Philippine E-Journals

Challenges and Motivations of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Assistants for Continuing Professional Education

John Bryn S. Mondragon | Darryl John S. Olavere | Irene Mae P. Ansay | Justine Marie A. Ocampo

 

Abstract:

The majority of the countries expanded the responsibilities of pharmacists to patient-centered roles and resulted in increased workforce demand and supply. The Philippines has already adopted the patient-centered roles, but the development of the advanced frameworks for implementing pharmacy profession is still underway. The study aims to determine the level of willingness of pharmacy assistants and pharmacists to undergo educational innovative programs of community and hospital settings in a local university. The instrument used to collect data was survey questionnaire followed by face-to-face interview using convenience sampling. The researchers provided an informed consents and initial survey to as many respondents as possible and created an inclusion and exclusion criteria. In which, out of eighty-three (83) initial respondents, three (3) are excluded based on inclusion and exclusion criteria while, seven (7) did not consent to undergo educational innovative program. Hence, the overall respondents in this study were seventy-three (73) respondents which comprise of 42 pharmacy assistants and 31 pharmacists. This initial survey was used as a tool to determine the respondents’ willingness to undergo innovative programs including demographic profile and their suggestions on how to offer the programs. Initial survey was composed of twenty (20) quantitative questions and rated using the Likert scale based on agreement. The results of the initial survey were mapped against the relevant factors identified in the review of related literature and studies to come up with researcher-made tools both for pharmacy assistants and pharmacists. These researcher-made tools underwent content validation and pilot testing and achieved reliability coefficients of 0.873 and 0.821. The result of level of willingness was treated with descriptive statistics using mean and standard deviation particularly; the significant difference was analyzed through inferential statistics particularly t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a follow up test when necessary. The researchers conducted interviews whereby extracted statements were used to validate the quantitative data collected. Overall, the grand mean level of willingness of the pharmacy assistants is 3.15 and 3.03 for pharmacists which means that pharmacy assistants and pharmacists are willing to undergo educational innovative programs. Results also showed that regardless of age, area of specialization, educational attainment and length of experience, pharmacy assistants and pharmacists have the same level of willingness, therefore, are not considered as factors to undergo educational innovative programs. Qualitative feedback revealed that the most common barriers include financial capability, time, family constraints and heavy workload. They are motivated and encouraged to undergo innovative programs if one institution is offering lecture or live learning interaction, online learning, practical learning and modular learning. The possible innovative programs that they recommended are CPD programs, TESDA programs, Associate of Applied Science in Pharmacy Technology, Baccalaureate Program for Pharmacy Assistants, Master of Science in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy. Overall, pharmacy assistants and pharmacists are willing to undergo educational innovative programs.