Program designed to improve knowledge in high priority areas such as use of naloxone, immunization administration and more
Recognizing the time pressures faced by many pharmacy professionals, the platform lets practitioners test their knowledge on a given topic by taking a short quiz and answering just five questions in five minutes. Topics include renewals, immunization, injection administration, adaptations, naloxone, and more, and will be updated and added to over time.
At the end of each quiz, pharmacy professionals can view their score and see which questions they have answered incorrectly. They’ll also have the opportunity to improve their knowledge by reviewing a number of resources on the topic they were assessed in. These resources were created specifically for Pharmacy5in5 and include cases, videos, infographics, helpful websites, and more.
In addition, Pharmacy5in5 adds up practitioners` scores based on all the quizzes they`ve completed and lets them see how they performed (what their ranking is) in comparison to other pharmacy professionals who have taken the quizzes.
According to University of Waterloo professor and Pharmacy5in5 program lead, Kelly Grindrod, “The platform was developed using educational psychology and health services research, including theories of behaviour change, multimedia learning, audit, feedback and game-based learning.”
Based on user experience, the program team will be able to understand knowledge trends and gaps, as well as learning styles, so the right resources can be made available on the right topics at the right times.
Furthermore, information gleaned from the aggregate results of user experiences with the platform will ultimately help both OCP and the University of Waterloo understand pharmacy professionals’ progress in optimizing their scope of practice and providing safe and quality pharmacy care. All responses to Pharmacy5in5 are anonymous and OCP will see aggregate data only.
“Pharmacy professionals need to stay abreast of current and emerging issues in practice and Pharmacy5in5 helps practitioners stay up-to-date with these issues. The College encourages all practitioners to use the platform on an ongoing basis for this reason,” said Susan James, Director of Quality at OCP.
Take advantage of this innovative learning platform today. Simply log into the Pharmacy5in5 website and take a fun, interactive quiz on a topic of interest. It`s anticipated that a Pharmacy5in5 app, which will be compatible with both iPhone and Android devices, will be available at the end of the year.
About the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo
The School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo is the newest pharmacy school in Canada, housed in a state-of-the-art education and research building on the Health Sciences Campus in downtown Kitchener. We are committed to providing students with a first-class education, generating new knowledge through research, and being an active partner in the community in which we live and work. For more information, visit www.uwaterloo.ca/pharmacy.
About the Ontario College of Pharmacists
The Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP), incorporated in 1871, is the registering and regulating body for the profession of pharmacy in Ontario. The College’s mandate is to serve and protect the public and hold Ontario’s pharmacists and pharmacy technicians accountable to the established legislation, standards of practice, code of ethics and policies and guidelines relevant to pharmacy practice. The College also oversees the province’s community and hospital pharmacies and assesses them against prescribed standards of operation. For more information, visit www.ocpinfo.com.