Competency framework as an instrument of support to the continued professional development of pharmacists
Objective. Continued Professional Development (CPD) is one of the most significant precursors to increased competency. Appropriate instruments and support are required for its implementation. This paper demonstrates the attitudes held by pharmacists on the impact of the competency framework on CPD, its acceptance among Serbian pharmacists and potential future application. Furthermore, the motivational impact of the competency framework on CPD as well as the relationship between certain demographic indicators and motivators of CPD are provided. Method. Research on the cross-sectional method throughout 2015-16 included pharmacists working in publicly-owned pharmacies. The survey was anonymous and voluntary. The questionnaires generated for this research contain demographic data on those surveyed and open-ended questions with multiple choice answers and applied a Likert-type scale. Statistical analysis was conducted by applying Microsoft Office 2003 and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Results. Among the respondents, the female gender dominated, respondents who had not completed a speciality within their respective field, with an average age of 42 years, and an average of approx. 15 years of service. 26.12% of the respondents had prior experience with the competency framework. Most respondents were of the opinion that these instruments motivated them to actively manage their own PD, to set concrete PD objectives and to review their own competency. Over half intend to apply competency frameworks in future. The statistical Chi-square test indicates it is not possible to determine with certainty that there are differences in terms of motivation in managing PD and in PD goal setting between the groups of variables. Conclusion. The research indicates a positive attitude/opinion of pharmacists towards the competency framework and in recognising these instruments as supportive to CPD.