A Shared Focus: Comparing the Australian, Canadian, United Kingdom and United States Pharmacy Learning Outcome Frameworks and the Global Competency Framework.

Ieva Stupans,Rose Nash,Jeffrey Atkinson,Michael Rouse,Arijana Meštrović

doi:10.3390/pharmacy4030026

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the end of degree expectations, expressed as learning outcomes, for pharmacy graduates from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States. The authors compare the end of degree expectations, through mapping these requirements to the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF). The anticipated end of degree expectations are similar but also reveal some individual characteristics. Irrespective of degree title, achievement of learning outcomes specified in any one of the four jurisdictions should enable students to become pharmacists who are patient-orientated medicines experts. The mapping provides impetus for cross-border institutional networking to generate a dependable set of assessment tools across national borders developing a common metric for outcome assessment irrespective of different program delivery.

Highlights

The needs-based pharmacy education model [1] proposes that pharmacy education programs are designed such that pharmacy graduates are able to deliver pharmacy services that meet the needs of national populations
Considering the similarity of health needs across Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, it is not surprising that educational programs that aim to prepare a workforce that is able to fulfil these needs are similar; i.e., needs based education [28]. Elements such as communication with patients, personal behaviours, safe and effective practice and currency/renewing of practice and continuing professional education/development appear in all educational learning outcomes frameworks as well as the Global Competency Framework (GbCF)
The development of the GbCF involved the analysis of a number of competency frameworks and synthesis of core elements

Summary

Introduction

The needs-based pharmacy education model [1] proposes that pharmacy education programs are designed such that pharmacy graduates are able to deliver pharmacy services that meet the needs of national populations. Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States are all high income developed countries with very similar life expectancies (83, 82, 81 and 79 respectively, 2012 data [2]) and with similar national health-related needs For these four countries, six of the ten top causes of death are identical (2012 data [2]) and in these four countries pharmacists are broadening their roles as health care providers, for example as pharmacist vaccinators [3,4,5,6]. Learning outcomes are “a statement of what a learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do at the end of a period of learning” [7] emphasising the application of the ability, capacity or skill to accomplish a task. Outcomes help faculty and other stakeholders such as employers to have a common understanding about the specific skills and Pharmacy 2016, 4, 26; doi:10.3390/pharmacy4030026 www.mdpi.com/journal/pharmacy

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion