Evaluating the Quality of Competency Assessment in Pharmacy: A Framework for Workplace Learning

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Workplace Assessment
• Professional Competency Development

Background:

• Effective demonstration of competencies is crucial in pharmacy practice.
• Evaluating the quality of pharmacy residency assessment programs is essential for professional development.
• Existing assessment programs require continuous quality improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of a competency assessment program for pharmacy residents at an academic medical center.
• To identify specific criteria within the assessment program that meet or fall short of quality standards.
• To compare perceptions of the assessment program between residents and preceptors, and between those trained internally versus externally.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a validated 48-item Competency Assessment Program (CAP) survey.
• Survey administered to pharmacy residents (n=23) and preceptors (n=28) between 2010-2013.
• Data analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, and non-parametric tests.

Main Results:

• Overall quality of the competency assessment program was rated highly by both residents and preceptors.
• The criterion 'Educational Consequences' was the only one falling below the standard for 'good quality'.
• Participants trained elsewhere rated 'Comparability' and 'Meaningfulness' higher than those trained at the center; no significant resident-preceptor differences were found.

Conclusions:

• The pharmacy residency competency assessment program is generally perceived as high quality.
• There is a need to enhance the 'Educational Consequences' aspect of the assessment program.
• The study provides a framework for assessing workplace learning in pharmacy practice and highlights potential areas for program refinement.