Implementation and Evaluation of Entrustable Professional Activities for a Pharmacy Intern Training Program in Australia

Objective: This study aimed to describe the implementation and evaluation of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for a pharmacy intern training program in Australia. 

Methods: Surveys and focus groups were used to evaluate the perceptions and experiences of provisionally registered pharmacists and pharmacists using the EPAs as an assessment tool in the workplace. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the focus group data. Surveys compared the frequency and median responses to the Likert-scale items. Entrustment levels at 6, 13, 26, and 44 weeks were reported for each EPA. 

Results: Pharmacist (n = 6) and provisionally registered pharmacist (n = 8) focus groups identified the following themes: use of EPAs in the workplace, benefits and challenges of using EPAs, and future direction and recommendations for using EPAs in the workplace. Feasibility measures in the pharmacist survey suggested that pharmacists were satisfied with using EPAs in the workplace. The provisionally registered pharmacist survey showed that they valued feedback provided by pharmacists and that they engaged with the EPAs in the workplace. Provisionally registered pharmacists enrolled in the study (n = 40) showed progression in entrustment levels at each reporting period. 

Conclusion: Pharmacists and provisionally registered pharmacists reported that EPAs were feasible and could be used in the workplace as an educative tool. However, they highlighted education as an important factor for successful implementation. At each milestone, provisionally registered pharmacists showed progression in entrustment level.