Training of provisionally registered pharmacists in Malaysian community pharmacies: perceptions and views of community pharmacists in Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundVarious policies are in place to ensure proper training of provisionally registered pharmacists (PRPs) in Malaysia, in tandem with the nation's need for competent pharmacists. Accreditation as PRP training centres was recently extended to community pharmacies to cater for the increasing number of pharmacy graduates.AimThe aim of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions and views of community pharmacists in Sarawak, Malaysia, regarding the training of PRPs in the community pharmacy setting.MethodSemistructured face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of community pharmacists working in Sarawak. The interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsData saturation was reached after 20 pharmacists had been interviewed. Three key themes were identified: (1) reasons to support PRP training in community pharmacies; (2) barriers to professional training in the community pharmacy setting; and (3) potential solutions to increase the uptake of PRPs in community pharmacies. Community pharmacists in Sarawak train PRPs because of their altruistic nature and/or a business expansion strategy. However, they felt that the current practice environment is not practical for PRP training. Unaffordable salary, physical space constraints, lack of clear guidelines and fear of increased competition were other barriers identified. Potential solutions proposed include expansion of community pharmacists’ roles and having the PRPs’ salary subsidised by the government.ConclusionSuccessfully enlisting community pharmacists to train PRPs is critical to solving the problem of insufficient PRP placements in Malaysia. A more conducive practice environment and better training incentives are vital for success.