Objective: To improve the effectiveness of on-the-job education programs for strengthening the professional skills of the pharmacists in our department and further enhance the quality of patient care.
Methods: This project integrated the Kern curriculum cycle and the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) concept of quality control. We used post-class evaluations and questionnaires to do a situation analysis and survey learners’ needs to identify the main reasons for low course participation and completion and to develop countermeasures to these problems. The course participation targets were an average attendance of 64 pharmacists per class and a course completion rate of 85%. Course completion was defined as completing both the postcourse evaluation (80 points to pass) and the satisfaction questionnaires by the stipulated deadline.
Results: After we improved the content and quality of the courses, the average attendance increased from 56 to 65, and the target achievement rate was 112.5%. In addition, the course completion rate increased from 83.2% to 87.3%, and the target achievement rate was 227.8%.
Conclusion: By optimizing the content and quality of the courses, improving the effectiveness of the on-the-job education programs, and developing courses on specific topics within a series or community model, we cultivated independent learning and self-growth among our pharmacists, strengthened their professional skills, and improved the quality of patient care. Moreover, talents and teachers were fostered while taking into account the career development of our pharmacists, and preparations were made to root the concept of holistic care down in pharmacy interns.