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Professional-development and continuing-education programs for pharmacists in large hospitals.
American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy
|December 1, 1988
Summary
Hospital pharmacy departments offer professional development programs, but many lack dedicated education staff, formal needs assessments, and budgets. Improvements in resource allocation and program organization are needed for effective staff pharmacist training.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Practice
- Continuing Education
- Hospital Administration
Background:
- Professional development and continuing education are crucial for staff pharmacists in large hospitals.
- The status of these programs in large hospital pharmacy departments was previously underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current state of professional-development and continuing-education programs for staff pharmacists in large U.S. hospitals.
- To identify program responsibilities, formats, attendance documentation, and presenter types.
Main Methods:
- A survey of 445 large hospital pharmacy directors was conducted in July 1987 using an 18-item questionnaire.
- A response rate of 73.5% was achieved, with 256 departments reporting existing developmental-training programs.
Main Results:
- 78.3% of surveyed departments had training programs, but only 17.6% had dedicated education staff.
- Lectures and videotapes were common formats, often presented by sales representatives or pharmacists.
- Needs assessments were infrequent (35.8%), and 54.8% lacked an annual budget for these programs.
Conclusions:
- While most large hospital pharmacy departments offer professional development, significant opportunities exist for improvement.
- Enhancements in resource allocation, program organization, needs assessment, and incentive structures are recommended.