what are the educational needs of community pharmacists?
AIMS: The objective of this study was to determine the educational needs of community pharmacists in Australia related to palliative cancer care, to guide the development of an online educational program for pharmacists. METHODS: Questionnaires were posted to a random sample of community pharmacies in Australia. The questionnaire sought information pertaining to pharmacists’: demographics; educational needs by rating the importance of learning more about 18 palliative cancer care topics and self-perceived level of knowledge of them; preference for format(s) for the program; willingness to participate in the program; and perception regarding their practice of palliative cancer care. Results were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5 software. MAIN RESULTS: A questionnaire return rate of 10.3% was achieved. The characteristics of respondents were reflective of community pharmacy practice in Australia when compared with the latest available labour
