Written by Courtney Hetler-Findlay, Director of Education & Training at SoftWriters.

The Benefits of Investing in Employee Education and Training

In today's dynamic and competitive business landscape, investing in employee education and training in the pharmacy is not just an option—it's a strategic imperative. The benefits spread throughout the organization, from individual performance to overall pharmacy success. Explore below why employee education and training are a non-negotiable base for every forward-looking long-term care pharmacy.

Skill Development:

At the heart of employee education and training is transforming potential into performance. By providing structured learning opportunities, pharmacy organizations empower their teams with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their roles. Education and Training programs empower pharmacy staff to gain new skills and expertise in their job role while being equipped to overcome challenges in their daily tasks, readying themselves for career progression and development within the organization and fostering a sense of belonging. While training your staff helps employees build confidence and competency within their role, the benefits of ongoing training don’t stop at the individual employee. Investing in education ultimately boosts the entire pharmacy organization by creating more effective workers, which is paramount to maintaining a competitive edge in the industry.

Succession Planning:

Effective leadership doesn't happen by chance—it evolves through development. Investing in employee education and training develops future leaders within the pharmacy, facilitates a seamless succession planning process, and establishes a pool of proficient, skilled employees well-prepared for leadership and advancement in the pharmacy. Promoting from within not only saves your pharmacy downstream when it comes to hiring and training new leaders. Additionally, by elevating employees into more skilled or senior roles, you elongate the average employee tenure lifespan and can often spend less initially as promoted staff grows into their new roles.

Increased Productivity:

A well-trained team of employees is more efficient and productive than the alternative. Providing staff with the necessary tools and skills to perform their jobs effectively enhances the quality of work and services delivered, minimizes errors and wastage within the pharmacy, and promotes an innovative mindset and creative problem-solving abilities to address daily challenges. While there is an upfront investment associated with training, the ROI of training quickly becomes evident as handoffs become smoother, employees are more efficient in their roles, and issue resolution takes fewer resources away from the pharmacy when frameworks and protocols are being followed.

Employee Retention:

Retaining employees is critical in the competition to attract top talent. Providing clear paths for growth and development through training communicates a strong message: employees' careers matter. By investing in their employees’ professional advancement, pharmacy organizations foster loyalty and commitment, reducing turnover rates and preserving valuable expertise. Employee retention is more than just a convenience; it’s an opportunity to reduce costs associated with replacing your existing staff. Avoiding turnover entirely is unrealistic as aging employees retire and entry-level employees gain experience and pursue alternative opportunities to earn them higher wages. While it can’t be stopped, reducing turnover can eliminate unnecessary administrative costs, which the Society for Human Resources estimates to cost just under $5,000 per hourly employee who leaves.

Employee Engagement:

Engagement isn't just a buzzword—it's the foundation of a thriving workplace culture. Training initiatives signal employees that their growth is valued, encouraging a sense of purpose and ownership. This, in turn, fuels higher job satisfaction and deeper engagement, creating a workforce that's not just present but passionately invested in the pharmacy's mission and continued success.

Customer Satisfaction:

Behind every satisfied customer lies a well-trained employee. A well-trained workforce and pharmacy organization impact the overall customer experience for your customers and the patients you serve, promoting positive customer interactions and building customer trust and loyalty through your customer-facing teams.

Adaptation to Technology:

In an era of rapid technological advancement, staying ahead of the tech curve is vital. Training programs keep employees abreast of the latest tools and software, equipping them to leverage technology for maximum impact. By embracing innovation and embracing change, pharmacies position themselves as frontrunners in the healthcare industry.

