Training Pharmacy Technicians to Provide Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids to Improve Hearing Healthcare Access in Rural Alabama and Mississippi

What this Trial Is About

Hearing loss is a significant public health issue linked to emotional and cognitive challenges as well as physical health problems like diabetes. Access to hearing healthcare professionals such as audiologists is limited, especially in rural areas with older and lower-income populations. The 2022 FDA rule allowing adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss to purchase over-the-counter hearing aids OTC HAs without medical clearance opens new possibilities for care, but rural pharmacies currently lack established guidelines for providing these devices. This study evaluates a stepped-wedge educational training program for pharmacy technicians in rural Alabama and Mississippi to support adults with hearing loss by providing basic hearing healthcare related to OTC HAs. The training includes four sequential steps no training control, online modules, online discussions, and practical experience assisting adults with bilateral mild-to-moderate hearing loss, including hearing screening and device setup. Pharmacy technicians knowledge and skills will be assessed before and after each training step. Participants will include pharmacy technicians undergoing the training and adults with hearing loss receiving care from trained technicians. Various surveys and questionnaires will be used to measure training satisfaction, confidence, hearing aid use, and hearing handicap impact. The study aims to create a collaborative model between audiologists and pharmacists to improve hearing healthcare access in rural communities. The study duration for training is 16 weeks, with outcome measures collected during and after this period.

Assessing Pharmacy Technician Educational Training for the Provision of Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids in Rural Alabama and Mississippi Pharmacies