Objective: To describe the development, implementation and outcomes of an anticoagulation education program for pharmacists participating in a community-based post-discharge warfarin management service.
Setting: Australian community pharmacy practice.
Method: Three education modules were developed in collaboration with medical experts and delivered electronically and via hands-on training sessions to pharmacists in three Australian states. Educational outcomes were assessed via a short answer assignment and evaluation of their warfarin dosing recommendations for five hypothetical scenarios. Consumer and pharmacist perceptions of the adequacy of the training were surveyed using a structured postal questionnaire.
Main outcome measure: Pharmacists' score in the short answer assignment and evaluation of their responses to the hypothetical warfarin dosing scenarios.
Results: Sixty-two pharmacists successfully completed the training program with a mean score for the short answer assignment of 14.3 out of 15 (95.3%; 95% CI 13.8-14.7). The pharmacists' warfarin management recommendations were very similar to those of two experienced medical specialists. Pharmacists and consumers expressed confidence in the adequacy of the training program.
Conclusion: This education program successfully up-skilled a cohort of pharmacists for involvement in a post-discharge warfarin management service. These findings support formalization and further development of the program to facilitate widespread implementation of home-based post-discharge warfarin care.