Indian Pharmacists Contemplation on Board of Pharmacy Specialties Certification: A Multi-Centric Survey

Abstract:

Background: The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) ensures the pharmacist to be a skilled and trained healthcare professional that serves the advanced medical requirements. Our study identified the awareness and attitude of Indian pharmacist towards BPS board certification and explored their constraints and motivational elements in pursuing the credential. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional observational study was performed with Indian pharmacists working in their homeland and those who migrated to Gulf countries. The validated and statistically tested questionnaire was circulated through WhatsApp Messenger®; 30.86% had responded and participated in the survey. Results: We met with equal samples of Indian pharmacists (n= 108) in both groups, i.e. those residing in India and those in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The majority of the responses were from hospital and community pharmacists working in GCC countries and Indian clinical pharmacists. It was observed that those who heard about BPS from their work settings, during internship and final academic year had appreciable knowledge on the certification program. Career advancement was the major motivational factor that tempted the Gulf pharmacists to pursue the credential. The awareness of Indian pharmacists in the two groups were computed with the Mann Whitney test and did not show any differences (p value >0.05). However, the pharmacist’s attitude in India, UAE, Bahrain and Oman were better than those in Saudi Arabia and Qatar (p<0.05). Natives’ disincline was stimulated by the lack of professional merits upon gaining the board certifications in the country. Conclusion: Indian pharmacist’s knowledge and attitude towards BPS board certifications need to be enhanced. The pharmacy authorities can initiate awareness and motivation programs for facilitating many to take up such credentials.

Keywords: Attitude, Awareness, Barriers, BPS, Certification, Pharmacist.