A Job Analysis to Define the Role of the Pharmacy Preceptor

Abstract

Objective. To use a comprehensive job analysis to identify and describe the roles and responsibilities of pharmacist preceptors. Methods. After gathering input from local pharmacist preceptors, a task inventory questionnaire was created that included 92 tasks divided among nine domains related to the job of preceptors. The task inventory questionnaire was distributed to expert pharmacist preceptors in the United States, which were those who had been recognized for excellence in precepting by a national organization. Participants evaluated each task and determined whether they were responsible for the task, as well as the importance, difficulty, and frequency of each task. A composite score for each task was calculated based on a unique combination of these ratings. Descriptive statistics summarized the findings for each task and across the domains. Results. Nineteen pharmacist preceptors completed the task inventory questionnaire. The three most salient domains were professionalism (M=41.9, SD=12.9), communication (M=37.0, SD=11.7), and interpersonal skills (M=37.0, SD=10.3). The three most critical tasks related to professionalism were maintaining professional composure in stressful situations, demonstrating a commitment to service and the profession, and engaging in sound ethical and moral decision-making. Conclusion. This study represents the first attempt of using a job analysis to define pharmacist preceptor roles and responsibilities. More research is needed to fully understand the implications of these results, to understand how the relative significance of tasks may vary based on the population assessed (eg, learners and less experienced pharmacists), and to improve and validate the findings of the task inventory questionnaire developed in this study.