The introduction of community pharmacy experiential education in South Korea in 2014 marked a crucial step in enhancing practical training for pharmacy students.¹⁾ However, the short history of these programs has revealed challenges in achieving standardization and consistency. Unlike the United States, where chain pharmacies are prevalent, South Korea’s community pharmacies are largely independent, leading to diverse practice settings. This variability has resulted in significant differences in preceptor quality and educational content, contributing to inconsistent student experiences.²⁾

Preceptors play a pivotal role as educators, mentors, and role models in pharmacy experiential education, helping students acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for professional practice.³⁾ Despite their importance, the roles and responsibilities of preceptors in South Korea remain undefined.¹⁾ The lack of systemic role delineation underscores the need for standardization to improve the consistency and quality of experiential education.

In contrast, organizations like the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) in the United States provide guidelines for selecting and maintaining high-quality preceptors. However, even in these contexts, preceptor roles and responsibilities are not clearly articulated. 4) Research on preceptor roles has typically focused on fragmented aspects, such as effective mentorship characteristics or needs assessments in experiential education, leaving a gap in comprehensive studies, particularly in the South Korean context.

Job analysis is the systematic process of identifying the knowledge, skills, experience, and responsibilities required to perform specific tasks within a profession.⁵⁾ This methodology has long been used in human resource management to define job roles, recruit personnel, and design training programs.⁶⁾ Various methods are used to collect data for job analysis, including observation, interviews, questionnaires, and critical incident analysis. Among these, questionnaires are the most widely used tool for their practicality and effectiveness in gathering detailed information.⁷⁾

Conducting a job analysis of pharmacy preceptors can provide valuable insight into their qualifications, the competencies required for their roles, and the types of training necessary to support them. DeAngelis et al. (2019) conducted the first comprehensive job analysis of pharmacy preceptors in the United States, identifying professionalism, communication, and interpersonal skills as critical competencies. However, this study primarily focused on preceptors in clinical and institutional settings, emphasizing the need for further research specifically on community pharmacy preceptors. Additionally, given the dual role of preceptors as educators and practitioners, it is essential to understand the competencies required from the students’ perspective to improve experiential training.

In South Korea, job analysis for pharmacy preceptors, as well as for medical and nursing preceptors, remains unexplored. Existing studies have mainly concentrated on pedagogical approaches or preceptor training programs.³⁾ While some research on healthcare preceptors is available, studies specifically addressing the job functions of community pharmacy preceptors are scarce.^8,9)

This study aims to fill this gap by conducting a systematic job analysis of community pharmacy preceptors in South Korea. By surveying students and preceptors, the research seeks to define the roles and responsibilities of preceptors, compare perceptions between respondent groups, and identify factors influencing the outcomes of the job analysis. The findings are expected to support the standardization of experiential education and clarify preceptor roles, ultimately enhancing the quality and consistency of pharmacy education in South Korea.

This study employed a descriptive survey design to analyze the job responsibilities of community pharmacy preceptors and assess the frequency, importance, and difficulty of these responsibilities. The Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) method was used to define the practice-oriented characteristics of preceptors' roles and identify the qualifications required to perform these tasks. The DACUM methodology is a tool for job analysis and curriculum development, and it has been used in the job development of various professions such as clinical research coordinators and nurses.^10,11) The job was analyzed by categorizing responsibilities into duties and tasks.⁴⁾

DACUM Committee Formation

The DACUM committee was composed of six members, including two faculty members responsible for community pharmacy experiential education and preceptor management, three pharmacists with extensive experience as community pharmacy preceptors since the inception of experiential education, and one doctoral student in pharmacy with expertise in communication and self-expression.

Job Analysis

The job analysis was initiated by drafting a task inventory questionnaire based on the study by DeAngelis et al. (2019).⁴⁾ Committee members received an orientation on job analysis methodology, followed by a review of the “Community Pharmacy Practice Manual” and “Community Pharmacy Preceptor Guidebook” published by the National Association for Pharmacy Education in Korea. Using these resources, the committee identified specific tasks expected of community pharmacy preceptors. Through discussions, a draft DACUM chart categorizing responsibilities into duties and tasks was developed.

