Identifying the educational needs of pharmacists engaging in professional development: A global systematic review

Background

The pharmacy profession has encountered significant change to its scope of practice over the last 2 decades. Globally, this has precipitated a need for pharmacy governing bodies to update professional development frameworks and support structures to meet the challenge of future-proofing the pharmacy workforce. It is essential to determine the educational needs of pharmacists to ensure this challenge is met.

Objectives

To review the literature identifying the educational needs of pharmacists engaging in professional development.

Methods

A comprehensive search was undertaken in MEDLINE, Embase, IPA, and ERIC using a search strategy constructed from the concepts “pharmacists,” “continuing education/continuing professional development,” and “priorities, interests and preferences” to identify relevant literature published between January 2004 and March 2025. Results were screened against eligibility criteria and data from the retrieved records were extracted into a table, appraised for quality, and synthesized narratively. This review is reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

Results

Thirty-four studies were identified for inclusion that utilized either quantitative (n = 18), qualitative (n = 9) or mixed method (n = 7) study designs. The majority of all the studies (n = 21) included pharmacists from more than one practice setting. Three key domains of need were identified: priority topics for education, which included disease management, pharmacotherapy and clinical/interpersonal skills; the need for reinforcement of learning, such as through assessments, feedback, and peer-sharing; and the need for support across all levels of governance to achieve successful engagement.

Conclusion

The needs-based education necessary to accommodate rapidly changing practice is lacking. The identification of needs is, therefore, essential. This review identified commonalities of need across jurisdictions, and essential areas of focus for regulators included the promotion of skill learning over simple knowledge acquisition, strategies to reinforce this learning, and the implementation of adequate and targeted support.