Implementing Cancer Pain Management Training for Pharmacists Using the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model

To develop a training program on cancer pain management for pharmacists and to evaluate the effectiveness of the training.

The program developed a well-structured curriculum and subsequent evaluation of training effectiveness, guided by the Kirkpatrick four-tier evaluation model, including reaction, learning, behavior, and results. The training approach incorporated mentoring, study groups, and problem-based learning to create an immersive and impactful learning experience.

Fifty-three pharmacists participated in the survey. The reaction evaluation results showed that the cumulative percentage of "satisfied" and "very satisfied" with each of the nine statements exceeded 85%. The findings from the learning level assessment revealed that the cumulative percentage of accurate responses to the 13 items on the Cancer Pain Management Questionnaire was 57.7% before training. This percentage rose to 64.2% following the training, showcasing a statistically significant improvement (p=0.014). The behavioral scoring results showed that 53 trainees scored an average of more than 15 points on all four behavioral benchmarks. The pass rate for the trainees was 86.8%. The percentages of trainees who scored proficient, good, and excellent were 18.9% (10/53), 50.9% (27/53), and 17.0% (9/53), respectively. The evaluation of the results showed that all the respondents were engaged in cancer pain management practices. Of these participants, 85.7% (42/49) were members of a multidisciplinary cancer pain management team, and 53.1% (26/49) performed a cancer pain consultation or attended an outpatient clinic.

Study results suggested that the training program was effective in all dimensions defined by the Kirkpatrick model. This collective achievement indicates a substantial enhancement in the comprehension and proficiency of pharmacists regarding cancer pain management.