Impacts from the implementation of a Novel Clinical Pharmacist Training Program in Changsha, Hunan Province, China

The Ministry of Health and Family Planning of the People’s Republic of China issued a mandate to all hospitals to implement clinical pharmacy services by 2020. Implementation of clinical pharmacy services to provide pharmaceutical care is a priority. The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in collaboration with the University of Alberta implemented a structured train-the-trainer program to train pharmacists to provide direct patient care in collaboration with physicians, to teach/mentor other pharmacists and students from Hunan province, and to conduct clinical pharmacy research. Following implementation of the program, the pharmacy department increased the number of clinical pharmacists, expanded the clinical pharmacy services, made changes to hospital policies, and received a financial award of five million renminbi (one million Canadian dollars) to support the department.Significant statementThis is the first clinical pharmacy train-the-trainer program in China in collaboration with a university in Canada teaching clinical pharmacists how to provide direct patient care and to conduct clinical research. The program was well accepted by the hospital staff and administration. As a result of the changes implemented, the hospital was ranked as having the third best clinical pharmacy department in China.