Impact of Structured Training on Community Pharmacists’ Knowledge, Practice, and Competency in Immunization Services

Background

Immunization is an essential tool of public health, but the coverage in the adult population is not optimal in low- and middle-income countries, such as India. The Community Pharmacists (CPs) are very accessible yet a poorly used resource in the immunization scene.

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to develop organized immunization training programs and assess their effectiveness in the Knowledge, Attitude, and Willingness to Practice (KAwP).

Materials and Methods

A three-phase, cross-sectional interventional study was done on 92 pharmacists. Phase I conducted and tested a 35-item KAwP questionnaire using expert review. Phase II included a pilot Train-the-Trainers program to perfect delivery. Phase III was dedicated to full-scale application which is the combination of self-directed modules and the intensive hands-on clinical training. An Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) was used to measure competencies objectively.

Results

The post-intervention data had statistically significant improvements in all domains. The proportion of "good knowledge" rose from 21.8% to 90.6%, with median scores increasing from 9.00 to 11.00 (Z=-4.107, p< 0.05). Negative and neutral attitudes were removed and this showed that 100% of the respondents had a positive professional outlook (Z=-4.500, p<0.05). The willingness scores increased significantly (Z=-4.170, p<0.05) and the participants showed a transition between theoretical intention and practice readiness.

Conclusion

Competency-based instruction in a targeted manner is an essential stepping stone towards clinical practice preparedness in pharmacists. This finding justifies the inclusion of community pharmacists into national systems of public health to maximise the number of vaccines and improve the coverage of the population.