Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA) – a New Paradigm in Pharmacy Work Force Development
Learn about EPA from A/Prof Chui Wai Keung, chair of the EPA work group, who delivered a presentation on this topic at the 28th Singapore Pharmacy Congress on 4-5 August 2018.
Entrustable professional activity (EPA) is a core unit of professional work that can be entrusted to a trainee once he has achieved sufficient competency to carry out the work independently. During the training phase, as the trainee develops the competency towards receiving entrustment, the trainee is guided by milestones that describe the progression of observable behaviour. Once the trainer is satisfied with the performance of the trainee on an independent basis, entrustment can be given to the trainee. Such approach has been used to train doctors and other healthcare professionals are beginning to use the same method for education and training as well.
In Singapore, the pharmacists are looking into using EPAs as guide for the training of pre-registration pharmacists. A work group has been set up early 2018 under the direction of the Singapore Pharmacy Council to develop core EPAs for entry-to-practice pharmacists. At the recent Singapore Pharmacy Congress, A/Prof Chui commented that “In my presentation on “Entrustable Professional Activity-based Education and Training – a new paradigm in Pharmacy Work Force Development”, I wanted to raise the awareness of EPAs among the pharmacists and highlight their application in developing competency-based practice as a new paradigm in the education and training of the pharmacists. In his presentation, he also shared that “work is underway to review the current competency standards for entry-to-practice pharmacists. EPAs will be used to supplement the competency standards, ensuring that all future freshly minted pharmacists are able to conduct specific professional duties independently upon entrustment by the preceptors”.
Article written by A/Prof Chui Wai Keung (NUS Pharmacy academic faculty, Class of ‘86)