Use and effectiveness of pharmacy continuing-education materials.

The use and effectiveness of pharmacy continuing-education (CE) materials were studied. A 31-item survey was administered to pharmacists via an Internet portal. A recruitment letter, which included a description of the study and the Internet address to access the survey, was mailed to 2000 pharmacists. Only pharmacists who were currently practicing pharmacy in a community pharmacy or in a health care setting were included in the analysis. Pharmacists were asked to indicate the format of CE they generally used, formats used in the six months prior to the survey, and the format of their most recent CE. They were also asked to assess the effectiveness of CE programs and their ability to enhance pharmacists' knowledge and clinical practice behavior. Descriptive statistics were computed for all variables. Chi-square analyses were performed to compare subgroup responses. Of the 373 pharmacists completing the survey, 365 met the inclusion criteria. Of these respondents, 31% worked in a chain pharmacy, 25% in an inpatient pharmacy, and 23% in an independent pharmacy. Pharmacists most commonly obtained CE from printed materials (92%), lectures and seminars (75%), Internet-based materials (53%), and symposia (44%). Respondents found all types of CE programs effective in improving their knowledge, but less effective in enhancing their clinical practice behavior. Pharmacists perceived different types of CE programs as valuable resources for their educational needs. Printed materials, lectures, and seminars were the most commonly used CE formats. Pharmacists considered CE programs very effective in enhancing their knowledge and less valuable in improving their pharmacy practice activities.