How to Stay Current in Your Practice as a Pharmacist
Key takeaways:
Learning and developing knowledge and skills as a pharmacist continues far beyond graduation.
Staying up to date with current literature and changes in the profession is essential to advancing your pharmacy career.
A variety of strategies and resources can be used to help pharmacists stay current in their practice.
As healthcare professionals, we are often reminded of the importance of being lifelong learners as we progress in our careers beyond graduation. Keeping current with the latest medical literature, new drug approvals, clinical practice guidelines, and pharmacy legislation is essential for professional development in your career as a pharmacist.
In the constantly evolving world of pharmacy, staying up to date on the latest trends can seem like an overwhelming task. Here, we explore strategies and resources that pharmacists can utilize to stay current in their practice.
Current and future competencies for healthcare professionals
Practice competencies for current and future pharmacists should align with those for other healthcare professionals.
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In order to address systemic challenges and improve our health systems, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) proposed a set of competencies that all healthcare professionals should possess, regardless of their discipline. These competencies are centered on a commitment to meet the needs of patients.
The IOM’s five essential competencies include:
Providing quality, patient-centered care to diverse populations: Healthcare professionals should identify and respect patients’ differences, values, preferences, and needs. This involves sharing decision-making, establishing open communication, educating patients, promoting healthy lifestyles, and focusing on improved population health.
Employing evidence-based practice: Health professionals should integrate research, clinical expertise, and patient values in order to provide optimum patient care. This also includes participating in learning and research activities when possible.
Applying quality improvement: In order to identify potential errors and hazards in patient care, health professionals should understand and implement basic safety principles. This may include methods such as simplification and standardization. Quality of care should be continuously measured in relation to the needs of patients and their communities.
Working effectively in interprofessional teams: Healthcare professionals should collaborate, communicate, and integrate care in interprofessional teams in order to ensure continuous and reliable care for patients.
Utilizing informatics in practice: Health professionals should utilize information technology to manage knowledge, communicate, mitigate errors, and support clinical decision-making.
Methods to stay current
A variety of strategies and resources are available for pharmacists looking to stay up to date in their practice. To determine which strategies to implement, consider your personal learning style and preferred pharmacy areas of interest.
Below are suggested methods to help you stay current in your practice.
Become a preceptor
Precepting requires you to stay up to date with the latest pharmacy literature and clinical guidelines in order to create quality learning experiences for the future generation of pharmacy professionals.
Subscribe to pharmacy newsletters and publications
Sign up for email alerts and subscriptions to your favorite pharmacy newsletters and publications to receive the latest updates in various clinical practice areas.
Listen to pharmacy-related podcasts
Podcasts are a convenient and accessible way to learn new and engaging information. The Pharmacy Podcast Network is a great resource that features podcasts dedicated to the pharmacy professional.
Get involved in professional organizations
Join and become involved in a professional pharmacy organization, such as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) or your state’s local pharmacy association. Professional organizations can be a great opportunity to network, participate in events, explore leadership opportunities, and learn about current pharmacy trends.
Complete continuing education courses
Every state has their own continuing education (CE) requirements that must be met in order to keep your pharmacist license active. As much as possible, choose CE activities that are relevant to your area of practice and topics you are interested in learning more about.
Network and attend conferences
Attending conferences, both in person and virtually, is a great way to stay current in your practice. Conferences give you the opportunity to network, attend a variety of CE sessions, and learn about the latest updates in your practice area.
Consider board certification
Board certification, obtained through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), is considered the gold standard for determining pharmacists’ qualifications within a certain area of practice. There are currently 14 different BPS specialties, including pharmacotherapy, ambulatory care, cardiology, infectious disease, nuclear pharmacy, sterile compounding, and more. Visit the BPS website for details regarding the available specialties and eligibility requirements.
The bottom line
A commitment to growth and continued learning is essential for professional development in your career as a pharmacist. Considering your unique pharmacy interests and learning styles, a variety of strategies can be utilized to help you stay current in the constantly evolving world of pharmacy.
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