Why Microlearning is Revolutionising Pharmacy Training
Did you know that professionals forget up to 70% of newly learned information within 24 hours 1?
In the fast-paced world of pharmacy, where revenues reached $1.6 trillion USD in 2023 2, this knowledge gap can have costly consequences. Pharmacy staff are under constant pressure to keep up with new treatments, regulations, and practices, making effective training essential. Yet, traditional training models often fail to meet these demands. Enter microlearning: a flexible, efficient, and engaging approach that integrates seamlessly into the daily lives of busy staff. Let’s explore how microlearning is transforming pharmacy training and why it’s the future.
What is Microlearning?
Microlearning delivers knowledge through compact, focused modules lasting 2 to 20 minutes. Each module tackles a single topic or learning objective, providing bite-sized, actionable insights. By minimising cognitive overload and aligning with modern attention spans, microlearning is designed to fit effortlessly into busy schedules.
Whether it’s enhancing professional skills, mastering new regulations, or tackling technical concepts, microlearning allows pharmacy staff to learn efficiently without the fatigue of traditional, lengthy sessions.
The Challenges of Traditional Pharmacy Training
Traditional pharmacy training faces several challenges that hinder its effectiveness in today’s fast-evolving industry:
Time Constraints
Pharmacy staff often work long hours and juggle demanding schedules, leaving little room for extensive training. Coordinating suitable times for trainers and learners adds another layer of complexity.
Outdated Materials
Regulatory and industry standards evolve rapidly. Updating training materials to remain relevant requires significant resources and can be prohibitively expensive.
Learner Fatigue
Long, lecture-style sessions often overwhelm staff, reducing engagement and retention. This makes it difficult to ensure the knowledge gained is applied effectively in practice.
These barriers highlight the need for a more agile and accessible training approach—one that microlearning is uniquely equipped to deliver.
Why Microlearning is the Solution
Microlearning addresses these challenges head-on, offering tailored benefits for both pharmacy staff and organisations.
Pharmacy Staff Perspective
Flexibility and Accessibility
Imagine fitting training into a coffee break or a quiet moment during the workday. Microlearning enables staff to access knowledge anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Platforms like lrnrx ensure learners can engage with short, targeted modules without disrupting their schedules—whether on a smartphone during a commute or on a laptop at home.
Enhanced Knowledge Retention
The “forgetting curve” 1 illustrates how quickly information is lost without regular review. Microlearning combats this by offering tools like quizzes, flashcards, and re-accessible modules, allowing learners to revisit and reinforce key concepts. This ensures knowledge is retained and readily applied in real-world scenarios.
Just-in-Time Learning
Need to refresh your understanding of emergency contraception just before a patient consult? Microlearning provides just-in-time access to critical information, enabling pharmacy staff to acquire and apply knowledge precisely when needed. This eliminates the inefficiencies of pre-scheduled, one-size-fits-all training sessions.
Pharmacy Organisations’ Perspective
Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability
Microlearning reduces costs by eliminating the need for physical classrooms, printed materials, and travel expenses. Delivered digitally, it can scale effortlessly to accommodate growing pharmacy teams or networks. By leveraging digital tools, organisations can easily expand their training programs without incurring significant overheads.
Data-Driven Insights
Microlearning platforms like lrnrx provide detailed analytics to track learner progress, engagement, and performance. Metrics such as quiz scores, time spent on modules, and completion rates help organisations optimise training content and strategies, ensuring they remain effective and relevant.
Challenges and Opportunities
While microlearning offers significant advantages, it’s essential to address potential challenges to maximise its effectiveness:
Ensuring Content Quality
Training materials must be concise, accurate, and engaging, delivered by credible instructors who understand the subject matter.
Maintaining Learner Engagement
In a digital-first world full of distractions, keeping learners focused can be challenging. Gamification, interactive elements, and community-driven features—like those on LRNRX—can enhance engagement and encourage consistent participation
Adapting to Digital Learning
Some pharmacy staff may be hesitant to transition from in-person training to online platforms. Providing clear communication about the benefits, along with robust technical support, can ease this transition.
How lrnrx facilitates microlearning
By addressing these challenges, organisations can fully unlock the transformative potential of microlearning. Platforms like lrnrx are at the forefront of this transformation, empowering pharmacy staff to embrace continuous learning and helping organisations transition smoothly to modern, digital-first training methods.
Ready to transform your pharmacy training? Explore how lrnrx can empower your team with cutting-edge microlearning solutions today.
Sources
- McGarry, O. (2018). The Forgetting Curve: 5 Ways to Challenge it. LearnUpon.
- Mikulic, M. (2020). Topic: Global Pharmaceutical Industry. Statista.
