(Management Case Study) Setting the Standard: Implementation of a Pharmacy Education Governance Team Within a Multi-State Integrated Health System

Purpose: Pharmacist and pharmacy technician education and competence play important roles in ensuring patient safety and providing consistent patient care services within a pharmacy department. One way to complete this is through implementing a standard approach to education and competency assessment for all members of a pharmacy department. The purpose of creating a Pharmacy Education Governance Team was to standardize pharmacist and pharmacy technician education and competency within a large, integrated health care system.

Methods: A Pharmacy Education Governance Team was created including operational and clinical leaders that represented all areas and service lines within the system pharmacy department, led by a system pharmacy education coordinator. This team created a system guideline outlining a standard approach to pharmacy communication, education, and competency (CEC) including criteria for use. This guideline includes CEC related definitions, a decision support tree, recommendations for route of completion, audience, and associated completion timelines. A competency subgroup was formed to assess published health care competence models, create a system pharmacy competency needs assessment, and initial competency assessment planning.
A formal pharmacy governance structure that supports decisions related to the pharmacy practice model was already in place. Education and competence related items from pharmacy shared governance councils, the system P&T committee, or other system work teams are routed to the Pharmacy Education Governance Team for review/approval. This review consists of assessment for required communication, education or competency including method of completion, audience, and completion timelines, as directed by the CEC guideline. The Pharmacy Education Governance Team is responsible for tracking all ongoing pharmacy education and competency to be completed by members within the department.
The Education Governance Team partnered with the Pharmacist Practice Council to create a baseline competency assessment for pharmacists. This initial competency included evaluation of daily pharmacist responsibilities, P&T pharmacist authorities, and collaborative practice agreements.

Results: The Education Governance Team finalized the CEC guideline and received approval through the Pharmacy Leadership Council at the beginning of 2022.
The decision tree within the CEC document assesses information that impacts pharmacy operations and/or practice that is new, high-risk, changing, or problematic. This decision support tool outlines when communication, education, or competency is required based on the adjustment, addition, or application of new knowledge, skills, or behaviors/attitudes.
It was determined that all system pharmacy education and competency to be completed by pharmacy members would be reviewed/approved through the Pharmacy Education Governance Team. Education to the pharmacy shared governance councils on this structure was completed and councils worked with the Education Governance Team to funnel all requests for education and competency for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
An initial baseline system pharmacist competency is set to be rolled out in June 2023, with a required completion timeline by pharmacists and leaders in December 2023.
All competency assessments will be documented in an online platform that leaders can easily track completion records. Pharmacy staff and leaders have access to a quick reference on the intranet that includes all required education and competencies for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians on an annual basis.

Conclusion: Using a standardized communication, education, and competency tool, the Pharmacy Education Governance Team implemented a consistent way to approach required education and competency assessment for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians within a large, integrated health care system. The tracking mechanism allowed for transparency for pharmacy staff and leaders for all required education and competencies including associated completion timelines.