Analysis of factors affecting pharmacists' ability to identify and solve problems

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Professional Development
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Japanese pharmacists exhibit a gap in self-improvement commitment and problem-solving abilities.
• Factors influencing these essential professional skills remain unclear.
• This study uses presentation at academic conferences as a proxy for problem-solving proficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing problem-finding and problem-solving skills in Japanese pharmacists.
• To explore the relationship between presenting at academic conferences and these skills.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide internet-based survey was conducted among 300 hospital and 300 community pharmacists.
• Respondents were grouped based on prior academic conference presentation experience.
• Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations.

Main Results:

• 50.7% of hospital pharmacists and 13.7% of community pharmacists had presented at conferences.
• For hospital pharmacists, presentation experience correlated with age, mentorship availability, intern supervision, and self-improvement activities.
• For community pharmacists, presentation experience correlated with advanced age, higher education (doctoral/master's), and self-improvement activities.

Conclusions:

• Prior experience presenting at academic conferences may indicate developed problem-solving skills.
• Environmental support, self-improvement status, and educational background are associated factors.
• This research provides insights into enhancing pharmacists' professional capabilities.