Educational supervision to support pharmacy professionals’ learning and practice of advanced roles

Exploring pharmacists' perceptions of using a clinical supervision skills competency tool to reflect and develop their supervisory practices

INTRODUCTION

To date, there are no formal self-reflection tools routinely used by pharmacists within the Australian pharmacy profession. The study involved utilizing the Clinical Supervision Skills Competency Tool (CSSCT) at a metropolitan teaching hospital in Victoria, Australia. It explored pharmacists' perceptions of the CSSCT and its impact on their ability to self-reflect and develop their supervisory practices.

METHODS

The qualitative study involved adapting the Clinical Supervision Skills Review Tool (CSRT), a clinician-validated tool. Prior to tool completion, participants attended an orientation session on the CSSCT. Thematic analysis and an inductive approach was then applied to data collected from two semi-structured focus group sessions and an online survey, for those not able to attend the focus groups.

RESULTS

A total of 19 pharmacists were recruited and completed the CSSCT. The three major themes regarding the CSSCT identified were: feasibility of the tool, aspects of the CSSCT, and future planning. Use of rating scales and breakdown of the supervisory competencies were perceived to be helpful. Conversely, the tool's length, pharmacists' high workloads and time pressures, were identified as potential barriers to using the tool.

CONCLUSIONS

Given pharmacists internationally currently lack a formal tool to enhance their supervisory methods, the CSSCT or similar tools emerge as valuable resources for steering pharmacists towards self-reflection and goal setting. Notably, the CSSCT sheds light on previously overlooked yet critical aspects of clinical supervision in the pharmacy context, including the wellbeing and cultural sensitivity of learners.

Pharmacy professionals' perceptions of educational supervision in primary care through the lens of Proctor's model

BACKGROUND

Educational supervision plays a vital role in postgraduate medical education and more recently in pharmacy and advanced clinical practitioner training in England. Proctor's three-function model of clinical supervision (consisting of formative, restorative, and normative functions) is assumed to apply to educational supervision, but this has not been tested empirically. The aim of this study was to establish perceptions of the purpose of educational supervision from the perspective of primary care pharmacy professionals enrolled on a national training pathway in England.

METHODS

Using a mixed methods design, data were collected using a validated 25-item online survey and respondents were invited to add comments explaining their responses. The survey was sent to all 902 learners enrolled on a postgraduate training pathway for pharmacy professionals working in primary care. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to interpret patterns in the survey data, and framework analysis of qualitative free text comments was used to identify themes and aid interpretation of quantitative findings.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-seven pharmacy professionals responded (response rate 20.7%). PCA extracted three factors explaining 71.5% of the total variance. Factor 1 corresponded with survey items linked to the formative function of Proctor's model, while factor 2 corresponded with survey items linked to the restorative function. No items corresponded with the normative function. Framework analysis of qualitative free-text comments identified two themes: learning support, which corresponded with factor 1; and personal support, which corresponded with factor 2.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified that pharmacy professionals perceived educational supervision to perform two functions, formative (educational) and restorative (pastoral), but did not perceive it to perform a normative (surveillance) function. Educational supervision has the potential to support allied health professionals advancing their roles and we suggest the need for more research to develop models of effective educational supervision which can inform practice.

Preparing pharmacists for the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service: a questionnaire survey

OBJECTIVES

The Community Pharmacist Consultation Service launched in England in 2019. Patients requiring urgent care were referred from National Health Service-based telephone/digital triage or general practice to a community pharmacist, who provided a consultation, which could include a physical examination. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a learning programme to prepare community pharmacists for the service.

METHODS

Learning programme participants were invited to complete an online survey shortly after the workshop and another survey 3 months later. The survey collected opinions on aspects of the programme, including Likert-type statements and free text questions. The 3-month follow-up survey explored how the programme had helped pharmacists change their practice. Data were analysed in SPSS (v.25; IBM) with inferential statistics used to compare subgroups. Open comments were analysed qualitatively.

KEY FINDINGS

The learning programme addressed participants' learning needs including history-taking, clinically observing the patient, performing physical examinations, structuring a consultation, safety-netting, and documenting consultations. Barriers to using skills acquired included low service uptake and a lack of equipment to perform physical examinations. While many participants recognised the importance of skills to provide person-centred care, some participants did not appear to recognise the shift in policy to a more clinical role.

CONCLUSIONS

The learning programme resulted in increased confidence and a recognition of a shift in the policy vision for community pharmacist roles. Although some pharmacists appeared to embrace this, others have yet to fully appreciate the need to adapt to be ready for the opportunities that this service can provide.

Designated prescribing practitioners: a theory-based cross-sectional study of stakeholders' views on implementation of a novel pharmacy regulator mandated preceptorship model

BACKGROUND

Scottish Government is increasing independent prescribers (IP) in community pharmacy (CP). A new preceptorship model using IPs as Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs) has been introduced.

AIM

To investigate stakeholder views of implementation of a novel regulator mandated IP course preceptorship model.

METHOD

A theory-based online pre-piloted survey of stakeholders including e.g. directors of pharmacy, prescribing, education leads, policy & strategy leads and CPs. Questionnaire development used Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and a DPP Competency Framework. Data were analysed descriptively and presented with mapping to CFIR constructs.

RESULTS

Of ninety-nine responses 82.5% (80/97) responded 'yes' to '..abilities in reporting concerns..' and 53.1% (51/96) indicating 'no' to '..anticipated issues with clinical and diagnostic skills'. CFIR related facilitators included agreement that; there was tension for change with 84 (85%) indicating '….urgent need to implement role …', that incentives are likely to help (6566%) and small pilots would help (8588%). Barriers were evident related to 'unsure' responses about sufficiency of; DPP capacity (39/97, 40.2%), time (48/96, 50%) and support and resources (4445%) to undertake the role. Concerns were expressed with 81 (83%) in agreement or unsure that leadership commitment may be lacking and 48 (48.9%) were 'unsure' about availability of good training for the DPP role.

CONCLUSION

There was DPP role positivity but expressed barriers and facilitators at policy, organisational and individual practitioner levels needing further consideration. Further research is warranted on uptake and embedding of the role.