Perception of Pharmacists About the Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Exam

Objectives: Researching the perceptions of standardized licensure examinations in the pharmaceutical sector is vital to measure key pharmacy competence and skills assessment of entry-level pharmacists. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to explore the perceptions of the Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Exam (SPLE) in improving pharmacy practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) by focusing on the experiences and attitudes pharmacy workers had regarding SPLE pharmacy standards and factors associated with passing the exam. Results: The data for this study was collected through a survey and analyzed using the survey monkey systems and the statistical package of social sciences (SPSS). The study used a sample size of 701 participants statistically calculated with a 95% CI, 1.96 z score, and 5% margin error. The study found low scores (M=2.77, p=.001) in the perceptions of SPLE in assessing entry-level pharmacists-related skills, attitudes, and knowledge that increase graduates’ readiness for pharmacy practice. Location, gender, marital status, age, experience years, income, GPA results, and the number of SPLE admissions affected SPLE perception and passing rates. Conclusion: The pharmacist believed that the current Saudi Pharmacy Licensure Examination (SPLE) is required. However, the recent licensure examination does not adequately measure the general pharmacy practice competencies and skills relevant to entry-level pharmacist practice. Furthermore, it was not adequately prepared for clinical pharmacy practice competencies or internal pharmacy board exams. Therefore, it is necessitating targeted keep to dates changes of pharmacy practice in its format to introduce competency standards that measure entry-level skills efficiency continuously.