Dr.sc. Arijana Meštrović, MPharm
«Competency evaluation and development in pharmacy»
The past century has seen spectacular gains in the breadth and depth of biomedical
knowledge, but the potential of these gains has been limited by inadequate, inequitable, and
inefficient translation of knowledge and skills to the health care workplace. 1 Several leading
organizations, including the Institute of Medicine (USA), have called for radical changes in
the models for continuing education of health professionals.2 Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) is the lifelong process of active participation in learning activities that
assists individuals in developing and maintaining continuing competence, enhancing their
professional practice, and supporting achievement of their career goals.3
Quality assurance systems must ensure that educational programs are competency-based,
reflect a vision for pharmacy practice and education developed through profession-wide
consensus, are of high quality and appropriate, and meet the needs of the country and its
people.4 In assessing competencies, the assessment should not be based on the acceptance
of the expected standards of conduct in principle, but the alignment of the pharmacist’s
attitude and real behaviour in practice.5 In doing so, it is possible to observe the
circumstances that could lead to possible discrepancies, omissions, and inconsistencies in
providing pharmaceutical care, as well as make conclusions and plans for the future
development.
A Global Competency Framework for competencies evaluation and development has been
developed by FIP and validated internationally; it will become an official model for assessing
competencies in pharmacy.6 According to this model, the professional and scientific
competencies of pharmacists are divided into 4 basic groups: pharmaceutical care expert
competencies, public health competencies, organisation and management competencies,
and personal and professional competencies. While it is envisioned that the Framework will
primarily be used at a national level in the context of quality assurance or review by
“external” evaluators, it is recognized that individual institutions can also use the Framework
in their self-assessment and quality improvement efforts.
1
Dorman T, Miller BM. Continuing Medical Education: The Link Between Physician Learning and Health Care
Outcomes. Academic Medicine, Vol. 86 No.11; November 2011
2
Institute of Medicine. Redesigning Continuing Education in the Health Professions. National Academies Press,
Washington, DC. 2009.
3
Accreditation Standards for Continuing Pharmacy Education. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
Chicago, IL. 2007.
4
FIP Statement of Policy Quality Assurance of Pharmacy Education. The International Pharmaceutical
Federation. 2009.
5
Wass V, Van der Vleuten C, Shatzer J, Jones R. Assessment of clinical competence. Lancet 2001(9260); 357:
945–949
6
Pharmacy Education Taskforce. A Global Competency Framework. Draft Version August 2010. The
Hague, The Netherlands: International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP); 2010.
At the end of the lecture, the participants will be able to:
 Identify how practitioners’ competencies can be assessed and results incorporated
utilizing a CPD approach to professional development
 Describe the concept and suggest the forms of the pharmacist’s learning portfolio
 Connect educational outcomes with competency development using the principle of
commitment to change
 Use an Global Competency Framework and learning portfolio in everyday practice
Dr. sc. Arijana Meštrović, MPharm
Competency Development Manager
Pharma Expert Consultancy and Education,
Zagreb, Croatia
arijana.mestrovic@pharmaexpert.hr
Arijana has been working 14 years as a community pharmacist and she
was responsible for education and competency development in the biggest
pharmacy chain in Croatia. She is now independent consultant providing lectures
and workshops in CPD programs for pharmacists, implementing new services in
pharmacy chains and teaching Professional Practice and Pharmaceutical Care at
universities in Croatia. Her Doctor’s degree is in biomedical sciences –
competency development in pharmacy. Representing CoDEG (Competency
Development and Evaluation Group) she is using the Global Competency
Framework and evaluating its impact on pharmaceutical care and practitioner
development in European countries. She is collaborating with FIP/UNESCO/WHO
Education Development Team.
Arijana serves as a Chair of the FIP Programme Committee, member of the
International Services Program Advisory Group the Accreditation Council for
Pharmacy Education (ACPE, USA), ExCo member of Europharm Forum, and
member of PCNE (Pharmaceutical Care Network of Europe).
Arijana is dedicated to promote competency-based education in CPD cycle
among pharmacy practitioners, so her teaching usually addresses all
components of competencies – knowledge, experience and motivation.