Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework
Background: Pharmacists possess a unique and complex body of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to enable them to optimize health outcomes. Pharmacy organizations publish routinely updated versions of professional competencies that help pharmacy schools integrate advances into the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Centro de Investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmaceuticas
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Pharmacy Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.pharmacypractice.org/journal/index.php/pp/article/view/2320 |
| _version_ | 1811189930866507776 |
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| author | Rony M. Zeenny Marwan Akel Aline Hajj Hala Sacre Souheil Hallit Pascale Salameh |
| author_facet | Rony M. Zeenny Marwan Akel Aline Hajj Hala Sacre Souheil Hallit Pascale Salameh |
| author_sort | Rony M. Zeenny |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Pharmacists possess a unique and complex body of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to enable them to optimize health outcomes. Pharmacy organizations publish routinely updated versions of professional competencies that help pharmacy schools integrate advances into their curricula. In Lebanon, no national framework for pharmacy education is officially adopted yet. In 2017, the Official Pharmacists’ Association in Lebanon [OPL - Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon] took the initiative to develop a pharmacy core competency framework.
Objective: The primary objective of this survey was to evaluate graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies “taught” across Lebanese pharmacy schools/faculties, based on the suggested Lebanese Pharmacy Competencies Framework. This study also explored the association between graduates' demographics, university attributes, and self-assessed competency performance.
Methods: A cross-sectional study involving pharmacists who graduated from Lebanese universities was performed through a 40-minute online questionnaire distributed over social media platforms and groups of pharmacists.
Results: Pharmacists perceived their competence as moderate upon graduation, the lowest scores being in fundamental knowledge and medicine supply; the highest reported scores were in personal skills and safe/rational use of medicines. Moreover, females, younger graduates, PharmD holders, and pharmacists working in hospitals/clinical settings and academia had the highest perception of their competencies. Pharmacists in the public sector and medical laboratory directors had the lowest perception of competence.
Conclusions: When comparing the taught curriculum to the suggested Lebanese Pharmacy Competency Framework, all domains need to be improved to optimize the perception, education, and practice of pharmacists. It is essential to emphasize fundamental knowledge, medicines supply, and public health competencies in undergraduate curricula and improve continuing professional education. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T14:42:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b58931f56ef24ef28b16a5f62f035e13 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1885-642X 1886-3655 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T14:42:01Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Centro de Investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmaceuticas |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmacy Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-b58931f56ef24ef28b16a5f62f035e132022-12-22T04:17:49ZengCentro de Investigaciones y Publicaciones FarmaceuticasPharmacy Practice1885-642X1886-36552021-06-01192232010.18549/PharmPract.2021.2.2320Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies frameworkRony M. Zeenny https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5443-7780Marwan Akel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1419-2934Aline Hajj https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0826-6033Hala Sacre https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6547-6251Souheil Hallit https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6918-5689Pascale Salameh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4780-0772Background: Pharmacists possess a unique and complex body of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to enable them to optimize health outcomes. Pharmacy organizations publish routinely updated versions of professional competencies that help pharmacy schools integrate advances into their curricula. In Lebanon, no national framework for pharmacy education is officially adopted yet. In 2017, the Official Pharmacists’ Association in Lebanon [OPL - Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon] took the initiative to develop a pharmacy core competency framework. Objective: The primary objective of this survey was to evaluate graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies “taught” across Lebanese pharmacy schools/faculties, based on the suggested Lebanese Pharmacy Competencies Framework. This study also explored the association between graduates' demographics, university attributes, and self-assessed competency performance. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving pharmacists who graduated from Lebanese universities was performed through a 40-minute online questionnaire distributed over social media platforms and groups of pharmacists. Results: Pharmacists perceived their competence as moderate upon graduation, the lowest scores being in fundamental knowledge and medicine supply; the highest reported scores were in personal skills and safe/rational use of medicines. Moreover, females, younger graduates, PharmD holders, and pharmacists working in hospitals/clinical settings and academia had the highest perception of their competencies. Pharmacists in the public sector and medical laboratory directors had the lowest perception of competence. Conclusions: When comparing the taught curriculum to the suggested Lebanese Pharmacy Competency Framework, all domains need to be improved to optimize the perception, education, and practice of pharmacists. It is essential to emphasize fundamental knowledge, medicines supply, and public health competencies in undergraduate curricula and improve continuing professional education.https://www.pharmacypractice.org/journal/index.php/pp/article/view/2320education pharmacyschools pharmacystudents pharmacycurriculumpharmacistsperceptionattitudecompetency-based educationprofessional competencecross-sectional studieslebanon |
| spellingShingle | Rony M. Zeenny Marwan Akel Aline Hajj Hala Sacre Souheil Hallit Pascale Salameh Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework Pharmacy Practice education pharmacy schools pharmacy students pharmacy curriculum pharmacists perception attitude competency-based education professional competence cross-sectional studies lebanon |
| title | Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework |
| title_full | Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework |
| title_fullStr | Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework |
| title_full_unstemmed | Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework |
| title_short | Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework |
| title_sort | descriptive assessment of graduates perceptions of pharmacy related competencies based on the lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework |
| topic | education pharmacy schools pharmacy students pharmacy curriculum pharmacists perception attitude competency-based education professional competence cross-sectional studies lebanon |
| url | https://www.pharmacypractice.org/journal/index.php/pp/article/view/2320 |
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