Development, validation and implementation of continuous professional development programmes for community...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Continuing Education

Background:

• Structured continuous professional development (CPD) modules are lacking for practicing community pharmacists in India.
• Updating knowledge and skills is crucial for effective pharmaceutical care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, validate, and implement CPD modules for community pharmacists.
• To assess the impact of the training program on pharmacists' knowledge and skills.

Main Methods:

• Modules were developed using standard texts and databases, followed by content validation.
• Impact assessment involved pre- and post-training questionnaires (knowledge, attitude, practice) and skill assessments (patient counseling, BP measurement, glucose monitoring).
• Data analysis utilized statistical methods with InStat version 3.01 software.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant improvement (P<0.05) was observed in post-training knowledge, attitude, and practice scores.
• Significant improvements were noted in individual training session scores.
• Post-training professional skills, including patient counseling, capillary blood glucose recording, and blood pressure measurement, showed significant enhancement (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Continuous training effectively updates the knowledge and skills of practicing community pharmacists.
• The developed CPD modules are effective in enhancing pharmaceutical care practices.
• Implementing such training programs is recommended for improving community pharmacy services.