Impact of an educational training program on pharmacists’ documentation practice at a teaching hospital

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine the impact of an educational training program on the quantity and quality of the pharmacists’ documentation practice at the Winchester District Memorial Hospital. METHODS: This study is a part of an evaluation for continuous quality improvement, performed applying a pre- and post-test model. The primary endpoint was the number of Pharmacists' Patient-Care Records in patient charts with the listed action codes. Charts of 80 patients were surveyed at three points (two months before and one and three months after the sessions) for 240 charts. Additionally, a pre- and post-educational questionnaire was administered using case scenarios and the Pharmacists’ Patient-Care Record code system. RESULTS: The number of charts containing Pharmacists’ Patient-Care Records with Action Codes listed is 70%, 73%, and 64% in the first, second, and third chart review rounds, respectively. According to the pre- and post-educational session questionnaire, the average score per pharmacist is 47% and 73%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The initial estimate of the documentation practice is 50% or less, which is an underestimation. Furthermore, the quantity of pharmacists’ documentation is not significantly affected by the educational sessions; however, the quality is improved.