Compliance assessment of pharmacist educational program with labor-market reqiurements

Abstract

The competitiveness of graduates in the labor-market is determined both by the knowledge, skills and abilities that students obtain in college and by the level of competence development – the ability to use them in practice.

The aim of the study was to examine the views of employers, teachers and students about the level of college graduates training and compliance of pharmacist education program with labor-market requirements. For this purpose a questionnaire was developed where respondents were asked to evaluate the pharmacist educational program, consisting of three cycles of disciplines:

– сycle of humanitarian and socio-economic training;

– сycle natural-scientific training;

– сycle of professional and practical training.

The task was to assess by the 5-point scale a role of program disciplines in development of specialist’s professionally important qualities. The obtained results indicate that all disciplines are involved in the formation of both general and professional pharmacist competencies. This helps to ensure that the adaptation of college graduates in the profession occurs within the first 6 months (52.78%).

According to the survey it was found that employers do not see a significant imbalance between the pharmacists training program and labor-market requirements. However, they suggested adding to the educational program course of ethics, medical ethics, psychology and pharmaceutical care.

Employers’ high score for the role of disciplines from almost all cycles of the educational program suggests that the labor-market needs as professionally competent expert, so socially formed personality. There is also a need to supplement the pharmacist educational program with disciplines demanded in a practical sector.