Assessment of an intensive education program on the treatment of tobacco-use disorder for pharmacists using OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)

Abstract

Introduction: Tobacco use is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in Qatar. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to design, implement, and evaluate an intensive education program on tobacco-use treatment for pharmacists in Qatar. The study objectives are to assess the effectiveness of the program on pharmacists' skills toward tobacco cessation. Methods: A random sample of community pharmacists in Qatar was selected for participation. Consenting participants were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. Participants in the intervention group received an intensive education program on treatment of tobacco-use disorder. A short didactic session on a non-tobacco-related topic was delivered to pharmacists in the control group. The pharmacists' tobacco cessation skills were assessed using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Six-station OSCE targeting core smoking cessation competencies and skills was completed by participants in both groups. Performance of participants was assessed using validated assessment checklists that comprised analytical and global assessment sections. Results: A total of 54 and 32 participants in the intervention and the control group respectively completed the OSCE. Overall, pharmacists in the intervention group performed better in the analytical and global assessment sections than those in the control group. For example, for case 1, mean scores for developing rapport, data gathering and management were 2.76 vs 0.97 (p-<0.001), 5 vs 2.81 (p <0.001), and 3.5 vs 2.25 (p=0.001) respectively for the intervention group compared to the control group. Mean total analytical scores were 12.06 vs 6.4 (p-<0.001) for intervention compared to the control group for case 1. Furthermore, mean global assessment scores for case 1 were 3.19 vs 2.41 (p=0.009) for the intervention compared to the control group. Conclusion: The study results suggest that provision of an intensive educational program on the treatment of tobacco use results in improved skills toward tobacco cessation.