Impact of Facilitated Asynchronous Distance Education on Clinical Skills Development of International Pharmacy Graduates
Zubin Austin and Marie Rocchi Dean
University of Toronto

The use of distance education for clinical skills development in the health professions has not been extensively described, due in part to the intensive nature of the relationship between the patient and practitioner. In the context of pharmacy practice, there are specific needs to develop new vehicles for clinical skills education due to growing shortages, particularly in rural areas. This article describes the experience of one model of facilitated, asynchronous clinical skills distance education for pharmacists educated outside North America who were seeking licensure in Canada. Findings suggest that this model may be an effective way of delivering clinical skills education, provided participants meet baseline English language fluency requirements.