A Novel Multi-Mode Education Program to Enhance Asthma Care By Pharmacists.

Objective. To provide optimal asthma care, community pharmacists must have advanced, contemporary knowledge, and the skills to translate them into practice. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an innovative multi-mode education program aiming to enhance pharmacists’ clinical knowledge and practical skills. Methods. The education program comprised five evidence-based education modules delivered online and a skills review conducted either in-person with real-time feedback (urban pharmacists) or via video upload and scheduled video-conference feedback (regional and remote pharmacists). A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the feedback obtained from pharmacists to assess the content, efficacy, and applicability of the education. Results. The online education modules were collaboratively developed alongside asthma and pharmacy organizations. Ninety-seven pharmacists opted into the program and successfully completed all education requirements. A larger proportion of pharmacists did not pass protocol-based education modules on their first attempts compared to asthma and medication knowledge-based modules. Prior to skills review, the proportion of pharmacists demonstrating device technique competency was found to be suboptimal. Pharmacists rated the education modules highly in both quantitative and qualitative evaluations and reported that it adequately prepared them for service delivery. Conclusion. We have developed and evaluated a novel multi-mode asthma education program that supports knowledge and practical skill development in community pharmacists. The evaluation has shown the education program was well received by pharmacists and offers flexibility in learning and assessment as well as enhancing knowledge and practical skills. This form of education could be used more broadly in international collaborative trials.