Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions we receive below.

  • What is the purpose of pharmalearn.ie?
    pharmalearn.ie was created to provide community pharmacies with an online learning resource to automate OTC staff training and to provide continual assessment for their OTC staff.
  • How does pharmalearn.ie achieve this?
    pharmalearn.ie provides online courses that contain various media that teach and assess relevant areas in the profession of OTC pharmacy.
  • What is contained within an individual course?
    • Written material with color and diagrams.
    • Hyperlinked content for further and additional reading.
    • A “handy reference cheat sheet” that contains key points and methods for remembering information that is helpful for transferring the knowledge learned into the working environment.
    • A timed multiple choice question assessment (MCQ) of 20-30 questions relevant to the course.
    • A certificate of completion that can be printed for the users learning portfolio.
    • Soon to be added: Video content and 360 degree video.
  • How many online courses are there?
    There will be one online course provided to your staff members per month. We purposely chose one course per month as we realise how busy staff members can get in the day to day running of a pharmacy. We also believe that information overload can have a negative effect on learning.
  • How are the courses rolled out per month?
    A new course will be made available to your pharmacy team at the start of each month.
  • What happens if I sign up to the site just before the month ends and don’t have enough time to complete the reading and assessment?
    You will have a two week extension before the next course can be accessed.
  • What are the courses provided?
    1. January: Smoking Cessation and Weight Loss
    2. Februrary: Pain Control and Analgesic Medicines
    3. March: Skin, Scalp & Hair Conditions
    4. April: Eyes, Ears & Nasal Conditions
    5. May: Allergies and Sunburn
    6. June: OTC medicines and Pregnancy
    7. July: WWHAM Questioning and Technique
    8. August: Coughs, Colds & Flu
    9. September: Dental & Oral Conditions
    10. October: Vitamins & Minerals
    11. November: Customer Service
    12. December: Gastro-Intestinal Problems
  • I wish to provide staff training to members on a topic that is not listed. How can I provide this to my staff using the website?
    At pharmalearn.ie we are constantly looking to update and provide new courses. If you would like to suggest a course for creation please leave a message in our Site Feedback/User Suggestion Box and we will use requests and user feedback to shape our course content.
  • Why are each courses paired with a month?
    At pharmalearn.ie we believe learning is most effective when it’s needed. Each course contains a seasonal theme which often reflects the type of customer your pharmacy will encounter each month. This will give your pharmacy the maximum benefit of the training provided.
  • How long do you have to access and attempt a module/course?
    A user has 2 months from when the course is released to access the material after which the course will close. A user has 40 minutes to complete a 20 question MCQ test from when started. The user will have two attempts at this test.
  • What is the pass mark for the MCQ assessments?
    The pass mark will be 80% for each assessment.
  • How many questions are in a MCQ test?
    There will be 20 questions provided from a bank of questions .
  • How do you stop questions repeating?
    Questions will be provided from a bank of questions to the user at random to prevent repetition.
  • How many attempts does a staff member get?
    The staff member will have 2 attempts to complete the test.
  • How much does it cost?
    Access to pharmalearn.ie courses cost only €10 per user per month with a minimum of 5 users. Additional users can be added as required at a cost of €10  per person per month.
  • How many staff members can use the site?
    Up to 5 staff members have access to the site for each subscription. Additional users can be added on an individual basis if required.
  • How do I monitor my staff members assessment results?
    You can check your staff members results using the online assessment dashboard.This will provide you with “at a glance” information on your staff member(s) results with the online assessments.
  • My staff member has failed the assessment after two attempts. What do I do now?
    Your staff member should be provided with individual training to assist them with any gaps in their knowledge.
  • What if I forget to check my staffs results at the end of the month?
    Not to worry as we’ve thought of that! We understand that the end of the month can be a busy time for community pharmacies with sending the PCRS claims so we will send you a small email reminder to your email address of choice.
  • How do I sign up?
    You can sign up by following the instructions here: Click Here
  • I’m having issues using the website. How do I get help?
    You can find a user manual for using the website and solutions to frequently asked questions here: User Manual.

    Should you have any further issues please contact info@pharmalearn.ie with a description of the issue you are having and we will endeavor to respond to your issue as soon as possible.