An assessment of recent pharmacy graduates' knowledge and competency, professional practice functions, and involvement in pharmacy teaching programs

Abstract

Study objectives: To determine self-evaluated professional knowledge and competency, functions, demographic information, lifelong learning, degree and training status, practice sites, involvement in pharmacy teaching programs, and salary for recent pharmacy graduates.

Design: A survey of recent Bachelor of Science (B.S.) pharmacy graduates of the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy.

Measurements and main results: A total of 371 B.S. pharmacy graduates (55% response rate) provided information. Graduates who had an advanced degree or training (from many programs) after completing their B.S. pharmacy degree, and those who were teaching in pharmacy programs generally had higher self-rated levels of knowledge and competencies. Hospital pharmacists spent less of their work time in dispensing activities (33.82% +/- 30.39%) than community pharmacists (61.04% +/- 19.97%; t = 8.78, df = 288, p < 0.001); community pharmacists spent twice as much of their work time counseling and educating patients (16.65% +/- 10.47% vs 7.13% +/- 7.39%; t = 9.06, df = 288, p < 0.001). The amount of time pharmacists spent in dispensing functions had a negative association with knowledge and competencies in the sections on pharmacokinetic and disease process (r = -0.277, p < 0.01), patient communications (r = -0.272, p < 0.01), and administrative and economic aspects of practice (r = -0.210, p < 0.01) for all respondents. Pharmacists reported that they spent 13.78 +/- 14.06 hours per month outside work in professional lifelong learning. There was a negative association between the time pharmacists spent dispensing and the time they spent in professional lifelong learning (r = -0.239, p < 0.001), and a positive relationship between the time spent in such learning and the time providing information to prescribers and other health care professionals (r = 0.214, p < 0.001), monitoring patients (r = 0.216, p < 0.001), and performing primary care activities (r = 0.176, p < 0.001). Graduates reported a mean yearly salary of $46,879 +/- $8183. More hospital pharmacists were involved in teaching (48, 37%) than those practicing in a community setting (19, 12%).

Conclusions: Practice site, advanced degree or training, lifelong learning, involvement in teaching programs, and time spent in various professional functions were associated with pharmacists' self-rated knowledge and competencies.