Assessment of pharmacy technician learning preferences and implications for training

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy education
• Workforce development

Background:

• Understanding pharmacy technician learning preferences is crucial for effective training.
• Current training may not fully address the diverse learning needs of technicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess pharmacy technician learning preferences using the VARK tool and self-identification.
• To compare self-identified preferences with VARK-assessed modalities.

Main Methods:

• A survey including the VARK questionnaire was distributed to 204 pharmacy technicians.
• Data collected from live staff meetings and continuing education sessions.

Main Results:

• A 90% response rate was achieved.
• Most technicians self-identified a single preference (78.8%), often kinesthetic (60.3%).
• VARK assessment revealed a significant portion (37.9%) had a quadmodal learning style; experiential training was preferred by 79.3%.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacy technician learning preferences are varied, with many possessing multiple modalities.
• Integrating experiential training and acknowledging individual learning styles can improve accredited training programs for pharmacy technicians.