Evaluation of the national pharmacy preceptor education program

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Continuing Professional Development
• Online Learning

Background:

• Pharmacist preceptors play a crucial role in training pharmacy students.
• There is a need for accessible and effective educational resources for preceptors, particularly in rural areas.
• The Australian Pharmacy Preceptor Education (APPE) program was developed to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and national applicability of a national online educational curriculum for pharmacist preceptors.
• To identify key issues and gather process evaluation findings from the trial of the APPE program.

Main Methods:

• A multi-method triangulated research design was employed.
• Data were collected using anonymous questionnaires with quantitative and qualitative components.
• Rural pharmacists across three Australian states participated in the trial.

Main Results:

• The APPE program was well-accepted, with strengths including ease of access, self-directed learning, and interactive features.
• Participants highlighted the benefits of idea sharing and feedback.
• Identified limitations included technical delays and unclear instructions.

Conclusions:

• The online APPE program is a flexible and valuable educational tool for pharmacist professional development.
• The findings support the national implementation of the APPE program.
• This program has the potential to significantly improve preceptor skills and the quality of pharmacy education for students and new graduates.