Pharmacy Practice Faculty Presentations

Survey of Pharmacy Residency Preceptor Development

Document Type

Poster Session

Event Date

8-2012

Conference/Event

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists National Residency Preceptors Conference

Location

Washington, DC

Abstract

Purpose: With the advent of pharmaceutical care, more pharmacy graduates are pursuing pharmacy practice residencies. Applicants to pharmacy residency programs now far outnumber the available positions each year. One of the major contributing factors to this problem is the lack of enough properly trained preceptors to mentor all of the potential residents. According to data reported by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Commission on Credentialing in August, 2010, 81% of the postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) and 54% of the postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) pharmacy residency programs surveyed were cited for not having adequate preceptor development.

Methods: In June 2012, a survey will be conducted of pharmacy residents and preceptors from the ASHP Online Residency Directory as of 5/25/12. The survey method being utilized is a variation of the Dillman survey method. A preliminary email will be sent explaining the purpose of the survey and the survey link will follow two-three days later. A reminder email with the survey link will be sent one week and two weeks later. The survey was developed with input from current residents, residency directors, preceptors, and college of pharmacy faculty. The survey addresses perceptions of current preceptor development in their institutions as well as ideal preceptor development. This survey also attempts to gain an understanding of current precepting challenges and determine learning activities preceptors feel most beneficial to improving their precepting skills. The survey will attempt to establish ideas for incentives for preceptors to participate in preceptor development activities. We will also survey the residents to get their perspective on what can be done to improve preceptor development. This project was approved by a university IRB.

Results: The survey is currently being conducted. Permission from ASHP was obtained to have results compiled before the conference.

Conclusions: While the standards are very clear on the areas of preceptor development, very few resources are available on how to achieve the standard. It is our hope that the results of this project will not only confirm the need for, and desire for a more structured approach to preceptor development, but will identify key areas in which current residency preceptors feel they need the most improvement. This will assist us in developing a continuing-education program targeted specifically to residency preceptor development. This will also improve the education of the residents and enhance their ability to participate in direct patient care.

Keywords

Pharmacy, residency programs

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