Impact of gamification strategies applied to an institutional pharmacy department education

Background: The methods used by health systems and pharmacy departments to educate personnel and uphold competency standards are variable. Gamification utilises motivational affordances, commonly in the form of game-like environments, to increase user engagement. There is limited data on the use of gamification in pharmacy workforce education. Objective: To evaluate the impact of gamification strategies on education in a pharmacy department via post-module assessment scores and satisfaction survey results. Methods: This prospective randomised controlled trial enrolled institutional pharmacy department employees assigned to a control group receiving traditional education or an intervention group receiving gamified education. After completion, employees were given an assessment and a satisfaction survey. The primary endpoint was post-module assessment scores. The secondary endpoint was satisfaction survey scores. Results: The study included 55 pharmacists and 17 technicians. The gamification group experienced higher median post-module assessment scores in two of the three modules (p < 0.0001). The gamification group also reported higher satisfaction in all three modules, with notable differences in overall median satisfaction scores for two of the five survey questions; these two questions concerned engagement and enjoyment. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the positive impact of gamification on pharmacy department personnel’s academic performance and engagement. Future studies are needed to investigate gamification elements that primarily affect user knowledge retention.