(276) Fitting the puzzle pieces together: A review of drug information and library sciences educational standards

Objective : ​​To review and provide commentary on existing drug information and library science standards and educational outcomes from relevant organizations.

Methods: A web search was conducted to locate and compile a list of professional organizations that had available standards or competencies focused on drug information and library science content areas. Eligible documents contained any standardized or formalized presentation of skills, competencies, knowledge, or standards of practice that were expected of pharmacists. After identifying key literature, terms and concepts (ie, perspectives) were identified.

Identified articles were divided amongst the four group members for each to review. For each assigned article, the reviewer identified the type of document (competencies, standards, guidelines, etc.), perspectives along with relevant text, approximate number of times a content area was mentioned, and any comments or gaps. The group was then divided into two pairs. Each pair reviewed each other’s assigned articles individually, then reached a consensus through discussion. After each article was reviewed by two individuals separately and then by a pair of reviewers, a summary of all the data was created to help identify themes and gaps.

Results: Of the 14 documents reviewed, the most highly referenced perspectives were medical communication and collection development/resource management. Moderately referenced perspectives included literature evaluation/critical appraisal and evidence-based practice (EBP). The most seldom referenced perspectives in these documents were citing references, biomedical information, and library science.

Conclusions: Many drug information concepts are robustly covered by numerous organizations’ standards and competencies. Gaps identified in the standards and competencies reviewed were primarily in library sciences and citation of references, which would be valuable components to expand in pharmacy curricula standards.