Objective. To explore pharmacy stakeholders’ perspectives in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) on pharmacy education and quality assurance. Method. Thirty-two interviews were conducted with professionals from 15 EMR countries, exploring pharmacy education in the region. Themes were mapped to the five pillars of the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s Global Framework on Quality Assurance of Pharmacy Education. Results. Nine challenges were identified across the framework on country-, institution-, and faculty-level. These challenges were political-socioeconomic instability; limited accreditation and quality assurance measures; insufficient engagement of professional organizations; disconnect between academia, practice and regulatory sectors; curricula shortcomings; skills-gaps; absence of competency frameworks; inconsistencies in pre-registration training; and professional development mechanisms. Conclusion. Vast inter-/intra-regional variability in pharmacy education and quality assurance measures was revealed. The lack of pharmacy-specific national/regional competency frameworks and quality assurance systems has implications for stakeholders in the profession. Progress in this area is crucial for pharmacy education in the EMR.

Competency-based education (CBE) “derives a curriculum from an analysis of a prospective or actual role in modern society and attempts to certify students’ progress on the basis of demonstrated performance in some or all aspects of that role”. This paper summarizes pertinent aspects of existing CBE models in health professions education; pharmacy education presented as an example. It presents a synthesis of these models to propose a new diagrammatic representation. A conceptual model for competency-based health professions education with a focus on learning and assessment is discussed. It is argued that various elements of CBE converge to holistically portray competency-based learning and assessment as essential in initial education and relevant to practitioners’ continuing professional development, especially in the context and importance of pursing lifelong learning practices.

Background: Community pharmacists like other health care professionals in Lebanon have been grappling with a series of multifaceted, country-wide and ongoing challenges that have formed the impetus for this research. We aimed to explore experiences of community pharmacists in Beirut, Lebanon, during three concurrent crises in 2020: the Lebanese financial crisis, COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut Port explosion.Methods: A qualitative approach using a constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed. Between October 2020 and February 2021, semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposefully recruited community pharma-cists working in Beirut. All interviews were conducted virtually, and data collected were analysed using inductive reasoning, with open coding and concept development.Results: Thirty-five participants (63% female, mean age 30) were interviewed online. Emergent categories and theoretical concepts included 1. painting the picture -pharmacists describing the context/setting; 2. impact of the crises -on community pharmacists, the profession, patients and the system; 3. response to the crises -of community pharmacists, the profession (+ practice), patients and the system; and 4. need for advocacy and leadership. A theory was developed about "unsustainable resilience" in the scheme of ongoing crises.Conclusions: The findings revealed a shared sense of futility and despair among pharmacists collectively as a profession, as well as a sense of unsustainable healthcare systems in Lebanon, and environments impacting on the resilience of pharmacists atan individual level. A call for action is needed for urgent sustainable structural and financial reforms, advocacy and planning for future resilient systems, as well as a resilient pharmacy profession and protection of phar-macists' wellbeing and livelihood.