Research competencies and preparedness among hospital practicing pharmacists in Qatar

Purpose: Research is an important mandate of pharmacy and other health care professions. Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the predominant public health care organization in Qatar, in alliance with Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and the National Health Strategy 2011–2016, aims to be the leading health research organization in the Middle East region. Pharmacists have a pivotal role to play in this strategy. However, there is paucity of data about pharmacists’ competence and preparedness in conducting health-related research in Qatar. This study primarily aims to determine 1) the research background of hospital pharmacists in Qatar; 2) their self-perceived preparedness, competence, and confidence in conducting research; and 3) to examine their preferences for research capacity building.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a validated 70-item questionnaire was conducted among randomly selected pharmacists practicing at seven HMC-managed hospitals. Constructs measuring pharmacists’ competence and confidence were tested for reliability. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were applied using IBM–SPSS^® version 20.

Results: A total of 120 participants responded to the survey (66.7% response rate). Over 60% of the participants did not have any previous research experiences. Notably, at least 25% of the respondents admitted inadequate competence/confidence in developing research protocols, critical appraisal of literature, undertaking statistical techniques, and interpreting research findings. Highest level of education along with current hospital of practice had significant effects on pharmacists’ self-perceived competence (p<0.05). Overall, 85% of participants were interested in pursuing post-graduate studies or research-related training.

Conclusion: A large proportion of hospital pharmacists in Qatar admitted having deficiencies in several domains of research process or competencies, particularly in developing research protocols, critical appraisal of literature, and applying appropriate statistical techniques. These findings have important implications on developing informal research training programs and promoting pursuit of formal postgraduate programs to bridge the gaps found among hospital practicing pharmacists in Qatar.