Effect of a tobacco cessation continuing professional education program on pharmacists' confidence, skills, and practice-change behaviors

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a tobacco cessation training program on pharmacists' confidence, skills, and practice-change behaviors.

Design: Quasi-experimental study.

Setting: Wisconsin during 2002-2003.

Participants: 25 community pharmacists.

Intervention: A continuing education training program was developed and implemented using home and live training components consisting of the national tobacco cessation guidelines, including the 5A's counseling process. The home study component included lectures and readings in CD-ROM format. Consistent with self-efficacy theory, the live training was based on exercises that included modeling, rehearsal, and feedback to learners.

Main outcome measures: Knowledge assessment, pre- and post-surveys assessing confidence and skill levels, and service provision indicators.

Results: Self-efficacy and perceived ability to counsel patients to quit using tobacco improved significantly after the combined program. No significant change in confidence or perceived skills occurred following home study alone, suggesting value in using a combination of teaching strategies (problem solving, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback). Of participants, 92% received a passing knowledge score and 75% attempted to implement a tobacco cessation service posttraining; more than 50% assisted patients up to 1 year post-training. A relationship between self-efficacy and service provision was found when practice settings were considered.

Conclusion: This program increased pharmacists' knowledge and self-efficacy to counsel patients on tobacco use. Further, the majority of pharmacy participants attempted to implement a tobacco cessation service.

Figure 1

Conceptual framework: counseling patients on tobacco cessation Adapted from Fig 1.3 in reference 12.