To validate the content of the draft DACUM chart, four pharmacists serving as community pharmacy preceptors in urban areas evaluated its content validity using the Content Validity Index (CVI). A 4-point scale was used, with 3 (“valid”) and 4 (“very valid”) considered to indicate sufficient validity. Based on the validation results, the committee adjusted the chart and finalized it with nine competency areas and 71 tasks.

Needs Assessment Survey

A survey was designed to evaluate the frequency, importance, and difficulty of the duties and tasks in the finalized DACUM chart. Initially, the questionnaire included a “responsibility” item, but a pilot test revealed it correlated with “importance”. Consequently, the survey focused on frequency, importance, and difficulty. Difficulty was assessed using a 4-point scale (“very easy”, “easy”, “difficult”, “very difficult”), and frequency was categorized into four levels (“yearly”, “monthly”, “weekly”, “daily”).

The survey was distributed via Google Forms to preceptors affiliated with pharmacy schools across South Korea, with clinical pharmacy professors facilitating distribution. Additionally, the survey was sent to approximately 180 pharmacies accredited by the Korea Accreditation Board for Pharmacy Education, as their contact information was publicly available. Data collection occurred from August 24 to September 30, 2019, and the study received approval from the Institutional Review Board of CHA University (Approval No. 1044308-201908-HR-058-02).

Data Processing and Analysis

Responses were entered into Excel by two researchers who cross-verified the data. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS Version 19.0. The charts were created using data entered in Excel and visualized with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI 2024). Duties and tasks were evaluated based on their importance, difficulty, and frequency, and their aggregate scores were calculated. Tasks with similar content were grouped, reducing the original 92 items from previous studies to 71 items in this study.⁴⁾ Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the mean scores for each item.

The composite score calculation formula in this study follows the method proposed by DeAngelis, who conducted research using the DACUM methodology. In previous studies, the formula used was:

However, since importance and responsibility were found to have a high correlation in previous study, responsibility was excluded from this study. The final composite score was calculated as follows:

The minimum score was 2, and the maximum score was 68.

The influence of demographic attributes (e.g., gender, career experience, education level for pharmacists; gender and academic year for students) on importance, frequency, difficulty, and aggregate scores was analyzed using t-tests and correlation analyses. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to verify the reliability of the survey items.

The survey consisted of 71 tasks categorized into nine competency areas, with responses from 103 preceptors and 105 pharmacy students. The participants were predominantly female, comprising 65.5% of the total, and the median years of pharmacy precepting experience was 20 years (Table 1). The analysis of frequency provided insights into the varying perceptions of competency between students and preceptors. Performance competency was stratified into upper, middle, and lower tiers based on the frequency of execution, with additional analysis of background variables and group averages.

Table 1

Respondent Demographics

Variable	Preceptors (n=103)	Students (n=105)
Gender
Male, n (%)	42 (40.8%)	36 (34.3%)
Female, n (%)	61 (59.2%)	69 (65.7%)
Education
4-year Bachelor’s Degree, n (%)	50 (48.5%)	-
6-year Pharm.D. Degree, n (%) For students, in progress	12 (11.6%)	105 (100%)
Master’s Degree, n (%)	23 (22.3%)	-
Doctoral Degree, n (%)	18 (17.4%)	-
Pharmacist/Program Experience
Less than 3 years, n (%)	-	-
3-5 years, n (%)	-	-
5-10 years, n (%)	6 (5.8%)	-
10-20 years, n (%)	21 (20.4%)	-
Over 20 years, n (%)	54 (52.4%)	-
Preceptor Experience
Less than 6 months, n (%)	25 (24.3%)	-
6 months to 1 year, n (%)	12 (11.7%)	-
1-2 years, n (%)	6 (5.8%)	-
2-3 years, n (%)	10 (9.7%)	-
Over 3 years, n (%)	50 (48.5%)	-

Among the 9 competency areas, professionalism (mean 43.6± 13.6), interpersonal skills (mean 36.2±14.4), and communication skills (mean 35.8±15.0) were rated as the most critical. In contrast, competencies related to group functions and self-development were rated as the least significant (mean 26.6±15.2). Among the 71 tasks, maintaining up-to-date clinical knowledge (mean 48.5±18.2), engaging in ethical decision-making for patient care (mean 48.3±18.0), and serving as a mentor (mean 46.1±19.4) were identified as key components of preceptor roles (Table 2).

