Written By: Abier Hamami.RPH.CPHQ
IntroductionContinuing Education/Staff Development ProgramWeb-based Continuing Education Links
I. Introduction
With the rapid advancements in medicine today, and the breakthroughs in drug development and pharmacy practices in the new millennium, pharmacy practitioners assume new increased responsibilities, and must make a corresponding commitment to improve their professional competence through continuing education.
Continuing Education CE in general is defined as an organized learning experience usually taken after a degree is obtained to enhance personal or professional goals. Continuing Education for the Profession of Pharmacy is defined by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education ACPE as "a structured process of education designed or intended to support the continuous development of pharmacists to maintain and enhance their professional competence. Continuing education should promote problem-solving and critical thinking and be applicable to the practice of pharmacy"
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization JCAHO, and The Joint Commission International Accreditation JCIA requires that organizations should provide ongoing education and training for their staff to maintain and advance their skills and knowledge.
II. Continuing Education/Staff Development Program:
The pharmacy department in each organization should establish a continuing education/ Staff development program to promote the growth of knowledge, and the refinement of skills of pharmacists, with an ultimate goal to improve the quality of patient care.
Lots of organizations require certain hours of continuing education per year for renewing pharmacists' license, as mandated by governmental board regulations and standards. Thus such a program can support pharmacists in retaining their licensure.
The program's functions may be, but are not limited to:
Maintain a data-base of all conducted CE activities, and of the staff attendance records.
Provide information on available department, organization, regional, national, and international educational activities.
To assist pharmacists in selecting educational resources based on their individual needs.
Support the participation of pharmacists in different continuing education and training activities.
To provide to pharmacists continuing education resources and trainings in a variety of formats as lectures, structured discussion groups or clubs, workshops, or electronic learning.
III. Web-Based Continuing Education Links:
· American Society of Health-system Pharmacy
· Bureau of Pharmaceutical Services
· CE City
· CME-CE, The Professional's Network
· Drug Facts
· J & D Educational Services
· Medscape
· PharmWeb
· PowerPak
· US Pharmacist
· PharmaCE
References
Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals. Jan 2003.
ASHP Statement on Continuing Education. Best Practices for Hospital & Health-System Pharmacy. 2005-2006.
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Definition of Continuing Education for the Profession of Pharmacy www.acpe- accredit.org/pdf/CEDefinition04.pdf Accessed March 2006.
Definitions/Continuing Education. http://www.oln.org/student_services/definitions.php Accessed March 2006.