Consistency:

In the dynamic landscape of a pharmacy, where precision and adherence to protocols are paramount, training consistency is not just advantageous—it's essential for delivering optimal care and maintaining standards of excellence. By ensuring all employees have a unified understanding of processes and procedures, pharmacy organizations uphold standards of quality and efficiency. This consistency enhances operational excellence and fosters trust and reliability among stakeholders. LTC Pharmacy is a highly collaborative environment where orders are passed across departments and stakeholders within the pharmacy, from order intake through pharmacist review to packaging and order fulfillment. With a single order changing hands within the pharmacy so many times, it is paramount that handoffs are clear, the proper information is being documented, and established procedures are being followed to create more efficient handoffs and reduce duplicative work, dragging down operational efficiency.

13 Steps to Structuring an Effective Employee Education and Training

To ensure effective employee education and training within a long-term care pharmacy setting, here are 13 recommended steps to consider when assessing existing programs or implementing new training policies in your pharmacy.

1: Assess Existing Programs

Evaluate the current training needs of the pharmacy by conducting a comprehensive assessment to identify skills and knowledge gaps. Review each department to determine which areas require prioritization, ensuring everyone quickly and effectively becomes proficient in the pharmacy's operational processes. Implement pharmacy department evaluations within FrameworkAcademy™ to comprehensively assess each individual’s product knowledge. The platform’s robust features tailor assessments to specific pharmacy departments, ensuring relevance and accuracy. By leveraging FrameworkAcademy, you can streamline the evaluation process, track individual progress, and efficiently identify areas for improvement. This data-driven approach enhances product knowledge and empowers pharmacy staff to deliver superior service and client support.

2: Develop a Comprehensive Training Program

Design structured training programs that cover all necessary skills and knowledge areas, utilizing FrameworkAcademy for each pharmacy department or individual. Include modules on pharmacy operations, customer service, compliance, and any specialized areas relevant to your business. With FrameworkAcademy™, clear and measurable objectives are set, ensuring employees understand what they are expected to learn and achieve, thus facilitating a structured and goal-oriented approach to training.

3: Utilize a Blended Learning Approach

Incorporate diverse training methods, including in-person workshops, e-learning modules, hands-on practice, real-world application through case studies, and mentorship programs within the pharmacy. This approach accommodates various learning styles, ensuring comprehensive understanding. Tailor the pharmacy training to meet different learning preferences—some employees excel with visual aids, while others thrive through hands-on activities or discussions. FrameworkAcademy™ accommodates different learning styles by offering diverse educational resources, including visual materials, audio recordings, interactive modules, and hands-on activities. This ensures an engaging and practical learning experience for all users. Read more on how your pharmacy can unlock your staff’s full potential through the power of tailored learning styles.

4: Onboarding for New Hires

Create a detailed pharmacy onboarding program for new hires that introduces them to the company culture, policies, and procedures. Include shadowing experienced employees throughout all pharmacy departments and interactive training sessions to help them acclimate quickly. Rely on FrameworkAcademy™ to handle the training of new hires independently through self-paced learning. This ensures consistency in training delivery across all learners, streamlining the process for your team. Administrative staff can’t speak highly enough about FrameworkAcademy™ and how it’s simplified its training programs to be hands-off and user-centric.

“FrameworkAcademy has allowed us to asynchronously educate hundreds of employees on new features and processes within FrameworkLTC and FrameworkECM, saving time and resources when rolling out new standards. 

Gretchen Vincil, Ph.D., MBA | Senior Director, IV Implementation, PharMerica

5: Ongoing Training for Current Employees

Implement regular refresher courses and advanced training sessions to inform employees about the latest industry practices, technologies, and regulations. Utilize FrameworkAcademy to introduce new pharmacy processes and educate staff on the latest features and functionalities of the FrameworkLTC product suite.

6: Mentorship and Peer Learning

Establish a mentorship program where experienced and less experienced staff guide new hires. Encourage peer learning through collaboration and knowledge sharing. Foster a learning environment encouraging open discussion, questions, and peer-to-peer learning. Creating a culture that prioritizes improvement and encourages learning from experiences and insights is key to a successful pharmacy. Many pharmacies use "shadowing" techniques, where new staff are paired with experienced mentors to learn the ropes. While this is an effective way for new staff to gain hands-on experience, it can negatively impact the productivity of skilled staff. Implementing tools like FrameworkAcademy incentivizes teamwork by taking the burden of training off your senior staff, allowing them to act as a mentor answering questions rather than an instructor.