Table 2

Composite Scores by Individual Job Task

Rank	Task	Mean (SD)
1	Maintaining up-to-date clinical knowledge	48.5 (18.2)
2	Making ethical and moral decisions in patient care	48.5 (18.0)
3	Maintaining professionalism in stressful situations	47.7 (16.9)
4	Adhering to scheduled work hours and meetings	47.6 (20.4)
5	Demonstrating confidence in onés expertise and experience	47.4 (20.3)
6	Responding clearly to student questions	47.3 (18.5)
7	Serving as a mentor for students	46.1 (19.4)
8	Demonstrating commitment and service to the pharmacy profession	46.0 (19.4)
9	Educating students on effective communication with patients	46.0 (19.0)
10	Creating a positive work environment	45.8 (19.0)

Note: Only the top 10 tasks are displayed. Full results are available in supplementary materials.

There was no statistically significant difference in the composite scores for the competency areas between the preceptor group and the student group (Fig. 1). However, students rated tasks such as educating other professionals, presenting at conferences, participating in multidisciplinary groups, and teaching pharmacy students higher than preceptors did. Students also placed greater importance on providing formal evaluations, informal feedback, documenting evaluations, and receiving feedback from students. In contrast, preceptors valued tasks like customizing practical content to meet students’ goals more highly (Table 3). Gender differences were observed, with female preceptors scoring significantly higher in areas such as clinical knowledge, communication, leadership, planning, teaching, and evaluation (Table 4).

Table 3

The individual job task scores with statistically significant differences between the preceptor group and the student group

Item Description	Group	Mean (SD)	p-value
Participation in education of other professionals (e.g., staff training)	Students	30.6 (18.7)	< 0.001*
	Preceptors	19.1 (16.0)
Presenting and leading sessions at professional conferences	Students	22.7 (17.9)	0.028*
	Preceptors	17.5 (16.2)
Active participation and leadership in multidisciplinary professional societies	Students	26.9 (18.8)	0.004*
	Preceptors	19.8 (16.1)
Adjusting and customizing practical content based on students' goals	Students	35.3 (20.7)	0.023*
	Preceptors	41.5 (18.0)
Teaching students in pharmacy colleges	Students	26.5 (19.1)	0.008*
	Preceptors	19.5 (18.4)
Providing formal final evaluations (e.g., summative assessments)	Students	35.8 (19.8)	0.006*
	Preceptors	28.4 (18.0)
Providing informal feedback to students	Students	33.0 (19.5)	0.048*
	Preceptors	27.8 (18.4)
Documenting feedback or evaluations for students	Students	31.4 (19.6)	0.039*
	Preceptors	26.0 (17.6)
Documenting self-assessments and self-reflections for monitoring	Students	31.9 (18.6)	0.011*
	Preceptors	25.3 (17.5)
Requesting feedback from students on preceptor improvement areas and reflecting	Students	34.4 (18.2)	0.025*
	Preceptors	28.7 (18.3)
Practicing resilience in the profession (e.g., taking vacations, pausing roles)	Students	31.1 (18.7)	0.002*
	Preceptors	22.8 (19.1)

Values with p<0.05 are marked with *.

