Over 3.5 million medication errors occur annually and medication errors by pharmacists cause adverse drug reactions and potentially death, particularly in elderly patients. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore pharmacists' perceptions of the ease of use and usefulness of using e-learning for continuing education…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe select Tennessee pharmacists' experiences, motivation, and preferences in the context of continuing pharmacy education (CPE). The pharmacists' experiences, motivation, and preferences related to CPE were generally defined as participating in CPE programming in a manner that meets the needs…

Online continuing education (CE) holds promise as an effective method for rapid dissemination of emerging evidence-based practices in health care. Yet, the field of CE continues to develop and delivery is predominately face-to-face programs. Practice-oriented online educational methods and e-learning platforms are not fully utilized. Educational…

The convenience and flexibility of online learning clearly make it an attractive option for learners in professional development contexts. There is less clarity, however, about how it fares as a vehicle for enabling the applied, practice-oriented outcomes typically associated with professional development learning. This paper presents a case study…

Today's healthcare professional is challenged to stay current with increasingly complex therapeutic challenges, greater societal needs and expectations, and a public demand for the best possible care. Professional learning opportunities are needed to develop new knowledge, skills, or abilities to address specific matters encountered during…

Introduction: The United Kingdom's pharmacy regulator contemplated using continuing professional development (CPD) in pharmacy revalidation in 2009, simultaneously asking pharmacy professionals to demonstrate the value of their CPD by showing its relevance and impact. The idea of linking new CPD requirements with revalidation was yet to be…

Concerns about the influence of the pharmaceutical and medical device industries on continuing medical education (CME) have been voiced frequently over the past decade. Reliance on industry funding increases the potential for bias. Industry-supported CME often emphasizes conditions that can be treated with newer drugs or devices rather than those…

Introduction: Medical Education and Communication Companies (MECCs) represent approximately 21% of the providers accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), yet relatively little is known about these organizations in the greater continuing medical education (CME) community. Two prior studies described them,…

Drawing on studies of teachers, accountants and pharmacists conducted in Canada, this essay examines models for assessing professional learning that currently enjoy widespread use in continuing education. These models include professional growth plans, self-administered tests and learning logs, and they are often used for regulatory as well as…

Two studies were conducted of pharmacists who successfully completed an accredited continuing education course available through a major professional journal. Data were collected regarding the learners' evaluations of the acceptability and effectiveness of this method of home study. (Author)

Emphasis is given to determination of educational needs and program planning; the programs of two schools of pharmacy are also discussed. (Author)

In contrast to their U.S. counterparts, Canadian students exhibited greater exposure to continuing education (CE) concepts and a more positive attitude as they progressed through the pharmacy curriculum. Journals and schools were perceived by U.S. students as top providers of CE, whereas Canadians ranked associations and schools as the two top…

In two studies, physicians who viewed pharmaceutical ads enhanced with a Clinical Challenge (CC) (problem, solution, prescribing information) had greater knowledge gains than those viewing ads alone. Doctors needed no coaching on how to learn from CCs; increased knowledge was limited to information highlighted in them. (SK)

Introduction: There is a serious debate over the involvement of the pharmaceutical industry in continuing education. Policies that govern the planning of continuing education for pharmacists center on the potential conflict of interest when there is commercial support for programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of…

If pharmacist preparation programs are to provide students with meaningful, relevant experiences, examination of current programs is necessary. The use of an educational model, by which future research can be organized and put to use, may serve as a starting point in this examination process. (Author/LBH)