Pharmaceutical care certificate program: assessment of pharmacists' implementation into practice.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the effects of a Pharmaceutical Care Certificate Program (PCCP) in community pharmacists.


METHODS
This study compared the effects of the PCCP over time using a repeated measures design.


METHODS
Retail, independent, and managed care pharmacy.


METHODS
36 pharmacists who participated in the PCCP.


METHODS
PCCP, which was developed to train pharmacists in (1) practice re-engineering, (2) components of pharmaceutical care, and (3) drug therapy management of disease states.


METHODS
(1) pharmacist job functions, (2) pharmaceutical care job functions, (3) pharmaceutical care components, (4) pharmacist-perceived barriers to providing pharmaceutical care, and (5) proposed solutions for overcoming barriers.


RESULTS
When comparing pharmacists at baseline and after 1 year, pharmacists after 1 year felt significantly better prepared to perform all pharmaceutical care components.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the PCCP was successful in preparing pharmacists to perform the pharmaceutical care components covered in the program, time seems to be one of the major barriers for their actual implementation into practice. One proposed solution is the development of partnerships between pharmacists and schools of pharmacy.
Barner
J C
JC
College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin 78712-1074, USA. jbarner@mail.utexas.edu
Bennett
R W
RW
D002568:Certification / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003625:Data Collection; D003710:Demography; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000592:standards*; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000592:standards*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States