Attitudes of pharmacy students in the United States and Canada toward pharmacy continuing education

Abstract

This manuscript reports results of a study conducted to determine the attitudes of pharmacy students toward continuing education (CE). Responses to a forty-item attitude instrument were received from 941 pharmacy students representing five U.S. pharmacy schools and two Canadian pharmacy schools. Twenty-four directional attitude statements were used to determine a standardized attitude score and construct a standardized attitude scale. The mean attitude score for the total sample was 71.2 (on a scale of 0-100); the vast majority of students from each of the seven schools of pharmacy had an attitude score that can be characterized as favorable towards CE. No significant differences in attitude score were found among students from any of the seven schools of pharmacy nor was there a significant difference in attitude score between combined U.S. and Canadian samples. In contrast to their U.S. counterparts, Canadian students exhibited the following: greater exposure to CE concepts as well as a more positive attitude score as they progress through the pharmacy curriculum; and a higher attitude score with reported exposure to CE concepts. Journals and schools were perceived by U.S. students as the top providers of CE, while Canadian students ranked associations and schools as the top two sources. Students in both the U.S. and Canada were neutral in their response to a single statement dealing with how well undergraduate education prepares pharmacists to be independent learners. Data may be valuable to pharmacy schools as they address issues of professional responsibility within the curriculum as well as to CE providers as they anticipate the next generation of CE participants.