A controlled trial of a health literacy education package for community pharmacists and pharmacy staff in Australia.

The education is based on an comprehensive literature review for current best evidence and identification of key resources and will cover topics surrounding health literacy, including definitions of health literacy, how it affects consumer healthcare and the healthcare system, why it is important for pharmacists and pharmacy staff to be aware of health literacy. The education will also cover methods to overcome health literacy problems with consumers, including particular communication techniques and strategies that allow for more effective information exchange to improve consumer understanding. Training will employ the use of computer based presentations and paper handouts which will be delivered in workshops run both on university premises and within the pharmacy premises. A select number of participants will receive computer-based training. The initial training will occur once, with a duration of 4 to 5 hours. For both Groups 1 and 2, the in-house pharmacy training will be delivered in six 30 minute sessions over a period of 12 weeks. This training will commence within 1-2 weeks after the initial training has occurred for the in-pharmacy trainers. The pharmacist leading the training will be asked to keep a log of staff attending the training. The research assistants will also monitor the frequency of training sessions within the pharmacy. Group 1 is the face-to-face group which will receive the initial health literacy training as a face-to-face class. Group 2 is the computer-based group which will receive the initial health literacy training in a computer based, self-directed format. Group 3 is the control group, and will have access to the education program following the completion of the trial