Learning outcomes and behavioral changes with a pharmacy continuing professional education program.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the results of an interactive curricular-based 3-month long pharmacy continuing professional education (CPE) program on short- and long-term learning outcomes and behavioral changes of current and potential preceptors.
METHODS: A CPE program was developed that covered specific disease states and teaching skills. The goals of the course were to provide knowledge and skills needed to precept the College's new advanced rotations, and to attract more pharmacists to serve as preceptors. The course included pre-readings and 3-hour long workshops over a 3-month period of time. Learning and behavior were assessed by a pretest and posttest and follow-up survey.
RESULTS: Ninety-nine pharmacists completed the course. Fifty participants completed the assessments and were included in the analysis, yielding a usable response rate of 52%. However, only 30 participants completed the follow-up survey instrument, resulting in a response rate of 30%. There was a significant increase in test scores between the pretest and posttest, but a significant decline in test scores between posttest and the follow-up survey.
CONCLUSIONS: An interactive, curricular-based pharmacy CPE program is effective in increasing learning, but participants may not maintain the acquired knowledge over time. The program was not an effective mechanism to attract pharmacists to serve as preceptors.