A Survey on the Attitude of Clinical Pharmacists toward the Questions Related to Pharmacy Practice ofthe National Examination for Pharmacists

Abstract

A 6-year pharmaceutical education system was initiated over a decade ago in Japan because highly skilled pharmacists are needed by communities and hospitals. The current national examination for pharmacists consists of three sections, and its primary purpose is to assess the ability of students to apply the pharmaceutical knowledge they attained at university or college to real-world practice in medical care. We aimed to examine the attitudes of clinical pharmacists working in community pharmacies and hospitals regarding the practical section of the national examination for pharmacists. An online survey was conducted between November 2018 and January 2019. The results of this survey showed that 15 out of the 50 total pharmacists surveyed attempted to answer or skimmed through some questions from the practical section of the 103rd national examination for pharmacists. On the contrary, a little less than half of the pharmacists disregarded the examination content. The participants answered 10 questions extracted from the 103rd national examination that were related to real-world practice. They considered most information to be necessary knowledge in clinical situations, e.g., that concerning drug and food interactions. Furthermore, self-medication and treatment at home that are and will be increasingly required for pharmacists in the future were considered relevant and important.