Training is undoubtedly one of the most important current issues when it comes to competitiveness, innovation, and continuous improvement of a company. This process involves the detection of needs, planning, implementation, evaluation, feedback, and monitoring of results. The fundamental axis of this process is the Diagnosis of Training Needs (DNC), since it indicates precisely the aspects on which the trainer must work. After a national and international review and the results obtained in the supervision carried out in the municipality, it was possible to detect the existence of training needs for pharmacy assistants. To realize a diagnosis of the training needs of the pharmacy assistants of the Santa Clara Municipality. To prepare the Diagnosis of Training Needs, the Comparative Method was used. This method is based on the differences between what is and what should be, by comparison, makes it possible to verify the requirements that need to be covered. The interview and the survey were used as techniques. Finally, after analyzing all the data obtained from the matrices and open questions, the final diagnosis of training needs was prepared and delivered to the Pharmacy and Optics Company. These results showed that this company needs to immediately implement training activities for its pharmacy assistants in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

The Royal SpanishAcademy alludes to training work to make someone suitable, qualify him for something, and training to action and effect of training [1].

Within the commitments established by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (IPF) for the pharmaceutical workforce, it establishes that all patients will have access to the best pharmaceutical care through a high-quality workforce and states that there is no medical care without a properly qualified workforce [2].

At the international level, there are several antecedents of training deficits for pharmacy assistants, such as:

In 2008, a study done in Costa Rica detected a high number of errors during the medication dispensing process, due to lack of training received by new employees. Likewise, in another study in the pharmacy of the Health Center in the city of Nagarote in October 2012, non-compliance with good pharmacy practices was detected during the dispensing process [3].

In 2015, a research carried out in the pharmacy service of a hospital in Quito, the lack of knowledge, skills, and plans for improvement to auxiliary pharmacy personnel was demonstrated [4]. The evaluative analysis of the quality of the dispensing process obtained from the study at the Antenor Sandino Health Post concluded that compliance with the steps of the dispensing process by pharmacy personnel is imperfect [5].

During the study realized in 2017 at the Tomas Borge Martinez Hospital pharmacy, it was concluded that the Dispensing Process is partially fulfilled [6]. In 2018 research performed at a pharmacy in the city of Leon, Nicaragua, demonstrated, a lack of knowledge by the pharmacy assistant about the steps of the dispensing process [8]. A study performed at the Regional Hospital in Peru in 2019, displayed the existence of difficulties in the dispensing process per unit dose [9].

In Cuba, no studies were observed that used the diagnosis of training needs for the specific case of pharmacy assistants.

The objective of the study was to diagnose the training needs of pharmacy assistants in the Santa Clara Municipality, which would make it possible to develop training plans more suitable to real needs

This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and prospective investigation. The population was made up of 115 pharmacy assistants who worked in the Santa Clara Municipality in October 2022. For the selection of the sample, a proportion (p=0,5) was used that estimates a maximum sample size, an estimation error (d=0,05), and a confidence level (z=95), the sample was formed by  89 pharmacy assistants.

The Comparative Method was used to prepare the Diagnosis of Training Needs, which is based on the differences between what is and what should be; by comparison, it makes it possible to verify the requirements that need to be covered. 

The techniques used to perform the Diagnosis of Training Needs were the interview and the survey, for which three instruments were designed for data collection:

Instrument # 1 is an initial interview addressed to the territorial director; it is a pre-diagnosis that enabled to know the requirements relating to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary in pharmacy assistants. From this instrument, the list for the conformation of the Matrix was generated and instruments 2 and 3 were prepared, following the Godinez technique and the contributions of Lopez Correa [10].

Instrument # 2 is an interview addressed to Pharmacy Managers with three identical pairs of matrices (knowledge, skills, and attitude). In the first matrix of each pair, the pharmacy managers estimated the level their pharmacy assistants have and the second matrix, reflects the level to aspire to. They were scored from 1 to 9, with 1 being the lowest value and 9 being the highest, and analyzed individually and comparatively.

Instrument # 3 is an interview addressed to pharmacy assistants, following the same methodology and analysis designed for Instrument # 2. 

In addition, a third contrast was developed, in which the findings generated by the pharmacy managers were related to those obtained by pharmacy assistants.

It was possible to detect important training needs, which was largely influenced by the lack of a systematic training program adjusted to real needs from the application of Training Need Diagnoses. After realizing the comparison between the results obtained by the matrices performance to Pharmacy Managers and pharmacy assistants we concluded that the knowledge area compounded by 13 indicators, all were classified as serious. Related to the skill's area compound by 6 indicators, 50% were classified as serious and the rest as tolerable while the skill's area compound by 11 indicators, 7 were classified as serious and the rest as tolerable. Therefore, the knowledge area is the most critical. In conclusion, pharmacy assistants need immediate implementation of training activities.

The Author declares that have no conflicts of interest to disclose.