Improving Australian pharmacists' attitudes to internet use in community pharmacy practice

Objective: The internet now provides a significant part of consumers' healthcare information. While little is known about how community pharmacists regard the internet, there is some suggestion that issues of confidence and motivation may provide significant barriers to appropriate use. The objectives of this study were to measure any changes in pharmacists' attitudes towards the internet after completing a four-module educational course, 'Advanced web skills for pharmacists: finding quality on the internet'. Method: We developed a 30-item instrument measuring pharmacists' attitudes toward the internet. Pharmacists completed the survey upon enrolment, then again on completion of the CD ROM course and for a third time three months after completing the course. Key findings: The instrument was completed prior to the course by 147 participating pharmacists. The numbers of responses at the end of the course and 3-4 months post-course were 104 and 88 respectively. We established a reliable measure of pharmacists' attitudes to the internet with an appropriate degree of face validity. There was a significant improvement in attitude after course completion (P < 0.005) and a further significant improvement in attitude three months after course completion (P < 0.01). Conclusions: A short distance education programme in internet skills can markedly improve community pharmacists' attitudes to the internet.