Table 4

Differences in Competency Area Scores by Gender in the Preceptor Group

Category		Composite Score Mean (SD)	Frequency Mean (SD)	Difficulty Mean (SD)	Importance Mean (SD)
Professionalism	Male	41.8 (15.2)	3.0 (0.6)	2.9 (0.6)	3.5 (0.5)
	Female	45.2 (13.0)	3.1 (0.6)	3.1 (0.5)	3.6 (0.4)
	p value	0.224	0.311	0.023*	0.146
Clinical Knowledge	Male	29.5 (13.9)	2.4 (0.7)	3.0 (0.5)	3.2 (0.6)
	Female	37.2 (15.7)	2.6 (0.7)	3.2 (0.5)	3.5 (0.5)
	p value	0.009*	0.072	0.029*	0.016*
Communication Skills	Male	33.4 (15.3)	2.6 (0.7)	2.8 (0.5)	3.3 (0.5)
	Female	39.9 (15.6)	2.9 (0.7)	3.0 (0.6)	3.5 (0.5)
	p value	0.035*	0.077	0.06	0.04*
Interpersonal Skills	Male	32.3 (15.1)	2.6 (0.7)	2.9 (0.6)	3.2 (0.6)
	Female	36.6 (14.1)	2.8 (0.7)	3.0 (0.6)	3.4 (0.5)
	p value	1.486	1.43	1.4	1.429
Leadership	Male	26.6 (11.5)	2.3 (0.5)	2.8 (0.5)	3.1 (0.6)
	Female	32.6 (15.4)	2.6 (0.7)	2.9 (0.6)	3.2 (0.6)
	p value	0.026*	0.005*	0.154	0.285
Planning & Logistics	Male	26.6 (12.9)	2.4 (0.6)	2.6 (0.6)	3.1 (0.6)
	Female	34.5 (16.3)	2.5 (0.8)	2.8 (0.8)	3.4 (0.6)
	p value	0.007*	0.213	0.059	0.006*
Teaching	Male	26.3 (12.2)	2.3 (0.6)	3.0 (0.5)	3.1 (0.6)
	Female	33.2 (16.6)	2.6 (0.8)	3.1 (0.7)	3.3 (0.6)
	p value	0.018*	1.879	0.882	1.919
Assessment	Male	24.7 (10.8)	2.3 (0.5)	2.8 (0.6)	3.0 (0.6)
	Female	31.5 (16.4)	2.5 (0.8)	2.9 (0.7)	3.2 (0.6)
	p value	0.015*	0.101	0.443	0.062
Intrapersonal Skills	Male	20.1 (11.0)	2.0 (0.6)	2.8 (0.6)	2.8 (0.6)
	Female	28.9 (17.4)	2.3 (0.8)	3.0 (0.7)	3.2 (0.6)
	p value	0.003*	0.053	0.135	0.003*

Values with p<0.05 are marked with *.

Fig. 1. Comparison of Composite Scores by Competency Area

When analyzing only the preceptor group, differences based on pharmacist experience were minimal. However, pharmacists with 2 to 10 years of experience reported higher task difficulty in professionalism compared to those with less than 2 years or more than 10 years of experience. Similarly, when examining differences based on preceptor experience, those with 2 to 3 years of experience reported clinical knowledge and communication skills as more challenging tasks compared to other groups. Regarding educational background, graduate degree holders perceived professionalism as a more difficult area than those with other educational qualifications, while 6-year pharmacy degree holders assigned higher scores to interpersonal skills compared to other degree holders.

The reliability of the survey instrument was confirmed, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding 0.75 across all competency domains, ensuring strong internal consistency.

This study highlights the essential roles and responsibilities of community pharmacy preceptors in South Korea through a systematic job analysis. The findings underscore the significance of professionalism, clinical knowledge, communication skills, and interpersonal skills as core competencies for preceptors. These results are consistent with prior studies, such as DeAngelis et al. (2019), which identified similar competencies among preceptors in clinical and institutional pharmacy settings.^4,12,13) However, this research extends the literature by focusing specifically on community pharmacy preceptors, addressing a gap in the understanding of their unique responsibilities.

One notable finding is the statistically significant differences in competency scores between preceptors and pharmacy students across several job functions. Students consistently rated certain tasks, such as providing formal and informal feedback, mentoring, and documenting evaluations, as more important compared to preceptors. This discrepancy may reflect differing expectations and perspectives on the preceptor’s role. A recent study by Kim et al. (2023) supports this finding, revealing that students placed higher importance on preceptors acting as role models or mentors compared to preceptors’ self-assessment.¹⁴⁾ Students may prioritize tasks that directly impact their learning experience, while preceptors, who balance their dual roles as practitioners and educators, may focus more on clinical and logistical responsibilities.

