Al-Haqan Asmaa, Waheedi Salah, Abdullah Israa, Meilianti Sherly, Shaaban Jenan
Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
International Pharmaceutical Federation, The Hague, Netherlands.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2024 Aug 14;11:1442643. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1442643. eCollection 2024.
Pharmacy education shifts toward competency-based training to meet healthcare demands. This study aims to develop and validate the Kuwait Advanced Competency Framework (KACF) for pharmacists. The study adopts the FIP Global Advanced Development Framework (GADF) to develop a country-specific framework, emphasizing the importance of aligning with global standards while adapting to local contexts. The developed framework builds upon the Kuwait Foundation Competency Framework to address the need for advanced pharmacy services.
This is a mixed methods study that employed an "adopt and adapt" approach. The KACF was adopted from the FIP GADF and adapted following four phases. Phase one involved checking and validating the Arabic version of the FIP GADF. Phase two employed a series of focus groups to validate accuracy and relevancy of competency statements. Phase three utilized a workshop with different stakeholders as a final step of validation. Phase four involved a national survey to assess the national pharmacy workforce against the framework competencies. Qualitative feedback from focus groups and workshops informed competencies modifications. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and multiple correspondence analyses (MCA).
The translation phase verified a bilingual framework that could be utilized by pharmacists in Kuwait. The initial and final validation phases identified 20 behavioral statements (out of 22 in the original document) that are relevant to pharmacy practice in Kuwait. The national survey, comprising 169 respondents, validated the KACF's applicability, revealing variations in career stage progression across competency clusters. Findings highlighted associations between career stages and practice settings, offering insights for tailored workforce development strategies.
The KACF emerges as a pivotal tool for advancing pharmacy services in Kuwait, aligning with global trends toward competency-based education. Findings underscored the necessity for context-specific approaches in advancing pharmacy practice, providing a comprehensive understanding of competency progression and readiness for advanced roles.
药学教育正朝着基于能力的培训转变，以满足医疗保健需求。本研究旨在开发并验证科威特药剂师高级能力框架（KACF）。该研究采用国际药学联合会全球高级发展框架（GADF）来制定一个针对特定国家的框架，强调在适应当地情况的同时与全球标准保持一致的重要性。所开发的框架以科威特基础能力框架为基础，以满足对高级药学服务的需求。
这是一项采用“采用与调整”方法的混合方法研究。KACF借鉴了FIP GADF，并分四个阶段进行调整。第一阶段涉及检查和验证FIP GADF的阿拉伯语版本。第二阶段采用了一系列焦点小组来验证能力陈述的准确性和相关性。第三阶段利用与不同利益相关者举办的研讨会作为验证的最后一步。第四阶段涉及一项全国性调查，以根据框架能力评估国家药学劳动力。焦点小组和研讨会的定性反馈为能力调整提供了依据。定量数据使用描述性分析和多重对应分析（MCA）进行分析。
翻译阶段验证了一个可供科威特药剂师使用的双语框架。初始和最终验证阶段确定了20条行为陈述（原始文件中有22条）与科威特的药学实践相关。全国性调查有169名受访者参与，验证了KACF的适用性，揭示了各能力集群在职业阶段进展方面的差异。研究结果突出了职业阶段与实践环境之间的关联，为量身定制的劳动力发展战略提供了见解。
KACF成为科威特推进药学服务的关键工具，符合基于能力的教育的全球趋势。研究结果强调了在推进药学实践中采用因地制宜方法的必要性，全面了解能力进展情况以及担任高级职位的准备情况。
