# Competency-based curricula in the Eastern Mediterranean Region schools of pharmacy: a framework-informed mixed method study

## TL;DR

This study examines how competency-based education is being used in pharmacy schools in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and finds that while many schools have adopted it, some key skills are still not being taught.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed analysis of CBE implementation in EMR pharmacy schools using a mixed-methods approach and the FIP Global Competency Framework.

## Key findings

- Most accredited pharmacy schools in the EMR implement CBE, but gaps remain in key competencies like emergency response and workplace management.
- Barriers to CBE implementation include internal resistance, resource limitations, and workload challenges.
- Facilitators of CBE adoption include leadership support and communication and engagement efforts.

## Abstract

Competency-based education (CBE) has been implemented across healthcare disciplines, including pharmacy, to address the limitations of the traditional teaching system. While CBE implementation in pharmacy education has been studied globally, research examining its adoption across pharmacy schools in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) remains limited.

Explore the nature and extent of CBE incorporation within pharmacy schools' curricula across the EMR and identify barriers and facilitators influencing CBE implementation.

A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was used, combining an online survey followed by semi-structured online interviews. The study was guided by the International Pharmaceutical Federation Global Competency Framework (FIP GbCF).

Out of the 116 schools that received the survey link, 55 responses were received from pharmacy schools in the EMR (any-response rate 47.4%), of which 38 were complete and included in the final analysis (complete-response rate 32.8%). Furthermore, 18 participants participated in the online interview. The majority of the pharmacy schools were accredited (81.6%), and (63.2%) of these implement/incorporate CBE in their curricula. The analysis of the FIP GbCF competencies incorporation revealed that various competencies were prevalent, including communication skills and professional and ethical practice (95.8%), and dispensing and inter-professional collaboration (91.7%). The least incorporated competencies included emergency response (58.3%), followed by workplace management (25%). Inductive thematic analysis identified key challenges for the implementation of CBE in some pharmacy schools, including internal resistance, resource limitations and workload challenges. On the other hand, schools highlighted important facilitators such as leadership support, communication and engagement.

Most accredited pharmacy schools in the EMR adopted CBE, yet considerable gaps remain in implementing many of the FIP GbCF competencies. The study reveals that pharmacy schools face significant challenges in CBE implementation, regardless of their current adoption status, suggesting opportunities for the enhancement of pharmacy education across the region.