Educating pharmacists to provide point-of-care testing: Identifying the need for continuing education and training within PharmD curricula.

BACKGROUND

Point-of-care testing (POCT) enables rapid diagnostic testing to facilitate timely treatment. As the demand for accessible healthcare services grows, pharmacists play an increasingly vital role in expanding patient access through POCT within community settings. However, proper education on POCT appears to be a critical obstacle for pharmacists wanting to offer these services.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, observational study utilized an anonymous 21-question online survey distributed to pharmacists in Broward County, Florida, from November 2022 through March 2023. The survey assessed pharmacists' confidence, willingness, perceived barriers, and preferred practice settings for providing POCT.

RESULTS

A total of 92 pharmacists participated. Approximately 59.8% reported being knowledgeable and 71.7% confident in performing POCT. The most frequently cited barriers were lack of time, staffing, and compensation. Notably, 42% of respondents reported being unable to implement POCT within their current practice settings, highlighting persistent operational and structural challenges to broader POCT integration. Additionally, 60.9% strongly agreed on the need for continuing education on POCT.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacists expressed a strong willingness to provide POCT given sufficient education, resources, and institutional support. Additionally, targeted educational opportunities such as continuing education training and implementation of POCT topics within PharmD curricula are necessary in order for pharmacists to be successful in delivering this vital service to the community.