Perception of pharmacy graduates and pharmacy employers on internship programme in public hospitals in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Introduction: The South African Pharmacy Council(SAPC)stipulates that upon completion of the pharmacy qualification, newly qualified pharmacists should complete a compulsory one-year internship programme for a minimum of 12 months under the direct supervision of a registered tutor in a registered training premise as approved by the SAPC. Although there are guidelines and manuals in place for the Pharmacy internship programme, there is no sufficient evidence that the programme serves its original purpose. Aim: The study aimed to evaluate and explore the pharmacy graduates' and employers’ perceptions of pharmacy internship programme in public hospitals around Limpopo Province. Method: The study was conducted at public hospitals in Limpopo Province. The study used a mixed method design; in particular explanatory sequential design. Phase 1 was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire and phase-2 was conducted using semi-structured interviews. The study population for phase 1 was 182.The participants for phase 1 were sampled using total sampling method. For phase-2 data saturation was reached at participant 13, the participants were selected using purposive sampling. Results: The findings in phase 1 revealed that majority of the participants perceive the pharmacy internship to be effective. They also indicated that the pre-registration examination and continuous Professional development play a role in preparing pharmacy graduate’s competency, however majority of participants disagreed that the costs of the pharmacy internship registration are reasonable. Phase 2 results showed that participants perceive the internship as being effective because of how it boosts participant’s confidence and how it is a transition tool into real work setting. They also mentioned that cpds and pre-registration exam are important because they keep health personnel updated on policies. Conclusion: The internship programme is effective through its system of CPDs and pre-registration, the CPDs and pre-registration examination are vital components in preparing interns towards their career paths as pharmacist, but there is a need to increase tutors and pharmacists’ participation into the programme. Recommendations: It is recommended that the SAPC to hold venue based internship workshops for both interns and tutors frequently. The Limpopo Department of Health and SAPC to find fixed hospital rotational system and to allow training only at tertiary and academic hospitals. The department to develop a swift process of allowing interns to pay the registration costs in instalments gradually.