One of the evolved Continuing Competence Program’s (CCP) guiding principles is to be engaging by inspiring peer-to-peer interaction. This type of engagement creates opportunities for regulated members to connect with mentors, thought leaders, and subject matter experts to grow as professionals and improve their practice.
For example, as part of the evolved CCP, competence assessments will include peer assessment and feedback. Peer feedback will also be provided to those who are referred to the Practice Improvement Program (PIP) and eventually as a part of the Professional Development and Learning component.
Peer assessment is a process where regulated members evaluate and provide constructive feedback about another regulated member’s work, skills, or performance based on a set of criteria. Peer assessment and the sharing of feedback can help pharmacy professionals further develop their critical thinking skills, gain new perspectives, and take ownership of their learning or performance. Some examples of peer assessments in the CCP include patient case reviews, practice reviews, practice visits, and portfolio assessments such as the application for the additional prescribing authorization.
When ACP worked to evolve the CCP, one area deemed important was that regulated members undergoing a competence assessment should have their practice assessed and receive feedback from a peer. When surveyed about the previous CCP, regulated members commented that even though they had submitted portfolios for years, they were never audited nor received feedback on how they were doing. This was considered an opportunity for the evolved CCP for regulated members to receive feedback.
“I think one important reason is the benefit of receiving feedback from someone who does the same work—someone who walks the walk—as being more relatable,” said pharmacist Melissa Dechaine, former Chair of ACP’s Competence Committee. “There’s a feeling that your peers understand some of the external factors that can affect your practice and that it is not just about your competence. It makes it easier to feel understood and supported.”
Sheila Hird is a member of ACP’s pharmacy technician advisory group and agrees that receiving feedback from a fellow regulated member feels better than receiving feedback from a representative of a regulatory authority.
“When you’re hearing from your peers, that might promote a more collaborative relationship,” said Sheila. “Receiving feedback from the college may give someone the feeling of being at risk.”
With peer assessment and feedback, Melissa says the goal is to support continued growth of a regulated member’s practice by providing actionable and relevant feedback. The feedback is meant to stimulate reflective practice and facilitate learning for the regulated member through their participation in the assessment.
“During an assessment, the peer assessor ensures that the member is aligned with the standards of practice. They will review areas of practice such as patient assessment and documentation, which are common areas for improvement,” said Melissa. “A peer would review the regulated member’s documentation and then work with them to highlight strengths, but also point out some ways they could do things a bit differently. The assessor might provide examples from their own practice or approaches that they find useful, and share them with the regulated member so they can use those tools as well.”
Sheila believes the benefits of peer assessment become even more valuable when regulated members receive feedback from those who are not just from the same profession, but also involved in the same type of practice.
“If you’re hearing from somebody who’s also working in a community pharmacy who’s doing the same processes as you every day, their feedback will be more relatable,” said Sheila. “Perhaps they have some ideas for growth: ‘Here’s what I’ve tried, and this is what’s worked in my practice; maybe this is something you could apply to your practice.’ I think that hearing from somebody in your same practice would be really powerful.”
When regulated members receive feedback from a peer, it’s usually well received.
“We’ve had examples in the Practice Improvement Program where a regulated member readily adopts changes based on the feedback received from a peer assessor,” said Melissa. “Many pharmacists work alone and they don’t have the opportunity to learn from a colleague, so this helps to provide some insight into other ways of practising.”
Peer assessors provide solutions in a supportive, collaborative manner. The support regulated members receive provides them with an opportunity to reflect on their own practice and identify areas for improvement.
“I think that’s important because it is about more than just hearing the feedback,” said Melissa. “The peer assessor helps guide the process by offering practical examples that support reflection on areas for improvement. The focus is on providing the information they need to improve and empowering them to be part of the solution.”
