Developing consensus on the competency and assessment of pharmacist preceptors

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Professional Development
• Healthcare Accreditation

Background:

• Pharmacist preceptors are crucial for training pharmacy students and interns.
• Evaluating preceptor competency is vital for consistent, high-quality pharmacy training.
• Consensus on assessment methods and competencies is needed for effective evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve expert consensus on essential pharmacy preceptor competencies for assessment.
• To determine the feasibility and methods for assessing these competencies.
• To identify suitable assessors and approaches for preceptor evaluation.

Main Methods:

• The Delphi method was employed with experts in pharmacy education, accreditation, and practice.
• Three rounds of anonymous surveys were conducted using REDCap.
• A 70% agreement threshold was used to establish consensus on 16 evidence-based competencies.

Main Results:

• Consensus was reached on 17 competencies, with 16 deemed feasible for assessment.
• Eight competencies were identified as mandatory, and four as preferable for assessment.
• A multimodal assessment approach, including preceptee surveys, self-assessments, and peer observations, was supported.

Conclusions:

• Expert consensus supports the feasibility of assessing pharmacy preceptor competencies using a multimodal approach.
• The study clarifies which competencies to assess, how, and by whom, enhancing preceptorship quality.
• Incorporating preceptor assessment into accreditation standards is recommended to ensure high-quality pharmacy education.