7: Interactive and Practical Training

Leverage the interactive and practical functionality within FrameworkAcademy to ensure engaging and effective pharmacy training sessions. Incorporate real-life pharmacy scenarios, role-playing exercises, and hands-on activities to reinforce learning and facilitate applying skills in a real-world setting. FrameworkAcademy also provides a “safe” environment for new staff to experiment without using a live instance of FrameworkLTC, reducing the risk of them accidentally creating or editing orders in your live system.

8: Regular Assessments and Feedback

Regular assessments should be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programs. Gather employee feedback to identify improvement areas and adjust training content accordingly. Make sure what you are doing is beneficial – ask for feedback on the training changes. Be prepared to adjust the training program based on feedback and changing organizational needs. Flexibility allows the training to be refined over time. Utilize FrameworkAcademy’s versatile features to customize evaluations to specific pharmacy departments, ensuring their relevance and precision.

9: Leverage Technology

Utilize training software and online platforms like FrameworkAcademy™ to deliver consistent and accessible pharmacy training materials. This approach allows pharmacy employees to learn at their own pace and revisit content as needed, ensuring a thorough and flexible learning experience tailored to the unique demands of the pharmacy environment.

10: Create a Learning Culture

Foster a culture that values continuous learning and professional development. Encourage employees to seek additional training opportunities and provide incentives for ongoing education. Utilize the FrameworkAcademy platform to integrate knowledge into your organization’s core; you’ll provide employees with the tools they need to succeed and instill a sense of ownership and commitment to their growth.

11: Leadership Support

Gain support from organizational leaders and managers. Be supportive. Your endorsement of the pharmacy’s detailed training program will emphasize its importance and encourage employee participation.

12: Track Progress and Outcomes

Monitor employee progress through training records and performance metrics. FrameworkAcademy™ aids in tracking learner engagement and content utilization, providing valuable data to measure the impact of training programs. Use these insights to make data-driven decisions for future training initiatives and enhance overall effectiveness.

13: Recognition and Rewards

Leverage gamification features within FrameworkAcademy™ to recognize and reward employees who actively participate in training and demonstrate improved skills. Badges, leaderboards, and challenges motivate employees to learn more, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence within the pharmacy team.

Employee education and training are vital pillars of a successful organization's foundation. By investing in the development of your workforce, you not only nurture individual growth but also cultivate a culture of excellence that permeates every aspect of your business. FrameworkAcademy™ emerges as a powerful ally in this endeavor, offering a comprehensive platform to educate and empower your teams. From its flexible and accessible training materials to its robust learner and content reporting features, FrameworkAcademy™ is poised to revolutionize how your organization approaches employee education. Through gamification elements designed to inspire engagement and recognition, FrameworkAcademy transforms learning into an interactive and rewarding experience, driving motivation and fostering continuous improvement. Embrace the power of FrameworkAcademy to unlock the full potential of your teams and propel your organization toward sustained success.

FrameworkAcademy™: Your Pharmacy Learning Management System Companion

An effective onboarding plan is crucial for new employees in long-term care pharmacies. It ensures that new hires are well-prepared, confident, and integrated into your team, contributing to better patient care and a more efficient pharmacy operation.

Let FrameworkAcademy lighten the load by supporting new hire onboarding and ongoing learning initiatives within your pharmacy. With its comprehensive resources and tailored learning paths, FrameworkAcademy empowers employees to quickly acclimate to their roles and stay updated on industry advancements, freeing up valuable time for other essential tasks.

Ready to explore more? See FrameworkAcademy in Action!