Designing a novel continuing education program for pharmacists: Lessons learned.

Rapid changes in health care and the evolving role of the pharmacist, as shown by the recent expanding scope of practice changes in several Canadian jurisdictions, have created a need for additional pharmacist continuing education (CE). Many pharmacists move into these new roles with excitement and trepidation. Some pharmacists may be comfortable communicating with patients but less certain how to document the care provided or how to conduct physical assessments. Some may have had plenty of opportunities to talk with physicians but less experience working with other health care providers. Many know that these new roles will improve patient care and want support and CE to move confidently into this new world. KEY POINTS Pharmacists want support and continuing education (CE) opportunities to move confidently into new roles. Partnership between primary health care pharmacists, professional associations and universities creates high-quality CE programming. Distance education best practices should inform course design and operation. A multi-faceted evaluation framework and soliciting learner feedback contributes to making an already good course even better. POINTS CLES Les pharmaciens veulent du soutien et des programmes de formation continue pour se preparer avec confiance a leurs nouveau roles. Le partenariat entre les pharmaciens prestataires de soins de sante primaires, les associations professionnelles et les universites favorise la creation de programmes de formation continue de haute qualite. La conception et la prestation des cours devraient s'appuyer sur des pratiques exemplaires en matiere d'education a distance. Un cadre d'evaluation a volets multiples et la collecte de la retroaction des apprenants contribuent a l'amelioration d'un cours qui est deja bon. A group of pharmacists involved in the Primary Care Pharmacy Specialty Network (PC-PSN), a joint initiative of the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP), could see that these changes were beginning to happen within the practices of PC-PSN members and through research initiatives such as IMPACT,1–3 SCRIP, SCRIP-plus and REACT.4–6 The group envisioned a “real-world,” accessible, national CE program that would enable pharmacists to enhance patient care in primary health care settings. This article describes the creation, pilot testing and launch of the Adapting Pharmacists' Skills and Approaches to Maximize Patients' Drug Therapy Effectiveness (ADAPT) CE program. The program comprises 7 online learning modules designed to enhance patient care and collaborative skills, plus a face-to-face workshop designed to provide additional feedback about those skills. Program development began in November 2009. The pilot offering of the program occurred from August 2010 to February 2011 and the program became available to all Canadian pharmacists in August 2011 (www.pharmacists.ca/adapt). It was a challenge to create a rigorous, high-quality program for working pharmacists that was practical in terms of the skills taught and the delivery method. A summary of the ADAPT development and implementation process is provided in Box 1. Lessons learned from the ADAPT experience may help others to develop similar CE programs in the future. Creating the training program framework In 2007, a PC-PSN training subcommittee created a Primary Health Care Skills Training Program framework (Box 2) using content and structure developed for the IMPACT (Integrating Family Medicine and Pharmacy to Advance Primary Care Therapeutics) project.7 Obtaining funding: Creating your luck The initial challenge was obtaining funding to create a high-quality CE program. A development grant provided by the McMaster University Department of Family Medicine supported the proposal development and networking with potential funders. Several meetings were held with representatives from faculties of pharmacy and pharmaceutical companies before the Health Canada opportunity, facilitated by CPhA, presented itself. In July 2009, CPhA worked with the PC-PSN on a $500,000 funding proposal to Health Canada's Health Care Policy Contribution Program to create a CE program for primary health care pharmacists using the arguments outlined in Table 1. CPhA, CSHP and PC-PSN representatives entered into a partnership for the purpose of this proposal. Notice of successful funding was received in November 2009. TABLE 1 Arguments for funding ADAPT program development and evaluation Lesson learned: Ensure adequate unrestricted funding. Health Canada's funding made it possible to assemble the right pharmacists, educators, researchers and project managers to deliver and evaluate a mixed model of online, real-world and in-person CE that is not biased toward a particular product, manufacturer or practice setting.