Canada, where an expanded scope of pharmacy practice includes prescribing, administering injections, accessing electronic patient records, and ordering laboratory tests. In this paper, the Faculty offers views about future directions for CE, including the integration of CE with core faculty activities, expanding the audience for CE, areas of focus for learning, and partnerships. Finally, we hope to ignite dialogue with others in the profession about the role and function of university-based CE.

Enhancing Pharmacist’s Role and Tuberculosis Patient Outcomes Through Training-Education-Monitoring-Adherence-Networking (TEMAN) Pharmacist Model Intervention

“…Pelatihan/training merupakan model pendekatan pendidikan berkelanjutan yang ditujukan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan apoteker yang senantiasa berubah-ubah, mendukung pengembangan pengetahuan dan keterampilan, dan penjagaan kompetensi, meningkatkan kinerja dari setiap individu, dan berkontribusi secara langsung atau tidak langsung dalam meningkatkan outcome kesehatan masyarakat. 23,24 Tingginya aspek pengetahuan apoteker merupakan modal yang baik bagi apoteker untuk lebih berperan dalam pelayanan pasien TB. Apoteker sangat berperan dalam penyiapan, penyerahan obat, dan edukasi dalam hal penggunaan obat dan permasalahan terkait obat pada pasien TB yang akan berdampak pada meningkatnya kepatuhan pasien.…”

Blended Learning: Reflections on Teaching Experiences across the Pharmacy Education Continuum

“…The University of Alberta is a research-intensive university and the Faculty offers graduate programs in both pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice at the master's and doctoral levels for approximately 60 students. The Faculty has delivered professional development courses to pharmacists for over 40 years and is an accredited provider of continuing education in Canada [7]. The Faculty is currently comprised of 20 tenure-track and 17 non-tenure-track faculty members.…”

“…The blending of face-to-face learning with synchronous and asynchronous online learning elements provided flexibility to learners, enabling them to participate in the course from various geographical locations in the province. Blending also permitted the interaction between learners and faculty members to take place over several weeks, which is a departure from more traditional continuing professional education offerings [7]. Finally, blending provided a forum for learning that could not occur without the use of technology to support asynchronous and synchronous communication [16].…”

“…Alternative approaches toward professional education challenge educators to rethink the underlying philosophy of pharmacy education and contemplate ways to support professionals in their roles [5][6][7][8]. Research indicates that more emphasis on knowledge construction, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication skills, leadership, professionalism, and lifelong learning are needed [8,9].…”

“…Courses are typically delivered in a face-to-face setting coordinated by one faculty member and taught by an instructional team consisting of other faculty members, external content experts, practicing pharmacists, and other health professionals (dieticians, physicians, and nurses). In addition, many of the clinical practice faculty members contribute to the development and teaching of continuing professional education courses, which are delivered in a variety of formats (i.e., face-to-face, online, and blended learning courses) [7].…”