The pharmacist role in dermatologic care ★

ObjectivePharmacists play a crucial role in the management and education of patients with dermatologic disease. However, there is little formal dermatologic education provided in pharmacy school or post-graduate training. Additionally, dermatologists and pharmacists have identified boundaries to patient care that are largely due to weak communication between the two professions. To improve pharmacists’ dermatologic knowledge and interprofessional relations, the Dermatology Symposium for Pharmacists was developed.MethodsPharmacists were recruited to participate in the symposium on a state level. Pre- and post-test survey questions were administered using an audience response system, which tested frequency of dermatology encounters in the pharmacy, pharmacist perceptions of dermatology, and case-based questions correlating with each lecture.ResultsA total of 83 pharmacists attended the symposium, the majority of whom make at least one dermatological recommendation daily. Paired t-test assessed the differences between scores of pre- and post-test questions on dermatologic knowledge, which showed mean scores of 6.36 and 9.89 before and after the symposium (p ≤ 0.0001), respectively. The symposium had a significant impact on attendees with 65% saying they were more likely to recommend over-the-counter skin care products and 89% feeling more comfortable with dermatology referral. Methods to improve interprofessional care were developed during the panel discussions.ConclusionThe pharmacists attending this symposium were enthusiastic about learning more regarding dermatologic disease. The use of case-based interactive learning permitted dermatology teachers to identify knowledge gaps for an audience with whom they had no prior experience. We believe the symposium also improved the interprofessional relationship between pharmacists and dermatologists regionally.