Work readiness of pharmacy graduates: An exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift from in-person to virtual learning for pharmacy students.
• The impact of these educational disruptions on the work readiness of recent pharmacy graduates remains largely unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the work readiness of pharmacy graduates whose education was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To identify specific areas of strength and weakness in their preparedness for professional practice.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews with experienced pharmacists supervising early-career and intern pharmacists.
• Thematic analysis of interview data regarding graduate work readiness.
• Quantitative data collection using the validated Work Readiness Scale from 2020 and 2021 graduates.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: work competence, social intelligence, personal characteristics, and organizational acumen.
• Supervising pharmacists observed initial deficits in graduates' patient communication skills, though these improved over time.
• Graduates reported high comfort with technology and digital health tools due to pandemic-induced virtual learning.

Conclusions:

• While graduates perceive themselves as work-ready, preceptors identified gaps in communication and confidence.
• The lack of face-to-face experiences, such as hospital placements, affected graduates' career perceptions.
• Findings underscore the need to integrate pandemic-informed strategies into future pharmacy education to optimize workforce preparedness.