Meeting educational needs of pharmaceutical stakeholders : veterinary medicine

Abstract

Continuing Personal Development (CPD) is critical for veterinary professionals to be updated with new techniques, research and trends whilst meeting both personal and professional goals. Stakeholders in this study refer to veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, and domestic pet owners. The purpose of the study was to address the educational needs of the veterinary team by identifying topics for the short courses to be carried out locally. The methodology involved two phases. Phase 1 was a systematic literature review of articles and journals published from 2005 to 2020 using open access articles from American Veterinary Medical Association, National Association of Veterinary Technician in America, ProQuest and Hydi. Course contents of four different academic institutions were reviewed and topics common to all four were identified. Phase 2 involved the development of a questionnaire aimed to identify the educational needs of the veterinary team from the perception of the stakeholders. An expert panel validated the questionnaire. The questionnaire for Veterinary Stakeholders has four sections. A is demographics, B determines perception of stakeholders towards conducting short courses, C assesses the relevance of the topics and D aimed at veterinary team. In conclusion, the study established the need to conduct continuing education to the veterinary team in the local setting. The topics identified for the short courses were tailored on the educational needs and responsibilities of each member.