Perceived preparedness for full-scope pharmacist services among recent Doctor of Pharmacy graduates from Ontario schools of pharmacy

Abstract

Objectives: To examine how recent Doctor of Pharmacy graduates feel about providing full-scope pharmacist services (such as prescribing and immunization) and whether characteristics such as recent graduates' institutional and personal demographics, practice setting (e.g., busyness of practice, time spent directly with patients), or additional education after graduation affect their perceptions of feeling able and sure to perform services.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting and participants: Recent graduates from 2 pharmacy schools in Ontario, Canada, who were licensed Ontario pharmacists and provided direct patient care in a community pharmacy setting.

Outcome measures: Dichotomous variables measured how able (less or more able) and sure (less or more sure) recent pharmacy graduates felt in performing 14 full-scope pharmacist services.

Results: Of the 231 survey respondents (23.2% response rate), 120 met the inclusion criteria. Overall, graduates felt prepared to perform these services in practice, although for many services, graduates felt more sure than able. Busier practice settings and services that were provided less frequently had a negative impact on new graduate's perceptions of being able and sure. Respondents who were younger or were pursuing further postgraduate training also felt less able and sure.

Conclusion: It is important for employers of new graduates and academics who train pharmacy students to recognize and encourage new graduates' feelings of being sure and able to provide full-scope pharmacist services. However, new graduates were not immune to the impacts of busy practice settings on provision of these services and should be supported in their development and interest in further training.