A Continuing Education Activity Durably Addressed Knowledge Gaps Related to Penicillin Allergies Among Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

• Published in: The Journal of pharmacy technology Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 18 - 25
• Main Authors: Covington, Elizabeth W., Durham, Spencer H., Bland, Christopher M., Bookstaver, P. Brandon, Chahine, Elias B., Cho, Jonathan C., Diggs, Fernando, Jones, Bruce M., Kyle, Jeffrey A., Stover, Kayla R., Wagner, Jamie L., Hughes, Peter J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-02-2022
• Subjects: Research Reports; pharmacy technicians; continuing education; pharmacists; penicillins; drug hypersensitivity
• ISSN: 8755-1225; 1549-4810
• DOI: 10.1177/87551225211051015

Background: Penicillin allergy is one of the most frequent self-reported allergies; however, only about 10% of reported allergies are accurate. Objectives: Through the creation of a continuing pharmacy education (CPE) activity, we sought to assess knowledge gaps and comfort levels in the management of penicillin allergies. Methods: A 1-hour enduring-content CPE activity was offered as an interactive course from September 20, 2019, to September 20, 2020. Participants completed 3 surveys (pre-survey, post-survey, and follow-up survey). Participants were pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who completed, at a minimum, the activity and both pre- and post-surveys. The primary outcome was the percentage of participants scoring >80% on knowledge-based questions on the post-survey compared with the pre-survey. Secondary outcomes included pre-post comparisons on knowledge-based questions, participants’ self-report of an allergy, and comfort levels dispensing cephalosporins in a patient with a self-reported penicillin allergy. Results: A total of 389 participants completed the CPE activity, with 176 included for analysis. Significantly more participants scored >80% on knowledge-based questions on the post-survey compared with the pre-survey (71.6% vs 22.7%, P < .001). There was no significant difference between the percentage of participants scoring >80% on the post-survey and the follow-up survey (71.6% vs 65%, P = .119). The majority of participants (74%) felt comfortable dispensing a cephalosporin in a patient with a penicillin allergy on the pre-survey, with similar percentages on the post- and follow-up surveys (77% and 90%, respectively). Conclusion: A targeted continuing education program improved overall knowledge, which was sustained for up to 2 months.