The gender analysis revealed significant differences in several competency areas, with female preceptors scoring higher in clinical knowledge, communication skills, and planning and logistics. These findings align with global trends in pharmacy education, where gender-related variations in teaching approaches and mentorship styles have been observed. Further research could explore the underlying factors contributing to these differences and their implications for preceptor training and development.

Interestingly, the analysis did not find substantial differences in competency scores based on preceptors’ educational background or years of experience. This result suggests that preceptor performance is not solely dependent on formal qualifications or the length of career but may instead be influenced by individual motivation, institutional support, and access to professional development opportunities. This aligns with findings from a scoping review of pharmacy preceptor training programs, which emphasized the importance of ongoing preceptor development regardless of experience level.¹⁵⁾

The study’s results have several practical implications for the standardization and improvement of experiential education in South Korea. First, the identification of critical competencies can inform the design of targeted training programs for preceptors. A recent commentary on pharmacy preceptor training highlighted the need for flexible online training programs that include an overview of university curriculum and expectations, teaching strategies, feedback provision, and student management.¹³⁾

Second, the significant gender differences observed in competency scores highlight the need for tailored professional development initiatives that account for diverse teaching styles and mentorship approaches. Incorporating gender-sensitive strategies in preceptor training may enhance the overall quality of experiential education.

Lastly, the lack of significant differences in competencies based on experience or educational background underscores the importance of continuous learning and support systems for preceptors. A study on hospital pharmacy preceptors in South Korea emphasized the need for ongoing preceptor development and support, regardless of experience level.¹⁶⁾

While this study provides valuable insights, it is not without limitations. The reliance on self-reported data may introduce biases, as respondents might overestimate or underestimate their competencies. Additionally, the study was conducted in South Korea, and its findings may not be generalizable to other countries with different healthcare and educational systems.

Future research could address these limitations by incorporating objective measures of preceptor performance, such as direct observations or student outcomes. Comparative studies across different countries or regions could also provide a broader perspective on the competencies required for community pharmacy preceptors. Finally, exploring the impact of institutional policies and resources on preceptor performance would offer actionable insights for policymakers and educators.

Based on the results of this study, I would suggest the following recommendations for community pharmacy experiential education:

(1) Strengthening Professionalism: Among the nine competency areas, professionalism received the highest scores. Therefore, preceptor training programs should prioritize enhancing this competency. Tailored training sessions focused on fostering professionalism could significantly benefit the quality of experiential education.

(2) Prioritizing Communication, Interpersonal Skills, and Clinical Knowledge: These areas also scored high, making them critical aspects to be included in preceptor training. Training programs should integrate modules on effective communication, interpersonal relationships, and the application of clinical knowledge to reinforce these competencies.

(3) Evaluation Focus for Preceptors: Universities should implement evaluation frameworks for preceptors that emphasize core competencies such as professionalism, communication, clinical knowledge, and interpersonal skills. These evaluations would provide a structured approach to assessing preceptor performance and guiding their development.

(4) Adapting to Student Perspectives: Although there were no statistically significant differences, students rated interpersonal skills, leadership, assessment, teaching methods, and external activities highly. This reflects the tendencies of the younger generation, suggesting the need for preceptors to develop diverse competencies.

(5) Encouraging Interaction and Understanding with Students: Universities could develop programs that facilitate interactions between preceptors and students before the start of experiential training. These programs could include discussions and activities that encourage the exchange of ideas between preceptors and the younger generation, fostering mutual understanding and helping preceptors adapt to students’ expectations.

By implementing these recommendations, the quality and consistency of community pharmacy experiential education can be improved, benefiting both students and preceptors.

This study provides valuable insights into the roles and responsibilities of community pharmacy preceptors in South Korea. By identifying key competencies and addressing discrepancies in expectations between students and preceptors, the findings contribute to the ongoing effort to standardize and improve experiential education. Tailored training programs, continuous professional development, and gender-sensitive strategies will be instrumental in enhancing the quality and consistency of pharmacy education in South Korea.

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare with regards to the contents of this study.