CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PHARMACISTS THROUGH A COMPETENCY-BASED FRAMEWORK: INTERNATIONAL AND UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Increasing demands on pharmacists’ professional training highlight the need for modern approaches to competency development and assessment. One effective international tool that ensures systematic and consistent professional growth is the FIP Global Competency Framework (GbCF v2) – a competency framework describing pharmacist development through four levels: student → early-career pharmacist → advanced pharmacist → expert. This level-based model allows for the construction of a coherent educational and professional trajectory, definition of expected learning outcomes at each stage, and specification of competencies required for planning continuous professional development (CPD) throughout a pharmacist’s career. International experience shows that implementing a level-based approach enhances learning efficiency, strengthens professional skills, and improves the quality of pharmaceutical care. At the same time, within the context of the higher education standard for the second (master’s) level in specialty I8 «Pharmacy», competencies are formalized only at the graduate level. This limits opportunities for personalized career planning and integration of CPD into the educational process. For the post-graduate period (early-career pharmacist → advanced pharmacist → expert), systematic descriptions of competencies and expected outcomes are absent, complicating progress monitoring and the planning of individual educational trajectories. Implementing the GbCF level-based model in combination with individualized professional development goals in the educational portfolio, as provided for continuous professional development (CPD) under the Ministry of Health Order No. 650, creates a foundation for building a coherent system of professional growth. The portfolio includes a description of competencies (knowledge, skills/abilities) planned for acquisition and/or improvement, as well as expected outcomes of their practical application. Such systematic definition of expected learning outcomes and specification of competencies at all stages of professional development ensures personalization of the educational process, supports progress monitoring, and facilitates adaptation of the GbCF model to Ukrainian educational realities, ensuring compliance with national and international standards.