Professional Development Needs of Hospital Pharmacists in Cross River State, South South Nigeria: A Training Needs Assessment

Continuing professional development is essential for hospital pharmacists to maintain competence, adopt evolving clinical practices, and deliver quality pharmaceutical care in dynamic healthcare environments. Systematic training needs assessments are necessary to guide targeted professional development investments. This study conducted a training needs assessment among hospital pharmacists in Cross River State, South South Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 85 hospital pharmacists across public and private hospitals in Calabar, Ikom, and Ogoja zones. The questionnaire assessed current competency levels across eight pharmacy practice domains, self-perceived training needs, preferred learning formats, and barriers to accessing professional development. Domains assessed included clinical pharmacy, pharmacovigilance, pharmaceutical care documentation, drug information services, oncology pharmacy, antimicrobial stewardship, supply chain management, and quality improvement. The greatest self-reported training needs were in oncology pharmacy, antimicrobial stewardship, and pharmacovigilance, each rated as high priority by over 70 percent of respondents. Workshop and short-course formats were preferred over distance learning. Cost, work schedule constraints, and limited local training providers were cited as key barriers. Junior pharmacists expressed greater training needs across all domains compared to senior colleagues. The study provides a strategic evidence base for designing a continuing professional development curriculum for hospital pharmacists in Cross River State, and recommends partnerships between the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, state health authorities, and academic institutions to deliver affordable, locally relevant training. Keywords: training needs assessment, professional development, hospital pharmacists, Cross River State, continuing education