Pharmacists’ views of preceptorship

Aims: To determine rural pharmacists’ attitudes towards being a preceptor. Methods: A survey was undertaken before pharmacists commenced a preceptor education program. Pharmacist’s rated their  attitudes and abilities as a preceptor using a 5-point Likert scale. Qualitative data from open-ended questions was analysed for themes. Results: The pharmacists’ rating of their attitudes and abilities as a preceptor is presented as a mean score. The themes identified from open-ended questions included: reasons for being a preceptor; benefits and rewards of the preceptor role; challenges; personal strengths and weaknesses. Conclusion: Pharmacist preceptors have a similar view of their role to preceptors in other professions. They identify a number of rewards of precepting and are aware of their limitations in the role. Awareness that these limitations can impact on the success of the learning experience led pharmacists to undertake the online Australian Pharmacy Preceptor Education Program.