Tamiz Kanji: Enhancing pharmacist expertise in minor ailments and contraception services

By Ishika Jain, Communications Coordinator, BCPhA

Tell me about your role as the Director of Continuing Pharmacy Professional Development. What do you do, and how did you get here?

In 2020, I became an associate professor of teaching, through which I currently work within our Entry-to-Practice Doctor of Pharmacy Program (E2P PharmD).  In this role, I focus on teaching and supervising directed studies courses. This also includes creating admissions questions for students and assisting with clinical skills in the administration of injections courses. I also participate in various faculty committees, including the student progress committee and the academic committee, which makes decisions for our faculty and students.

In my continuing pharmacy professional development role, I build educational programs, such as independent study programs, conferences, and in-person sessions. We accredit these programs for B.C. pharmacists, essential for licence renewal. Many accredited programs are developed in-house with faculty members and also with our Office of Experiential Education (OEE), targeting preceptors and practice educators.

We also offer programs to help train pharmacist facilitators, providing learning modules focused on pedagogy, inclusive teaching practices, engagement, feedback, and assessment. Additionally, we collaborate with experts in therapeutic categories like minor ailments and organizations like the BC Center on Substance Use, offering programs on opioid use disorder and related medications.

What are the main objectives when developing courses on minor ailments and contraception services for pharmacy professionals?

When developing courses on MACS, our primary focus is to facilitate an understanding of changes to the framework and how these affect the medications and services pharmacists can provide. Each learning program has specific learning objectives, references, and goes through an accreditation process with expert reviewers. This ensures the program is transparent in its intention and includes sound content that is unbiased and current. 

Can you walk us through the process of creating a course from concept to delivery?

Through yearly consultation with our program advisory committee, topics of interest for pharmacists and pharmacy practice are proposed. Expanding on the topics, we identify a subject matter expert (SME). This is ideally someone who teaches in our E2P PharmD program and specializes in the area. They also usually have further insight into current and future developments. After contracting them, SMEs draft the course’s learning objectives, description, content, and assessments. This content is then provided to our Office of Educational Technology and Learning Designs (OETLD), where their team consults with the SMEs on the design of the course and builds the course on UBC’s learning management system.

Formative and summative assessments, visuals, and videos are incorporated into the courses to create engaging learning experiences that reinforce the concepts being delivered. The OETLD works closely with the SME to design the courses effectively. The course then undergoes an accreditation process with expert reviewers who check for requirements such as clear learning objectives, unbiased content, generic medication names, and appropriate references. If the course isn’t approved initially, we make the necessary changes and resubmit it for review. Once approved, the program is accessible through CPPD’s website and typically accredited for one year with the ability to renew for subsequent years.

Why do you believe it is essential for pharmacy professionals to be well-versed in managing minor ailments and providing contraception services?

I believe it is essential so that they can practice at their full scope — pharmacists must utilize their enhanced skills, training, and knowledge. While many pharmacists are already familiar with managing minor ailments, our programs ensure all pharmacists are comfortable with these tasks. From June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024, over 430,000 minor ailments and contraception services (MACS) were conducted in B.C., highlighting the effectiveness of pharmacists in these areas. 

I believe this expanded scope allows pharmacists to provide essential services, to improve patient access to care, and to reduce the need for possible emergency department visits. I think this service increases convenience, decreases wait times, and enhances health-care system efficiency, especially in rural and smaller areas.

What innovative teaching methods or technologies have you incorporated into these courses to enhance learning and practical application?

We have incorporated several innovative teaching methods and educational technologies into our courses. For independent study programs, content is designed to be engaged with asynchronously and at the learner’s own pace. These programs typically include a combination of text, voice-over presentations, graphics, customized videos, and/or animations, to best support the learning outcomes. 

Utilizing tools like H5P, content is reinforced through interactivity (for example, flip cards, hotspot images, interactive presentations, formative multiple-choice questions). Having multi-faceted assessments, such as knowledge or case-based questions, enables participants to strengthen their understanding.

We also offer live webinars and virtual conferences with expert speakers presenting topics and engaging audience responses through online polling, quizzes, and visual presentations. In the fall, we will implement in-person workshops that are Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) -based where participants will be required to demonstrate specific skills, competencies, and knowledge through authentic scenarios related to MACS. These workshops will involve pharmacist facilitators and standardized patients. Participants will rotate through stations simulating real-time practice situations, receiving feedback, rubrics, and resolution tips. These workshops are fully accredited and are part of our next series on minor ailments and contraception services.

How do you ensure that the content remains current?

First, we monitor new guidelines and developments to stay updated on professional skills and knowledge. Secondly, we connect with faculty and subject matter experts who developed the courses to discuss necessary adjustments. Thirdly, we conduct an annual review of the course, making updates before the accreditation expires. For immediate changes, faculty experts adjust the content as needed, ensuring the course is up to date and renewing its accreditation for another year.

What kind of feedback have you received from participants of these courses, and how has it informed future iterations?

We collect feedback through evaluations at the end of each program, including assessing learning objectives, content appropriateness, and overall effectiveness. We also ask about how participants have applied the course material and any areas for improvement. This feedback is reviewed and shared with our program advisory committee to guide future development. While most feedback is positive, we use it to make adjustments and develop new content based on participant needs and suggestions. Participants have the opportunity to express their interest in further education by identifying topics of interest, program delivery, as well as preferred length of programming. 

Their insights have helped us to tailor the upcoming Prescribing with Confidence: An Interactive OSCE-style MACS Workshop, according to the needs and concerns expressed through their surveys. 

What future developments do you foresee in the areas of minor ailments and contraception services, and how are you preparing pharmacy professionals for these changes?

We anticipate that the role and scope of practice of pharmacists will continue to expand in order to meet the growing demands within the health care system. To ensure that pharmacists are ready for further changes, we need to equip them with the skills and tools to meet today’s demands, such as maintaining current learning programs on MACS, opioid use disorder, etc., and prepare pharmacists for tomorrow. 

Our office is currently preparing a set of courses to help educate pharmacists in ordering lab tests for medication management. We’re developing clinical educational modules to support this capability, which will be very valuable in adopting the new standards set by the BC College of Pharmacists for pharmacist ordering, receiving, and interpreting of laboratory tests. We are continuously in discussion with industry leaders and decision-making authorities, to discuss the future of pharmacy practice in B.C. We have many plans to support pharmacists, and given the dynamic nature of pharmacy, we aim to be a leading educator of clinical practices.